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Archive for the 'Equality Forum' Category
Equality Forum Update
April 30th, 2010 John Culhane	No comments
Posts to come:
Early tonight or tomorrow morning: History panel.
Tomorrow evening: Recap of Saturday panels (conversation with Dan Choi; discussion with LGBT folks appointed by Obama Administration).
Sunday: Interview with David Boies (litigating marriage equality case with Theodore Olson; of Bush v. Gore "fame").
Monday: Recap of Sunday out, including same-sex commitment ceremonies.
I'm also hoping to interview Brian Sims, who was a big hit at the Sports Panel last night.
Of course, this is subject to change….
Categories: Equality Forum	Tags: Equality Forum
National Legal Panel at Equality Forum: Opening Wide for a Fire Hose of Information
Did Lambda Legal's Executive Director, Kevin Cathcart, really "start the LGBT movement for legal rights," as National Law Panel moderator Brad Sears playfully suggested at the opening of last night's Equality Forum event?
If he didn't, he certainly has a deep understanding of what most people think of as the legal "movement" – the litigation that's been waged for the past several decades in an effort to give LGBT people liberty and equality. Cathcart and Sears, who is Executive Director of the Williams Institute, the LGBT think tank at UCLA School of Law, were half of a predictably stellarly credentialed and excellent panel that's always a well-attended highlight of Equality Forum. (I'd guess there were easily 100 people present for the discussion).
Sears, who certainly could have added much of substance himself, rarely used his prerogative to do so and instead devoted himself to effective moderating. On the one occasion that he stepped out of role, it was to commend the Obama Administration for "taking a chip out of DOMA" by making a real effort at counting LGBT households in the current census.
Cathcart, of course, focused mostly on the impact litigation that Lambda currently has underway. Among the highlights is a recently filed case in New Jersey, asking the state's supreme court to declare that the civil union compromise they had permitted several years ago doesn't confer true equality, and that full marriage rights are therefore needed. There's also a case in the court of appeals asking whether the DC marriage equality law can be placed on the ballot, and another in Hawaii asking the court to recognize civil unions for LGBT couples (since a constitutional amendment in that state prohibits full marriage equality).
During a second round of questions focusing on emerging issues, Cathcart found himself in a good mood after yesterday's oral argument before the US. Supreme Court in Doe v. Reed, in which the losing side in the recent Washington State ballot initiative to remove full domestic partnership rights for gay couples sought to keep private the signatures on the ballot petitions.
"Butch up!", Cathcart said in summarizing "Justice" Scalia's reaction to the side that sought privacy. Politics is rough and tumble, and if you're signing ballot petitions, you should expect some criticism. No big deal.
In this woe-is-us context, Cathcart spent some time dissecting the anti-equality force's latest strategy, which is to argue that they are the ones being discriminated against and harassed, and seeking to turn us into the aggressors. He aptly summarized this tactic as an effort to "turn around the facts of real life."
James Esseks, who is Director of the ACLU's LGBT and AIDS Project, summarized his work on challenging foster and adoption bans in Florida and Arkansas, and noted that it's important to win these cases on constitutional grounds so that other legislatures don't get the idea that these kinds of pernicious laws can work.
He then spent some time on the very hot case of Christian Legal Society v. Martinez, in which the University of California is pitted against CLS in a case that balances the equality interest of the LGBT (and non-believing) students excluded against CLS's effort to keep them from full voting membership. (California stands with the excluded student by refusing to fully sponsor any group, including CLS, that discriminates.) Esseks's worry – and mine – is that a decision favoring CLS could in principle, lead to the end of all anti-discrimination laws. Things look ominous in that case, although Esseks thought that the Court might find that the liberty and equality issues hadn't been "well teed-up" and might punt the case back downfield (OK, not a very effective or comprehensible sports metaphor).
Esseks also mentioned the ACLU's role in defending the vile Westboro Baptist Church in a case where the father of a soldier whose funeral was protested by these sociopaths had won a judgment for emotional distress. Soon, I'm going to write a post that might be titled: "How I Learned to Hate the First Amendment." For now, I'll just refer you to this excellent criticism of the way that freedom of speech has become a sort of secular religion. I don't like it and I don't buy it.
Toni Broaddus, who is the Executive Director of Equality Federation, which is described as a national network of more than 60 statea-based LGBT organizations, naturally focused on the level where much of the real action in marriage equality and non-discrimination has been taking place.
One of her sobering points is that it's getting harder to pass LGBT legislation, like anti-discrimination laws, in part because the "easier" states have already been accounted for. She also noted that it's been very tough to get gender identity protection passed as a "stand alone" – it works better when it's folded into broader legislation for the entire LGBT community. That lesson, she noted, was passed along to ENDA advocates, who belatedly saw the light and came to insist on protection for trans-people in this law, which, you may happen to know, still has not been enacted.
She also noted that LGBT legislation is increasingly building in broad religious exemptions, and that now such exemptions are global – notably in an Ohio law that says, quite directly, that "religious organizations may discriminate." It perhaps goes without saying that such an exemption would be laughed at in the context of legislation protecting any other historically despised minority, but never mind.
There were also discussions of litigation challenging DOMA, the likelihood of ENDA passing this year (maybe), and a law that would repeal DOMA entirely (don't hold your breath, but it does have more than 100 sponsors in the House).
I could go on (yes, there was still more), but that's about enough for a blog post, don't you think? I do want to close by saying that even though I teach law for a living, blog obsessively and now do a weekly column on legal issues of importance to our community, I always learn a great deal from this panel. There's so much going on, and so many good people doing so much, that it's hard to keep up. But that's a good thing, right?
Categories: DOMA, employment discrimination, Equality Forum, Gay Rights, gender non-conformists, Marriage Equality, NJ marriage law, torts, U.S. Congress	Tags: anti-discrimination laws, Brad Sears, DOMA, ENDA, Equality Forum, First Amendment, gender identity protection, James Esseks, Kevin Cathcart, religious exemptions, Toni Broaddus
Mara Keisling: A Panel of One (Part Two)
Mara Keisling and Stephen Glassman (facilitator) at Equality Forum (4/27/10). Courtesy of Cassandra King.
For me, the most compelling part of Mara Keisling's one-woman show last night at Equality Forum was her rare foray into the personal. Typically, she doesn't share this story with media (am I media? discuss!), because she'd rather leave that to other trans-people who otherwise don't have a forum. This generosity and emotional maturity seemed to me a natural outgrowth of her personal journey.
I was glad to have heard about that journey, because it placed into helpful context what she'd said earlier. When asked to assess the struggle for LGBT rights from an historical perspective, Keisling said that the movement had "started out much more privileged" than others — notably, we weren't property and we could vote. From my perspective, the transgender community has been one of the most vilified, marginalized and just plain loathed groups in our history. Look no further than the long-standing reluctance by many in the mainstream gay rights movement to embrace our trans brothers and sisters for the underlining to this point.
Why isn't Keisling…angrier? It's risky (and negative comment-inviting) to do too much psychoanalyzing based on the few snapshots of the transitioning process that she described, but it's too much fun to resist trying. On the "what's in a name?" front, Keisling said that she couldn't settle on in her new life as a female. At one point, after she'd nervously consumed "76 rum and Cokes" — taking the Andrew Sisters' invitation too far — she sat at a table filled with trans luminaries,1 and those present voted from a list of ten names she'd been considering. But her parents, in a moving show of support that many of us can only envy, got together with her and said that they wanted to name her.
If that's not moving enough, consider this story, which Keisling guaranteed would bring us all to tears. It didn't, stony asses that we were; but it is very moving. At her place of employment, the principals of her company gathered everyone together for a lunch at which the topic of her transitioning would be discussed. Understandably, she was nervous — especially about one "demographic", a middle-aged white guy who had "a family and a mustache." Before she got too far into her presentation, the guy stopped her to ask a question. She feared the question, but took it nonetheless. Here it is, in dramatic block quote style:
"Are you going to be OK?"
How could anyone not come out of such shows of support without charity of spirit? That, Keisling has in florid abundance. Perhaps because of that, she understands the frustration of those who want to scream and march in the street even though she's not one of them. Sometimes, she allowed, that's what you have to do.
A great band name if ever there was one. ↩
Categories: Equality Forum, Social Justice, transgender rights	Tags: Andrew Sisters, Equality Forum, Mara Keisling, Rum and Coca-Cola
Mara Keisling: A Panel of One (Part One)
April 28th, 2010 John Culhane	1 comment
It's good to be back blogging about the many events at Equality Forum again this year. Honestly, with my life much busier than at this time last year, part of me was wondering whether I'd made a good decision to re-up. But last night's transgender panel was just what I needed.
Prompted by "conversation facilitator" and good friend Stephen Glassman of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, featured speaker Mara Keisling held forth for well over an hour on a range of issues relating to the legal and social status of the TG community. Keisling, who is the Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) is amusing,1 self-deprecating,2 and insightful3 – but perhaps a bit too gracious.
The fifty or so folks in the rapt audience were treated a variety of topics, well-guided and supported by Glassman's deft but low-key questioning. Much of the discussion, of course, focused on the role of her organization and other LGBT lobbying groups, none of which she spoke disparagingly of (and where's the fun in that?) Without naming organizational names, she did acknowledge that not all of these groups were on board with the importance of equality and justice for the TG community at first, but said that by now "almost everyone has been won over."
And things are further along in Congress than most of us realize. The votes are already there, she said, for ENDA, the repeal of DADT, and something called the Domestic Partnership Benefits and Obligations Act, which would extend benefits to the spouses of federal employees. So Keisling, who referred to several bills by the acronym "MARA" (example: ENDA should be called the "Marginalized Americans Rights Act"), has reason to be gracious and optimistic, despite recognizing the truth of this pithy aphorism attributed (but apparently erroneously) to Eric Hoffer:
"Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket."
Upon hearing that, I thought: "Well, enough about the HRC." But Keisling, who did state a willingness to slam the group, did so only in the spirit of fun; in substance, she avoided criticizing any of the groups, probably because, as she flatly declared: "We're winning. Sometimes I forget that, and I think we've already won." Keisling, who founded NCTE and brought her background in public relations and media consulting to the job (as well as training as a rookie activist on the state level here in PA), has long understood the value of collaboration. As she said, her organization does almost nothing alone. That's smart politics from the leader of such a marginalized group, but it also seems to reflect a deeper personal philosophy about the importance of education, friends, and alliances.
Perhaps because her background also included some work on public health messaging, Keisling also gets the importance of the administrative and regulatory environment that usually goes unreported. If a sixteen-year-old kid transitioning from male to female can't get identification papers, how can she get a job? Her organization has worked on creating national standards for dealing with issues like birth and death certificates for transgendered people, and then communicates with groups like the Sylvia Rivera Law Project in New York City to get those standards implemented on the local level. More changes are apparently on the way, including one that would make this situation disappear.
Keisling, who doesn't usually discuss her own story of transition in the media, did so last night. I'll post separately on what she had to say about it later today — after some sleep and a vat of coffee.
There was a particularly funny and bizarre reference to ownership of a mustache. It wouldn't work here; trust me. ↩
Example: "Most of the citations I've gotten are for bad parking." ↩
She claims not to be a theorist, but has clearly thought out complex social and legal issues on both the practical and the meta-level. ↩
Categories: Equality Forum, Gay Rights, Social Justice, transgender rights	Tags: Equality Forum, Mara Keisling, NCTE, Stephen Glassman, transgender
Blogging This Year's Equality Forum
Once again, I will be the "official" and very busy blogger for Equality Forum. Although I won't be able to cover almost every single session as I did last year, I do expect to hit many of them, including panels on transgender issues, legal developments, LGBT history, and several of the many Saturday programs (a delicious yet daunting menu of options). See the full schedule here.
I really enjoyed the experience last year, and it kicked off a mutually respectful and (I hope!) mutually advantageous correspondence and sharing of information with Michael Ginsborg over at Prop 8 and the Right to Marry. I also had the chance to meet some of the signal figures of our movement, including SF Mayor Gavin Newsom and Bishop Gene Robinson. (You can check out the reports by clicking on the Equality Forum category on the left of this page.) This year promises to be equally interesting; I'm especially looking forward to meeting David Boies at the International Equality Dinner on Saturday.
Categories: Equality Forum	Tags: David Boies, Equality Forum, Gavin Newsom, International Equality Dinner, Michael Ginsborg
A Conversation with Alex Nicholson
May 19th, 2009 John Culhane	No comments
Here's something to think about:
Getting married, or civilly united, as a same-sex couple can get you discharged under the military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy. As the New Jersey Civil Union Commission Report pointed out, declaring that you're in a civil union is actually "worse" (read: more hazardous) than saying "I Got Married!" — since civil unions are limited to same-sex couples, that simple speech act will do you in. You might be able to get away with saying you're married, at least until someone asks you "to whom" (and you dare to answer truthfully) or until someone finds out that you're "gay married."
At least these acts of commitment are solid evidence that one has a same-sex orientation. Contra the reading of Anne Rice novels, or the possession of art that's seen as "too lesbian"; these have also passed for "evidence" in the administrative hearings that often lead to discharge for "violation" of this policy.
This last bit of information came courtesy of Alex Nicholson, former Army (multi) lingual "human intelligence collector" discharged under the policy when another soldier discovered his "gay" letter — written in Portugese. He's the founder and Executive Director of Servicemembers United ("SU"), the primary mission of which is to advocate for the repeal of the DADT policy.
Among the "human intelligence" Nicholson was able to collect surely would not have been a justification for the DADT policy; in fact, there's not a shred of evidence in support of it. No, this document from former officers no longer serving isn't evidence; worse, the embedded "Issues Overview" is a distressing hash of homophobic arguments that I'll address in an upcoming post. For now I'll just mention that the world is changing more quickly than some retired soldiers know or want to acknowledge. As explained here, that other bastion of presumed heterosexuality, the Greek fraternity/sorority system, has also undergone rapid transformation. (The writer describes her experience at the College of William and Mary, which I also attended. When I was there, in the 1970s, we were all living under "don't ask, don't tell. That doesn't mean there were no same-sex acts. In fact, one of the fraternities had a reputation as being the one to join if you were so disposed! Is this a digression? Not really; a socially enforced (then), or legally required (now, under DADT) invisibility doesn't "solve" "the gay problem"; it simply drives it underground.)
I recently had a long sit-down with Alex Nicholson, whom I'd briefly met a couple of weeks ago at the Equality Forum event for which I was blogging. Between an appearance on National Public Radio, a screening of the documentary "Ask Not" (which features him among others; see it June 16 on PBS) and a likely appearance on Campbell Brown's CNN show, he graciously spent a couple of hours with me discussing all manner of things; some related to his organization and its mission, some about his life and background, and some general chitchat (a mutual specialty, it seems).
Alex grew up an only child in South Carolina, the son of a military dad, and left college after one year to join the Army. I asked the obvious question: "Did you know you were gay then?" Yes, he did. Well, then, why on earth join the military? His answer should have been unsurprising: "It was a non-issue in my head." He knew of the policy, but wasn't educated about it and somehow didn't think it would be much of a problem. He might have been right, even though it didn't turn out that way. The DADT policy is unclear, and randomly enforced. Some can go years with many fellow soldiers knowing they're gay, while others are pushed out quickly. This inconsistency itself is enough to alert reasonable people that the policy ain't right.
Alex Nicholson and his colleagues at Servicemembers United are doing something about it. When he founded the organization three years ago, he followed the "do it yourself" model that seems to be the signature talent of millenials. Without funding, SU established a website toehold, and then leveraged its influence through a series of ad hoc projects and initiatives co-sponsored by different, better established organizations. For example, SU created "the 12000 Flags for 12000 Patriots" campaign and then invited participation from the Human Rights Campaign, the (evil) Log Cabin Republicans, and the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network. "12,000 Flags" marked the shameful fact that 12,000 able servicemen and servicewomen had been discharged within fourteen years of the enactment of DADT. Here's Alex, speaking at the event:
SU work is more of a calling than a job. Alex and his partner, co-founder Jarrod Chlapowski, work well into the night — for no pay! (There is no paid staff, still.) It seems as though their work is starting to claw its way into the collective consciousness. The issue is everywhere, lately, and Presidential press conferences and briefings continue to feature awkward circumlocutions on when and how DADT will finally be given an indecent burial. (Jon Stewart is predictably devastating on the issue here; points out absurdity of our different policies on torture, release of torture videos, and DADT). In the midst of this, Alex Nicholson continues to work on his Ph.D. dissertation in Political Science for the University of South Carolina. The topic is one you might have expected to interest him: How people move from passive to active support of social movements, with emphasis on the involvement of non-affected supporters (e.g., men for feminism, straights for gay rights).1
So, does he want to become a professor? He'd much rather…rejoin the military. He hopes to attend law school, preferably in D.C., where he's now located, and then join the JAG Corps. After our long and interesting conversation, I somehow didn't find this surprising at all. SU exists because Alex Nicholson and others have not given up on an organization that, even now, would rather not acknowledge their existence. That's persistence.
I'd say that everyone is affected by whatever happens to everyone else, but I understand the point to be about direct effects. ↩
Categories: civil unions, Equality Forum, Gay Rights, Greek univ system, Log Cabin Republicans, Marriage Equality, military, torture	Tags: 1072, 1073, 1074, 633, 727, 728, 729, 75, 753, 883, 885, 971, 976
Equality Forum: Picking up an Important Piece on Health Services
May 4th, 2009 John Culhane	No comments
On the day after Equality Forum's week-long stampede finished trampling me, I'm able to stagger back to my computer and pick up a piece from last Saturday's collaborative programming that I didn't want to leave behind. (Tomorrow I hope to be able to post on the National Equality Rally that took place on Sunday.)
One of the panels I stopped in on, Health Care Reform: What Does it Mean for the LGBT Community?, ended up ranging over a wide swath of issues concerning the community. This wasn't surprising, because the panel was conducted by the Mazzoni Center, an organization that delivers a staggering array of health-related services to the community; mostly for free. In addition to primary care, the Center: does anonymous HIV testing (and services for those infected with the virus); offers mental health counseling; provides a smoking cessation program as well as an array of support groups; and has a number of education outreach programs, importantly including "The Collective." This is a collaborative effort that does culturally targeted HIV prevention and services for gay and non-gay identified men who have sex with men (MSM, in the accepted public health acronym). This approach is generally recognized as the only one with a decent chance of working in communities that, for historical reasons, harbor a deep distrust of public health.
In short, the Mazzoni Center stands at the intersection of private health care and public health, recognizing that the prevention and education efforts at the center of the public health mission can reduce the need for chronic and acute medical care that consumes much of the health care time and dollar. So it was natural that the conversation was similarly expansive.
Listen to Nurit L. Shein, Executive Director, speaking of the need for coverage of services that are specific to the transgender community: "This is an issue that the LGBT community needs to coalesce around." Is it reasonable to believe that whatever health care reform is on the table at the federal level will address this issue? Not unless advocates, like the Mazzoni Center and those they serve, get in touch with their officials, show up at public hearings, and agitate. Thus far, the LGBT response has been, too often, to let the "T" kind of dangle from the end of the alphabet string.
Mazzoni's vital work, though, is often frustrated by the failures of public and private health elsewhere. Robert Winn, the Center's Medical Director, somewhat surprised me by stating that he'd lost track of how many times patients had come to him after being informed by their former primary care providers that they didn't want to care for gay people. (I just checked my iPhone's calendar; yes, it's 2009.) Of course, this is a strictly illegal position in Philadelphia, but most people don't sue: they just find another doctor. But until those with a public health, population-based approach combine with the AMA to drive these homophobic views out of existence, private prejudice will continue to negatively influence the medical and mental health outcomes of the community.
It's well known that sexual, racial, and other minorities have much worse health outcomes than the majority. Every day, Mazzoni's dedicated workers try to push a very large boulder up a very steep hill.
Categories: Equality Forum, health care, HIV/AIDS, politics, public health, Social Justice, transgender rights, U.S. Congress	Tags: 1000, 1001, 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005, 1006, 1007, 206, 297, 596, 878, 923, 998, 999
Equality Forum: The International Equality Dinner Starring the One and Only Gavin Newsom
May 3rd, 2009 John Culhane	No comments
Talk about your gala events!
Well, for $200 a plate, Saturday night's International Equality Dinner needed to be a fabulous, star-studded affair, and it was. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, a true ally of the gay and lesbian community since forever, was Honorary Chair and delivered his usually warm, amusing, and affirming speech. With no elections left to contest, Rendell was even more forthright than usual — and that's something. But no one wants to talk about him, or even about The New York Times Company, winner of Equality Forum's 7th Annual Business Leadership Award. This is an honor the Times richly deserves for: its fair and extensive coverage of our issues; its pioneering inclusion of same-sex unions on its "Weddings" pages several years ago; and the stalwart support of the LGBT community from such columnists as the Pulitzer-Prize winning Maureen Dowd and the known homophile Frank Rich. (Read this, if you haven't already.)
The dinner also featured an open bar, great food (how, with so many people?), impressive videos by and about EF, and a huge and friendly crowd. But these aren't the story, either.
No, it's all about San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, a true rock star of the LGBT movement. You could have heard a mozzarella ball drop during Mr. Charisma's inspiring keynote address. But first let's back up twenty-four hours.
On Friday night, I attended a screening of Pursuit of Equality, a documentary that focuses on Newsom and the "marriage month" that took place, by his direction, in San Francisco in early 2004. The film, produced and co-directed by Geoff Callan, Newsom's brother-in-law, can be criticized as hagiography, but it captures and holds for posterity the vertiginous emotional journey of all involved: the mayor and his committed staff; the Repent America joes who camped out at City Hall in protest at what was going on; and, of course, the couples who traveled from (as the Mayor is liable to repeat) forty-eight states to become the first same-sex couples to marry, only to have their unions voided by the California Supreme Court.1
The film reminded me of the inspiration for Newsom's act of civil disobedience (the best label for it, really). Just after taking office, he'd been invited by fellow Californian and now Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to attend the 2004 State of the Union address. The now (mercifully) Ex-President cooked up a stew of inane "priority items": steroid use in baseball (I can't make this up); the need for abstinence-only education; and, critically, the imagined urgency of passing a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage unions.
This wasn't the America Newsom wanted any part of. In my interview with him, he credited his Catholic school education for implanting in him the simple dictum that couldn't abide this divisiveness: "When one suffers, we all suffer." Almost immediately upon his return from D.C., he asked his clerks what it would take to change the form to accommodate same-gender couples, and it was, well, almost nothing. (Are you reading this, Social Security Administration?) By then in office for just more than a month, Newsom allowed the Gay Marriage Parade to begin; the Grand Marshals were Phyllis Lyon and Del Martin, lesbian pioneers who'd been together more than fifty years. (The film captures Lyon's terrific sense of humor; when given the standard counseling for newlyweds about family planning, the septuagenarian doubles over laughing.)
Within a few days, San Francisco was mecca for many long-term, committed gay couples. By homing in on a few couples, the filmmakers capture their sheer joy and disbelief at the dignity they've just been able to seize. Of course, that joy turned "to bitterest wormwood" (to quote the Mighty Thor) when the California Supreme Court put a stop to the party about a month later. In a strange and unsettling sequence, the film captures a lesbian couple running down the hall in a doomed effort to get their marriage licenses before word of the order reached the clerk. Confronted with a sign telling them they were too late, they performed the remarkable act of remaining in line and being denied. Other couples are seen reading the court's decision, having it sink it, and — losing it.
Watching these emotional flame-outs, I felt compelled to ask the mayor on Saturday whether these reactions — which one can understand only so deeply, if not directly affected — had made him question his strategy. After all, he knew the likely outcome of this bold Experiment in Equality. Newsom, as articulate and comfortable a speaker as it's possible to find, answered by sharing his view of the affirming side of it: "People left City Hall with a deeper sense of self and purpose. For that moment, they knew what it felt to be treated with dignity."
Then I asked Newsom whether he felt he'd done enough to let people know what might happen. "I think people came in with their eyes wide open. They recognized that they were challenging the law, and were there to make a statement, to advance a principle." He added that he hadn't received a single email or letter from people saying "How dare you?"
I was using my few questions to gain some measure of Mayor Newsom's depth and understanding of the issue's layers, and I came away from the interview and the speech that followed convinced that he really does "get it."
"Activist courts"? He wants more of 'em, basically. Imagine what would have happened in 1967 had we allowed a popular vote on interracial marriage. 70% of the population was opposed to it. The history of civil rights, he noted, is "hardly the majority celebrating the minority. No. Courts protect the minority in a constitutional democracy."
In case you're sighing impatiently at this elementary civics lesson, it's worth remembering that equality opponents don't acknowledge these points when it comes to this issue.
What about civil unions as some kind of compromise that might appeal to a politician with good instincts but a healthy sense of self-preservation (even more so in 2004)? After all, Newsom is now running for Governor of California. If anything, his view of this "virtual equality" substitute is more contemptuous than his take on those who oppose any and all gay rights. At least the latter group is consistent. Civil unions are "separate but equal." He is unimpressed by events commemorating the 55th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education, where speakers "wax eloquent" about equality and the overdue demise of the "separate but equal" doctrine, only to embrace that same expedient when marriage equality is the issue.
Newsom, a "fifth generation Californian" is impatient with his home state on this issue. "I never thought I'd say this," he concluded, but "as Iowa goes, so goes the nation."
Many of these couples remarried after the California Supreme Court declared the law banning same-sex marriages unconstitutional. Will their marriages again be voided? I very much doubt it, but we'll know within a few weeks. ↩
Categories: Bush Administration, Civil Rights, civil unions, courts, Equality Forum, Gay Rights, Marriage Equality, Proposition 8	Tags: 302, 878, 881, 986, 987, 988, 989, 990, 991, 992, 993, 994, 995, 996, 997
Equality Forum Day 6 (2): All About Me
May 2nd, 2009 John Culhane	1 comment
OK, I'll 'fess up: I attended the program From PTA to GSA mostly because, as the parent of four-year-old twins, I wanted to hear strategies for navigating what I assumed to be the dark waters of the school experience for my kids. As soon as I walked in, I knew I'd made a good decision; in typically academic fashion, the organizers of the panel had strewn a table with a wealth of useful materials for LGBT parents of school kids. These materials addressed the tough questions I suppose I'll have to face once my kids are old enough to realize, as my partner David says, that "some people are mean to their parents."
Mountain Meadow is a summer camp that has also worked with GLSEN (The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network) to produce research documenting what we all know: Kids from same-gender families have it tougher in school than their classmates from other homes (whether "traditional" or single-parent). The fruits of that collaboration are in a research paper called Involved, Invisible, Ignored: The Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Parents and Their Children in Our Nation's K-12 Schools.
That paper demonstrates just what you'd think it would: Kids of LGBT parents have it tough, and of course it gets worse as the kids get older. But the anecdotal information has more punch: For example, one kid was told he could only make one Mother's Day gift, even though his teacher knew he had two moms. (Who on earth was this teacher, btw? Nice job.)
After Stephen Duffy, the Executive Director of Mountain Meadow, presented this case, the panel turned to two kids for their stories. One was a thirteen-year-old boy named Nicholas, who admitted to being kind of a bookworm. He had told only a few of his friends that he had two moms, for fear of reprisal (not his word — he's a bookworm but only 13, for heaven's sake!). Nicole Reyna, a local high school junior who lives with her mother most of the time, but sometimes with her dad and his partner, represented Nicholas's story at a later point; in middle school, she, too, had been "out" about her parents to only a few of her closest friends, but now she's a true activist, having traveled to San Francisco to march in the Gay Pride Parade there. In her words: "Equality should just be there. We shouldn't have to fight for it."
I was surprised to learn that often schools' Gay-Straight Alliances are less than welcoming to these kids, because they're not gay. But what about the "straight alliance" part of GSA? To the extent this exclusionary impulse is a reality, it cements the point that a great deal of work remains to be done.
Some of that work is being done by people like Erika T. Garnett-Wootson, a teacher and GSA Advisor for Philadelphia's Martin Luther King High School, who might with accuracy be called "The Reluctant Activist." For reasons she didn't articulate fully, Garnett-Wootson served for a while as a sort of "underground advisor" for LGBT students with sufficiently developed gaydar (when's the last time you saw that word, incidentally?) to have sussed her out. Then she just jumped in and formed a GSA, serving as its advisor. This began about four years ago.
Her story stands as a kind of universal lesson about the risks and joy of taking a tough stand. At first ridiculed or ignored, her school's GSA is now a part of the furniture. Conditions are better for everyone at the MLK school, and students and Garnett-Wootson can thank each other for that.
Do I need to start worrying about this stuff now? To an extent, yes, but the Garnet-Wootsons and steadfast students in GSAs throughout the country allow me the fantasy that perhaps my concern will amount to little.
Categories: Equality Forum, Gay Rights, gay-straight alliances, students	Tags:
Equality Forum Day 6 (1): "Would Jesus Discriminate?"
May 2nd, 2009 John Culhane	No comments
Today the orderly procession of Equality Forum that held sway all week breaks up: This afternoon, there were four EF panels — two at a time — and eighteen "collaborative" programs, running six at a time. Even as I write this, there's a political strategizing reception going on. The week's glamor event, the International Equality Dinner, then runs from 7-10, followed by a couple of mega parties (that I won't be attending.)
I will be attending the dinner — a chance to interview the honoree, San Fran Mayor Gavin Newsom — and will report on that tomorrow. Before that, I'm offering a few "mini-blogs" — blogettes, if you wish — on a few of the collaborative programs. I darted among them, panning for gold.
The first one I attended asked the question raised in the title, above. A large and diverse crowd squeezed into a rather small, warm room to hear Rev. Karla Fleshman, who preaches (although the word isn't quite apt) at the Imago Dei Metropolitan Community Church. I showed up mostly because I knew least about the subject.
What I heard was so clearly stated, persuasive, and ultimately obvious that one might leave the session amazed that fundamentalism has any hold at all. Let's start with this dictum by Fleshman: "People who say: 'The Bible says….' aren't talking about the Bible as much as about themselves." The Bible says many things to many different people, and in any event it's not even clear what it literally says, or means.
In a few minutes, Fleshman ran through all of the problems: It was set down in writing centuries after it began as an oral tradition; what was written down was written in unreliable ways (animal skins, for example); the translations are hugely problematic (is a compound word just the sum of the two words it contains? not always, Mr. "Chairman"); etc., etc.
So what does that leave? A choice between loving affirmation and separation/exclusion; the Bible itself provides examples of both. Fleshman, of course, chooses the Bible that gets its inspiration from St. Paul: Nothing separates us from the love of God. We were reminded that the Bible is to inspire us, "not to terrify us."
"Love the sin, hate the sinner"? Fleshman wants to hear a new song. Amen.
Categories: Equality Forum, religion	Tags:


An excellent slightly spiced soup.
Please note: this dish contains fish.
Please note: this dish contains crustacean shellfish.
Please note: this dish contains fish & dairy.
Please note: this dish contains dairy.
Served with butter. Please note: this dish contains dairy.
Please note: the prawn & melon cocktail contains crustacean shellfish.
Please note: this dish contains gluten.
Please note: this dish contains crustacean shellfish & gluten.
Cooked in a creamy garlic sauce. Please note: this dish contains molluscs & dairy.
Please note: this dish contains traces of dairy.
Please note: this dish contains traces of dairy & gluten.
Please note: this dish contains traces of dairy & crustaceans shellfish.
The tandoori is a traditional style clay oven of the North West Frontier. All dishes are served with accompaniments of rice, crisp salad & a special tandoori sauce of your desired strength.
Half chicken, marinated in yoghurt & spices, then cooked on charcoal in the tandoor. Contains dairy.
A quarter tandoori chicken, seekh kebab, king prawn, chicken tikka, lamb tikka, accompanied by rice, salad, sauce & nan. Contains dairy, gluten & crustaceans.
Jumbo king prawns, smothered in fresh garlic & herbs & cooked in our clay oven. Contains dairy & crustaceans.
Boneless chunks of chicken, marinated in yoghurt & spices, then cooked in the clay oven. Contains dairy.
Succulent pieces of tender lamb marinated in our special sauce, flavoured with fresh spices & cooked in the clay oven. Contains dairy.
Tender pieces of chicken fillet, marinated in dry herbs, grilled on a skewer with mushrooms, onions & green capsicums. Contains dairy.
Minced lamb mixed with onions, herbs, Pakistani spices & grilled on charcoal.
Shashlik - tender cubes of lamb marinated in fresh ground spices, grilled on skewers with mushrooms, onions & capsicums. Contains dairy.
Succulent fresh cod fillets marinated in Jahangir special tandoori spices then cooked in the grill. Contains fish & dairy.
Cubes of cottage cheese, cooked on skewers in tandoori oven. Contains dairy.
Balti dishes originate from the northern part of Pakistan. The balti style of cooking differs from the traditional curries in that they are slowly stir-fried in clay pans, producing a drier, hotter & homestyle flavour.
Cooked in our chef's special balti spices, this dish has a beautiful delicate flavour & is probably the most popular of all the balti dishes. Hot. Contains dairy.
The aroma from the fresh chillies is truly mouth watering. Hot. Contains dairy.
Cooked with garlic butter, black cumin & a blend of spices giving an exquisite medium to hot flavour. Contains nuts & dairy.
An unusual combination of sweet & sour flavour with a creamy texture makes this dish one to taste. Hot. Contains nuts & dairy.
This balti adaptation of an old favourite needs to be tasted to be believed. Hot. Contains dairy.
A touch of garlic, ginger, yoghurt, cream, coriander & fresh green chillies. This is medium to hot curry with whole cashew nuts. Contains nuts & dairy.
This is a similar dish to dhansak & is made with balti spices. This is a medium to hot curry. Contains dairy.
This combination of spinach with savoury spices, creates a typically authentic dish from the region of the Punjab. Hot. Contains dairy.
A traditional balti dish. This is medium to hot curry with onions & mixed peppers. Hot. Contains nuts & dairy.
Cooked in butter, with aromatic spices, cream & almonds. Hot. Contains nuts & dairy.
Cooked in a kadie using fresh tomato, green chillies, garlic, ginger, fresh coriander & spring onion. Hot.
Cooked with tandoori sauce delicately flavoured with Punjabi herbs, spices & mixed peppers. Medium. Contains dairy.
Cooked with fresh cream, mixed fruit & light spices, giving a distinctly rich creamy sauce. Mild. Contains dairy & nuts.
Marinated pieces of chicken barbecued in a clay oven & cooked in yoghurt with special masala sauce. Medium. Contains dairy.
Cooked with fresh garlic & ground green chillies. Hot. Contains dairy.
Cooked with spring onions, peppers, fresh coriander, garlic & ginger. Medium. Contains dairy.
Blended with subtle touches of our fresh Punjabi spices, cooked with fresh mushrooms, onions & capsicums, served with vegetable curry sauce of desired strength. Mild. Contains dairy.
Prepared with special herbs, capsicum, mushrooms & onions, cooked in a rich tandoori sauce. Medium. Contains dairy.
Barbecued pieces of tikka cooked with ground pickle, carefully brushed with other spices. Slightly hot, with spicy chilli & coriander.
A tangy creamy sauce, cooked with mild spices & a wedge of lemon. Medium. Contains dairy.
Delicately flavoured herbs, spices, green chillies & coriander make this a fabulously tasty dish. Hot.
Cooked in a specially prepared sauce with mushrooms, green peppers & pineapple, flavoured with warm spices. Medium, slightly hot. Contains dairy.
A tasty dish marinated in a special sauce, cooked slowly with fresh herbs & spices. Mild & creamy. Contains dairy & nuts.
Cooked tandoori style & blended into a slightly tangy sauce with freshly grounded Punjabi spices. Medium. Contains nuts.
Freshly spiced spinach cooked with curd & homemade cheese. Medium. Contains dairy.
Chickpeas, coriander, green chillies & tomatoes. Medium. Contains dairy.
Spring onions, peppers, fresh coriander, garlic, ginger & fresh yoghurt. Medium. Contains dairy.
Cooked in Worcester sauce, lemon juice & cream, topped with cheese. Medium. Contains dairy.
A thoroughly garnished dish with garlic, ginger, onion, mixed peppers & a few selected spices. Medium. Contains dairy.
A maximum quantity of onions, seasoned with a special collection of spices. Medium. Contains dairy.
A delicate preparation of cream & spices. Mild. Contains nuts & dairy.
Specially prepared with pimentos & garlic, garnished with tomato. Medium. Contains dairy.
Cooked with curried lentils & well seasoned with spices. Medium.
Slightly sweet & sour curry, cooked with mango chutney & lemon sauce. Medium.
All Jahangir kormas incorporate our specially prepared homemade cream sauce which gives them a slightly nutty, extra creamy texture & a distinctly unique flavour.
Cooked with fresh cream & almond powder. Contains dairy & nuts.
A tasty dish made with fresh cream, coconut cream, fried banana & ground cashew nuts. Contains dairy & nuts.
A delicious mild strength with fresh cream, peppers, whole cashew nuts & mango. Mild. Contains dairy & nuts.
A delicious mild strength with fresh cream, peppers, whole cashew nuts & pineapple. Mild. Contains dairy & nuts.
A dish prepared with fresh cream, whole cashew nuts and almond powder. Mild. Contains dairy & nuts.
Special korma prepared with fresh cream creamed coconut, fruit, nuts & raisins. Sweet & creamy with a nutty taste. Contains dairy & nuts.
A royal dish of Moghul origin. The dishes are cooked with basmati fried rice & accompanied with vegetable curry.
Chicken, lamb, prawn & mushroom cooked with special fried rice & tomato with omelette garnish.
Pieces of chicken tikka cooked with onions, peppers, fried rice dressed with tomato, cucumber & served with mushroom masala sauce.
Our Thalis offer delightful little portions of a connoisseurs selection of four most popular main courses - bhoona, korma, tikka masala & punjabi masala, enabling you to discover the intricacies of our cuisine. Accompanied with rice, chapati & chutney.
Please note that all of our Thali dishes contain dairy. King prawn, seafood & mixed options contain fish & crustaceans.
Leavened Pakistani bread baked in the tandoor. Contains gluten & dairy.
Sweet. Contains gluten, nuts & dairy.
Lamb mince. Contains gluten & dairy.
Spinach. Contains gluten & dairy.
Unleavened bread cooked in the tandoor. Contains gluten & dairy.
Flaky butter rich bread baked in tandoor. Contains gluten & dairy.
Cooked on a charcoal grill, served with a side of vegetables & chips.
Cooked in a mushroom, pepper, brandy & cream sauce. Contains dairy.
Cooked in a hot pepper & chilli sauce. Contains dairy.
Pan fried in a very hot sauce, on a sizzling platter with peppers, green chillies & onions served on Jahangir's sour cream, salsa & flour tortillas. Served with a side of chips.
Contains eggs, dairy & crustaceans.
Fresh salad vegetables & a topping of your choice.
All European dishes are served with vegetables, chips or roast potatoes.


Should I read the throats in my .455 Webley?
Thread: Should I read the throats in my .455 Webley?
I have a mk 1 Webley, shaved to .45acp. The cylinder throats measure .448/.449".
4 gr of unique under a 250 gr soft .452 bullet is starting to keyhole. 4 1/2 gr shoots a little better, but I don't want to push this old girl too hard. The rifling is good. I haven't slugged it yet, but I can't get a .452 bullet into the muzzle or past the forcing cone.
I got a 29/64 reamer today, but it measures almost .454". Is that too much? I don't want to spend the money on Brownells, I had hoped to get away with this chucking reamer I ordered online.
You do NOT want that chucking reamer ANYWHERE NEAR that cylinder!
For that one I would definitely suggest slugging the barrel with a dead soft lead ball, then miking the ball with a micrometer, not a caliper.
I have done a few of those at .455" because the groove diameter is closer to .454" than .451" so you definitely want your boolit bigger than the groove by .001" minimum.
For the reamer, you will be best served with live pilots, since the solid nose reamer pilot is .447" or some ridiculously small dimension, it might as well not have a nose on it at all if it doesn't fit snugly in the throat. THE PILOT is the only thing that holds the reamer concentric to the existing throat, and is the exact reason you do not want to attempt this with a chucking reamer. You have absolutely ZERO control over how concentric the new throat will be.
Get the barrel slugged before you order a reamer so you know what size reamer you need, might have to call Dave Manson and get your reamer if you need a .4545" or .455" since Brownell's likely doesn't stock those odd sizes. Manson makes the reamers that Brownell's sells. Get the pilots that will fit very snugly into your existing throats, you may need more than one, I have used as many as 4 on the same Ruger cylinder, you may need 2 maybe 3 on your Webley but you want them tight in each throat. THAT is the trick of having the throats stay on center, there is no shortcut here that works, the fit of the pilot is critical.
Last edited by DougGuy; 08-28-2018 at 10:42 PM.
Think the various Mk Webleys are usually marked .450/.455 on the barrel and the throats are small .450ish but the bore runs .455ish. Brits seem to love the hollow base bullets and the throat/bore difference was one on the reasons the standard webley bullet in use was a hollow base. A throat closer to the bore would help I'm pretty sure. There was a .450 round the British used that pre-dates the .455 Webley. IIRC the reason for the dual marking.
Doug did my Webley MkVI, original throats were undersized and pitted. Now uniform .455, most of pitting cleaned up and accuracy much better.
Here is my Accurate Molds design for the .455, use 3.5 grains of Bullseye for 550 fps.
I have a Colt New Service 455 Eley made in 1916 that is still original.
I see I made a video on how to turn 45 Colt brass into 455 Eley brass.
Being shaved for ACP, the cylinder is already "done" as far as historical correctness, so unless you plan on ordering a hollow base MKII or MKIV mold from MP Molds, reaming out is probably your best bet. This kind of job is what DougGuy DOES, so you might just save yourself the grief and sic him on the problem.
The problem, is that he is in Alberta..
Unless there's something ELSE insidious that the minions of repression have come up with, there's nothing to stop one from shipping "steel tool parts"
He may be able to ship it in, but a US citizen cannot ship gun parts out of the US without a very expensive export license.


text:
new mediasocial
DeAPlaneta Boosts Marketing Team
DeAPlaneta Group, parent company of DeAPlaneta Cine and Planeta Junior, has appointed Pío Vernis as its new marketing director.
This addition comes as a result of growing interaction between DeAPlaneta Group's production and marketing efforts, spurred by the increased international presence of Planeta Junior following the company's expansion into Turkey and Eastern Europe, the incorporation of the DreamWorks portfolio, as well as the launch of new productions.
In his new role Vernis will work to maximize the synergies between DeAPlaneta Cina and Planeta Junior and develop a joint strategy for all countries where Planeta Junior is present.
Vernis was marketing manager for the Cinema area of DeAPlaneta between 1999 and 2005. In 2013, he returned to the company as marketing director of DeAPlaneta Cine.
Planeta Junior

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Genomes and Genetics Department was formed in 2006, mainly from the teams of the Structure and Dynamics of Genomes Department led by Bernard Dujon.
The department has a staff of 170, working in 15 research structures, 2 technological platforms housed in the Institut Pasteur Pole "Biomics", and 12 associated research groups. The teams explore experimental and informatics approaches to determine the nature of genetic information in organisms of increasing complexity, ranging from bacteria and yeasts to humans.
The teams use the full range of genomic and post-genomic approaches to study the various models that can be bacteria (chiefly tuberculosis bacilli, Streptococci, Vibrio, and Legionella), yeasts (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, and Candida albicans) or human models. The different pathogenic and model organisms are studied in depth with the aim of understanding how they live and what determines their pathogenic potential. Yeasts are studied, both for their own sake and as archetypes to facilitate our understanding of human genetics.
The department is also investigating the evolution of infectious agents and the selective pressures they have exerted on human genes over time.
The progress of these different research programs benefits greatly from developments in new sequencing and genotyping techniques which we are closely involved in given our links with the Institut Pasteur "Biomics".
The Genomes and Genetics Department is also developing major in silico approaches in biological system modeling and bioinformatics analysis in addition to its own research projects and providing support to the Institut Pasteur's various research structures.
The department was led by Antoine Danchin between 2006 and 2009.
Zhang J, Malo D, Mott R, Panthier JJ, Montagutelli X, Jaubert J, Identification of new loci involved in the host susceptibility to Salmonella Typhimurium in collaborative cross mice, BMC Genomics 2018 Apr;19(1):303.
Lopez M, Kousathanas A, Quach H, Harmant C, Mouguiama-Daouda P, Hombert JM, Froment A, Perry GH, Barreiro LB, Verdu P, Patin E, Quintana-Murci L, The demographic history and mutational load of African hunter-gatherers and farmers, Nat Ecol Evol 2018 Apr;2(4):721-730.


Since 1989, our respected carpet company in Penkhull, Stoke-on-Trent, has been providing a full carpet and floor-covering service, which includes buy-from-home solutions. Our family-run business has hundreds of flooring samples and brings them straight to your home to help you make the right choice. Backed by extensive experience in the flooring trade, we can assist you with identifying the most suitable look for your property.
As part of our flexible service, we also provide commercial services for offices and retailers, which include the use of Polysafe flooring that meets the relevant health and safety requirements. Along with our 24-hour service, which includes taking an order and installation, convenient buy-from-home solutions are also available for the elderly, disabled, and those who work unsociable hours.


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Americana Manhasset
Americana Manhasset is Long Island's premier shopping destination, located on Long Island's North Shore, 20 miles from Manhattan and 55 miles from the Hamptons.
Our premier collection of over fifty international boutiques include Gucci, Dior, Cartier, Fendi, Hermès, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany & Co., Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Chanel, Hirshleifers, Bottega Veneta, Ermenegildo Zegna, London Jewelers, Toku Modern Asian and more!
Concierge services include, Complimentary Personal Shopping, GiftCards, Group GiftCard Registry, foreign language assistance and China Union Pay acceptance. This property has been owned, developed, and operated by Castagna Realty since 1955.
Click here to visit americanamanhasset.com.
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Olympic Champion and Youth Olympic Games Ambassador Chad Le Clos Highlights Importance of Being a Role Model to Young Athletes at Buenos Aires 2018
Story Script & Shotlist
© IOC-VNRs are for bona fide news reporting purposes only and all rights required for their production have been cleared. Terms and Conditions of the IOC Newsroom and Olympic.org apply. This IOC-VNR shall be used in accordance with the News Access Rules for Buenos Aires 2018 available here, in particular in respect to the Amount of YOG Content, Amount per News Programme, Airing after broadcast by RHBs only, Duration of Use, No use of Olympic Properties, No Commercial Association, On-screen Courtesy Credit ("Courtesy of The International Olympic Committee"), Infringements & Monitoring, etc.
Date: October 10, 2018Location: Buenos Aires, Argentina
STORY HEADLINE: OLYMPIC CHAMPION AND YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES AMBASSADOR CHAD LE CLOS HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF BEING A ROLE MODEL TO YOUNG ATHLETES AT BUENOS AIRES 2018
DATE: 10 October, 2018
STORY SCRIPT:
South African swimming sensation Chad Le Clos has been taking in the next generation of sporting talent at the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Buenos Aires 2018.
The Olympic champion is in Argentina in his role as a YOG Ambassador, along with Olympic basketball champion and Buenos Aires local Luis Scola, and Argentinian hockey legend Luciana Aymar. He was also a YOG ambassador four years ago, when the second edition of the event took place in Nanjing, China.
Reigning world champion, Le Clos rose to prominence at the inaugural YOG at Singapore 2010 by taking home five medals, before setting about dethroning his sporting idol Michael Phelps at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
Lining up against the two-time defending champion in the 200m Butterfly final in London, Le Clos stole victory by just 0.05 of a second to confirm his meteoric rise which started at the 2010 YOG.
Now in Argentina as an Ambassador, the 26-year-old has highlighted the importance of being a positive role model for the next generation of athletes who are competing at Buenos Aires 2018.
Download full story script…


Adding or expanding digital technology in your laboratory workflow is not a simple decision. Advanced equipment requires a significant investment of money, time, and energy as your team works to integrate the technology and use it to your laboratory's best advantage. However, some level of digital workflow is becoming necessary to remain competitive; therefore, you need to identify the components and their connections that will truly enhance your laboratory's productivity.
By outlining your specific goals with digital technology, you will be better equipped to select the digital advantages key to your overall success.
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I've officially counted my Enchanted Polish collection. I'm at 120 so far. I wish I hadn't counted as now I can do a guesstimate as to how many total polish I own. Shall we do the math together? 120 per book case and I have 6 bookcases which makes 720 plus the 20 bottles on top of each one which adds another 120 for a total of 840.
That's not as many as I had envisioned in my head. This is only a guess it's not a factual number but it's much lower than what I had feared I own. This does not include the 75 or so I still need to sell. I had figured closer to 1000. So 840 sounds pretty good to me right about now.
It's been hot as hell here. Mid 90sF. Plus I've been swinging from cold to sweaty for the past few days. I'm on antibiotics so I'm hoping it's just a reaction to that, but there's a niggle in the back of my mind that's wondering if I'm perimenopausal.
Yup. I went there people. I'm getting up there (47) and that's roughly the time it starts right? Yes I know I should go and see a gyno and have blood work done, but I'm really just too lazy at the moment for all that nonsense. If this crap keeps continuing, I'll most likely need to.
So today's mani is a cool one I think. I used a new to me nail vinyl brand and shape and I have to say, I'm in love and can see many many future manis with this design. I even ordered more already!
Here's the silly bottle shot.
This is Enchanted Polish October 2014, a custom holo and Chaos and Crocodiles Subterfuge.
I started with all Subterfuge. You've seen this before!
This is much more yellow IRL. But yeah that rainbow-swooooooooooon.
Next I used nail vinyls and did this.
How awesome is this????? I am LOVING the pinky big time. I see a full mani with that design in my near future. Kind of an abstract tribal thing happening here.


Aloe Freshness wet sanitary wipes gently and efficiently cleanse and tone skin, grant the feeling of freshness and comfort.
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Physician Assistant in Oregon
How to become a Physician Assistant in Oregon
Physician Assistant Schools by State
Oregon Physician Assistant Schools
Physician Assistant Education in Oregon - OR
Oregon is home to many modern, state of the art medical facilities. It is also a pleasant state to work in, featuring both breathtaking, scenic topography and the hip Portland metro area. True to the spirit of the Pacific Northwest, Oregon was a forerunner in the move toward holistic and alternative medicine, and a pioneer in patient-centered healthcare.
Oregon offers many choices for physician assistant training, including learning institutions that rank as some of the best in the nation. There are bachelors, masters and doctorate programs available through physician assistant schools in Oregon. Educational costs vary so widely depending on the school and program offered and other student-specific factors that it's impossible to guess at what a program would cost. According to a report from the Physician Assistant Program Directory, the range is between $2,300 and $99,950 (for a 2-year program). This report included both private and public physician assistant schools in Oregon and throughout the United States. With this particular career, there are too many factors and choices involved to guesstimate educational costs. The only way to find out exactly how much a program will cost for you is to contact the school of your choice. Aspiring students can make use of scholarships and financial aid to help ease the burden.
Through campus based and online programs, aspiring Physician Assistants in Portland, Salem, Eugene and Gresham, Oregon may be able to prepare themselves for the possibility of employment in some of the largest hospitals and healthcare facilities in the state including the Providence Saint Vincent Medical Center, Oregon Health & Science University Hospital, Sacred Heart Medical Center and Salem Hospital.
Explore more programs similar to Physician Assistants below:
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text:
Who spends the most lobbying in Minnesota?…
Who spends the most lobbying in Minnesota? Enbridge — for the second year in a row
By The Associated Press | ap@ap.com |
PUBLISHED: March 23, 2019 at 11:41 am | UPDATED: March 23, 2019 at 4:29 pm
A Canadian oil pipeline company spent more than $11 million last year lobbying leaders in Minnesota, where the company is fighting to replace its aging Line 3 pipeline despite opposition from tribes and environmentalists, according to new state data.
The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board released data this week that show nearly all of Enbridge Energy Partners' lobbying money was used advocating before the Public Utilities Commission. It marks the second consecutive year the company has outspent all other groups lobbying in the state, Minnesota Public Radio News reported.
The company gained the commission's approval last year for its $2.6 billion project to replace the Line 3 oil pipeline across northern Minnesota with a larger pipe along a different route. Enbridge has argued that the company needs to replace the pipeline because of corrosion and cracking.
The decision received angry pushback from Native Americans and climate change activists who argue that the project threatens fragile areas, including where tribes harvest wild rice. Ojibwe Indians, or Anishinaabe, regard wild rice as sacred and central to their culture.
The pipeline currently runs from Alberta, Canada, across North Dakota and Minnesota to Enbridge's terminal in Superior, Wisconsin.
Much of the debate has centered on whether Minnesota and Midwest refineries need the extra oil, considering the transition to electric cars and renewable energy resources.
"Enbridge has poured a lot of money into greasing the wheels to get this project approved," said Mysti Babineau, an organizer with environmental group MN350. "The reason they have to spend that kind of money is because they're facing such strong opposition from across Minnesota."
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MN350 spent $20,000 advocating before the Public Utilities Commission.
Juli Kellner, a spokeswoman for Enbridge, said the company's lobbying spending was necessary to present information about the Line 3 project to state officials, "and to give voice to the thousands of women and men across Minnesota who support the replacement of Line 3."
Many of the other big lobbying spenders in Minnesota were also energy companies and utilities, such as Xcel Energy, CenterPoint Energy and Freeborn Wind Energy.
More in Government & Politics
St. Paul City Council to consider new labor division with minimum wage increase looming
The St. Paul City Council will consider creating a new level of administration to educate the public and enforce the provisions of the citywide minimum wage law going into effect next year. Council Members Dai Thao, Rebecca Noecker and Jane Prince introduced an administrative ordinance Wednesday that seeks to create a new division within the Human Rights and Equal Economic...
Minnesota DHS deputies rescind resignations after Lourey and chief of staff quit
Two top leaders at the Minnesota Department of Human Services have rescinded their resignations less than a week after they announced them.
Trump disavows 'send her back' cry, while Ilhan Omar stands defiant
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday chided his supporters who chanted "send her back" when he questioned the loyalty of a Somali-born congresswoman, joining widespread criticism of the campaign crowd's cry after Republicans warned about political blowback from the angry scene.
AP fact check: Trump distorts Ilhan Omar's words on terrorism
President Donald Trump falsely accused Rep. Ilhan Omar of expressing pride in terrorists and misrepresented the record on the economy and health care in his freewheeling North Carolina rally.
Supporters greeted U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport on Thursday afternoon as she returned to Minnesota after a turbulent week in Washington, D.C. Omar, D-Minn., has been at the center of a national firestorm over President Donald Trump's suggestion that she and three other congresswomen of color "go back" to the countries they "originally came from." Of...
Newly uncovered evidence of what lies beneath Indian Mounds Regional Park has St. Paul officials abandoning plans to rebuild a walking path.


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French delegation visits Birzeit University, explores new academic collaboration opportunities
A French delegation, including General Director of Campus France Béatrice Khaiat, Director of Campus France's Marketing and Scholarship Department Olivier Chiche-Portiche, the Cultural Counselorthe French Consulate General in Jerusalem Guillaume Robert, Cultural Attaché Aude Thepenier, and Educational Cooperation Attachée Gaëlle Bessonnat, visited Birzeit University on December 1, 2021.
The delegation first met with Birzeit University President Dr. Beshara Doumani, along with Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Talal Shahwan, Vice President for Advancement Dr. Ghassan Khatib, and Director of External Academic Relations Dr. Amir Khalil.
In the meeting, Dr. Doumani stressed the importance of building and maintaining partnerships with higher-education institutions all over the world and promoting faculty and student exchange programs. This, he said, will enable Palestinian universities and colleges to overcome all the restrictions imposed by the Israeli military occupation, which is determined to disempower the Palestinian civil society.
Dr. Khalil explained that the university is currently prioritizing programs that bring academic rigor and expertise in the new era of teaching and learning. "Foremost of our priorities is to support programs that support initiatives that help in climate change, water issues and energy sustainability. We are also keen to upskill our capacities in using digital tools that are currently transforming our learning and teaching environments.
Khaiat affirmed that Campus France is keen to expand its cooperation with Birzeit University, offering scholarship and fellowship opportunities to both faculty and students.
Dr. Amir discussed the possibility of opening an office for Campus France on Birzeit University's campus, where the institution can promote the benefits of studying in France and introduce graduate education and exchange opportunities at French universities.
The delegation also met with Dean of the Faculty of Law and Public Administration Dr. Mahmoud Dodeen, Assistant to the Dean Dr. Ahmad Khaled, and instructor of French at the faculty Said Kalil, Dean of the Faculty of Arts Dr. Munir Fakher Eldin, and the Acting Chair of the Department of French Language Dima Bamyeh. The university representatives discussed horizons of cooperation with French universities, with impactful and creative way that contribute to Birzeit University's vision to be a catalyst for knowledge production, and student success and transformation.
Civil society organizations condemn Israel's raid into campus, abducting 5 students
Law institute publishes 22nd Palestine Yearbook of International Law
Media Development Center joins Global Investigative Journalism Network
Right to Education Campaign denounces the arrest of students by Palestinian security forces
Birzeit University leads nationally in 2021-2022 URAP ranking


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Academia, Society	 December 8, 2009
The Wrath of Mr. Potato Head: Sidarth Comes in Second on Jeopardy
We previously discussed the appearance of one of my students, S.R. Sidarth, on Jeopardy. Last night, Sidarth came in a very respectable second in a tough competition. We were all extremely proud of him . . . and blame it on Mr. Potato Head.
Presumably, George Allen was cheering for the Air Force officer who appeared to be part computer and part robot. Col. Dave Belote was really amazing. However, Sidarth got some really tough questions and seemed to be trying to hit the button before the officer on a number of questions. I let the kids stay up late to watch and they gave Sidarth the greatest compliment. Aidan said "he is awesome!" I agree.
By the way, I also answered "who is Mr. Potato Head?" to the answer: "In 1963, sculptor Phil Kraczkowski was paid $600 to design this Hasbro toy's original head." After all, even the colonel missed GI Joe.
Spare the Rod? Former Missouri House Speaker Accused of Beating and Raping Woman . . . Releases on $2,500 Bond
12 thoughts on "The Wrath of Mr. Potato Head: Sidarth Comes in Second on Jeopardy"
Adsf says:
Vhat is this?
http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/finally-by-digby-like-me-im-sure-youve.html
Mr. Sidarth's Jeopardy appearance was just mentioned (with a bit of political background) on "Hardball" by Chris Matthews. WoooHooo! You're going to have a star in your classroom Professor. Other than yourself of course 🙂
I got the answer correct not because I am a particularly smart person, but, because of my age (I didn't really say that. Like Jack Benny, I am 39 forever). I remembered playing with Mr. Potato Head when I was a kid; so, my thoughts went to what new toys have appeared since my childhood was over.
I agree with Mr. Spindell about what it takes to win. But, there is one other factor that enables winning; and, that is the categories. If the categories are in a person's expertise, that person will have an edge. Ringing in first doesn't do you a lot of good, if you give an incorrect answer. I love Jeopardy. I thought your student did very well.
AlanDean says:
Yes, the Colonel is one smart potato. Against another winner Sidarth would have most likely won.
I watch every night and quite often do well in the game. But I am sitting in my living room, content after dinner and under no pressure and have no buzzer in my hand. My hat's off to anyone who actually makes it on the program.
Congratulations are in order, Mr Sidarth.
Mike Spindell says:
My wife's cousin was on Jeopardy earlier this year and he came in second though he is one brilliant man. He is also a lawyer who has chosen to spend his career doing Legal Aid, though many more lucrative opportunities existed. No doubt Siddarth is brilliant, but while Jeopardy requires erudition, much has to do with hand eye coordination and the best man doesn't always win.
Blind Faithiness says:
Congrats to Mr Sidarth.
Professor,
I've got an Off Topic story for you. Its from my home town of Asheville, NC.
We recently held our city council elections and a man named Cecil Bothwell won a seat. He identifies himself as an atheist on his webpage.
The NC Constitution states in Article 6, section 8, "The following persons shall be disqualified for office: First, any person who shall deny the being of Almighty God."
Now, a man named HK Edergerton, who has had a taste of peculiar fame himself, is challenging Bothwell's legitimacy under the state constitution.
Here's a link: http://www.citizen-times.com/article/20091208/NEWS01/912080327
jonathanturley says:
Blind Faithiness: I am on it. Great story.
One can only dream and sometimes the dreams come true.
Buddha Is Laughing says:
Apparently when it comes to potatoes, the luck of the Irish is not limited to the Irish. Cursed potato!
Congratulations on a strong showing. I hope you had a really good time.
Dredd says:
Congratulations are in order.
Flipkid says:
I enjoyed watching Sidarth last night (although he drove me absolutely bonkers jumping around the board "fishing" for the Daily Double).
Col. Belote IS one smart dude, isn't he?? I believe he's the Commander of Nellis AFB in Nevada (which gives me hope for America's military).
My wife and I also guessed Mr. Potato Head for the Final Jeopardy answer, and we both had a *D'OH!* moment when the actual answer was revealed.
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I was at my volunteer job last night and started to talk some of the other people. They were discussing different triathlons and how they did. Of course my ears perked up, when I heard them speaking. They were speaking of their difference times and how they do better at swimming and biking rather than running.
They conversation turned to me, and they asked if belong to a gym or workout. I said I do not belong to a gym, but I am a runner. They asked how far I usually go and I said 4-10 miles, 4-5 times a week. They said wow. They do not seem like they get much running. I overheard their workout plans and they mention, maybe they will do 1-2 miles a time, possible get it to 3 miles one day. Obviously their reasons for running different from mine; they are training for a race, while I run because I love to run.
I mentioned, I may be doing a marathon or at least a half marathon next year and they said they may do it as well. It's just funny how things seem to other people I was impressed because they run triathlons and they were impressed by the distance I cover when I run.


Around a table with a tasty provencal menu.
Share a meal in a frendly atmosphere.
Local products (according to the season), hand made and served by the host.
Philippe will present you his selection of Luberon wine to perfectly match your meal.


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Are minority-targeted programs 'a form of political oppression'?
More than 100 Republicans file amicus brief arguing student debt forgiveness is unconst…
By Jared Gould
Notre Dame students want more LGBTQ, minority counselors
By Logan Dubil '23
The National Association of Scholars released a new report Monday on the rise of "Neo-Segregation" in higher education, specifically, at Yale University.
The report is part of an ongoing series by the NAS, titled, "Separate but Equal, Again: Neo-Segregation in American Higher Education" which focuses on the voluntary segregation taking place on campus in the form of minority-targeted peer mentorship programs, separate graduation ceremonies, and orientations.
During the release event Monday night, which Campus Reform attended, primary author and lead researcher Dion J. Pierre made several remarks condemning this voluntary act of "separate but equal" ideology that plagues colleges across the country.
[RELATED: New report SLAMS Ivy League over 'neo-segregation']
"Cultural resources is a euphemism Yale uses to describe racially segregated cultural houses, ethnic deans, peer mentors, and other diversity bureaucrats. In practice, exploring missions related to racial identity means indoctrinating minority students to see their coming college experience through a racial lense," Pierre warned. "Cultural connections also pair their minority students with an upperclassman mentor of their racial group thus solidifying racial identification as the foundation stone of the minority college inclusion experience."
Pierre's research concluded that out of 173 colleges across the country, nearly half offer segregated housing for racial minorities and almost three-quarters have segregated graduation ceremonies.
"Segregated graduation ceremonies are the penultimate form of neo-segregation before students are shipped off into segregated alumni groups of which they'll be members for the rest of their lives," Pierre pointed out. "[T]he idea, I guess is that minority students can't network with white people - which is garbage."
"Neo-segregation, however, does not foster inclusion [but] rather it reveals minority students' concerning need for race nationalist ideas. We at the National Association of Scholars found this trend alarming," Pierre explained. "It is our conviction that segregation in any form erodes our sense of national community, reduces the quality of intellectual life on campus, and perpetuates discredited racial thinking."
Pierre went on to reference a conversation he had with two minority students at Brown University who told him that racial differences are more than "skin deep" and are "etched in biology."
"It isn't easy to say how we can fix this," Pierre acknowledged, "But a problem can't be fixed until we recognize it. Our mission first is to bring this problem to light."
[RELATED: Mass. student group demands reparations, segregated housing, and even more money]
"Once the public is alerted, I believe Americans will demand better from our colleges and universities. Exactly what that demand will look like is hard to say, but ultimately it will have to include the dismantling of the empire of diversicrats, ethnic deans, race counselors and the whole self serving industry of grievance mongers, racial divisionists and race hustlers."
"The universities have had a free pass to do this nonsense for sixty years and enough is enough. Eighty thousand dollars a year so that kid can go and learn to hate their own country, to learn to be racist? When are people going to say no?"
"We're held hostage to these colleges because everyone has to go to grow to become a decent person. You can't get anywhere without a college education and these people are so entrenched in American life that we can't avoid them. It's time for an alternative."
Peter Wood, president of NAS and co-author of the report, in a press release, declared that "neo-segregation harms the students it pretends to protect."
"The real danger that faces minority students is being locked up in their fear of everyone else," Wood continued. "Higher education should liberate them from this fear and give them the freedom to be full participants in American society. Neo-segregation is a disguised form of political oppression."


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Budgies are choosy of their toys. There are toys they reject; but you can reintroduce the rejected toy a few days later to see if your bird's opinion has changed. After a while, budgie will be adapted to the routine changes of his playthings. With bigger aviary, you can provide lots of toys and include more interesting play with obstacle games, frames for multi-level climbing activities, hanging feeders' courses and more.
With a bird mirror, a bird ladder and some bird toys, your pet parrot will be happy and occupied. There are various types of parrot toys like wooden toys in bright colors to get your pet bird's attention. Since sounds are good stimulations for birds and parrots, give them ring and bell toys.
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S. 261, the "Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act"
Mr. Chairman, and Members of the Committee, I am pleased to be here this morning to discuss S. 261, the "Biennial Budgeting and Appropriations Act" introduced by Senators Domenici, Ford, and Thomas.
This Administration has strongly supported numerous initiatives to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal government. Beginning with the Vice President's National Performance Review in 1993, the Administration has sought to reinvent our government, so that it will work better and cost less.
We have already seen numerous successes. Since President Clinton took office in January 1993, the number of Federal, executive branch civilian employees has already dropped by nearly 300,000 -- the lowest level in more than 30 years. And we have made substantial progress towards putting our financial house in order, with a 63 percent reduction in actual Federal deficits since the President took office in 1993, and a 90 percent reduction in projected deficits through 2002. I hope that in the coming weeks, the Administration can reach a bipartisan agreement with the Congress to put policies in place this year which will enable us to reach a balanced budget in 2002.
Biennial budgeting offers the potential to contribute to the enhanced performance of our government. This Administration has on several occasions expressed interest in the potential advantages of biennial budgeting. In 1993, Vice President Gore's Report of the National Performance Review" proposed moving to biennial budgeting; the following month, in testimony before the House Committee on Government Operations, President Clinton's first OMB Director -- and former House Budget Committee Chairman -- Leon Panetta expressed support for biennial budgeting; and the President's FY 1995 budget also discussed the potential benefits of budgeting for two years.
I'd like to begin our discussion of S. 261, by taking a few minutes to summarize the Administration's understanding of how the budget process would operate under this legislation, followed by some observations about the potential benefits, as well as complexities, of biennial budgeting.
S. 261 would apply a biennial cycle to the President's budget, the congressional budget resolution, the 13 regular appropriations bills, and the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) reporting schedule. The first two-year fiscal period (biennium) would begin October 1, 1999 (i.e. fiscal year 2000).
President's Budget. S. 261 would require the President to submit a two-year budget at the beginning of the first session of a Congress. The President's budget would cover both years in the biennium and planning levels for four out-years. The current Mid- session Review would be converted into a "Mid-biennium Review," which the President would submit by February 15 of the second session of each Congress.
Congressional Budget Resolution. On the congressional side, S. 261 would require the Congress to adopt a two-year budget resolution during the first session of each Congress. Instead of enforcing the first fiscal year and the sum of the five years as under current law, the budget resolution would establish binding levels for both years of the biennium and the sum of the six-year period. The bill would also modify the time frames in the Senate's 10-year pay-as-you-go point of order to provide that legislation could not increase the deficit for the biennium, the sum of the first six years, and the sum of the last four years.
Appropriations. Following adoption of the two-year budget resolution, S. 261 would require the Congress to enact two-year appropriations during the first session of Congress. The budget resolution allocations to the appropriations and authorizing committees -- referred to by budgeteers as 302(a) and 602(a) allocations -- would include allocations for both fiscal years in the biennium. The bill also provides two measures designed to avoid the continuation of annual appropriations: (1) the bill would establish a new majority point of order against appropriations bills that fail to cover two years; and (2) if an appropriations bill were enacted that failed to appropriate money for the second year of the biennium, funding would be automatically appropriated for the second year at the first year's level. We have some concerns about this latter provision, which I will comment on later.
Second Year: Authorization legislation and enhanced oversight. S. 261 seeks to make budgeting and appropriating a priority for the first session of Congress, and authorizing legislation and oversight the second year priority. In order to accomplish this, S. 261 would establish a majority point of order against consideration of authorization and revenue legislation until the completion of the biennial budget resolution, reconciliation legislation (if any) and the 13 biennial appropriations bills. In addition, the bill provides a majority point of order against authorizing and revenue legislation that cover less than two years, except those measures limited to temporary programs or activities lasting less than two years. The bill also requires the General Accounting Office, during the second session of each Congress, to give priority to requests from Congress for audits and evaluations of Government programs and activities.
Fiscal period. Finally, the bill would require OMB to submit a report to the Budget Committees, within six months of enactment, analyzing the impact and feasibility of changing the current fiscal year, to a two-year fiscal period.
Let me say, before going any further, that I commend the authors of the bill for making this legislation comprehensive. For biennial budgeting to be feasible, it is essential that each phase of the budget process -- the President's budget, the congressional budget resolution, and appropriations -- be conducted on a two-year basis.
In this regard, it might be helpful to consider a concrete example of what can happen if the approach is not comprehensive. As you know, the Department of Defense (DOD) has been submitting a biennial budget request to the Congress, as required by PL 99-145 (the 1986 Defense Authorization Bill). Nevertheless, the Congress has continued to enact appropriations for DOD on an annual basis. As a result of continuing annual appropriations, the authorizers resumed enacting annual authorization bills for DOD after the first, and only, two-year authorization expired. As a result, DOD is proposing legislation this year to repeal the biennial budgeting requirement for defense. (The biennial budgeting requirement for the Coast Guard was repealed for similar reasons in 1991.) What this demonstrates is that for biennial budgeting to work, there must be biennial appropriations -- in addition to a biennial request from the Administration and biennial authorizations.
I'd like to take a few minutes now to address the potential advantages of biennial budgeting.
Greater stability and predictability in the budget process. One of the more compelling advantages of biennial appropriations is that it could provide greater stability and predictability for those who are served by government programs -- be they individuals receiving government assistance or states and non-profits receiving government grants. Under the current annual budget process, individuals and organizations receiving government benefits or paying government fees, may not know from year to year exactly what level of resources will be available to them. A biennial budget offers the possibility of more budgetary certainty which would enable better long-term planning. The potential for more stability in funding would depend, of course, on the extent to which two-year appropriations are actually enacted, and whether the second year appropriations remain unchanged by supplemental bills. That is a question on which I would defer to the Members of this Committee.
Better use of time. Another often-cited benefit of biennial budgeting is the potential for Congress and the Executive Branch to better utilize time and resources. Consider what happens every year during the months of September and October: the Congress and the Administration are typically negotiating final appropriations levels for the new fiscal year, and simultaneously the agencies and departments of the Executive Branch are expending great amounts of time developing their budget requests for the subsequent fiscal year.
This annual ritual of completing one budget and simultaneously developing the next budget may be unnecessary for many programs. The reality is that changes from one year to the next in many of the budget accounts are relatively small and predictable. S. 261, by establishing two-year appropriations, could save time for both the Congress and the Executive Branch.
Some have suggested that biennial budgeting will inevitably increase the number of supplemental appropriations -- nullifying any potential time-saving effects. While biennial budgeting could lead to a greater need for supplementals, I think we can safely predict that the overall expenditure of time and resources on budgeting could be at least somewhat reduced in comparison to annual budgeting.
More time for oversight and program management. It has also been suggested that biennial budgeting, by concentrating budget decisions in the first year of each biennium, would free up time for additional congressional oversight and agency management initiatives. I would defer to the Members of this Committee to assess the adequacy of current congressional oversight. From the vantage point of the Executive Branch, there already appears to be a significant amount of oversight by the authorizing committees, as well as the oversight that naturally occurs as part of annual appropriations hearings.
With regard to agency management, it is plausible to expect that moving from annual budget preparation to a biennial cycle would free up some time in the second year of the biennium for program managers to increase their efforts on management and long- range planning. At the same time, it is probably also true that the task of preparing precise budget numbers for two years, instead of one, would somewhat intensify the budget preparation process for the first year of each biennium.
Timing of the President's Budget S. 261 would provide an incoming President with additional time (until the first Monday in April) to present a budget. This provision addresses a time crunch which all new Presidents face. In our judgement, this would be a sensible and realistic amendment to our current budget deadlines -- whether or not we move to a biennial cycle.
Automatic Continuing Resolution. Under S. 261, if an appropriations bill were enacted that failed to appropriate money for the second year of the biennium, funding would be automatically appropriated for the second year at the first year's level. This would, in effect, be an automatic continuing resolution. While I appreciate the objective of ensuring biennial appropriations, I wonder whether this mechanism might actually have the opposite effect. The fact of an automatic continuing resolution for the second year might actually be a disincentive to complete work on the second year of appropriations.
Point of Order against non-biennial appropriations. While I defer to the Members of this Committee on the operation of parliamentary points of order, it has been suggested that the point of order in S. 261 against appropriations bills which provide funds "for a period other than each of the fiscal years of the biennium" may be too restrictive. For example, is it possible that such a point of order might unintentionally prohibit appropriations which provide multiyear or forward funding, or advance appropriations?
Technical corrections. In the process of reviewing the bill, our staff have identified a few provisions which appear to require technical corrections. I have attached a list of proposed technical corrections to my prepared testimony.
In addition to establishing biennial budgeting, S. 261 would also adjust the GPRA timetable to the two-year cycle. We understand the proposed schedule to be the following: strategic plans would be revised every four years, beginning with plans that are due in the year 2000; and the performance plans would cover a two year period, with a preliminary draft sent by the agency to its congressional committees of jurisdiction by March 31 of each even- numbered year. In addition, S. 261 would require the following: a government-wide program performance report to be prepared by OMB; executive summaries (limited to 10 performance goals) for all agency plans and reports; and sections in agency performance reports which identify provisions of law that hinder their ability to carry out the agency's mission, along with recommendations for appropriate legislative changes.
While the Administration supports biennial budgeting, we have concerns about amending GPRA beyond what is minimally necessary to have it conform with the general time-sequence of a biennial budget process. In this respect, we would be happy to work with your staff to define a complete set of changes to current law, beyond those now in the bill, that would accomplish this end.
Our concern with any additional changes at this time are based on the fact that we are just beginning government-wide implementation of this Act. Therefore, it is too soon to be introducing new requirements which may disrupt the progress the agencies and Congress are beginning to make in this area. We will have a much better sense of what, if any, changes to GPRA should be made after we all have experience with its implementation, can assess the usefulness and value of its plans and reports, and are able to determine whether it is helping to improve the government's delivery of programs and services.
In sum, I would like to complement you, Mr. Chairman, for holding these hearings on biennial budgeting, and Senators Domenici, Ford, and Thomas for introducing this legislation. Biennial budgeting presents us with some interesting possibilities for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal government. S. 261 is a good starting point for developing biennial budget legislation and I look forward to working closely with this Committee and the Budget Committee as you proceed.
Following are some of the technical comments on S. 261 provided by OMB staff. However, this is not intended to be a comprehensive list. As the Governmental Affairs and Budget Committees proceed with consideration of this legislation, OMB would be pleased to provide additional comments and suggestions.
o Page 2, line 8, under "last day of session," "authorizing a new budget authority" should be "authorizing new budget authority"
o Pages 17-18: The bill would amend 31 USC 1106(a) to move the Mid-Session Review from July of each year to February of each second session of Congress, i.e. transforming it into a Mid-Biennium Review. However, the current law requirement in section 31 USC 1106(b) for a July 16 update of changes in BA requested, estimated outlays, and estimated receipts, has not been changed. It is unclear whether it was the intention of the drafters to have both a July update, and a Mid-Biennium Review.
o Page 19, lines 9-16: note that 31 USC 1114 has been repealed.
o Page 24, lines 21-23, incorrectly cites the VA/HUD appropriations bill. Insert the following: "Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development, and independent agencies."