text:
VoxSpeak
Random thoughts and comments
BREXIT Reasons for leaving
Here are a few reasons for wanting to leave the EU - there are numerous others but these are the fundamental ones
Supremacy of the UK Parliament
'.. it comes down to an elemental choice: whether to restore the full self-government of this nation, or to continue living under a higher supranational regime, ruled by a European Council that we do not elect in any meaningful sense, and that the British people can never remove, even when it persists in error ..'
Brexit vote is about the supremacy of Parliament and nothing else
Subsidiarity Has Broken Down
'.. decisions should be taken as closely as possible to the citizens of the Union in accordance with Article 5 (ex Article 3b) of the EC Treaty ..'
The European Union (EU) Why Is Subsidiarity Not Working
Southern Europe is in Real Trouble
Youth unemployment in EU's southern countries is at an all-time high - 39% youth unemployment in Italy, 45% in Spain and 49% in Greece
The problem here is that being tied to the Euro currency these countries do not have the latitude of being able to manage their own affairs – i.e. devaluation
Control Over UK Borders
The UK wants control over it's own borders without being dictated to by an undemocratic EU
Damian Draghici Stupid Statement On Romanian-Migration
This is allied to control of our own resources and borders
Of course the UK wants migrants, however, the issue is about skilled migrants and being able to determine the volume of non-skilled migrants entering the country – not an outright ban on everyone or as the EU wants an open-door policy to all comers from Europe
Generally 'first wave' migrants make a positive contribution to the receiving country – thereafter the results are not quite so clear as populations age etc.
Furthermore, the acknowledged wisdom that migrants benefit the UK does not entirely stack up
Between 1984-2000 the UK 'real' GDP growth was 2.6% and immigration was 3.3 million – however, from 2000-2016 the equivalent GDP growth was 1.2% whilst immigration was 7.5 million – in theory greater migration should have led to an increased growth, hwever that did not occur.
Also statistics show that migrants tend to go into part-time rather than full-time jobs – all of which is a cost to the receiving country rather than a benefit; especially when associated with the state benefits system and where in-work benefits are available for the low paid.
This results in employers getting' cheap' labour with the bill for topping up their wages being picked up by the taxpayer under the benefits system
Nevertheless, the UK resources are limited and need to be managed for the benefit of everyone
There are also issues about remitting UK child benefit to dependants of migrant workers in the UK back to children in their own country abroad – estimates are around 34,000 children living abroad and benefiting in the area or approximately £30 million in cost
Original Basis Of UK Entry
When the UK joined it was originally a trading alliance and since then the EU has tried to morph into a political and currency union as well - this was not what the UK signed up for originally
We are all in favour of a trading alliance within Europe but not a loss of sovereignty, democracy, Parliamentary control to an unaccountable, undemocratic & self serving EU
Therefore do we really want to be aligned with a declining EU institution, or can we do better being masters of our own destiny?
Furthermore, at that time the UK joined, the EU accounted for 38% of global GDP – today it accounts for 17% of global GDP. Some of that decline can be put down to the growth of China etc. but the actual EU decline is far greater than would be expected even with these influences
EU Has No Democratic Accountability
Unelected administrators with no democratic accountability are the core of the EU
Mario Draghi: The unelected President of the European Central Bank and a Goldman Sachs alumnus
Jean-Claude Juncker: The unelected president of the European Commission, and former Prime Minister of Luxembourg
Jeroen Dijsselbloem: The unelected Brussels Commissar and "President of the Eurogroup", and former Minister of Finance of the Netherlands
Donald Tusk: The unelected "President of the Euro Summit", and former Prime Minister of Poland
Martin Schulz: The unelected President of the European Parliament, and former Mayor of Würselen
CAP And Land Ownership
The distribution of wealth and CAP payments to the already wealthy - fewer than 6,000 people own 70% of the land in the UK
Are EU Farmers Todays Benefit Clamiants
Give the UK back their fishing grounds
The UK & Ireland used to own 60% of EU fishing water and now the UK's quota has been reduced to 13% of what is now a 'common resource'
UK EEC Referendum Will UK Get Their Fishing Grounds Back From EEC Original Illegal Theft
Other References - General
Other Countries Views on UK Brexit-from-EU
BREXIT Would You Vote to Join the EU Today
Cyprus EU Failures are Architect of the Banking Problems
Farcical European Wide Social Security Benefits Encouraging Benefit Tourism
References to EU Direction & Goals
The Five President's Report: Completing Europe's Economic and Monetary Union
EU Basics - Your Guide to the UK Referendum on EU Membership - This is issued by an organisation called the "European Movement". The 16-page colour and high gloss booklet argues for Britain to stay in the EU. Who and what is this "European Movement", and who is funding it?
This little-known organisation seems financially powerful enough to drop a high-quality print booklet into every household in the entire UK
In the 1950s and 1960s, the European Movement was funded by the CIA. America regarded it essential to rebuild Germany as an industrial power under the cloak of the peaceful EEC to stand as a bulwark against Soviet Russia in the Cold War
The declassification of formerly secret records has solved both mysteries. For as it turns out, they are connected. In the words of Nottingham University academic Richard Aldrich:
The use of covert operations for the specific promotion of European unity has attracted little scholarly attention and remains poorly understood. … the discreet injection of over three million dollars between 1949 and 1960, mostly from US government sources, was central to efforts to drum up mass support for the Schuman Plan, the European Defence Community and a European Assembly with sovereign powers.
This covert contribution never formed less than half the European Movement's budget and, after 1952, probably two-thirds. Simultaneously they sought to undermine the staunch resistance of the British Labour government to federalist ideas…
It is also particularly striking that the same small band of senior officials, many of them from the Western [note: this means US] intelligence community, were central in supporting the three most important transnational elite groups emerging in the 1950s: the European Movement, the Bilderberg Group and Jean Monnet's Action Committee for a United States of Europe [ACUE]
Finally, at a time when some British antifederalists saw a continued 'special relationship' with the United States as an alternative to (perhaps even a refuge from) European federalism, it is ironic that some European federalist initiatives should have been sustained with American support
UK journalist and former Brussels correspondent Ambrose Evans-Pritchard was the only journalist to report on such academic research findings, in two articles in 2000 and 2007:
"DECLASSIFIED American government documents show that the US intelligence community ran a campaign in the Fifties and Sixties to build momentum for a united Europe. … US intelligence secretly funded the European Movement, paying over half its budget. Some of Europe's founding fathers were on the US payroll….
"The documents confirm suspicions voiced at the time that America was working aggressively behind the scenes to push Britain into a European state. Lest we forget, the French had to be dragged kicking and screaming to the federalist signing table in the early 1950s. Eisenhower threatened to cut off Marshall aid unless Paris agreed to kiss and make up with Berlin. France's Jean Monnet, the EU's mastermind, was viewed as an American agent – as indeed, he was. Monnet served as Roosevelt's fixer in Europe during the war and orchestrated the failed US effort to stop de Gaulle taking power.
"One memorandum, dated July 26, 1950, gives instructions for a campaign to promote a fully fledged European parliament. It is signed by Gen William J Donovan, head of the American wartime Office of Strategic Services, precursor of the CIA. … Washington's main tool for shaping the European agenda was the American Committee for a United Europe, created in 1948. The chairman was Donovan, ostensibly a private lawyer by then. The vice-chairman was Allen Dulles, the CIA director in the Fifties. The board included Walter Bedell Smith, the CIA's first director, and a roster of ex-OSS figures and officials who moved in and out of the CIA. The documents show that ACUE financed the European Movement, the most important federalist organisation in the post-war years. In 1958, for example, it provided 53.5 per cent of the movement's funds. The European Youth Campaign, an arm of the European Movement, was wholly funded and controlled by Washington.
"The leaders of the European Movement – Retinger, the visionary Robert Schuman and the former Belgian prime minister Paul-Henri Spaak – were all treated as hired hands by their American sponsors. The US role was handled as a covert operation. ACUE's funding came from the Ford and Rockefeller foundations as well as business groups with close ties to the US government.
"The head of the Ford Foundation, ex-OSS officer Paul Hoffman, doubled as head of ACUE in the late Fifties. The State Department also played a role. A memo from the European section, dated June 11, 1965, advises the vice-president of the European Economic Community, Robert Marjolin, to pursue monetary union by stealth. "It recommends suppressing debate until the point at which "adoption of such proposals would become virtually inescapable".
Nothing is what is seems at face value in the world of the EU!
Merkel calls for 'political union' to save the euro
Giscard d'Estaing: The EU Treaty is the same as the Constitution
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Tags: Brexit, EU Referendum | Categories: European Union
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A Petition To Overturn Democracy
A second referendum petition – created on 24 May 2016
EU Referendum Rules triggering a 2nd EU Referendum
'.. We the undersigned call upon HM Government to implement a rule that if the Remain or Leave vote is less than 60%, based on a turnout less than 75%, there should be another referendum ..'
At the time of the referendum result was announced the petition had 22 signatures and as such was regarded by those who are currently complaining as having no relevance
All petitions run for a period of 6 months and this one expires on 25 November 2016
However, with petitions of this nature one cannot have a 'one timescale fits all' approach because clearly it is absurd to allow any petition to be retrospective after an event has already taken place. The event itself should be the cut of date for a Parliamentary debate
Here a few of the petition results as at 26 June 2016
162,227 people were from outside the UK – most of whom did not have a vote in the referendum in the first place i.e.
France 17,383
North Korea 18,827
Vatican City 31,379
(To verify these figures just download the Government json file and run it though an online json/csv converter & load in Excel)
The results of the referendum have been announced and they showed a vote for leaving the EU by 52% to 48%
One simply cannot resurrect something because one doesn't like the result and anyway surely this just epitomises the whole EU ethos surrounding a complete lack of democracy - which is why many voted leave in the first place
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Tags: EU Referendum | Categories: European Union | UK Government
VoxSpeak Explanation
This is simply a dialogue of random thoughts and comments about news items or other matters as and when they arise
Community Infrastucture Levy (CIL)
EU Migration
Eurovision Song
Money Lending
MP Corruption
Paedophile Information Exchange (PIE)
Poverty Level
Secret Courts Bill
Weights/Measures
BREXIT - How Did The EU Referendum Bill Become An Act Without Conclusion
BREXIT and the Supreme Court
Central Bankers – The Problem Not the Solution
FOREX Market Manipulation – Flash Crashes
TalkTalk - Insulting Derisory Fine By ICO
China and Hinkley Point Nuclear Plant
Governments Epiphany Over Perpetual Bonds
The opinions expressed herein are my own personal opinions and do not represent my employer's view in any way.
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This dashboard Radio/Nav is a bit swish!
Could this possibly happen ???
O.K. own up who was it ?
A guy and a bucket of shrimp.
Did anyone ever use the BBC Red Button?
Three words and a photo thread.
Hippy, Anybody Know how to get in touch with him ?
how was your EHIC expericence?
nice cops help man !
Vote now for Louisa Johnson!
A bit more monkey business .not for those of a nervous disposition !!
Emergency Stop Reaction Time Test.
My Cartier Diamond was delivered today!
What a sad day final nail in the coffin...but you havent stole our humour !!
are men more romantic ?
What have I done ..
Driving instructor applicants - this way please.
New Combi Boiler Advise / Suggestions.
Twas a matter of time ...finally lost the plot ? or have I ?
NHS Choir at number 1 in itunes chart.
"Offensive language" warning before The Dam Busters!
F**K IT Christmas dinner goes wrong. Is it revenge of the Reindeer?
North West England RED weather warning.
The Great Turkey Debate ..
My diamond wasn't what he said it was!
is violence the answer ?
Where are you spending New Years Eve?
Makes an iPod video but no Times Table!
What day is it !
So thats what it means !!!
The 5000 post race II - £100 in vouchers for the winner!
Kiss a ginger day !
My classic mini again-still overheating!
ways of avoiding selling home when in care home?
The little Dutch girl singer has matured somewhat. Fabulous!
Met Office gets it wrong again.
Landed my dream job .......there is a god !!
is this your dog ?


Air Circuit Breaker (ACB) is an electrical device used to provide Overcurrent and short-circuit protection for electric circuits over 800 Amps to 10K Amps. These are usually used in low voltage applications below 450V.
In Air-Break Circuit breaker the contact separation and arc extinction occur in air at atmospheric pressure i.e, the level of Hg at normal condition.High resistance principle is employed here.The arc resistance is increased to such an extent that the voltage drop across the arc becomes more than the system voltage and the arc gets extinguished at current zero of ac wave.Its employed in dc circuits and ac circuits up-to 12 kv.
In Air- Blast Circuit Breaker it require an auxiliary compressed air system which supplies air to the breaker air receiver.When opening is required , compressed air is admitted to the arc extinction chamber.It pushes away the moving contacts . In doing so the contacts are separated and the air blast takes away the ionized gases along with it and assist arc extinction. Air blast extinguish the arc within one or two cycles and the arc chamber is filled with high pressure air,which prevents re strike. The air blast circuit breakers are used for up-to 220 kv and above. It uses high pressure air and is independent of current to be interrupted.


Norwegian Escape's Godfather and international music star, Pitbull, made a special appearance with Norwegian Cruise Line President and Chief Executive Officer Andy Stuart at Ph.D. Rooftop Lounge at Dream Downtown in New York to celebrate Norwegian Escape coming to homeport in the Big Apple in Spring 2018. The afternoon kicked off with guests enjoying delicious bites from Norwegian Escape's culinary outposts, sipping on cocktails crafted from Pitbull's very own vodka, Voli, and sampling a selection of Michael Mondavi Family Wines. Guests were able to "walk the plank" in a virtual reality segment of the largest ropes course at sea and pose for sharable photos with the ship's celebrity Godfather Mr. Worldwide. The exclusive afternoon was topped off with an electrifying performance from For the Record: The Brat Pack™, one of Norwegian Escape's award-winning Broadway-style shows. Norwegian Cruise Line President and CEO Andy Stuart and Pitbull took to the mic to say a few words to the guest and toast to the beautiful ship, Norwegian Escape, as well as discuss their joint support for Hurricane relief efforts in the Caribbean.
When Norwegian Escape arrives at her new homeport in Manhattan next year, she will sail seven-day cruises to Bermuda during the summer months and seven-day cruises to Canada & New England and the Bahamas & Florida as well as a selection of longer cruises to the Western and Southern Caribbean during the fall/winter 2018/2019 season. Norwegian Escape will be the brand's largest ship to ever homeport from New York City at 164,600 gross tons and 4,266 guests. Norwegian Cruise Line has been homeporting year-round from the Manhattan Cruise Terminal since 2003.


What to do now that firms have slashed counseling for laid-off workers.
This entry was posted in Entrepreneurship | Management and tagged entrepreneur, Executive Business Accelerator, Gilles Bouchard, Harvard Business School, international, Louis Catala, outplacement, stratégie. Bookmark the permalink.


while benefiting from the energy of a group.
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When we estimate quotients using multiples, we are not looking for an exact answer. Instead, as it says, we are looking for an estimate, or a number that is close to the real answer.
Find two numbers the quotient of 50 ÷ 7 is between. Then estimate the quotient.
Ask yourself, " what number multiplied by 7 is about 50? "
Instead of guessing, you can just make a table showing some possibilities. Keep in mind that the product of any counting number multiplied by 7 is a multiple.
Therefore, the table will show multiples of 7.
Use the table to find multiples of 7 closest to 50.
50 is between 49 and 56, so the answer is either 7 or 8.
50 is closest to 49, so 50 ÷ 7 is about 7.
Trick to estimate quotients using multiples when the quotient is big.
Find two numbers the quotient of 152 ÷ 6 is between. Then estimate the quotient.
Ask yourself, " what number multiplied by 6 is about 152? "
Once again, instead of guessing, you can just make a table showing some possibilities. This time though, we need to play strategically and here is the reason why.
Notice that 6 × 10 = 60. This means that if we had made a table with just the first 10 counting numbers, we would still be very far away from 152. If we put counting numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so forth, this will make the table way too big!
Therefore, instead of using counting numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and so forth, we should use 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and so forth to keep the table small.
Use the table to find multiples of 6 closest to 152.
152 is between 150 and 180, so the answer is either 25 or 30.
152 is closest to 150, so 152 ÷ 6 is about 25.


You know how you worry about a ton of things. Then something happens to you that you have never worried about. And it throws your whole world of worries into disarray? That's what happened to me this week. Tuesday afternoon my phone rang. Since my phone hasn't rang since the Bush Administration, I was surprised.
I walked over to the phone with the cautiousness of a teenager in a horror movie.
At this point I could hear the recording click on. Normally I hang up, but since I'm still waiting for the Nigerian Prince to send me his fortune, I waited to see what was up.
Then I started to wonder.
Was my credit card ok?
Has my identity been hacked?
The panic started to grow inside me, as it normally does on Tuesdays (I panic a lot, it's my hobby), but this call had brought the panic on earlier.
Then I had a logical idea… I say it was logical, but it took me a long time do this.
By golly that's a great idea!
As I waited on the line, I checked my balances. There was a transaction that I wasn't aware of, but since my wife and I share the account I figured it was hers.
Then I spoke to a rep. It turns out my card had been compromised, along with countless other people. So they were wondering if I had bought a Dyson fan. I hadn't, the irony here is that I really really want a Dyson fan, but can't justify buying one.
They then went through a few other transactions that I hadn't made (none of them as cool as a Dyson fan, get it? Cool. Fan… sorry folks that's as good as the jokes get today) and cancelled them too.
Then I started to really panic.
Sure they have canceled the card, but my info is out there. They have a lot of my info.
Remembering that this had happened to a friend of mine a few weeks before, he said he checked out Credit Sesame (or you can use Credit Karma both are free) to see his credit history.
So I opened up a browser window with the speed of Usain Bolt (I mean Bolt's last run wasn't great, but still, he's pretty fast) and checked my credit score.
I was fine. Now I have monthly monitoring of my credit score, which I'm not too concerned about but it's good to know and it's really nice to be able to see if there are any cards being opened under my name that aren't mine.
If someone from a bank calls, hang up and call them back. Not the number they give you but the number on your card.
Check your credit card history and make sure that you dispute any purchases that aren't yours.
Check your credit score online with Credit Sesame and make sure that there are no other cards open under your name that you don't know about.


text:
"That's because I do well in red, blue and purple places," Gillibrand told a welcoming crowd at the Columbia home of former state party and Democratic National Committee chairman Don Fowler.
Friday's appearance was Gillibrand's first visit to South Carolina since she announced she was running for president, following in the footsteps of fellow Sens. Cory Booker, Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren. She said she sees similarities between South Carolina and the part of New York she calls home, with concerns about health care, education and jobs.
She touts her ability to get 18 bills passed through a Republican Congress, and even her working relationship with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, with whom she's co-sponsored legislation.
But that doesn't mean Gillibrand shies away from taking a progressive stance. She supports the extension of Medicare to cover Americans under the age of 65, collaborating with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on a bill that would allow younger people to buy into Medicare at 4 percent of their annual income during a four-year transition period.
"Insurance companies would not be able to raise rates," she said. "If you want private insurance, you can go and find some, but this will be your back-up plan."
She also wants to tackle student debt, offering young people two years of tuition-free attendance at a public college for each year of public service they do after high school.
That's an attractive offer for Samantha Auerbach, a sophomore political science major at the University of South Carolina.
"Even for a middle-class family, college tuition is difficult to afford," Auerbach said.
Gillibrand made a name for herself by shining a spotlight on sexual assault in the military, and she helped force former Minnesota Sen. Al Franken out of office due to sexual misconduct allegations. The bill she co-sponsored with Cruz seeks to combat sexual harassment.
Representing New York, Gillibrand has ties to the financial industry on Wall Street, but she pledged Friday her campaign would not take PAC money, and she reiterated her focus on issues of concern to blue-collar workers.
"The fact so many union members voted for Trump should be a wake-up call," she said. "We need to reward workers, not just owners."
Gillibrand will meet with voters and local business leaders around Columbia on Saturday, with stops at the Soda City Market and Kiki's Chicken and Waffles on Parklane Road, before she heads to Greenville for an Urban League reception and Sunday church appearances in North Charleston.
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand says President Donald Trump's latest tweet about her on Dec. 12, 2017 was a "sexist smear" aimed at silencing her voice. The New York Democrat says she won't be silenced on the issue of sexual harassment.
Follow more of our reporting on
Which 2020 Democrat is raising the most cash in SC? The answer could surprise you
See all 10 stories
Bristow Marchant bmarchant@thestate.com
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand speaks to attendees at a brunch hosted by Dr. Jennifer Clyburn Reed with women community leaders after touring the Soda City Market Saturday Feb. 9, 2019, in Columbia, SC. Gavin McIntyre gmcintyre@thestate.com
U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, left, and Dr. Jennifer Clyburn Reed tour the Soda City Market Saturday Feb. 9, 2019, in Columbia, SC. Gavin McIntyre gmcintyre@thestate.com
Bristow Marchant
Bristow Marchant is currently split between covering Richland County and the 2020 presidential race. He has more than 10 years' experience covering South Carolina. He won the S.C. Press Association's 2015 award for Best Series on a toxic Chester County landfill fire, and was part of The State's award-winning 2016 election coverage.
Children left in hot cars: 'This could happen to anyone'
The difference between prostitution and sex trafficking
'York's kids were his kids': SC Family Court Judge Tony Jones dies from cancer at 61
By Andrew Dys
York County, South Carolina Judge Tony Jones, a longtime Family Court jurist, died Thursday after a battle with cancer. His peers said York County's kids in his court were his kids. Jones was 61.
MORE SOUTH CAROLINA
SC company denies sick leave, then fires employee. Now it must pay, officials say
Two killed, more injured after building collapses near SC lake, officials say
Midlands Tech is investigating how a virus crashed most of the computers on campus
Church property vandalized with 'Hail Satan' graffiti in South Carolina, officials say
'Time to cut the bleeding': York County sells industrial site for a loss. But whose?


text:
Conservation & Environment channel, News, Texas, texas, Texas Legislature, Water
drought, infrastructure, Prop. 6, Rick Perry, San Angelo, Texas Constitution, Texas water, Texas water policy
Perry pushes water plan funding in San Angelo
by ALANA ROCHA
The persistent drought afflicting West Texas has essentially turned some of the region's lakes and reservoirs into oversized puddles, unfit for any kind of recreation.
"Not much you can do when it doesn't rain," said Kurt Kemp, the superintendent for San Angelo State Park, whose O.C. Fisher Reservoir has had water levels so low for the last year that it's not fit for swimming, boating or fishing.
The region's extreme conditions make San Angelo an appropriate backdrop as Gov. Rick Perry is set to speak there Wednesday about why it's important for voters to back a constitutional amendment in November that provides funds for state water planning initiatives.
Perry's speech will stress the importance that passing Proposition 6 will "allow the state to finance water projects that will ensure that we have that vital resource for the next 50 years," said Josh Havens, a spokesman for the governor.
Havens added that Perry's talk Wednesday about Prop 6 will be the first of many the governor will make ahead of Election Day.
Prop 6 asks voters to approve a $2 billion withdrawal from the Rainy Day Fund to set up a water infrastructure bank that will provide money for water conservation programs, reservoirs and other projects. The proposed constitutional amendment was created by Senate Joint Resolution 1, which was authored by state Sen. Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
"There's nothing more important to future economic development than having an adequate supply of water in the state," Perry said in late April following his meeting with the Texas House GOP Caucus about his priorities for the remainder of the 83rd Legislature.
A month later, he signed House Bill 4, by state Rep. Allan Ritter, R-Nederland, which creates the bank to finance state water plan initiatives.
As the governor prepares to make his remarks, several state lawmakers are also working to persuade voters to approve Prop 6.
Williams and fellow state Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, are honorary co-chairmen of H204Texas — a political action committee focused on passing Prop 6. Ritter and House Speaker Joe Straus are heading up Water Texas PAC.
But several conservatives oppose the amendment, arguing that pulling money from the Rainy Day Fund would endanger Texas' economic health. They say that if water is the priority that proponents say it is, then funding for the state plan should come out of the state's general revenue budget.
In an op-ed written during the session's debate over the legislation, Perry wrote, "If we want to retain our status as the nation's epicenter for job creation, we need to address this issue now, and address it aggressively."
ALANA ROCHA reports for The Texas Tribune where this story was originally published. It is made available here through a news partnership between the Texas Tribune and the San Marcos Mercury.
COVER PHOTO: The O.C. Fisher Reservoir at San Angelo State Park. TEXAS TRIBUNE PHOTO by JUSTIN DEHN
04/08/2013 Getting serious about a Texas-size drought
11/06/2013 Texas voters approve nine constitutional amendments
10/15/2013 Water funding propositions make unusual allies
11/26/2015 Vista Ridge parent company slides toward bankruptcy
10/21/2013 Audio: Property tax relief for military families on ballot


Everyone should have a Will. Every year the Treasury receives millions of pounds from people who have died without having made a Will. A Will gives the peace of mind knowing that when you die your property and finances will be passed to those whom you wish to benefit.
If you die without a Will - intestate - you would have no say in where your money and property goes. If you are married it does not necessarily mean that your spouse will receive all of your estate. If you are not married but living with somebody your partner might get nothing.
You can name almost anybody to be your Executor. It makes sense to appoint someone on whom you can rely and who will be competent and impartial. You might like to consider appointing Close Thornton Solicitors. We know what to do and when it has to be done.
There are ways to minimise or even avoid inheritance tax. This is a complicated area where you need professional advice. At Close Thornton Solicitors we have specialists in tax matters who will be pleased to assist.
If you have not yet made a Will or you are looking for probate solicitors within Darlington, County Durham or North Yorkshire, you should do so now. If you have, you may need to review it. Telephone us on 01325 376908 or email us at the addresses below to arrange an appointment. If you live locally and are disabled, or travel is a problem, we can arrange to visit you at home. If you would like an estimate please contact us.


Does Apple Cider Vinegar Unblock Fallopian Tubes?
Fallopian tube blockage can prevent a woman from becoming pregnant and is a major cause of infertility. A special X-ray called a hysterosalpingogram is used to look inside the uterus and fallopian tubes to help identify a blockage. Proponents claim that apple cider vinegar is a cure-all for a number of conditions, including blocked fallopian tubes. Clinical data to support this claim are lacking. Talk to your doctor before trying apple cider vinegar.
Fallopian tubes serve as the primary mode of transportation for mature eggs. If one of your fallopian tubes is blocked, you might still be able to become pregnant. However, blockage of both fallopian tubes prevents fertilization. Pelvic inflammatory disease, or PID, is a common cause of fallopian tube obstruction. In some instances, fallopian tube blockage can cause abdominal pain. In the vast majority of cases, no symptoms are present.
Apple cider vinegar, or ACV, is a product of fermentation that results in beneficial yeasts and bacteria. In addition, ACV contains a number of vitamins and minerals including magnesium, potassium, copper, B vitamins and vitamin C. Proponents claim that ACV taken daily can help unblock fallopian tubes by balancing hormones and reducing fibroids. There is no research to show that ACV can treat or cure any condition.
ACV is a time-honored alternative remedy, according to Patricia Bragg, author of "Apple Cider Vinegar: Miracle Health System." For fertility problems, ACV is typically taken three times per day. A common method is to place 2 tablespoons of ACV in 4 to 6 ounces of water, explains Bragg. You can add a touch of honey or molasses to sweeten the mixture. You can drink the mixture right away or sip it over a 30-minute period.
Surgery is one of the primary treatments for blocked fallopian tubes. Some women use ACV as an alternative to surgery. Because research showing the safety and efficacy of using ACV to unblock fallopian tubes is lacking, you might want to try another alternative. A study published in the January 2008 issue of the journal "Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine," states that pelvic physical therapy achieves a 61 percent success rate at opening blocked fallopian tubes. Pelvic physical therapy is a special massage used to treat infertility.
Can Apple Cider Vinegar Help Ovarian Cysts?


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Ratchet & Clank (2002 video game)
This article is about the 2002 video game. For the series, see Ratchet & Clank. For the 2016 re-imagining, see Ratchet & Clank (2016 video game).
North American PlayStation 2 box art
Brian Allgeier
Alexander Hastings
Brian Hastings
John Fiorito[1]
Dave Guertin
Greg Baldwin
David Bergeaud
Kinetica (modified)
Platform(s)
PlayStation 3 (HD)
PlayStation Vita (HD)
NA: November 4, 2002
EU: November 8, 2002
Mode(s)
Ratchet & Clank is a 3D platform video game developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation 2 in 2002. Ratchet & Clank is the first game in the series and precedes Going Commando.
The game follows the anthropomorphic character Ratchet meeting the robot Clank on his home planet. Clank discovers that the villainous Chairman Drek of the Blarg race plans to create a new planet for his species, destroying other planets in the process. Clank convinces Ratchet to help him in his mission to gain the help of the famous superhero Captain Qwark.
The game offers a wide range of weapons and gadgets that the player must use to defeat numerous enemies and solve puzzles on a variety of different planets in the fictional "Solana" galaxy. The game also includes several mini-games, such as racing or hacking, which the player must complete to proceed. The game was very well received by critics, who praised the graphics, gameplay, voice acting, audio, soundtrack and comedic approach to the story; some criticism was levelled at the camera, the characterization of the lead characters and the low level of difficulty in early stages.
Fourteen years later, a film based on the game was released in theaters on April 29, 2016 along with a PlayStation 4 reimagining based on that work released earlier on April 12, 2016 in North America.
3 Development and release
4.1 Legacy
Gameplay[edit]
See also: Common gameplay elements in the Ratchet and Clank series
Ratchet, with Clank on his back, using the Blaster. Visible are the ammunition, health, and bolt counters at the top of the screen.
In Ratchet & Clank, the main playable character is Ratchet, whom the player controls from a third-person perspective, though a first-person mode to view the player's surroundings is available. The player traverses diverse environments with a large collection of unusual gadgets and weapons, using them to defeat enemies and pass obstacles. Up to 36 weapons and gadgets can be bought or found in the game.[2]
The player begins the game with only two weapons:[3] the "OmniWrench 8000", a standard melee weapon with a variety of uses such as interacting with puzzles in the environment, and the Bomb Glove, a short-range grenade thrower. As missions are completed across the game's various planets, more weapons and gadgets become available, including the Blaster, an automatic pistol; the Pyrocitor, a flamethrower; and the Suck Cannon, a vacuum gun, which sucks up smaller enemies and converts them into projectiles. Weapons are either found, or can be bought with bolts, the game's form of currency. The OmniWrench remains the standard melee weapon for close combat, with its own button, as all other weapons assume the role of secondary weaponry and can only be equipped one at a time, though all weapons can be carried in the player's inventory.[3]
Bolts can be found in crates, along with ammo, or dropped from defeated enemies.[3] The player also needs to buy ammo for most weapons, but a small number can function without the need for ammo.[3] Vendors, which sell weapons and ammo, are situated at strategic points throughout levels.[3] After completing the game, the player may choose to enter "challenge mode", in which the game's difficulty level rises considerably, but all bolts and weapons acquired the first time are carried through. There is also the option to buy "gold weapons", more powerful versions of existing weapons. The game's health system, Nanotech,[3] starts at four health bubbles equivalent to be able to take four hits, but upgrades can be purchased, giving the player a total of five hit points with the first upgrade and eight hit points with the second.
Normally, Clank rides on Ratchet's back, acting as a jet-pack or similar device.[3] Occasionally, however, Clank becomes a playable character when Ratchet is unable to explore certain areas. Clank can control "Gadgebots", smaller robots similar to Clank, who perform certain actions for him. Racing, in the form of hoverboard races, appears in the game. Some racing missions are necessary to progress in the game, while others are optional. One level of space combat and a level of flying through the air shooting tankers is also present. Mini-games that unlock doors, extend bridges, or elevate platforms appear in most levels.[3]
In a warbot factory on planet Quartu, a defective but intelligent robot escapes and crash-lands on Veldin, the homeworld of the mechanic Ratchet (Mikey Kelley) (a feline-like humanoid known as a Lombax). After awaking, the robot, nicknamed "Clank" (David Kaye), reveals to Ratchet that he is on a mission to stop Chairman Drek (Kevin Michael Richardson), a corrupt Blargian business tycoon who harvests inhabited planets to create a new one for his race, the Blarg, due to theirs having been overpopulated and severely polluted. However, by doing so, the selected planets are destroyed in the process. Clank offered to start Ratchet's ship using a robotic ignition system, and in exchange, Ratchet agreed to take him to the planet presented in the infobot Clank obtained from Quartu. Joining forces, the two take out several of Drek's operations one-by-one while gathering gradual information on his plans. This move enrages Drek, who launches a manhunt for the duo.
Ratchet and Clank seek to enlist the help of Captain Qwark (Jim Ward), the Solana Galaxy's most popular superhero/celebrity. Once Ratchet and Clank locate Qwark in his trailer on Planet Rilgar, they agree to meet at Qwark's private headquarters on Umbris. After surviving his obstacle course, Ratchet and Clank are betrayed by Qwark, who reveals that he was working for Drek the entire time as a highly paid spokesperson for the Chairman's new planet. Qwark leaves the duo to die in the lair of a Blargian Snagglebeast, which is easily dispatched by Ratchet. Determined on getting revenge for Qwark's deception, a bitter Ratchet liberates more Blarg-conquered planets, eventually coming across a Blargian moonbase. Qwark, attempting to make sure that the duo does not interfere in Drek's plans, engages them in a gruelling space battle that ends with Qwark being shot down and Ratchet and Clank leaving in satisfaction, their vengeance finally laid to rest.
Ratchet and Clank fly to Quartu in order to find out about the Blarg's next move. Immediately after realizing that Drek intends to destroy Veldin with a planet-destroying weapon called the Deplanetizer and allow his already-completed planet to take its place of orbit, Ratchet swears revenge on Drek for his mercilessness. The Blarg and Drek are pursued to Veldin by a vengeful Ratchet, and soon a vicious battle ensues. Halfway through the fight, Drek reveals that he was the one who polluted the Blargian homeworld, and did so as an attempt to make a profit from creating and selling the artificial planet to the Blarg. He intends to repeat the whole process over-and-over again until he becomes the richest person in the galaxy. Ratchet launches Drek to his new planet, which is destroyed when Ratchet fires the Deplanetizer at it, killing Drek. Chunks of the planet begin to hit Veldin causing the duo to nearly fall to their death. Clank notes his arm to be badly damaged, but Ratchet remarks he will be fine and seems to leave the scene. A distraught Clank then turns around and begins walking away; however, Ratchet returns to take Clank home and repair him. The duo then walk home together, their bond as friends now cemented.
In a post-credits scene, Qwark advertises his "Personal Hygienator", much to Ratchet and Clank's disgust and discomfort, and Clank turns off the Holovision (TV) ending the game.
Development and release[edit]
After finishing work on the Spyro the Dragon series on the PlayStation, Insomniac originally intended to launch a game codenamed I5 (Insomniac game #5) for the PlayStation 2. The developers, however, were never enthusiastic about it, and the idea was dropped after six months. Ratchet & Clank was based on an idea by Brian Hastings, which would feature a space-traveling reptile alien who would collect various weapons as he progressed through the game;[4][5] Ratchet's final form was decided upon after Insomniac considered a space lizard with a tail[6] and various terrestrial creatures, including dogs and rats; feline features stood out to the developers because of the associated sense of agility.[7] Another early idea was to have three small robots attached to Ratchet, which would perform different functions.[7] However, Insomniac realized that having the robots was both complicated and created confusion about Ratchet's appearance, leading them to have only one robot, Clank.[7] According to an interview, not much was cut but that (according to Insomniac) "Interestingly, we really didn't cut anything except for a few weapons and gadgets that just weren't fun when we prototyped them. There was the Revolverator – a drill gun which would spin enemies around once Ratchet impaled them and the Mackerel 1000 – basically a fish that took the place of the wrench. Both of these got cut because they were either too hard to use or just didn't add anything to the game."[5]
Shortly after changing the game from I5 to Ratchet & Clank, Naughty Dog asked Insomniac if they would be interested in sharing the game technology used in Naughty Dog's Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, asking that Insomniac in turn share with them any improvements that were made. Insomniac agreed, resulting in most of the Ratchet & Clank engine technology being developed in-house by Insomniac, but some very important renderers were those developed by Naughty Dog.[8] Looking back on the agreement, Ted Price said that "Naughty Dog's generosity gave us a huge leg up and allowed us to draw the enormous vistas in the game."[8] Some years later, Ted Price clarified Insomniac's stance on engine technology while obliquely mentioning the shared renderers:
We've always developed all our own technology. It's been a little frustrating in the past for us to hear people say, 'Oh yeah, the Insomniac game is running on the Naughty Dog engine.' People assumed that we were using Naughty Dog's engine for Ratchet, and that was not true. We shared some technology with Naughty Dog way back when, and that was great, but we are a company that puts stock in developing specialized technology and we will continue to do so.[9]
Pre-production of the game began in late March 2001, with a team of approximately 35 people. The game went into production in November 2001, and by the end of the project, the team had grown to 45.[5] The game was first released in North America on November 4, 2002,[10] and then in Australia on November 6, 2002.[11] It was later released in PAL regions on November 8, 2002,[10][12] and in Japan on December 3, 2002.[10] In November 2003, Sony added Ratchet & Clank to their Greatest hits series of games for the PlayStation 2 when Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando was released at that time,[10] and the game was similarly added to Sony's Platinum Range used in the PAL region on August 22, 2003.[10] The game was added to Japan's The Best range on July 3, 2003;[10] it was also the only game to be bundled with the PlayStation 2 in Japan.[4][7]
Aggregate scores
GameRankings 90%[13]
Metacritic 88/100[14]
AllGame [15]
CVG 8/10[16]
Eurogamer 8/10[17]
Famitsu 34/40[18]
Game Informer 8.75/10[19]
GamePro [20]
GameSpot 9/10[21]
GameSpy 78/100[22]
GameZone 9/10[23]
IGN 9.2/10[24]
OPM (US) 10/10[25]
Gameplanet [26]
By July 2006, Ratchet & Clank had sold 1.1 million copies and earned $31 million in the United States. Next Generation ranked it as the 49th highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country. Combined sales of the Ratchet & Clank series reached 4 million units in the United States by July 2006.[27]
Ratchet & Clank was met with positive reviews from critics upon release.[14] After playing a preview of the game, GameSpot described it as having "excellent graphics, varied gameplay, and tight control[s]".[28] The game's use of weapons, rather than simple melee attacks, was cited as one of the main features that made it stand out from other platform games;[15][23] Computer and Video Games said that "Going berserk with your giant ratchet ... is seriously satisfying ... Every time you thump an enemy with the hefty tool, it looks, sounds and feels remarkably solid. ... What's more, the same can be said for all the other weapons you collect and use over the course of your intergalactic adventure".[16] GameSpot noted that the player does not need to follow the same paths multiple times, as was common in platformers at the time.[21] GameSpot named Ratchet & Clank the best PlayStation 2 game of November 2002;[29] it later won the publication's annual "Best Graphics (Technical) on PlayStation 2" award, and a nomination for "Best Graphics (Artistic) on PlayStation 2".[30] Gameplanet said that it was "Quite simply the best platform game on the PS2 right now and possibly the best on any format!"[26]
Reviewers praised the game's graphics, specifically pointing out the character and background designs as being high-quality for PS2 games of the time.[17] GameSpy called the graphics "mind-blowing",[22] and GameSpot praised the game's smooth frame rate.[21] GameZone noted the animation of Ratchet, praising the details in his animation.[23] Reviewers found that the game's voice overs and other audio elements were generally well-done.[24] IGN commented on the game's artificial intelligence, saying that it was not as well-done as that of Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy, but still "purposefully comic and somewhat sophisticated" in others.[24] Gameplanet felt that the game's levels were well laid-out.[26]
Criticism was aimed at the game's camera angles, which Eurogamer felt were "idiotic" at times, giving the example of boss fights in which the camera centers on the boss rather than being freely movable.[17] Allgame found that it was hard to form an emotional bond with Ratchet & Clank's main characters, saying that Ratchet is "your typical teenager ... who desires nothing more than excitement and adventure" and that Clank is "the stereotypical intellectual; stuffy and almost prudish to a fault", feeling instead that the characters of Jak and Daxter from Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy were "infinitely more likeable."[15] Some criticism was also aimed at the story, with GameSpy saying that the game became predictable, boring, and "just bland".[22] Reviewers also noted that the first half of the game was "yawn inducing", but once the player reaches planet Rilgar, it becomes much more intense and difficult;[19] GamePro found that the player does not "engage a single thought process" for the first parts of the game.[20]
Legacy[edit]
In June 2014, it was announced that the game would be re-imagined for the PlayStation 4, with the intention of remaking the original game as if Insomniac Games were to make the game again today.[31] The re-imagining is also tied-in with the 2016 film.[citation needed] The game was originally planned to be released on the PlayStation 4 in 2015,[citation needed] but was delayed along with the film to April 12, 2016.[citation needed]
^ "Ratchet & Clank (2002) PlayStation 2 credits". MobyGames. Retrieved July 21, 2016.
^ Chris Roper (October 25, 2002). "The Weapons of Ratchet and Clank". IGN. Retrieved July 21, 2009.
^ a b c d e f g h Ratchet & Clank Instruction Booklet. Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. 2002.
^ a b McLaughlin, Rus (October 30, 2007). "IGN Presents The History of Ratchet and Clank". IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 14, 2010. Retrieved June 25, 2009. Additional pages archived on January 15, 2008: Page 2, Page 3, Page 4.
^ a b c "Big Gaz" (December 14, 2002). "Ratchet and Clank Interview". Gameplanet. Archived from the original on September 5, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2009.
^ Ted Price: Collected Works | GamesRadar
^ a b c d Talon, Durwin S. (2004). "David Guertin on Comics & Video Games". Comics Above Ground: How Sequential Art Affects Mainstream Media. TwoMorrows Publishing. pp. 80–82. ISBN 1-893905-31-4. Retrieved July 12, 2009.
^ a b Price, Ted (June 13, 2003). "Postmortem: Insomniac Games' Ratchet and Clank". Gamasutra. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
^ Slate, Chris. "PS3 Trailblazing: PSM Chats With Ted Price, President of Insomniac Games." Independent PlayStation Magazine Sep. 2006
^ a b c d e f "Ratchet & Clank Release Information". GameFAQs. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
^ "Ratchet & Clank". Ratchet & Clank Australia. Retrieved July 8, 2009.
^ "Ratchet & Clank". PlayStation Network UK. Retrieved July 25, 2009.
^ "Ratchet & Clank". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
^ a b "Ratchet & Clank PS2". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
^ a b c Frankle, Gavin. "Ratchet & Clank". Allgame. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
^ a b Cooper, Michael (November 11, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank". Computer and Video Games. Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
^ a b c Reed, Kristan (November 11, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank". Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
^ プレイステーション2 - ラチェット&クランク. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.83. 30 June 2006.
^ a b Reiner, Andrew; Helgeson, Matt (December 2002). "Ratchet and Clank". Game Informer. Game Informer Magazine: 114. Archived from the original on February 14, 2008. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
^ a b Dingo, Star (November 4, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on December 1, 2009. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
^ a b c Gerstmann, Jeff (November 2, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 11, 2012. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
^ a b c Turner, Benjamin (November 13, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank (PS2)". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on September 6, 2004. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
^ a b c Bedigian, Louis (November 12, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank Review". GameZone. GameZone Online. Archived from the original on June 7, 2003. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
^ a b c Perry, Douglass C. (November 4, 2002). "Ratchet and Clank". IGN Entertainment. Retrieved June 25, 2009.
^ Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine: 166. December 2002. Missing or empty |title= (help)
^ a b c "InFiLtRaToR" (November 13, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank". Gameplanet. Archived from the original on September 19, 2009. Retrieved July 12, 2009.
^ Campbell, Colin; Keiser, Joe (July 29, 2006). "The Top 100 Games of the 21st Century". Next Generation. Archived from the original on October 28, 2007.
^ Torres, Ricardo (October 15, 2002). "Ratchet & Clank Updated Preview". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved June 29, 2009.
^ The Editors of GameSpot (December 7, 2002). "GameSpot's Game of the Month, November 2002". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 22, 2003.
^ GameSpot Staff (December 30, 2002). "GameSpot's Best and Worst of 2002". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 7, 2003.
^ Dyer, Mitch (June 10, 2014). "E3 2014: Original Ratchet & Clank Getting PS4 Remaster". IGN. Retrieved June 10, 2014.
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On 12 September 2018, the European Defence Agency (EDA) will organise the first ever Air-to-Air Refuelling (AAR) Conference in Europe.
The conference will bring together key decision-makers from the EU and NATO as well as the wider transatlantic and international AAR community, including industry, to discuss current and future challenges and coordinate efforts in this important domain. The global dimension of the solutions at hand to resolve remaining shortfalls and the role of industry will also be debated.
Scheduled speakers include, among many others, the Defence Minister of Belgium, Steven Vandeput, the Chairman of the Aerial Refuelling Systems Advisory Group (ARSAG), General John Sams, a representative from NATO's Defence Investment Divison and the Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency (EDA), Jorge Domecq.
The conference is an INVITE ONLY event. Invitees are being contacted by EDA and asked to register on a specific conference portal.


Watch out for the 100 Words on Saturday prompt at the end! Some of you seem to be missing it.
Somewhere in my childhood, I came to the conclusion that I was not creative. The reason? Despite my longing and best efforts, I couldn't draw or paint to save my life. Sadly, I stayed with this notion until a few years ago, when I discovered that every human being is born creative.
Let me repeat that – every human being is born creative. Get it? You, my friend, are born creative. You stay creative. How you learn to express that creativity is up to you.
The reason you taken to writing and blogging is that you are creative. So no confusion there.
It is possible to get caught up with expressing our creativity in only one way. We wrote in a particular style. It was appreciated. We start to think that no other style will work.
Each of us has to find our own way out of a creative rut. But here are some thoughts from Brian Clark of Copyblogger.
Corinne thanks for this prompt… I just relived some of the old memories !
Corinne, I had written a post earlier on the same topic.
I can testify to the truth of the 'being willing to accept mistakes' as part of the process. I've made my share. Some of the biggest successes of my life have come when I took that chance. Maybe sometimes the world is just waiting for us to take that step.
Oh yes, I've learned that too, Luann. I love what you say about the world waiting for us to take a step – so very true!


text:
Clay Aiken & Ruben Studdard Reunite For 'This Christmas' Performance On 'The View'
The 'American Idol' alums announced that they'd be going on a tour to celebrate 20 years since they both competed on the reality show.
James Crowley
Image Credit: Lee Roth/STAR MAX, Inc./Newscom/The Mega Agency
One of the best parts about the holidays is reuniting with old friends, and former American Idol winner Ruben Studdard and runner-up Clay Aiken dropped in for a surprise performance on The View on Monday, December 12. Dressed in holiday sweaters, the pair gave a lively performance on Donny Hathaway's classic "This Christmas," before chatting with the co-hosts.
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After Clay and Ruben, both 44, finished performing, the women complimented them on their holiday rendition, and Clay announced that the pair were commemorating the fact that 2023 will be two decades since they both competed in the second season of American Idol. "We are about to celebrate our 20th anniversary from the year we were on Idol. So, Ruben and I are hitting the road together with the 20th-anniversary tour all across the country," he said. "We're going to be celebrating the last 20 years since we did Idol and the music we've gotten to make, and the friendships we've gotten to make along the way." Ruben also shared the tour dates on his Instagram.
Ruben and Clay have become a bit of a holiday tradition on The View. They first sang "This Christmas" together on the program back in 2016, per TV Line. They also performed "O Holy Night" in both 2018 and 2019, with the first year previewing their Christmas Broadway show. They also surprised a choir teacher during a virtual appearance in 2021.
Clay and Ruben rose to fame as contestants on 'American Idol.' (Lee Roth/STAR MAX, Inc./Newscom/The Mega Agency)
After some playful reminders that Ruben won and Clay was the runner-up, Sunny Hostin asked if there was a possibility of either of them returning to the reality show after all of this time. "We are both going to be returning to the show," Ruben teased.
Clay revealed that they will indeed be appearing together to celebrate the special anniversary later this season. "We will be in the finale of American Idol this coming season. Exactly 20 years from the day of our finale, so we'll be singing together on the finale," he said. "And we'll be on the road too! So, so many opportunities to see Ruben and Clay."
The Idol runner-up, who also notably ran for Congress in North Carolina, also reflected on his friendship with Ruben in a recent Instagram post. " If you have the blessing of knowing Ruben Studdard, you understand:
There aren't many humans more selfless or gracious or loyal than he," he wrote. "Happy 20th anniversary, Rube. I love you to the moon and back."
Related: Lauren Spencer Smith: 5 Things To Know About Singer Performing On 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve'
The two contestants aren't the only ones who have made a recent return to Idol. Former judge Paul Abdul got emotional when she returned for a reunion episode in May. "I'm crying seeing all the contestants who are like my babies. It's beautiful," she said.
Ruben Studdard's Transformation Through The Years: Photos Of 'Idol' Season 2 To Now
AIKEN STUDDARD ANKA Legendary singer Paul Anka, left, joins finalists Ruben Studdard, from Birmingham, Ala., center, and Clay Aiken, from Raleigh, N.C., on stage after their final perfomances of American Idol, in Universal City, Calif. Anka performed a special version of his classic "My Way" paying to tribute to American Idol AMERICAN IDOL, UNIVERSAL CITY, USA
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