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Good Afternoon! Here is your Daily Suppository -> The Mullet Wrapper -> President Trump is not Teflon, and the conventional wisdom that "nothing matters" is wrong. ?
July 17, 2017 Hoax And Change Posting Fake News, Media Bias, The Daily 202
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Only 1 in 4 Americans strongly support Trump
Donald Trump walks across the South Lawn last night after arriving back at the White House on Marine One from a weekend at his golf club in New Jersey. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)
with Breanne Deppisch and Joanie Greve
THE BIG IDEA: President Trump is not Teflon, and the conventional wisdom that "nothing matters" is wrong.
A fresh Washington Post/ABC News poll underscores the softness of Trump's support as he prepares to mark six months in the White House on Thursday.
It also highlights a growing intensity gap. Support for the president is more tepid, but opposition is increasingly inflamed.
The president's overall approval rating has slipped to 36 percent from 42 percent in April. For context, George W. Bush and Barack Obama both held 59 percent approval ratings in Post/ABC polls conducted around their six-month anniversaries.
Media coverage often focuses on how rank-and-file Republicans, as well as elected officials, continue to stand behind Trump. While true, a close examination of the results suggests that no more than 1 in 4 Americans believe passionately in him or his presidency at this juncture.
Trump's disapproval rating has risen to 58 percent in the national survey, which was conducted last Monday through Thursday. Overall, 48 percent disapprove strongly of how he's doing. But while 36 percent approve of Trump overall, only 25 percent approve strongly.
Consider the partisan breakdown: 82 percent of self-identified Republicans approve of how Trump is doing, including 62 percent who approve strongly. Meanwhile, 85 percent of Democrats disapprove of Trump, but a larger 75 percent disapprove strongly.
Where Trump really differs from Obama is that his approval leans more heavily on strong backers. Obama's average "strong" approval was 28 percent during his presidency, not much different than Trump today. But Obama averaged 21 percent "somewhat" approval, 10 points higher than Trump.
Across the battery of questions in the survey, Trump's hardcore base of support appears to be about a quarter of the public, give or take:
24 percent say that, since taking office, Trump has "acted in a way that's fitting and proper for a president of the United States." Seventy percent say Trump has acted in a way that is "unpresidential."
24 percent approve of Trump's use of Twitter. Just 13 percent strongly approve. Two-thirds disapprove of the president's use of social media, and 53 percent strongly disapprove.
Compared with previous presidents, 23 percent think "Trump is doing a better job than most." While 17 percent say he's doing a "much better" job, 38 percent think he's doing "much worse."
3 in 10 believe Trump is "a positive role model for young people." For perspective, 18 percent said the same of Bill Clinton in a Post/ABC poll conducted the week after the salacious Starr Report was released in 1998.
27 percent think "America's leadership in the world has gotten stronger" under Trump.
26 percent believe it was appropriate for Trump's son, Donald Jr., to meet last summer with a Russian lawyer who said she had damaging information about Hillary Clinton. (This includes just less than half of Republicans.)
Despite all evidence to the contrary, just over 3 in 10 Americans still do not think the Russian government tried to influence the outcome of last fall's U.S. presidential election.
While 34 percent trust Trump to negotiate on America's behalf with other world leaders, only 19 percent trust him "a great deal." The other 15 percent trust him just "a good amount." Two-thirds of the country does not trust Trump at all in negotiations, which is remarkable when you think back to how heavily he emphasized his negotiating skills during the campaign.
On health care, 24 percent favor the Republican plan over Obamacare.Seventeen percent "strongly" favor the GOP plan, which was not explained in detail.
Would you say that the more you hear about Trump, the more you like him? Or the more you hear about Trump, the less you like him? Asked that question, roughly 3 in 10 adults said more. Nearly 6 in 10 said less.
The poll, based on a sample of more than 1,000 adults, has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
— Responding on Twitter, Trump said his 36 percent approval rating – which he rounded up to 40 percent – "is not bad at this time." But he also attacked the Post-ABC poll as "just about the most inaccurate poll around election time!" In fact, The Post and ABC's final poll was well within the sampling error and correctly showed Clinton ahead in the national popular vote.
Trump waves to the crowd during the U.S. Women's Open golf tournament at his golf course in New Jersey. (Kelvin Kuo/USA Today Sports)
— What Americans love and hate about Trump: A job approval rating can be an unsatisfyingly vague barometer. What exactly are people thinking when they say they approve or disapprove of the way a president is handling his job? Our new poll included an open-ended question asking Americans what they have either liked or disliked most about his presidency so far.
The most common answer for why people think Trump is doing a good job was "strong leadership," a variation of which was offered by 11 percent. "Speaking his mind" and "not being politically correct" was a close second, at 9 percent. "In total, 30 percent of Trump approvers mentioned his overall leadership or personality traits when asked what they approve of most. But a somewhat larger group of Trump approvers, 40 percent, mentioned a policy-related reason for approving of Trump's performance," pollster Scott Clement explains. "Some 7 percent said foreign affairs, while 6 percent apiece cited the economy, creating jobs (and) preventing illegal immigration … Slightly fewer mentioned fighting terrorism (or) his efforts on health care legislation."
Americans who disapprove of Trump focused heavily on the president's personal and character traits. "Topping the list of non-policy criticisms is the way Trump talks and acts (13 percent), laments about him not being informed or knowledgeable (12 percent), while another 12 percent mentioned concerns about lies, false statements or general dishonesty," Scott writes in a story that just published. "Among disapprovers who named issues as their biggest criticism, the most common were immigration (8 percent) and health care (7 percent), the travel ban at 3 percent and others at 2 percent or less. Altogether, 46 percent of Trump disapprovers criticized something about his personality, honesty or style, while 25 percent mentioned a policy-related concern."
The country may seem hopelessly divided, but the people who strongly approve and disapprove of Trump have something in common: When asked what they love or hate most about the president, 12 percent of strong approvers and 14 percent of strong disapprovers volunteered "everything."
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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson meets with the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, at the Sea Palace in Doha, Qatar, last week. (Alexander W. Riedel/State Department via AP)
— U.S. intelligence officials believe the United Arab Emirates hacked the Qatari government's news and social media sites to post incendiary quotes attributed to the country's ruler that were then used as a justification to blockade Qatar. Karen DeYoung and Ellen Nakashima report: "The hacks and posting took place on May 24, shortly after President Trump completed a lengthy counterterrorism meeting with Persian Gulf leaders in neighboring Saudi Arabia and declared them unified. Citing the emir's reported comments, the Saudis, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt immediately banned all Qatari media. They then broke relations with Qatar and declared a trade and diplomatic boycott. … In a statement released in Washington by its ambassador, Yousef al-Otaiba, the UAE said the Post article was 'false.' … The conflict has also exposed sharp differences between Trump — who has clearly taken the Saudi and UAE side in a series of tweets and statements — and (Rex) Tillerson, who has urged compromise and spent most of last week in shuttle diplomacy among the regional capitals that has been unsuccessful so far … Qatar has repeatedly charged that its sites were hacked, but it has not released the results of its investigation."
Iran sentenced a Chinese-American student accused of espionage to 10 years in prison. The harsh punishment of the Princeton graduate student is certain to raise tensions between Iran and the Trump administration. (Erin Cunningham and Carol Morello)
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray was formally accused by an Oregon child-welfare investigator of having sexually abused his foster son in the 1980s. At the time, Murray was a paralegal who had worked as a counselor to troubled children, including the child he is accused of abusing. (Seattle Times)
Elon Musk called artificial intelligence a "fundamental risk to the existence of human civilization." The Tesla chief executive suggested at the National Governors Association meeting that states need to begin regulating AI. (Cleve R. Wootson Jr.)
The team of Afghani girls blocked from coming to a robotics competition in the United States because of Trump's travel ban got a last-minute reprieve when the State Department intervened. They were greeted with deafening applause at the D.C. competition. (Moriah Balingit)
Roger Federer and Garbine Muguruza won Wimbledon. It was a record eighth title for Federer and the first for Muguruza. (Chuck Culpepper and AP)
NPR avoided a strike.The organization reached a tentative three-year deal with the union representing its employees on Saturday night. (Politico)
New research suggests that the stress of poverty and racism raises the risk of dementia among African Americans. Scientists found risk factors that disproportionately apply to African Americans, including poor living conditions and stressful life events like the death of a sibling, have severe consequences for brain health. (Fredrick Kunkle)
A group of Pennsylvania nuns started an outdoor chapel at the site of a planned pipeline construction. The move sets the nuns up for a legal fight against the energy company building the pipeline. (Julie Zauzmer)
British doctors removed 27 contact lenses from one patient's eye. The patient had worn monthly lenses for about 35 years and — surprisingly — hadn't complained of eye irritation, other than that connected to her planned cataracts surgery. She — not surprisingly — reported increased comfort after the dozens of lenses were removed. (NPR)
WHAT THE WHITE HOUSE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THIS WEEK:
— "President Trump, whose company outsources the manufacturing of many of its products to overseas factories, is unveiling 'Made in America' week at the White House to promote products made in the United States," Philip Rucker reports. "In keeping with the 'America First' theme of Trump's inauguration, the administration will highlight U.S. manufacturing in the coming week, the latest of its theme weeks orchestrated by aides to bring discipline to the White House and focus Trump's schedule and message on a set of policies. … Trump's advisers also hope that by highlighting U.S. manufacturing they can underscore the need to overhaul the nation's tax code, including substantially reducing the corporate tax rate."
Peter Navarro. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz/The Orange County Register)
Front and center will be Trump's trade adviser Peter Navarro, who has dragged the president even more to the right on trade issues. Nancy Cook and Andrew Restuccia with one Politico's top stories: "Navarro has earned a reputation for stalking the halls of the West Wing at night and on the weekends to find a moment to slip into the Oval Office to privately discuss trade with the president, according to one White House official and a close adviser to the administration. It's his way of maintaining influence through proximity. His clout, dating back to the campaign, has informed the president's thinking on everything from NAFTA to new lumber tariffs to potential trade restrictions on steel and aluminum … He has since pulled the president so far right on trade that more moderate aides worry his proposals could launch a global trade war if Trump takes them too seriously."
Sens. Collins, Paul criticize revised Senate health-care bill
ANOTHER BUMP IN ROAD TO A HEALTH-CARE VOTE:
— With no votes to spare, Mitch McConnell postponed plans late Saturday night for a key vote on his health-care bill after John McCain announced that he will be at home in Arizona this week recovering from surgery to remove a blood clot from above his left eye.
— The delay caused by McCain's absence may be longer than initial reports implied. "A statement released by Mr. McCain's office on Saturday had suggested that he would be in Arizona recovering for just this week, but neurosurgeons interviewed said the typical recovery period could be longer," the New York Times' Denise Grady and Robert Pear report.
— Despite the hurdles, McConnell's second-in-command vowed that there would be a vote. The New York Times' Robert Pear reports: "'I believe as soon as we have a full contingent of senators, that we'll have that vote,' the No. 2 Senate Republican, John Cornyn of Texas, said on NBC's 'Meet the Press' … The timing of the Senate vote is crucial … Moreover, the Senate schedule will soon be packed with other legislation … In addition, Republicans are eager to cut taxes and simplify the tax code … Mr. Cornyn acknowledged that 'there's uncertainty about what the final outcome will be.' Asked what would happen if the bill did not pass, he said: 'I assume we'll keep trying. But at some point, if Democrats won't participate in the process, then we're going to have to come up with a different plan.'"
— The delay, combined with continuing complaints about McConnell's bill from its Republicans opponents, further imperiled the legislation's prospects. Elise Viebeck reports: "A vocal conservative opponent of the measure, Sen. Rand Paul, predicted the delay would strengthen critics' position by giving them more time to mobilize against the bill … The bill's dramatic cuts to the Medicaid program are a significant concern for [Republican] governors such as [Nevada's Brian] Sandoval as well as moderate senators such as Susan Collins (R-Maine) … 'This bill imposes fundamental, sweeping changes in the Medicaid program, and those include very deep cuts that would affect some of the most vulnerable people in our society, including disabled children and poor seniors,' Collins said … Collins estimated Sunday that there are eight to 10 Republican senators with 'serious concerns' about the bill. 'At the end of the day, I don't know whether it will pass,' she said."
— Administration officials attempted to convince Nevada's Gov. Sandoval to support the Senate bill during the National Governors Association meeting over the weekend, but their efforts failed. Sean Sullivan and Dan Balz report from Providence, R.I.: "More than any other Republican in the country right now, the centrist governor of Nevada could hold the power to sink or salvage the health-care bill … The Trump administration mounted a full-court effort here … recognizing the resistance not only by Sandoval but other Republican governors who are potentially influential with their state's senators. Despite a heavy public and private effort, however, the administration appeared to have changed no minds — and may even have hardened some of the opposition … Some Democratic colleagues who know Sandoval well are deeply skeptical that he will support the Senate bill." Why this matters: Nevada GOP Sen. Dean Heller, who is up for reelection next year, appeared with Sandoval when announcing his opposition to the Senate's original draft. Heller's vote seems directly tied to Sandoval's position, and, if Heller votes no, that will probably be enough to sink the entire bill.
— Amy Goldstein has a great story this morning on Nevada's rural counties, where health care has been revolutionized by the Medicaid expansion: "The stakes in this land of dusty winds and scarce jobs attest to the special vulnerability of rural communities to the health-care politics of Washington. The toehold that insurance has gained, even here in strong Trump country, suggests why [Heller] became an early, overt critic of what his Republican Party leaders want to do. It also explains why even sustained pressure from the White House has not altered Gov. Brian Sandoval's opposition to the Senate's bill."
— Police are investigating a break-in at Heller's Las Vegas office on Saturday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
— Revenge watch, Jeff Flake edition. Politico's Alex Isenstadt reports: "The White House has met with at least three actual or prospective primary challengers to Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake in recent weeks, a reflection of Donald Trump's strained relations with the senator and the latest sign of the president's willingness to play hardball with lawmakers who cross him — even Republican incumbents … The bad blood between Trump and Flake dates back to the 2016 presidential race, when Flake was frequently critical of the president … An administration-backed primary challenge to Flake would also further inflame tensions with [McConnell], who over the last several weeks has had several run-ins with the White House over political planning.
— If McConnell passes a bill through the Senate, count on it becoming law, Paul Kane reports: "At least that's the assessment of two key House negotiators, one from the conservative and one from the moderate flank. 'I have no doubt in my mind that if it passes the Senate — in something close to what it's like now — that it will pass the House,' said Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-N.J.), a moderate who negotiated portions of the bill that passed the House in early May. His conservative counterpart, Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), called the latest Senate version 'a step in the right direction' and suggested it would 'have to be a big move' away from the current draft to sink the bill in the House. Either way, he said, conservatives will not object if House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) takes the Senate bill and places it on the House floor in a take-it-or-leave-it moment."
— As Republican senators weigh whether to risk their political careers on McConnell's revised proposal, the unpopularity of the bill is crystal clear. Philip Bump writes: "In the new Washington Post-ABC News poll released Sunday, we decided to ask the question directly: Which do you prefer, Obamacare or the Republican replacement plan? By a 2-to-1 margin — 50 percent to 24 percent — Americans said they preferred Obamacare. There's a split by party, as you might expect, with Democrats broadly favoring the existing law and Republicans the latter. But that split wasn't even, with 77 percent of Democrats favoring the legislation passed in 2010 by their party and only 59 percent of Republicans favoring their party's solution. Independents in this case came down on the side of the Democrats, with 49 percent favoring the existing law vs. 20 percent backing the GOP alternative."
— But the bill's unpopularity likely won't stop Republicans. John Holmes, a former top staffer to McConnell, put it this way to the Post's Aaron Blake: "A poll on a complex legislative issue three weeks after it is unveiled has next to no ability to pick up the lasting sentiment. Conversely, over the course of seven years, Republicans have promised to repeal and replace Obamacare and won multiple elections in large part due to that specific promise. A failure to address a conviction among the base of the Republican Party, seven years in the making, is infinitely more damaging than the ramifications of a three-week snapshot that starts well underwater because of partisan polarization."
President's lawyer: Trump didn't know about his son's meeting with Russians
THERE IS A BEAR IN THE WOODS:
— As new revelations continue to surface about Donald Trump Jr.'s meeting with the Russians, the president's lawyer Jay Sekulow offered bizarre new defenses on the Sunday shows. "Well, I wonder why the Secret Service, if this was nefarious, why the Secret Service allowed these people in," he said on ABC's "This Week." Sekulow also put the responsibility for the initial incomplete response regarding last summer's meeting squarely on the shoulders of the president's son, Greg Jaffe reports. The president's lawyer disputed press reports that Trump signed off on the inaccurate statement that was initially given to the New York Times. He also said that there was nothing illegal about taking the meeting with the Russians.
Sekulow wouldn't rule out that Trump might pardon his son or former associates like Paul Manafort if they're found guilty of crimes: "He can pardon individuals, of course. That's because the founders of our country put that in the United States Constitution: the power to pardon. But I have not had those conversations, so I couldn't speculate on that."
— The Secret Service pushed back on Sekulow's odd statement about its failure to vet the Russian lawyer with whom Trump Jr. met, thinking he was going to get dirt on Hillary Clinton. From Reuters: "In an emailed response to questions about Sekulow's comments, Secret Service spokesman Mason Brayman said the younger Trump was not under Secret Service protection at the time of the meeting, which included Trump's son and two senior campaign officials. 'Donald Trump, Jr. was not a protectee of the USSS in June, 2016. Thus we would not have screened anyone he was meeting with at that time,' the statement said."
— A new lawyer has joined the White House to take charge of the burgeoning Russia probes. Carol D. Leonnig reports: "Ty Cobb, a former prosecutor and defense lawyer at Hogan Lovells, will seek to play the role of crisis manager and disciplinarian in a White House that has struggled to deal with continuing questions about the federal and congressional probes that have dominated the early months of Trump's presidency."
— "President Trump's campaign committee made a payment to the law firm of an attorney representing Donald Trump Jr. last month, nearly two weeks before it was announced that the same attorney would be representing the president's son in Russia-related probes," Mark Berman and Matea Gold report. "The committee reported in the filing to the Federal Election Commission that it paid $50,000 to the law firm of attorney Alan Futerfas on June 27 … The filing also revealed that the campaign committee paid the Trump Corporation — a company being run by Trump Jr. and his brother Eric — more than $89,000 on June 30 for 'legal consulting.' … It is permissible under federal law for Trump's reelection committee to pay for legal expenses related to the Russia inquiries, as along as the costs resulted from campaign activity … The huge legal outlays by Trump's campaign committee came as it has been repeatedly tapping Trump's small donor base for contributions."
— More details are emerging about the attendees of the June 2016 meeting. The Atlantic's Julie Ioffe writes: "Natalia Veselnitskaya has a tendency to appear from out of nowhere and become the center of attention. Before a now-infamous meeting with Donald Trump Jr. at Trump Tower last summer … Veselnitskaya was a relatively unknown figure, even in Moscow. When her name did find its way into the international news, it was because of her spirited defense of some of Russia's least defensible actions … Veselnitskaya, 42, once served as a prosecutor in the Moscow region … Few people in Moscow had heard of Veselnitskaya until she burst onto the pages of The New York Times this week. Those who had, though, spoke of her fearsome reputation."
— "Rinat Akhmetshin, the Russian-American lobbyist who met with Donald Trump Jr. at Trump Tower in June 2016, had one consistent message for the journalists who met him over the years at the luxury hotels where he stayed in Moscow, London and Paris, or at his home on a leafy street in Washington: Never use email to convey information that needed to be kept secret," the New York Times' Andrew Higgins and Andrew E. Kramer report. "While not, he insisted, an expert in the technical aspects of hacking nor, a spy, Mr. Akhmetshin talked openly about how he had worked with a counterintelligence unit while serving with the Red Army after its 1979 invasion of Afghanistan and how easy it was to find tech-savvy professionals ready and able to plunder just about any email account."
— Sen. Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intel Committee, said yesterday he "sure as heck" would like to hear from every attendee of the meeting. Politico's Zachary Warmbrodt reports: "'I would like to hear from all of these individuals,' he said. 'Whether we will be able to get the Russian nationals to come over and testify is an open question.' Asked whether the security clearance of Jared Kushner, who also attended the meeting, should be suspended, Warner said he is trying to give 'all these people the benefit of the doubt' until the committee interviews them. 'But it's very bothersome to me that Jared Kushner has forgotten not once, not twice, but three times to put down this information,' he said."
— Ultimately, the question of whether Kushner gets to keep his security clearance may rest with Trump. Politico's Austin Wright and Josh Dawsey report: "Kushner's actions — including initially failing to disclose meetings with Russian officials — would be more than enough to cost most federal employees their security clearances, according to people familiar with the security-clearance process … But Kushner isn't your average federal government employee … The security clearance process is ultimately rooted in executive authority, not law, meaning the president himself is the ultimate arbiter. It is extremely rare for a president to wade into such an issue, experts said, but Trump does have the power, if he wanted to, to demand that Kushner keep his clearance."
— Alexa Corse reports for the Wall Street Journal on the hundreds of thousands of attempts to hack individual states' voting systems during last year's election: "On Election Day alone, there were nearly 150,000 attempts to penetrate the state's voter-registration system, according to a postelection report by the South Carolina State Election Commission … In harder-fought Illinois … hackers were hitting the State Board of Elections '5 times per second, 24 hours per day' from late June until Aug. 12, 2016, when the attacks ceased for unknown reasons … Hackers ultimately accessed approximately 90,000 voter records, the State Board of Elections said … South Carolina's and Illinois's cases aren't unique, as many states faced virtual threats. There is evidence that 21 states were potentially targeted by hackers."
— Trump still blames Attorney General Jeff Sessions, at least in part, for his Russia woes. Axios's Jonathan Swan reports: "Sessions' administration allies were hoping President Trump could, as he himself might say, see his way clear to letting it go. But that's not happening. Trump's initial fury about Sessions' recusal from the Russia probe has turned to a simmering resentment that may have permanently poisoned their relationship, according to sources close to both of them. … In Trump's mind, Sessions bowed to political pressure and gave an opening to his enemies (Democrats and the media) … This tension hasn't had any visible impact on Sessions' agenda at the Justice Department, where he has taken a sledgehammer to Obama's legacy … Also, it was never true — and it remains untrue — that Trump ever wanted to get rid of Sessions. He appreciates his value, even if it'll never quite be the same again."
— Ousted FBI Director Jim Comey is writing a book about his career — including his time in the Trump administration. The New York Times's Alexandra Alter reports: "The book is expected to go to auction this coming week, and all the major publishing houses have expressed keen interest … The book will not be a conventional tell-all memoir, but an exploration of the principles that have guided Mr. Comey through some of the most challenging moments of his legal career. Among those are his investigation into Hillary Clinton's private email server during a contentious election, and his recent entanglement with the president over the F.B.I.'s inquiry into Russia's interference in the 2016 election."
Donald Trump met British Prime Minister Theresa May on July 8.
THE NEW WORLD ORDER:
— During a conversation with British Prime Minister Theresa May, Trump reportedly said that he would not make his state visit to the United Kingdom until he was guaranteed better coverage and a more positive reception. The Sun's David Wooding reports: "A transcript of the chat, seen by senior diplomats, reveals his touchiness. Mr. Trump says: 'I haven't had great coverage out there lately, Theresa.' She replies awkwardly: 'Well, you know what the British press are like.' He replies: 'I still want to come, but I'm in no rush … So, if you can fix it for me, it would make things a lot easier … When I know I'm going to get a better reception, I'll come and not before.'"
— Trump's comment to the first lady of France that she was "in such great shape" raised many eyebrows, including those of Australia's foreign minister. Avi Selk reports: "'You're in such good shape, such good physical shape, beautiful,' the [Australian Broadcasting Corporation] host told Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, quoting Trump. 'Would you be flattered or offended?' This was arguably a politically sensitive question, what with alliance and all. But the foreign minister didn't hesitate. 'I'd be taken aback,' Bishop said. And then this zinger: 'I wonder if she could say the same of him?'"
Trump tweeted a lot over the weekend, and reprised his attacks on Hillary Clinton to defend Don Jr.'s behavior:
He also gave props to his former campaign aide for fiercely rejecting allegations of collusion in the campaign with Russia:
His son wasn't the only subject of the president's tweets. Trump tweeted eight times since Friday about the Women's U.S. Open, an event being held at one of his golf courses:
McCain is recovering from the surgery that delayed the Senate health-care vote:
The vice president made a misleading claim about the Senate's health-care bill:
From a New York Times columnist:
From a Democratic senator:
From a New York Times reporter after the delay:
The author of "Wild" noted the irony in the postponement:
Paul Ryan criticized Senate Democrats for obstruction of Trump's appointments:
From a writer at Vox:
This, from the chief strategist on Ted Cruz's presidential campaign, about Trump lawyer Jay Sekulow's claim that the Secret Service (which wasn't actually protecting Trump Jr. at the time) should have vetted the people at Don Jr.'s meeting:
A note on the Trump campaign paying Don Jr.'s legal fees:
From a Tennessee state senator:
Kellyanne Conway praised Trump for allowing in the Afghani girls participating in the robotics competition:
From a left-leaning pollster:
A flashback to Kellyanne Conway lamenting Bill Clinton's reelection victory:
Female members of Congress went sleeveless in protest of the Capitol's dress code, which Paul Ryan has now said he will modernize:
Sen. Susan Collins joined Cyndi Lauper onstage in Maine:
And a House Democrat introduced some new paws to the office:
And Ann Coulter had a Twitter meltdown directed at Delta after being asked to switch seats on a Delta flight:
Delta issued this statement and the below tweet:
— The New Yorker, "How Trump Is Transforming Rural America," by Peter Hessler: "The region is a Republican stronghold in a state that is starkly divided. Clinton won the Colorado popular vote by a modest margin, but Trump took nearly twice as many counties. The difference came from Denver and Boulder, two populous and liberal enclaves on the Front Range, the eastern side of the Rockies—the Colorado equivalents of New York and California. 'Donald Trump lost those two counties by two hundred and seventy-three thousand votes, and he won the rest of the state by a hundred and forty thousand votes,' Steve House, the former chair of the state Republican Party, told me. 'That means that most of Colorado, in my mind, is a conservative state.'"
— The Atlantic, "What The 'Crack Baby' Panic Reveals About The Opioid Epidemic," by Vann R. Newkirk II: "'Crack baby' brings to mind hopeless, damaged children with birth defects and intellectual disabilities who would inevitably grow into criminals. It connotes inner-city blackness, and also brings to mind careless, unthinking black mothers who'd knowingly exposed their children to the ravages of cocaine. Although the science that gave the world the term was based on a weak proto-study of only 23 children and has been thoroughly debunked since, the panic about 'crack babies' stuck. The term made brutes out of people of color who were living through wave after waves of what were then the deadliest drug epidemics in history … Today's opioid epidemic presents a mostly-white face to the world, and the larger 'epidemic of despair' tends to target communities in vaunted 'Middle America,' as opposed to inner-city Baltimore and Detroit. And with that changing face comes better results."
— New York Magazine, "How 'Neoliberalism' Became the Left's Favorite Insult of Liberals," by Jonathan Chait: "The neoliberalism of the 1980s and 1990s has faded into memory, as its adherents failed to settle on a coherent set of principles other than a general posture of counterintuitive skepticism … [But the term] has returned to American political discourse with a vengeance. Then, as now, it is an attempt to win an argument with an epithet. Only this time, it is neoliberal that is the term of abuse. And the term neoliberal doesn't mean a faction of liberals. It now refers to liberals generally, and it is applied by their left-wing critics. The word is now ubiquitous, popping up in almost any socialist polemic against the Democratic Party or the center-left. Obama's presidency? It was 'the last gasp of neoliberalism.' Why did Hillary Clinton lose? It was her neoliberalism. Paul Krugman and Joseph Stiglitz? Neoliberals both."
— Los Angeles Times, "Darrell Issa was Obama's toughest critic. Here's why he's suddenly sounding like a moderate," by Sarah D. Wire: "As chairman of the committee charged with overseeing the executive branch, Issa was once known as President Obama's toughest critic. Now the richest man in Congress has found himself with protesters at his door, no committee to lead, and a tough race expected in 2018. It has forced the nine-term congressman to walk a shaky line, reassuring his conservative base that he's not moderating his positions while showing the growing number of independents and Democrats in his district that he's not as partisan as people think."
HOT ON THE LEFT
""Head Of Trump Voter Fraud Probe Wanted To Change Law To Make Registering More Difficult," from HuffPost: "Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), the official leading President Donald Trump's voter fraud probe, apparently sought to amend federal voting law to make it possible to require proof of citizenship during the voter registration process, according to an email made public Friday as part of an ongoing lawsuit with the American Civil Liberties Union. The email offers the firmest evidence yet that Kobach was interested in amending the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, as has been speculated." HOT ON THE RIGHT
"Carville: It would be 'very, very difficult' for Dems to retake Senate in 2018," from The Hill:"Democratic operative James Carville is expressing doubt that his party will take back the Senate in 2018, saying Saturday that it would be 'very, very difficult,' to do so. 'I think right now most Democrats are trying to focus on the 2018 elections and trying to recruit people and keep incumbents, and you know I would say we have a pretty good chance of taking the House back. The Senate is very, very difficult,' Carville told John Catsimatidis on AM 970 in New York."
Trump will have lunch with the vice president followed by a meeting with the secretary of state. He will also have his "Made in America" product showcase later in the afternoon.
Pence will attend the lunch and the showcase, after which he will have a meeting with the president of Serbia. He is scheduled to give a speech at the Christians United for Israel summit in the evening.
"Morning Joe" host Joe Scarborough wrote an op-ed for The Post on how "Trump is killing the Republican Party": "I did not leave the Republican Party. The Republican Party left its senses. The political movement that once stood athwart history resisting bloated government and military adventurism has been reduced to an amalgam of talk-radio resentments. President Trump's Republicans have devolved into a party without a cause, dominated by a leader hopelessly ill-informed about the basics of conservatism, U.S. history and the Constitution."
— Temperatures remain stagnant in D.C. today, but the humidity will rise sharply. The Capital Weather Gang forecasts: "Peak afternoon temperatures are very close to where they were over the weekend: in the upper 80s to near 90. But today feels several degrees hotter as humidity surges back into the region (dew points rise to around 70). Skies are partly sunny, but a few storms bubbling up in our western areas late in the day could jog eastward into the metro (20 to 30 percent chance)."
— The Nationals beat the Reds 14-4, Jorge Castillo reports.
— Hundreds of protesters who completed a 17-mile march from the NRA's Northern Virginia headquarters to the Justice Department Saturday morning were met by counter-protesters. Rachel Chason reports: "Men sported National Rifle Association hats and signs declaring 'free speech is under attack' and 'no jihad against our freedoms.' They said the protesters — who had completed [the match] to denounce a controversial recruitment video — didn't respect free speech if it challenged their views."
Stephen Colbert weeded through Rob Goldstone's Facebook page and offered Cliffnotes for the latest book on Steve Bannon:
Stephen's Book Report On The New Steve Bannon Exposé
Former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton participated in a talk on leadership:
George W. Bush and Bill Clinton talk immigration, humility in Oval Office
The French president and Israeli prime minister remembered those lost in the Holocaust:
Macron and Netanyahu commemorate victims of Holocaust
At least nine people died in a flash flood in Arizona:
Arizona flash flood kills at least nine people
A program in Italy offers CPR training and swimming classes to migrants traumatized by their crossing:
CPR and swimming lessons for migrants traumatized by crossing
Flamingoes flocked to their new habitat at D.C.'s National Zoo:
Watch: Flamingos flock to new habitat at National Zoo
Here's a recap for the first six seasons of "Game of Thrones," in case you got lost during last night's debut:
Jon Snow wakes up – Game of Thrones S06E02
President's team preps report countering Mueller. RUDY: COLLUSION NOT A CRIME!" title="Drudge Headlines -> President's team preps report countering Mueller. RUDY: COLLUSION NOT A CRIME!" width="300" height="300" class="crp_thumb crp_correctfirst" />Drudge Headlines -> President's team preps…


text:
Q: Is my function nondeterministic one I have two functions: fn_Without_Param and fn_With_Param
 CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[fn_Without_Param]
 (
 )
 ...
 INNER JOIN .. ON .. AND SubmitDate = CONVERT( varchar(10), GETUTCDATE(), 101 )

and
/*
     I am requesting it so:
    declare @SubmitDate     datetime
    set @SubmitDate = CONVERT( varchar(10), GETUTCDATE(), 101 )
    select * from [dbo].[fn_With_Param] (@SubmitDate)
*/

CREATE FUNCTION [dbo].[fn_With_Param]
(
    @SubmitDate datetime
)
...
INNER JOIN .. ON .. AND SubmitDate = @SubmitDate

In the first case I have nondeterministic (?) function (because of GETUTCDATE) and I have called the second one with the same input parameter (CONVERT( varchar(10), GETUTCDATE(), 101 ) - meens today date without hours, minutes, seconds, millisecond).
Is my function nondeterministic one? How to detect this, maybe sql server has some public mark. Why is the second function slower?

A: I'm not sure if there is a flag, but there is a reference available at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms178091.aspx of which built in functions are deterministic.
GETDATE() and GETUTCDATE() are nondeterministic because if you call them multiple times with the same parameters, which in this case are none, you get different values. In other words, the return value is not determined by input.
As far as why the second is slower than the first, check for implicit conversion between SubmitDate = @SubmitDate. Are they both datetime?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
« Recent Cases on the Braganza duty and the exercise of discretion: an intensification of scrutiny of the decision making process
Supreme Court quashes ET fees »
Wrongful Dismissal Damages
It is established law that (1) the doctrine of mitigation of loss by way of avoided loss applies to claims for damages for breach of contract by way of wrongful dismissal from employment, (2) this means that there must be deducted amounts that the employee earned or should have earned in substituted alternative employment, and (3) such amounts are capable of encompassing benefits in kind, but (4) this is subject to the important qualification that the benefit must not be too remote. Lavarack v Woods of Colchester [1967] 1 QB 278 is an illustration of these propositions. Mr Lavarack was wrongly dismissed by Woods. He was therefore released from his duties under his contract with Woods, including his obligation not to be interested in other businesses. He took employment with another company ("company X"). He did so at a modest salary, that would, over the notice period with Woods, have to be taken into account. He also purchased half of company X's share capital. The first question was whether the estimated enhanced value of that shareholding had to be taken into account as well. In addition, he made a substantial investment in another company ("company Y"). The second question was whether that had to be taken into account. The value of the shares in both the companies had increased. The Court of Appeal answered the first question "Yes" and the second question "No". The profit from Mr Lavarack's shareholding in company X was regarded as concealed remuneration. The investment in company Y was not a direct result of the dismissal. It was an entirely collateral benefit. It was not by way of mitigation of loss.
Lavarack v Woods has been considered in the proceedings culminating in the Supreme Court in Fulton Shipping Inc of Panama v Globalia Business Travel S.A.U., a case about the measure of damages for loss of earnings for hire early redelivery under a time charterparty when the charter still had two years to run. The owners sold the vessel shortly afterwards. If they had done so only when the charter came to an end there would have been a fall in the capital value, consequent upon a collapse in the market. The question was whether that difference constituted a benefit which, on principles of mitigation and avoidance of loss, should be brought into account in the owners' claim for the charterers' accepted repudiatory breach of contract by making an early redelivery. The Arbitrator held that it should be. Popplewell J held that it should not be. The Court of Appeal (Longmore, Christopher Clarke and Sales LJ) held that it should be.
The Supreme Court, (2017) UKSC 43, has now held that it should not be. Lord Clarke, with whom Lords Neuberger, Mance, Sumption and Hodge agreed, said, at paragraph 30, that:-
In order to be taken into account a benefit does not have to be of the same kind as the loss caused by the wrongdoer: "difference in kind is too vague and potentially too arbitrary a test";
The essential question is whether there is a "sufficiently close link" between the two (and not whether they are similar in nature);
The benefit to be brought into account must have been caused either by the breach of contract or by a successful act of mitigation.
The test is therefore reaffirmed as being one of causation and remoteness.
Where repudiation of a contract results in a prospective loss of income for a period, a capital transaction will not be an act of mitigation, because it is incapable of mitigating the loss of the income stream: paragraph 34.
This entry was posted on Thursday, June 29th, 2017 at 9:05 am	and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party workers will visit city homes from Wednesday offering a 'laddoo' as a part of its 'thanksgiving' campaign launched by city president of the party Manoj Tiwari, and take public feedback on demonetisation.
There are many who want to 'fail' the demonetisation move even though people are 'patiently' cooperating with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fight against black money, Tiwari said.
"(Delhi Chief Minister Arvind) Kejriwalji had tried his level best to instigate people for revolt (against demonetisation) but Delhi people supported demonetisation. As a mark of our respect to the people who are patiently bearing the problems and supporting demonetisation, we will offer laddoo to each household in Delhi during the campaign starting tomorrow and will continue till January 10," Tiwari said.
The 'thanksgiving and feedback' programme will also gauze public mood by asking them about the problems they face.
"We know people are facing problems yet they are enthusiastically supporting demonetisation. The workers will not only offer Laddo, they will also collect feedback and report to us," he said.
During the campaign, party workers will visit each house in their polling booths and offer a laddoo and seek feedback from each household.
People of Delhi are bearing pain due to demonetisation as a 'national responsibility' and we are grateful to them, he said.
"I have asked the workers and leaders in mandals and booths to take initiative and visit houses with the laddoos. We expect to cover whole of Delhi this way in next 10-15 days," he said.
Enthused by Tiwari's move, Delhi BJP vice president Jai Prakash distributed laddoos among the traders at Kamla Market while participating in a an awareness campaign about cashless transactions on Tuesday.
"We have been doing this by offering water and biscuits to people standing in queues at ATMs and banks. Today we also bought 2 kg of laddoos and offered to the traders while educating them on various modes of e-payments," JP said.
The entire Delhi BJP unit is carrying out an awareness campaign on cashless transactions by holding contact programmes with traders and local residents in different parts of the city.
The BJP councilors in the three MCDs today attended a meeting and learnt tips of e-payments and banking mobile apps. They also sent token money using the apps.


Despite poor ticket sales this year which is usually a well sold out event.
The MCPS raised ?776.00 for the sanctuary cats. Everyone who attended the event had a enjoyable evening.
A Big thanks must go to the Band as due to poor tickets sales they kindly donated there time to the Sanctuary.
Thanks to everyone who attended & of course Grace & the fundraiisng team for organising the event.


From the forthcoming Dj Tiger project "Mary J Dilla : The Future"
We were blissed to be able to build with the one, the only----SHABAAM SAHDEEQ. Make sure to catch the very informative interview of Shabaam Sahdeeq by our host John Roninson. They build on Shabaam's music as well as his artwork. After the interview, Shabaam Sahdeeq, John Robinson and Doc Strange get busy on the mic. Music mixed by DJ 2FAST.
Ukraine-Bulgaria-Russia-Holland-Australia-New Zealand-Italy-Tanzania-Switzerland-France-Alaska-Colombia-Brazil-Malaysia-United Kingdom-Netherlands-Romania-Germany-Indonesia-United States and everyone else!!
VISUAL CAFFEINE-episode48-SHABAAM SAHDEEQ from SEN ONE6 UZN on Vimeo.
While busy at work, we also like to play! This song is not from the new album, but an indication of the good music to come... Just a little appetizer until we complete the main course. You may recognize our featured guest. Enjoy.
This #MastersofCeremony concert is so live right now, and by SO LIVE we mean: Big Daddy Kane just did the leg over the head drop to the floor split live!! Confirmed, he's still got it!
Joey Bada$$ - "Christ Conscious" (Prod. by Basquiat) by PRO ERA RADIO.
This week our spot light is on veteran producer/ MC Diamond D- who by his own admission, is "by far the best producer on the mic". Diamond D's first full length project was 1992s' Stunts, Blunts And Hip-Hop, which is revered as an all time classic in underground Hip-Hop circles. He followed that with Hatred, Passions And Infidelity in 1997. He has done production for a countless number of artists including Lord Finesse, Brand Nubian, Cypress Hill, KRS-ONE and The Fugees. He has done seven albums to date and is back with his latest single Superman, from his most recent endeavor The Diam Piece.
Superman was produced by turntablist DJ Scratch of EPMD fame, the video was directed by producer/ director, Nick Burnz and Amond Jackson.
This show features SPIRITCHILD. He is an inspiration to us all. From mentoring youth to ripping the microphone- he is Hip Hop. Watch as he breaks down his positive activities around the world and spins for us as well. Hosted by John Robinson, this episode will have you pressing rewind!
VISUAL CAFFEINE-episode45-VISIONARIES from SEN ONE6 UZN on Vimeo.
This week we have the latest from Dres of Black Sheep. Dres was originally signed Mercury/ Polygram records back in the early 90's. His first album Wolf In Sheeps Clothing put Black Sheep in the forefront of the Native Tounges Family- which included De La Soul, Camp Lo, The jungle Brothers, Queen Latifah and A Tribe Called Quest.
A Wolf In Sheeps Clothing featured some of the groups classic hits like, The Choice Is Yours, Stroblite Honey and Similak Child. Dres was known for lyrically pushing the envelope. He once said "I like to say on record what people are thinking in their heads, but can't say in polite company".
They returned in 1994 with their second full-length effort Non-Fiction. Due to weak promotion from the label, the album did not get the attention it deserved, and basically went unnoticed.
Dres is back with his latest single and video Propagation- on it he has a candid discussion with his son about the pitfalls of life. He tells his son "I have you walk in front of me, because you were born to lead. This is the sort of record Hip-Hop needs now. All of what's heard on commercial radio programs listeners towards failure. This record programs children towards success and doing the right thing. The video has a very heart-felt ending that definitely drives home the point.
A new year brings some changes here at VISUAL CAFFEINE.
Our new host is John Robinson! He's been dropping science on the Hip Hop scene for 20+ years. Now we are blissed to have him bring his flavor to our show.
We also have DJ 2Fast. He's representing Newark NJ and the Universal Zulu Nation/Lost Tribes Zulus.
To kick this new format off, we have Napoleon Da Legend He gives us a dope interview and then rocks the spot with DJ Crazy Bazarro.
Special shout out to Doc Strange-Sara Ripp -Dj Bazarro -ZK Rekae- Sheba- Kev- Veranda and Lady Elix.
VISUAL CAFFEINE-episode 44-Napolean Da Legend from SEN ONE6 UZN on Vimeo.
The legendary Craig G of Marley Marl's Juice Crew stops by BattleZoneRadio for our first show of 2015 and talks about Life & Hip Hop and drops a brand new joint from his upcoming project! Also Dj Tiger drops some classic and dope Craig G songs! Lets Keep preserving Real #HipHopCulture!!


Manufacturer of solid and liquid organic fertilizers, fertilizers, amendments, natural growth stimulators ... for professionals specializing in agriculture and green spaces.
Our vision : to remain the leading brand of the nutrition and natural stimulation of soils and plants, in the everlasting respect for our values.
Sustainable development is an objective that gives structure to the company growth. Frayssinet was built by associating agronomic sciences with environmental concerns.
Our trade has a great deal of responsibility for its stakeholders. It applies an ethical sales policy respectful for the distributor, the user, the consumer and the environment.
Through its identity, commitments and directions chosen since its creation, Frayssinet pursues a continuous innovation approach within its Research Centre.
The company contributes to the economic, social and cultural dynamism of its region by the direct consequences of its activity and commitments.


text:
Piano & Harpsichord
Singing, Violin & Theory
Eden Baroque
Baritone & Baroque Violin
Sample Programmes
The Tutors
Lapwing Cottage
EVM Update October 2021
We are delighted to let you know that our new CD `Christmas in Eden- festive songs and instrumental music from a bygone age` has arrived! Among the 19 tracks are a mixture of well-known carols including In Dulci Jubilo, The Angel Gabriel, Il est ne..... and many more. We`ve given some our own unique twist, and it features voice, baroque violin and viola, harpsichord and harp. To order copies, please contact us directly at: info@edenvalleymusic.co.uk or ring 07810 196215. Cost is £10 per CD + p&p
EVM Update March 2021
As we all finally shake off the winter months and look forward to spring, we hope that you`ve all been keeping well and active in recent weeks. We have been looking ahead and trying to plan a few events to look forward to. We are delighted that our two previous videos were very well received, and as public performances are on hold at least until mid May we are shortly to record a third video. This will feature Michael`s newly acquired skill of multi tracking, to provide some variety to our programme which plans to include the beautiful slow movement from Bach`s Concerto for Two Harpsichords, and Pachelbel`s famous Canon. We are determined to record the planned Christmas CD which we`ve had to postpone three times but is now scheduled to go ahead in early June and will hopefully still be ready for next Christmas. Additionally, we`re hoping to have Michael`s group Kinfolk back here again over the summer, and organise one or two Sunday Afternoon Tea Concerts from August.
EVM Update December 2020
Well, it`s certainly been a challenging year for us all and we sincerely hope that you and your families have been keeping well. I`m sure we are all looking forward to a better, happier 2021.
As many of you already know, we sadly had to cancel our November concert because of the lockdown but we spent a very happy few hours making a video of the concert which is now available for you to watch at your leisure on Youtube.This was all a new technological experience for us but we hope you will enjoy the results. Please send us an email if you would like to receive the link. Like our concerts, there is no charge, but we invite donations instead.
We have of course, been following the ever-changing rules on the current situation very closely, and are delighted to hear that provided we restrict audience numbers to a maximum of 50% capacity, we can go ahead with our candlelit Christmas concert Green grow`th the holly. The programme will last a good hour (without an interval), and features some well-known festive music as well as more unusual yet beautiful carols. We do hope that some of you will be able to join us!
Looking ahead to next year, we are very hopeful that we will be able to resume more regular concerts in our Music Room and will update you with more details in the New Year.
Meanwhile we wish you all a peaceful and relaxing Christmas!
We will be implementing the following safety measures for the well-being and reassurance of all our friends (following ISM endorsed government guidelines for indoor performances and updating as necessary):
A maximum of 20 seats are available for each performance
Seats are 3 metres from performers and arranged according to reservation requests, with 1 metre between each seat/group
A one-way entry/exit system in operation indoors
Performances will be slightly reduced in length with no interval though guests are welcome to bring their own drinks
Hand sanitizer for use on entry
Masks are recommended on entry/exit and also during the concert but can be removed if necessary. (Please note that performers will not be able to wear masks)
Thorough cleaning between each performance will be carried out
Toilet facilities will be open
We will ensure good ventilation, somewhat depending on the weather
If there is any aspect that you feel we have over-looked we would be pleased to hear from you.
EVM Update, September 2020
We hope that you`ve had a relaxing summer despite the on-going international situation, and that everyone has stayed well and positive during these challenging times As lock-down restrictions continue to ease and schools go back, we thought it was a good time to update our readers.
We have given careful thought as to the way forward with concerts in our Music Room and feel that while it is of course important to keep everyone healthy, it`s also crucial to have some positive events to look forward to. Therefore we are delighted to announce that we will re-open our doors again in mid-November with a programme of uplifting and inspiring music from the 17th and 18th centuries (see Events Diary).
We also feel confident that we can go ahead with our planned Christmas concert, Green grow`th the Holly which at the moment will follow the same format as November, with short daily performances running from Sunday 20th - Wednesday 23rd December…more details on our Events Diary page.
EVM Updates, July 2020
It seems a long time since our last update in March- so much has changed in the world and we hope that all our supporters have been well and kept active during the last few months. We are disappointed that so many of our performances have been postponed but the good news is that most of them will be reinstated next year. We`ll update you on that in due course.
With lockdown restrictions beginning to ease we are pleased to let you know that our face-to-face lessons will resume again from 20th July. We will have various safety measures in place for the wellfare of our students including a perspex screen for Michael`s singing pupils, hand sanitizers for use on entry and exit, and can easily maintain the 2 metre distance rule.
Official guidelines for the performing arts have yet to be announced so we are currently unable to give concerts but we feel cautiously optimistic that we can resume again in our Music Room from November 2020, if necessary with a reduced capacity to maintain social distancing between audience members and from ourselves. Our plan is to kickstart our concerts with a programme of uplifting music and to get us into the festive mood, our programme in December, `Green grow`th the holly` will feature well-known and much-loved seasonal music in addition to lesser-known gems. More information and details ( subject to change according to government guidelines) will follow as soon as we are able to firm up our plans. We will certainly look forward to the day when we can welcome everyone here again.
Meanwhile, one of our many lockdown projects has been converting this... into this! At last, all our music is now in some sort of order!
EVM Updates, March 2020
Regrettably due to the current situation, our concerts scheduled for March 27th, May 9th and 10th have been postponed. However we are still 'open' for teaching and are giving online lessons both on Zoom and Skype until the restrictions are lifted. Please send us an email or ring if you'd like to set things up. (info@edenvalleymusic.co.uk or Michael 07947104286, Katharine 07810196215
For singing/ violin contact Michael at info@edenvalleymusic.co.uk for Zoom or michaelsandersonafc@hotmail.com for Skype
For piano/ harpsichord contact Katharine at info@edenvalleymusic.co.uk for Zoom or michaelsandersonafc@hotmail.com for Skype
Additionally, Michael is offering 20 minute online one-to-one `voice gym` sessions....keeping voices going during the isolation period. Please get in touch if you`re interested.
EVM January 2020
Firstly we wish all our lovely supporters a very Happy New Year, with our thanks for helping to make our first year so special! We have been very busy since the last update in August. Firstly we were delighted to be asked to perform at Askham Hall in September in their lovely Bank Barn. Our early evening concert was followed by a delicious meal in their amazing Allium restaurant (recently awarded a Michelin star) which we were delighted was sold out.Then in October we were very pleased to welcome here jazz pianist and song writer Jilly Jarman who has been so helpful and supportive to us in finding our musical feet in the area. We also welcomed here a very enthusiastic group from the local U3A and gave them a special morning concert followed by tea and biscuits. In November we had fun collaborating with colleague Mary Tyers (recorder and baroque flute) in our Baroque Fireworks programme and very much enjoyed putting together a seasonal selection of music focusing on Fireworks Day and 1605. We were booked out quite quickly for that one. Finally for the year we organized a Christmas concert Noel sing we, initially just in the evening but it proved so popular that we did an afternoon matinee too, which was also booked out several weeks in advance. (insert photos here). It was lovely to see our Music Room transformed into a winter wonderland, and everyone was very complimentary about them. We are now beginning to plan for the year ahead and looking forward to some new collaborations, including the Penrith Singers, a concert in the magnificent setting of Hutton-in-the-Forest for Cumbria Rural Choirs, and later in the year with the Herdwyck Consort for their special 20th anniversary celebration concert in Grasmere. We`ll also be back at Askham Hall for two concerts, plus of course our own house concerts here, beginning with Awake sweet love on 16th February. Meanwhile, on the domestic front we are turning our attention somewhat to the next big project, Lapwing Cottage, our one-bedroom holiday let which at the moment is at the planning stage but we hope to get cracking with that as soon as possible. Lots to do!
EVM updates, August '19
It`s been a hectic few months since the Art Trail in June, mainly spent preparing for a fund-raising concert at Crosthwaite Church in Keswick on 3rd July, and our Opening Concert here in the Music Room on 7th July. There were loads of unfinished jobs to do (still are) including painting, filling, sanding and cleaning but we were delighted that we had all seats reserved 3 weeks before the concert, and even had to start a waiting list, so we were delighted with the enthusiasm shown by all our lovely new friends and neighbours. We were delighted too that our good friend and colleague Ian Gammie was able to join us for the concert so our programme featured a first half of favourite pieces, and the second focused on a selection of songs from our recently released CD The Rowan Tree- Songs of many shades.We set up a DIY bar in the hallway and the audience generously donated for the music and refreshments.
Drinks party during the Art Trail
Opening concert, 7th July
On 20th July we welcomed Kinfolk to the Music Room for a warm-up concert before their appearance at the folk festival, Music on the Marr in Castle Carrock the next day. We welcomed another capacity audience, changing the ambience somewhat with some rather effect strip lighting casting shades of pink on our white walls.
Kinfolk, 20th July
Since then we have enjoyed another appearance at Scalesceugh Hall with a new programme, All in a Garden Green, featuring music by Purcell, Lawes, Couperin among others. We also gave another performance of Tamsin Jones` piece The Good-Morrow, written especially for us, which we first performed in Keswick on July 3rd.
We were delighted to welcome here for a few days, our good friend Abby Wollston who brought her magnificent nyckelharpa, and played some traditional Swedish folk tunes solo and in duet with Michael on violin. It all sounded wonderful in the lovely acoustics of our Music Room.
Abby and her nyckelharpa
Abby and Michael
We are now looking forward to our next concert in the wonderful Bank Barn at Askham Hall, a fabulous Grade I listed building, perfect for 17th and 18th century music.
Askham Hall flyer
15th - 23rd June
Eden Valley Open Studio and Art Trail
We will be open daily from 10am - 5pm (closed Wednesday 19th) so do pop along and say hello! Live baroque juke box, and tea and coffee available. Delighted to be joined by landscape artist Lionel Playford who will be exhibiting a selection of his work, and demonstrating his painting skills.
EVM updates, May '19
We have been working hard over the last few months doing a myriad of jobs to our music room. Michael plumbed in a downstairs washbasin and toilet while Katharine has been filling, sanding and painting. The mezzanine floor will be sanded in a week or so, and the final floor laid at the end of May - all hopefully in time for the Eden Valley Open Studios and Art Trail in June. There is still a lot to do but we are inching forward!
Monday 25th March 7pm-10pm
We were delighted to be invited on to The Arty Show, Radio Cumbria with Helen Millican. The time flew by, and it was lovely to chat to the amazing composer Ella Jarman-Pinto, and poet Julie Carter.
EVM Updates February '19
Just wanted to say a big THANK YOU to Carlisle-based composer Dr Tamsin Jones for writing a piece especially for us... The Good-Morrow is a setting of a John Donne poem, published posthumously in 1633, and is written in a 'New Baroque' style. Tamsin is an incredibly gifted musician and the piece is very tranquil and evocative. We'll be giving it it's first performance later in the year.
15th - 18th February
Very much looking forward to our imminent recording project in our Music Room with Ian Gammie, guitar, and recording engineer Alex Tinlin.
EVM Updates January '19
We were delighted to be featured in an article in the highly popular Cumbria Life magazine.


text:
Pink TV is Europe's second gay satellite channel (after Italy's GAY.tv), started in France on 25 October 2004, on a subscription basis, mostly funded by TF1 and Canal Plus, terrestrial channels in France. It is now possible to access Pink TV via satellite, cable and DSL providers. Highlights include Queer as Folk, as well as talkshows (including So Graham Norton).  There is an X-rated film four times a week after midnight, and the channel broadcasts 24 hours per day, including productions from porn studios including French Twinks. Pink X launched in 2012 a pornographic reward, the PinkX Gay Video Awards.

History
On 25 October 2004, Pink TV was born on cable and satellite in the form of a pay-TV channel.

On 12 March 2007, when the channel's accounts were bad, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel accepted the Pink TV project, which consisted of splitting the antenna into two: the day, the usual programs (cultural, entertainment, information expressing homosexual culture and lifestyles) and from midnight onwards, a service that broadcasts pornographic programs. Since 4 September 2007, Pink TV has been broadcasting free-to-air two hours a day from 10 pm to midnight. Its grid is composed only of rebroadcasts. Then, starting at midnight, it transmits encrypted until 5 am with a paying offer consisting only of X-rated movies called Pink X.

As of October 2008, the channel's accounts have improved, it released new programs (films, documentaries, shows) alongside the rebroadcasts.

But, in 2012, fewer and fewer operators are broadcasting Pink TV in clear two hours a day. This time slot is no longer available free at Free since 2009 nor on the  of Bouygues Telecom since 2012.

Also, since July 2013, Pink TV has stopped broadcasting real programs between 10 pm and midnight. Instead, it offered short-lived scenes without words played by two different couples.

At the moment, no program is offered from 22:00 to 00:00. Pink X programs start at 00:00. Launched as a chain of homosexual culture, but not having found its audience, it now only broadcasts pornographic films.

Shareholders
 M. Pascal Houzelot : 29.92%
 Canal+ : 17.52%
 Groupe TF1 : 11.44%
 Société M6 Thématique : 9.15%
 Société Connection : 9.15%
 Société Siges : 8.79%
 Société Hélios (Groupe Lagardère) : 8.73%
 Société Financière Pinault : 1.93%
 M. Pierre Bergé : 1.93%
 Société Sophia Asset Management Ltd : 0.48%
 M. Henri Biard : 0.48%
 Société Tilder : 0.48%

Notable programming
(presenters in parenthesis)
L'Agenda clubbing (Anthony Aréal)
Bibliothèque Pink (Pascal Sevran)
Bonheur, bonheur, bonheur (Éric Guého)
Ça s'est passé comme ça (Frédéric Mitterrand)
Cours chez Pink (Mathieu Lecerf)
Le Débat (Laurent Drezner, Thomas Joubert, Alex Taylor)
Face à Pink (Claire Chazal, Frédéric Mitterrand)
Hétéro mais pas trop! (Laurent Artufel)
Le je/nous de Claire (Claire Chazal)
Les Pieds dans le plat mais pas trop! (Laurent Artufel, Éric Guého)
Le Set (Christophe Beaugrand, Marie Labory, Raphaël Pathé)
Pink Pong (Marie Labory)
Zap'Pink (Laurent Artufel, Christophe Renaud)

PinkX Gay Video Awards
The PinkX Gay Video Awards are annual gay pornographic awards in various categories. The Awards were launched by Pink TV in 2012 (later renamed Pink X) based on pornographic films included on the channel's programming.

Best New Cummer

Best Duo

Best Active

Best Passive

Best Group

Best Amateur Film

Best Ethnic Film
(Category suspended in 2018)

Best Actor

Best Director

Best Foreign Film
{| class="wikitable"
! Year
! Title
! Distributor
! Nominations
|-
! style="background-color: #FF80DF" | 2012
| Slick Dogs
| Titan Media
|
|-
! style="background-color: #FF80DF" | 2013
| Incubusby François Sagat and Brian Mills
| Titan Media
|
|-
! style="background-color: #FF80DF" | 2014
| Stalkerby Mr. Pam
| Naked Sword
| London Spunked (All Worlds) by Chi Chi LaRueThe Ultimate Top (Jet Set) by Chris SteeleCottage Boy (Eurocreme) by Blacky MendezStudio of Sin (UK Naked Men) by JonnoDaddy's Boy (DadsFuckingLads)  by Andy O'Neill
|-
! style="background-color: #FF80DF" | 2015
| Sentenced & Punishedby Chi Chi LaRue
| Rascal Video
| Addict (Mr. Pam, Naked Sword)Broken (Asley Rider, Bulldog)Daddy Knows Best (Andy O'Neill, Dads Fucks Lads)Frat House Cream (Mr. Pam, Naked Sword)Jake Bass and ses amants (Jake Jaxson, CockyBoys)
|-
! style="background-color: #FF80DF" | 2016
| The Amazing Cocky Boys
| CockyBoys
| Dirty Rascals (Naked Sword)Clusterfuck! 1 (Raging Stallion)Baiseurs d'exception (Dominic Ford)Twinks on Top (Phoenixxx)Hooded (UK Hot Jocks)
|-
! style="background-color: #FF80DF" | 2017
| Don't Make Him Beg de Jonno
| UKNakedMen
| A Man & His Boy by Jake JaxsonBerkeley by mr. PamAbducted by Blacky MendezTahoe: Cozy Up by Tony DiMarcoSpanish Milk by JP Dubois & Sam Barclay
|-
! style="background-color: #FF80DF" | 2018
| Paris Perfect de Mr Parker
| NakedSword
| Ultra FanCauke for FreeThe Stillest HourSilverlakeRubbergeddon
|}

 Best French Film

Further reading
"Not 'communautaire' but 'identitaire': Linguistic Acrobatics on France's PinkTV," Contemporary French Civilization'', Winter-Spring 2008, volume 32, no.1.

References

External links
 Official Site
 Pink X

LGBT-related television channels
Gay pornographic television channels
Television stations in France
Television channels and stations established in 2004
LGBT-related mass media in France
Television pornography

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Juan Manuel Rivero, 500 games in LNB Argentina
Juan Manuel Rivero is the 77th player to reach 500 games in LNB of Argentina. The shooting guard reached that mark in the game where his team, Atenas de Cordoba, won away last Friday against San Martin de Corrientes 88-80, where he became his team's topscorer with 21 points.
This is the second stint of Rivero in the team of Cordoba. He has previously played for Gimnasia y Esgrima de La Plata, Estudiantes de Bahia Blanca, Argentino Junin, Deportivo Madryn, Regatas Corrientes (where he proclaimed South American League champion in 2008), Central Entrerriano and Estudiantes Concordia.
In 501 games (counting last Sunday) Rivero totaled 4,777 points (9.5 average), 860 rebounds (1.7), 1,713 field goals in 3,744 attempts (.458), 878 triples in 2,219 attempts (1.8 career average, .396), 493 free throws in 642 attempts (.768), 452 assists (0.9), 340 steals (0.7), 66 blocks (0.1) and 11,084 minutes played (22 per game).


The finances of municipalities in India are in a highly unsatisfactory state, adversely affecting, on the one hand, the productivity of cities and towns and, on the other, the quality of life. Moreover, the fiscal implications of rapid urbanisation stare us in the face and failure to take appropriate action on this front will have adverse consequences for India's growth and development trajectory. The Finance Commission's grants-in-aid over the years have not been able to bridge the vertical fi scal gap of municipalities. How may the Fourteenth Finance Commission deal with the fi scal challenge?


School has always been stressful with homework, exams, dealing with classmates and teachers. But today, students face a new kind of stress. In the wake of a string of violent attacks in schools, an extremely turbulent political climate and the tougher standards needed to succeed in today's workforce — students from grade school to university are living and working under intense pressure from all angles. In these two weeks before finals, stress and anxiety is especially high.
To cope with these pressures, lots of young people try exercising, spending time with friends or joining recreational RSOs. These are great options — but what about something that doesn't require anything but you? Not even an instructor. Meditation.
For now, most of us are in college. Lots of things we do for fun or to relieve stress rely on something here at the University, whether that be friends we have here or a class.
So what happens when we graduate? What happens when we leave those classes and friends and end up in a completely new environment on our own? What and who do we turn to to stay balanced and focused?
Ourselves. That's what meditation does — it gives you the power and freedom to take control of the feelings and stress that today's world can create for many young people.
Meditation is one of the simplest, cheapest and most convenient ways to reduce stress. In fact, according to the CDC, the percentage of U.S. adults over the age of 18 who have meditated in the past year has risen from 9.5 percent in 2012 to 14 percent in 2017.
Maybe this increase in the number of Americans who meditate is because of our increasingly tumultuous social and political environment; but, it's also probably because of how increasingly accessible meditation is to people now.
10 years ago, you would've had to take a class or buy a video or book to learn how to meditate. Today, free apps such as HeadSpace, The Mindfulness App and Calm allow people to learn though guided meditation exercises. Headspace even offers meditation sessions that take as little as three minutes. The best part is the only thing necessary to meditate now is a phone and you.
This means you don't have to pay for a class, build your schedule around it or rely on an instructor to help you. Modern day meditation is on your terms, on your schedule and only requires you. This new wave of accessible meditation allows young people, in our rapidly changing lives and lifestyles, to take control of our mental health and stress.
Our lives are busy. We have classes, jobs, internships and extracurriculars. Most of the time, young people don't have the money, resources or time to relax. That's why meditation is so important.
Today, with new technology, meditation doesn't require anyone else's presence but your own. This puts the power in your hands. No matter what job you end up having, who you're with, what city you live in, or no matter how the world changes and what new obstacles you'll face, all you need to get some peace is yourself.
Claire is a sophomore in LAS.


text:
Future for Us conference stokes ambition and fellowship for women of color professionals
by Lisa Stiffler on April 28, 2019 at 9:01 pm December 18, 2019 at 3:47 pm
This special series focuses on important community issues, innovative solutions to societal challenges, and people and non-profit groups making an impact through technology.
Jessie Woolley-Wilson, president and CEO of DreamBox Learning, addressed a sold-out crowd at the Future for Us Assembly in Seattle's Pioneer Square on April 27, 2019. (Anthony Smith / Soul Breathing Photography)
The packed house at the Future for Us Assembly on Saturday was rapidly scribbling down notes. On stage, Jessie Woolley-Wilson, president and CEO of DreamBox Learning, was sharing tips on how to grow one's career. And when a woman who last year raised $130 million for her ed-tech company speaks, the ladies are going to listen.
Woolley-Wilson kicked off a day of speakers, panels and workshops pitched to professional women of color eager to set career goals, strategize a path for meeting them and build community to help along the way. Future for Us organized the sold-out event dubbed The Assembly that was held in Seattle's Pioneer Square neighborhood. Sage Ke'alohilani Quiamno and Aparna Rae launched Future for Us just three months ago, but it has already generated an engaged and eager following.
Madhu Ganesh, who works for Amazon's Prime Video, was one of Saturday's roughly 300 attendees, speakers and volunteers. She has been to other Future for Us events — they aim for three a month — and was impressed by the size and energy of the conference.
"I have never in Seattle been in a room of women of color like this," Ganesh said.
Aparna Rae (left) and Sage Ke'alohilani Quiamno launched Future for Us in January 2019 to support professional women of color. (Anthony Smith / Soul Breathing Photography)
While some participants were from software and tech companies, many others were from jobs in banking, retail, education, government, aerospace and nonprofits. Some attendees came from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Austin.
A key motivator for launching Future for Us was that "we didn't see a cross-sector platform for minority women," Rae said. "We need this wider network of peers."
Woolley-Wilson herself has a background spanning multiple sectors, and she recounted her life's story for the enrapt crowd. Her father immigrated to the U.S. from Haiti in 1956. She attended Catholic school, had high ambitions, but was discouraged from pursuing her college of choice, the University of Virginia. With her family's support she applied and was accepted, and later earned an MBA from Harvard. She built a successful career in banking, but the work didn't feed her soul.
Woolley-Wilson instead found fulfillment volunteering with kids in Harlem. The students were creative and joyful despite their scarcity of resources. It devastated Woolley-Wilson that the educational system didn't give them what they needed.
"They have this spark and they have this potential and it's not being seen or cultivated," she said.
The crowd at The Assembly, a conference organized by Future for Us. (Anthony Smith / Soul Breathing Photography)
Despite fearing failure and disappointing her family, Woolley-Wilson left finance to work in education. Her worries were unfounded. She held leadership roles in multiple educational enterprises, and in 2010, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings recruited her to run a venture that he was backing called DreamBox Learning. The Seattle-area company aims to democratize education by providing personalized, online lessons for students.
Her advice to the crowd, which included many early- and mid-career professionals, was to view their career journey in three phases. First, she told the audience, amass wide-ranging skills and experience. Then demonstrate a mastery of those skills. And finally, share those skills with others.
"That's why I'm here on a Saturday," said Woolley-Wilson, a candidate for Big Tech CEO of the Year at the GeekWire Awards. "You can amplify your impact. Think about it as scaling goodness."
Other sessions at The Assembly included a presentation by Nathalie Molina Niño, founder of Brava Investments, a venture capital company that funds enterprises that benefit women, and a panel moderated by Megan McNally, founder of the Fbomb Breakfast Club, a Seattle group connecting female entrepreneurs. Leaders from Amazon, Microsoft, Starbucks, Textio and others were also part of the lineup.
Nathalie Molina Niño (left), founder of Brava Investments, a venture capital company that funds enterprises that benefit women, is interviewed by Kavita Malling, a Future for Us advisor, on April 27, 2019. (Anthony Smith / Soul Breathing Photography)
Northwest groups like Fbomb, Female Founders Alliance, HERE Seattle and others also support women or minorities or underrepresented people in technology. But fans of Future for Us are excited for the new organization that more narrowly targets women of color but reaches broadly across professions.
"They're this badass group of women who have created something amazing," said Neiha Arora, a recruiter for Starbucks. She was inspired by the event and felt it was a safe space to be herself. "This brings everyone together."
Editor's Note: Funding for GeekWire's Impact Series is provided by the Singh Family Foundation in support of public service journalism. GeekWire editors and reporters operate independently and maintain full editorial control over the content.
This is part of a special series of stories by GeekWire — underwritten by the Singh Family Foundation and Seattle-area business leader Steve Singh — focusing on important community issues, innovative solutions to societal challenges, and people and non-profit groups making an impact through technology. Do you have ideas for future installments? Contact Lisa Stiffler at lisa@geekwire.com.
More Impact Series
Climate activism vs. free speech: Amazon warns employees that they could be fired for speaking publicly without approval
Low-income students get tuition-free training for tech careers thanks to Seattle-area partnership
GeekWire contributor Lisa Stiffler is a reporter, editor and Northwest native who nearly two decades ago swapped a lab coat for a reporter's notebook. Covers local efforts to use technology to solve environmental, health, societal and other do-gooder challenges. Follow @lisa_stiffler and email lisa@geekwire.com.
Team of tech friends attract 55,000 players with their 'Game of Thrones' fantasy league app
Misunderstood and untapped: Alaska's burgeoning tech industry spotlighted at conference in Seattle
Filed Under: Impact Series Tagged With: Future for Us • Women in Tech
Working Geek: DreamBox's upbeat CEO Jessie Woolley-Wilson is focused on empowering kids
Want to build a successful organization? Embrace diversity, risk-taking and nimble thinking
What Amazon and Netflix can teach us about learning, according to DreamBox Learning CEO
Get ready for the GeekWire Awards! Tickets on sale now, nominations begin soon


Bug is already getting into rocket ships and cars at the age of 1 1/2, so I know that my time to spirit him away to silly little things like tea parties is limited. His one exception to his love of "boy things" is that he likes Vampirina.
I love tea and actually had a tea shop of my own at one point, but I had dismissed the idea of the tea party, thinking it was too expensive and knowing Bug wouldn't be interested in the doll that they give the little girls.
Duffy is the gift that is given to little boys at the Perfectly Princess Tea Party.
That put the whole thing into a new light. I started reconsidering the party while we were at the park. My husband, knowing that it would be a wonderful Mommy/Son memory for me, told me just to do it. So, I made the reservation with a bit of nervousness, because the current price on that party is $334 and only includes one child and one adult. There are no discounts, passholder or otherwise. Additional adults are about $98.66. If the adult wants the gifts, they have to pay an additional $136.22. All children, regardless of age, cost $234.98. It's important to note that children can choose to receive either the bear or doll package.
In front of the tea room. The room is in the background.
Boys don't seem attend the party very often(Bug was the only one), but obviously they do attend now and then.
I dressed Bug in his prince outfit, since I knew all the little girls would be dressed as princesses and he had it left over from the Halloween party we had attended earlier. It worked out perfectly.
Guests gather around the beautiful Grand Floridian Tearoom entrance, which is decorated around the arches with boughs of fresh cut flowers. Each child receives a personal invitation, and they are asked to gather around the doorway where they are greeted by their host, "Rose Petal," a special character who is part a side story from the Sleeping Beauty tale.
The children then line up and one by one pass through the gateway of the beautiful tea room. Each girl is given a tiara (plastic with little gems) and is sprinkled with fresh rose petals over their head. Boys receive a sword and shield. Bug already had a crown on and they sprinkled his head with petals. I picked one up to press in our memory book.
One by one, we enter the party to sit at our reserved tables, into a room bathed in light from floor to ceiling windows in a small and intimate tea room. Waiting on the chairs are the Aurora dolls. Or, in our case, our Duffy. The table is dressed with tea cups with fabric napkins folded neatly into rosebuds. The children's cups are pink and the adults are in the Royal Albert bone china. Everyone is asked not to touch their napkins.
Once everyone is seated, we are introduced to the pianist in the room and everyone is asked to take their napkins and place them on their lap. We see why we were asked to wait when a gift falls out of the folds of fabric. For boys it's a collectible pin. For girls, it's a pretty little bracelet with multicolored stones. The Duffy pin features Mickey holding Duffy. Tea is brought out – special apple juice "tea" for the littles and an amazing Elderflower tea for the adults.
Tea sandwiches are brought out as Rose Petal tells us her story, full of sound effects. It's a lively rendition and Bug loved it. The children's tea sandwiches include a muffin, fresh fruit, Mickey Mouse pb&j, and turkey and cheese wraps. The fruit was wonderfully ripe.
Adults receive more "adult" tea sandwiches including cucumber, egg salad, pear, curry, and goat cheese, as well as fruit. They were all quite yummy.
As we dine, Rose Petal calls the children to the front to teach them a bit of sign language and how to properly greet a king, queen, and princess using sign language. Bug was a little too young to participate, but completely enjoyed the show. There is also some singing that involves interaction with the dolls. For example, we sing "Baby Mine" as we rock the dolls in our arms and some other tunes as we dance with them.
After, the pianist begins to softly play Disney songs and we are allowed to ask for our favorites. Aurora enters and we greet her with sign language. She visits each child for photos and gives them a gift of a beautiful long stemmed rose, spending quite a bit of time visiting with each one.
Cake is presented. It's white cake with delicious, fluffy pink frosting in two layers. Birthday princesses are announced (some are given personalized cakes which were special ordered). We all applaud them individually and wish them a happy birthday. Shortly after, the children are visited by Rose Petal who gives them a special crystal necklace on a soft satin ribbon with a velcro closure. It has a gorgeous sparkle and matched the earrings that Rose Petal wears.
The children are then given a thank you card from the princess and a bag to keep their things in. The girl's bags were pink with Princess Aurora. Then, everyone lines up for a specialty Royalty Parade through the lobby and up the stairs, where they have a photo taken together on the balcony.
Finally, Princess Aurora leads them through the upstairs gifts shop to give them a final gift. It's a certificate of friendship (they name their bear) and a little scrapbook kit with stickers and such to decorate with.
Is it worth it? Well, from my perspective, yes. Spoiled children, like the one in front of us in line that kept saying "I'm bored already!" in a snotty, whiny voice, may not enjoy it. All of the other children there seemed completely charmed with the event. My own little guy definitely enjoyed it and I know that I did. He didn't enjoy it as much as the thrill he had in meeting the characters from the 100 Acre Woods, but he still had a wonderful time.
It's a very precious memory for me and is therefore worth every penny I paid.
Our Extra Special Duffy Experience: If you've seen the Duffy cartoon that they play in the rooms, you understand the story behind Duffy. We bought the book, but Duffy is no longer available in the parks. I wanted the bear to take home to my mom who is battling late-stage lung cancer as a special something between my little boy and his Grandma. I prayed we'd somehow find one because of the significance. After days of searching and asking everyone I could find, I found out it was part of the package at the children's tea party and that was the only place to get one. We went to the Perfectly Princess Tea Party (my son and I) and as part of the package, little boys receive Duffy Bear. I asked if I could purchase a second bear from the party to take home to my mom so that the two would have matching bears. They told me that no, they were sorry, they couldn't sell us a bear. However, when we walked into the party, they had given us an extra bear to take home to my Mom. The hostess walked by and said "a little extra pixie dust for you." Tears came to my eyes. Seriously, God bless that lady and her kindness.


text:
Editorial: War on terror must be fought on many fronts
Let France do as it must in these awful days — bury its dead and seek vengeance. The rest of the world, Canada included, has the luxury and responsibility of sober second thought on its role in a war on terror that will never truly be won, but must surely be fought.
Edmonton Journal Editorial Board
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in a moment of silence, to remember the victims of Friday's Paris attacks, at the start of a plenary session at the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey on Sunday, Nov. 15, 2015.	Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press
France is at war, its president declared Monday, and for a nation in shock and mourning after the worst bloodshed on its soil since the Second World War, that is acceptable rhetoric, in fact responsible leadership.
French jets had already bombed ISIL targets in Syria on Sunday, taking an eye for an eye. The murders of 129 people and wounding of hundreds more in a series of co-ordinated suicide bombings and mass shootings Friday shook Paris and the rest of the country to the core.
Let France do as it must in these awful days — bury its dead, seek vengeance where it can, and move forward.
The rest of the world, Canada included, has the luxury and responsibility of sober second thought on its role in a war on terror that will never truly be won, but must surely be fought.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has told leaders of the G20 that Canadian fighter planes are coming home, that our combat mission against ISIL will end. Fine. Give him points for resolve, for not cowering in the presence of Barack Obama and David Cameron. The sorties in Syria and Iraq put Canadian lives at risk and clearly did not degrade the enemy's ability to export terrorism. Withdrawal was a plank in a Liberal platform that a majority of Canadians endorsed in October's federal election, and Trudeau has to balance the will of the people with the demands of his now lofty peers.
Though there is no shame in declaring the end of an ineffective military operation, we should not retreat entirely from the conflict and force other nations to do all the dangerous work in an increasingly dirty war with a mounting number of fronts. We have a geo-political responsibility that cannot be met simply by accepting refugees from Syria or training Kurdish fighters so they can exchange fire with ISIL murderers. Those pledges should be fleshed out and honoured, but we must also find ways to strike ISIL in a meaningful, debilitating manner.
But how? It's a stretch to suggest Trudeau could exert pressure on Kuwait and Qatar, countries thought to be aiding ISIL if only through sins of omission. But a coalition of western nations could surely stress the value of shutting off whatever means of support currently exist.
The United States on Monday shifted its military focus by bombing and strafing hundreds of transport vehicles hauling Syrian oil that ISIL had been selling to fund its expanding campaign of mass murder, rape, kidnapping, torture and destruction of ancient artifacts.
That there are black-market buyers of the product speaks to a level of depravity that has always enabled the world's terrorists and despots.
And it's just one revenue stream. ISIL has emptied Syrian banks and extorted Syrian citizens in the cities it controls. It is a well-funded, well-organized army that kills the innocent and has never shown a willingness to negotiate peace.
ISIL — and before it, al-Qaida — grew out of violence, poverty, oppressive politics and hatred of the western countries whose increasing military incursions in the Middle East inevitably kill civilians and fuel another generation of hatred. Disenfranchised youth the world over — poor, unemployed, ripe for radicalization — are more easily recruited through social media, and ISIL's widely publicized acts of terror further inspire cultlike devotion to its doctrine and methodology.
It is not a reasonable enemy. The accepted rules of engagement will never apply. The French president knows this to be true today, just as the American president knew it in 2001.
Editorials are the consensus opinion of the Journal's editorial board, comprising Margo Goodhand, Kathy Kerr, Karen Booth, Dan Barnes, Brent Wittmeier, Julia LeConte, Janet Vlieg and David Evans.
 Premier Rachel Notley says Alberta can help 2,500 to 3,000 Syrian... Edmonton-area inventor's 'cow tracker' to be manufactured, distributed in Africa


We've put together this spotify playlist of songs that influenced us when we started running shows/a distro/a zine six years ago.
If you use Spotify we'll be coming a lot more interactive with regular playlists made by label bands and friends of the label dropping soon.
Hey edge day to everyone! We are proudly a label made up of three straight edge people and are honored to have been able to work with Rebirth. They were a band we feel perfectly summed up how we see being straight edge; inclusive, fun, respectful and for everyone. We miss them greatly, thanks to HCMI for this footage of a great show.
REBIRTH @ PHOENIX YOUTH CENTRE 18/3/17 (Multi-cam) from HCMI on Vimeo.
Keep an ear out on tonight's THE RACKET for a track off the new BREAK THROUGH EP, 'The Seventh Circle Of Hell'. Thanks to Lochlan for the support.
LLR058 BREAK THROUGH - The Seventh Circle of Hell 7" is now up for pre order/streaming! Following their label debut, Break Through return with four crushingly bleak tracks of Van Diemen's land mosh metal influenced by the golden era of early 2000's metalcore. Those who love bands like Disembodied and Damnation AD won't be disappointed.
BROKEN @ PHOENIX YOUTH CENTRE 15/7/17 from HCMI on Vimeo.