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HOT TUB TIME MACHINE 2 Red-Band Clip Has Christian Slater Hosting a Bizarre Game Show
by Matt Goldberg February 10, 2015
A new Hot Tub Time Machine 2 red-band clip has landed online, and it shows that the upcoming sequel will be loosely tied to any plot beyond sending the guys into a bunch of different scenarios. The story has Lou (Rob Corddry), Nick (Craig Robinson) and Jacob (Clark Duke) facing the repercussions of changing the future, and then jumping back in the hot tub to try and fix everything they screwed up. In this clip, we see that the guys have somehow landed into a reality where Christian Slater is hosting a game show called "Choozy Doozy", which has some unusual rules. I'm amused by the possibility of Slater one day hosting a game show, which I can easily see happening.
Check out the clip below via IGN. Hot Tub Time Machine 2 opens Feburary 20th and also stars Adam Scott.
Here's the official synopsis for Hot Tub Time Machine 2:
When Lou (Rob Corddry) finds himself in trouble, Nick (Craig Robinson) and Jacob (Clark Duke) fire up the hot tub time machine in an attempt to get back to the past. But they inadvertently land in the future with Adam Jr. (Adam Scott). Now they have to alter the future in order to save the past… which is really the present, in the sequel from the same team that brought you the original cult hit.
Josh Hartnett Gets Stuck in the Opioid Crisis in an Exclusive 'Inherit the Viper' Clip
'The Gentlemen' Clip Shows Guy Ritchie Returning to His Criminal Ways
First Clip from 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' Makes a Surprising Revelation about Stormtroopers
Exclusive 'Klaus' Clip Explores Santa Claus' Origin Story in the Animated Netflix Movie
Saoirse Ronan & Timothée Chalamet Dance Like Nobody's Watching in 'Little Women' Clip
Details of the Sony/Marvel SPIDER-MAN Deal Revealed; Looking to Cast Younger Actor
3 Ways Spider-Man Could Enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe
• Christian Slater • Clark Duke • Clip • Craig Robinson • Hot Tub Time Machine • Hot Tub Time Machine 2 • Red Band Clip • Rob Corddry


Just some self reference here. I've launched a slick new site under matthiaskretschmann.com today which has an absolute simple concept. It's kind of a digital business card site for being digitally present under my name. Beside that it has Links to my social media stuff so it's easier for you to stalk me. In the 90's we probably would have called it a Portal.
For your learning pleasure I've let my comments in my jQuery file intact and you'll also find the sources for code-parts where I didn't wanted to invent the wheel again. Although slightly modified by me, this includes the code for the vCard popup bubble when hovering over the header (by jqueryfordesigner.com) and the text-resizing function (from dev-tips.com) .
That's why some eye candy will not be displayed to Internet Explorer users (no big light spot and no hover effect on the header) and I hope Google will fix this soon. And following my own tradition Internet Explorer 6 and below users will get a big warning banner on top of the site.
For all other modern browsers beside those mentioned above the site should work well but you'll get the best viewing experience with Safari, Firefox 3.1 or Opera (because of their text-shadow support).
If you find a bug or have any additions feel free to contact me, post them in the comments or throw me a note on Twitter.
With the concept of this little site I've kinda jumped on the bandwagon which obviously was started by Tim van Damme's excellent small site under timvandamme.com.
I was just blown away by the smart concept when first seeing this site last year and immediately made some rough sketches and drafts for my own implementation of this concept. But sadly time was too short for a new personal side project so everything laid down until last week.
Another great version based on Tim's concept was crafted by Mr. Foliage-O-Meter Rogie King under rogieking.com and there was also a nice little discussion about inspiration in Rogie's blog after he had launched his site.


My name is Helen Estakhrian. I have been interested in alternative healing practices for a very long time. Initially it was to find greater resiliency in myself from the wear and tear of day to day living.


text:
Progress Announces Industry Leading Accessibility For UI Tools
Progress Kendo UI, the leading tooling for building modern Web UI, becomes the first to offer full support for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 compliance
BEDFORD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 2018-- Progress (NASDAQ: PRGS), the leading provider of application development and digital experience technologies, today announced the latest release of Progress® Kendo UI®, the industry-leading tooling for building modern Web UI. With today's release, Kendo UI becomes the only commercial JavaScript component toolset to fully support WCAG 2.1 compliance. It also includes major feature updates, new components and new themes.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 defines how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning and neurological disabilities. Building off of Kendo UI's previous support for WCAG 2.0 and WAI-ARIA, Progress remains at the forefront for developers who want to enable people with disabilities to access their web apps.
WCAG 2.1 adds 17 success criteria for compliance. Kendo UI tooling now meets all 17 criteria including mobile accessibility, help for individuals with low vision as well as cognitive and learning disabilities. By implementing these standards, Progress helps developers build UI that is accessible out of the box, without the need for writing additional code.
"We exist to help the developer community develop modern apps with the best customer experience easily and quickly," said Faris Sweis, SVP & General Manager Developer Tooling Business. "Accessible apps are a requirement for digital experiences that can engage everyone, including those with disabilities. We are proud to be the first to provide support for these standards to make the creation of accessible apps easy."
The applications built with components adhering to these guidelines are not only accessible to people with disabilities, but also to users of all kinds of devices and interfaces: desktop browser, voice browser, mobile phone, automobile-based personal computer and more.
"When we are using Kendo UI, we don't have to spend time designing around accessibility, because it is already there as a part of the tool. It is a force multiplier for our development and design processes," said Bekah Rice Interactive Designer and Front-End Developer, truematter. "Kendo UI enables us to spend our time building and optimizing the user journey, with the confidence that the end UX will be accessible to everyone."
In addition to support for WCAG 2.1, the latest Kendo UI R3 2018 release also features updates to the TreeList component, new components including MultiColumnComboBox and an ArcGauge, a new Material Theme for jQuery and Vue, Dialog, Stock and Sparkline Charts for React, and Scheduler and Notification components as well as Chart features for Angular.
For more information about the latest release of Kendo UI, go to https://www.progress.com/kendo-ui or register for the Kendo UI R3 2018 Release Webinar, taking place September 27 at 11am ET.
Progress (NASDAQ: PRGS) offers the leading platform for developing and deploying strategic business applications. We enable customers and partners to deliver modern, high-impact digital experiences with a fraction of the effort, time and cost. Progress offers powerful tools for easily building adaptive user experiences across any type of device or touchpoint, award-winning machine learning that enables cognitive capabilities to be a part of any application, the flexibility of a serverless cloud to deploy modern apps, business rules, web content management, plus leading data connectivity technology. Over 1,700 independent software vendors, 100,000 enterprise customers, and two million developers rely on Progress to power their applications. Learn about Progress at www.progress.com or +1-800-477-6473.
Progress and Kendo UI are trademarks or registered trademarks of Progress Software Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries or affiliates in the US and other countries. Any other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.
Source: Progress
Kim Baker, +1 888-365-2779
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Tuesday, 08 October 2019 ENTERPRISE FORECAST: MOSTLY CLOUDY
Progress releases Kendo UI Builder 2.0, delivering the new face of OpenEdge web experience
OpenEdge Certified Training Has Arrived.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Committee, today announced that he has secured a provision in the Senate's Water Resources and Development Act (WRDA) that supports the construction of comprehensive flood protection in the Red River Valley. Hoeven's legislation will allow flood control structures under the updated comprehensive flood protection plan for the Fargo-Moorhead region to be built on land purchased with Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Under FEMA policy, no permanent structure can be built on land that has been bought out by the agency. The senator's provision grants the authority needed to implement the changes recommended by the joint task force convened by Governors Doug Burgum and Mark Dayton. This includes moving the southern embankment north and increasing the size of in-town levees, which will allow greater water flow through the metro and helps address the concerns of upstream communities and the State of Minnesota.
Today's legislation comes as part of Hoeven's ongoing work to advance regional flood protection efforts across North Dakota. In an Appropriations Committee hearing earlier this year, Hoeven secured a commitment from Lt. Gen Todd Semonite, Chief of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, to help secure funding for construction in the Fargo-Moorhead region as efforts continue to resolve the concerns of Minnesota and upstream groups. Following this, Hoeven sent a letter to the Corps to press for funding for the project in the Corps' work plan for Fiscal Year (FY) 2018. In order to help ensure the Corps can fund flood protection in the Red River Valley, Hoeven secured increased funding for the Army Corps' construction account in FY2018.
Hoeven continues working to ensure the support of key administration officials, such as the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, R.D. James, as well as Maj. Gen. Richard Kaiser and Col. Sam Calkins, Commanders of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Mississippi Valley Division and St. Paul District, respectively.


With decades of professional event management experience, the Summit Focus team includes a three strand approach (PLANNING PROMOTING PRODUCING) to provide you with a one stop shop for all your event management requirements.
Managing Director for over five years with Event Management International which she co-founded, Marie successfully developed its conference management business from inception in 2005 before setting up Summit Focus in 2010. A member of the Marketing Institute of Ireland, Marie holds qualifications in Business Studies (Cork Institute of Technology) and Digital Marketing (Fitzwilliam Institute). She also served on the successful steering committee to establish the Events Industry Skillnet and was an active member of NEO Ireland (Network of Event Organisers).
With a background in the financial services sector spanning (dare we say it) almost three decades, Marie has been a full time professional event and conference manager for many years utilising strong marketing expertise from previous employments in the US and the UK. She has been working in Ireland in partnership with leading industry associations to develop relevant internationally reputable conference programmes including the Dublin International Insurance & Management Association (DIMA), Irish Association of Corporate Treasurers (IACT), Irish Association of Investment Managers (IAIM), International Fiscal Association Ireland, Institute of Governance, Risk & Compliance (IGRC), etc. An ongoing member of the Marketing Institute of Ireland (MII), Marie has long established relationships with many organisations including Financial Services Ireland (FSI), Society of Actuaries in Ireland (SAI), Irish Association of Pension Funds (IAPF), Irish Banking Federation (IBF), Insurance Institute of Ireland (III), etc.
Sourcing and securing leading industry experts to deliver quality events every time, Marie and her team engage senior level industry leaders for keynote, presentation and discussion panels, etc. Employing innovative marketing strategies and developing successful online campaigns to promote and market conferences and our client companies, she also maximises on her extensive relationships with local and international companies in the re/insurance, banking, finance and legal sectors; as well as senior industry association representatives, Government ministers and leaders, regulatory authority representatives, key service providers, etc.
A former Irish international soccer player and former Cork senior county footballer, she still harbours dreams of returning to her younger days of past glory!!! But for now, she is content with the more sedate pastimes of mediocre golf, commuter cycling and leisurely hillwalking.
Kelly is an American import who has been working in the field of event and conference services for nearly a decade. With a keen attention to detail and ability to translate the clients vision into a formidable event, Kelly is a strong asset to the Summit Focus events team. Her experience ranges from prestigious American Universities to distinguished Irish holdings including the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, the IAPF and many other multinational conglomerates. Her corporate and private experience have helped her seamlessly integrate with Summit Focus and its continued work.
An MBA graduate from Dublin's Smufit Business School, Helen is our business strategist who brings an innovative mindset and collaborative attitute to the team. With her background in engineering, she loves the processes, the formatting, the planning and development. She enjoys the satisfaction & sense of achievement she feels after final delivery of each conference. A consummate professional with meticulous attention to detail, Helen puts her MBA high impact leadership skills to good use during every conference's development.
A valuable contributor to the event team for many years, Mary understands the needs of our clients and our conferences as well as the demands of our valued sponsors and exhibitors to deliver a well-planned event. She also manages Summit Focus' banking, book-keeping, Revenue filings, etc.
A RedHat Certified Technician (RHCT), Linux system administrator, VMWare Certified Professional (VCP), Windows system administrator, cisco firewalls and networking equipment, Paul continues to upgrade and maintain Summit Focus' IT infra-structure.


A large Scandinavian-inspired wall clock with a modern pale plywood case and minimalist marker dial.
Mr Clarke's pale plywood case holds a minimalist marker dial. The Scandinavian-style design is finished with a flat glass lens and linear baton hands.


Today In History. A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.


If you're on holiday in Umbria or Tuscany you could bump into a 70s vintage bus going around wineries, breweries, olive oil mills, and farm houses.
Veatles Group was born after an intense research of the wineries and farm houses most important in Umbria and in Tuscany.
On his vintage "Enobus" Filippo proposes some food and wine tours that could be combinable and customizable discovering wineries, breweries, cheese factories, salami factories, olive oil mills, coffee roasters and mills with typical products tasting.
Among many proposals the "Emotional Tours" stand out, as "Cooking Class" to learn the umbrian and tuscan cuisine secrets, or "The undergrowth´s diamonds" assisted by expert truffle masters with their dogs to be a truffle hunter for a day, or "The wonders of Deruta ceramics" if you're interested in handcrafted pottery, or "Into the blu painted of...red sagrantino" for a hot air balloon ride with final breakfast in the cellar.
Different tours for a old-fashioned trip to discover Umbria and its "flavorful" corners.
For more information visit the website www.veatles.com or contact Filippo at the telephone number 3923454776.


Choose "Incorporate" to form a corporation; "Form an LLC" to form a new limited liability company; "Order other INC Products & Services" if you already have a corporation; or "Order other LLC Products & Services" if you already have an LLC. Then, select your state of formation.
NOTE: By Choosing this, you do not want us to file your entity for you. If you want a filing, please choose either "Incorporate" or "Form an LLC"


We are in the process of moving to a new learning management system. If you want to go back to a course, or start a course, bought before March 2019 then you may need to login to our original learning management system. Otherwise, please proceed to our new learning management system to return to your training.
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Posting a shutout for the second time in three games, the Colorado defense led the way to a surprisingly easy 34-0 romp over Oklahoma State in Stillwater.
The Buffs held the Cowboys to only 208 yards in total offense, posting a second shutout in a season since the 1991 and 1992 Buffs accomplished the same feat.
The afternoon started out well for Colorado. On the Buffs' first play from scrimmage, sophomore running back Hugh Charles raced past the OSU defense for 74 yards and a 7-0 Buff lead. The run came just 18 seconds into the contest, the second-fastest score from scrimmage in Colorado history. On the day, Charles would account for 132 yards and two touchdowns, both career bests.
Colorado would not score again until there were only two seconds remaining before halftime, with Mason Crosby hitting from 48 yards out to give the Buffs a 10-0 lead at the break. The lead could have been much greater, as the Colorado defense was stymying the Oklahoma State offense. However, a Byron Ellis fumble in Cowboy territory, together with a blocked 44-yard field goal attempt by Crosby, combined to keep Oklahoma State in the game.
The game quickly turned into a rout in the third quarter.
Defensive end Abraham Wright intercepted a pass by Cowboy quarterback Bobby Reid, giving the ball to the Colorado offense on the Cowboy 29-yard line. Three plays later, the Buffs were up 17-0 after a 15-yard scoring run by Hugh Charles.
A quick three-and-out by the OSU offense gave the ball right back to the Buffs, who marched 59 yards in six plays, culminated by a touchdown pass from Joel Klatt to tight end Joe Klopfenstein for 11 yards and an insurmountable 24-0 Buff lead.
For the remainder of the afternoon, all the near-sellout crowd of 47,908 in Boone Pickens Stadium could do was to wonder whether the home team could avoid its first home shutout since 1991.
Backups played most of the fourth quarter for the Buffs, with the only offensive points coming on a 42-yard field goal by Mason Crosby with 2:07 left. Down 27-0, Oklahoma State mounted one final drive, but Reid was picked off by freshman CU linebacker Marcus Burton, who raced 99 yards for a touchdown with only 24 seconds to play to make the final score 34-0.
The Buffs' offense, led by Hugh Charles, was efficient if not spectacular.
With the victory, Colorado raised its 2005 season record to 3-1. More importantly, the Buffs were now 1-0 in Big 12 conference play.
The Buff defense was playing well, surrendering only 51 points in four games (12.75 points/game, good for 12th in the nation). After giving up only 208 total yards to the Cowboys, the Colorado defense was now the talking point for the team, ranked nationally in not only scoring defense, but rushing defense (11th best overall), and total defense (22nd). It was not a coincidence to many that the defensive coordinator for these Buffs, Mike Hankwitz, was the same defensive coordinator the last two times, in 1991 and 1992, that the Buffs posted two shutouts in one season. In his second year back with Colorado, Hankwitz had the Buffs and their fans believing again.
Up next was Texas A&M.
The Aggies were also 3-1, 1-0 on the season, but had taken a roller coaster ride to get there. Opening with a tough 25-24 loss to Clemson on the road, Texas A&M had fallen out of the polls after being ranked 17th in the pre-season. Comfortable wins over in-state patsies SMU and Texas State set the stage for the conference opener against Baylor. Baylor was also 3-0 heading into the contest, but the wins were over SMU, Samford, and Army. What should have been a rout turned into a 16-13 overtime win for the Aggies.
Texas A&M had defeated Colorado in overtime in 2004, 29-26, in College Station. The Buffs were once again in search of national respect. A win over the previously ranked Aggies would go a long way towards that goal.
The phrase, "cautious optimism", came up twice in my world the weekend of the Colorado/Oklahoma State game, both having connections to the Buffs.
The Colorado game against Oklahoma State was not televised, giving me less to write about than I would have had had I been able to witness the game first hand. As a result, I took the coincidence as a sign to detail the "cautious optimism" references.
The first occasion took place before the CU game had ended. The Buffs were up 24-0, and had matters well in hand, but the game was still in the third quarter, and crazier things had happened than a comeback by a seemingly defeated Buff opponent. As I was on the Internet, monitoring the game, I missed a call from Mac Keith, our daughter's long time boyfriend (and future husband). Mac had just gotten back from taking the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT), and was calling to tell me about it.
Being an attorney, and having lived through the LSAT myself, Mac had called me several times over the previous weeks and months as he prepared for the test. He did well on the practice tests, but there was no substitute for the stress of the actual test. Mac, though, reported that he was "cautiously optimistic" about his results. He managed to get through the test panic-free, and had time to finish each section. That was about all you could ask from such an ordeal.
The relevance to CU football?
It just so happened that on another October 1st, this one in1983, (22 years earlier – to the day) I took the LSAT. It was the day Notre Dame came to Boulder, and I took the test before heading over to the game. Fortunately for Buff fans, the 2005 Buff players fared better than the 1983 group, as Colorado on that October afternoon fell to the Irish, 27-3.
The latter use of "cautiously optimistic" came with my Sunday morning review of the coverage of the Colorado/Oklahoma State game.
"Cautious Optimism is in Order" was the title to the column penned by Neill Woelk of the Boulder Daily Camera. Woelk cautioned the Buff faithful from reading too much into the Buffs' win over the Cowboys. The Colorado offense was still struggling, there were way too many penalties, and the Buffs had yet to stretch a defense with the passing game.
All very true. Even with a 34-0 win, the Buffs had no reason to take the Texas A&M game for granted.
How could we? Only two days earlier, with the Miami debacle the last on-field valuation of the status of the Colorado football team, there was no reason for Colorado and its fans to look past Oklahoma State, much less Texas A&M.
Now, fresh off of a second shutout in three weeks, and with the Aggies looking more vulnerable than they had a month earlier, cautious optimism once again crept back into the mind-set of the faithful. A win over A&M would give the Buffs a 2-0 conference start. Even a competitive game against the 2nd-ranked Longhorns the following week could be used as a springboard to propel the Buffs into the final five games against Northern Division foes with – what's that phrase?
– The two shutouts in 2005 matched the efforts of the 1991 and 1992 teams. In 1991, Colorado shut out Minnesota, 58-0, and Kansas State, 10-0. In 1992, the Buffs shutout Missouri, 6-0, and Oklahoma State, 28-0. The last time CU posted three shutouts in a season? 1977.
– Scoring in 18 seconds against Oklahoma State was only the second-fastest score ever. The fastest CU touchdown from scrimmage occurred in 1996, when Rae Carruth scored on an end around from 28 yards out 13 seconds into a 24-10 win over Texas A&M (9/28/96).
– The listed capacity of OSU's home field was listed in 2005 at 48,000, though 50,100 witnessed a 33-29 win by the 20th-ranked Cowboys over the 24th-ranked Buffs in 1997.
– Marcus Burton's 99-yard interception return was not the longest in CU history. On three occasions, a Buff player has been credited with a 100-yard return on an interception, the most recent prior to 2005 being Steve Rosga's pick v. Oklahoma State, 10/12/96, (a 35-13 Colorado win).
– Burton's interception return was the longest play, though, ever posted by a freshman, surpassing the old record of 94 yards, set by Jeremy Bloom on a touchdown pass from Robert Hodge v. Kansas State, a 35-31 Colorado win (10/5/02).
– In 2005, Mike Hankwitz was on his second stint as defensive coordinator at Colorado, having filled that post from 1988-'94.
– The only other Big 12 North team to open with a win in conference play on October 1st was Nebraska, 4-0, 1-0, after a 27-20 two-overtime at home against Iowa State.
This post, about the Oklahoma State game, from the 2005 Season, is filed under Game.


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/*]]>*/ Duke Energy Deploying Bat Deterrent System At Hundreds Of Texas Wind Turbines - North American Windpower
Home Wind News Technologies Duke Energy Deploying Bat Deterrent System At Hundreds Of Texas Wind Turbines
Duke Energy Deploying Bat Deterrent System At Hundreds Of Texas Wind Turbines
Source: Duke Energy
Duke Energy Renewables will install NRG Systems' bat deterrent system over a five-year period at 255 wind turbines in Texas.
The systems will be installed at Duke Energy's Los Vientos III, IV and V sites beginning in July. The system, mounted on the nacelle of the wind turbine, emits continuous ultrasonic energy in the same frequency range as the bat's bio sonar used to orient, forage and locate objects. When bats enter the airspace where the deterrent units are operating, the ultrasonic energy essentially disrupts their bio sonar, making it difficult for them to find food sources and navigate their surroundings. This effectively minimizes bats' interactions with the turbines.
The Rio Grande Valley, where the Los Vientos wind projects are located, has a large population of common bat species, which provide pest control benefits for farmers and ranchers. Maintaining this local bat population was the impetus behind a two-year field study conducted by Duke Energy Renewables, NRG Systems and Texas State University. The study found that the bat deterrent system reduced overall bat fatalities by 50% around wind turbine locations at Los Vientos III, IV and V.
"At Duke Energy, we're focused on generating clean, renewable energy for customers while also protecting the native wildlife around our generation facilities," states Greg Aldrich, lead environmental scientist with Duke Energy. "With this new technology, we're pleased that we'll be able to significantly reduce the impacts on bats and continue our environmental leadership in this area."
"We are endlessly grateful to the entire Duke Energy team for the crucial role they played in bringing this technology to market," notes Brogan Morton, senior product manager at NRG Systems. "Their participation in the two-year study, coupled with their willingness to share their expertise with us, helped us create a commercially viable bat deterrent system that we expect will have considerable benefits both in terms of wildlife conservation and renewable energy generation. Their implementation of our systems at Los Vientos is the next chapter in what has so far been a successful and rewarding collaboration."
The ultrasonic field emitted by the system does not harm the bats and quickly dissipates beyond the turbine rotor sweep. The sound cannot be heard by humans and does not impact other wildlife or livestock.
This will mark the first commercial deployment of the bat deterrent system in the continental U.S. The technology is also being deployed in Hawaii by Kawailoa Wind.
Longroad Expands Wind Solutions Agreement With WindESCo
Stanford Researchers Boost Wind Productivity With Wake-Steering
WINDGO's Nanotech Thermal Coating Solution Helps Prevent Turbine Ice Build-up


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Home » Years » 2013 » Best Films of 2013
Scott, it's 2014 and time to reflect on the best movies we saw in 2013.
Indeed, Greg. Although there were a lot of stinkers in 2013, there were also many quality movies deserving of recognition.
For me, I listed my favorite films by how badly I wanted to see them again. There were a lot of great films this year. Picking just 10 that I wanted to see again was a tough call. Here's my list:
Greg's Top 10
10 – Mud
9 – Hunger Games: Catching Fire
8 – Star Trek Into Darkness
7 – About Time
6 – Saving Mr. Banks
5 – Rush
4 – Gravity
3 – Walter Mitty
2 – 12 Years A Slave
1 – Ender's Game
I generated my list based on the quality of the story and how memorable the characters were. Another big factor, of course, was the worthiness of the hero. Here is my top ten list:
Scott's Top 10
10 – Gravity
9 – Nebraska
8 – Philomena
6 – The Book Thief
5 – Mud
4 – The Butler
It looks like we have some movies in common. Let's do a deeper dive into each of our top five lists. My #5 pick was Rush which you listed as your #7.
I loved Rush. It was what makes a great movie. It's a the buddy story of two men in competition to be the best Formula One racers in the world. Nikki Lauda is the straight-laced, methodical racer. James Hunt is the party animal and sex-crazed undisciplined seat-of-the-pants driver. They start out as bitter rivals and in the end have an enduring friendship. It's the stuff mythic heroes are made of and that story makes me want to go back for a second helping.
I enjoyed Rush, too, Greg. I'd like to see director Ron Howard get some recognition for his meticulously accurate portrayal of this great racing rivalry.
My #5 pick was Mud, which was a poignant story of a young boy wrestles with the trials of growing up in the modern world. I'm glad you included Mud in your top 10 list, too, Greg. I was impressed by how Mud shows us that a kid can have the best of intentions and yet still get hurt by adult strangers, by parents, and by fickle romantic interests. Emerging from the pain is real and meaningful personal growth in our hero, Ellis. The movie does an outstanding job chronicling the hurts, the setbacks, and yes, the triumphs of this young man.
Mud was a great story and was one of the few we admitted to the Reel Heroes Hall of Fame. I was particularly taken with Ellis's idolizing of Mud. Ellis was in search of a hero and Mud came along at a time when Ellis was in search of someone to look up to. Ultimately such heroes must take a fall and that leaves the young man to go on alone. It was a bittersweet story and one worthy of a second look.
My #4 pick was Gravity. This is the story of Dr. Ryan Stone, a female astronaut portrayed by Sandra Bullock in a nearly stand-alone appearance. Stone goes from a space novice to space veteran in one sitting. This is a strong story of growth and overcoming impossible odds. Aside from the hero's journey was the technical accuracy and stunning graphics of the film. I don't think I've seen such meticulous film-making since 2001: A Space Odyssey. I definitely want to enjoy this film again.
Gravity didn't make my top 5 but was in my top 10, Greg. This may be Bullock's best work to date, and you're right, she really had to carry the movie single-handedly. The CGI effects were astounding and helped make a strong storyline truly come to life.
My #4 movie of the year was The Butler. This movie details the heroic life Cecil Gaines, who is both witness to, and a participant in, the Civil Rights movement in America. We see the life of a man who not only lived through radical changes in American society, but also witnessed the U.S. government machinery that either helped or hindered the transformation. You can see both pain and dignity in Cecil's every word and facial expression. I believe that 2013 was the year of the African-American heroic journey, with films like The Butler, 42, and 12 Years a Slave all documenting remarkable stories of courage and resilience in African-American men.
The Butler was a great film but didn't make my top 10 because of some of the casting. It seemed like a who's who of liberal Hollywood with Robin Williams and Jane Fonda playing characters they had no business playing. Plus there was a lack of historical elaboration that made it hard to follow without some research. It is one of many great stories depicting Black American struggle this year, but not one of my favorites.
My #3 pick for 2013 is a complete diversion from the historical films we've been discussing. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is Ben Stiller's Christmas offering with the story of a timid man (Mitty) who spends more time day dreaming than actually doing anything. He wants to gain the affections of a pretty woman. But he has lost an important image for Life magazine and so he embarks on a worldwide trek in search of the missing negative. I loved this film's imagery and cleverness. It was colorful and epic in it's scope. I definitely need to see it again.
I also enjoyed Walter Mitty, although the movie didn't make my top 10 list. It's omission on my list is due more to the abundance of quality movies in 2013 than it is a reflection of any major problems I had with the film. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a sweet, simple story that may be the feel-good movie of the year.
My #3 pick is the movie 42, which captures on film one of the greatest defining moments in American racial desegregation – the introduction of an African-American man in major league baseball. The film's two parallel heroes — Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson — were stirring and inspirational. Rickey serves as the catalyst for Robinson's journey while also playing the role of mentor to Robinson. If this film accomplishes anything, it shows us a greater social context to Robinson's remarkable accomplishments. For me, 42 packed deep emotional punch. I had to reach for the Kleenex when I saw two of Robinson's teammates, Pee Wee Reese and Dixie Walker, put their own well-being on the line to support Robinson during the worst of the abuse that Robinson endured. 42 is a true triumph of filmmaking.
Scott, 42 is a great story and didn't make my top 10 list. While I enjoyed the story I didn't feel there was anything that beckoned me back to the theater to see more. It's a great hero's journey but once was enough.
My #2 pick was 12 Years a Slave. This is the story of Solomon Northrup who was a free Negro living in the North in 1841. He was abducted and sold as a slave in the South. It's a terrifying story of a man who lost everything and worked to acclimate himself to his new situation but never gave up hope of making his way back home. The story and the filmmaking were so well-constructed and so full of events that I want a second chance to take it all in.
Greg, you have good taste — I chose 12 Years a Slave as my Number 1 Movie of the Year. This film is a searing look at the worst form of human abomination, namely, the disgrace of slavery. If you're not in tears when you watch the relentless suffering, if your heart isn't bursting when you witness the powerful final scene of the movie, then you have no human heart. The scenes of brutality are too terrible to bear, but bear them we must. Our hero Solomon must summon every resource to survive — his brains, his brawn, his spirit, his resilience, and his heart. 12 Years a Slave is not for the faint of heart but it is a story that must be told, and in this case it is told extraordinarily well. In my opinion, the movie deserves to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
That brings us to my #1 pick of 2013 – Ender's Game. This is the motion picture recreation of Orson Scott Card's science fiction novel from 1985. The outer-space acrobatics in this book were not reproducible on-screen before now. The imagery and special effects were outstanding. But most of all, it was a faithful reimagining of the source material. Ender Wiggin is a gifted youngster and his talents are exploited by his mentors to political ends that he ultimately comes to question. It's a story that is both timeless and timely and one that I could watch again and again.
Greg, I loved Ender's Game. It is my #2 pick this year. Ender's Game is the gripping story of a gifted young boy who is shaped and mentored into battle-readiness by elders we both admire and revile. This movie's coming-of-age story is superior to any other I've seen. Everyone involved in the making of this film deserves great props, from screenplay writers to production designers to cinematographers. It's fascinating to watch Ender overcome obstacles to become transformed as a character. Ender's Game is a film for people who like to leave the theater pondering intellectual and ethical issues. How should we treat our enemies? What exactly is good leadership? Should any society use children to fight wars? Ender's Game reminded me why I love going to the movies.
Scott, it's been a great year for great storytelling. Thanks for joining me in reviewing these wonderful works. I'm looking forward to another year of reviewing the best and worst of 2014 with you.
I agree, Gregger. I believe 2013 was a banner year for the movie industry. Let's hope it continues into 2014.
By Greg Smith in 2013, Commentary on December 31, 2013 .
← Nebraska ••••• Best Heroes of 2013 →
David Thomas says:
I'm struck by a couple of things. One is how you are both heavily tilted in favor of movies currently showing or produced for the current Oscar season. It's a human trait to be influenced by what we have most recently been exposed to. A good exercise for you might be to go back to movies time January-August 2013 time frame and make new lists out of that limited pool, and then see which if any of them might make your final choices for the year a little different than it is. Another observation I have is your frame of reference — the year's best HERO movies — leads you to pick films, by and large, that idealize the main characters. As you both know, I am sure, Hollywood insiders are not happy with the whitewash that the Disney studio imposed on the treatment of Walt's and Travers' clay feet and so on. What I getting at is illustrated by the split you two have over Lee Daniels' The Butler over the "real world" applicability of the importance or relevance of casting liberals in the roles of history's conservative icons — which itself is an idealization if not a whitewash of Ronald and Nancy Reagan by today's GOP revisionists. I'm hugely into Jung and the power of narrative as you no doubt remember. I also loved both of those movies. I think my essays on them, if I get around to it, will have a somewhat different take on them. And no, off hand, I don't have any candidates from last year's winter and spring movies to wave at you. Good job! Keep on keeping on. Peace, David PS I don't know what it is about me but I don't have an easy time getting into fantasy superhero movies at all. Lack of sufficient imagination I guess. I have to read a lot about a movie like Gravity before I "get it." I just saw (the recency syndrome) All Is Lost with Redford, and I don't have any trouble "getting it" about the movie or about the acclaim Redford is receiving in the Oscar buzz for his acting in it.
Greg Smith says:
Sorry I haven't gotten back to your comment until now. We were inundated by spam.
One reason we like more recent films is because the good ones are held back until Oscar season. In the fall and spring months we don't get a lot of good releases. I've actually plotted our ratings of movies over the year and there's a definite spike in the summer and in the last weeks of December. So you're right, we do favor films later in the year – but that's because they really are better in the latter part of the year.
Outstanding summary! Thank you both for the great reviews each week and for the end of the year see-what-I-need-to-go-back -and-see-or-see-again list. You also remind me it was a good year for intelligent films. Thank you both!


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The alternative David Bowie Top 20 – 1994-2016
By Classic Pop | January 10, 2022
The 23 years between 1. Outside and Blackstar marked a remarkable creative resurgence for David Bowie. Singles are banned from this alternative Top 20 list, but as Will Salmon discovers, there's a plentiful crop of classics to pick from the albums, b-sides and rarities…
20 We Shall Go To Town, Thursday's Child (1999)
A fascinating glimpse into a world where Hours was a much more interesting album than the one we actually got… This b-side from the Thursday's Child single is a mysterious outlier, a haunting and defiantly weird song that wouldn't sound out of place on 1. Outside. Cutting through the gloom and Bowie's phased vocal is a guitar riff that has the unmistakable hint of James Bond about it. Gorgeous and strange, you can see why Reeves Gabrels was so miffed when Bowie chopped it from the final album.
19 Looking For Satellites, Earthling (1997)
Earthling makes a great racket, but this meditative album track slows the pace, its hypnotic mantra rolling along until a distorted guitar solo tears things up. Bowie said of the song, "It's kind of a poignant feeling, standing alone on a beach at night, looking for a satellite… what you're really looking for is an answer." A strange and lovely interlude between the album's frenetic beatscapes that also nods to pre-Millennial interest in UFOs and alien life.
18 Pablo Picasso, Reality (2003)
Yes, it's a cover, but Bowie's take on The Modern Lovers' song is a blistering rocker that shows that the old dog still could still bite and snarl when he wanted to. Bowie's version adds some cheeky Spanish guitar (a nod, perhaps, to Picasso's country of origin), synth and additional lyrics. Visconti's production gives the song a fresh and appropriately modern coat of paint.
17 Looking For Water, Reality (2003)
A stripped-back rocker that continues the confident thrust of Reality, but what really makes Looking For Water stand out is its intensely bleak lyric. If Heathen felt tinged with the darkness of living in a post 9/11 America, this spells it out clearly. "I lost God in a New York minute/don't know about you but my heart's not in it." For once, David Bowie, master of composure sounds authentically shaken up.
16 Dirty Boys, The Next Day (2013)
A scronking slice of rock 'n' blues that resembles Bowie taking on Tom Waits. Steve Elson's baritone sax is the star of the show, but praise should also go to Tony Levin's lurking bass. The song's English references (Finchley Fair, cricket bats) are juxtaposed with the music's US flavour; "stripper music from the 1950s," as Visconti put it.
15 No Plan, No Plan (2017)
A Blackstar outtake that could have happily sat on its parent album. An elegiac rumination on living in the moment, originally written for the Lazarus musical. Bowie's vocal (recorded on 10 January 2015, precisely one year to the day he would pass away) is frail but powerful, lending the song a melancholy but ultimately triumphant feel. In the light of its release after Bowie's passing, the song can't help but evoke Bowie sending a final message to us from the afterlife.
14 Sunday, Heathen (2002)
The opening track on Heathen is an atmospheric creep through some eerily desolate imagery. "Look for the cars and signs of life" may evoke 9/11, but the song was, in fact, written well before that fateful day. Whatever it's about, Bowie stretches the tension out, building and building, only letting it out in the final few minutes. A gorgeous start to the album.
Read more: David Bowie in the 90s
Read more: Making David Bowie's Let's Dance
13 Shadow Man, Slow Burn/Everyone Says Hi (2002)
The earliest known version of this track dates back to at least the early 70s, but it's likely that Bowie was working on it even before then. He dug the song out in 2000, recording a version for Toy. When that album was aborted, the track (in a subtly different form) was popped on the B-side of both the Slow Burn and Everyone Says Hi singles. It's a lovely song, with Bowie crooning over an ethereal arrangement of strings and piano. Bowie fills it with such warmth and sincerity that it's become a firm fan favourite.
12 I'm Deranged, 1. Outside (1995)
Made famous by its inclusion on David Lynch's brutal classic, Lost Highway, I'm Deranged is one of 1. Outside's most haunting tracks. Bowie's operatic vocal rides a wave of disturbing imagery (the Verbasiser is once more in full effect here on lyrics like "Cruise me blond, Cruise me babe, A blond belief beyond beyond beyond") while an eerie synth wash is contrasted with a frantic electronic beat that prefigures the electronica of Earthling, before finally giving way to Mike Garson doing his best 'manic' piano.
11 Thru' These Architects Eyes, 1. Outside (1995)
As it comes to an end, light cracks through the mordant gloom of 1. Outside. Architects Eyes is both a release and a reward. A soaring ode to the "majesty of a city landscape" (the Johnson and Rogers name-checked on the song are architects Phillip Johnson and Richard Rogers), it also grew out of Bowie's growing obsession with modern art, at its height in this period. Mike Garson gets a terrific descending solo in the final moments, but for once it feels joyous, rather than menacing.
10 You Feel So Lonely You Could Die, The Next Day (2013)
A showstopping torch song with a sting in the tail. Bowie throws everything at this, delivering one of his most impassioned – even melodramatic in places – vocals on the album, backed up with oohs and aahs from Gail Ann Dorsey. But while it sounds heartfelt, the sentiment here is bitter; the song's character is sugar-coating his malice. "I hope you feel so lonely you could die," Bowie sings after promising whoever he's singing to that "Death alone shall love you". Then, just as it fades out, a familiar drum beat, appears – a direct lift from Five Years that links the surprise return of The Next Day back to the best known LP in his back catalogue. A remarkable song.
9 A Small Plot Of Land, 1. Outside (1995)
A delirious, tumbling piece that prefigures the percussive jazz sound Bowie would later explore on Blackstar. Lyrically, the song is a collage of disturbing imagery (created using the same cut-up techniques he employed with Eno in the 70s, albeit with the help of the new Verbasiser technology) that may not mean too much, but is darkly evocative all the same. Not for the last time on Outside, Mike Garson steals the show here, his discordant piano lending a diabolic touch to a song that lurks in the subterranean darkness, while Sterling Campbell's terrific drumming keeps it locked into a taut groove. Incredible and deeply eerie.
8 I Have Not Been To Oxford Town, 1. Outside (1995)
An unusual diversion into funk on the otherwise experimental Outside. Oxford Town (working title: Toll The Bell) was crafted by Brian Eno, Carlos Alomar and Joey Barron in the studio, with Bowie absent. His contribution can't be underestimated, however – according to Eno's diary of the period, on hearing it, Bowie was delighted. He immediately wrote the lyric, asked for five tracks and then sung the different parts, complete with "long spaces, little, incomplete lines… he unfolded the whole thing in reverse, keeping us in suspense for the main song". A proper earworm that stands out on an occasionally obtuse album, it might have been a hit had it been given the single treatment.
Read more: The Story Of The New Romantics
7 Heat, The Next Day (2013)
The Next Day bows out on this ominously brooding track that never quite gives you the release it feels like it's building to. One of the first songs created during the album sessions, Gail Ann Dorsey's bass and Visconti's production create – or rather summon a dark ambience. Musically unlike anything else on the album, it continues the record's lyrical bleakness while also nodding forward to the more sonically adventurous terrain Bowie would go onto explore on Blackstar.
6 The Motel, 1. Outside (1995)
The centrepiece track on 1. Outside is a haunted ballad dressed up in gothic clothing. Sprawling for nearly seven minutes (and owing an undoubted debt to Scott Walker's astonishing, career-redefining single, The Electrician) its gradually building ambience is anchored around Garson's piano. It's a song that's teetering on the edge of dour until – almost bang on the five minute mark – guitar erupts and Bowie's defeated vocal takes on an urgent tone, releasing waves of pent up emotion.
5 Girl Loves Me, Blackstar (2016)
After the title track, the most sonically adventurous song on Bowie's grand finale. Lyrically hewn from polari (a type of slang often used in gay subculture up until the 1960s) and Nadsat (the fictional language of Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange), it's coded lyric is paired with a tight, deliberately repetitious groove from drummer Mark Guiliana. While the lyric is initially impenetrable, the repeated cry of "Where the fuck did Monday go?" has a sense of bleak desperation to it (and earned the album an incongruous-for-Bowie Parental Advisory sticker). An atypical track on an extremely atypical album, it proves that Bowie had the imagination to keep surprising us right up until the end.
4 Conversation Piece, Heathen Deluxe Edition (2002)
A rare entry into the Realist Bowie canon, this song is a gorgeous snapshot of urban life from the point-of-view of a lonely academic who lives "above the grocer's store, owned by an Austrian". Originally written in 1969, but cut from Space Oddity, Bowie revived it for his planned Toy album in 2000. When that record was canned, the track eventually made it onto the Deluxe Edition of Heathen. It's a mark of how understated and lovely it is that, despite this comparatively unknown status, it's become one of his best loved late period songs.
3 Slip Away, Heathen (2002)
An early standout on Heathen, Slip Away looks back to Bowie's past, both in terms of its lyrical reference to obscure late 70s puppet TV series, The Uncle Floyd Show, and in its knowing reprise of the Stylophone, the toy instrument first deployed (in a Bowie context) on his breakout hit, Space Oddity. A gorgeous ballad that builds and builds before opening up into a majestic chorus, when we say that this feels like a lost Hunky Dory track seen through a post-Low lens, it's meant as a very high compliment indeed. Credit should also go to Tony Visconti, whose sumptuous production on the track gives it a truly epic thrust.
2 Dollar Days, Blackstar (2016)
After the fierce experimentation of its first five tracks, Blackstar bows out with two straightforward – at least for David Bowie! – songs that get to the heart of the matter. Dollar Days was crafted in the studio, the only track on the album not to have a demo. While it's known that Blackstar wasn't consciously recorded as a final album, mortality is undeniably hovering around the edge of the song, even as its narrator insists "It's nothing to me". Shot through with a real sense of longing and blessed with a stunning sax solo, it's an incredibly powerful piece of work.
1 Bring Me The Disco King, Reality (2003)
An outlier on the otherwise rock-heavy Reality, Disco King is a song with a long history, stretching back at least until the 90s and Black Tie White Noise. First a – in Bowie's own words – "cheesy" disco number, then a sparse piano and string-led piece, it's reconfigured on Reality into a sprawling, near eight-minute cut of smokey late night jazz, far smoother than the jarring textures of his later experiments in the genre. As the final track on Reality, for many years this was the "last David Bowie song" and the lyric certainly hints at the creep of mortality. The (welcome!) surprise appearance of The Next Day may have robbed it of that status, but it remains one of the greatest songs of his long career.
The alternative David Bowie Top 20 – 1975-'80
Read more: The alternative David Bowie Top 2O – 1981–'93
The Bowie Years Reissued – Volume I on sale now
15 must-see pop TV moments
The best 80s album covers of all time
The resurrection of Alexander O'Neal
Bruce Hornsby Interview: 'I was the grandpa on the bill – probably the oldest motherf***er on the stage!'
Ben Watt Interview: 'I just went into a bad space for a while'
Popscene – Yacht Rock


The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce's Education Committee is seeking local businesses to partner with North Fulton area schools. The schools are looking for help from area businesses in the way of donations, tutoring students and setting up specialized programs.
Actually Houses To Buy Now?
I can't tell if it is just me, but I swear I saw some houses for sale in Woodstock. Then I saw some in Roswell, Sandy Springs and in Dunwoody. Is it just me, or are did people actually just start listing their houses this week?
Brenda and I drove around our small section of The Woodlands in Woodstock last night and counted 9 houses that listed in the last week – and there are only about 117 in our section. I did a quick Zillow search this morning and found more than 1,000 homes listed in Woodstock, about 717 in Roswell, more than 2,758 in Marietta, and well over 14,000 in the north Metro area. And Zillow I know for a fact does not have every house listed on its site. (4 of the 9 in my Woodlands section are not listed on Zillow yet). So I'm sure the numbers are much higher.
Not only that, but more importantly, my phone has been ringing significantly more and I have written more pre-approvals this week than any week this year. Memorial Day Weekend is certainly a popular one to house-hunt – but this seems like something bigger. At least that is what I'm hoping.
I've heard that this low-inventory market is driving home values up to unhealthy levels – pushing many homeowners out of the market for what they might want. It makes sense. The buyers are the ones having to make themselves attractive, not the sellers. Smart sellers are listing their houses at the maximum they think they would appraise for, and then they are not budging. And home values are rocketing upward. So bring on the new inventory!
With the way this market has gone this year though, we have to be smart. This could be a quick blip. We have to acknowledge the possibility that instead of this being a prolonged trend of increased listings, this might be a quick dumping of the bulk of the homeowners who will move this year. With the way the market has gone, there is no time to rest in any sort of expectation that there will be more deals to make around the corner.
But for now – the iron is hot! Houses are listed and rates have been dropping. Good luck this weekend!
Rates Hold to 11-Month Lows!!
Nothing happened this week to disrupt the Fed's vow last week to continue its two stimulus measures that are currently helping to keep interest rates at historic lows. After a slight rise Monday, they dropped and held steady at 4.125% best execution.
The only big news this week was the Fed's release of the minutes from last month's meeting. The minutes seemed to confirm the Fed's comments about continuing the stimulus and further illustrated officials' concern for the housing economy.
Rates kind of feel like a helium balloon being held close to the ground by Fed officials, the global economy and investors' concern for any instability in the stock market. The more concern and instability, the tighter those forces hold onto the balloon and bring it down. The less instability, and those forces forget about the balloon and it starts to float up.
For right now though, the balloon is pretty close to the ground holding steady at rates not seen since July of last year.
With the Fed confirming continued stimulus last week rates may stick around current lows. But a strong jobs report in June could push them higher. It is hard to imagine rates going any lower than they are – but you never know.
Best execution rates currently sit at 4.125%.


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I am going to be at NZ next April for a complete week, spending 2 days at Auckland. Can you recomend a 5 day motorhome trip? Thanks in adavance.


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Barney's Rubble
Learning To Love IO
Infrastructure optimization is more than just another way for Microsoft to pitch its products.
By Doug Barney
I first heard about IO on a trip some months back to Microsoft. They weren't talking about I/O as in input/output. No, they were talking about infrastructure optimization (IO).
This IT model is how Microsoft now positions, sells and develops products. I reckoned I'd better learn what this thing was all about.
Coming to grips with IO was a long process. I read several hundred pages worth of white papers, case studies, briefs and press releases. That was a mistake, for as I tried to absorb the whole model -- there are actually three of them -- and all its implications and product ties, I scratched my head so much my co-workers got me a flea collar.
Here's the short version of what I've learned. IO is an IT maturity model that first focuses on efficiency and driving down costs. As you move up the ladder the focus turns to technology that helps companies do new things, launching products and responding quickly to changing markets.
The first model is Core Infrastructure, meaning your basic server and PC architectures. Then comes Business Productivity Infrastructure and finally Application Platform Infrastructure.
Each model works the same way. IT goes through an elaborate questionnaire that leads to a set of goals for the shop. In the last part, Microsoft maps your business goals to products -- yes, in most cases, Microsoft products.
When I first looked at IO I fixated on the product mapping and decided the model was just a way to sell more Microsoft products. I was biased against IO from the start. The first IT pros I spoke with bashed IO for the same reason -- they just didn't trust it.
I kept going, talking to more customers, analysts, partners and a few rather persuasive Microsoft execs. IO is a way to sell more Microsoft products, and the company is not ashamed of pitching its products to fit IT goals established by IO. Once IT has those goals, it's free to seek out any product or vendor it cares to. I also found that in the first two stages of IO, the questionnaires and goal setting are almost entirely vendor neutral.
It took a lot of reading and talking and looking at other models, but now I'm convinced that IO is a good thing -- a very good thing. But good isn't perfect. Let me play analyst for a moment and humbly -- and when have you ever seen me humble? -- suggest some changes.
IO needs:
An "IO for Dummies"-style introduction: A document that lays the model out so the basics can be understood in about five minutes.
More work with third parties: When it comes to product mapping, I'd like to see as many third parties as possible represented.
An upfront discussion of competitive technologies and multi-vendor shops.
Better do-it-yourself tools for IT, such as a self-service portal so IT can do their own IO analysis.
Microsoft really should work with IBM, which has been an expert in infrastructure optimization for years.
Give me your take on IO by writing to dbarney@redmondmag.com.
Doug Barney is editor in chief of Redmond magazine and the VP, editorial director of Redmond Media Group.


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WeapoNews.com
Why Russia is not so, as we would like?
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analytics/
Reflecting on recent world events, we came to a pretty complex question: why are we all wrong? why russia/ussr, which was built more countries than the United States destroyed, however, is almost all over the world the personification of evil and a kind of barbaric area?what is the secret that many of us want the type to be friends, i mean, to eat our wheat, burning our gas, recycle our oil and the list goes on, but to live, as they say, soul in soul, you do not want? moreover, the United States, which are more suitable for the role of world-destroyer, are almost all over the world ideal places for human life?including, by the way, for many of our citizens, some of whom have already made their choice, and if others didn't, only because i do not have this capability. We even managed to chat with two of our former compatriots, a resident of salt lake city and inhabitant of quebec. But this is generally a separate conversation. The answer to the question that we have set for ourselves, simple. Liberalism. Here, many may begin to release poisonous saliva like pavlov's dogs, but in our country it is necessary to do the difference between real liberals and liberoidy. These liberals we have.
It is a fact that must be taken for granted. And liberoidy we later will understand. So why is the United States is an example and a dream for all, and Russia — something else? the rebels on the bones of the soviet monster, which again threatens the world. And the world, let us not wish for himself, the Russian destiny, the world wants the american dream. This is despite the fact that we are all citizens of great russia, daily and hourly saving thousands of people around the world.
Save from terrorism. Saved from natural and man-made disasters. Saved from foreign aggression. Of hunger, hell, arranged by the "Democratization" of the us and its allies.
The number of saved our country for a thousand years, and probably equal, if not more, than the population of the earth today. Come to think of it. But if we think about it? the idea is that we must think of everyone else. But, alas, somehow the rest of it don't want to think. I wonder why rebuilt after the second world us and with our help, the country amicably rushed into the camp of our enemies? all. Those, by the way, who could live without our help, but somehow remained a reliable ally that can be easily counted on the fingers on one hand. Kazakhstan, vietnam, Mongolia. Belarus in this list were not just because of the Belarusians, we are different people and do not believe, as Lukashenko we have a reliable ally is not listed.
Personal opinion, but based on facts, rather on the personal quirks of the president of Belarus. To speak of the fate of the republic, if everything goes as in the Ukraine, just don't want to, because khan will come much faster. Something went wrong?obviously, yes. And despite all of our openness and other benefits for dreams in our world is not russia. Probably because the us government for the citizen, and in Russia — a citizen for the state. As we said, one citizen of Russia 26 years old, "I'm just a resource. "Not very nice to feel like a resource, but for some reason the farther watching what happens in a country, the more convinced of this.
There is a separate category of people who by dating or "Drifts" of certain amounts became a state. And their life was able to complete the program, and is comparable to the american existence. The rest is the resource. Which, it seems, have rights. The main of them — calmly and without shouting to support the government, that is to say, a group of people who entered over there. The right (or duty) to observe each day the growth of gasoline prices in the oil-producing country.
And no one asks what it will, the price of oil in the world (did not understand, and here it is), the price of the dollar, but we can't something be cheaper under any circumstances. The right to decide your personal wallet the fate of others. This is, firstly, about the Donbass, where thousands of Russian people were not given just to die as its often unfamiliar friends out there in the combat zone. And assistance from the Russians went with apr 2014. And from the state since august.
This is worth remembering. Secondly, i can not say about the save the children, collecting the world money on surgery and expensive drugs. The state has no money for that. But the media and the television are filled with cries for help. And collect, and help.
Children sorry, this Russians future. And they are not to blame that the government don't care about them. But it should just look at the cars of any of the "People's servants" of high rank, there, anyway, 5-6 saved lives, embodied in a luxury on wheels. But, it should turn on the tv or radio once again become a citizen of a great country. Helped flood victims in. Deliver so many tons of humanitarian aid into the city.
Off the national debt. Billions in some state. Sent our military specialists in. Great country!and you see again the transparent donation box.
With tens, a hundred, a trifle. And the sad eyes of the three girls in the photo. Interestingly, for her, for her parents, grandparents, neighbors, and acquaintances, we also live in a great country? maybe for the villagers, which for several decades can not hold on a gas pipeline, we live in a great country? or for those who are still in some regions of the city can not get out in the spring and fall? money the state does not. It is unlikely that the world knows about this disgrace, but apparently, i guess, not otherwise. For hundreds of years that we as a state help the neighbors, we don't deserve gratitude. All who were saved or who created the state.
Everyone who has lived, and lives largely on our money in the form of incentives, loans, protection, investments, and eventually spit in our faces or trying to "Hit in the back with a knife. " we create the state, and the United States destroys. But pray in the usa, and the us spit. Why?since we notice a certain strangeness in the behavior of others. All want to have our help.
All want to cooperate in one way or another. All need our markets, our land, our army. But to be friends with us don't want to. I think it is a fresh example of Turkey in this once again convinces. But allah is with them, with the turks. Why our talented young people, even now, when the president on all platforms speaks to enhance work with young people, on benefits, on prospects at the first opportunity, running for the border? running the most educated, most promising, most active.
Sausage? doubtful. Today, some can afford something more expensive. Especially from left. Why in the ussr this number wanting to leave is not it? and the money for the operation the children were not in the wallets of ordinary people and the treasury of the state? why are we, the generation of the last decades of the Soviet Union, was proud of the fact that we are soviet? moreover, deep down, we even feel sorry for those same americans. Not born there.
What went wrong?Russia has been and remains a state of two worlds. Remember historical facts when Russian peasants were murdered in 1812 by Russian officers, mistaking them for the french? only for the fact that he did not know the Russian language. Was Russia folk Russia of noble family. Two completely not in contact with each other state. By the way, the today is the line of separation.
Only now is russia, Moscow or st. Petersburg. And then there are russia, ural, siberia, primorye, caucasus. Those, not the capital of russia, to understand each other. Understand the specifics of the regions, cultural characteristics.
But for most Moscow Russia enemies. But those who are "On the ground", not really friends, as shown by the dozens of arrests across the country. It's like a poison that poisons the mind so that even after stealing millions and billions, people can not stop. In the ussr such separation did not exist. Yes, Moscow lived better than others. But in the regions as people could not afford much.
Envy was not. Therefore plied the youth throughout the union "Beyond the mist". Many muscovites built the bam and other construction projects of the century. And remained there to live forever.
Conversely, how smart, really experts in their field, moved to the capital positions of leadership. Many factories worked there for ordinary workers. For those who wanted to live in Moscow. Moscow automobile plants, for example, was more than half-staffed "From the heartland". What's the difference between that time and us in the present? probably, the difference of only one word.
Now each of us is a citizen of a great country. And then we had a great citizens of the great powers. Great and proud. We knew its future.
We sincerely loved his homeland. Not for jeans or gum. Just loved. We proudly visited other countries and saw in the eyes of the natives envy.
We were in a real fight for our ideals. The child knew that may engage in any section or circle. Just because he wants to. A young man or woman understand that they will be able to enter any institute or university. You just have to take responsibility for the school.
Graduates knew that will be employed. They will provide housing and reasonable wages. Middle-aged people could not afford to relax at any point in the union. The money remaining from wages for the year and enough to himself and family.
The old people knew what was going to get a pension on which to live. Russia today is a state for officials. The state for those in power. Every Russian knows that if you "Get in the cage", be in power or near power, will be in any turmoil "Chocolate".
And wage laborers do not threaten. Moreover, in addition to the salary you will have as much, and never dreamed of a simple worker or employee. Remember the prize of the head of "Mail of russia" for last year. And compare with the simple salary of a postman in my life.
The prize is much better. Probably because i don't want to live in peace like we do. Don't want to live in a country for the elite. For the elite. For those that can afford it.
They just want to live in countries where any person is the same for.
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Home Explore Topics Public Works and Utilities Local Improvement Districts
Local Improvement Districts
This page provides basic guidance for local governments regarding Improvement Districts, including Local Improvement Districts (LIDs), Utility Local Improvement Districts, and Road Improvement Districts in Washington State. It also offers relevant statutes, court decisions, examples of local LID programs, and recommended resources.
Most municipal governments (cities, counties, water and sewer districts, ports, fire protection districts, etc.) can use the basic LID processes in chapters 35.43 RCW through 35.56 RCW (which directly address LIDs in cities). Counties in Washington State can utilize LIDs for water, sewer and storm sewer system improvements under chapter 36.94 RCW. Procedures under that statute are very similar to LID procedures in cities and towns under chapters 35.43-.56 RCW. Assessment districts for road improvement projects in counties however, must follow the RID procedures under chapter 36.88 RCW. So, while we generally refer to all of these as Local Improvement Districts ("LIDs") where appropriate we will point out the differences. And, each entity should carefully review its specific enabling statutes.
What is a Local Improvement District?
Local Improvement Districts (LIDs) are a means of assisting benefiting properties in financing needed capital improvements through the formation of special assessment districts. Special assessment districts permit improvements to be financed and paid for over a period of time through assessments on the benefiting properties.
A variation of the LID is the Utility Local Improvement District (ULID). The difference between ULIDs and LIDs is that utility revenues are pledged to the repayment of the ULID debt, in addition to the assessments on the benefiting properties. State statutes provide that an LID can be converted to a ULID after formation. The reverse is not possible.
LIDs are Only Financing Tools
The most important point to realize about LIDs is that the entire LID process is about financing infrastructure improvements, not constructing them. LID processes lead, ultimately, to the sale of bonds to investors and the retirement of those bonds via annual assessments on the property owners within a district.
The goals of the LID process are twofold:
To present a bond portfolio to investors that will entice them to invest at as low a rate of return as possible; and
To assess property owners as fairly as possible in relation to special benefits received.
Nowhere in the LID statutes will you find information on technical feasibility, design, cost estimates, construction management expertise and project closeout requirements. Good construction management skills are necessary, just as for any other project not financed by an LID.
LIDs as Economic Development Tool
LIDs can be a catalyst for economic growth, allowing private development firms and industries to obtain long-term financing for on-site public infrastructure at relatively lower interest rates.
LIDs, particularly those used to match grants from federal and state agencies, can be used to finance essential city or regional off-site improvements at relatively lower interest rates.
Provision of on and off-site infrastructure improvements through LIDs can also play a key role in securing large industrial plant startups or relocations.
LIDS and Developer Mitigation
Off-site infrastructure improvements for private developments of any scale can be accomplished very readily through LIDs. Developers appreciate the chance to spread their costs out over a longer term at a relatively lower rate of interest. Developers also appreciate the opportunity to spread off-site improvement costs to adjoining property owners who are similarly benefited. The flip side of this is that LID projects cost more to administer and require contracts to be designed and awarded by the city, with prevailing wages and other public works contract requirements to be met.
LIDs and Infrastructure Improvements
LIDs are very well-suited for filling in gaps in a city's existing infrastructure, including:
Older plats where the full complement of today's required improvements does not exist.
Sewer and water main extensions for health and sanitation purposes.
Paving gravel streets or alleys to reduce dust and maintenance costs
Undergrounding or relocating utilities.
Providing street lights.
LIDs provide a means for whole neighborhoods to improve their quality of life, with long-term financing and relatively lower interest rates. The cities of Tacoma, Spokane, Everett and other cities allocate funds each year to match LID money for neighborhood projects.
LID financed projects test agency public relations skills like no others projects, so a good public relations plan for each project will be needed. These plans will be more effective if drafted in relation to overall city public relations policies, including those for media relations, conduct of meetings, parliamentary procedure and customer service. Public relations plans for an individual project need not be elaborate, but should recognize its unique scope and potential impacts. The plan should be detailed enough to include those steps necessary for notification of property owners, public hearings, review and approval by other city or local agencies as well as the mayor and council.
LID financed projects are unique in that property owners have the power to decide, collectively, whether they will pay assessments for improvements to be built in the project. If they are not convinced that the project is needed and cost effective in the early stages, they may vote against it. An ideal LID financed project would be one in which specific property owner needs and overall city goals coincide precisely at minimal cost to both, with no adverse environmental impacts. Ideal projects are rare though. More common are projects where compromises are needed and in which a certain degree of disaffection exists or is generated between the city and property owners.
Educating the public as to the what, how, when, why, etc., of a project is a never-ending challenge, as new people are always entering the process. In addition, even those who have been previously involved will remember the project as it existed at that slice of time when they were last involved. It is important therefore, in preparation for any meeting or project discussion, to think about the participants in the meeting and where they are in relation to the current status of the project. Spend at least a few minutes at the beginning of each meeting making sure that all participants are aware of the current project status and on the same wavelength as nearly as possible.
Resolution of Intent Method
Under the Resolution of Intention method (outlined in RCW 35.43.140 - .150), the legislative body initiates the LID formation process with the adoption of a resolution declaring its intention to order the improvement and setting forth the territorial extent of the improvement, and setting a date for a public hearing. The resolution must be published in at least two consecutive issues of the city or town's official newspaper, and the first publication at least fifteen days before the public hearing. The hearing can be held before the city or town council or a committee of the council. At the conclusion of the hearing, the city or town council adopts an ordinance creating the LID and ordering the improvement.
Petition Method
The petition method permits property owners to initiate the formation of an LID. The steps are essentially the same, except that instead of a resolution of intention, a formal petition executed by a majority of the property owners in the proposed assessment district, is submitted to the legislative body. The legislative body then establishes a date for a public hearing, and subsequent procedures are the same as for the resolution process.
Statutes specify that the assessment per parcel must not exceed the special benefit of the improvement to that parcel, which is defined as the difference between the fair market value of the property before and after the local improvement project. In addition, the assessments must be proportionate to one another. A corollary to these principles is that property not benefited by the improvements may not be assessed. No matter what assessment method is used - per parcel, front foot, area, zone termini, traffic volumes, special benefit appraisal, etc., - the courts will be concerned only with these criteria.
The state statutes describe one or two specific methods of assessing benefited properties, but also allow municipalities to choose any other method which meets the basic criteria.
There are two main assessment methods:
Mathematical (relatively inexpensive, easier to explain to property owners)
Front-foot (per lineal foot of property street frontage)
Area (per square foot of property)
Zone and termini - described in RCW 35.44.030 and .040
Unit (per lot or parcel)
It is possible to use several different types of mathematical assessment within one district.
Special Benefit Analysis (safest, but relatively expensive)
Certified appraiser calculates the value of each parcel with and without the infrastructure improvement project.
The difference between those two values is the special benefit.
The portion of project costs assignable to the LID is then divided by the total of all special benefits.
This ratio is then applied to the special benefit of each parcel to determine the assessment for each parcel.
Even if an LID lends itself very well to a mathematical method of assessment (e.g., has uniform lots or similar zoning) or is not large enough to warrant a full-blown special benefit analysis, it is wise to check a few strategic parcels with a limited appraisal. This will prevent unpleasant surprises at the final assessment roll hearing.
Deferrals
No councilperson wants to vote for a project that will put someone out of his or her home. Two types of assessment deferrals are referenced in the statutes:
Chapter 84.38 RCW provides for assessments to be deferred indefinitely for qualified senior citizens.
RCW 35.43.250 and RCW 35.54.100 provide for a deferral of up to four years for economically disadvantaged property owners, as defined in the formation ordinance.
In both of these cases, the deferred assessment does not go away, but becomes a lien against the property.
Other options for property owner relief, including model mitigation and single-family development rights purchase agreements may be developed. Deferrals and other options for relief should be publicized early in the LID process, with a concerted effort made to identify those who may need such relief. Elected officials also need to know these options so that they can advise citizens who may contact them.
Initial Hearing
After the council has either adopted a Resolution of Intention, or accepted a Petition, it will schedule a public hearing. Notice of the hearing must be published in at least two consecutive issues of the city or town's official newspaper, and the first publication at least fifteen days before the public hearing. The hearing can be held before the city or town council or a committee of the council. At the conclusion of the hearing, the city or town council adopts an ordinance creating the LID and ordering the improvement.
LID Administration & Preliminary Assessment Roll
Within 15 days after the legislative body has adopted the ordinance creating the LID, the LID administrator files with the city treasurer the title of the improvements, the LID number, a copy of the diagram or print showing the boundaries of the district (preliminary assessment roll map), and the preliminary assessment roll or abstract of same showing thereon the lots, tracts, or parcels of land to be assessed. The treasurer then immediately posts the preliminary assessment roll on the index of local improvement assessments against the properties affected by the local improvement.
Restraint by Protest
Also, after the legislative body adopts the formation ordinance, property owners have a 30-day protest period. If, at the end of the protest period the jurisdiction has received written protests from property owners who would pay at least 60% of the total cost of the improvement (including federally-owned or other nonassessable property as shown and determined by the preliminary estimates and assessment roll of the proposed improvement district). The LID will be dissolved. If the protests received are less than 60%, the LID is officially formed. However, any property owner who has filed a timely written protest before the formation hearing may appeal the formation of an LID to Superior Court. See RCW 35.43.180.
LID Closeout
Estimating Total Costs
The LID closeout process begins when construction is completed or almost so and total costs can be accurately estimated. Final costs to be assessed to the properties should be based as nearly as possible on actual costs. Since the costs of closing the LID are included in the final assessment, it is necessary to make some estimates regarding the final financing costs, legal fees and administrative costs. Grant funds and contributions from the city or other sources must be deducted from the total project costs to arrive at the amount to be assessed to property owners. It may be possible to reduce financial, legal and administrative costs to individual LIDs by combining several different LIDs into a consolidated bond issue known as a CLID (consolidated local improvement district). Once the final LID share of costs has been ascertained, this amount is distributed in a manner similar to the calculation of the estimated assessments on the preliminary assessment roll.
If a special benefit analysis method of distributing costs for the final assessment roll is used, this study will need to be completed well ahead of the time to prepare the final rolls since the special benefit analysis can be a lengthy and very detailed process. The LID administrator should arrange several special meetings for the appraiser to meet with small groups of property owners to explain exactly how the special benefit process works. These meetings should occur a month or more before the final assessment roll confirmation hearing to allow property owner concerns to be properly addressed. Unlike the preliminary assessment roll where cities use the county assessor's records, the ownerships for the final assessment roll are determined from the county treasurer's records. In many counties, the assessor and treasurer share a common database, so that the information is identical. It is a good idea to request a letter to that effect from the assessor or treasurer for LID files.
Final Assessment Roll and Hearing
The final assessment roll is filed with the city clerk. A final assessment roll hearing notice, is to be mailed to property owners whose names appear on the final roll at least 15 days prior to the date set for the assessment roll hearing. This notice must state that objections must be made in writing and filed with the clerk on or before the hearing date and that the legislative body will consider the objections and correct or revise the roll as needed and vote on an ordinance confirming the roll. This notice to be published at least once a week for two consecutive weeks in the official newspaper. The last publication must be at least 15 days before the date fixed for the hearing. The assessment roll confirmation hearing should be recorded by a court reporter or continuous video in addition to a tape recording. The final assessment roll hearing should be conducted with possible litigation in mind.
In the final assessment roll hearing, the city council acts as a judge, or - more accurately - a board of equalization, to consider evidence presented by both staff and property owner as to the correctness of the assessment for each parcel. Formal rules of quasi-judicial procedure should be formulated and distributed to the council and LID participants well in advance of the hearings. The hearing must be fair, open, impartial and structured. At the assessment roll confirmation hearing, the LID administrator reports the total final cost, any public participation money paid, or to be paid by the municipality or from grant funds, and that all the proceedings were proper and in conformance with LID statutes, particularly that proper notice has been given.
Testimony protesting the assessment roll should be permitted only if a property owner has filed a written protest prior to the scheduled hearing time. A property owner's appropriate protest is to question the amount of benefit that the property will receive from the improvement. Such testimony must be countered by an expert opinion from the city's appraiser substantiating the benefits of the improvement to that property. The legislative body has authority to revise or amend the final roll as it sees fit. However, if any assessment is raised or if there is a need to include an omitted property not previously on the roll, such property owner(s) are entitled to new notice and a new hearing just as if no hearing on the final roll ever occurred. Those parties originally on the final roll and whose assessments were not raised will have no opportunity to object at a later hearing.
Downward adjustment to any of the property assessments will require additional money from another source to make up for the reduced assessment. The difference could be made up from public funds; or the difference could be made up by re-assessing the remaining property owners in the district which then requires a new hearing and additional interest and notification costs.
The entire legislative body makes the final determination without taking additional testimony. Variations of the confirmation hearing process such as a hearing examiner or legislative committee should only be done with competent legal advice. The assessment roll is approved by the majority of the legislative body (by ordinance) confirming the assessment roll. As with the formation ordinance, the assessment roll ordinance should be prepared or approved by bond counsel.
Post-Assessment Roll Hearing Actions and Appeals
After the final assessment roll is confirmed by ordinance, the roll is transmitted to the city treasurer for collection. On the effective date of the confirmation ordinance, a 10-day appeal period begins. During this period, only those parties who have filed timely written objections to the final roll may appeal to superior court. When the appeal period is over, the treasurer will publish and mail notice that the assessment roll is filed for collection. The notice states that the property owners have an opportunity to pay all or part of their assessments without interest within a 30-day prepay period.
2009 Local and Road Improvement Districts Manual
Links to the 2009 Local and Road Improvement Manual for Washington State and its appendices are offered below with the caveat that users must check with their legal counsel to ensure the currency of all sample documents and related information:
Local and Road Improvement Districts Manual for Washington State (Revised 2009)
Local and Road Improvement Districts Manual Appendices
Examples of County RID-LID Programs
Kitsap County County Road Improvement Districts
Kitsap County ULID Formation Process
Mason County What is a Road Improvement District?
Snohomish County Road Improvement District
Spokane County Road Improvement Districts
Thurston County Information on Petitions for Road Improvement District
Examples of City LID Programs
Marysville Local Improvement Districts
Poulsbo Local Improvement District
Spokane Local Improvement Districts
Tacoma Local Improvement Districts
City LID Statutes
Ch. 35.43 RCW - Authority -- Initiation of proceedings
Ch. 35.44 RCW - Assessments and reassessments
Ch. 35.45 RCW - Bonds and warrants
Ch. 35.47 RCW - Procedure for cancellation of nonguaranteed bonds
Ch. 35.48 RCW - Nonguaranteed bonds
Ch. 35.49 RCW - Collection of assessments
Ch. 35.50 RCW - Foreclosure of assessments
Ch. 35.51 RCW - Classification of property -- Reserve funds
Ch. 35.53 RCW - Disposition of property acquired
Ch. 35.54 RCW - Guaranty funds
Ch. 35.55 RCW - Filling lowlands
Ch. 35.56 RCW - Filling and draining lowlands -- Waterways
County RID Statutes
Ch. 36.88 RCW - County road improvement districts
Significant Court Decisions
Below is a list of significant court decisions related to LIDs. Some of these cases have been selected from P. Stephen DiJulio's (Firm Co-Chair and Principal of Foster Garvey) presentation, Local Improvement Districts—a Baker's dozen of cases to read and understand, presented at the Washington State Municipal Attorneys Spring Conference in 2008.
Hamilton Corner I, LLC v. City of Napavine, 200 Wash. App. 258, 402 P.3d 368 (2017), as amended (Sept. 12, 2017) - The fact that a well that was connected to water mains with funds raised through the LID assessment did not produce potable drinking water did not materially alter the special benefits provided by the LID.
Tiffany Family Trust Corp. v. City of Kent, 155 Wn.2d 225, 119 P.3d 325 (2005) - Procedure to challenge assessment must comply with statute. Collateral attacks are not allowed.
Little Deli Marts, Inc. v. City of Kent, 108 Wash. App. 1, 8, 32 P.3d 286, 289 (2001), as modified (July 16, 2001) - Cities may assess such costs before completion of the improvement.
Kusky v. City of Goldendale, 85 Wn. App. 493, 933 P.2d 430 (1997) - Special benefit is generally calculated based on the difference between the fair market value of the property immediately before and immediately after the improvement.
Bellevue Plaza, Inc. v. City of Bellevue, 121 Wn.2d 397, 851 P.2d 662 (1993) - Assessment methodology. Burden of proof on appeal.
City of Seattle v. Rogers Clothing for Men, Inc., 114 Wn.2d 213, 787 P.2d 39 (1990) - Not an LID case – issue was formation of a Business Improvement Area. Court held that "special benefits" could be aesthetic.
Doolittle v. City of Everett, 114 Wn.2d 88, 786 P.2d 253 (1990) - Assessment of contiguous parcels must account for use of each of the parcels. Discussion of "larger parcel" vs. "unitary use."
Bellevue Associates v. Bellevue, 108 Wn.2d 671, 741 P.2d 993 (1987) - Assessment may be proportional to the benefit provided.
Patchell v. City of Puyallup, 37 Wn. App. 434, 682 P.2d 913 (1984), review denied, 102 Wn.2d 1015 (1984) - Due Process/Appeal Procedure. Substantial compliance with appeal procedures is required.
In re Indian Trail Trunk Sewer Sys., 35 Wn. App. 840, 670 P.2d 675 (1983), review denied, 100 Wn.2d 1037 (1984) - Burden of proof.
Esping v. Pesicka, 92 Wn.2d 515, 598 P.2d 1363 (1979) - When city by contract does not make otherwise-assessable property pay the assessment, the value of those contract rights also must be excluded from total cost of improvement. Also, formation protests.
Abbenhaus v. City of Yakima, 89 Wn.2d 855, 576 P.2d 888 (1978) - Assessment is presumed valid.
Berglund v. Tacoma, 70 Wn.2d 475, 433 P.2d 922 (1967) - Assessments are not taxes, LID guaranty fund required.
Kasper v. Edmonds, 69 Wn.2d 799, 420 P.2d 346 (1966) - Contribution of city to project is excluded from total cost of improvement.
Sterling Realty Co. v. City of Bellevue, 68 Wn.2d 760, 415 P.2d 627 (1966) - Good general discussion about assessments.
Heavens v. King County Rural Library Dist., 66 Wn.2d 558, 404 P.2d 453 (1965) - General and special benefits.
Last Modified: March 10, 2020
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Local and Road Improvement Districts Manual for Washington State
Latecomer Agreements