I've given up on making a plan for a bit and decided that this morning I'm simply going for a long bike ride. Yesterday turned out to be a great day however it didn't go so well for trying to Zwift given the hot temperatures inside our home so I'm heading out early this morning. I'd like to ride down the BeeLine Highway since I have the super tough Continental Hardshell tires on Icarus, and I want to go climbing so big hills. I'm even considering doing Fountain Hills ride backward so I can climb up the 10% inclines versus rolling down them. The point is, I just want to ride and am tired of being put on pause since all of the crap that has landed on our plate since January.
I still pedal in my sleep and wake with cramps like I had ridden my bike hundreds of miles in my dreams. I still think more about riding extreme distances over getting a deep breath of air. Today I'm going on a journey to wherever and until I get back I don't know when I'll be done or how far of a distance I'm going. Our son and his wife promised to look after our dog for us and Annika will be tracking me on my Spot GPS tracker, this is a much needed long distance bike ride.
I used to get up early and just get on my bike and pedal, most of those mornings I'd end up coming back at close to the end of the day with 80-100 miles on my legs and still be ready to go; I miss that. I may even go to Tucson by bike today just to do it. Maybe a smooth ride uphill to Carefree, who knows; it's just time to enjoy the air and ride for fun.
I haven't checked the weather yet, either way, I'm going out for a bit.
Our dog slept on my head a lot last night. The last few days she has been taking over the pillows back and forth from Annika's to mine, it's quite funny. She has been acting much better yesterday and today. Huge thanks for the comments yesterday and the support here on the site and on Patreon. Have an epic adventure day, I'm gonna start getting my gear together.


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Deafheaven Announce Upcoming 3rd LP Set To Be Released In October
News Deafheaven Loma Prieta
Following the release of the 2013 sophomore album Sunbather, California black metal/shoegaze/"blackaze" outfit Deafheaven have locked themselves away in the studio since the end of 2014 (with the
Mark Valentino
Following the release of the 2013 sophomore album Sunbather, California black metal/shoegaze/"blackaze" outfit Deafheaven have locked themselves away in the studio since the end of 2014 (with the exception of playing a few shows and festivals here and there), but yesterday, July 27th, the band uploaded a minute long teaser of the new album, which is (supposedly) titled New Bermuda and will be released in October through Anti- Records. Now, the reason the word "supposedly" is in parentheses when the name of the album was mentioned is because we are not sure if that is the name of the new album, but in the trailer you do see the words "New Bermuda" flash rapidly for a second at the end of the trailer. Whether that is the name of the album or a single they will be releasing is currently unknown, but let's just wait and see. Head on over the jump for the trailer itself!
You can find the trailer here via Pitchfork.
The video starts out with a calm, cavernous guitar part for about 40 seconds, and then immediately transitions to a clip of one of the new songs, punching you in the face with fast blast beats, and, quite literally, a wall of sound. The good ol' Deafheaven sound.
Although this is more hopeful wishing than anything, Deathwish Inc. label mates Loma Prieta are releasing their newest LP titled Self Portrait on October 2nd, so maybe (key word being "maybe") there could be a Deafheaven/Loma Prieta tour this fall to support their new albums. But that remains to be seen. In any case, this album is sure to make waves, seeing as Deafheaven are as much as a cultural phenomena as they are a band nowadays. Which raises an interesting question; will it even be possible to judge this album on its merits alone or is reference to the cultural milieu that Deafheaven operates inevitable? More thoughts on that as the album nears.
(Update: Since this post aired, more details have been published by the bands, including confirmation of the album name. Head on over here for all the juicy details!)
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Nachterror / Altars of Grief – Of Ash And Dying Light
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Exclusive Premiere: Listen To Windfaerer's "Finisterra" Before The World Ends!
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Public Release: 16-Oct-2017
Shaping animal, vegetable and mineral
Researchers develop mathematical techniques for designing shape-shifting shells
VIDEO: The face of the father of quantum physics, Max Planck, emerges from a flat disk. In each state, the colors show the growth factors of the top (left) and bottom... view more
Credit: Harvard SEAS
Nature has a way of making complex shapes from a set of simple growth rules. The curve of a petal, the swoop of a branch, even the contours of our face are shaped by these processes. What if we could unlock those rules and reverse engineer nature's ability to grow an infinitely diverse array of shapes?
Scientists from the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) have done just that. In a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of researchers from SEAS and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering demonstrate a technique to grow any target shape from any starting shape.
"Architect Louis Sullivan once said that 'form ever follows function'," said L. Mahadevan, the Lola England de Valpine Professor of Applied Mathematics, of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology and of Physics and senior author of the study. "But if one took the opposite perspective, that perhaps function should follow form, how can we inverse design form?"
In previous research, the Mahadevan group used experiments and theory to explain how naturally morphing structures -- such as Venus flytraps, pine cones and flowers -- changed their shape in the hopes of one day being able to control and mimic these natural processes. And indeed, experimentalists have begun to harness the power of simple, bioinspired growth patterns. For example, in 2016, in a collaboration with the group of Jennifer Lewis, the Hansjorg Wyss Professor of Biologically Inspired Engineering at SEAS and Core Faculty Member of the Wyss Institute, the team printed a range of structures that changed its shape over time in response to environmental stimuli.
"The challenge was how to do the inverse problem," said Wim van Rees, a postdoctoral fellow at SEAS and first author of the paper. "There's a lot of research on the experimental side but there's not enough on the theoretical side to explain what's actually happening. The question is, if I want to end with a specific shape, how do I design my initial structure?"
Inspired by the growth of leaves, the researchers developed a theory for how to pattern the growth orientations and magnitudes of a bilayer, two different layers of elastic materials glued together that respond differently to the same stimuli. By programming one layer to swell more and/or in a different direction than the other, the overall shape and curvature of the bilayer can be fully controlled. In principle, the bilayer can be made of any material, in any shape, and respond to any stimuli from heat to light, swelling, or even biological growth.
The team unraveled the mathematical connection between the behavior of the bilayer and that of a single layer.
"We found a very elegant relationship in a material that consists of these two layers," said van Rees. "You can take the growth of a bilayer and write its energy directly in terms of a curved monolayer."
That means that if you know the curvatures of any shape you can reverse engineer the energy and growth patterns needed to grow that shape using a bilayer.
"This kind of reverse engineering problem is notoriously difficult to solve, even using days of computation on a supercomputer," said Etienne Vouga, former postdoctoral fellow in the group, now an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at the University of Texas at Austin. "By elucidating how the physics and geometry of bilayers are intimately coupled, we were able to construct an algorithm that solves for the needed growth pattern in seconds, even on a laptop, no matter how complicated the target shape."
The researchers demonstrated the system by modeling the growth of a snapdragon flower petal from a cylinder, a topographical map of the Colorado river basin from a flat sheet and, most strikingly, the face of Max Planck, one of the founders of quantum physics, from a disk.
"Overall, our research combines our knowledge of the geometry and physics of slender shells with new mathematical algorithms and computations to create design rules for engineering shape," said Mahadevan. "It paves the way for manufacturing advances in 4-D printing of shape-shifting optical and mechanical elements, soft robotics as well as tissue engineering."
The researchers are already collaborating with experimentalists to try out some of these ideas.
This research was funded in part by the Swiss National Science Foundation and the US National Science Foundation.
Leah Burrows
lburrows@seas.harvard.edu
@hseas
http://www.seas.harvard.edu/
National Science Foundation, US Army Research Laboratory Army Research Office
ALGORITHMS/MODELS
Max Planck (IMAGE)
Max Planck Face (IMAGE)
Max Planck Video (VIDEO)
https://www.seas.harvard.edu/news/2017/10/shaping-animal-vegetable-and-mineral
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Forty Days Celebrating Forty Years!
Bremen | Hamburg | Berlin
Potsdam | Dresden, Bautzen and Gorlitz
Nürnberg | Karlsruhe | Zürich | Strasbourg | Bern
Annecy | Avignon | Marseille | Aix-en-Provence | Paris
Our trip to Annecy in the French Alps would require a change of trains in Geneva. We had changed many times in the past and automatically headed to the Switzerland-France transfer area that we knew. Alas, after going through immigration we discovered this was not the right place. We had to be at Geneve Gare Eaux at the other end of the city! We were told to turn right outside the station and take tram 16, in front of Hotel Cornavin at the corner, to the Amandaher stop. It cost 1.80 SF, which you can pay on the bus.
We met an extremely nice young couple on the bus who took us under their wing as they were getting off at our stop and would show us to the station. It was a good thing because when we got off in the middle of the street there was no way of knowing how to get to the train station. It's not far; cross the street and ask the next passerby to point you toward Gare Eaux (an ancient, abandoned-looking station). We missed our 13:10 connection to La Roche-Sur-Foron, where you get the train to Annecy. The next little local train arrived at 14:40 and we finally got to Annecy at 15:46.
We walked along rue de la Poste, which became rue de la Republique and as we approached the end and started crossing the canals we ran into hordes of people. It was the last Saturday of the month, antique market day. Republique ends at rue Ste. Claire where we wanted to turn left toward the lake. It was a nightmare, a narrow pedestrian shopping street lined with vendors and wall-to-wall shoppers. It took us forty-five minutes (usually a five-minute walk) to make our way down rue Ste. Claire and rue de l'Isle to Hotel du Palais de l'Isle.
This hotel is very popular due to its perfect, picturesque location in the heart of the old town. The lobby is miniscule but our room was good-sized with contemporary furnishings, but the drapes, carpets and walls were badly in need of updating. The toilet was in a separate room next to the large bathroom. Our three-day stay apparently did not entitle us to a vacuuming nor a change of bed linen. We had a few other misgivings but we are hopeful that things will improve. We met the brand-new owner, Michel Wirth, who is committed to improving the property and knows what has to be done to make it first rate. The view from our room was gorgeous. We looked down on the Palais de l'Isle, which sits in the middle of the canal. Its triangular shape, like a ship's bow, makes it look like a galley anchored in the water. It was a governor's residence in the twelfth century. It then served as an administrative hall, a court of justice, the mint and a prison. It's now classified as a historical monument and is used for exhibitions.
A friend of Pierrette's recommended we dine at Saint-Maurice. It was a five-minute walk from the hotel as is most everything. This lovely brasserie is up one flight overlooking a small square. Our table, at a window, in a stone, stucco, pale yellow with gray setting, was esthetically quite pleasing. Our waiter was charming and assured us that we would be pleased with the market-fresh daily menus. We chose the three-course menu for 24 EUR. The local red, Chautagne vin de Savoie, was light, fruity and a bit tart, which was to our liking. After a long train day and crowd-dodging, it was nice to relax in this comfortable environment.
Every course was carefully prepared and artistically presented. Our starter was a fish mousse on tiny pieces of crab dressed in olive oil and lemon with fresh greens and an edible flower. The plate was garnished with tiny morsels of red beet for flavor and color. We love magret de canard in France. Not only do they know how to raise them to be tasty and tender but they have mastered the art of grilling them crispy on the outside and rare within. Saint-Maurice did this perfectly, then presented the perfect duck breasts with creative sides and garnishes. On each plate was a small red potato, coffee sherbet and fruit compote. On the side were pots of peapods and sautéed onions and rice with mushrooms. We could have left right there as pretty happy campers but would have missed out on Delice de Princes. A slice each of dark and white chocolate mousse, sprinkled with cocoa and garnished with blackberries in vanilla sauce and a sprig of berries, was presented on lovely glass plates. This was an incredible meal for an extremely reasonable price.
Annecy consists of three distinct areas: the old historic center, the lake environs and the newer part of town where the locals live and work. It is a hub of tourist activity, particularly in the old part and lake areas.
The castle of Annecy sits high above the old town and is the major element of its architectural heritage. Old Annecy is nestled at the foot of the castle and is conserved almost intact with its fortified gates, its winding streets bordered by irregular arcades held up by wide pillars and its flowery quays. Rue Ste. Claire takes the exact shape of the rock base of the castle. This cobblestone pedestrian street is really snuggled into the rock and is the hub of the old town.
The antique market was gone the next day and replaced by a farmers' market. Again, huge crowds intent on buying all the farm-fresh products piled high on tables and stands. The smell of famous Savoyard cheese permeated the air. This is the cheese used for the equally famous local fondue.
The Thiou Canal, the lake's natural spillway, flows through the heart of the old town. The colorful sixteenth and seventeenth century buildings along the banks, the cute small bridges, the graceful white swans and the blooming pots of flowers create a scene that artists love to capture on canvas.
We had spotted a group of Chinese tourists going into a Chinese restaurant at 10 bis. rue de la Poste named appropriately, Le Palais d'Orient. Let's do it - time for a change! We sat on the ground floor, which has limited but comfortable seating in a typical Chinese environment. The upstairs is used primarily for larger parties. The service was excellent and the place was very clean. We were very satisfied with a spicy hot and sour soup, shrimps in tomato and onion, salt/pepper spareribs (a bit too fatty), fried noodles with vegetables and baby shrimp, crispy chicken and two bowls of steamed rice. The preparations were authentic, the portions decent size and the prices were reasonable.
The clear, clean lake with the mountains looming across the way and a lakefront of beauty and activity is a major attraction. It was a sunny, warm day and it was humming with sailboats, pedal boats, cruise boats and motorboats dancing on the water. Bikers, joggers and walkers filled the lakefront pathways and gardens. We met folks from all parts of the world, enjoying the glorious early fall day.
After walking the north side of the lakefront and wandering back through pretty residential streets of the new town, we headed to 11 rue du Paquier and Restaurant Garcin, which was recommended by our hotel owner. Rue du Paquier is a pedestrian street that bridges the old and new towns. Its porticoes hide the visibility of some of the signing, but we finally spotted our destination, reached by walking down a short alley and up a flight of stairs. We were greeted by a sweet waitress, stone and stucco, comfortable local ambiance and a pretty kitchen, which we were to discover provided palate and wallet comfort as well.
There is a three-course, 23 EUR menu or you can order a la carte. The carafe of light and fruity Beaujolais went very nicely with the house starter of thin slices of salami and ham with dense bread. We did justice to the pot of Moutarde de Violette de Brive (grape mustard) that was on the table. Linda's entree was too pretty to eat. Cut-up leeks were carefully arranged in a circle with a beet and vinegar sauce (sweet and sour) and garnished with hard-cooked egg and parsley. I had a pot of smoked herring filets with slices of onion and carrot.
Mains were like the entrees, typical of the region, presented beautifully, generous portions and wonderfully delicious. Linda had free-range chicken cooked in red wine with potatoes au gratin and zucchini. I had filet de Fora, a firm white local fish, with white wine sauce topped with sautéed onions and a side of steamed rice. Our dessert course, crème brule with Grand Marnier and an apple tart with vanilla ice cream earned Garcin our endorsement as a superb value place to eat.
Annecy is a pretty place to visit and a great place to eat.


Christopher Paul Curtis's 1995 historical novel, The Watsons Go To Birmingham – 1963, the source material for Cheryl L. West's remarkable new play, now in a world-premiere production at Chicago Children's Theatre, recounts the travels of the African-American Watson family on a road trip from Flint, Michigan into Birmingham at one of the turning points of the civil rights movement: the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing on September 15, 1963, which caused the senseless murder of four young girls preparing for church services, ignited national outrage and galvanized efforts to support the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
Curtis's work first came to the attention of director Wardell Julius Clark when he was a sixth grade student in Fairfield, Alabama, and it became a deeply personal story as his mother had longtime connections with the family of Denise McNair, one of the victims of the tragedy. West's beautiful adaptation appeals to young and old with an insightful view of what happens when generational awareness intersects with childhood innocence. Clark's carefully crafted production, infused with an evocative original score by Paris Ray Dozier, results in an atmosphere ripe for understanding and discussion about the serious emotional impact of racism on children.
The Watson family story centers on the coming-of-age experiences of young Kenny Watson (Nelson Simmons), the smart and inquisitive middle child of Mama (Sharriese Hamilton) and Daddy (Bear Bellinger) Watson. The Watsons are loving, attentive parents, but become concerned when Kenny's rebellious older brother Byron (Stephen "Blu" Allen) skips school with his pal Buphead (Ian Paul Custer) and tries to get Kenny to cover for him. So, Daddy and Mama pack up the "Brown Bomber" with the boys and their youngest daughter, Joey (Lyric Sims), and head off for Birmingham to deliver Byron to live with his Grandma Sands (Deanna Reed-Foster).
Mama has carefully planned a three-day excursion, but Daddy decides that it will be better for everyone if they stop along the way as little as possible. This presents logistical problems, of course, and also allows for a disturbing confrontation to occur along the way. Upon arrival, Grandma Sands waits with open arms—and a dire warning that ultimately proves to be a bonding experience for the young boys and sets the stage for a series of skillfully executed moments of drama later on.
The family relationship that the two fine actors Hamilton and Bellinger create together and with their children is touching and real. As the narrative voice of the play, Simmons's Kenny relates to every young person who struggles to cope with events as they unfold, aided by the fine work of Allen as the self-centered older brother who has his own issues. Sims is as disarmingly sweet in the role of the youngest Watson as Reed-Foster is as Grandma, with the talented Custer playing multiple roles. Scenic design by Arnel Sancianco, with lights by Jason Lynch, costumes by Izumi Inaba, sound by Kevin O'Donnell and projections by Smooch Medina evoke the open highway for the trip to Birmingham and events in the youthful experiences that Kenny tries to process and overcome.
Opening a door for discussion with children of all ages, the Watson family in West's moving production bursts with heart and understanding–as when providing comfort to Kenny, Grandma compares the strength of family to endure hardships like the roots of trees that "no matter what's coming at 'em, keep these trees standing strong and standing tall for years on end"—one of many valuable lessons that run deeply through this poignant work.
Casting Note: Jeremiah Ruwe (Kenny) and Jillian-Giselle (Joey) share performances for this production.


Discussion in 'European Delivery' started by jmnbmw, Dec 27, 2010.
Does anybody know any BMW dealerships in the Miami/FLL area who handle European Delivery?
I would think all of them (?). Braman is in Miami and Lauderdale Imports is in Ft. Lauderdale.


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Rebecca "Becky" Ruth Fletcher
Rebecca "Becky" Ruth Fletcher, 59, of Excelsior Springs, Mo., went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, April 26, 2017 after battling a variety of health issues.
Becky was born Rebecca Ruth Smith on October 13, 1957 in Arkansas City, Kans., to Roy J. and Mary Louise (nee Hollingsworth) Smith. She was the second of three children.
She graduated from Excelsior Springs High School and went on to earn her degree in nursing and become a registered nurse. Becky knew from a very early age that she wanted to be a nurse. She achieved her dream and took great pride in being a nurse and serving thousands of people in the Kansas City area during her career. She especially loved working with babies, which she did for over 16 years as an OB/GYN nurse at North Kansas City Hospital. Her nursing friends were always very dear to her.
Although she battled depression for many years, Becky never lost her love or desire to reach out to others. She found new ways to stay in touch, such as through social media, to continue to connect to people to encourage them, let them know she cared and to contribute. She was also very creative and had thoughtful, innovative ideas of how to show people she was thinking of them and cared about them.
Her Christian faith was very important to her and something she continually worked on throughout her life to develop a closer relationship with Christ.
Becky dearly loved her three sons, Justin, Joshua and Jeremy and considered them to be three of the best highlights of her life. In addition to her three sons, she was very grateful they each found a loving and supportive wife to share their lives with. Becky adored her granddaughter, Abigail and her grandson, Andrew. She was happiest when her loved ones were happy.
Becky also loved animals and provided a home to a variety of dogs, cats, a few birds and other critters over the years. Becky loved music. She had a beautiful singing voice and was a talented flutist and piccolo player, loved musicals (Sound of Music was her favorite), and Christian and country music.
Becky is preceded in death by her father, Roy J. Smith.
She is survived by her mother, Mary Lou Smith of Kansas City, Mo., formerly of Excelsior Springs; sons, Justin Fletcher (Lupe) of Yuma, Ariz.; Joshua Fletcher (Melissa) of Excelsior Springs; Jeremy Fletcher (Karlissa) of Wheatland, Wyo.; granddaughter, Abigail and grandson, Andrew, both of Excelsior Springs; brother, Steve Smith (Tanya) and niece, Hannah, of Omaha; sister, Debbie Smith of Kansas City, Mo.; several aunts and uncles, dozens of cousins from around the U.S. and many, many friends.
Visitation will be held Friday, May 5, 2017 at 5:00 p.m., with services to follow at 6:00 p.m. at the Bross & Spidle Funeral Home in Excelsior Springs, Mo.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Children's Mercy Hospital, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or Barbee Memorial Presbyterian Church of Excelsior Springs.
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Cold-blooded and Covered in Scales!
Home > Animals > Reptiles
Amphibians Birds Fish Invertebrates Mammals Reptiles
The first reptiles appeared approximately 315 million years ago. They were ectothermic (cold-blooded) and shared some superficial similarities to the amphibians who ruled the land at that time, but reptiles use their lungs to breathe from birth, possess watertight scale or scute-covered skin, and lay hard-shelled eggs which allows them to spend their entire lives on land. Reptiles became so successful during the Mesozoic era (about 252 to 66 million years ago), it was dubbed the "Age of the Dinosaurs," a time that has inspired many a young paleontologist! Reptiles are still plentiful today, with many types of crocodiles, lizards, and snakes serving as representatives.
Featured Reptiles
African Fat-tailed Gecko
(Hemitheconyx caudicinctus)
This nocturnal, ground-dwelling gecko is named for its adaptation of storing fat in its tail - these energy reserves allow…
(Python s. sebae)
This species is the largest native snake in Africa and one of the five largest species of snakes on the planet. They are…
American Alligator
(Alligator mississippiensis)
This large reptile can reach lengths of 15 feet and a weight of almost 1000 pounds! They inhabit freshwater wetlands throughout…
(Crocodylus acutus)
The range of this sizeable crocodile spans from both coasts of southern Mexico, to as far south as Peru and Venezuala,…
Argentine Tegu
(Tupinambis merianae)
This is an omnivorous, terrestrial lizard that is native to the tropical rainforests, savannas and semi-deserts of east…
Argus monitor
(Varanus panoptes hornii)
This monitor is found in northern regions of Australia and southern regions of New Guinea. They are versatile predators…
Asian Water Monitor
(Varanus salvator)
The Asian water monitor is the third longest lizard in the world, able to reach lengths of 9 feet, though 3-5 feet is…
Australian Freshwater Crocodile
(Crocodylus johnstoni)
These crocodiles are found in northern Australia, in the states of Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory.…
Australian Water Dragon
(Physignathus lesueurii)
Australian water dragons are arboreal agamids with strong limbs and long claws for climbing. They are very strong swimmers…
Bearded Dragon
(Pogona sp.)
There are eight species of bearded dragons in the Pogona genus, all adept climbers who are commonly found resting on branches…
Black Caiman
(Melanosuchus niger)
The black caiman is one of the biggest member of the alligator family – they are the largest predator in the Amazon…
Blue-Tongued Skink
(Tiliqua scincoides)
These hefty Australian natives are named for their large blue tongues that are used as a bluff to scare off attackers.…
Broad-snouted Caiman
(Caiman latirostris)
This broad-snouted caiman is found in Eastern and Central South America and prefers still or slow-moving waters such as…
Brown Basilisk
(Basiliscus vittatus)
Basilisks are native to Mexico, Central America, and northwestern Columbia. They have been nicknamed "Jesus Christ lizards"…
Chinese Alligator
(Alligator sinensis)
This species is significantly smaller than its only close cousin, the American alligator. It is further distinguished…
Cuvier's dwarf caiman
(Paleosuchus palpebrosus)
This relatively diminutive caiman is the smallest of all the crocodilians and is native to South America. Adults rarely…
Iberian worm lizard
(Blanus cinereus)
Even though they are vertebrates with scales and rudimentary eyes, the limbless, ringed morphology of these primitive,…
Indian Gharial
(Gavialis gangeticus)
This crocodilian's long, narrow snout it an adaptation to its diet, which consists primarily of fish. They are the longest…
Mexican Beaded Lizard
(Heloderma horridum)
The Mexican beaded lizard is one of two dangerously venomous lizards in the world and is found mainly in Mexico and southern…
Morelet's Crocodile
(Crocodylus moreletii)
Also, known as the Mexican crocodile, this species inhabits freshwater ecosystems of the Atlantic regions of Mexico, Belize,…
Nile Crocodile
(Crocodylus niloticus)
The Nile crocodile is the second largest crocodile in the world, after the saltwater crocodile and is widespread throughout…
Orinoco Crocodile
(Crocodylus intermedius)
This very rare species is the most critically endangered species of crocodile and found only in Venezuela and Columbia.…
Phillippine Crocodile
(Crocodylus mindorensis)
The Phillippine crocodile a relatively small freshwater, crocodilian that is critically endangered mostly due to habitat…
Schneider's Dwarf Caiman
(Paleosuchus trigonatus)
Also known as the smooth-fronted caiman, these reptiles are the second-smallest crocodilian. They are native to the Amazon…
Slender-snouted Crocodile
(Crocodylus cataphractus)
These crocodiles inhabit freshwater ecosystems in central and western Africa. Their narrow snouts are adapted to a diet…
Spectacled Caiman
(Caiman crocodilus)
This species is widespread throughout Central and South America and is actually the most common crocodilian. They are…
Yacare Caiman
(Caiman yacare)
This species of caiman is native to South America and the 10 million Yacare caimans inhabiting the Brazilian Pantanal…
For years, the Komodo dragon was accused of having a mouth so filthy that even if you escaped its terrible bite, you were doomed to eventually die from the ensuing bacterial infection. However, recent studies on Komodo dragons demonstrated that this was unfair, as they have mouths cleaner than many mammalian carnivores. It turns out the reality is worse than the myth: they have poison glands! Komodo dragons produce a venom that sends prey into shock while keeping its blood from clotting. A deer or pig who "escapes" will run off and go into shock, and bleed out from its wounds within 3 hours, leaving an easy treat for the dragon.
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When a person is convicted or pleads guilty to driving under the influence of substances (Driving under Influence [DUI] or Driving While Intoxicated [DWI]), the appropriate legal punishment is determined in the sentencing phase.
Incarceration (short-term). In many states, the offenders who commit first offense may be deprived of his liberty for a short period in prison; however, several states strongly punish those who commit this crime for the first time and impose other penalties listed here.
Incarceration (long-term), They could receive stricter penalties on offenders reoffend DUI offenses they are convicted of offenses of aggravated DUI or DUI offenses have been committed and caused injury or death to another person.
Suspension or revocation of driver's license, many states suspended the license of a drunk driver, even the first time committing the crime. The duration of a suspension or revocation of the license varies widely by jurisdiction and the nature of the crime.
Use of ignition interlocks devices (Ignition Interlock Devices, IID). In many states, a crime committed after DUI laws allow or require the use of these devices (which block the ignition of a car until an alcohol breath sample is provided).
Seizure of vehicles. in some states, laws allows or requires the seizure of the vehicle of who are repeat DUI offenses.
Information about drug / alcohol rehabilitation. Many states require or permit the completion of information programs or courses on drugs or alcohol before restoring driving permit those who committed a DUI offense.
Community service. A sentencing judge may impose different types of community service to commit a DUI offense.
Probation is an alternative to incarceration and is a period in which the defendant has certain restrictions and requirements, such as community service and has a restricted license.
SCRAM bracelets. As a penalty or when the offender is on probation, some jurisdictions allow the use of these ankle bracelets that monitor the level of alcohol.
Suspended penalties, these penalties take effect if the conditions of probation are violated.


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Executive & Administrative Orders
Executive Order 2022-04
(COVID-19 EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 99)
WHEREAS, since early March 2020, Illinois has faced a pandemic that has caused extraordinary sickness and loss of life, infecting over 2,520,000, and taking the lives of more than 28,800 residents; and,
WHEREAS, as Illinois continues to respond to the public health disaster caused by Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel severe acute respiratory illness that spreads rapidly through respiratory transmissions, the burden on residents, healthcare providers, first responders, and governments throughout the State has been unprecedented; and,
WHEREAS, protecting the health and safety of Illinoisans is among the most important functions of State government; and,
WHEREAS, the Delta variant of the coronavirus is more aggressive and more transmissible than previously circulating strains, and poses new risks in the ongoing effort to stop and slow spread of the virus; and,
WHEREAS, the Delta variant may cause more severe disease than prior strains of the virus; and,
WHEREAS, the Omicron variant is more transmissible than prior variants and has led to significant increases in the number of COVID-19 cases; and,
WHEREAS, the rapid spread of the Omicron variant has resulted in more hospitalizations throughout the State than at any prior point during the COVID-19 pandemic; and,
WHEREAS, social distancing, face coverings, and other public health precautions have proven to be critical in slowing and stopping the spread of COVID-19; and,
WHEREAS, public health guidance advises that minimizing physical interactions between people who are not fully vaccinated and who do not reside in the same household is critical to slowing the spread of COVID-19; and,
WHEREAS, the CDC continues to advise that cloth face coverings or masks protect persons who are not fully vaccinated from COVID-19; and,
WHEREAS, the CDC advises that schools follow the CDC's guidance for COVID-19 Prevention in K-12 Schools, which recommends universal indoor masking and working with local public health officials to determine the layered prevention strategies needed in their area; and,
WHEREAS, the CDC continues to advise that day care providers use COVID-19 prevention strategies, including masking and physical distancing, even after day care providers and their staff are vaccinated; and,
WHEREAS, as COVID-19 has spread in Illinois over the course of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations, the circumstances causing a disaster throughout the State have changed and continue to change, making definitive predictions of the course the virus will take over the coming months extremely difficult; and,
WHEREAS, in addition to causing the tragic loss of more than 28,800 Illinoisans and negatively impacting the physical health of tens of thousands more, COVID-19 has caused extensive economic loss and continues to threaten the financial welfare of a significant number of individuals and businesses across the nation and the State; and,
WHEREAS, many executive agencies in the State continue to focus their limited resources on the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic; and,
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic has required the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) to address the outbreak's impact on the State's food supply chain through regulation and oversight of meat and poultry facilities and livestock management facilities; and,
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic's disruption to the livestock market has required IDOA to concentrate its resources on working with livestock owners and producers in addressing safe and environmental animal disposal concerns through its oversight and regulation of the Dead Animal Disposal Act; and,
WHEREAS, IDOA regulates and investigates many other industries that have been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic including, but not limited to, pesticide applicators, animal shelters, pet shops, and gas stations, and the continued, proper regulation of these industries requires IDOA to commit additional time and resources into creating new procedures for conducting remote investigations and trainings; and,
WHEREAS, the COVID-19 pandemic's detrimental impact to IDOA's regulated industries has required IDOA to place additional time and resources into organizing and managing the timely implementation of the Business Interruption Grant Program; and,
WHEREAS, on January 7, 2022, considering the expected continuing spread of COVID-19 and the ongoing health and economic impacts that that will be felt over the coming month by people across the State, I declared all counties in the State of Illinois as a disaster area; and,
WHEREAS, in response to the epidemic emergency and public health emergency described above, I find it necessary to re-issue Executive Orders 2020-04, 2020-09, 2020-11, 2020-12, 2020-15, 2020-20, 2020-21, 2020-23, 2020-24, 2020-26, 2020-27, 2020-30, 2020-36, 2020-40, 2020-45, 2020-50, 2020-68, 2021-03, 2021-12, 2021-18, 2021-22, 2021-28, 2021-31, and 2022-03 and hereby incorporate the WHEREAS clauses of those Executive Orders;
THEREFORE, by the powers vested in me as the Governor of the State of Illinois, pursuant to the Illinois Constitution and Sections 7(1), 7(2), 7(3), 7(8), 7(9), and 7(12) of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act, 20 ILCS 3305, and consistent with the powers in public health laws, I hereby order the following, effective January 13, 2022:
Part 1: Re-Issue of Executive Orders.
Executive Orders 2020-04, 2020-09, 2020-11, 2020-12, 2020-15, 2020-20, 2020-21, 2020-23, 2020-24, 2020-26, 2020-27, 2020-30, 2020-36, 2020-40, 2020-45, 2020-50, 2020-68, 2021-03, 2021-12, 2021-18, 2021-22, 2021-28, 2021-31, and 2022-03 are hereby re-issued as follows:
Executive Order 2020-04 (Waiver of sick leave requirement for State employees):
Section 3 of Executive Order 2020-04 is re-issued and extended through February 5, 2022.
Executive Order 2020-09 (Telehealth):
Sections 9 and 10 of Executive Order 2020-09, as amended by Executive Order 2021-15, are re-issued and extended through February 5, 2022.
Executive Order 2020-11 (Illinois Department of Corrections notification period):
Executive Order 2020-12 (Health care worker background checks; Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice notification period):
Sections 1 and 3 of Executive Order 2020-12 are re-issued and extended through February 5, 2022.
Executive Order 2020-15 (Suspending provisions of the Illinois School Code):
Sections 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of Executive Order 2020-15 are re-issued and extended through February 5, 2022.
Executive Order 2020-20 (Public assistance requirements):
Executive Order 2020-20 is re-issued in its entirety and extended through February 5, 2022.
Executive Order 2020-21 (Furlough of Illinois Department of Corrections inmates):
Executive Order 2020-23 (Actions by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for licensed professionals engaged in disaster response):
Executive Order 2020-24 (Illinois Department of Human Services Forensic Treatment Program):
Executive Order 2020-26 (Hospital capacity):
Sections 1, 2(a), (d), (f), and (g), 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of Executive Order 2026 are re-issued and extended through February 5, 2022.
Executive Order 2020-26 is further amended and revised as follows:
Section 7. During the duration of the Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamations, hospitals licensed by IDPH may establish an ACF to provide room and board, nursing, and diagnosis or treatment to COVID-19 patients, or to non-COVID-19 patients in order to increase regional hospital capacity to respond to COVID-19 pursuant to emergency rules promulgated by IDPH. The Hospital Licensing Act, 210 ILCS 85/1 et seq., and its corresponding regulations set forth in Title 77, Part 250 of the Illinois Administrative Code, are hereby suspended in their entirety as applicable to the ACFs, provided the ACFs meet the standards set forth in emergency rules promulgated by the IDPH.
Executive Order 2020-27 (Cadavers testing positive for COVID-19):
Executive Order 2020-30 (Expired consular identification documents; electronic filings for the Illinois Human Rights Commission):
Sections, 1, 4, 5, and 6 of Executive Order 2020-30 are re-issued and extended through February 5, 2022.
Executive Order 2020-36 (Marriage licenses):
Executive Order 2020-40 (Child Labor Law):
Executive Order 2020-45 (Cannabis licenses):
Executive Order 2020-45 is re-issued in its entirety and shall remain in effect as specified by Executive Order 2020-45.
Executive Order 2020-50 (Resuming transfers from county jails to Illinois Department of Corrections):
Executive Order 2020-68 (Cannabis registry identification card renewals):
Executive Order 2020-68, as amended by Executive Order 2021-05, is re-issued in its entirety and extended through February 5, 2022.
Executive Order 2021-03 (Regional mitigation metrics):
Executive Order 2021-12 (Phase 5 reopening):
Executive Order 2021-18 (Mitigation measures):
Executive Order 2021-22 (Vaccination and testing requirements):
Executive Order 2021-22, as amended by Executive Order 2021-23, Executive Order 2021-27, and Executive Order 2022-01, is re-issued in its entirety and extended through February 5, 2022.
Executive Order 2021-28 (Day care vaccination and testing requirements):
Executive Order 2021-31 (Suspending requirements for social workers):
Executive Order 2022-03 (School exclusion):
Part 2: Savings Clause. If any provision of this Executive Order or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, this invalidity does not affect any other provision or application of this Executive Order, which can be given effect without the invalid provision or application. To achieve this purpose, the provisions of this Executive Order are declared to be severable.


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Climate Change Effects on Skin: A Q&A With Dr. Markus Boos
August 13, 2019 | Health and Safety
Author: Lyra Fontaine and Provider News	Post Comment
Dr. Markus Boos, a pediatric dermatologist at Seattle Children's, with one of his sons.
Climate change, a result of elevated carbon dioxide levels, leads to environmental changes that affect everyone, says Dr. Markus Boos, a pediatric dermatologist at Seattle Children's. The 20 warmest years on record globally all occurred in the last 22 years, with the past 5 years being the warmest. While natural disasters such as wildfires, hurricanes and other forms of extreme weather can cause lasting physical, mental and emotional harm to all people, specific populations are more adversely affected. This includes the elderly, individuals with disabilities and children.
These major environmental changes put children's health and safety at risk, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. Recent reports have estimated children under age 5 bear 88% of the burden of disease due to climate change. On the Pulse talked to Boos about how climate change impacts skin conditions in children, and how parents can protect their kids from ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
Q: How are children affected by climate change?
A: Children are uniquely vulnerable to changes in the environment, specifically to extreme changes such as heat waves and air pollution that are worsened by climate change. Since their bodies and metabolism are still developing, children are unable to regulate their temperature well. Compared to adults, children are exposed to more pollutants in air, food and water. At the same time, they have a greater challenge in clearing inhaled or ingested pollutants. Kids just being kids, such as spending more time outdoors, and dependence on adult caregivers also place them at much higher risk of climate-related health burdens than adults.
Specifically, children may suffer from impaired lung development, increased asthma symptoms, worsening allergies and malnourishment as a result of climate change. Post-traumatic stress, physical injury, disruptions in education and loss of a stable home environment are additional ways that children can be negatively affected by natural disasters.
Q: What skin conditions are made worse by climate change?
A: A variety of skin diseases appear to be worsened by climate change. This includes inflammatory disorders such as eczema (atopic dermatitis) and pemphigus, an autoimmune blistering disorder. While the effects of UV exposure, humidity and temperature on eczema are not clear, air pollution is known to cause eczema flares. Anecdotally, I have seen in my own clinics that the warmer spring in Seattle, and presumably elevated pollen levels, causes an increased number of patients with eczema flares. We also know that emotional stress causes conditions such as eczema, vitiligo and psoriasis to flare. This would be expected in communities that have been affected by natural disasters.
Infectious diseases that affect the skin are also on the rise because of global warming. Specifically, an increase in Lyme disease is thought to be related to warmer environments that are more favorable to tick survival, as well as a greater availability of hosts like deer and mice. In our warming world, a group of temperature-sensitive Vibrio bacteria has now been identified in Alaskan waters, causing skin injury and in some cases death via exposure to shellfish and other marine organisms.
As a result of warmer temperatures, mosquito-borne viral illnesses such as dengue, Zika and Chikungunya have been identified in parts of the south and southwest United States and are expected to increase with time. Increased temperature and humidity also result in more cases of hand, foot and mouth disease from enteroviruses. Valley fever (coccidioidomycosis) is a fungal infection contracted via inhalation that can cause disfiguring skin lesions and sometimes death if the fungus spreads throughout the body. Historically, Coccidioides species were regularly found in the southwestern United States, but there are now reported cases in southeast Washington, which has been attributed to climate change.
Finally, elevated temperature and UV light exposure, as well as damage to the ozone layer, are thought to put people at increased risk for various skin cancers.
Q: Is it true that some sunscreens are better for the environment than others?
A: There are many perspectives on how to best protect ourselves and our children from the harmful effects of UV radiation. As a dermatologist, my recommendation is to wear sun-protective clothing and seek shade or avoid the sun at peak hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) to limit the need for sunscreen. Still, if you plan on being in the sun, use sunblock.
Although chemical sunscreens (containing oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, avobenzone and other similar active ingredients) remain safe and effective for use, some have raised concerns about their environmental impacts. Specifically, water that has been treated for reuse often still contains these compounds, as wastewater treatment plants are unable to filter them. As a result, these chemical UV filters have been found in water sources as far away as in the Arctic and in chlorinated pools, as well as in marine organisms. Although these chemicals do not have widely recognized adverse effects, their continued use has unclear implications for environmental and human health, as these products become increasingly concentrated at higher levels in the food chain. There is also some evidence that certain chemical blockers may increase the speed of coral reef bleaching, though these studies are not definitive.
Sunscreens containing zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, also known as "mineral sunscreens" or physical blockers, are an alternative to chemical blockers and are also approved as safe and effective by the Food and Drug Administration. However, concerns about physical blockers are that they are known to cause lung irritation and can produce damaging free radicals upon exposure to UV light. However, they are not thought to penetrate deep enough into the skin to cause damaging effects, though people using them are advised not to place these sunscreens on open or badly inflamed skin, as this may result in absorption.
Bottom line: Seeking shade and covering up are the most effective ways to prevent skin damage from the sun. However, if these are not reasonable options and you plan on being in the sun, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends regular sunscreen use. While both chemical and physical blockers are considered safe for use in humans, physical blockers appear to have less detrimental effects on the environment.
More than Skin Deep: Providing Patients With 'The Realness'
Begin a Lifetime of Sun Safety Early in Childhood
American Academy of Pediatrics: Climate Change and Children's Health
How Climate Change Affects Children: AAP Policy Explained


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E.J. Dionne is right: Let's get this over with…
I wholeheartedly agree with what E.J. Dionne had to say last night. Excerpts:
Trump has caused a catastrophe. Let's end it quickly.
There is really only one issue in American politics at this moment: Will we accelerate our way to the end of the Trump story, or will our government remain mired in scandal, misdirection and paralysis for many more months — or even years?
There is a large irony in the politics behind this question. The Democrats' narrow interest lies in having President Trump hang around as close to the 2018 midterm elections as possible. Yet they are urging steps that could get this resolved sooner rather than later. Republicans would likely be better off if Trump were pushed off the stage. Yet up to now, they have been dragging their feet.
The reports that Trump asked then-FBI Director James B. Comey to drop his investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn may finally be concentrating Republican minds….
Nothing could be worse than slow-walking the Trump inquiries. The evidence is already overwhelming that he is temperamentally and intellectually incapable of doing the job he holds. He is indifferent to acquiring the knowledge the presidency demands and apparently of the belief that he can improvise hour to hour. He will violate norms whenever it suits him and cross ethical lines whenever he feels like it.
He also lies a lot, and has been perfectly happy to burn the credibility of anyone who works for him. White House statements are about as believable as those issued regularly by the Kremlin….
My worry is that to do it right — whether we follow the impeachment route or Ross Douthat's suggestion of using the 25th Amendment (which has a lot of appeal to me, if doable) — may take time. Not only to dot all the legal i's, but for a miracle to happen — for Trump's base, which thus far has been immune to evidence, finally sees the light. Otherwise, we're just in for more horrific turmoil and division.
But that said, we probably can't wait for that unlikely eventuality. E.J.'s right. 'Twere best done quickly…
Hate to say it, but I don't see this Trump thing ending well
A family more like the Corleones than the Waltons
What's really wrong with Todd Akin
Perry ads amazingly trite, yet revelatory
David Brooks is exactly right today about Joe
No, seriously, Nikki: I've been tuning it out, too
There is something truly unAmerican in the way Pence prostrated himself before Trump
Has GOP found a gun restriction it might like?
About what happened in Charlottesville…
Meanwhile, Graham steps up with Dream Act
This entry was posted in Character, Citizenship, Crime and Punishment, Donald Trump, Marketplace of ideas, Republicans, Rule of Law, The Nation on May 18, 2017 by Brad Warthen.
← Graham seeks Comey memos and Trump's 'tapes' A family more like the Corleones than the Waltons →
40 thoughts on "E.J. Dionne is right: Let's get this over with…"
Claus2 May 18, 2017 at 11:49 am
You expected anything else?
From Wikipedia: "Dionne is a columnist for Commonweal, a liberal Catholic publication. Before becoming a columnist for the Post in 1993, he worked as a reporter for that paper as well as The New York Times. He has recently joined the left-liberal The National Memo news-politics website."
Brad Warthen Post author May 18, 2017 at 12:51 pm
What's a "left-liberal?" I always wonder when I hear that. It seems to imply there's such a thing as "right-liberals"…
Claus, you seem to be missing the point — actually, a number of points.
You think you just proved something: that E.J. wants Trump gone because he's one of these "left-liberals."
No, you see, increasingly, just about EVERYBODY wants Trump gone. As E.J. says, if you're a GOP member of Congress, the sooner the better —
while Democrats would like to see it drag out through the 2018 elections. (If a President Pence takes over in time to get things settled down by the mid-terms, that can hurt the Dems' chances.)
The POINT of this piece wasn't "Trump needs to go." The point of this piece was that it needs to happen ASAP, and here's why…
Claus2 May 18, 2017 at 1:15 pm
No I think E.J. wanted to see Hillary in office and is likely heartbroken that she isn't. This guy could be Nancy Pelosi's twin brother. Those who want Trump gone is because he's shaking up "business as usual" on Capitol Hill and they don't like it.
Brad Warthen Post author May 18, 2017 at 1:39 pm
If, by "business as usual" you mean the sane and lawful conduct of a constitutional republic, which was the "usual" for 228 years, then yeah, you're right. People across the political spectrum don't like the way Trump is departing from that one bit…
Doug Ross May 18, 2017 at 2:14 pm
As I continue to read the Hamilton biography, NOTHING that has happened so far in the Trump administration is close to the craziness that was going on in 1792. Cabinet member Thomas Jefferson and Senator James Madison were running shadow newspapers akin to Fox News to denigrate President Washington. Hamilton was writing multi-page anonymous op-eds AND writing anonymous columns praising those op-eds. He was Trump Twitter on steriods. Meanwhile, Hamilton was under constant threat and paying blackmail regarding an affair he had while Secretary of the Treasury.
The Whiskey Rebellion saw government tax collectors killed, tarred-and-feathered and forced Washington to send thousands of troops to Pennsylvania.
Add on top of that the very divisive split in the government over abolition and the Jay Treaty that favored Britain over France…
There hasn't been a point in history when all sorts of craziness was going on. We just have more outlets to observe and comment on it more quickly.
Trump is Ulysses Grant without the functioning alcoholism. Grant's administration was rife with corruption. Grant targeted and oversaw the death of more Native Americans than anything Trump could imagine with Muslims. Trump is a lightweight in comparison.
All that reading, and you haven't picked up on the key difference?
Which is… we were blessed to have unmitigated political geniuses (starting with Hamilton, and perhaps chiefly Hamilton) — who fully understood and believed in what this country was about and would do anything they could to see it succeed — in charge of the country then. Which, of course, is the opposite of the current situation.
I hope it's not a revelation to anyone that the infant newspapers of that day were unbelievably scurrilous. You realize, don't you, that the fair, nonpartisan newspaper touting objectivity on their news pages is pretty much a 20th-century invention, right? All through the 19th century and well into the 20th, newspapers were shills for this party or the other. Even when they were founded for noble purposes, those purposes were anything but neutral — The State was founded to oppose the Tillman machine. A worthy cause, but nevertheless a cause, not an ideal of objective reporting.
Largely, newspapers embraced nonpartisanship and objectivity on the news pages after publishers figured out they could make more money if they sold something that people of ALL political stripes could value — a motive that I think Doug could believe in. And you had generations of journalists come up in that system, believing in that form of journalism with religious fervor.
Which was a great gift to the country, and one that — as newspapers recede and ax-to-grind, unprofessional media move into the grown vacuum — is very much to be missed. Which is why we should celebrate signs of vigor at The Washington Post under Bezos, and wherever else it occurs.
As for the politics of the day — the election of 1800 is generally seen as the nastiest (or close to it) in our nation's history. It was also our most glorious, for one reason: It established the precedent of one party taking power from another, and the losing party accepting it — something that had not happened before in human history, and if it hadn't happened that time, the American experiment was over.
And you bet, the nastiness was largely the product of the "newspapers" of that day, which were simply propaganda arms for one party of the other, run by people who had never heard of the journalistic ideals that I grew up with…
Except Jefferson and Hamilton were polar opposites on how they believed the country should be governed… They were the Ryan and Pelosi of the 18th century… except even more underhanded in their attempts to sabotage the other side. Those early patriots were as often wrong as they were right.
When Trump says Make America Great Again, what do you think he is talking about? Misguided as he may be, I think he thinks he is patriotic. Same as Jefferson and Hamilton… I think Trump looks at Russia and says "What exactly are we fighting with them over now? And wouldn't it be better to work with them against ISIS than not?"
"Except Jefferson and Hamilton were polar opposites…"
Not on things that mattered.
I'm more of a Federalist myself, so I disagree with Jefferson on a lot of things — that is, I disagree on the things he SAID, not so much what he DID.
All that small-government, national of rugged, self-sufficient yeoman farmers with no need for an army or a navy stuff was just stuff. He wielded big-government power pretty willingly once he was in office, going after the Barbary Pirates and purchasing half of the lower 48 in one swoop.
However much they fought with each other, they're the guys who had the vision to get this nation started on a strong footing.
I would have voted for Adams in 1800, but Jefferson did a fine job, too…
And in the end, before they both died on the nation's 50th birthday, Adams and Jefferson became friends again, remembering what they had done together in their youth and why it mattered… the reasons why we still honor them today…
Doug Ross May 19, 2017 at 8:56 am
Yeah, old guys tend to get nostalgic and forget what actually happened in the past. Partly due to a sense of mortality but mostly due to fading mental capacity.
Phillip May 18, 2017 at 3:34 pm
A key difference, Doug, is that in 1792 the country was still an infant learning to stand on its own two feet. There was no precedent for anything; the Constitution had only been approved a few years before, we were still into the first Presidency, the war had only been effectively over for about a decade.
But we're a long way from that time and place: now a long-established democracy, 240 years old, and now the most powerful nation on earth by a long shot and with that mantle for some time now. If we find ourselves in a domestic political situation remotely comparable to the instability, division, and bitterness of our infant-nation stage, then we can pretty much assume that we've taken a big step towards the moment of decline and eventual dissolution of the republic.
So what were we in 1968? 1921 with Teapot Dome? 1860's and the Civil War? When was there political peace and harmony?
We are and will always be a country that is moving in one direction or another with wide swings every 20 years or so. Any time there is power and money involved, you will have competition to control it.
Let's picture May 2017 with President Hillary Clinton. What's different?
What's May 2017 like with Hillary as President?
Still legislative gridlock of course, but at least the old-fashioned kind, between Republicans and Democrats and more understandable since it would be divided government; less instability overall domestically and globally because of a lack of worry about the US executive branch's instability; a State Department not still awaiting hundreds of appointments and functioning more effectively; a lack of the sense in the world that the US is becoming a rogue nation through turning its back on international agreements like the Paris Accord; the lack of the clear disdain for and hostility to a functioning free press; the lack of a sense that the Presidency is merely a tool to secure family personal wealth, at least not on the level of this President; full knowledge of the President's tax returns; at least one major legislative accomplishment on something HRC and the GOP leadership could agree on; Merrick Garland on the Supreme Court; foreign leaders not laughing behind closed doors at what a know-nothing all-bluster fool the US President is…I could go on, but that's a start. And of course, still more Benghazi hearings. Brad, wanna chime in here? (There are also negatives—-the neocon warriors might be happier, Lindsey, McCain, Bret Stephens).
Dang! You ask me to chime in, and then call what I was going to say "negatives."
Of the things you cite, the main point for me is "foreign leaders not laughing behind closed doors at what a know-nothing all-bluster fool the US President is."
I'd broaden that and say "NO ONE, in this country or others, would be laughing behind closed doors at what a know-nothing all-bluster fool the US President is."
And you know, it's not just "behind closed doors." Did you see the Russian foreign minister's mocking "shock" at the news that Comey had been fired? That was right out in the open.
That was, of course, just before he went into the closed-door meeting (closed to Americans, not to Russians) where Trump gave him code-word intel…
As for Merrick Garland — sure, he should have been confirmed, or at least considered.
But my attitude beyond that is the same as toward Gorsuch: Both were qualified. Both, once nominated, were people who should be confirmed…
Bryan Caskey May 18, 2017 at 6:34 pm
"at least one major legislative accomplishment on something HRC and the GOP leadership could agree on"
Now, now, maybe Bill could have brokered something. He was good at finding common ground with congressional Republicans.
Of course, that was back in the heyday of the Third Way…
Claus2 May 19, 2017 at 9:22 am
What would be different, we'd see more of a Kennedy or FDR style of President… you know hidden away to hide the medical conditions of the President. The Clinton Foundation would be thriving instead of tanking. Chelsea and her husband would be moving to Washington DC. Bill would be "interviewing personal assistants". Healthy people in Washington would continue to be dropping dead suddenly. Obama would be appointed as a Saint. Lindsey Graham would be on Sunday morning programs praising Hillary Clinton.
And there you have, in a nutshell, the kinds of beliefs that caused some people to consider ANYONE, even the grossly unqualified Trump, preferable to Hillary Clinton…
So you don't dispute any of those comments.
Are you talking to me? I'm not following…
JesseS May 18, 2017 at 7:14 pm
Playing sock-puppet theater in the Op-Ed letters was big back then. If I recall correctly, Franklin turned it into a kind of hobby, creating entire back stories with sets of spelling mistakes for each member of his cast.
To be honest, the practice never went away. Only now you can hire firms to do it for you and distribute it out into the wild by the millions with bots.
I"m thinking more along the lines of what we're seeing with Rick Quinn here in SC.
Scout May 18, 2017 at 11:06 pm
Interestingly, this website says there is such a thing as a right liberal. It says that would be libertarianism. There was a quiz. I'm a sucker for quizzes. This link is to my results (I think). I always wonder if it only shows up that way for me because my browser remembers. But hopefully you will see their cute little quadrant with explanations of their 4 groups.
Yo Claus, apparently I am a dreaded left liberal; so sorry:
http://www.celebritytypes.com/political-coordinates/test.php
If that link just goes to the test. Take it and then you will see the cute quadrants with blurbs at the bottom. I got 25.0% Left, 11.1% Liberal.
If Congress couldn't impeach Bill Clinton, what are their chances with Trump?
Actually, they DID impeach him. But the Senate didn't convict. It's a two-stage process: The House impeaches, but the president isn't kicked out of office until the Senate convicts.
What SHOULD have happened in the Clinton case was that he should have resigned when the House impeached. That would have been the honorable thing to do, but Clinton wasn't about to do the honorable thing.
Nixon spared the nation the agony of the impeachment process by resigning BEFORE impeachment. That was the honorable thing to do.
The terrible thing about the current situation is that we all know Trump is even less likely to do the honorable thing than Clinton was…
The Judiciary Committee of the House did vote for articles of impeachment on Nixon, but it's true he resigned before a full House vote. What had happened in-between of course was the enforced release of some of the withheld Oval Office tapes, which turned out to be the proverbial smoking gun. Even Nixon's staunchest defenders on the Judiciary Committee who had voted against impeachment said they would now vote for impeachment in the full House. Faced with a certain landslide vote for impeachment in both the House and Senate, Nixon knew there was no hope and that's when he chose to resign.
In this case I think the 25th Amendment is a more promising scenario, especially if Trump becomes more erratic as the pressure builds. But things are going to have to get really bad and dysfunctional for the inner GOP core (McConnell, Ryan, Pence, plus key "rational" inner circle people like Tillerson and HR McMaster) to decide to turn on Trump once and for all and basically depose him—that's what it would amount to. When Pence sees that only his reluctance is standing between him and the Presidency, he will give way and accede to the plan, at least behind closed doors. But while all that's happening, I see Trump whipping up "his" crowds, maybe firing more people (Rosenstein?), behaving ever more erratically.
One thing's for sure, it's gonna get a lot crazier before it gets calmer. We're only 120 days into the Trump Presidency.
bud May 18, 2017 at 12:47 pm
Basically impeachment only requires a majority vote in the House. No Is need dotting or ts crossed. If congress says the president committed a crime that makes it so. As long as Republicans find him more useful to their cause than without him he'll stay. Seems to me his temperament should scare Republicans more than it does. But for whatever reason they are ok with this bizarre man as long as their legislative goals are served.
And any Republican who has any brains knows as soon as he votes for impeachment means that he's out of a job because he will have lost voters in his district.
Right. Which is why they're waiting until it's obvious that those voters have finally, at long last, picked up on what's going on and turned against Trump…
bud May 18, 2017 at 2:08 pm
Yes, but that won't happen until there is a crisis like the Cuban missile crisis or a recession. Just saw man in the street interviews in a heavily Trump county in NC this morning and his base is sticking with him. The critical number is 35. It's 39.8 right now.
So we can expect Lindsey Graham not to get reelected next time around, because SC voters will want Trump out of office.
Not following you…
Who else has the vote to proceed with impeachment? If he were to vote for impeachment, what do you think Republicans in this state would do next time he comes up for re-election? Being SC they'll vote for the incumbent, but he may actually face a legitimate contender in the primary.
In this instance, he doesn't have to worry about what Republicans think; he has to worry about what Trump supporters think. There's a good bit of overlap there, but they are distinct concepts…
Karen Pearson May 18, 2017 at 3:54 pm
One thing I think we're forgetting about the Trump fan base is that to them all of Trump's crazy statements, reversals, and actions are either lies or extreme spin perpetrated by the mainstream media which is out to get him. A lot of their support is based on the contention that he is being lied about and persecuted.
Avatar May 19, 2017 at 7:42 am
According to Gallup, even Nixon still had a 24% approval rating at the time of his resignation. So there's always going to be a hard core that'll never let the light of reality crack the benightedness of their devotion.
And frankly, with Nixon, there was reason for people to support him. He was a center-right politician with a lot of good ideas, and firm grounding in how to get things done in our system.
In contrast, Trump is a man with NO qualities that recommend him for the job of POTUS — which makes the continued loyalty of his supporters particularly frustrating. There's no good reason for it…
Harry Harris May 18, 2017 at 7:50 pm
If any of this happens, I'm a good predictor – and so are some of you. Then we're stuck with Pence, a horrible option policy-wise with a better demeanor, but willing to sell out (as he has already done) for a skunk like Trump. There should be a Nixon/Agnew style deal, and we might end up with a Gerald Ford style person who's not so hyper-partisan.
Kathleen May 19, 2017 at 9:55 am
And who could be your Gerald Ford, assuming we didn't wind up with someone less desirable than Pence? Kiefer Sutherland already has a gig.


text:
2021 recapped
The Year LaRussell Called His Shot
Pendarvis Harshaw
LaRussell. (Joshua Lee Kennedy)
"VALLEJO! Stand the fuck up!," read the first sentence of a Jan. 27 tweet from Vallejo rapper LaRussell. "We bringing trophies home this year! I don't always win but I always take the risk, they never cheer for you until it go over the fence," he concluded, referencing his own lyrics.
Attached was a video of LaRussell behind a microphone, gassing an instrumental, one of many videos he's posted this year.
But this video was different. This was his Babe Ruth moment.
LaRussell metaphorically stood at home plate, calling his shot as he pointed toward the center-field fence. And then he proceeded to knock the cover off the ball. Again and again, all throughout 2021.
LaRussell went on to drop three albums this year, and built a heck of a fanbase along the way. In January, he had about 4,000 followers on Instagram. He's sitting at nearly 75,000 as of this article. One of his most noted songs, "Do That Lil Dance You Be Doing," has accumulated nearly 30,000 views since it dropped last December. He and the Good Compenny team have posted over 200 videos of LaRussell and other Northern California artists performing in their studio over the past year, and they've been widely shared; one video featuring Shanté singing Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind" was reposted by Snoop Dogg back in March.
Something major has happened just about every month of 2021 for LaRussell and Co.
In July, LaRussell had a meeting and took photos with music mogul L.A. Reid. In August, KMEL, the cornerstone hip-hop station in Northern California, played LaRussell's tracks "Who's Counting," and later followed up with "Talk Bout It." The next month, LaRussell was in New York, spittin' bars on one of the top hip-hop shows in the world, The Breakfast Club. In October, he appeared alongside P-Lo and E-40, representing three generations of Bay Area hip-hop, on the song "Again."
In November, Too $hort pulled up to LaRussell's crib and took photos with his family. Shortly after, LaRussell rocked the stage at a show with the godfather of independent rap music.
And in late November, LaRussell announced that he's selling shares of his catalog to fans who want to build wealth as he ascends in notoriety. Meaning that people can buy an opportunity to receive royalties from his songs, earning passive income as his music is streamed.
It's an unheard of move for a budding artist. But as he often says, it's different.
LaRussell (far right) stands with his family and Too $hort as they pose for a photo in front of the Good Compenny logo. (LaRussell)
While all this momentum was still building, I wrote a column about LaRussell and the Good Compenny team, highlighting his talent and the team's unique approach to putting on others while growing themselves.
The article was published a day before he hit send on that tweet. Little did I know I was capturing the North Vallejo Bambino predicting the home run—or rather, the run from home he'd have this year.
But despite what seems like a meteoric rise, earlier this year LaRussell posted a video of him rapping from 10 years ago, back when he was known as Tota Shakur—evidence that his success didn't come overnight.
Listen to the lyrics in his most recent music, and you'll catch on to some of his common sayings, like "the flow is water" and "hopped in my bag," along with one of the more notable laughs this side of Jadakiss.
But it's the lines where he talks about his career being organic, getting it out the mud, building it from the ground up and clearly stating that his mom, dad and other family members and friends have supported his climb—that's what stands out to me.
Seeing this support system in person was one of the highlights of watching LaRussell's ascension this year.
In October, he hosted an event with a sliding-scale ticket price at Izzy's Event Center on Georgia Street in Vallejo. I stood stage left watching LaRussell rap his ass off with one mic and some instrumentals, not rapping over his own vocals like so many rappers do. At one point I checked my watch and confirmed that he had been spitting for over an hour straight. Plus he was cracking jokes, dancing, doing call-and-response, and taking requests from people in the crowd who know his catalog by song name and project title.
LaRussell performing at Izzy's Event Center in Vallejo. (Pendarvis Harshaw)
The ceiling was low and it was hot as a firefighter's armpits in that joint, but he was rocking. Body odor and the scent of the smoke machine were overpowered by the smell of the platter of food on the table behind me. (The catering had come compliments of his dad, standing not too far from the food.)
On the other side of the stage, a couple of women bounced to the music with LaRussell's mom. One in particular gigged a lil harder when LaRussell rapped, "go auntie, go auntie, go." She got on stage, and sure enough, it was his actual auntie.
But it wasn't just family in the building feeling themselves like yee—there were fans, longtime friends and more. Tope, the producer behind one of LaRussell's 2021 albums, Cook Together, Eat Together, came from Oregon for the show.
Two other artists who had big years were there, too. East Oakland's Ian Kelly, who dropped K.E.L.L.S. Is Dead in January, was in the back. Not too far from him stood Stunnaman02, who dropped the album I Gotta Feel It a few days into 2021. That project features the smash hit "Big Steppin'," a song that's taken over the Bay Area this year.
Between numerous guest appearances on other projects and dropping multiple videos, Ian Kelly found time to record a cold set of bars with the Good Compenny crew earlier this year.
And with over 170 consecutive days of the #BigSteppinChallenge, filmed with folks from here to Hawaii, Stunnaman02 and LaRussell found time to take a bike ride and record some music as well.
From the food LaRussell's pop cooked to the way artists and community were cooking together, I saw what was going on. There's a culture of mutual support naturally brewing here.
"You can't tell who I don't know at my shows," LaRussell tells me during a phone call earlier this month. "I'm hugging everybody and chopping it up with everybody, you feel me?" He says even folks who are new to the fold get a taste of that love. "I feel like a lot of my fans ain't fans," LaRussell tells me. "It's very internal, especially how I navigate and run my career. I'm so accessible."
But the success is putting him and his family in circles that most people never access. He tells me about his mom meeting Too $hort and his pops meeting L.A. Reid, as well as taking the crew and family along with him on his trip to New York for the Breakfast Club appearance. "It's becoming our new norm," he says. "The norm that you never expected to happen."
The key to not getting overwhelmed by this success, he says, is "fucking with the energy and moving accordingly." LaRussell says that when things first started taking off, he was overwhelmed, jumping at everything. Now he's taking time and running his own plays. And his latest play is a rare one.
LaRussell performing at The New Parish in Oakland. (Pendarvis Harshaw)
He's selling shares of his catalog to people to help them build wealth as he grows as an artist. "When I make a song, there's a 100% revenue being made," says LaRussell, an independent artist. "I'm like fuck it, I don't even need to make this much. So, let me give some to the (people) who support my music and stream it."
He breaks it down like this: Imagine if you would've invested in Jay-Z's music in the '90s, and now he's Shawn Carter. Boom, you win at life.
And then LaRussell introduces me to the idea of "one billion stream songs," tracks of his like "Do That Lil Dance You Be Doing'," that could very likely one day see a million, or even a billion streams. "Just 1% of that song can change your life," says LaRussell.
He's selling shares for $250-$1,000. He's adamant about it being for fans, saying that he's been contacted by investment firms and he's given then a firm "no."
He's had to deal with some naysayers, but that comes with being innovative. And the system isn't new. He says he's been dividing dividends with his own team and they've had no issues. "It's only an issue when (potential investors) come in with malicious intent," says LaRussell, noting that he personally sources the offers.
"I talk to these people. I'm telling them what this is. This isn't a get-rich-quick investment. Don't give me no money if you don't love my music and want to support me," LaRussell tells me. "This is about building community wealth. In the span of my career, I'm probably going to change the lives of thousands of people, you know?"
There he is, standing at home plate, pointing even further into the distance and calling his shot once again.
LaRussell tells me that the highlight of his 2021 campaign was easily the Breakfast Club appearance. It's not just that he got to speak his piece on a major platform, but the fact that when he picked up his daughter from school a short while later, one of the kids recognized him from that appearance.
"You're not really in the game until you do certain things," LaRussell tells me, gearing up for another sports metaphor. "You're not great in the league until you win a ring or get MVP. And Breakfast Club, for a nigga like me, from Vallejo, that was like my ring."
Knowing that in a few weeks, the calendar will flip and it'll be a new season, I ask the Croc-sporting lyricist: what's next?
He answers with a question.
"What are all the things people accomplish in a year? How about a career? How many albums? Award shows? Platforms?" he asks, semi-rhetorically. His initial goal was to do all that within the next year. He thought about it, and now wants to do it in three months.
"I know, it's one of those things that's not really obtainable," LaRussell says in a rare grounded tone. "But it's like, when you shoot for that type of goal, you can only end up better."
In other words: the 2022 season starts soon.


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text:
2010 Echo de Lynch Bages, Pauillac
Red | Ready, but will improve | Chateau Lynch-Bages | Code: 7800 | 2010 | France > Bordeaux > Pauillac | Cab.Sauvignon Blend | Medium Bodied, Dry | 13.5 % alcohol
"What we do in life echoes in eternity" as the magnificent Maximus Decimus Meridius once related. I'm not sure it will last quite that long but all hail to Jean-Charles Cazes and the Lynch Bages team for creating a truly inspirational offering this year. It is dense and rich but seductive, with a terrific finish. A real thumbs up! It should be well within in the 'fill your sandals' price range too.
(58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc. 13.8% abv)
Simon Staples, Fine Wine Director
Bottle 12 x 75cl 1cs
BBX Add Case
Eligible for storage in our Bonded Warehouses, terms and conditions apply. See Further Details
Wine Spectator - Sleek and pure, with seamless cassis, blackberry and bitter cherry notes laced tightly with iron and sweet spice. Long and pure. Probably the best second wine yet from here.
James Molesworth – The Wine Spectator – Mar 2011
Chateau Lynch-Bages
Château Lynch Bages, a 5ème Cru Classé, is one of the best-known Médoc estates and has always had a particularly strong following on this side of the English Channel. Since 1973 it has been owned by the enigmatic Jean-Michel Cazes and is now run by his son, Jean-Charles.
Lynch Bages's vineyards are superbly sited on a plateau west of Pauillac town, in the small village of Bages. The 90 hectares of vineyards (Red: Cabernet Sauvignon 75%, Merlot 15%, Cabernet Franc 10%) lie on deep gravel beds over limestone. For the reds, fermentation is temperature-controlled with extensive 'remontage' to ensure concentration and depth of colour. A special system of pipes transfers the wine from the cuves to the oak barriques (60% new) where it matures for 15 months.
Lynch Bages can be surprisingly soft and approachable when young. However, when fully mature, it develops a succulent richness and a heavenly bouquet of minty blackcurrants and cigar boxes. As Oz Clarke says "Lynch Bages is impressive at five years, beautiful at ten years and irresistible at twenty."
Pauillac is the aristocrat of the Médoc boasting boasting 75 percent of the region's First Growths and with Grand Cru Classés representing 84 percent of Pauillac's production.
For a small town, surrounded by so many familiar and regal names, Pauillac imparts a slightly seedy impression. There are no grand hotels or restaurants – with the honourable exception of the establishments owned by Jean-Michel Cazes – rather a small port and yacht harbour, and a dominant petrochemical plant.
Yet outside the town, , there is arguably the greatest concentration of fabulous vineyards throughout all Bordeaux, including three of the five First Growths. Bordering St Estèphe to the north and St Julien to the south, Pauillac has fine, deep gravel soils with important iron and marl deposits, and a subtle, softly-rolling landscape, cut by a series of small streams running into the Gironde. The vineyards are located on two gravel-rich plateaux, one to the northwest of the town of Pauillac and the other to the south, with the vines reaching a greater depth than anywhere else in the Médoc.
Pauillac's first growths each have their own unique characteristics; Lafite Rothschild, tucked in the northern part of Pauillac on the St Estèphe border, produces Pauillac's most aromatically complex and subtly-flavoured wine. Mouton Rothschild's vineyards lie on a well-drained gravel ridge and - with its high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon - can produce (in its best years) Pauillac's most decadently rich, fleshy and exotic wine.
Latour, arguably Bordeaux's most consistent First Growth, is located in southern Pauillac next to St Julien. Its soil is gravel-rich with superb drainage, and Latour's vines penetrate as far as five metres into the soil. It produces perhaps the most long-lived wines of the Médoc.
Recommended Châteaux
Ch. Lafite-Rothschild, Ch. Latour, Ch. Mouton-Rothschild, Ch. Pichon-Longueville Baron, Ch. Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Ch. Lynch-Bages, Ch. Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Ch, Pontet-Canet, Les Forts de Latour, Ch. Haut-Batailley, Ch. Batailley, Ch. Haut-Bages Libéral.
Storage Details
Storage in BB&R Warehouses
Wines bought from Berry Bros. & Rudd can be stored
in our temperature controlled warehouses.
We can only accept orders for unmixed cases.
Storage Charges:
per case per annum
Customer Reserves For wines purchased In Bond,
Duty & VAT charges become payable upon withdrawing from your reserves.
BBX wines can only be bought In Bond.
More information on wine storage £10.20 (inc. VAT)
for Cellar Plan Members


text:
Home / Economy / Insurance Commission says catastrophe risk premiums overdue for adjustment
Insurance Commission says catastrophe risk premiums overdue for adjustment
PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS
THE Insurance Commission (IC) said premiums for catastrophe risk were last adjusted in 2006 and need adjustment because the old premium structure was "unsustainable."
IC Commissioner Dennis B. Funa said on Monday in an e-mail that "For the longest time, the other non-life insurance business lines have been subsidizing catastrophe insurance products and claims — a situation that is unsustainable given the constant, if not growing, exposure to catastrophe risks," Mr. Funa said in an e-mail.
Mr. Funa was responding to a legislator's query about the state of the catastrophe insurance market.
AGRI Party-list Representative Wilbert T. Lee had queried via a Dec. 12 resolution whether there was a gap in coverage for earthquakes, typhoons, and floods.
"Our country has a huge catastrophe insurance gap that leaves millions of Filipinos in poverty after every catastrophe," Mr. Funa said.
The commissioner added that higher premiums would be warranted given the Philippines' vulnerability to natural disasters.
"Since insurance is an important risk transfer tool for the recovery of communities after large loss events, it has been the view of the World Bank, the Department of Finance (DoF), the IC, and non-life insurers that catastrophe resilience of the Philippine insurance industry and its capacity to retain catastrophe risks should be increased," Mr. Funa added.
The IC is in charge of Philippine Catastrophe Insurance Facility (PCIF), a World Bank initiative under the supervision of the DoF.
Mr. Funa said the IC is reassessing the PCIF program. — Beatriz Marie D. Cruz


text:
Next Article in Internet
New Group Calls for Broadband in Every Pot
By Renay San Miguel
June 25, 2008 11:53 AM PT
An election looms, and the candidates' talking points are being set: war, the economy, the environment. Now a new advocacy group wants the next president and lawmakers to add one more item to their to-do list: a national broadband policy that ensures high-speed Internet access for all Americans.
The group, InternetForEveryone.org, features an array of high-profile technology experts such as Google's Vinton Cerf, the man who helped write the protocols for the Internet; and Jonathan Adelstein, one of the Democrats on the Federal Communications Commission.
InternetForEveryone.org did not announce any specific proposals for Congress to consider, but members are urging the public to help pressure lawmakers — and the next administration — to develop incentives that will result in higher broadband speeds at more affordable prices in all parts of the country.
Let the High-Speed Conversation Begin
"It's an impressive lineup," Leslie Harris, president of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Democracy and Technology (CDT), told TechNewsWorld. Among InternetForEveryone.org's founding members are digital law experts Lawrence Lessig of Stanford and Tim Wu of Columbia, along with an assortment of CEOs and venture capitalists.
"From what I can tell, this is not about pushing one idea over another," Harris said. "It's about a national conversation, getting consumers to be a part of a political force. We're the country that created the Internet, but our broadband penetration is not growing as fast as many other countries, either in the number of people served or in speed and the capacity of the pipes."
High-Tech Policy Agenda
CDT is also asking citizens to provide input on what the next administration should emphasize in technology policies. The group's online initiative, The Internet in Transition, prompts comments on Net neutrality, privacy and greater access — and a national broadband policy would impact all of those issues, Harris said.
"We have to start thinking of broadband in terms of its implications for the economy and the innovation agenda," she said. "I think we have [presidential] candidates who have a deeper understanding of that than the current administration."
Implications for the Wired Home
If the group can achieve its goals, the impact on society could be huge, observed Beki Grinter, associate professor at Georgia Tech's School of Interactive Computing.
"I think it's very necessary. … Broadband is where a lot of innovation is heading in the technology industry," she told TechNewsWorld. "One example is the smart home, networked with all the resources that the Internet provides, but also working with doctors online and making that available to all Americans. You can reflect on the history of the telephone and the 'lifeline' guarantees. … That's what universal access needs to mean now regarding broadband — and I think it's a way to make inroads into the digital divide."
User-Friendly Access
A successful plan for greater access to broadband shouldn't necessitate advanced computer skills for anyone who wants to connect to the Internet, cautioned Grinter.
"The technology push is one piece of it, making the economics work so that the technology can roll out. But the technology pull — making people want to use it, making them feel comfortable, safe and in control — that is going to be equally important," she said. "It's a potential obstacle that doesn't receive enough attention, the usability of these technologies."
More by Renay San Miguel
Samsung's Galaxy S4: The Real iPhone Killer Just Stood Up
Should Businesses Like a Facebook Graph Search Built on Likes?
The Incredible, Invulnerable, Indispensable Social Network
The Sweet Smell of Social Media Success – and the Funk of Failure
Lessons Learned From a Career Tweeted Away
No Kin Do: Microsoft Keeps Limping Into the Mobile Era
AT&T's Winter, Spring and Summer of Discontent
The Brilliant Future of the Portable Device Display
Sony Embarks on a New Crusade With 3-D Gaming
Rewriting the Language of 3-D: Q&A With Pixar Chief Scientist Loren Carpenter
Piracy Expert Sees Weaponization of Legit Video Providers on the Rise
Watchdog Finds Flourishing Black Market on Facebook for Fraudulent Ad Accounts
Robotic Letter Writing Lends a Hand to Personalized Marketing, CRM
5 Cyber Safety Tips To Survive the Internet, Hackers and Scammers
A Third of US Social Media Users Creating Fake Accounts


Ease the deployment of your software across the various environments.
Simplify the collaboration between the development, testing and deployment teams.
Forgotten elements; for example, files, configuration details.
Discrepancies; for example, between a developer's local environment and other environments.
The production environment must have at least one author and one publish environment.
It is recommended that all other environments also consist of an author and publish environment to reflect the production environment and enable early testing.
An integrated development system with version control to provide an integrated code-base. This is used to merge and consolidate code from the individual development environments used by each developer.
Depending on the scale of your system, the development environment can have both author and publish instances.
This environment is used by the quality assurance team to comprehensively test your new system (both design and function). It should have both author and publish environments, with suitable content, and provide all necessary services to enable a complete suite of tests.
See the Testing topic of the Developing User Guide for more information.
It is used to test the scripts used to implement the actual deployment.
It can be used for final tests (design, functionality and interfaces) before deploying to the production environments.
Although it is not always possible to have the staging environment identical to the production environment, it should be as close as possible to enable performance and load testing.
The production environment consists of the environments needed to actually author and publish your implementation.
An authoring instance for the input of content.
A publish instance for content made available to your visitors/users.
Depending on the scale of the project, it often consists of several author and/or publish instances. At a lower level, the repository may be clustered to several instances as well.
Content that was activated is packaged and placed in the author environment's replication queue. The replication process then transports that content to the publish environment.
In order to reverse-replicate data generated in a publish environment back to the author environment, a replication listener in the author environment will poll the publish environment and retrieve such content from the publish environment's reverse-replication outbox.
The publish environment generates your content dynamically in real-time and the content can be personalized for each individual user.
The code (e.g. customized web application functionality and design templates) is usually transferred by exporting and importing packages between the different content repositories. Where meaningful, this replication can be configured as an automatic process.
Automatically: for transfer to the development and QA environments.
Manually: deployments to the staging and production environments are done in a more controlled manner, often manual; though automation is possible if required.
Content being created for production should always be authored on the production author instance.
Content should not follow code moving from lower environments to higher ones, as having authors create content on local machines or lower environments and then moving it to the production environment is not a good practice and likely to introduce errors and inconsistencies.
Production content should be moved from the production environment to the staging environment to ensure that the staging environment provides an efficient and accurate testing environment.
This does not mean that staging content needs to be continually synchronized with production, regular updates are sufficient, but especially before testing a new iteration of code. Content on the QA and development environments does not need to be updated as frequently, it should just be a good representation of the production content.
Between the different environments - by exporting and importing packages.
Between different instances - by directly replicating (AEM replication) the content (using a HTTP, or HTTPS, connection).