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Casey's General Stores Stock: The Case To Wait (NASDAQ:CASY)
ablokhin/iStock Editorial via Getty Images
An "Ok" Call
Time flies. The last time I wrote about Casey's General Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASY) was January 30, 2017. I've always liked CASY, noting its "wonderfully simple business model". Many other investors seem to like the firm too when considering the company's 5-year average GAAP P/E and P/B ratios.
Figure 1: CASY Valuation Grade and Underlying Metrics (Seeking Alpha)
I offered a "Buy" rating in my original article despite noting that CASY was not inexpensive. Generally, it turned out to be an "ok" call, with the stock trading in the low $100s when the article was written, rising to over $200/share as recently as this month, albeit with a couple major dips along the way.
Figure 2: CASY Stock Price Chart (Seeking Alpha)
The last year, however, has seen the stock stumble despite a strong Q4 FY '22 performance reported only a few days ago on June 8. As I write this, the stock is trading down at ~$186, another victim of today's market carnage.
Figure 3: CASY and Selected Competitor Performance (Yves Sukhu)
Data as of market close June 10, 2022.
I ask again, as I did in my original article, is now a good time to buy CASY?
I Said It Once, I'll Say It Again: A Wonderful Business
Let us quickly recap the key highlights from the June 8 earnings call.
Inside sales up 6.6% and 5.2% for FY '22 and Q4 FY '22, respectively. CASY recorded inside sales of $4.35B and $1.04B for the fiscal and quarterly period respectively, driven by prepared foods and beverage sales. Investors should acknowledge the strong Q4 performance given the seasonality of CASY's business which typically results in slower beverage sales during colder weather.
Fuel sales up 4.4% and 1.5% for FY '22 and Q4 FY '22, respectively. Fuel sales for the full year stood at $2.6B, with $621M recognized during the quarter. Fuel margin was up sharply, at nearly ~10%, during Q4; and just over 3% for the year.
Diluted EPS of $9.10 and $1.60 for FY '22 and Q4 FY '22, respectively. FY '22 diluted EPS results reflect an all-time high, and Q4 diluted EPS was up 43% year-over-year.
Quarterly dividend increase of 9% to $0.38/share. Management noted the dividend raise marked the 23rd consecutive annual increase.
Store growth of 228 stores. CASY finished the year with 2,452 stores, with FY '22 "marking the largest unit growth year in the [company's] history."
Variable rate debt prepayment of $168M. Outstanding debt at the end of FY '22 was shy of $1.7B.
These results reinforce the enduring strength of CASY's unique operating model, focusing their 2,000+ stores on rural, Midwest markets while offering consumers a value-added experience via a hybrid convenience-store / general-store format.
Figure 4: CASY Overview (CASY Investor Deck March 2022)
Notably, when I wrote about CASY all the way back in 2017, the firm was finding its rhythm within the prepared foods markets and today finds itself as the 5th largest pizza chain in the United States – which incidentally is why I opted to include DPZ in Figure 3. On that last point, it is challenging to select a group of peers that closely mirror CASY as their go-to-market strategy is, arguably, rather unique. However, I think this fact speaks to the bull case for the firm.
Figure 5: CASY Differentiators (CASY Investor Deck March 2022)
As they should, CASY is continuing to evolve its prepared foods segment with additional product offerings (e.g., breakfast) as it follows the general trend in convenience store dynamics. Moreover, as the highest gross margin business among CASY's 3 main segments (i.e., ~60% prepared foods gross margin versus ~32% grocery and general merchandise in FY '21), prepared foods drives a significant and growing portion of gross profit, while offering an opportunity to create a certain "stickiness" among CASY's customer base.
Figure 6: CASY Operating Segment Revenue and Gross Profit (CASY Investor Deck March 2022)
The combination of the company's strong customer value proposition, rigid focus on the rural Midwest, and vertically integrated strategy (e.g., self-owned fuel-tanker fleet, distribution network, in-house real estate, and construction teams) makes for a compelling long investment. But, before we dive in head-first, let us consider a couple points on the other side as well.
Taking a Few Steps Back Before Diving In
The following points of concern are by no means exhaustive, but at least some considerations that are worth keeping "front-of-mind".
1. Recent fuel price volatility has clouded management's visibility into FY '23. CASY's management team offered the following FY '23 forecast as part of their Investor Day presentation in March of this year.
Figure 7: CASY Investor Day FY '23 Forecast (CASY Investor Deck March 2022)
Management reiterated most of these points in their Q4 FY '22 press release:
Casey's expects the following performance during fiscal 2023. The Company expects same-store inside sales to increase 4% to 6% and maintain an inside margin of approximately 40%. The Company expects same-store fuel gallons to be flat to 2% higher. Total operating expenses are expected to increase approximately 9% to 10%. The Company expects to add approximately 80 stores in fiscal 2023, and expects to exceed our stated three year commitment of 345 units. Interest expense is expected to be approximately $55 million. Depreciation and amortization is expected to be approximately $320 million and the purchase of property plant and equipment is expected to be approximately $450 to $500 million, including approximately $135 million in one-time store remodel costs for recently acquired stores. The tax rate is expected to be approximately 24% to 26% for the year.
EBITDA growth is noticeably absent from the discussion above. In fact, we need to turn to the Q4 FY '22 Earnings Call Transcript where management tells us "[given] the unprecedented fuel cost volatility that we've seen in the past few months, we're not guiding to a [cents-per-gallon ("CPG")] figure at this point. For model calibration purposes only, however…annual fuel profitability in the mid-30s CPG would lead to EBITDA growth for the year of at least 5% to 6%." It stands to reason that CASY could actually see little to no EBITDA growth in FY '23 due to fuel price fluctuations.
2. Despite arguably serving as CASY's key growth area, prepared food same-store sales have actually been trending down.
Figure 8: CASY Prepared Food & Dispensed Beverage Same-Store Sales (CASY Investor Deck March 2022)
We see that prepared food gross margin has been trending downward as well. I don't know that investors should read too much into these trends at this point. Obviously, should it continue, we might begin to surmise something is fundamentally wrong with that aspect of the business. Still, the trend does not bode well for FY '23 EBITDA modeling given that prepared food and dispensed beverages offer the highest margins of CASY's 3 main businesses.
3. CASY is just an expensive stock. From Figure 1, we can see that investors have traditionally "baked-in" high expectations into CASY's stock price. The firm appears well-managed, and as I argued earlier, has a unique go-to-market strategy. So, it is understandable, on those points, that investors have high expectations. Of course, however, that does not imply that those expectations are reasonable, and hence that the stock price is reasonable.
My Take On It
As I've said before, I think CASY is a wonderful company. But, I am personally not keen to jump into the stock even with today's pullback, which saw the price dip below $186 at the close.
What price is reasonable? I'm not sure I have a perfect answer to that question. I was reading an article earlier today quoting the legendary Jeremy Siegel who recommends buying into the current dip in markets. The same article notes the (probably familiar) 10-year P/E average for the S&P 500 of 16.9. If we just round that up to 17 and apply it to CASY's FY '22 diluted EPS, we get a price of $154.70. Is the stock going to fall another ~17% from today's close? In this market, it's possible…
I think investors who are already long the stock would be best served to hold with the understanding that FY '23 could prove turbulent due to fuel cost uncertainties and inconsistent performance from prepared foods. For investors looking to jump in, I would suggest waiting for another pullback with perhaps a price of ~$150 being reasonable, but not necessarily a bargain.
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Why microbusinesses are crucial to levelling up
What Bass Fishing Guides And Fireworks Retailers Can Teach Us About Where The Economy Is Headed


text:
A small hill, Midayikunnam lies near Thalayolaparambu in Kottayam District. It is situated on the Kottayam - Ernakulam route and is easily accessible by local buses from Kottayam.
Pundareekapuram Temple, a shrine dedicated to Lord Vishnu, is located atop the hill. The temple is noted for its mural collections.

The prestigious Devaswom Board College, Thalayolaparambu adorns the crown of Midayikunnam in Thalayolaparambu with all its splendor and glory. The Devaswom Board College, Thalayolaparambu, the second educational institution of its kind managed by the Travancore Devaswom Board, was established in the year 1965. The college is affiliated to the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. The college had its affiliation to the Kerala University in the beginning and when the Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam was established in 1983, the college came under its jurisdiction.

Midayikunnam have a sub post office of Thalayolaparambu and the postal code is 686605. The Govt L.P (Lower Primary) school, Midayikunnam is situated near the Pundareekapuram Temple.

! Village
! District
! State
! Country
|-
| Thalayolaparambu
| Vadayar
| Kottayam
| Kerala
| India
|}

References
 http://www.india9.com/i9show/Midayikunnam-72533.htm

Geography of Kottayam district

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


End up being the guy who hosts the Tonys?
"Ode to James Corden" was performed live at the 70th annual Tony Awards on June 12th, 2016 at the Beacon Theatre in New York City. It featured the Broadway cast of Hamilton in an parody of Hamilton's opening number, "Alexander Hamilton." The song praised the show's host, James Corden, and delved into his background in both theatre and television.


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$282/month for a deductible of $500 and coverage of $400,000 for a 1,670 sqft 4 bed, 3 baths home built in 1947.
$195/month for a deductible of $500 and coverage of $300,000 for a 1,320 sqft 3 bed, 2 baths home built in 1947.
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$219/month for a deductible of $12,000 and coverage of $700,000 for a 2,430 sqft 4 bed, 3 baths home built in 1942.
$415/month for a deductible of $4,500 and coverage of $700,000 for a 2,700 sqft 4 bed, 3 baths home built in 1988.
$223/month for a deductible of $10,000 and coverage of $600,000 for a 1,890 sqft 5 bed, 3 baths home built in 1999.
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$400/month for a deductible of $500 and coverage of $700,000 for a 2,900 sqft 5 bed, 3 baths home built in 1947.
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Beatrice (Bea) R. Adshead, age 95, went home to be with our Lord on Friday, April 12, 2019 at Brookside, a Hospice House in Palm Harbor, FL. She was born on October 2, 1923 in Long Beach, CA to John "Jack" and Beatrice (McNally) Lydon. Beatrice and her family moved back to Philadelphia, PA while she was still a baby where she grew up to be in the first graduating class at St. Hubert's, an all-girl Catholic High School, in 1941. From there she worked at Warner Brothers before moving on to take a Supervisory position at the Naval Aviation Supply Depot base in Northeast Philadelphia where she retired after 20 years of service. After her retirement, she moved to Palm Harbor, FL to be closer to family and enjoy the Florida sunshine. As someone who was very active and always a generous spirit, she volunteered at Hospice for 17 years and served as the President of the Upper Pinellas Woman's Deanery. Bea will be remembered as a shining example of God's light and love, always willing to lend a helping hand and lovingly guide her family in the path of the Lord. She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Edward Lydon and her sister Dorothy (Lydon) Bricarell. She is survived by her two sisters Mary Lou (Lydon) Weckerly and Suzanne (Lydon) Olsen, as well as her 3 daughters Dianne (Adshead) Williamson, Eileen (Adshead) Adams and Barbara (Adshead) Rainey. She also has 9 grandchildren, 16 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren. Services will be held on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at 11:00 am at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church located at 2281 FL-580, Clearwater, FL 33763. There will be a viewing at St. Michael's beginning at 10:00 am before services. The family would like to thank Coral Oaks in Palm Harbor, FL for making her last month's so enjoyable with new friends and activities and Brookside in North Pinellas County for all their love and support during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice of the Florida Suncoast, 5700 Roosevelt Blvd, Clearwater, FL 33760.
This beautiful lady is my Mother, and my best friend.
I am finding that I miss her more then I ever imagined possible and believe me, I always imagined I would miss her one day. She was the sweetest most loving person you could ever imagine.
When I was little I adored my "Mommy". As I got older (into my teenage years), things were 'interesting'.
In my adult years, she became my best friend. We traveled together, prayed together, celebrated together and cried together. She taught me the importance of family, love and God.
We had many family traditions that we honored every year. One of the most recent traditions was our Good Friday dinner at Country Pizza Inn. This year, it just wasn't the same without her. We all gathered and we all missed her terribly.
One tradition that we will also cherish was our Christmas morning breakfast at Becky's with the kids.
One Christmas Mom was teaching Becky how to make her famous Quiche's and instead of saying to pour the cream mixture over the eggs and cheese 'slowly', she told her to pour it "quietly". That has been a Christmas morning joke ever since. She made us laugh and she enjoyed laughing at us as well.
One of most cherished times was every time I heard her sing. She had the most beautiful voice. It really makes me sad to realize that I will never hear her voice or see her beautiful face again.
She was loved by so many in our huge family and she has enriched all of our lives just by knowing her.
I love you Mom and will forever hold you in my heart.
One day we will meet again and I will hear your beautiful voice once more and see that one of a kind loving smile. I love ya Moma!!!!
I have so many memories of Nana. One of my favorites is her teaching me how to make her Christmas quiche one year. When explaining how to pour the egg mixture, she said to pour quietly instead of carefully. We always joked about that every Christmas afterwards. I love you Nana, and I know you'll be watching while I "quietly" make your quiche each year.
I was blessed to have known you. You were a wonderful, kind, loving, and had a beautiful heart. You are missed. Rest In Peace.


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Odds growing for 'significant storm' in Upstate NY next week. Maybe two
Updated: Feb. 12, 2021, 3:23 p.m. | Published: Feb. 12, 2021, 12:43 p.m.
After the Nor'easter, Lake Effect in Central New York
By Glenn Coin | gcoin@syracuse.com
Syracuse, N.Y. -- A "significant storm" is possible early next week in Upstate New York, and there are signs that a second, more powerful, winter storm could follow on its heels.
The National Weather Service has issued a preliminary hazardous weather outlook for potentially heavy snow Tuesday.
"After a batch of light snow this weekend, confidence continues to increase for a more significant winter storm on Tuesday," said the alert, issued by the Binghamton weather service office, which forecasts for Central New York and the Southern Tier.
Few details are available yet, but forecasters say various weather models are aligning toward a low pressure system moving up the East Coast. That system will tap into moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, so it will be able to deliver substantial amounts of snow when it bumps into cold Canadian air pushing into Upstate New York.
"It does look to be a little bit stronger than these previous couple of systems that we've had, and shows some potential for measurable snowfall," said Ben Lott, a meteorologist in the Binghamton office. "There still remains some uncertainty this far out. We're not quite sure where the heaviest snowfall could be or even how much snow we could see from this system."
The storm system that could bring snow to the Northeast has just reached the Western U.S., Lott said, and will slide into the Southwest over the weekend. Forecasters can better predict the strength and path of a storm system once it starts moving over land, where there are more gauges and observations than in the ocean.
As that low pressure system pulls away Tuesday or Wednesday, lake effect snow could be dragged into areas downwind of lakes Erie and Ontario. After that, another coastal storm could sweep in Thursday or Friday. Trying to forecast weather a week away, however, is fraught with uncertainty.
"As expected at this time frame, (there is) a considerable amount of spread in the track, timing, and strength of a potential storm Thursday," said the weather service office in Albany. Even so, forecasters are confident in saying there will be some kind of precipitation, most likely snow.
"We're talking seven to eight days out," Lott said. "There's just way too much uncertainty with that."
The late-week storm could be a big one, said New York state climatologist Mark Wysocki. As arctic air continues to push down into the Plains and eventually all the way to southern Texas, storm systems sliding across the continent will be shoved to the south. These types of storms are called East Texas Lows, Wysocki said, because they originate along the Texas/Louisiana border before heading northeast.
"You have to get around that arctic dome of air," he said. "Those storms that dip over the Gulf states -- Texas, Mississippi, Florida -- get a lot of warm, moist air to work on, and they can be very intense storms, with high winds and coastal flooding."
Stay tuned to our weather page for updates throughout the next week.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


How do you handle player death?
The Spartan Beast isn't a street game in any conventional sense. It's a gruelling 12-mile trek through knee-high mud and neck-deep rivers, with obstacles ranging from "rope climb" to "ditch full of ice" to "20m of monkeybars above a lake". Fail to complete - not attempt, complete - any obstacle and you must do 30 burpees. You win the game by completing the course; you lose by quitting.
But, actually, it has a lot in common with street games. There are aesthetics: we're given a pep talk at the start by a man dressed in full Spartan regalia. Some people are in costume. There are elements of cooperation and competition among players. There are crew (at least until it gets dark, but that's another story) who create the experience.
In street games, rules can't be enforced as rigidly as they can in computer- or board- games, and the Beast shares this attribute, too. The crew have some discretion.
I witness this first hand: I'm a few miles from the finish, walking carefully along the balance beams, 20m of zig-zagging sideways planks covered in slippery mud. A crewmember is watching me. If I put a foot down, I've failed the obstacle; she should scream "burpees!" at me, inflicting another few minutes of intense cardio.
What will happen then is that I will go down for the first burpee, stay down, and get medevaced out. I know this and probably she does too. I'm already staggered, barely walking, a victim of extreme exertion and intense cold, with no food other than a handful of energy gels. My pulse is fast and weak; at a road crossing a mile back, my race partner threatened to flag down a car and get me out of here.
If that happens, the race is over, and I lose.
And perhaps that's the right thing. It'll be crushingly disappointing for me (and for my partner, who will feel honour-bound to leave with me), but a game you cannot lose is not a game at all - it's a tour. The reason La Noche De Los Muertos is still the best street game I have ever played is because of the glorious intensity of it: there was no negotiation, no reasoning, and no second chances. You win or you die. Knowing this makes for an absolutely heart-pounding experience, an even more intense version of the Ironman modes of computer games where you can't restore a previous savegame.
Also, having any kind of assistance undermines the meaning of victory, both for this player and for others. "I win!" becomes "I win, but..". The winner's club gets less exclusive.
Normally this would be a gloriously tense moment, the kind of do-or-die that I strive to create in game designs because it tells great stories, win or lose. But I don't have any capacity left to feel excitement. In Left 4 Dead, if you're knocked down twice, you can carry on, but the world goes black-and-white, the sound effects are distorted, and you're constantly reminded that another hit means the end. I feel like that. The medical reality of failure is so present now that I don't care any more; I don't have anything left.
So I do my best, but I slip and put a foot down, just for a second.
She doesn't call it. Neither do I. I finish the obstacle and walk on.
And at that point the game changes. It's full dark, now, and most of the crew have gone home, leaving us on our honour. We see others limping around obstacles, or half-heartedly attempting them and then moving on, without the burpees. I reach an eight-foot wall, try to climb it, slip, and land on my neck. I get up, eventually, and stagger around it to the finish line.
On balance, I think this was the right result. I'm sure the Elite Wave, with prizes and bragging rights, is rigidly enforced. But if every wave ran by those rules, the total audience for this race would be much smaller - and the casualty count would be higher. This kind of 'autoscaling' difficulty is the same thing I try to create in street games; Citydash reports your score against the teams immediately ahead of and behind you, so there's still strong competition even for 22nd place. In Heist, the guards will try hard not to see you if they've busted you three times already.
They can autoscale the other way, too. On my fourth run at 2.8 Hours Later it was getting too easy for me, so I brought a couple of friends along as VIPs that I had to protect. It didn't go well - but it made the game interesting again. I've even done this in races; in the Grim Blackout I ran through the water hazards, even though there's a track around them, because that's what I was there for.
In the case of the Beast, because the penalty for failure is so extreme - wait an hour in the cold for pickup, a humiliating ride in the back of an ambulance, owing a debt to a partner who could have carried on - it makes sense for it to be more carefully administered. The other way, of course, is to reduce the penalty. In Outbreak, if you're "killed" you can carry on as a zombie. In Night Watch you can immediately try again. In Citydash your options are reduced, but there are still things you can do.
I've been thinking a lot about aesthetics and plot design, and concluded that good street games don't try to write stories. They create worlds, and players write the stories. I think it's the same with challenges: the game should create the challenging environment. But the players make the challenges themselves.


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"America's Greatest Domestic Threats"
Wayne LaPierre's perverted view of the world in two sentences.
Steven L. Taylor · Sunday, April 30, 2017 · 45 comments
"It's up to us to speak up against the three most dangerous voices in America: academic elites, political elites, and media elites. These are America's greatest domestic threats."–Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president and CEO of the National Rifle Association.
I vacillate between wanting to respond to this with snark and wanting to delve into the seriousness of this statement.
One thing is for sure: this is populism at its worst. It is us ("the people") v. them ("the elites") and it is tinged with the threat of violence.
No comment on the fact the LaPierre himself is the definition of an elite and that NRA itself has a media arm.
I would say that, at a minimum, if one is the head of an organization whose main mission is the expansion of gun ownership (a tool of violence, by definition), it might be nice if one could be a little less vitriolic and alarmist in one's rhetoric. As a member of one of the groups identified, and on the margins of another, I don't appreciate the sentiment. Beyond that, and despite all the rhetoric from the NRA that gun rights are seriously threatened, the reality is that gun rights have never been more expansive in the US than they are right now. For example, via AL.com: Alabama Senate passes bill to eliminate pistol permit requirement.
Going beyond any personal connection to Mr. LaPierre's list, as a scholar (yes, I know) of democracy (yes, I know), I hate to tell him, but free speech and education are far more important in the securing and maintenance of freedom and liberty than are the types of gun rights he spends his energies promoting. I recognize that many Second Amendment absolutists would disagree with that statement and make points about the need for force in overthrowing dictators and whatnot. While I will readily allow that use of force can be deployed in the pursuit of liberty, the reality is that the mythology of its role is almost always overblown and that guns are actually more likely to be used to further tyranny. This is just reality.
I will conclude by simply saying that academics and journalists are keys to civilization, especially democratic civilization. And, like or not, politicians are needed, and are often quite useful (they certainly have been, ironically enough, to the NRA).
Ah well. I know: why even bother to try and speak to this nonsense? After all, what do I know, being a pointy-headed academic and all that?
FILED UNDER: Guns and Gun Control, US Politics
Mikey says:
Sunday, April 30, 2017 at 12:15
As someone (can't remember who) tweeted yesterday: "Yeah, remember when Harvard's math department killed all those kids at Sandy Hook?"
Pch101 says:
We should change the national anthem to Weird Al Yankovic's "Dare to be Stupid."
If America wasn't so dumbed down these days, I'd be laughing. I consider the domestic supply of guns, approximately 300,000,000, to be a significant domestic threat.
Ben Wolf says:
There's nothing unusual or surprising in LaPierre's statement. He's targeting the Democrats' pfrofessional class constituency with predictably hyperbolic rhetoric, with the goal of inflaming the working classes that Republicans have been courting since 2009.
It's not a new antagonism. This sort of thing has been happening in the U.S. at least since the 1830s when labor pushed back against increasing influence of licensed professionals in governance.
LaPierre is exploiting a time-honored motif in American culture: that of the simple, patriotic, God-fearing, virtuous countryman versus the complex, globalist, atheist, evil city dweller.
@Ben Wolf: @CSK: I recognize it is nothing new, whether from LaPierre or politics over time.
Indeed not. But it seems to have surged in popularity over the past decade. Sarah Palin gave the rubes a locus, and when she bailed to become a reality show starlet, reality show star Trump came along to give them a voice.
A loud voice.
@Steven L. Taylor: I think it's important to look at the source of the resentment. LaPierre and his ilk are really just a symptom of this dim view of professionalism that I would argue is anger toward the Obama administration from the less-than-well educated.
There's nothing inherently wrong with expertise; in fact it makes good sense to consult people who devote their lives to a subject when public officials must make a decision related to that subject. FDR's administration was an excellent example of policy and politics by the most brilliant minds available. But they differed from the modern idea of the expert in many ways. Roosevelt's closest advisor and the man who ran the WPA was a social worker from the middle of nowhere. He chose a man without a law degree for key legal positions in his government and to prosecute and Nuremburg. He recruited a small-town banker in Utah who not only went on to become the greatest Federal Reserve Chairman in history but independently developed Keynesian economics having never been exposed to the work of Keynes. Roosevelt took brilliance wherever he found it and let his people try experiment after experiment until the found something that worked. This group of experts defeated the great depression, prosecuted war on a previously unimagined scale and established a post-war global order of unparalleled prosperity.
Today expertise is defined solely by one's CV. Obama recruited the president of Harvard to head his response to the financial crash, a man widely blamed for his role in creating it. He staffed his administration with people holding degrees from the finest institutions and impeccable credentials, people who only a few months before were insisting there was no fundamental problem with the American economy and eight years later still can't articulate why the crash happened. I'd argue it's not expertise or experts that the less-than-well educated are actually angry with, it's that these particular experts not only pay no price for repeated failures, but are generously rewarded after those failures while the average American bears the burden of those mistakes.
And LaPierre is trying to pervert that into something dangerous for personal gain.
@Ben Wolf:
Don't you find it interesting how non-ideological all this is? The Trumpkins aren't about conservatism vs. liberalism, or Republican vs. Democrat. Go over to a site such as Lucianne.com and you'll see that the seething hatred of Obama, Pelosi, Schumer, et al. is surpassed by the hatred for Ryan, McConnell, Graham, Sasse, et al.
Who's more dangerous to democracy, the media or lobbyists? Doesn't matter, cause the NRA has both.
A billboard I'd like to see:
"This Mass Shooting Brought to You by the NRA"
For some reason or other, I'm not sure there is any amount of money that would secure it.
And if you want to see the true greatest domestic threat, look no further than the current occupants of the White House:
Priebus: White House Has 'Looked At' Changing Law To Let Trump Sue Press The article is at TPM. No link as I'd no doubt end up in spam hell again
They can't even give lip service to the 1st Amendment.
Eric Florack says:
@al-Ameda: With thatmany guns..( and I consider that a very low estimate) if it were a danger, you would know… And likely already be in hiding.
@OzarkHillbilly: Here you go.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/priebus-white-house-looked-at-changing-laws-trump-sue-press
ABC News' Jon Karl questioned Priebus on "This Week" about Trump's suggestion in March that he might "change libel laws" in order to go after the New York Times.
"That would require, as I understand it, a constitutional amendment," Karl said. "Is he really going to pursue that?"
"I think it's something that we've looked at, and how that gets executed or whether that goes anywhere is a different story," Priebus said.
@Eric Florack:
Why would I be in hiding?
I'm well aware that this country is awash in guns, and the Wayne LaPierre's of the world want us to fear the New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, and the Washington Post. Now that's visionary!
mannning says:
It has long been contended that home defense weapons save the day when intruders show up, but neither the police nor the media regularly report such events. Thus the claim that over two million such intrusions per year are thwarted by armed homeowners cannot be satisfactorily verified. John Lott used to tout the number three million, based on some sort of analysis, but it could not be validated. It is possible that well over one million such events occur each year, with perhaps a small portion of them threatening to be vicious and murderous, on the order of five percent, or 50,000, really evil events avoided. Were the three million number to be true, that would mean near 150,000 "saves." In either case, the armed homeowners, of whom there are millions, have a solid rationale for their defensive weapons.
@mannning:
Well, by the standards you apply, the number could be a billion. Ten billion! A trillion! If you're going to just invent numbers out of whole cloth, go big!
a) I am sure some intruders are thwarted by homeowners with guns, but
b) There is zero reason to assume that there is a successful conspiracy to squelch this information. At a minimum I can think of one highly funded entity that could very easily get the word out. Also,
c) When it comes to squelching systematic research on guns, see again the same three-lettered NGO that I mentioned in point "b".
Moreover, while you yourself admit that your number are not verified, you use them anyway, which is not very persuasive.
Having said all of that, I have never criticized someone for wanted to have a weapon in their home if they feel there is a need. Although I do seriously wonder about the safety it may provide versus the danger to those in house it may present.
We are well beyond, as I noted in passing in the post, issues of home safety and have moved to the idea that anyone who wants to be armed should be armed without license at any location.
And important "not" was left out and now added in the previous comment.
Thus the claim that over two million such intrusions per year are thwarted by armed homeowners cannot be satisfactorily verified.
Of course it can't be verified. The number is obvious bulls**t.
That number would suggest that the US would have a crime rate on a par with an anarchic third-world country on steroids, yet we survive it because of guns. Anyone with more than two functioning brain cells (read: not a conservative) has the common sense to know why such an assertion is beyond ridiculous.
Argon says:
If we're going to the same hyperbolic territory as Wayne 'Scaredy Pants' LaPierre, one should note that Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge had the same opinion in Cambodia.
I suppose it's time to get LASIK surgery so that I don't get caught wearing glasses.
Note also that gun sales have dropped since the election. Wayne is just trying to scare up more business for his group's primary income source.
SC_Birdflyte says:
It's turned into a game: the NRA and its minions come out with some off-the-wall idea and try pushing it through as many state legislatures as they can. Honestly, if the NRA started a campaign to permit private ownership of MOABs, there would be a host of lawmakers all too happy to parrot whatever Wacky Wayne says.
if it were a danger, you would know
Three hundred people a day get shot in this country. That seems sufficient to regard it as a danger. Given where I live and who I hang out with, likely less a danger to me than to you.
teve tory says:
free speech and education are far more important in the securing and maintenance of freedom and liberty than are the types of gun rights he spends his energies promoting. I recognize that many Second Amendment absolutists would disagree with that statement and make points about the need for force in overthrowing dictators and whatnot. While I will readily allow that use of force can be deployed in the pursuit of liberty, the reality is that the mythology of its role is almost always overblown and that guns are actually more likely to be used to further tyranny. This is just reality.
This is a very solid point. Noble armed patriots repelling the oppressive government is a fantasy certain types are attracted to.
@gVOR08: Yeah, for Al Qaeda to kill as many americans as guns do, they'd have to pull off a 9/11 attack once a month, every month, in perpetuity.
I would have taken "elite" to mean the wealthy and powerful who control the country, the Kochs and Adelsons, the McConnells, Pelosis, and Ryans; the Murdochs, the Sulzbergers, Bezoses, and Murdochs; the heads of major corporations. One of the Republicans best tricks has been redefining "elite" to mean academics and reporters and climate scientists and anyone they can get the rubes to believe looks down on them. It's absurd to pretend that, say, Michael Mann is an elite and David Koch is not.
@Mikey: well, the unabomber was a harvard dude- and all snarkiness aside there have been more gun deaths in just the chicago area than in the iraq "war". and chicago is not known for being a "legal gun owner bastion". so tell us just what the solution is to dealing with gun deaths in highly gun controlled areas? i mean aside from the obvious?
I remain shocked that the border wall and force field that surround Chicago fail to keep the guns out. It's not as if guns are portable or concealable or anything…
Kari Q says:
It is possible that well over one million such events occur each year,
In 2015, there were 1.2 million violent crimes. There were approximately 8 million non-violent property crimes. We're supposed to believe that 1 million or more crimes (10 percent of the total number of crimes occurring in the country) are prevented with personal firearms? That is simply not plausible.
When the numbers for 2012 were studied recently they found a much lower instance:
The center also dives into the thorny thicket of how often the presence of a gun stops a crime — either violent or against property, such as a burglary — from happening…an analysis of five years' worth of stats collected by the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Crime Victimization Survey puts the number much, much lower — about 67,740 times a year.
Now personally, gun ownership isn't an issue that I have strong feelings about. I don't particularly care if someone wants a gun for protection, or because they enjoy shooting, or just because they think they're neat things to have. But the ridiculous claims made to support the value of gun ownership are cringe inducing.
Mu says:
@SC_Birdflyte: Just to point out there's no law to prohibit you from owning a MOAB, unless it's classified as a weapon of mass destruction. I can see how you might have trouble storing it in most municipalities, as 10 tons of high explosives are over the limit for most zoning rules, but you can own it. Just like you can own a tank, a machine gun or a flame thrower (the latter one not even being under the NFA registration requirements, no $200 tax stamp required).
HarvardLaw92 says:
Is there a state which denies homeowners the right to keep a gun in their homes for protection? If so, point it out please.
You're moving the goalposts. The problem is, and has been for a long time, the nutjobs intent on carrying the things with them everywhere they go.
@bill: What exactly was it you were trying to say? I mean, that was a Trump-level word salad.
John Lott used to tout the number three million, based on some sort of analysis, but it could not be validated.
"Could not be validated", passive voice? IIRC it could not be validated because when Lott was asked to show his data (that elitist peer review thing), the dog had eaten it.
If you and the NRA are just going to make up numbers, why be pikers? Why two million? Why not ten million? A hundred million? See @Kari Q:. 68,000 << 2,000,000.
I occasionally look at the NRA's Armed Citizen page. Have you ever read Gun Fail? This list is often a lot funnier than the NRA's list, albeit unintentionally. When it isn't tragic. The first item is sadly typical.
Officials with the Perry County Sheriff's Office confirmed a 13-year-old was shot and killed while playing with a handgun with another child. The shooting happened on Culps Bend Road in the White Oak Community on Sunday. Authorities said details were limited, but they confirmed the 13-year-old and a 12-year-old went into a bedroom, got a handgun from a family member's backpack, and were playing with it when the shooting took place.
Monday, May 1, 2017 at 16:18
@Kari Q:
In 2015, there were 1.2 million violent crimes. There were approximately 8 million non-violent property crimes. We're supposed to believe that 1 million or more crimes (10 percent of the total number of crimes occurring in the country) are prevented with personal firearms?
Perhaps the crimes are being prevented by the same millions of illegal immigrants who voted fraudulently in the last election.
Snark aside, it is not inherently impossible for deterrence rates to be comparable to crime rates. One could imagine, for example, that for every red light runner at a given intersection there is at least one person who would have run the red light but for the camera system. The problem here is that there is no data, and the NRA fights hard to make sure that there will never be any data. Until then, the burden of proof is on those who claim that guns are doing hidden good, in addition to obvious evil.
@DrDaveT:
The problem here is that there is no data, and the NRA fights hard to make sure that there will never be any data.
Telling, isn't it. Saw an article a week or two ago, a doctor at the National Institutes of Health saying his managers are so cowed by the GOPs in congress they won't use the word "gun".
Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 14:13
There's no reason to settle for anything less than Graham's number.
On the other hand, its about what I expect from an NRA exec.
It is most certainly a problem that validated, weapon incident data from the police, and the victims at large, is not made available to the public. It is also reasonable, in my view, that ownership of weapons for self-defense is needed as a function of where one lives. The big cities are rife with violent crimes that are most often localized to certain neighborhoods, time-periods and life styles. If you live in a high crime district, protection is called for, since the police are too many minutes away most of the time.
It is also obvious that owners of weapons should be trained in their use, know the gun laws, and should demonstrate sufficient proficiency in shooting them on a police or military range under supervision. It is preferable that the training include decision-making, fire or not, under stress as well. I do believe that not all such incidents are reported to the police or the FBI, but that is too hard to prove as well.
I had rather be safe, armed, trained, and law-abiding, than not, in my dicey location.
And I don't actually disagree with any of that. But none of that has anything to do with made-up numbers about the relative incidence of gun-induced-crime-avoidance versus gun-induced-innocent-casualties. I know where the smart money is.
Wednesday, May 3, 2017 at 00:38
One has several options regarding the use of guns to avoid a crime: 1) decide it is not possible to generate validated numbers, so the factor is simply undetermined and not taken into account; 2) Make a full survey of reporting throughout the nation on this subject; 3) Make an educated guess, based on the limited data available. I reject (1) outright; I would love to see (2) executed properly. but it isn't going to happen. This leaves (3), and we do need some kind of estimate on this since it directly affects the gun control argument.
Those who want high gun control are happy to ignore this factor, and delight in pointing out that solid data is not available, so go pound sand. Of the reported 10.2 million crimes a year mentioned above, it is certainly true that saving just one life or one rape would be worthwhile, yet I do believe there are far more, on the order of 50,000 to 150,000 that are avoided each year because of the existence of an armed citizen in the way.
Can I prove it? No. It is a belief, based on the violent crime statistic, and taking a range of from about 5% to 15% more of them being added to the violent crime list, but as thwarted crimes or saves because a citizen with a gun interfered. Even at a paltry 1% rate of the violent crimes over 10,000 saves would occur.
The high potential here should not be ignored; rather, we should perform the proper data gathering and analysis, (2) above, to understand the real impact of citizen's guns on crime, before laying on all kinds of regulations not based on a proper tradeoff of misery.
The US has the highest homicide rate in the developed world because it is easier for Americans to murder each other. Guns make killing easy.
It's not that complicated.
delight in pointing out that solid data is not available
Given that the NRA and its allies actively block research in these areas, it is frustrating to have you assert this. I state that less as a person with an opinion on these topics as a person who values evidence-based argumentation.
I would note, again, that if there were a huge number of examples, as you suggest, of crimes being thwarted by citizens with guns the NRA would have every incentive to shout this from the rooftops. And yet we get an anecdote here, and and anecdote there. I am not saying it doesn't happen, but your claims are fantastical.
Indeed, you do realize that you are essentially saying that you believe it to be true, so therefore it must be true, yes?
Modern American conservatism is built upon a foundation of fiction. Falsehoods are regarded as truth, while truth is ignored. Word salad and ignorance are more valued than data and sound analysis.
It cannot be taken seriously from an intellectual standpoint — it is an empty but noisy vessel. It is not possible to have a discussion or fruitful debate with someone who is both incapable of processing facts and who is committed to resisting them, so why bother?
Nice word twist! That I believe something doesn't mean it is true, but simply a working hypothesis of mine yet to be verified.
As of 2014 there were a total of 38,177 gun deaths, of which 21,180 were suicides, which leaves 17,497 gun deaths presumably crime related or accident related: National Safety Council in 2016.
Of the 68,000 reported vicious and non-vicious crimes prevented at a 9 to 1 ratio, this Implies 6,800 saves, which is far less that the 50,000 I suggested at a minimum. (I must have stated my case incorrectly, or in unclear terms earlier, but I do believe the number to be a lot higher than 6,800 since gun saves are not normally reported. Chalk it up to old age!)
Leaving aside suicides, then, for a misery tradeoff to be favorable to gun owners, there should be more saves than deaths, and to convince the anti-gun lobby of the tradeoff, a hell of a lot more. But to ignore this factor because of a lack of hard data seems to me to be totally dishonest. It should be pursued diligently, and if the NRA is the block they are stupidly missing a major argument for gun ownership. Or, at a minimum, avoiding the truth.
I set aside suicides for two reasons: 1) There are enough guns around to make it easy for anyone to find one and kill himself; and, 2) Lacking a gun the dedicated suicider will find other, much messier means to do the job. The railroad track between Amsterdam and Enschede is a notorious suicide rail in Holland, such that many trainmen refuse to ride that route.
Other commenters on this subject have accused the gun-control people in the media of not reporting "saves", and police departments for not reporting them, as well as the individuals who do not tell the police of their incidents. For this latter case I have personal experience of a close friend who refused to involve the police after she had scared off an intruder with a sixgun. That it was in Texas may have something to do with it. And yes, it is a one-off case!
It's not that complicated. Word salad won't change that.
The N.R.A.'s Bizarre Response To The Sandy Hook Shootings
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Rep. Steve King Endorses Racist 'White Nationalism'


How often should garage doors be serviced? For most people the answer is, only when something breaks. This way of thinking could be costing you time and money in the long run. Simple routine maintenance twice per year can extend the life of your door system. You probably don't need to hire a professional overhead door repairman. These simple checkpoints will help you keep your garage door in good shape year round.
Service your garage door system at least once per year. This is most important in the fall season to prepare for cold winter temperatures and snow. Check the door again in early spring when temperatures and moisture levels change.
Check that all rollers and hinges are in good condition – making sure all nuts and bolts are secure. These parts are prone to cracking and splitting. Homeowners can easily repair these parts without having to call a repairman for a service call. Rollers and hinges can be found online or at your nearest box store.
Check your door balance and spring tension by balancing the garage door halfway up in the opening. If it moves up or down you know the torsion springs need adjustment. Springs tend to break in the winter during cold temperatures. If your springs are over ten years old it may be a good idea to have them replaced. At the very least , adjust your torsion springs so the garage door opener doesn't overwork and burn out.
Lubricate all metallic moving parts with non silicone based garage door lubricant. WD-40 will work, but avoid thick lubricants that can gum up easily. Rollers, hinges and springs need light lubrication several times per year, but especially during winter.
Replace all perimeter seal if necessary. Vinyl door stop weatherseal and bottom astragal should be checked for wear. Make sure you don't have gaps where snow and air drafts can enter the garage. With the lights out and garage door closed look for light shining through around the edges of the door. Bottom seal is especially prone to wear from animals and shrinking from moisture.
Open up the motor and apply grease to all of the nylon parts – especially the drive gear. Stripped gears are extremely common during winter. Special grease packets can be purchased cheaply at most professional door dealers.
This entry was posted in Tutorials and tagged maintenance, preventative, service.


The Brain Protocol is a one-to-four week homeopathic prescription typically prescribed over a three to six month period. 'The Protocol supports Dr. Gérard Guéniot's ideas on how children mature.' He teaches that human development is triggered and supported through various hormonal surges, beginning with the pituitary surge of the mother just before birth (via oxytocin), through the adrenal surge of the first year and a half of life (via cortisol), and into the thyroid phase (from one-to-seven years of age) and then a pituitary pull (starting at age seven) before the gonadal organs (ovaries and testes) take over at puberty. Since the various glands each have specific actions and influence over multiple areas of the body, the hormones that the endocrine glands secrete steer the overall development. For example, all non-voluntary organ action, even the basic movement of food through the intestinal tract, requires the organ to be properly innervated by the autonomic nervous system. But how does this happen? Gu?niot suggests that it is hormones that direct the critically important neurological connections to develop between the gastrointestinal organs and the central nervous system.
What is important about this phenomenon is that the development of the glands, the nerves, the digestive organs and the resulting immunity occurs 'simultaneously and is interdependent.' This is a component of human development that is not often considered.' It's not that the three glandular stages develop independently, from adrenal to thyroid to pituitary, but rather, they develop in conjunction with all other aspects of the organism and the environmental context the person is developing within.' For example, there is a distinct interrelatedness to the growth and changes in the gastric system that parallel changes in the endocrine system. As the liver's true functions become awakened, the thyroid plays a large role in the behavior of the child. The thyroid is the gland that awakens the capacity of the child to decide what she likes or does not like. We repeatedly see the phenomenon of babies who will eat anything, taking in any green vegetables in the first twelve months of life. Since the adrenal gland, which is considered the gland of "insensitivity," is the most active in that phase, the child did not discriminate between green vegetables and pasta. Then, suddenly the child who ate broccoli, spinach, and perhaps even greens, turns two and suddenly won't have any of it! Now, that child has discovered what they LIKE, and are often even more clear about what they don't like! As the liver develops the capacity to sort, so does the child. This is but one example of the many traits the thyroid brings to the typical child's development, all of which are interlinked to the simultaneous development of the liver and the neurological structures of the brain known as the limbic system, or the "emotional" brain. (Isn't what we like and not like often based on emotions?). Likewise, the capacity for learning, for memory, is based on the development of the emotional component of the child, through the simultaneous developments in the thyroid, the liver and the limbic system.
Why the need for homeopathy?
Homeopathic treatment addresses the negative events that create negative memories, which are often stored in the area of the body that was either developing or active at the time of the negative event. Emotional and physical traumas of childhood are not only important in our health history but actually become more definitive in who we are and how we become ill.
To make these abstract notions more real, consider the following scenario. At three years old, right at the time that the nerve structures of the colon are becoming myelinized, a child's grandmother dies. The parents, perhaps in a protective gesture, don't speak directly to the young child about what has occurred, unaware that his emotions about what has occurred are mixed with fear and perhaps even nightmares. In most scenarios, the child continues on, without anyone recognizing any disturbance. Still this trauma, this loss, becomes implanted right into the tissues that were developing at that time. The memory becomes like a blockage to a layer of his furthered development, perhaps also affecting the thyroid, which was working to protect the emotional being. Maybe the child develops fears, or maybe the tendencies do not show until many years later. Or perhaps, the child's behavior changes immediately, but no corrective action is taken, since no family member, nor any health professional, has understood the significance of what has transpired.
This is only one type of relatively minor trauma that can occur to create a degree of blockage in the normal, progressive development. Imagine a child who has repeated 'disconnects,' repeated experiences with caretakers who are not emotionally present, or scenarios where the child was left 'feeling' abandoned. It is exactly these types of traumas that can be most easily ignored or overlooked. Deaths, physical traumas, those can all be obvious in their relation to development, but what we often forget in this society are the many events that are' perceived' as traumas, without anyone even noticing. It is the experience of the individual that matters in his development. If a child perceives he has been hurt, neurologically, physically and most importantly, emotionally since this will especially direct hormonal actions, his body will react as if he has been hurt. It's the child's perception more than the adult's reaction or intention that matters in the development of the self.
Since the gland's hormonal secretions direct the normal development through the three stages, traumas in childhood can also set the stage for abnormal hormonal function in later life. A child who's early childhood patterns are continuously disrupted by irregular wake/sleep cycles, for example, run the risk of improperly completing the initial adrenal/cortisol phase of development. This can go on to create an adult who has very poor stress responses and even ends up in a state of adrenal fatigue. Likewise, a child whose parents divorced at age five, and who attempted to managed her emotions by constantly gearing himself up to believe everything was okay, may find a tendency to hyper-or hypo-thyroidism in her twenties or thirties. And so on.
Homeopathy can help an individual re-experience a negative event with some distance, and aid in allowing the individual the opportunity to re-perceive the original event with new clarity and healing. The homeopathic Brain Protocol stimulates the proper development of the endocrine, digestive and nervous systems and can also correct errors in organ function caused by interruptions to the normal development. Since we can always help an individual balance himself during formative development, the protocol is not used only in childhood. Adults who have signs of developmental disruptions often benefit from it as well, even when physical or emotional traumas occurred twenty to forty years earlier, or the trauma cannot be precisely identified. We are aiding the body in re-linking the neurological structures to the actual organs and vice versa. Because the body has a natural tendency to complete these connections on their own, even if delayed by decades, the Brain Protocol can be significant in most patients.
Many patients experience a significant change or experience from this protocol at some point during the typical three-to-six month period that the protocol is done. It is important that patients enter into the Protocol with a level of commitment to see it through; for this system supports deep change that deserves respect and continuity of care. Every patient is unique and individual changes and experiences should be discussed with your physician. Reactions range from calming hyperactive children, to increasing awareness and alertness in older patients complaining of a poor memory, to aiding individuals with autoimmune type diseases to display more normalized immune function.
While it is almost easy to see how the Brain Protocol could be universally prescribed in today's world, the plan is used with discretion for those individuals and for those times that reflect its need the most. If you are interested in trying the protocol, please speak with your Options Naturopathic physician.


About 74% of homeless or "marginally housed" people in San Francisco who have HIV also are infected with hepatitis C, according to study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine , the San Francisco Chronicle reports. University of California-San Francisco and San Francisco General Hospital researchers tested and interviewed 249 HIV-positive people from shelters, soup kitchens and single-room occupancy hotels. All participants qualified for free treatment in the city's public health system because of their HIV-positive status, according to the Chronicle . Researchers found that 69% of the participants originally tested positive for hepatitis C, and after three years of follow-up, 74% had hepatitis C coinfection. Researchers found that only 4% of participants with hepatitis C were receiving treatment for the disease. Although the study did not intend to determine how many HIV-positive participants with hepatitis C coinfection "actually needed treatment," researchers said that the number is "surely much higher than what was found" in the study, the Chronicle reports. Dr. Christopher Hall, lead author of the study and an infectious diseases fellow at UCSF, said, "There is a profound lack of treatment. That's the big surprise. Had we looked at a population that was out of the health care loop, that lack of treatment would be more intuitive." He added that the situation is "undoubtedly worse" in other U.S. cities that do not have a public health system similar to San Francisco, according to the Chronicle . Hall said, "Theoretically at least, there's more of a potential for the spread of infection than you would have if you were more aggressive about treating this population." Dr. David Bangsberg, senior author of the study, associate professor at UCSF and director of San Francisco General's Epidemiology and Prevention Interventions Center, said that the results indicate a "longtime indifference to chronic liver disease in the poorest of the urban poor," according to the Chronicle . He said that the hospital has begun to address the problem of HIV-hepatitis C coinfection, but he added that it is "too soon" to see results "on the streets," the Chronicle reports. According to Bangsberg, "One of the broader issues here is that this city has done a great job making sure everyone, regardless of housing status and income, is getting high-quality care for HIV. The city has not done the same in making sure there's access to treatment" for hepatitis C (Hall, San Francisco Chronicle , 4/2).


Target Machine is dedicated to customer satisfaction and will work with you to achieve your goals, from single prototypes to full production runs. Our reputation for quality and customer satisfaction has allowed us to serve many industries including the Microwave, Bio/Medical, Communications, Aerospace, Computer, and Electronics industries and we have experience with an array of materials.
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The Highland Railway Society caters for all those interested in the Highland Railway from its inception to the current day. Membership currently costs £12.50 per year, for which you receive a quarterly journal and purchase Society publications at reduced prices. An email chat group encourages discussion between members.


Date: Thursday, May 10, 2018 | 1:00 p.m.
Keiser Men's Lacrosse earned nine all-conference awards including four first-teamers and five on the second-team.
Craig Marentette: Marentette was named first team all-conference for the second straight season. Marentette led the team in every offensive category for the second straight year with 28 goals, 20 assists, and 48 points. He ranks third in the NAIA in points per game, fifth in shots on goal per game and sixth in shots per game and assists per game.
James Redpath: Redpath earned first team all-conference in his first season with the Seahawks. The short stick defensive midfielder had 19 ground balls and one caused turnover. On offense, he scored a goal and had three assists.
Christian Esquilin: Esquilin, a freshman faceoff specialist garnered first team all-conference recognition. Esquilin was 135-for-222 in the circle, winning 61 percent of the time. He led the team in ground balls with 72 while scoring four goals and picking up an assist.
Justin Stone: Stone was the final Seahawk to garner first team all-conference honors, earning this recognition for the second straight season. At defense, Stone had seven caused turnovers while picking up 24 ground balls. He also scored a goal and had three helpers.
Nolan Duncan: Duncan was named to the second team all-conference for the second consecutive season. Duncan was second on the team in scoring with 20 goals and chipped in six assists for 26 points.
Hunter East: East, a freshman garnered second team all-conference recognition. East finished the year with 11 goals and seven assists for 18 points.
Justin Flint: Flint, a first team all-conference player last season was named to the second team this year. Flint tallied 12 goals and helped on five goals for 17 points.
Channing Thomas: Thomas earned second-team honors in his first year with the Keiser program. He caused 15 turnovers and picked up 15 ground balls on defense. Thomas also scored a goal against Point.
Anthony Bressi: Bressi was the final Seahawk to garner conference recognition as the freshman made the second team. Bressi boasted a 3-1 record in the cage with 49 saves along with a 53 percent save percentage.


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Claw Gear is a Swiss manufacturer of really high quality military equipment using most advanced technologies and solution. The products are designed and manufactured in such a way so as to endure the most harsh conditions of the modern battlefield. Claw Gear's task is to deliver to the client equipment that will provide protection and at the same time raise its effectiveness. The location of the company itself influences the final product - it is located at the base of the Alps, which gives the manufacturer essential for choosing right materials and solutions inspiration. Their products are described as Premium Military Equipment.
The jacket was designed in such a way so as to provide the user with a in-between layer of clothing. It is a light and durable product that can be easily packed and will not take up much room. Fleece is soft and fluffy, which makes it nice and comfortable. Made from a breathable, resistant to humidity material. Modern cut provides freedom of movement and durability of the product.


Mandan, ND—Kupper Chevrolet has once again renewed its contract as the title sponsor of the Dakota Classic Modified Tour—with IMCA Stock Cars. This latest extension is the 3rd time the Mandan, ND based Chevrolet dealership has renewed their 3 year title sponsorship that pays for both the IMCA Modified and IMCA Stock Car points' funds, along with individual track support for the series. Kupper's sponsorship is a significant reason why the Tour pays its large nightly purse that attracts the very best drivers from the continent.
The series starts its six consecutive night run at the Jamestown Speedway on Saturday, July 6, 2019. The Tour then heads north to the ND State Fairgrounds and Nodak Speedway in Minot, ND on Sunday, July 7. On Monday, July 8, the series then heads north of the international border to the Estevan Motor Speedway. On Tuesday, July 9, it's back to the states at the Williston Basin Speedway. The Tour then heads south to Dickinson, ND, and the Southwest Speedway on Wednesday, July 10. Dacotah Speedway in Mandan hosts Championship Night on Thursday, July 11. On Friday, July 12, Dacotah Speedway also hosts the Corral Sales Legendary 50 that pays $10,004 to win the IMCA Modified feature.
Now in its 30th year, the Kupper Chevrolet Dakota Classic Modified Tour will pay all IMCA Modified feature winners $2,400, with $300 to start the 30 lap feature. All IMCA Stock Cars receive $800 to win and $100 to start their 25 lap features. Kupper's Points Fund for the Modifieds will pay out $2,000 for the top 10 in series points. In the IMCA Stock Car division $1,000 is paid out to the top 10 in points. In addition, over $20,000 in contingency prizes and hard charger awards will be awarded from some of the top racing manufacturers and retailers in the US and Canada.


text:
Country diaryEnvironment
Country diary: cabin fever on the moors
Oyster Clough, Derbyshire: A decade ago, I wouldn't have mentioned it in print, but now the number of visitors has soared
Looking north to Oyster Clough cabin. Photograph: John Beatty
@calmandfearless
The true start of winter is often debated, but none of the definitions I know include mid-November. That didn't stop a razor-edged northerly blowing off the moors from knifing me in the ribs. I stopped to put on my spare jacket, but it seemed hopelessly unequal to the job. "Is that all you brought?" my companion asked. Luckily for me, by the time we emerged from the woods above the Snake Inn into bright sunshine, the wind had moderated. But the sky above was still cold-forged with that intense blue of winter, tinged pink in places in the low-angled light.
Heading south from Oyster Clough cabin, Kinder Scout on the horizon. Photograph: John Beatty
Soon we were on the easy trail above the deep notch of Oyster Clough, whose name continues to baffle me. It wasn't always called this. When the Duke of Devonshire sent his man to survey these moors in the early 17th century, the valley was still known as Nether Clough. Maybe the well-heeled grouse-shooters who appeared more than two centuries later thought "Nether" too boring. Its course has a harmonious curve whose contour lines on a map do suggest the shape of an oyster.
Its pearl, if that's the right word, is a small stone shooting cabin nestling below the brow of the moor right at the top of the clough. A decade ago, I wouldn't have mentioned it in print, the handful of such places in the Peak District being, if not closely guarded secrets, then little written about. Now, because of social media, this pearl is out on display and its number of visitors has soared.
Entering Oyster Clough cabin. Photograph: John Beatty
As we drew close, I saw it had been spruced up, with a handsome new roof. The old one, I discovered in the visitor book, had been blown off the winter before last and replaced by local mountain rescue teams, a welcome act of generosity.
What struck me most, flicking through the recent entries, was the joy that other walkers had recorded at the psychological release from the pressures of Covid-19 they had found on these windswept moors. Through the window, past a wine bottle filled with plastic flowers, I watched the sun flickering across the white grass and then brought my face close to the glass to soak up its warmth.
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These songs don't exist anymore, and I wish I could still hear them.
Anyway, I'll leave this all here to remind me.
The music ment alot to me, and obviously I think I was the only one...
Ok, let me tell you about the music. The music of Abyss comes from a dark and somewhat confused place, but at least it's pure. Dealing with the pressures of everyday life is a struggle for alot of people, and some don't make it. Abyss, to me, is that everyday struggle, that deep insecurity. Our music is about the things that keep us awake at night, whether it's the way the world you know is looking at you, the way your looking back, your asshole of a father,your father who you've never met, your parents who are struggling to put bread on the table, the girl you'd give up everything to be with, your constant feeling of uselessness and the forced somewhat spoonfed emotion that everyone faces sometime in their lives that tells them they are alone in the dark. Music has become the outlet. Words and melodies thrown together with the intention of showing you want you wish you could leave behind. For me, Abyss is almost about healing as much as it is venting. This is my life, maybe only because I'm young and don't have one yet, but if I can take this somewhere and it can take me away from all of this, then I want it to. And I promise I'll bring you all with me if you want.
Faces In The Dark
Looking back on the last six months, it occures to me that we have worked really hard writing music. I didn't realize what we were starting when Tony and I picked up an acoustic guitar and wrote the song "Breathe". Six months and six songs later and that is still the benchmark of our songs. But we've evolved alot, for a band that has never left the basement yet, we get alot of support from the people closest to us who have heard the music. They are there for us and we appreciate it and love you all. We write very slowly and maybe that's why every song has turned out to be completely different from the last. I am so proud of the fact that every song has it's own uniqueness to it, nothing sounds like a copy of the last song.
Breathe is very melodic and very dark. It's melodies the more I listen to it are crunching and moving. That riff is what our whole band came from, just one riff. The bass line came out of nowhere, and is still my favorite one. The song is not the same without it. The lyrics are the most non-metaphoric and flat out direct that I've ever written. I wrote those lyrics well over a year ago, it was kinda like my cry for help at the time.
Reasons was a song giving some of the many reasons I wanted to turn to suicide. Alot of insecurities, summed up in the first line "I am my biggest fear". The chorus throws it back in anyone's face who can't relate or comprehend feelings like that. The riffs both, guitar and bass, are soothing yet violent at the same time. This is the song that works our asses when we play it, with a great haunting bridge to slow it down. I love playing this song.
An Oblivious Shade Of Grey is definetly the backbone of this first album we are putting together. This song encompasses everything we are about, which basically is that in the end, everyone is equal. I love this song, every second of it. This is Abyss.
Nameless is the song I hold the most emotional attachment to. I don't want to talk about why. This song also in my opinion has the best music and arrangement of any song we've done. I love it and it's hard for me to play. Singing about what I sing about in this song is something that is hard for me to express, but I had to. Jay also holds a strong feeling towards this song, we both can relate to it with alot of mixed emotions. This song is something, for me, that has been a whole life's worth of bad thoughts in the making.
Fallen Echoes was the most soothing riff I have ever heard. This is the slowest and most sleepy song to date, and I could fall asleep to it. I love that about it, it's just so warm and comfortable. This riff fit me perfectly. I wrote the lyrics a long time ago, so long that I can't remember what they were about in the first place. Now they have adopted new meaning, but really lyrically this song is "Breathe part 2", the calmed down, relaxed version of an amped up big brother. The bass and guitar mix and melt together as almost one sound. We need to record this so I can go to sleep at night easier. This was the second song we wrote, and it means alot to me.
Fade Away is our acoustic ballad I guess you could say. The song was written by both Tony and I. It was also written in two seperate parts, with the second half not getting written until months later. The first half is about school life, getting picked on and not understanding why, and the second half is about these two girls who we each fell hard for. This song is deep, to us at least, especially with this summer's events which I'm not going into. I could write a book on this summer if I wanted to. Anyway, even though we never got the girls, I still love and appreciate both of them bunches and they are two of the most special and warm people I've ever met. As my friends, I hope I never lose them, and this song is about them.