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Having, eating cake describes Legislature ethics bill kill
I guess I should have stayed pessimistic instead of looking for a silver lining earlier today. Snatching death from the jaws of life, the Louisiana Legislature managed to kill meaningful ethics reform this afternoon.
HB 730 would have required, at a very minimum, every elected official in the state and then some except for some smallest jurisdictions to report for themselves and from immediate family members some broad categories of income in a process that likely would take 10 minutes to complete – done by state and local elected officials in almost 20 states already. After both houses basically unanimously agreed to versions that were not very different from each other, and three conferees from each chamber agreed on one compromise version, the House rejected the report and the Senate then refused to consider it.
Being so close to agreement, it's hard to believe it would founder at the last minute. The official excuse given was that, from the House's perspective, the conference's stripping application to local elected office – even though both the entire Senate and House had agreed to that – made the bill unpalatable enough.
Removing that procedure in conference appears to have come from conferee Democrat Senate Pres. Don Hines, as a kind of final "up yours" to the state of Louisiana before he is term-limited into a long overdue retirement. Author Democrat state Rep. Michael Jackson told the House he thought the Senate wouldn't pass the conference version, therefore, even though it had previously, and just enough House members thought they would just as soon, as Jackson said, throw the baby out with the bathwater, in a narrow vote.
It seems so very odd that something the chambers had agreed upon without really any dissent should, on the final day of the session, suddenly become a deal breaker. Why did it out of the blue become a problem? And why would the House prefer to go with no loaf than half a loaf? Wouldn't reporting requirements on legislators even without local officials be better than none?
Apparently not, and this surface logical disconnect fuels the notion that the fix was in all of the time, at least for enough legislators to cause its failure. Enough of them may have wanted to get a vote in showing they "cared" about higher ethical standards, but then House members could turn around and say they essentially killed the bill because it didn't "do enough" by removal of the local official provision, while Senators got a free ride. Everybody's for ethics reform, on the record – and yet there's no change whatsoever.
This ridiculous ending only adds more tarnish to an already underachieving session – but (again straining to see a silver lining) maybe will cause even more disenchantment among the Louisiana people to elect candidates this fall that will bring about real reform in the near future.
Session represents another missed opportunity
As the 2007 regular session of the Louisiana Legislature comes to a close, one gets a sick feeling that an opportunity of historical significance was missed by it, one that could have accelerated the state away from policy that for decades has retarded the state's growth and quality of life. Still, there is a silver lining.
Simply put, Louisiana's state government is too big and intrusive which dampens economic growth as well as personal freedom in the process. Ultimately, the people must blame themselves to some degree because we in aggregate continue to put economic illiterates such as Gov. Kathleen Blanco and a Democrat majority into office. As if we needed one more example of this, take Blanco's comment yesterday: "It's important for the public to know that a tax break is like the Legislature's spending money, only it disappears."
Only an economic ignoramus or willingly deceitful politician would make a statement so at odds with economic theory. Has Blanco never heard of the Grace Report, which shows government wastes a third of the money coming into it? Or of the Laffer Curve, which demonstrates that the more money kept in the private sector, to a certain point (and with Louisiana's high tax per capita collection rate, it's definitely on the suboptimized part of the curve) the greater government revenues will be through economic growth?
I'll lay it out very simply so maybe even Blanco can get it through her head, finally: tax breaks create wealth that (generally, unless there is a low-tax environment to begin with) does not "disappear" but instead strengthens the economy which in turn creates a more stable financial footing for government. Spending by government even on necessary things (like needed infrastructure) is where about a third of the people's money disappears in waste.
Unfortunately, Blanco and the Democrat-controlled Legislature were in charge and so the most tax relief that anybody looks to be getting will be about half of taxpayers will get about a one percent return of their money taken by the state, despite a record surplus that comprised over 10 percent of the budget for a state growing smaller. Further, spending on recurring commitments will hamstring future elected officials in being able to provide the necessary downsizing of government to create better quality of life.
At least there appears to be one bright spot. With the public in a hostile mood about Louisiana state politicians (evidenced by Blanco's bowing out of reelection opportunities, current out-party Republicans picking up open positions in special elections, and anybody seen as an incumbent of any kind having a hard time in special elections), some meaningful ethics reform actually seems to have come out of the session. That (unless something dramatic happens before the end of the day) it seems to have beaten long odds shows those legislators running for election in the fall are scared of the public's antipathy towards the lack of quality of their service. It probably won't be enough to return many of them to office, however.
Yet in the final analysis, this session fits squarely into the pattern seen in Louisiana state government over the past few decades – squandering yet another opportunity to keep the rest of the world from passing us by. And perhaps the ultimate silver lining is that maybe now the Louisiana electorate will be further incensed by this behavior to make the changes necessary to improve the state in those fall elections.
Stuck on stupid XXV: Parents told childish Blanco "no"
For most people, when they were young and came into a (relative) financial windfall, be it from gifts or from some kind of labor, their parents instructed them not to go out and blow it on candy or whatever, but to save it. That way, we were instructed, you could invest it and have it grow and ready for the future when you really might need it, instead of spending it on some transitory pleasure.
By contrast, Gov. Kathleen Blanco's parents must have told her something quite the opposite, if we understand correctly the analogy she tried to use to disparage those who support tax cuts from a huge Louisiana surplus: "I think they're like a bunch of spoiled children, and we're on vacation, kind of, and they think mom and daddy can buy them every single toy and balloon in the whole place. And, you know, parents have to say no after a time." It indicates just how absolutely, totally clueless she is and has been about good public policy that would improve the quality of life that she personally has retarded in this state for the past four years.
Only Blanco, and her Democrat majority allies in the state Legislature, would conceive of investing in the people of Louisiana as something that should be denied. Only this backwards-thinking mob would think you "invest" in economic development by taking money owned by the people in the first place and instead of letting it stay with the best investment around, the productive capacity of the people and the marketplace, you abscond with it and shovel it into growing government such as by creating more bureaucratic jobs in a state with declining population and funneling tens of millions of dollars to dubious projects.
Of course, this nonsense proceeds from their liberal viewpoint but also has a more immediate precipitant: like spoiled brats, they put themselves first before anybody else because this spending also serves the goal of trying to get themselves elected or reelected and puts their political opponents in a future bind – and to top it off they're doing it using somebody else's resources. Only immature children would try to justify this by ignorantly calling it the opposite, or thinking they can twist words trying to fool grownups with this explanation.
Naturally, we see very clearly how the Blanco lexicon equates "tax cuts" with "spending" and "spending" with "investment," and how this reflects the exact antithesis of the real world. We realize this because we are the parents, and long ago we told the childish perpetrator of this ridiculous attitude and philosophy "no" when it came to her reelection.
Next governor must save LA from new hospital stupidity
Gov. Kathleen Blanco set the state on an unwise collision course with the federal government regarding the new Big Charity hospital in New Orleans. Let's hope it's a decision that doesn't cost the state hundreds of millions of dollars in wasted spending.
Over the weekend, Blanco's allies in the Louisiana Legislature confirmed that the state was going to forgo federal money, at least about $225 million, to build the new facility, because it would involve too much "red tape" – created by the state's own intransigence. The bureaucracy involved came as a result of the federal government's questioning the scope of the planned new facility whose price tag has doubled within the past year.
In large part that happened because of different concepts in how the provision of indigent care was to occur. All parties want the new Medical Center of Louisiana – New Orleans facility to provide medical education capacity and specialized health care services. But others want to go beyond that just that, all relating to their different views on how indigent health care should be delivered in the state.
Every other state in the union follows a strategy of money-follows-the-person for indigent health care, but Louisiana insists on a money-goes-to-the-institution strategy which limits patient choice, reduces quality of care, and costs more. Even so, many political elites and special interests in the state want the latter because it brings more money into state government, increases the number of people on the state payroll, and gives them more power and privilege as a result – much more than they care about efficiency and outcomes.
Blanco's team suggested building a large facility because it has no intention to switching to a more efficient system with improved outcomes – and even conjured a study assuming the state stuck with the existing system to try to justify the decision. If the switch was made, the hundred or more extra beds under Blanco's plan would become superfluous – as suggested by the federal government last week in its note announcing postponement in turning over the money the state has qualified for purposes such as this.
So Blanco read the writing on the wall – reform or the money wasn't forthcoming – and stubbornly gave up the money. This became politically possible when Blanco ally Sen. Mary Landrieu extracted a promise from Democrats in Washington that the federal government would commit substantial aid to Blanco's mishandled Road Home Program if the state coughed up $1 billion towards the potential $5 billion shortfall. Having cobbled together over $600 million of federal money that technically had become state funds, and a small amount of genuine state funds, Blanco realized the $225 million for the hospital could be used for this purpose as well.
This still left money short for the complex, so now the state will borrow it in future years. In essence, the state would have had to come up with the $225 million one way or another for the Road Home bailout anyway so now the only extra cost to the state will be on interest for the borrowed money (which the state could not have done for the bailout because borrowing can be done only for capital outlay). It's a politically neat solution.
Except that, first of all, the extra beds are wasteful, either because they can be done without under an efficient new system, or because they will prop up the existing inefficient system. Second, the state's act of defiance will not go unnoticed in another part of the government which still can cost the state plenty. All along, the assumption has been the new facility will be built next to a new Veterans Administration hospital which would share some facilities, saving both money. But the federal government has been making noises that this arrangement may no longer suit it, and the state's decision here well may solidify a decision to go separate ways, jacking up costs to the state even more.
However, one hope remains. The Legislature classified the borrowing as future, meaning it can be altered in future capital outlay budgets and the whole amount, now believed to be $1.5 billion, is not yet in the budget. This means the next administration will have the final say – and you can bet a Gov. Bobby Jindal is not going to go along with this plan. So, just as political tides and fortunes put the wrong people in the wrong place at the wrong time to create this boondoggle, they may reverse to alter eventually the big mistake Blanco and her cronies are making on this issue – to the delight of the indigent and taxpayers statewide.
NW LA delegation has some I-49 funding explaining to do
Over the past few days, behind the scenes occurred a great example of the minute machinations with major consequences that go on with legislation in front of the Louisiana Legislature – almost totally obscured from public understanding. You want to bet that at least a few legislators involved are not going to want these events to have to be explained as they run for election this fall?
The much-discussed HB 765 which spent basically one-time funds and some federal funds refunded to Louisiana was discussed in front of the House Friday. In this bill, $150 million had been set aside for highway construction.
On the floor, Shreveport state Rep. Roy Burrell (with Shreveport Rep. Ernest Baylor) offered an amendment to direct $60 million of that to the construction of I-49 and an environmental impact study of the route of it going through Shreveport. He must have meant it to be for the proposed I-49 north route covering mostly existing U.S. 71 and may have thought the study funding request made that obvious. Without objection it was done.
But not long afterward, Bossier state Rep. Billy Montgomery (also endorsed by others including area Reps. Wayne Waddell, Jim Morris, and Jane Smith) offered another amendment that said of the $150 million, $100 million could be spent only on interstate projects on the Highway Priority Program list – which apparently didn't include I-49. This also was adopted without objection.
Of course, there's a conflict here. Backing out $100 million from $150 million left only $50 million for the $60 million proposal for "I-49" and the study. And apparently House rules would give precedence to the temporally later amendment when such a conflict exists. In other words, the Montgomery amendment vetoed in essence the Burrell amendment.
Then today, that got corrected in amendments 16-20 made in the Senate Finance Committee of whom its members include area state Sens. Sherri Smith Cheek and Lydia Jackson. The $100 million amount was reduced to $90 million, clearing up the conflict and it was made more specific in regards to allocating the money to I-49 north work.
This leads to some interesting questions:
Was Burrell's and Baylor's poor wording a mistake on their part?
If so, why wasn't it corrected by the later amendment, or one by them?
Why would Montgomery et. al.'s amendment seem to sabotage something the northwest Louisiana delegation has given considerable lip service to, funding of I-49 (Smith even told a constituent that the reason she bailed out on GOP resistance to increase spending was to secure this money)?
Again, was this simply a mistake or was another agenda at work? (Perhaps the language was offered by the non-northwest members who signed on while the northwest members were interested in the other part of the amendment, getting state funding for a proposed Air Force cyber command consolidation at Barksdale Air Force Base – meaning they fell for a trap.)
The crisis for I-49 north funding has passed but the questions remain. In their published comments, both Montgomery and Smith seemed unaware that the amendment had canceled the money going to "I-49," so it seems inattentiveness on their part was to blame. (Montgomery also ripped another area legislator, Rep. Mike Powell, for not voting for the bill and, in essence, the $60 million mistake he had created.) Montgomery has been there 20 years and Smith 8 and don't seem to have it down yet. No doubt their opponents thins fall will remind area voters of that.
Having, eating cake describes Legislature ethics b...
Stuck on stupid XXV: Parents told childish Blanco ...
Next governor must save LA from new hospital stupi...
NW LA delegation has some I-49 funding explaining ...


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text:
November 16th, 2004, fell on a Tuesday. It was day 321 of 2004. The decade was the 2000s.
16 years, 1 months and 29 days have passed since November 16th, 2004.
Events that occurred on November 16th, 2004:
Half-Life 2 is released.
Mario releases his single "Let Me Love You".
The game Call of Duty: Finest Hour is released.
Songs that were on top of the music singles charts in the USA and the United Kingdom on November 16th, 2004:
United States: My Boo - Usher & Alicia Keys
United Kingdom: Vertigo - U2
What movie was on top of the box office?
The movie "The Incredibles" was at the top of the box office on this date.
The date is November 16th, 2004 and it's a Tuesday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Scorpio. It's November, so the evenings are getting darker and the days are getting colder.
In America, the song My Boo by Usher & Alicia Keys is on top of the singles charts. Over in the UK, Vertigo by U2 is the number one hit song. George W. Bush Jnr. is currently the President of the United States and the movie The Incredibles is at the top of the Box Office.
In the United Kingdom, Tony Blair is the current Prime Minister. A popular software program called LimeWire is being used by many people to share MP3 files (and viruses). Internet users are using MSN Messenger to chat with each other online.
It's 2004, so the music charts are being dominated by the likes of Usher, Alicia Keys, Maroon 5, OutKast, Mario Winans, the Terror Squad and Ciara. People are watching popular TV shows such as "Everybody Loves Raymond", "That '70s Show", "Scrubs" and "Arrested Development". Meanwhile, gamers are playing titles such as "Rome: Total War", "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas", "Killzone" and "Halo 2".
Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "My Wife and Kids", "The Fairly OddParents", "LazyTown" and "Veronica Mars". If you're a kid or a teenager, then you're probably playing with toys such as "PlayStation 2", "Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game", "Beyblades (spinning top toys)" and "RoboSapien (toy robot)".
Trending news stories and fads that were prevalent throughout this time period. These are news stories and events that would have been in the media on November 16th, 2004.
"Million Dollar Baby" won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2004.
In 2004, the best soccer players were Andriy Shevchenko, Deco, Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Theodoros Zagorakis, Adriano, Pavel Nedvěd, Wayne Rooney, Ricardo Carvalho and Ruud van Nistelrooy.
Movies released in 2004 included Shrek 2, Mean Girls, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Spider-Man 2, The Incredibles, The Passion of the Christ, The Day After Tomorrow, Meet the Fockers, "I, Robot", Troy, Shark Tale, Ocean's Twelve, The Village, Million Dollar Baby, Saw, Man on Fire, A Series of Unfortunate Events and DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story.
Pop singer Britney Spears is listed as FHM's sexiest woman in 2004.
Time Person of the Year 2004
US President George W. Bush is listed as the Time Person of the Year for 2004.
In 2004, the best NBA players were Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, Jermaine O'Neal, Peja Stojaković, Ben Wallace, Sam Cassell, Tracy McGrady, Dirk Nowitzki, Ron Artest, Yao Ming, Michael Redd and Baron Davis.
Popular music artists in 2004 included Beyoncé, Twista, Usher, J-Kwon, Maroon 5, Alicia Keys, Outkast, Juvenile, Christina Milian, Ashlee Simpson, Destiny's Child, Eminem and Snoop Dogg.
Ray Charles - "Here We Go Again"
"Here We Go Again" by Ray Charles would go on to win a Grammy for 2004's Record of the Year.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.
Rockstar Games released "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas" on the 26th of October, 2004. It quickly became the best selling PS2 game of all time.
Age: Anyone born on November 16th, 2004, will be 16 years of age.
People born in 2004 belong to the "Generation Z" generation.
Notable events that occurred around November 16th, 2004:
October 20th, 2004: The Linux distribution "Ubuntu" is released.
October 23rd, 2004: Pop star Ashlee Simpson is caught lip syncing on Saturday Night Live.
October 24th, 2004: Battle of the Buffet: A slice of pizza is thrown at Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson after his side defeat Arsenal 2-0 in a controversial game and end their unbeaten run.
October 26th, 2004: The game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is released.
October 27th, 2004: The Boston Red Sox win their first World Series in 86 years.
October 29th, 2004: The horror movie Saw (2004) is released.
November 1st, 2004: Rap star Mac Dre is shot dead in Kansas City, Missouri.
November 1st, 2004: Music producer Terry Knight is stabbed to death by his teenage daughter's boyfriend.
November 2nd, 2004: Incumbent US President George W. Bush is re-elected after defeating Democrat candidate John Kerry.
November 4th, 2004: Yasser Arafat dies.
November 5th, 2004: The Incredibles (2004) is released.
November 9th, 2004: Journalist Iris Chang commits suicide in her car in Santa Clara County, California.
November 12th, 2004: Scott Peterson is found guilty of murdering his pregnant wife Laci Peterson in 2002.
November 13th, 2004: Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard dies of a drug overdose.
November 17th, 2004: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is released.
November 19th, 2004: The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004) is released in cinemas.
November 19th, 2004: NBA: "Malice at the Palace": A brawl breaks out during a game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons.
November 21st, 2004: The Nintendo DS is released.
November 23rd, 2004: The game "World of Warcraft" is released.
December 1st, 2004: Kevin Rose creates the first profile on social news website Digg.
December 3rd, 2004: Cali Cartel leader Rodriguez Orejuela is extradited to the United States.
December 6th, 2004: Internet culture: The viral video "Numa Numa Dance" is released.
December 8th, 2004: Pantera founder Dimebag Darrell is shot and killed onstage.
December 10th, 2004: The Phantom of the Opera (2004) is released in cinemas.
December 11th, 2004: Steve Brookstein wins The X Factor.
December 13th, 2004: Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko is awarded the 2004 Ballon d'Or.
December 15th, 2004: Million Dollar Baby (2004) is released in cinemas.
Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on November 16th, 2004, will have the star sign Scorpio.
However, if you are going by the new star sign system (2020), then the sign for this date is actually Libra.
Zodiac Element: Water.
Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 2004 was the year of the Monkey (Yang Water).
Native American Zodiac: November 16th, 2004 falls under the Snake.
Birthstone: Anyone born during the month of November will have the birthstones Topaz and Citrine.
House - Medical drama starring Hugh Laurie.
Battlestar Galactica - Sci-fi series.
Desperate Housewives - TV show about housewives living in suburban America.
Boston Legal - TV show about a Boston law firm.
CSI: NY - New York City version spin-off of the CSI franchise.
Lost - Mystery drama series about a group of plane crash survivors that are stranded on a strange island.
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide - Nickelodeon TV show about the adventures of middle school teenager Ned Bigby.
Joey - Short-lived spin-off show about the life of Friend's character Joey Tribbiani.
Stargate Atlantis - Spin-off of the original Stargate series.
Deadwood - Western television series.
The Apprentice - Reality TV show starring Donald Trump.
Extreme Makeover: Home Edition - Reality TV show in which houses are renovated during a one-week period.
Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County
Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide
Jimmy Neutron
My Wife and Kids
Grounded for Life
Ed, Edd n Eddy
CatDog
RoboSapien (toy robot)
Beyblades (spinning top toys)
Bratz (dolls)
Popular video games that you might have been playing around this time.
Half-Life 2 - FPS game.
Halo 2 - FPS game that was released for the XBox 360.
Killzone - FPS game.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas - Starring CJ.
Counter-Strike: Source - FPS game developed by Valve Corporation.
Rome: Total War - PC strategy game.
Manhunt - Controversial stealth-based survival horror game.
Need for Speed: Underground - Car racing game.
Celebrities and historical figures that were born on the 16th of November:
November 16th, 1952: Shigeru Miyamoto: Video game producer.
November 16th, 1961: Frank Bruno: Boxer.
November 16th, 1974: Paul Scholes: Soccer player.
Weather information for November 16th, 2004:
Dublin, Ireland: It was 12.5 degrees Celsius. It rained a bit (mist or a shower or two). It was a windy day. It was a cloudy day.
New York, USA: Temperature: 44.1 degrees Fahrenheit. 6.72 degrees Celsius. Fog was reported. Precipitation: 0cm.
London, England: Temperature: 10.78 degrees Celsius.
Who was the US President on November 16th, 2004?
George W. Bush Jnr. was the President of the United States.
Who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on November 16th, 2004?
Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Bertie Ahern was the Taoiseach of Ireland.
A baby that was born on November 16th, 2004 was probably conceived around the 7th of February, 2004. (Rough Estimate).
The due date for a baby that was conceived on November 16th, 2004 is the 26th of August, 2005. (Rough Estimate).
Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on November 16th, 2004.
Looking for some nostalgia? Here are some Youtube videos relating to November 16th, 2004. Please note that videos are automatically selected by Youtube and that results may vary! Click on the "Load Next Video" button to view the next video in the search playlist. In many cases, you'll find episodes of old TV shows, documentaries, music videos and soap dramas.
Here are some fun statistics about November 16th, 2004.
5,904 days have passed since this date.
510,105,600 seconds have passed since the November 16th, 2004.
If you were born on this day, your heart has beated approximately 595,123,200 times.
Since November 16th, 2004, earth has travelled approximately 263,214,489,600 miles through space.
If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 85,017,600 times.
If you were born on this day, you have taken approximately 43,869,082 steps. That's about 19,497 miles!
Since this date, 6,121,267 meteors have entered the earth's atmosphere!
23rd of March, 2023
2nd of April, 2020
5th of December, 2021
21st of February, 2008

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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text:
Home Front Page Business Speak Up Newport June 10 Program on Retail and Tourism
Speak Up Newport June 10 Program on Retail and Tourism
Speak Up Newport hosts a special Zoom Meeting on Wednesday, June 10 at 4 p.m. on the topic "How Will We Shop, Dine and Travel in Newport Beach as Coronavirus Restrictions are Relaxed?"
Speak Up Newport is currently unable to hold its normal programs at the Civic Center, so it will be hosting this third in a series of special programs via a Zoom Meeting Webinar.
As the current pandemic restrictions are relaxed, how will local retailers, service and dining establishments, and the travel industry respond?
Hear a panel of local experts discuss what to expect as these businesses phase in their re‐openings.
The panel will consist of Steve Rosansky, CEO of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce; Gary Sherwin, president of Visit Newport Beach; Jim Walker, board member of the Newport Beach Restaurant Association, and Mario Marovic, owner of The Lounge Group with multiple businesses in Newport Beach.
To participate in this free Webinar, go to http://www.SpeakUpNewport.com/shop-dine-travel/.
Steve Rosansky has been the President & CEO of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce since 2013, where he manages the membership organization of 700 business members and organizes a number of civic events and fundraisers. He served as a Newport Beach City Councilman from October 2003 to December 2012, and as the Mayor of Newport Beach from December 2006 to December 2007. Rosansky is a licensed real estate broker and for most of his business career he owned and operated Newport West Real Estate Company in Newport Beach.
Gary Sherwin is a 33-year hospitality industry veteran and has served as President & CEO of Newport Beach and Company since 2013 and its tourism business unit, Visit Newport Beach Inc. since 2006. Sherwin is responsible for overseeing the community marketing organization promoting Newport Beach as a premier luxury destination. Sherwin has also served as the Chairman of the Washington DC-based Destinations International, the trade association for tourism marketing organizations. Sherwin is past chairman of the Orange County Visitor Association, a recipient of its Legacy Award in 2015 and is the past chairman of the California Travel Association, the state's leading umbrella tourism advocacy organization. He also sits on the Board of Directors for the U.S. Travel Association. Prior to joining Newport Beach, Sherwin served for seven years as the Vice President of Market Development for the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention & Visitors Authority.
Jim Walker has been a pioneer in the Orange County culinary scene for almost five decades. He has owned and operated a series of restaurants including Pasta Mesa Italian Restaurant in Costa Mesa, Domenico's Pizza in Long Beach, Big Fish Tavern in Laguna Beach and Cedar Creek Inn in Brea, However, to his hometown friends and customers, Jim is best known as the owner of The Bungalow here in Corona del Mar, which is celebrating its 23rd anniversary. For many years, Jim has been a stalwart member of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, serving on the Chamber's Board and ultimately as the Board Chair. He has also served as a member of the Chamber Commodores Club for the last nine years. In 2010 he graduated from Leadership Tomorrow and the Newport Beach Citizen Police Academy. Early in its birth, Jim joined the Newport Beach Restaurant Association and served as the Chair of the organization for many years. Along the way he helped found the very successful Newport Beach Restaurant Week.
Mario Marovic graduated from the University of Southern California with a business degree in Entrepreneurship. He later returned to USC and completed his MBA in Finance & Marketing. After working in the mortgage industry, Mario left in pursuit of his dream to own and operate restaurants and taverns. In his early 30s, Mario invested his entire savings and opened The District Lounge in Old Town Orange and The Landmark Steakhouse in Corona del Mar. After those successful ventures, Mario invested his profits into more restaurants and real estate acquisitions. He now owns 11 restaurants and tavern concepts located throughout Orange County, including five in Newport Beach: Stag Bar, Dory Deli, Malarky's, Blackie's, and Helmsman Ale House. Mario's business model is to create and acquire unique brands that represent the culture of the communities in which they are located.
Dory Deli
Gary Sherwin
newport beach and company
speak up newport
stag bar
Steve Rosansky
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text:
Q: How to expose variable from HAL to shared libraries present in system/lib/hw (android)? I made some changes in the platform specific existing HAL, and I want this changes to be get selected when I start my audio stream.
For this I need to differentiate it from other streams, so I added a variable in HAL and I wanted it to be exposed to my shared library that I will be pushing to system/lib/hw directory, so that when I start my stream I set this variable in my .so
So that in HAL I can differentiate it from other streams.
Any ideas to expose the variable in HAL to shared library in system/lib/hw ?
Suggestions/help will be really appreciated.

A: I would suggest that you add a new stream type (AUDIO_STREAM_), and possibly a new routing strategy (STRATEGY_). Then modify getStrategy in the AudioPolicyManager to return your new strategy when your new stream type is used, and modify getDeviceForStrategy to select the appropriate DEVICE_OUT_ value for your new routing strategy.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


You might be able to almost completely cover the cost of a new air conditioning unit through private and government grants. The rating of the air conditioner should guide your choose for a new unit, because energy efficient units usually qualify for more credits. At the very least, a new A/C unit is a wise choice for your utility bill, so financing a new A/C might save you money.
In 2009, the federal government appropriated $300 million to the states as part of a economic recovery package. The State Energy-Efficient Appliance Rebate Program usually includes air conditioners, although the states can set their own standards for what appliances count toward SEEARP. Generally, you have to buy an A/C unit that meets EnergyStar standards -- it will have the EnergyStar seal -- although some states, such as California, require efficiency standards above that of EnergyStar. If you want a SEEARP grant, apply fast, because the states award grants on a first-come, first-served basis.
FurnaceCompare.com suggests contacting local charitable organizations about grants for an A/C. Nonprofits tend to help with emergencies, such as when you have no A/C during a heatwave, but it does not hurt to ask anyway. Modest Needs, for instance, is a charity that awards $1,000 grants for emergencies, which might include fixing a broken A/C unit. You also could ask the United States Department of Health and Human Services' Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program for help locating financial assistance for buying or fixing an A/C unit.
An A/C unit that qualifies for the SEEARP grant probably also qualifies for the energy efficiency tax credit. In 2011, you can take a $300 dollar for dollar deduction for buying an EnergyStar-approved A/C unit. However, not all EnergyStar units qualify for this tax break. The A/C unit must have minimum seasonal energy efficiency ratio (SEER) -- a ratio based on the amount of energy needed to bring the house down one temperature degree -- of 14. Units manufactured before 2006, for example, could have a SEER rating of 10 and still qualify for the EnergyStar seal, but would not qualify for the tax credit.
When charities cannot offer help to get you an A/C unit, consider thumbing through classifieds for people that might trade an unneeded A/C unit for help, such as watching pets or house cleaning. You could apply for an energy efficiency loan. The Federal Housing Administration, for instance, offers loans for improve home energy efficiency by refinancing your mortgage and adding the cost of a new A/C into your loan note.


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Home | National | Ladakh based engineer first Indian to be inducted as Honorary Member of the International Astronomical Union
Ladakh based engineer first Indian to be inducted as Honorary Member of the International Astronomical Union
A Ladakh-based engineer has become the only Indian Honorary Member of the International Astronomical Union, along with ten others from around the world, joining a select list of 20 international experts.
Dorje Angchuk of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Govt. of India, is also the first Indian to bag the position in the prestigious body. This honour is meant to officially recognise those individuals who have significantly contributed to the progress of astronomical research and culture in their country. This recognition by the International Astronomical Union is for 'his passionate promotion of astronomy in the Ladakh region, through his excellent astrophotography'. Angchuk is the Engineer in charge of the IIA's Indian Astronomical Observatory in Hanle, Ladakh. But his involvement in astronomy is much more than that.
"Stemming from my childhood interest in astronomy, sparked by looking at Saturn through a telescope, and later, seeing the Comet Hale Bopp, I developed a strong passion for astrophotography," said Dorje Angchuk. This passion further blossomed when he joined the Indian Astronomy Observatory in Hanle in his home state, Ladakh. Angchuk's astro-photographs have inspired innumerable students and the general public. His work combines the majestic beauty of the dark skies with the stunning enchantment of the landscape of Ladakh. His photographs of the telescopes at Hanle foregrounded against the Milky Way have become famous across the country. We are familiar with pictures of celestial objects taken through large telescopes.
However, the uniqueness of Angchuk's work is that they situate the terrestrial landscape against the starry skies, thus bringing the cosmos down to earth. His photos also highlight the telescopes in Hanle in ways that intrigue school and college students. His work has been published in the New Yorker magazine, Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies, and many newspapers in India. His photograph of Comet Neowise won the nationwide contest by the Astronomical Society of India as well.
Ladakh is probably the only location in India that still has access to dark skies. Dark skies have now been recognised as a part of humanity's heritage, and many Dark Sky Sanctuaries have come up across the world to help preserve the night skies for future generations. Angchuk has been in the forefront of the campaign for safeguarding the pristine dark skies of Hanle and its surroundings in ways that are in symbiosis with local development, including the promotion of astro-tourism.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is the foremost international association of professional astronomers and is over 100 years old. It has more than 13000 individual members and 82 national members, including India. The IAU is also the recognized authority for assigning names to stars, planets, asteroids, and so on. The IAU recently decided to award honorary membership to individuals who have strengthened the development of astronomy but who happen to not satisfy their criterion for regular membership.
By Tapas Bhattacharya
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Consumer inflation in China hit a five-month high in March, mainly driven by faster rising food prices, official data showed Thursday.
The consumer price index (CPI), which measures the prices of a basket of consumer goods and services, rose 2.3% last month from a year ago, up from an increase of 1.5% in February and marking its highest level since October, according to data (link in Chinese) released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The pickup in consumer inflation was mainly driven by food prices, which rose 4.1% year-on-year in March, picking up from 0.7% growth in the previous month. The average vegetable price increased 16.2% year-on-year during a low season for vegetable production, contributing 0.42 percentage points to the CPI growth. The price of pork increased 5.1% year-on-year amid an ongoing outbreak of African swine fever, marking the first rise in 26 straight months.
The producer price index (PPI), which gauges changes in the prices of goods sold by manufacturers and mining companies, edged up to 0.4% year-on-year last month from a near-two-year low of a 0.1% rise in February and in January, NBS data show (link in Chinese).
On a month-to-month basis, the PPI rose 0.1% in March, marking the first increase in five months, the data show. "This was almost entirely driven by a rise in the cost of raw materials, particularly oil," Julian Evans-Pritchard, an economist with research firm Capital Economics, said in a note.
African swine fever has led to decreasing pig stocks and reluctance among farmers to breed their animals, causing a pork shortage that has pushed up the price of the country's favorite meat. Analysts at brokerage Citic Securities Co. Ltd. expect pork prices to be the main driver of CPI growth in the future. But the CPI probably won't rise significantly as other factors that affect it are likely to remain subdued, they said in a note.
Economists at Nomura International (Hong Kong) Ltd. hold a similar view. "The acceleration of CPI inflation comes mainly from pork prices rather than a general rise in prices," they said in a note.
Beijing expects the CPI to increase around 3% this year, according to Premier Li Keqiang's government work report (link in Chinese) released in early March.