By 2035, millions of baby boomers might well be living a meager existence. That's because today, close to half of the households in the United States have absolutely nothing saved for retirement. Over the past 25 years, pensions have rapidly died out and their replacement – defined contribution plans – have been woefully underfunded.
Combine this lack of savings with the rampant increase in healthcare expenses – that manage to keep us alive longer than any other time in history, resulting in a greater need for assisted living and long-term care – and many folks are looking at a more pared down retirement lifestyle than they expected. Many will live solely on Social Security benefits.
In fact, very few retirees these days get to travel the world and live out their dream retirement. Most folks – or at least those who survive to a ripe old age – settle into an existence that derives happiness from spending time with friends and family, fixing up and then puttering around in their homes, and working on small, day-to-day goals.
One way to prepare for living on less money during retirement is to start living on less before then. Learning to live within (or under) your means is part skill, part art – but it doesn't necessarily mean you have to live without. If you start early and learn to live lean, retiring won't seem like such a big life change.
Better yet, the more you tighten the belt today, the more money you can save for tomorrow. The following are a few ideas for how to make your money last over the long haul.
Even once you pay off your mortgage, owning a home can be expensive during retirement. Consider the annual cost of maintenance, repairs, property taxes, insurance and utilities for a large family home. With this number in mind, consider what you might save by moving to another housing option, such as a smaller home, duplex (with rental income from the other unit), townhome or condominium. It also may be worth considering moving closer to family to benefit from a support network in your later years. Bear in mind that it will be easier and cheaper for everyone involved if you live closer to them than if they must care for you from hundreds of miles away.
You might have enjoyed home-cooked meals for a large family, but in retirement it'll just be one or two people in your home. Start learning how to cut down recipes, prepare simpler meals, and discover good values for dining out (like early-bird dinners for seniors). On the other hand, you could start inviting friends over more often to share meals and/or host regular potluck dinners. Break out those cost-saving meals you planned when the children were young, such as slow cooker recipes and freezing leftovers so you always have a meal on hand. Consider cultivating your own garden to grow fresh herbs and produce.
When you're working, a little retail therapy to make yourself feel better is a small indulgence. But while you're living on a fixed income, this habit might actually rob you of a few meals. If you have troubles brewing on your mind, look for less expensive solutions such as a brisk walk in nature or inviting a friend over for coffee.
While you're at it, think about what types of hobbies and social engagements you can engage in that won't cost a lot of money. Walk instead of playing golf. Read novels instead of going to the movies. When it comes to periodic vacations, visit friends and family to save money on lodging and meals.


Topic: Kingdom Keys: Strong Christian Leadership Series 1: Your Worship, Relationship, and Covenant with God. Kingdom Empowerment, Inc., Donna Ghanney, Talk Show Host discusses Seven Key Points to Strong Christian Leadership with Apostle Paulius Amoa-Kodie Founder of Christ For The Africans Ministries, Dallas, Texas, and Rev. Betty Shelby of Amos Temple, Boley, OK. Seven Key Points to Strong Christian Leadership 1.Worship, Relationship, and Covenant with God 2.Develop Genuine Trust and Credibility 3.Sharing the Vision with Concise Clarity 4.Help Followers to Succeed – Christian Coaching and Mentoring 5.Communicating and Listening 6.Make Decisions and Be Accountable 7.Remain Under The Control of God GET KINGDOM EMPOWERED TODAY!


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Course to Go: The Handspring Visor Neo
Students generally take the World Wide Web for granted today, but even the most experienced Internet users are relative newcomers to the realm of mobile computing. To help further demystify and examine pervasive computing, students in "Ethics and the Internet," a course I've taught for six years at Duke University, used Handspring's Visor Deluxe personal digital assistants in the past academic year.
The use of the PDAs, supported by a grant from Duke University's Center for Instructional Technology, has helped students gain a sense of the growing fusion between the online and off-line worlds, has sparked discussion of that phenomenon, and in general has helped extend the classroom experience.
I use a Visor Prism—Handspring's high-end, color model—but the monochrome Visor Neo is the company's newer, faster, flashier model. (I assume the product's name was borrowed from the protagonist of the 1999 film The Matrix, a high-tech favorite of college students.) I am an advocate of lightweight handheld computers, particularly since baggage restrictions for traveling have gotten more stringent. Although equally praised and denigrated as executive toys, PDAs are much more than expensive address books.
Paradoxically, though, it is the friendly, toy-like quality of Handspring's devices that is appealing. The flexibility of its Springboard expansion slot enables users to slide in various modules—from presentation to wireless modem applications—to suit their needs. Because more than 55 modules are available, the design is ideal for experiencing the range of pervasive computing applications and their impact on daily academic life.
The Neo is a tight package at 4.8 inches by 3 inches by 0.7 inch, and it weighs a mere 5.4 ounces. It retails for $169, uses the Palm Inc. 3.5 operating system, and is controlled by a 33 MHz Dragonball processor from Motorola Inc. that is 50 percent faster than that of the Deluxe. Unlike the Prism, the Neo d'es not recharge while HotSyncing and instead runs on two AAA batteries, which some students prefer over having to carry a recharging cradle. According to Handspring, the battery life is six to eight weeks with average use.
Other features include 8M of memory, a 4-bit grayscale, backlit display, USB connectivity, enhanced address and date book, calculator, clock, Macintosh compatibility, built-in microphone, and infrared synchronization for "beaming" files to other PDA users.
This spring, two of my students, Scott Manson and Ted Rosenwasser, helped assess the Neo and several test modules. PDA neophyte Scott liked being able to enter information into his primary computer and load it quickly through the Neo's USB connection, which, as Ted pointed out, is 12 times faster than through the serial port he uses with his three-year-old Palm V.
Both students admired the sleek styling of the Neo and appreciated its expandability. Scott, who enjoyed playing Scrabble on the PDA and also used the device for taking notes in class, found the Franklin's Merriam-Webster dictionary module helpful.
Ted enjoyed trying out the eyemodule2 VGA camera and modest camcorder, although he quickly reached its limitations. Yet, being able to quickly take black-and-white photographs and beam them to another user is a cutting-edge application.
With a few caveats, I'm pleased with the Presenter-to-Go module from Margi Systems Inc., which enabled me to carry Microsoft Corp. PowerPoint presentations and run them from the PDA. The cable, however, is quite short and useless if the projector is ceiling mounted. And because I often make graphics-heavy presentations, I sometimes tax the memory limits of my PDA.
I often use the 802.11b-compatible Xircom Wireless Ethernet module to send instant messages, read e-mail, and surf the Web in a rudimentary way while holding office hours or while at work in the library. Because I play books on tape and CD, I also appreciate the Audible Advisor, a module that comes with earbuds for listening to recordings downloaded from Audible Inc.'s Web site (www.audible.com).
The fact that the students and I prefer different features and modules and used the Neo in different ways speaks to the adaptability of the Handspring line. Pedagogically, the Neo has provided a relatively low-cost and attractive way of encouraging students to think outside the deskbound or address-book box.
For classes with fieldwork, the GPS Companion module might be appropriate, and for writing-intensive purposes, one of the lightweight or collapsible keyboards can be a useful addition that will not break the budget. They are all easy to use—just slide or snap in place, turn on the Visor and go.
Together with wireless phones, MP3 players, pagers, and other portable devices, the Handspring models we've used have helped open the experience of the course and deepened the students' involvement with today's digital culture. Indeed, students become attached to the devices, and letting go can be, as Scott said, a bittersweet experience.
Wendy Robinson is an adjunct instructor at Duke University. She can be reached at [email protected]. The syllabus for "Ethics and the Internet" can be found at www.duke.edu/~wgrobin/ethics.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Peace Processes: An Interview with Roger Mac Ginty
Alasdair McKay
Professor Roger Mac Ginty discusses peace processes, the decline of liberal peacebuilding and the concept of "everyday peace".
Q. What is a peace process?
A peace process is an attempt to lower the costs of conflict through negotiation. It is not a peace of rainbows and unicorns. It is often a hard-headed process of trying to achieve your goals but through negotiation and a lessening of violence. Many peace processes involve political and military elites – most of whom are men – and can leave out the great majority of people.
But it is too easy to be cynical about peace processes. It can take a lot of bravery to negotiate with an enemy that you have demonised for years and believe to have committed atrocities. Elite level bargains, or even a thawing of the ice, can facilitate people-to-people activity at the grassroots level. If people feel secure enough, they can investigate inter-group contacts. Often the threat is from within one's own community. One might be seen as a traitor to the cause or somehow disloyal if you have friends or business acquaintances from 'the other side'. It is here, on-the-ground, that peace processes take life. They are embodied and enacted through everyday civility, sharing space and people simply getting on with things. For that to happen, there might have to be a peace accord signing ceremony in a capital, and the provision of security, but it is at the non-elite levels that peace takes shape.
Q. When do peace processes begin and end?
Most peace processes begin in the midst of violent conflict. It is rational for parties to a conflict to investigate the possibility of talking to the other side. Remember Margaret Thatcher's 'We don't negotiate with terrorists' line? It was nonsense. She could pass messages to the IRA when she wanted. Some people, most notably Bill Zartman, argue that a peace process has the best chance of beginning when the parties are in a mutually hurting stalemate. In such a situation they know they cannot win and so have to investigate alternatives. But sensible parties to a conflict will have already put out feelers to the other side.
I am not sure that peace processes do actually end. There may be landmark events like the signing of a peace accord, or warring leaders shaking hands, that seem like natural conflict endpoints. But many conflicts have a long heritage, with different generations involved in different phases of the conflict. As a result, they do not just stop overnight. New political dispensations have to bed down, and communities have to get used to living side-by-side. That takes time – decades and centuries rather than the eighteen month project cycle that many peacebuilding organisations must work within.
Q. You've described liberal democratic peace as the increasingly standardised version of peace promoted by leading states, international organisations and international financial institutions. What does liberal peacebuilding normally look like and why is it so limited as an approach?
Liberal peacebuilding had its heyday in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The ambitions of liberal internationalism were punctured by the attrition of Afghanistan and Iraq, and by a realisation that all of the resources devoted to peacebuilding in countries from Cambodia to Sierra Leone had failed to nudge those countries up the development indicators. There has been a significant rowing back and the liberal peace has been replaced, in recent years, with more modest forms of international intervention that prioritise security. There is much less talk of human rights or democracy by international interveners. Now the talk is about order, security and stabilisation. There is no pretence that the UK and others are going to bring democracy to Libya. The aim is just to try to limit the collateral damage arising from the conflict.
The liberal peace used the language of liberalism but was actually quite illiberal in many respects – most obviously through violent regime change. But what we see now is that there is little pretence to use the language of liberalism. Instead, we see situations like Yemen, where British weapons are used, or Syria, where British special forces are believed to be on the ground, but ministers say nothing.
The international peace architecture has come under a sustained attack from leading powers who jealously guard their sovereignty and work against multilateralism. There is no serious conversation about expanding the Permanent Five of the UN Security Council to take account of a changing world. There is also the very worrying privatisation of much peacebuilding and humanitarianism whereby for-profit firms act as service providers. I think we should rightly be suspicious of their motivations.
Q. Northern Ireland is often discussed as a success story of liberal peace and liberal internationalism which offers many lessons for other peace processes. How true is this narrative and can meaningful lessons from Northern Ireland be applied to other contexts?
There are no peace process templates and what worked in Northern Ireland may not necessarily work elsewhere. The most important lesson from Northern Ireland is that an apparently intractable conflict can change. If you predicted – in 1988 – that the violent phase of the Northern Ireland conflict would be over in 10 years, people would have thought you were mad. But change did happen. The change was difficult and involved people taking risks, but they managed to navigate a society out of violent conflict. That can serve as an inspiration for others.
The on-the-ground and everyday improvement in lives in Northern Ireland is not to be under-estimated. It was a highly securitised environment with chronic violence and division. Multiple lives have been saved and improved. Yet, in one important aspect, Northern Ireland has been a failure: there has been virtually no reconciliation. Catholic-nationalists and Protestant-unionists still lead largely separate lives. They often live, work, shop and play apart. Over 90 percent of school kids are still educated in all Catholic or all Protestant schools. The main political parties – the Democratic Unionists and Sinn Féin – have little interest in reconciliation because it would put them out of business. The lesson is that an elite level peace accord will not automatically have a trickle-down effect. Where reconciliation has occurred, it has involved brave individuals on-the-ground who built up business, social and cultural relationships with people from 'the other side'. These are the change-makers who transform a peace accord into a living and breathing phenomenon.
Q. Are more locally-led approaches to peacebuilding more effective than elite-driven initiatives and if so, why?
They are mutually supporting. Ultimately we all lead local lives. Most of us follow familiar routes, have favourite and convenient shops and cafes, or are tied to particular places through work, school or family. So peace that is made locally matters in terms of our everyday lives. But often this local peace depends on a wider security environment that follows an elite-level accord. The key is for the local and the elite-levels to enable each other.
There is a tendency to use the term 'local' without really understanding what it means. Often organisations – even peacebuilding organisations – will use the term 'local' to mean a city, municipality or large town or village. But research from the Everyday Peace Indicators project and from other projects makes clear that the local often refers to the hyper-local or the micro-local. People are often interested in the immediate vicinity of their home, the specific routes they take to school or work, and their friendship and family networks. The task facing peacebuilders and others is to work out how peacebuilding interventions can support peace at this micro-local level.
Q. You recently compiled a volume comparing 18 contemporary peace processes across the world. It seems that comparing peace processes is difficult, but were any common factors identified, particularly in the more successful cases of peacebuilding?
There is now a good deal of evidence – from this project and from others – on what works and what does not work in peace processes. The most significant factor in helping parties reach a negotiated settlement, and that settlement sticking, is inclusion. The more actors that become stakeholders in the peace process or peace accord, then the less chance that they will be tempted to undermine the process or peace deal. Inclusion brings ethical and practical challenges, but then we don't make with our friends. As John Darby – one the first scholars to compare peace processes – noted, sometimes peace processes demand a weak smile and a hard swallow.
The other crucial factor in peace processes – according to our study - is the importance of having good neighbours. There is a GK Chesterton quote along the lines of 'You can choose your friend and enemies, but God alone chooses your neighbours'. That is largely true and we can think of places like Afghanistan, Yemen or Lebanon in which neighbours engage in spoiling behaviour as part of regional power-plays. That is why international mediation is so important – particularly its efforts to get neighbouring countries on board any peace process.
Q. You've conducted a lot of research on the idea of "everyday peace". What is "everyday peace" and how can it be measured?
Everyday peace is the skills, stances and logics that we all use in our everyday lives to navigate through potentially awkward situations. We use it when we are queuing for a bus, waiting to speak at a seminar, or walking through a busy street. It involves civility, manners and the emotional intelligence to read a situation and react accordingly. In a deeply-divided or conflict-affected society, people will use these everyday peace skills to lower tensions and survive. Imagine being a Serb living in a majority Bosnian Muslim town. Your neighbours in your apartment block are likely to be of a different identity group, so you would deploy everyday peace mechanisms (politeness, avoiding contentious topics of conversation, dissembling) simply to get by. It might require bravery to have inter-group friendships.
Often everyday peace occurs under-the-radar, as people who transgress 'the rules' of a deeply-divided society may not want to draw attention to themselves. As a result, it might be very difficult to measure the micro-social processes that constitute everyday peace. In the Everyday Peace Indicators project, we adapted Participatory Action Research and used a mix of focus groups and surveys to try to capture how people see peace, security and change in their own lives. We piloted the EPI system in communities in Colombia, South Africa, Uganda and Zimbabwe and it has now been adopted by a number of INGOs and bilateral donors.
Image credit: Keith Ewing/Flickr.
About the interviewee
Roger Mac Ginty is Professor at the School of Government of International Affairs, and Director of the Durham Global Security Institute, at Durham University. He edits the journal Peacebuilding (with Oliver Richmond) and co-founded the Everyday peace Indicators project (with Pamina Firchow). His research is on the interface between top-down and bottom-up approaches to making peace. More at rogermacginty.com and everydaypeaceindicators.org.
Published: 1st July, 2019
Updated: 2nd July, 2019
Collective Strategic Thinking: An Introduction
This article outlines the collective strategic thinking model, a conflict engagement tool that seeks to reduce the intractability of conflicts and thus contribute to conflict resolution.
The Marib Strategic Thinking Group
This policy brief presents a short profile of Marib governorate and outlines its importance as one of Yemen's key regions. It outlines how the ongoing conflict has affected it, before presenting the governorate's key challenges and recommendations for future conflict resolution there.
The Hadramawt Strategic Thinking Group
This policy brief presents a short profile of Hadramawt governorate and outlines its importance as one of Yemen's key regions. It outlines how the ongoing conflict has affected it, before presenting the governorate's key challenges and recommendations for future conflict resolution there.
WarPod Ep #4 : We Need to Talk About Yemen
Liam Walpole is joined by Marwa Baabbad, Director of ORG's Strategic Peacebuilding Programme, to discuss the UK's policy towards Yemen and the impact of its security partnership with Saudi Arabia on the country.
Yemen: Reshaping the Peace Process
To move towards a resolution, recognising that the time may not yet be ripe for a meaningful peace agreement, ORG and the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies (SCSS) are working to strengthen local capacity for more inclusive and strategic dialogue in two of Yemen's key regions, Marib and Hadhramout.
The Quest For A United Nations Standing Army
Despite calls and efforts to do so, the international community has never established a UN standing force. There are several reasons for this failure.
BBC's Across the Red Line features Gabrielle Rifkind
BBC Radio 4's new series Across the Red Line features Oxford Research Group's Gabrielle Rifkind as its conflict mediator.


Remember those name tags your parents painstakingly sewed onto your clothes when you were young? Thanks to Paco Narvaez, founder of Mine, you don't have to worry about the same hassle with your own little ones. The super dad created this easy-to-use customisable stamp for textiles and paper, making labelling clothes and other items a breeze. With indelible, non-toxic textile ink that lasts up to 50 washes without losing its colour or intensity, label your kids' clothes, books, bags and anything else you can think of with this ingenious stamp. Don't wait to discover the magic Mine stamp.


text:
import { get_definition } from './../base';

export const delete_branch = (
    project, repository, branch_name, instance_name,
    when, additional_args, description
) => get_definition({
        project,
        repository,
        branch_name,
        instance_name
    },
    {
        label: 'TFS - Delete Branch',
        method: 'delete_branch',
        module: 'tfs',
        name: 'tfsplugin'
    },
    when, additional_args, description
);

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


In 1925 the state of Tennessee passed an Act forbidding the teaching of evolutionary theory, the law was tested when John Scopes from Dayton was put on trial. Clarence Darrow defended Scopes against a prosecution team led by William Jennings Bryan. The trial put religion and first amendment rights under the legal microscope but there was also an economic subtext to this cause celebre, Bryan was after all, the man who made the remarkable Cross of Gold speech in 1896. Regarding the Scopes trial, Bryan got it wrong, though his position was not without merit. Darwinism had been misappropriated and incorrectly applied at the turn of the twentieth century and used to undermine the position of US workers. Social conservatives at the time justified economic inequality on the grounds that it was a natural consequence of the `survival of the fittest`. This clashed with Bryan`s democratic outlook, while wrong he challenged science for the noblest of humanitarian/economic reasons, he remembered the poor and the downtrodden whose grievances he powerfully articulated in 1896.
The same cannot be said today for corporate America, which is undermining scientific orthodoxy by spending vast sums of money, 120 million dollars channelled by a conservative billionaire, to cast doubt about the science behind climate change. According to Professor Chomsky contemporary American capitalism has morphed into RECD (really existing capitalist democracy) a voracious plutocracy. RECD (pronounced wrecked) Chomsky argues, is incompatible with democracy, leading to the marginalisation of the less well off, 70% of the population have no influence on policy and are effectively disenfranchised. In order to illustrate this point Chomsky has contrasted USA environmental policy with that of other developed nations. He points out that over a hundred countries have enacted legislation recognising the need for renewable power a list which excludes the USA.
The lacuna in USA policy is remarkable because public opinion appears to support the scientific evidence regarding climate change. And that`s the problem for corporate America. It seems too many citizens are persuaded by the prevailing scientific orthodoxy, that humans are impacting adversely on the world's climate and that the federal government should act. Professor Chomsky cites the work of Jon A. Krosnick and Bo MacInnis to illustrate widespread support throughout the USA in favour of environmental action, such as tax breaks for utilities that produce more energy from solar, sea or wind power. It was after all, the American public in the late 1970s that boycotted aerosol sprays, doing so in their millions and dramatically diminishing the market for ozone depleting goods in the process. Industry in the 1970s opposed progressive environmental measures but this didn't stop Congress (responding to voter concerns as a healthy democracy should) including stringent measures in the 1977 Clean Air Act.
How things have changed. The American public appear just as concerned about global warming today as their counterparts in the 1970 were about ecological issues but corporate dominance has taken hold of the US political system. The US public in the face of this plutocratic onslaught appear politically passive, a situation perhaps helped by the more recent corporate scheme of manipulating the education system. For Professor Chomsky the strategy is clear `Within the RECD system it is of extreme importance that we become the stupid nation, not misled by science and rationality, in the interests of the short-term gains of the masters of the economy and political system and damn the consequences`. Corporate interest, has led to a state legislature proposal called the Environmental Literacy Improvement Act. This has been proposed by the American Legislative Exchange Council, a lobby group which Chomsky explains is funded by the super rich to protect their interests. And the focus of this measure is US education or "balanced teaching" which is code for teaching climate-change denial, to "balance" the prevailing view on climate science. This measure camouflaged as an initiative designed to promote critical thinking, which also happens to serve the interest of the super rich. Legislation has already been introduced in several states; ALEC has plenty of clout because of the enormous corporate funding behind it.
All very Orwellian and it's interesting that while over a hundred nations are calling for more renewable sources of energy the countries actively campaigning for radical action and environmental safeguards are those which contain large indigenous, first nation populations – even where oil is the main commodity. President Hugo Chavez the Venezuelan President, who recently died, was lampooned by the media a few years ago when he made a speech attacking George Bush. However, his more measured substantive commentary, in the same speech suggesting limits on oil exploration were ignored by the US media. Indeed, it's particularly revealing to compare the response of countries like Ecuador, with a significant indigenous population and massive oil reserves. This country is seeking aid from the richer nations to keep reserves in the ground, an approach recognising the environmental needs of the planet while in sympathy with the indigenous population. While Canada and the USA have it seems no such environmental concerns, burning fossil fuels including `Canadian tar sands, and to do so as quickly and fully as possible`.
In the USA the environmental education/propaganda campaign has helped polarise the debate about climate change, even though a consensus exists among the scientific community on this issue. Professor Noam Chomsky is one of the most widely respected and sought after academics in the world; he is voicing concerns that need to be listened to. Chomsky is the canary in the coalmine he has sounded the alarm and we ignore his sound advice at our peril.


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Home » News » News » Property market braces for final rush of 420,000 sales before stamp duty deadline
Property market braces for final rush of 420,000 sales before stamp duty deadline
3 Nov, 2020 | News
The post-lockdown boom means that there are an extra 140,000 sales in the pipeline and the South East is leading the surge
The number of agreed property sales has soared by more than 50%, creating a queue of almost 420,000 buyers rushing to complete before the stamp duty deadline, new data shows.
The post-lockdown property "mini-boom", combined with the temporary tax break, means there are an extra 140,000 sales in the pipeline compared to this time last year, according to property website Zoopla. This means there are 418,000 sales yet to complete, worth £112bn.
So far in October, the number of sales agreed is 52.7% higher than in the same month in 2019. But the pace of growth is slowing, as agreed sales peaked in August at 62.1% above the 2019 level. Demand has been highest in the South East, where sales agreed in the year to date were 15% above the same period in 2019. Across Britain, the average increase is 3%.
Buyers at risk of losing £15,000 tax savings
The stamp duty holiday means buyers can save up to £15,000 in tax if they complete their transactions by 31 March. But the enormous volume of transactions in the pipeline means that there is an increasing risk that sales will miss the cut-off.
In a normal year, the respective shares of sales agreed in November and December that complete before March 31 is just 92% and 81%. If sales are agreed in January, little more than half would complete in time.
But these numbers do not account for the fact that buyers now face protracted delays at every stage of the purchasing process. Mortgage lenders, surveyors, and local authorities are grappling with the surge with reduced processing capacity.
Nick Leeming, of Jackson-Stops estate agents, said that the surge "has stress tested the entire home buying system". Transactions are taking more than 100 days from sale agreed to completion, but the volume of sales mean that this could increase in the short term, Zoopla said.
The tax deadline will be a deal-breaker for many buyers. Amy Williams, 28, is a first-time buyer who has agreed to purchase a one-bedroom flat in Camberwell, south London. Without the stamp duty holiday, she will have to pay an extra £4,000 upfront in cash.
"Without the SDLT relief, I wouldn't have been able to afford my property," said Ms Williams.
Homeowners are racing to sell
Sellers are rushing to secure buyers before the tax incentive evaporates. Across Britain, the number of homes for sale is up 18% year-on-year. In London, where the high price of homes means that many buyers can get the maximum tax saving, the supply of homes for sale is up 39%.
The time pressure is pushing up prices. Price growth in September hit 3% across the UK, a two-and-a-half-year high, up from 1.1% this time last year. Every English city registered price growth. In Nottingham, Manchester and Leeds, values were up 5.1%, 4.6% and 4.5% respectively. Zoopla said it expected growth to continue for the next two to three months.
Richard Donnell, of Zoopla, said "The stamp duty deadline will focus the minds of committed movers in the near term, which will support sales volumes and make for a strong first quarter of sales completions in 2021."
The boom conceals deep-seated problems
The surge amplified by the stamp duty holiday is masking deeper problems in the property market. The median price of a home listed on Zoopla is 10% higher than this time last year. This reflects seller optimism, but also the types of property for sale, as vendors bring bigger, more expensive homes to market.
The stamp duty holiday means that homes closest in value to the £500,000 nil-rate band come with the biggest proportionate tax savings. At the same time, buyer demand is greatest for larger detached properties.
Less wealthy demographics are more reliant on the low deposit mortgages that lenders have withdrawn en masse and are more exposed to rising unemployment. But the relative slowdown in this sector is being concealed by the large volume of more valuable transactions.
"The strength of the market nationally is masking weakness… sales are slowing in areas where households are typically on lower incomes and more sensitive to economic uncertainty and more restricted cash availability," said Mr Donnell.
Zoopla added that once the post-lockdown backlog has filtered through the system by the middle of next year, the polarisation will become more apparent, as agreed sales take several months to complete.
Andrew Burrell, of research firm Capital Economics, said that as pent-up demand unwinds "we expect house price growth to slow to a standstill next year".
Lead indicators suggest pent-up demand has nearly run its course. Buyer demand, which Zoopla measures using a combination of searches and inquiries, is 40% higher than in 2019, but it has slowed to the level seen at the beginning of March. Yet the rush to transact before March 2021 will boost sales figures in the coming months. Zoopla expects price growth to hit 4% in the short-term.
In Scotland and Wales, the number of sales agreed in the year to date versus the same period in 2019 is still down by 13.9% and 10%, but the difference can be attributed to the fact that both housing markets opened much later than the English market after lockdown.
[Source: telegraph.co.uk/property, 28 October 2020]
Image by MattHrusc from Pixabay
Top Firm – Executive 2020 Housing market escapes lockdown 2.0


Thwart Bad Management: EQ vs. IQ.
Is your typical communication channel to your direct reports not working? Are people dropping the ball, doing the wrong thing, or not understanding your stated vision for the company? Your EQ might need a little polishing. First - Run out and buy Daniel Goleman's Working With Emotional Intelligence. And I mean RUN.
Why? Leaders (like you) are not defined by their IQs or even their job skills, but by their "emotional intelligence": a set of competencies that distinguish how people manage their feelings, interactions and communications. This book explains what emotional intelligence is and why it counts more than IQ or expertise to excel on the job.
My Take: I've always found corporate leaders who have used those IQ skills that got them where they are today will find their IQ skills will not keep them in the position that they have attained. That's why many C-Level executives have a typical job duration of 2-3 years (or shorter) at a company.
Why? When you are moving up the ladder, you tend to use more IQ (Intelligence) than EQ (Emotion). You need to get work done. You need to meet deadlines. You need to show results. The closer you get to the top, the less IQ you use and the more EQ you leverage to manage people, communicate strategies, etc. Unfortunately, when you are at the top, your position is ALL EQ and almost no IQ - and that is where most C-Level executives fail.
Working With Emotional Intelligence will help you address this.
Newer PostCEO's Must Trash Short-Term Thinking & Embrace Long-Term Strategy. Now.
Older PostI Cried Last Night And Learned A Powerful Lesson.


Kapama Private Game Reserve, located in Limpopo, represents a price of Africa as it used to be. Game drives and bush walks can be enjoyed in Kapama Private Game Reserve. See private lodge accommodation in Kapama Private Game Reserve below.


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You Are Here: Home » Visitor Questions » Let serve - how many chances do you get to serve again?
Question about replaying let serves
This question about replaying let serves was submitted by
Jayanth from India
My table tennis question is this.
When serving and the ball hits the net and then bounces on my opponent's side of the table, I know that it is a let and the point is replayed (assuming the service is otherwise a good service).
But how many chances do you get to serve again?
Is there a limit for hitting the net while serving?
Jayanth,
The simple answer is that there's no limit on the number of times you can replay the service when it has hit the net.
Rule 2.09 states that it shall be a let "if in service the ball touches the net assembly, provided the service is otherwise correct or the ball is obstructed by the receiver or his or her partner".
But let's take a closer look at this rule and also see an example...
Multiple Lets during service
Here's a video clip showing two of the best players in the World, playing in the 2019 World Championships.
Adam Szudi of Hungary (red shirt) is serving to Mattias Falck of Sweden (yellow shirt).
Szudi's serve hits the net on each of his first three attempts, and the umpire calls "let".
On the fourth attempt, Szudi's serve is legal and the rally is played to a conclusion.
Your browser will not play this video.
However, there's no limit to how many times you get to serve in this scenario.
If the ball touches the net during the service, but is otherwise a legal serve, it's replayed.
Also, it doesn't matter if the ball hits the net once, many times, or even rolls along the top of the net. As long as it's otherwise a legal serve, it's replayed.
It's also worth noting that the rule refers to the "net assembly". Law 2.02.01 states that this means the net, its suspension and the supporting posts, including the clamps attaching them to the table.
So if the ball hits the actual net OR any part of the posts or clamps, it's all the same.
And it doesn't matter whether it happens once or a hundred times, you keep replaying the serve until it's a good service or a foul service.
The crucial factor is whether the service was otherwise legal.
For example, if the ball hits the net and then misses the table, it's not a legal service, so it's not a "let". The server loses the point.
But if everything else is legal, and the ball touched the net or the posts or the clamps, it's replayed.
For more details about the basic requirements for a legal service, see my other article here...
www.allabouttabletennis.com/table-tennis-service-rules.html
For more in depth details about a legal service, see my other article here...
www.allabouttabletennis.com/official-table-tennis-rules.html
You'll also find more Frequently Asked Questions about the table tennis service here...
www.allabouttabletennis.com/rules-in-table-tennis.html
THE RULES OF TABLE TENNIS
For more information about the rules of table tennis, take a look at my other articles which explain the Official Laws of Table Tennis and the additional Regulations (for higher level play) in more detail...
The Laws of Table Tennis
The basic rules of table tennis
If you're just starting to play and you need to know the basic rules of table tennis, you'll find them here...
The official rules of table tennis
The official rules of table tennis are known as The Laws of Table Tennis ... so if you need to check the official wording, you can read them here...
Table tennis table dimensions
What size is a table tennis table? Do you know what the official rules say about the size dimensions of a table tennis table?
What do the rules say about your racket?
Do you know what the rules say about your racket? What size can it be? Which colours are allowed? When can you change your racket? Find out here...
What do the rules say about the serve?
The table tennis serve is one of the most controversial aspects of the game. Make sure you know the service rules. Read them here...
Frequently asked questions about the serve
The service rules are very complex, so let's answer some of the most frequently asked questions. Read them here...
What is a good return?
What do the rules say about a good return? Can you use your hand to play a shot? What happens if you touch or move the table? Find out here...
When is the ball in or out?
What do the table tennis rules say about the ball hitting the white lines, net or edges of the table? Is the ball in or out? Find out here...
What do the rules say about playing doubles?
Whether you're playing singles or doubles, the rules of table tennis are essentially the same. However, for doubles play there are a few subtle variations. Read them here...
What do the rules say about volleying the ball?
Do the table tennis rules allow you to volley the ball? No and Yes... Let me explain
Expedite system
How long can a game of table tennis last? If both players keep the ball in play, can they continue playing forever? What do the rules say about this? Find out here...
Regulations (for higher level play)
Table tennis room size
What table tennis room size do you need? It's probably more than you think! Find out here...
Racket testing
In 2008 the ITTF introduced new rules and regulations relating to racket (paddles/bats) testing, and VOC-free glue. You can read them here...
Are players allowed to take breaks during matches?
What time limits are specified in the regulations? What happens if a player is time-wasting? Find out here...
Yellow Cards and Red Cards
Yellow and red cards are a recent addition to table tennis. But what do they mean? Find out here...
Table tennis terminology
Do you know your table tennis terminology or are you confused by your chops, pimples and twiddles? Here's a table tennis glossary for you...
Have you got a question about Table Tennis? Someone else has probably asked it before you. See what's already been asked and answered...
FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions...and Answers


Nusatuva is located off the Kolombangara coastline approximately 45 minutes by boat from Gizo. There is a local airstrip at Ringi Cove, but it is not currently on the Solomon Airlines schedule.
Boat transfers are available from Gizo or Munda using Go West Tours or the Pelena Express to Kolombangara.
Transport : Palena to/from Gizo( Regular service Mon,Wed,Fri) SBD110.00 per person.
Local Transport.- Gizo-Nusatuva SBD120.00 per person one way.


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Dolichopeza schahriari är en tvåvingeart som beskrevs av Theowald 1978. Dolichopeza schahriari ingår i släktet Dolichopeza och familjen storharkrankar. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Storharkrankar
schahriari

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


In some ways, weddings are like Thanksgiving dinner: so much effort and decision-making goes into a memorable moment that passes by all too quickly. K Couture, an Arizona company, has found a way to help. The company boasts a unique, affordable and customizable collection of bridesmaids dresses and menswear for rental and purchase. They have been offering high-quality products to customers nationwide via their website for 3 years, and the word is getting around.
Kayla Lowery, creator of K Couture, grew up in the fashion industry. Her father started a national formalwear company, Formal Fashions, which clothes participants of the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras. The idea for K Couture began with Kayla's wedding. Each bridesmaid had different needs, and finding something that worked for all was a challenge. Kayla recognized a possible niche for a company that could offer modest, traditional bridesmaid dresses. The company is committed to expanding their collection of high-quality fabrics.
Awarded The Knot 2016 pick of Best of Wedding in the Bridesmaids Dress Category, this local online company is drawing national attention. So what makes K Couture a great option? There are many reasons. First, K Couture offers made-to-order dresses and they have attire for the entire wedding party.
Since ordering online without seeing for yourself can be a daunting decision, K Couture offers free swatches of the material so you can touch, feel and match the fabric before you purchase. Dresses are not only made in the USA, they are made right here in Arizona!
K Couture offers flexibility with style and size. The company's philosophy is, "One size fits all is not a part of our vocabulary." Additional sizes are available. Better yet, K Couture's collections are affordable. Dresses start at $85 and full menswear packages start at $99. With stylists, production, sewing and customer service working in the same building in Tempe, K Couture can offer a quick turnaround. They deliver anywhere in the continental U.S. in less than 8 weeks and sometimes sooner. All orders include free shipping to the continental United States.
When the day comes that your son or daughter comes home with the big news, keep K Couture in mind. For information, visit www.kcouture.com.


Highland Gold Mining Limited ("Highland Gold" or the "Company") announces the acquisition of a license for exploration and mining rights for the Western Flank, a 3.9 km2 property immediately adjacent to the Company's existing Mnogovershinnoye (MNV) mine operations. The acquisition resulted from an open auction held on 6 December in the regional capital of Khabarovsk for a bid price of 8.690 million roubles (ca. US$ 280,322). This new license area includes the highly prospective Chaynoye zone which has good potential to deliver new resources at MNV.
The Chaynoye prospect is approximately 1,000 metres in length and varies from 40 to 150 metres in width. It is situated in a favourable structural setting near the intersection of two major faults immediately northwest and adjacent to the current MNV license area. Chaynoye was partially explored in the past and has a historical reported prognostic resource of 3.5 tonnes (112,500 oz) of gold. Gold mineralisation is hosted within zones of quartz and quartz-carbonate veins and veinlets as well as within areas of quartz-sericite altered and silicified volcanic rock. Explored vein widths range between 0.3 to 3.0 metres for up to 115 metres along strike and reported historic gold grades as high as 207 g/t.
An aggressive trenching and drilling programme is being designed for 2013 in order to upgrade the resource potential of Chaynoye for future exploitation via the Company's operations at MNV.
This acquisition underpins the Company's continued focus on its near-mine exploration efforts at MNV with a goal of verifying and further increasing the known near mine mineralised prospects thereby adding value to the ongoing operations.


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May 3, 2022 by Sarah
Sarah from Assassination Nation
Sarah Lacey (played by Suki Waterhouse) is a main character in the dark comedy satire film Assassination Nation. Alongside her sister Em and friends Lily and Bex, Sarah must survive the town of Salem after chaos and violence erupt in the wake of a hacker leaking private data. Sarah has soft pink hues added to her blonde hair, which can be achieved with hair chalk or a wig. When recreating her most iconic look from the film, you can substitute a plain red trench coat if you're not willing to shell out for the shiny leather replica jacket.
Lily from Assassination Nation
Lily Colson (played by Odessa Young) is a main character in the satire film Assassination Nation. Lily and her three best friends, Bex, Em, and Sarah are all high school seniors. When a hacker begins leaking private information about Lily and others in her hometown of Salem, the residents descend into violence. Lily is a pretty teenager with a rebellious side. She is often seen wearing her pink Vans Sk8-Hi shoes. However, it can be almost impossible to find an exact match, so go for a pair of high-tops in a similar shade of pink. Likewise, the red jackets the girls wear after the hack takes place can be expensive to track down, but a plain red trench coat can get the point across just as well.
February 24, 2022 by Sarah
Bex from Assassination Nation
Bex Warren (played by Hari Nef) is one of the main characters in the satire film Assassination Nation. Bex is best friends with Lily, Em, and Sarah. As a transgender teen, Bex faces discrimination from some of her fellow students, which turns deadly after a hacker leaks important secrets about the residents of her hometown Salem. One of Bex's best looks from the film is the one she wears after the town descends into violence, which includes a red leather jacket that matches her friends'. She also dons cropped black jeans and a multicolor striped crop top. Finding an exact match for the top might not be possible, so don't be afraid to focus on either similar colors or vertical stripes if you can't get both in the same piece. Similarly, a plain red trench coat can be substituted for an exact match, which might be kinder to your costume budget.
Em From Assassination Nation
Em Lacey (played by Abra) is one of the main characters in the satirical film Assassination Nation. Em is sisters with Sarah and best friends with Lily and Bex. Alongside her friends, Em eventually takes up arms against other residents of her hometown when someone begins exposing secrets after hacking personal social media and cellphones. Em and her friends wear matching red trench coats. Underneath, Em dons a checkered skirt and animal print croptop. In addition to a pistol, Em also uses dual ninja swords as weapons in the film.
January 25, 2022 by S. Randolph
Kate Dibiasky from Don't Look Up
In the Netflix satirical film Don't Look Up, Jennifer Lawrence portrays Kate Dibiasky, an astronomy Ph.D. student who discovers a massive comet hurtling toward earth. Kate goes on a campaign with Dr. Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio) to warn humanity of the impending extinction event. Unfortunately for the astronomer duo and for all life on earth, their warning is not taken seriously. Kate spends the entirety of the film freaking out, but definitely looks cool while doing it. The film's costume designer went for a punk-scientist look, giving Kate a double nostril piercing and red bob with shaved temples and micro-bangs. See the below guide inspired by Kate's most memorable outfits. I recommend the leopard print if you're in a *f— it we're all gonna die* kinda mood. Who knows, maybe Timothée Chalamet will show up and let you make out with him.
Holly Hale from Scary Movie 4
Holly Hale (played by Carmel Electra) is a character in the parody film Scary Movie 4. Holly is blind, a parody of Ivy Elizabeth Walker from the M. Night Shyamalan film The Village. Holly's Amish-inspired costuming is much more overtly sexy than the real thing, so it might be difficult to find an exact match for her blue prairie dress. But you can focus on matching the print, silhouette, or neckline if you can't find one that meets all the requirements at once. Pairing your dress with a wooden walking stick, short red wig, and a good sense of humor will top off the look. If you're more interested in recreating the sexy lingerie costuming Holly reveals in the film, a lace bodysuit can add a little extra coverage than the original.
May 16, 2013 by Jaime
Daria Morgendorffer
While Daria's style was seen as unfashionable by her classmates at Lawndale High School, her brains before beauty was something to which many real life teenage girls could relate. Keeping it simple with pleated skirts and boots, Daria had better things to do than worry about her appearance. You know, like a crush on her best friend's brother.
Make Your Own: Jamie Fraser from Outlander
September 12, 2020 by Diomira Keane
Make Your Own: Roman Torchwick's Hat from RWBY
March 16, 2020 by Allison
Make Your Own: Princess Mononoke
Make Your Own: Shy Guy Hoodie
February 3, 2020 by Otto
Mad Men Costume Quiz
How to Make Your Costume Immersive with Food and Music Pairings in 2020
September 2, 2020 by A.C. Rodgers
Celebrating Black Fae Day
May 17, 2021 by Mandy
Couple Costumes Ideas for Halloween 2022
Joel from The Last of Us 2
Ellie from The Last of Us
Will Byers from Stranger Things
April 17, 2020 by MercyZero
Max from Stranger Things
Jonathan Byers from Stranger Things
Hugh "Ransom" Drysdale from Knives Out


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RCA Victor Record Store Banners
By Bob Pakes
When it came to selling the Presley-product in the 1960's, everything was always full circle: the single promoted the album, the album promoted the movie, and in turn the movie promoted the album.
The Colonel and RCA, as well as the movie company executives, came up with clever tactics to make as much money of as little investment as possible.
Starting in 1961, most of the covers for Elvis' singles would contain a short advert for an LP, or a calender, or whatever else his latest single could be linked to. And if a single wasn't directly linked to a new movie, these singles would be released "By popular demand!" and "By special request!", and of course also by a combination of the two: "By popular request!" . RCA in the 60's would even release old Elvis recordings and present them as "Summer vacation special!" in order to fill the gap between regular releases. And of course, over the years they squuezed out a bunch of Christmas and gospel singles that really made no sense at that time, but once again by so-called request from the public (most of which are now rare because of their extreme poor sales …).
When it came to sellng the albums, the public was also presented with some brilliant marketing moves from the powers that be. For instance, to make up for the shortage of titles on certain soundtrack-LP's, these albums would include "Bonus songs!", as if the audience was treated to an extra song free of charge. Yeah right!
Well, we all know about the Colonel's nasty habits, and we love him for it. On the movie sets we can see him walking around in ridiculous raincoats advertising that certain movie, and to the right we see him in 1966 showing an in-store poster/banner for his milk cow's latest escape. And to bring this little intro full circle too, that's what this article is all about:
the IN-STORE RCA VICTOR BANNERS.
And there are some nice HMV promotional posters too!
(From the UK)
(From GERMANY)
Below we see Elvis and Priscilla (in November of 1963, on the Kissin' Cousins lot) in front of a wall that has all sorts of promotional stuff from It Happened At The World's Fair and Kissin' Cousins, including the banner pictured above.
It's even more interesting to see where The Colonel's eyes are. For once they are not on the money …
From: Cool Vinyl & Hot Shellacs
Sheila #
Awesome! I love it all! They are so cool. Never seen some of them before. Wow!
r&b #
Beautiful man, just beautiful. My favorite topic so far here on this site!
They are among my favorite Elvis collectibles and so damn hard to find! Nice to see them here.
Excellent. It's good seeing all these together. Great work guys.
Alexander Nijeboer #
Awesome thread, once again. I really love that 60s design and marketing, although I really hate to see how The Colonel managed Elvis career as a carneval. It still makes me sick.
The picture of The Colonel being impressed by Prissy's boobs is priceless though …
Pieter #
Make me wish I was born 20 years earlier!….
Henrik Knudsen #
Awesome! LOVE IT!
Gerrit De Jong #
Pretty cool ones, nice.
ger rijff #
The HMV posters are brilliant. Alan White posted these on his HMV facebook page a while ago. Framed, these are jewels on the wall! Seeing them here on Echoes, in much larger size than previously on facebook, show their power in presenting HMV releases to the record buying public in the UK back in the 50s…Hot stuff!
Conny #
Just checked out your site which I found very nice.
I spotted something about the U.K. memorabilia. You say the posters from Blue Hawaii are from 1961 and it says on vinyl and 8 track tape. But 8 track tape was as far as I know not on the market until 1963 in U.S.A and most shure not in Europe at the time, so they must be from later than 61. Please correct me if I'm wrong …
Ever since I was a sweet youg teenager in the early 60s, I prefered buying Elvis in
print, instead of records. Every saturday morning, with fresh pocket money , I could
be found browsing in old magazines ( all kinds) in a 2nd hand bookshop, not far from
where we lived… Later on, in the early 70s, when I had more money to spend, I visited
record fairs and Elvis conventions, over here, and abroad. Picked up lots of original
RCA in shop promo posters and tons of 50s Elvis photos…
Never ever came across the Love Me Tender poster, seen above…Amazingly kool, with
great graphics. Thanks for putting it up in this topic! It brought a big smile to my face!
juan #
These are super cool.
Melida Harms #
I have a 1956 Love Me Tender in-store banner in perfect condition. Does it have any value?
Stacey #
I currently have a UK RCA poster for Teddy Bear. Sold one for the Elvis in Tender Mood EP many years ago, it was a horizontal banner style one, with the image from the front cover on it.


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Q: Using iMac Bluetooth keyboard and mouse with MBP I got iMac and I got 2 MBP, usually I use my laptop. But for each I have to use its own keyboard and trackpad or magic mouse, is there is any way to make them use just one keyboard and mouse e.g use I can use my iMac keyboard and MagicMouse with my laptop. I tried to make the iMac keyboard and Mouse discoverable by my MBP but bluetooth shows empty.
Is there a way that is possible as sometimes I use my iMac as an extended screen of my laptop.

A: So it's not possible to have the same mouse work on both your iMac and your MacBookPro simultaneously, but you can boot your iMac in target display mode. It becomes a monitor for your MBP therefore allowing you to use your mouse on both connected screens.
Additionally, it sounds like you are having trouble connecting your mouse to your MBP. Make sure your iMac is off, or your mouse is disconnected from the iMac, before trying to connect your mouse to your MBP.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Having finally built his studio at his home in Bristol, John set about discovering the skills required to operate the software and get down to recording some music. Writing began in earnest and he soon decided that he would like to try his hand at writing a few songs in the Country Music genre since this was something quite different to his past material. He asked long-time friend John Hobday to take a listen to his first efforts and he was suitably impressed. John then suggested his friend should write some words since he himself had been a vocalist for many years and must have thousands of lyrics floating around his head! Says John, 'writing the lyrics always come first for me in the songwriting process so if my friend John Hobday could write them for me that's half the job done immediately!' At first his friend was reluctant to try his hand at being a lyricist since he had never written anything before but John persuaded him to try writing some Country Music lyrics to see what would transpire. To cut a long story short, they have since recorded two albums worth of material and have another three albums of material waiting in the wings! They have put together a band with members John Ozoroff (lead vocals/guitar, John Hobday (bass/lead vocals), Bev Guard (guitars/vocals) and Roy Taylor (drums/vocals) and have launched the band with a tongue-in-cheek song called 'Flip The Bird' which uses text speak in the lyrics to amusing effect (click here to watch Flip The Bird on YouTube).
Announcing the NEW solo album IPSO FACTO by John Ozoroff now available to buy online!
John Ozoroff has finally recorded his first studio solo album of original material since 'Open For Engagements' 15 years ago! It was released on the 8th September 2010 and is entitled 'IPSO FACTO'. There are 12 tracks and John has multi-tracked loadsa guitars so it rocks even on the slow numbers! IPSO FACTO is also now available as a download at Amazon and iTunes.
At the age of just 7 years, John knew he was destined to be a musician. An overwhelming impulse to play a musical instrument (of any sort!) compelled him to approach his mother and ask if she could obtain one, She produced a clarinet one day and John determined he was to master the instrument...but it was not be!
John was never destined to be a clarinet player, since when his younger sister Jennifer, sat on the clarinet and broke it in half his mother bought him a guitar instead - 'I never considered it a bum deal though' jokes John.
His first performance was as guitarist in a band of youngsters aged around 10 years old, in front of the movie screen at the ABC Minors Matinee film show in his home town of Cheltenham in the UK. This was the start of his career involving 'The Four Pennies' and 'The Quarry Men'.
Check out the rest of the site for more interesting information on John's 'Quarry Men' connection with 'The Beatles' and his involvement with 'The Four Pennies'.
Musicians spend their lives trying to make it in the music business and some become famous, to a greater or lesser degree, before settling for humbler ambitions until finally they retire...just kidding, everyone knows musicians never retire!!! John is no exception and is still performing on stage and writing songs to this day.
Want any news on other bands from the 60's?
John still keeps in touch with many of the guys from other name bands around in the 60's, so if you want to get news on what they're up to these days, send an e-mail and he'll get back to you. No publicity pics though, you may have to pay for those!
Want copies of these photos?
If you would like a signed laminated A4 or A3 photo of John as shown in the 2 pictures top right of this page? Click link below and type out your requirements clearly in the message. You will get a reply telling you how to obtain them and the cost, including packaging if you are outside the UK.
The Two Sides of The Four Pennies Audio CD - Usually dispatched within 4 to 6 weeks - priced £12.99. If you would like to buy a copy of 'The Two Sides of Four Pennies/Mixed Bag Audio CD' please click on the link below or the picture to the right to read more and decide whether you would like to order direct from Amazon.
The Quarrymen by Hunter Davies - Hardcover - Usually dispatched within 2 to 3 days - priced £10.36. If you would like to buy a copy of 'The Quarry Men' book please click on the link below or the picture to the right to read more and decide whether you would like to order direct from Amazon.


Ever wonder why head lice exist?
The time you spend looking through your child's hair, and even the after checks that can go on for a while are good for your kid!
Human touch is important and checking for head lice makes for a lot of caring touches to the scalp. In fact, some cultures believe that it is bad luck to get rid of lice completely, because the bonding ritual of picking lice goes away.
That being said- we really don't want your family to have lice-at all!
Download our PDF – How to Prevent Lice!
Call Hair Maidens for a quick way to get rid of lice! Check out our new private office in Salt Lake City!
or shop our full line of lice removal products!


Villas at Vista del Norte offers one, two and three bedroom apartment homes w/ detached garages and covered parking available. Convienently located near Wurzbach Parkway and Blanco Road just a short drive to Ft. Sam Houston, Lackland and Randolph Air Force Base. Our community offers a lot of great amenities like stainless steel appliances, washer/dryer in every home 24 hour fitness center, arcade game room, sand/pool volleyball, indoor racquetball/basketball and much more.
Arcade Gameroom, Pool Table & More!


This copy shows the entry on 21-Apr-2019 at 19:18:35.
Church. C13, with C12 remains, C14 and C15 additions and alterations, and C19 restoration. Stone ashlar and rubble with slate roofs. Comprises a west tower, nave, north and south aisles and transepts, north porch, and lower chancel.
The west tower, rebuilt in the later C15, is of three stages with diagonal buttresses and embattled parapet with corner pinnacles. The bell openings are each of two cinquefoiled lights under a pierced pointed head. The middle stage is lit on three sides by windows of two trefoiled lights under a pointed head. The west window is of four cinquefoiled lights under a pointed head with Perpendicular tracery. The west window of the north aisle is of three trefoiled lights with tracery. The north aisle has two windows of three trefoiled ogee lights with tracery. Between them is a C19 gabled porch which has a moulded pointed outer arch with angle shafts. The west wall of the south aisle contains a single lancet light. The two south windows are of three trefoiled ogee lights with tracery under a pointed head. Between them is a C19 moulded pointed doorway. The north window of the north transept is of five cinquefoiled lights with transom and Perpendicular tracery. The east and west windows of the transept are of three trefoiled lights with tracery. The south window of the south transept is C19 and of five lights with tracery. The north wall of the chancel is of three bays separated by buttresses and has C13 windows of two lancet lights within an outer pointed arch. The south wall of the chancel is of two bays, with similar windows, and has a moulded pointed doorway to the west. The east window is of five stepped lancets under an outer arch.
INTERIOR: the pointed tower arch has panelled reveals: The three-bay arcades have pointed arches of alternate green and white stone, chamfered in two orders on the north side and moulded on the south side. They spring from quatrefoil piers, those on the north and south sides differing in their details. The chancel arch is C19 and has engaged columns with foliated caps as responds. The nave roof is C19 and has a ribbed ceiling above moulded raised tie beams. In the east wall of the south transept is a C13 piscina with trefoiled head. On the south side of the chancel is an organ within a pointed arch. To the east are C13 triple sedilia and a piscina, moulded with trefoiled heads. The chancel has a collar-rafter roof. Monuments under the tower include one to Elizabeth Eaton (died 1790) with sarcophagus and urn, by Stephens of Worcester. On the north wall of the chancel is an altar tomb with effigy of Sir Edmund Wylde (died 1620) against a shallow arch with columns, with balustrading and an achievement above. Re-set in window on the north and south sides of the chancel are fragments of C14 glass.


If you are a small business owner in Orange County, North Carolina, you could be eligible for a grant ranging from $5,000 to $50,000. The Orange County Small Business Loan Program is awarding $1 million this year in grants and loans to for-profit small businesses in Orange County.
Eligible businesses must be for-profit and based out of Orange County with gross revenues that do not exceed $3 million per year. The grants are being offered to help small businesses add jobs and increase the economy in Orange County. In addition to the Orange County Small business Loan Program, the Orange County Economic Development Grant Program awards grants to small businesses and agricultural-related ventures.
Small businesses often struggle to get financing from traditional lending sources. The county wants to ensure these small businesses are supported. The grant and loan programs are designed to provide them financial help they may not otherwise be able to secure.
Qualifying small businesses must complete an extensive application which needs to include business plans and growth projections. Applications are reviewed by the president of the Board of Directors. If the business owner's application is approved, they will have an opportunity to meet with the full Board of Directors for a final decision.


A truly traditional part of the shop with all the family favourites available and those essential penny chews and weigh out sweets from the jar. We also have a fine range of boxed chocolates and other delights - look out for our rather extravagant hand made chocolates. Biscuits, fudge, shortbread, toffee can all be found throughout the year whether its for a take home gift or a bit of what you fancy.


Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Recordings made on Saturday, February 8, 1919," accessed April 23, 2019, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/date/browse?date=1919-02-08.
Recordings made on Saturday, February 8, 1919. (2019). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 23, 2019, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.php/date/browse?date=1919-02-08.
Recordings made on Saturday, February 8, 1919." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2019. Web. 23 April 2019.


RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa has visited Russian mountaineer Alexander Gukov at Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Rawalpindi, ISPR reported.
Mr Guvok was rescued by Pak Army Aviators from 20, 650 feet high Latok Peak in Pakistani Northern Areas this morning through a very challenging Aviation effort.
Gukov's food and water supplies had exhausted three days ago and the bad weather was making it difficult for helicopters to navigate him, the statement added.
According to Anna Piunova, coordinator of the rescue mission that started on July 26, Gukov needs medical attention as he is in a critical condition.
"He was rescued, they are flying to the hospital of city of Skardu," Piunova told.
He had been deserted at a height of 20,650 feet for the past six days before being rescued today, read the statement.
She also added that the rescue mission involved two Pakistani military helicopters as well.
Pakistani Army teams had earlier this month successfully managed to rescue two British mountaineers who were stranded on Ultar Sar mountain, located in Hunza Valley, after their tent was hit by an avalanche.


Reno, Nev. – Junior Jaylon McLaughlin delivered a thrilling walk-off victory for Nevada (11-8) on Tuesday as he knocked in the game-tying run with an RBI-triple and scampered home on a throwing error to snap Saint Mary's (13-7) eight-game winning streak. The Wolf Pack entered the ninth inning trailing 5-4, but a leadoff single by Marco Valenzuela and the two-out triple and heads up baserunning by McLaughlin secured the 6-5 victory.
McLaughlin blasted a shot to right center field between two outfielders and dove into third base as the tying run in Valenzuela crossed home plate. The throw from the cutoff man sailed over the head of the third baseman, and the heads up baserunning and speed of McLaughlin sent him home to complete the comeback and walk-off on the Gaels.
Brad Bonnentfant (3-1) picked up the victory after tossing a shutout ninth inning that allowed Nevada to comeback in the bottom of the frame. The Wolf Pack used six pitchers on the afternoon, with three innings coming from junior Josh Congress' first start in a Nevada uniform.
McLaughlin knocked in the first run of the game in the second, as he scored Dillan Shrum from third on a sacrifice fly to give the Pack a 1-0 lead. The Gaels took over offensively, scoring five unanswered runs in the third and fourth innings to jump out to a 5-1 advantage.
Nevada began to claw back in the sixth inning, as junior Daniel Perry was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score Shrum. Sophomore Joshua Zamora delivered a huge hit in the same frame, driving in two runs to cut the Saint Mary's deficit to one.
Shane Gustafson pitched a shutout seventh and eighth innings to keep Nevada within striking distance before Bonnenfant got the job done in the ninth.
Valenzuela's leadoff single in the bottom of the ninth put him on first, but the next two Wolf Pack batters couldn't move him over and McLaughlin stepped into the batters box with two outs in the ninth and delivered the win.
The Pack will be on the road this weekend when it travels to face intrastate rival UNLV. A live stream will be available on the Mountain West Network, with Ghizal Hasan calling all the action on 94.1 FM/1450 AM.


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Pacin' Parson aims to stomp cancer, one step at a time
Stevenson covering 1,000 miles for great-grandson and Fred Hutch
by Mark Klaas
Wednesday, October 31, 2018 3:44pm
Cash LaRance. COURTESY PHOTO
Don Stevenson, Auburn's ultra-marathon walker, is donating his latest steps to his 18-month-old great-grandson, Cash LaRance, who recently was diagnosed with kidney cancer.
The 82-year-old Pacin' Parson is on a 1,000-mile local walk to raise awareness and funds for cancer research and help the LaRance family cover medical expenses. The walk began after Labor Day and will finish by Thanksgiving, Stevenson said.
Proceeds from the walk will go to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
"(Cash) is less than 2 years old. I felt it necessary to come out of retirement to walk a thousand miles for the little guy and cancer research," said Stevenson, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and retired pastor, teacher, truck driver and firefighter, who has supported many causes in the past 20 years with his long-distance benefit walks.
LaRance has responded to treatments from Fred Hutch. "Cash has been healed, and is 100 percent cancer free," Stevenson said.
Stevenson has walked approximately 60,000 miles, completed 20,000 hours and taken 12 billion steps – all for the good of others – since 1998.
Earlier this year, Stevenson completed a 13,000-mile walk to bring awareness and funds to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that has no cure. Money raised on the walk, which began in March and ended in June, supported the ALS Association. He dedicated the walk to Mark Alleman, a friend who was diagnosed with the disease.
Stevenson also has: covered 7,600 miles for Alzheimer's; 20,000 miles for Multiple Sclerosis; 13,000 miles for Huntington's disease; 2,400 miles for the American Cancer Society; climbed Mount Rainier for the American Lung Association; walked 730 miles for Spina Bifida; and 2,086 miles for blind and special needs kids.
He made national news when he began a 3,000-mile journey from Auburn to the PHA headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., in 2015, just shy of his 80th birthday.
To donate to Stevenson's fall walk to beat cancer, visit fredhutch.org, or call 206-667-4399 (ask for Scott Greenfield) or mail: Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Ave. N., Mail Stop J5-200, Seattle, WA 98109
Please designate your donation to the account of Don Stevenson, or the Pacing Parson.
Construction on South 316th Street to necessitate closure Sept. 21-24 | UPDATES


Just got a call from a family in MA, that they are bring Coco back. It was not an easy decission but one that was best for the family. Coco is a mini carmel girl the is a love. Things didn't work out with her new family so she will be back in a few hours. Let me tell you a little about Coco. She has a beautiful fleece coat, she loves to play and cuddle, she hates to be alone so will follow you were ever you go. If you are interested in Coco give me a call and I will tell you all about her.


Yahoo Answers! What's the best time to go to disneyland?
Q: Sorry if the question sounds a bit ignorant .Can I have your opinion when it's best to go?
Yahoo Answers! Best Theme Park in California?
Yahoo Answers! Disneyland or disneyworld?
Q: I'm 16 and live in Australia and next year I am going to america for the first time. However, the decision is up to me whether my family goes to DisneyWorld in Florida or Disneyland In LA. I have no idea which one is better! Can anyone give any recommendations?
Yahoo Answers! Has anyone used someones elses disneyland 3 day pass card?
Q: I have the 3 day pass card from a friend. It was his but he doesn't want to use it for the 3rd time so he gave it to me. It has his signature on the back of the card but he says they never check it. They just scan the card and he walks right in. Has anyone else done this? I'm nervous to go and then get stopped and not be able to get in.


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1984-1998 2005-present
Natasha Bianca Lyonne Braunstein, better known as Natasha Lyonne, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Jessica in the American Pie series and her appearances in the films Everyone Says I Love You, Slums of Beverly Hills, But I'm a Cheerleader, and Blade: Trinity. She currently portrays Nicky Nichols in the Netflix series Orange Is the New Black.
Lyonne was born in Manhattan, New York, the daughter of Ivette Braunstein (née Buchinger) and Aaron Braunstein, a boxing promoter and radio host who is a distant relation to cartoonist Al Jaffee.
Lyonne's mother was from France. Both of Lyonne's maternal grandparents were Holocaust survivors. Lyonne sometimes darkly jokes that her family consists of "my father's side, Flatbush, and my mother's side, Auschwitz". Her grandmother Ella came from a big Hungarian family but only she and her two sisters and a brother survived, which Lyonne says was credited to their blonde hair and blue eyes. Lyonne's grandfather, Morris Buchinger, had a watch company in Los Angeles. During the war he was in the underground.
Lyonne grew up in an Orthodox Jewish household. She spent the first eight years of her life living in Great Neck, New York.
When Lyonne was 8 years old, her parents moved to Israel, where Lyonne spent a year and a half. Her parents divorced, and Lyonne and her older brother Adam returned to America with their mother. After this move back to New York City, Lyonne attended Ramaz School, also known as The Rabbi Joseph H. Lookstein Upper School of Ramaz, a private Jewish school, where Lyonne said she was a scholarship kid who took honors Talmud classes and read Aramaic. She was expelled for selling pot at school. Lyonne said she grew up on the Upper East Side and didn't feel like she fit in; felt like she was an outcast.
Her mother then moved the family to Miami, where Lyonne graduated from Miami Country Day School.
Lyonne is estranged from her father, who lives on the Upper West Side and in 2013 was a Republican candidate for City Council for the 6th District of Manhattan. Lyonne has said she is not close with her mother, and has essentially lived independently of her family since age 16.
When she was 18 years old, Lyonne used the paycheck from her work on the Woody Allen film, Everyone Says I Love You, to buy a small apartment near Gramercy Park. She attended New York University for a very short time, studying film and philosophy.
As a young child, Lyonne was signed by the Ford Modeling Agency.
At the age of six, she was cast as Opal on Pee-wee's Playhouse, followed by film appearances in Heartburn, A Man Called Sarge, and Dennis the Menace. On working as a very young child actor, Lyonne said: "I didn't have the best parents. I don't think they are bad people. Even if they were ready to have children, it is kind of a wacky idea to put your child in business at six years old."
Film Edit
When she was 16, Woody Allen cast her in Everyone Says I Love You, which led to appearances in almost 30 films over the next 10 years, including starring roles in the independent films Slums of Beverly Hills and But I'm a Cheerleader. Lyonne's other films include Detroit Rock City, Scary Movie 2, The Grey Zone, Kate and Leopold, Party Monster, and Blade: Trinity. She has also made television appearances on shows such as NBC's Will and Grace. In what is perhaps her most well known role, she appeared as Jessica in the American Pie film series.
Lyonne made films The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle and Goyband. Since then, Lyonne has worked steadily in the New York theatre scene, as well as in film and television. Her newer film appearances include All About Evil, 4:44 - Last Day on Earth, Girl Most Likely, The Rambler, and Clutter.
Theater Edit
Lyonne made her New York stage debut in the award-winning New Group production of Mike Leigh's Two Thousand Years.
Lyonne was in the original cast of the award-winning Love, Loss, and What I Wore, a play written by Nora Ephron and Delia Ephron and based on the book by Ilene Beckerman. She received rave reviews for her performance in Kim Rosenstock's comedy, Tigers Be Still at the Roundabout Theatre Company: "a thorough delight in the flat-out funniest role, the grief-crazed Grace, so deeply immersed in self-pity that she has cast aside any attempts at decorum."
In 2011, Lyonne was in Tommy Nohilly's Blood From a Stone, from the New Group.
Lyonne participated in New Group's benefit performance of Women Behind Bars.
On working in the theater: "There's something about theater that squashes the self-critical voices because you have to be in the moment. I'm glad that I didn't do this before I was ready, before I was capable of showing up every day. That is not a skill set I had before."
Television Edit
Lyonne has made guest appearances on the series Weeds, New Girl, and Law & Order Special Victims Unit.
In late 2012, Lyonne was reported to be developing a TV series for Fox Television about a young girl, who, fresh out of rehab and committed to starting a new life as a sober, responsible adult, is forced to move in with her conservative brother and young family.
She is currently starring as Nicky Nichols in the critically acclaimed Netflix original series Orange is the New Black, for which she has received positive reviews. The role is Lyonne's first television show as a series regular.
As part of the 2014 pilot season, Lyonne has been cast in Amy Poehler's NBC comedy pilot, Old Soul. The pilot also stars Ellen Burstyn and will be directed by David Wain, written/exec produced by Poehler.
She guest starred on Season 4 of HBO's Girls.
Natasha Lyonne's twitter is @nlyonne . Her instagram is @nlyonne.
Retrieved from "https://orange-is-the-new-black.fandom.com/wiki/Natasha_Lyonne?oldid=50786"


CMIT Solutions of St. Charles/Chesterfield is seeking a long-term partnership with a Saint Louis college, university, or technical school, for an ongoing need to wipe and rebuild multiple computers for charitable donation. Over the past several years owner Barry Herring has collected approximately 200 used computers, and he partnered with a technical college to wipe and rebuild the computers. This partnership will provide students real world experience in hardware troubleshooting, software installation, and project management. We need a new partner.
In the past most, computers were shipped to two different schools in Africa. A few have been given to local veteran's organizations for distribution to veterans in need. The next need Barry is hoping to fulfill, is to provide computers with Internet access, for families in need, at a local Saint Louis school district.
CMIT Solutions of St. Charles/Chesterfield will supply hardware to bring system to a usable status, if hardware is deemed salvageable. This is a perfect opportunity for students to apply newly learned skills, be involved in the IT arena, and help the community at the same time.
If you are interested in partnering with us, or know someone that might be interested, please visit our contact us page and complete the form.
CMIT Solutions of St. Charles/Chesterfield offers a broad spectrum of proactive computer maintenance, monitoring and virtual technology packages, along with quick response services when unexpected crises occur, CMIT Solutions has carved out its niche as an industry innovator that specializes in working with the small and medium-sized business community. CMIT Solutions' services help companies keep their strategic IT goals in focus by ensuring their computer systems are running, their data is protected, their network is secure, and, most importantly, their employees are productive. As a result, business owners benefit from increased efficiency, strategic information technology advice, and the ability to implement technology changes to improve their competitive posture.


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Questions Beyond Borders
June 30, 2018 / JJS
A couple weeks ago I wrote a post that started about the Handmaid's Tale and ended up a reaction to the Attorney General using Romans 13 to justify the zero-tolerance policy implemented on our southern border, and by extension its effective separation of children from their parents. I don't get a lot of comments on my blog (read into that what you will), but I did get a private Facebook message from someone.
This person – a childhood neighbor, fellow Christian, lover of beauty and creativity, and in my humble estimation an all-around good and generous egg – asked my thoughts on a couple questions.
What do think would happen if hundreds of thousands of Americans decided to enter some other country without "papers" (for lack of a better word)?
What if a child born in the United States (parents from another country) decided to leave the USA and take up residence in the Country of his or her parents?
These questions are sincere and important and immediately sent my mind spinning in a dozen directions. I want to answer (and expound on) them sincerely and respectfully. I am grateful to her for thoughtful engagement.
The author of The Handmaid's Tale – the source material for the television series which was the genesis of my original sidetracked post – actually does tackle the idea of a sudden onslaught of refugees from the (former) United States into Canada. The Canadians accept anyone who can make it across the border. The hope of these refugees is to eventually to reclaim and resettle to their homes, but there is no indication that will be soon. However the question was what do I think would happen. Try as I might I can't come to a more solid answer than … it depends.
But on what?
First, it depends on the destination country.
Different nations have different philosophies and policies around immigration, refugees, and asylum. The legal distinction among those classes is important. Germany, for instance, doesn't admit just anyone outside the European Union as a migrant for economic or personal reasons, but it has been famously accepting millions of refugees fleeing conflict in the Middle East. Italy, on the other hand, has been less willing to accept such refugees. Both countries are party to the 1951 Refugee Convention – as is the United States, but only per amendments as of the 1967 Protocol which actually expands the definition of refugee – but all interpret their corresponding responsibilities differently.
Second, it would depend on the reason.
The United States is a wealthy nation offering more economic and personal security than most countries typically known for displaced refugees. Were that to change (a la The Handmaid's Tale) due to natural disaster, civil war, economic collapse, or other circumstances, and if such changes created groups of people who were endangered with no recourse through the national government, U.S. refugees would probably be received as sympathetically as other refugees. But – and this is a big but – the last couple centuries of history of the U.S. as an extension of Western European development is that of the colonizer far more than of the oppressed. Native Americans brought to the brink of extinction, enslaved African Americans, and Japanese Americans interned during World War II would have certainly qualified as refugees from the United States under the definition of the Refugee Convention, but when we picture the possibility of "Americans" approaching foreign borders is that really who we're thinking of? Under present circumstances, an approaching horde of Americans of Western European descent seems more likely to be seizing than fleeing. God forbid our fortune changes, but unless it does, people leaving the United States in droves is a far different scenario than people fleeing countries which have descended into violent narco-states ruled by murderous gangs.
Third, and this may seem like part of the first but I think it's important enough to warrant its own consideration – what has been the extralegal, "wink-wink-nudge-nudge" history between the United States and the country in question?
Has it recently changed? For decades the U.S. has largely looked the other way when migrants from Mexico and other nations provided cheap labor to shore up industries like construction, hospitality and agriculture because no one wants to pay fifteen dollars per pound for apples picked at the legal minimum wage. As immigration authorities clamp down on such labor, many farmers are struggling to deal with labor shortages. This relationship has been symbiotic for many years. It hasn't changed because of economics or danger, but because of politics. It seems to me the concern about "the illegals" has grown proportionately not with the number of Mexicans immigrating to the U.S. (the net is actually negative), but with the so-called "browning of America" – the increasingly large portion of legal, permanent (and native) Latinx residents as compared to whites.
It'd be disingenuous not to note the number of non-Mexican Latinx immigrants is increasing, but a large portion of those are seeking refugee or asylee status. If United States residents started migrating in large numbers to a country where we had been welcomed under the table for years and that country experienced an economic downturn, I expect we'd be far less welcome than we were when the country needed us to continue its flow of cheap products. Even if we weren't taking the jobs people wanted, we'd be scapegoats. Xenophobia is ever only waiting for the right conditions to reveal itself. Populist movements in the U.S. and Europe are largely about the fear of foreigners changing the cultural and literal complexion of a nation.
BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM
I don't necessarily have to speculate about answers to the second question. There are at least a dozen countries that will grant you citizenship if you can prove your parents (and in some cases grandparents) were born as citizens of that country. Other nations would treat you as they treated anyone else who wanted to migrate.
To me, the more interesting part of the question is how we think of borders.
Particularly the borders of the United States. When Europeans began settling North America, the continent was already populated with people and their established territories. Borders didn't seem to matter much to us as we acquired land through war and genocide. When we annexed Texas and invaded Mexico to expand into territory they would not willingly cede to us, we weren't too worried about the sovereignty of borders. Until 1882 – nearly a century after the establishment of the US Constitution – there were no immigration laws. There were requirements for citizenship and naturalization, but when we were expanding westward and needed labor, whether people crossed our borders didn't seem to matter much to us. The first U.S. immigration law – the Chinese Exclusion Act – was not because we wanted the limit the total number of immigrants, but because of the fear of the "Yellow Peril" – that is, Chinese people overwhelming our European heritage – as if somehow Europeans were more deserving of the land we'd stolen than were the Chinese. Other groups were excluded for various reasons, including health, literacy, and anarchist political activity. But we weren't so worried about borders: we were worried about non-white people.
It wasn't until 1921 – 134 years after the establishment of the nation – that we began instituting immigration quotas which roughly resembled the ethnic composition of the country at the time. (As an aside, that means anyone claiming their family immigrated "legally" before that time is making a moot point; everyone but Asians were allowed in through established ports of entry).
So what changed during those years?
There are many reasons for secure borders, but those didn't change. What did change was that we outgrew the sense that we were in a state of constant expansion and unlimited resources. Stretched from coast to coast, bound on the North and South, we realized our limits of geography and resources and decided we didn't want to share them with just anybody who showed up on the continent.
We basically shut down immigration during the Great Depression, and actually coerced hundreds of thousands of Mexican citizens to repatriate to Mexico. Not the Irish or Germans or English mind you – only the people who were native and who's ancestors were here before the Europeans and just happened to involuntarily end up on our side of the border after the Mexican-American war.
People wanting to come to America were no longer seen as fellow pioneers in the Great American Experiment, but as threats. The quality of people outside our borders had not changed, but our jealousy of our resources had. Outside a slight concession to refugee resettlement in the 1980s, the focus of our immigration policy has been on maintaining employment and ethnic mix.
Now that we've got ours, borders matter to us.
Of course the economy is of national concern, but we need immigrants to maintain the economy. That makes the deciding factor ethnicity. There are plenty of successful people from countries which are mostly non-white, but in my experience proponents of "merit-based" systems rarely use them as examples, and are instead quick to point to mostly wealthy white countries which people have little desire to leave anyway. Our quotas and other immigration policies make implicit judgments about worthiness based on where people are from. Our talk of "merit-based" immigration is also disingenuous to the American ideal: no longer are we here for the huddled masses yearning to breathe free… but come on in if you've already made it big!
To me that doesn't seem very "all men are created equal."
It doesn't seem very Christian.
It doesn't seem very American Dream.
How many of us are here because our ancestors fled something?
How many wouldn't make the cut today under the same circumstances?
How many railed against the discrimination and persecution they experienced here?
How are we more deserving of this stolen land than people facing the same situations?
THE QUESTION BEHIND THE QUESTIONS
Thinking about immigration as a matter of justice requires thinking about a much larger story than what is legal or illegal, convenient or inconvenient, or profitable or not profitable at this moment in history. Before I get to what I think is the big question behind the original two questions, I want to make a few things clear:
I don't believe in lawless, open borders; I don't personally know anyone who does.
I do believe we need to recognize the basic human dignity of everyone – not just citizens.
I don't have a problem with prosecuting and deporting criminals.
I do have a problem with indefinitely separating and/or detaining children and families.
That last point shifted the focus of my prior blog post, which in turn raised the questions addressed in this one. My post was about exploiting scripture to defend the indefensible, and how that is neither conservative nor liberal but dangerously fundamentalist. I specifically didn't advocate any policy, yet it raised policy-related questions for at least one reader. And the connecting thread between these questions was a deeper question…
What would other countries do?
My short answer to this question behind the questions is: I don't think it matters.
I want us as a nation to do what is right and merciful, regardless of whether other nations would reciprocate. I'm not going to pretend I personally have the prescription for what is right, but it's certainly something better than what we have now. As a Christian – as a human being – I can't look at something as artificial and shifting and arbitrary and historically cruel as a border to restrict my compassion. I'm not advocating for some liberal theocracy (that would be hypocritical), but I think if Christianity does influence American politics it should be through values like mercy and sacrifice.
Make no mistake, I love my country. Heck, it allows me the freedom to write critiques of it, which in this world is no small thing! But loving something doesn't mean excusing everything it's done or is doing. That's flag-waving tribalism, which leads to stagnation, collapse, and – at its worst – genocide. We need to be vigilant about avoiding tribalism, about valuing or devaluing others based on their ethnicity, and about dehumanizing notions à la Manifest Destiny.
We may not have any more opportunities for geographic expansion, but we can still be pioneers of justice and dignity, even when it requires sacrifice. At its heart, that will be what keeps us a nation worth seeking.
Note: Regarding the history of U.S. immigration law, I drew heavily from this Wikipedia article. Yeah it's Wiki, but they're all sourced.
borders, History, immigration, justice, mercy, tribalism
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