text:
KITCHEN CALL: Chef's tips for your summer stock
BREAD CRUMBS: I'm a breadcrumb snob. I make my own. When I buy a sliced loaf, I take out the ends to save; that last half of a bagel or sole English muffin; a square of focaccia; a plain doughnut (rarely) or the last slice of pound cake.
Any bread item goes into my freezer bag. When I've saved a good cache, I pulse them in the food processor with some panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) for crunch. Or, I toast the crumbs (without panko) on a baking sheet in a 200-degree oven, watching them carefully, until lightly golden. I freeze these in containers, marked as "plain bread crumbs" or "toasted crumbs" until ready to use.
BUTTER: Unsalted butter is my choice for cooking, so I can control the saltiness of a recipe. I do keep a stash of salted Kerry Gold Irish butter in the fridge to slather onto hot corn-on-the-cob or homemade corn muffins.
CHICKEN STOCK: Who wants to make their own chicken stock in summer? I pick up boxed prepared chicken stock, usually on special during the hot months. I go with low-salt or salt-free organic brands, not out of snobbery, but because they those brands taste good.
COOKING WINE: Jug wine. A lot of chefs recommend cooking with something you would drink, but I think if it's drinkable, you should drink it. Find a decent-tasting, not a rot-gut, jug wine, one that you could also use to make sangria, and set it aside for cooking.
CREAM: I keep a half pint of whipping cream in the fridge economical sundaes or banana splits.
EGGS: Cartons of egg whites are a lower cholesterol substitute for whole eggs. They make light, fluffy omelets or dense, fudgy brownies. And no messy shells to clean up. On the other hand, I can go through dozens of whole eggs making deviled eggs. I prefer organic brands, like Eggland's Best.
GARLIC: California garlic is in at the supermarket. It's fresher than imported garlic that although inexpensive doesn't last at all. I store the whole heads in a small bowl on a refrigerator shelf where the circulating air keeps it from wilting. I never skip the garlic chives at the farmers market or from my mother's garden.
GREENS: Romaine is always on hand for Caesar salad when it's too hot to cook. Arugula is my other standard, from the farmers market or my mother's garden, to toss with coarse salt and olive oil, or with fresh strawberries and good balsamic vinegar, or to whirl with garlic and olive oil into pesto for tossing with tortellini or drizzling over grilled fish.
HERBS: Basil, mint, rosemary, oregano and chives grow in pots just outside my kitchen door. It's a joy to step outside and snip what I need, the aroma lingering on my hands. Each week I try different one at my local farmers market.
ICE CREAM: I keep chocolate and vanilla on hand. A stash of frozen strawberries, bananas and chocolate bits to melt for hot fudge sauce, and whipping cream turn banana splits and hot fudge sundaes into a fun family activity. Friendly's brand by the half-gallon, if you can get it in your local supermarket, is more economical than high-priced brands by the pint. Tastes as good.
MAYO: In summer, I only make mayo, really a garlic aioli, when I make bouillabaisse, and that requires decent fish and cool weather. Otherwise, I rely on Hellman's low-fat.
MILK: For cold cereal and iced-coffee, 1 percent milk. Health experts claim that when fat is removed from milk only the sugar is left — and lowering sugar intake is a concern these days.
OIL: I always keep two kinds of oil on the shelf — olive and canola. For cooking or salads, I use the old stand-by olive oil in the gold can; for more full-flavored salads or drizzling over hot or warm foods, I use EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), which is not meant to be subjected to high heat. I try a small bottle of a different brand at Italian markets. Canola is my go-to for basic cooking oil, basically unobtrusive so the flavor of food shines through.
ONIONS: There's always a bunch of scallions in the vegetable bin. Red onions are another standby for their sweet flavor and added color in salads and salsas.
PARSLEY: I only use flat-leaf, a.k.a. Italian, parsley. It has a sweet, grassy flavor, is easy to stem and wash clean of growing soil. I keep it in water, like a bouquet of flowers, on a shelf in the fridge.
PEPPERS: I always have red bell peppers on hand for roasting whole on the grill, and a backup of a few jars of prepared roasted red peppers. I also buy cubanelle peppers, those narrow light green ones, that my grandmother taught me to stuff with bread and olives. Both types are great sautéed and added to frittatas or sandwiches, sliced into salads, or chopped into salsas. For heat I rely on canned chipotle peppers in adobo, chipotle powder, cayenne, or red chili flakes.
POTATOES: California whites replace Idaho russets in summer. They're best for potato salads and for thickly slicing, brushing with olive oil and putting on the grill.
TOMATOES: I like locally grown tomatoes, cherry, heirloom, yellow, purple or zebra, whatever is at the farmers market. Sadly, in New England, these are not available until August. So I'll buy Jersey reds, only less flavorful because of the trip north. Keep tomatoes on the kitchen counter for best flavor; they don't like cold.
VINEGARS: Apple cider vinegar for potato salads; red wine vinegar for green salads; a small bottle of good balsamic vinegar for drizzling, sparingly, over grilled vegetables, fresh sliced peaches or strawberries (these also sprinkled with good black pepper); supermarket balsamic vinegar for marinating meats and vegetables before grilling.
YOGURT: I hate all yogurt except Oikos brand Greek yogurt. I top Cheerios and fresh fruit with it for breakfast. It's rich enough to use in place of sour cream without anyone noticing.
Serves as many as you want depending on how much you make, so there are no measurements except the suggestion for olive oil. No cooking, so this is perfect for a hot day, when grilling, or when you just don't feel like anything but tomatoes and a hunk of good country bread.
Fresh, ripe tomatoes — as many colors as you can get
2 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh mint or basil leaves — or both
Plain goat cheese, or mozzarella, or feta
Coarse sea salt
1.Cut the tomatoes into bite-size cubes directly into a serving bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and gently toss. Grind black pepper over it. Tear the herb leaves directly into the bowl and toss again gently. Set aside for 20 minutes to blend the flavors.
2. Crumble the cheese over the top. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and gently toss again. Serve right away.
CRAZY VARIATION: Cut out the basil (keep the mint), cheese and olive oil. Add watermelon cubes and sliced strawberries. If you have a head of fennel in the fridge, add some of the feathery fronds.
Linda Bassett is the author of "From Apple Pie to Pad Thai: Neighborhood Cooking North of Boston." Reach her by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com. Read Linda's blog at LindABCooks.wordpress.com. Follow Linda for quick recipes on Twitter at @Kitchencall.


text:
Jobseeker's Benefit
- What is Jobseeker's Benefit?
- How to qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit
- Rate of Jobseeker's Benefit
- How to apply for Jobseeker's Benefit
- Where to apply for Jobseeker's Benefit
- Further information
What is Jobseeker's Benefit?
Jobseeker's Benefit is a weekly payment from the Department of Social Protection (DSP) to people who are out of work and are covered by social insurance (PRSI). If you don't qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit you may qualify for Jobseeker's Allowance.
Jobseeker's Benefit (Self-Employed) gives income support to self-employed people who are no longer engaged in self-employment.
How to qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit
To qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit (JB) you must be aged under 66 and:
- Be unemployed (you must be fully unemployed or unemployed for at least 4 days out of 7)
- Have had a substantial loss of employment and as a result be unemployed for at least 4 days out of 7
- Be capable of work
- Be available for and genuinely seeking work
- Have enough social insurance (PRSI) contributions
You can read more about the conditions for getting a jobseeker's payment and about the employment services the Department of Social Protection offers to jobseekers.
Jobseeker's Benefit and work
To get Jobseeker's Benefit you must be unemployed, or have lost at least one day's employment and as a result be unemployed for at least 4 days out of 7 days. You may continue to get Jobseeker's Benefit if you can only find part-time or casual work.
Where a Jobseeker's Benefit recipient is working for part of a week, their entitlement will be based on a 5-day payment week. This means that for each day that a person is employed, 1/5th of the normal rate of Jobseeker's Benefit is deducted. If they get part-time work for 2 days, they will get 3/5ths of the normal Jobseeker's Benefit for that week and if they get part-time work for 3 days, they will get 2/5ths of the normal rate of Jobseeker's Benefit for the week. You must still be unemployed for at least 4 days out of 7 to claim Jobseeker's Benefit.
There is an exemption from some of the rules for retained firefighters. More information is available about work and Jobseeker's Benefit.
If you are getting JB you can use the Benefit of Work Ready Reckoner from the DSP to help you assess the financial consequences of taking up full-time work. The Reckoner works out the total amount you would receive on taking up full-time work (including any Working Family Payment) and compares this to your jobseeker's payment (including Rent Supplement).
Loss of employment
You must have suffered a substantial loss of employment in any period of 7 consecutive days to be eligible for Jobseeker's Benefit, (casual workers and retained firefighters with no other employment are exempt from this rule). This means that you must have lost at least one day's employment and, as a result of this loss, be unemployed for at least 4 days out of 7. Your earnings must also have been reduced because of the loss of employment.
Pregnancy and Jobseeker's Benefit
There are some exceptions to the rules for pregnant women around the time of birth. You can read more in our document about pregnancy and social welfare payments.
Social insurance (PRSI) contributions
To qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit, you must pay Class A, H or P PRSI contributions. Class A is the one paid by most private sector employees. Class H is paid by soldiers, reservists and temporary army nurses, who do not qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit until they have left the army. To qualify you need:
- At least 104 weeks of Class A, H or P PRSI paid contributions or at least 156 Class S PRSI contributions since you first started work
- 39 weeks of A, H or P PRSI paid or credited in the relevant tax year (a minimum of 13 weeks must be paid contributions*)
- 26 weeks of A, H or P PRSI paid in the relevant tax year and 26 weeks of PRSI paid in the tax year immediately before the relevant tax year.
*If you do not have 13 paid contributions in the relevant tax year, you must have paid 13 contributions in any of the following years:
- The 2 tax years before the relevant tax year
- The last complete tax year
- The current tax year.
The relevant tax year is the second-last complete tax year before the year in which your claim is made. So, for claims made in 2023, the relevant tax year is 2021.
There are a number of circumstances in which you can be awarded credited contributions. For example, pre-entry credits are given when you start employment for the first time in your working life. However, you can only qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit when you have actually paid 104 Class A, H or P contributions or at least 156 Class S contributions. Credits are also awarded while you are getting certain social welfare payments, including Jobseeker's Benefit (provided it is for 6 days), Illness Benefit and, in some cases, Jobseeker's Allowance.
Contributions you have paid in other member states of the EU/EEA will be added to your Irish contributions. If you are applying for Jobseeker's Benefit and need the contributions paid in another EU/EEA member state to help you qualify, then your last contribution must have been in Ireland. Read more about combining social insurance contributions from abroad.
Under the Social Welfare (Consolidation) Act 2005 employers are obliged to register all employees for PRSI. Read more in our document on your Employer's duty to pay social insurance.
You may be disqualified from getting Jobseeker's Benefit for 9 weeks if you:
- Left work voluntarily and without a reasonable cause
- Lost your job through misconduct
- Refused an offer of suitable alternative employment or suitable training - if you have been on a penalty rate of JB for at least 21 days
- Are aged under 55 and get a redundancy payment of more than €50,000. The exact length of your disqualification (up to 9 weeks) will depend on the amount of redundancy payment you received.
If you are aged under 55 and get a redundancy payment of more than €50,000, you are disqualified from claiming Jobseeker's Benefit for a certain period of time. The table below shows how long you may be disqualified for. Any period of disqualification is subtracted from your total Jobseeker's Benefit entitlement. So, if you are disqualified for 3 weeks (which is 18 days' payment) your JB claim starts on day 19.
If you are moving from PUP to Jobseeker's Benefit and got a redundancy payment while on PUP, the waiting period may be reviewed based on your circumstances.
|Amount of redundancy payment
|Period of disqualification
|€50,000.01 - €55,000
|1 week
|€55,000.01 - €60,000
|2 weeks
|€60,000.01 - €65,000
|3 weeks
|€65,000.01 - €70,000
|4 weeks
|€70,000.01 - €75,000
|5 weeks
|€75,000.01 - €80,000
|6 weeks
|€80,000.01 - €85,000
|7 weeks
|€85,000.01 - €90,000
|8 weeks
|€90,000.01 and over
|9 weeks
How long is Jobseeker's Benefit paid?
Jobseeker's Benefit is paid for 9 months (234 days) for people with 260 or more Class A, H or P PRSI paid contributions. It is paid for 6 months (156 days) for people with fewer than 260 Class A, H or P PRSI paid contributions.
There are some special provisions for older jobseekers.
|Number of contributions
|Duration of JB claim
|260 or more
|234 days (9 months)
|Less than 260
|156 days (6 months)
Re-qualifying for Jobseeker's Benefit
You can re-qualify for JB if:
- You have used up your full JB entitlement (either 9 or 6 months)
- You have paid 13 PRSI contributions for at least 13 weeks (these contributions can be counted only after you have claimed at least 156 days (6 months) of JB)
However, if you are working and claiming JB (systematic short-time workers and part-time workers) you cannot simply continue your JB claim when it is exhausted since you must have suffered a substantial loss of employment to re-qualify for JB, (unless you are a casual worker).
If you have lost your job you will have suffered a substantial loss of employment. If you are a part-time or systematic short-time worker, DSP will look at your pattern of employment over the last 13 weeks or another representative period to find out whether you have suffered a substantial loss of employment.
For example, if you are getting JB and working 3 days each week as a systematic short-time worker or a part-time worker and your employment pattern has not changed during the course of your JB claim, you will not have suffered a substantial loss of employment and will not re-qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit when you exhaust your claim. However, if your JB claim ends and your 3-day week working week is then reduced to a 2-day week, you will have suffered a substantial loss of employment and may re-qualify for Jobseeker's Benefit.
Linking claims
If you claim JB for a period, sign off and then claim JB again within 26 weeks, your claim may be linked to the earlier claim. This means that your claim is not treated as a new claim and:
- You do not have to wait for 3 days before getting your payment
- The cumulative total of days from the previous claim is continued (so, for example, if you have used up 100 days of your total JB entitlement of 234 days you have 134 days remaining on your claim)
- The rate of JB is the same rate payable as on the previous claim, unless there has been a budgetary increase or change in family circumstances (such as a new child dependant).
If your JB claim does not link to a previous claim it is treated as a new claim. You must wait for 3 days before getting a payment and your cumulative total of days starts from the first day of payment.
You can read more about linking claims including information on linking to a different scheme (such as Illness Benefit) and linking to an earlier JB claim through a different scheme or period spent in training or on an employment scheme.
Short-term employment or training
The Department of Social Protection operates a fast-tracking system for people who sign off to take up work for a short period (up to 12 weeks) or to go on a short training course (up to 12 weeks). This ensures that your payment is re-instated without delay. It is important that you inform your Intreo Centre or local Social Welfare Branch Office in advance that you are taking up work or training. Your Rent Supplement claim can also be suspended for up to 12 weeks.
Rate of Jobseeker's Benefit
You should apply for Jobseeker's Benefit the first day you become unemployed. It is important to apply on the first day you become unemployed because you will not get paid for the first 3 days of your claim.
Jobseeker's Benefit weekly rate 2023
|Average weekly earnings
|Maximum personal rate
|Increase for an adult dependant
|Increase for a child dependant
|Less than €150
|Child aged under 12
€42 (full rate), €21 (half rate)
Child aged 12 and over
€50 (full rate), €25 (half rate)
|€150 - €219.99
|€220 - €299.99
|€300 or more
You get a personal rate and may get an increase for an adult dependant and child dependant (see below). Your average weekly earnings do not affect the amount you get for a child dependant.
Average weekly earnings
Jobseeker's Benefit rates are graduated according to your earnings in the relevant tax year. Your average weekly earnings are your gross yearly earnings from employment divided by the number of Class A, H or P paid contributions in the relevant tax year.
The relevant tax year is 2 years before the year of your claim. For example, if you claim Jobseeker's Benefit in 2023 the relevant tax year is 2021. If you only qualify for a reduced JB payment, it may be of greater benefit for you to claim Jobseeker's Allowance instead of Jobseeker's Benefit.
Penalty rates
Your payment can be reduced if you refuse or fail to attend meetings requested by the Department or if you refuse or fail to participate in an appropriate employment support scheme, work experience or training. You can find out about sanctions for not meeting the conditions of your jobseeker's payment.
Claiming for dependants with Jobseeker's Benefit
If your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant is dependent on you or is on a low income, you may be able to claim an increase in your payment for him or her. This increase is called an Increase for a Qualified Adult (IQA). If your adult dependant is earning €100 or less you will get the maximum IQA. If he or she is earning between €100 and €310 you will get a reduced rate of IQA. If your adult dependant is earning more than €310 you will not get an increase in your Jobseeker's Benefit for your adult dependant.
You can look at our documents on Claiming for an adult dependant and Jobseeker's Benefit and work to find out more. If you have dependent children you may also be able to claim an increase in your payment for them.
Getting paid
You can collect your Jobseeker's Benefit payment weekly from your nearest post office.
You must bring valid photographic identification (photo ID) with you to collect your payment. The following is valid photo ID:
- Public Services Card
Driving licence
Irish Residence Permit (IRP) or GNIB card
Staff working in the post office may ask to see your photo ID before giving you your payment.
Taxation of Jobseeker's Benefit
Jobseeker's Benefit is taxable. However, if you are getting Jobseeker's Benefit because your normal working week has been reduced temporarily (systematic short-time work), your Jobseeker's Benefit is not taxed. If you are working part-time and getting Jobseeker's Benefit for the days you are not employed, your Jobseeker's Benefit is taxable. Find out more about the taxation of Jobseeker's Benefit and the taxation of JB for systematic short-time workers.
Extra benefits
If you are getting Jobseeker's Benefit, you may be entitled to:
- Rent Supplement - a payment under the Supplementary Welfare Allowance scheme.
- Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance - an allowance to help with the cost of uniforms and footwear for children who are attending school.
- Medical card - if your income is below a certain level, you may get a medical card.
You do not qualify for the Household
Benefits Package or Free Travel
with Jobseeker's Benefit.
How to apply for Jobseeker's Benefit
You should apply for Jobseeker's Benefit the first day you become unemployed. Jobseeker's Benefit is not paid for the first 3 days you are unemployed (the first 3 days are any 3 days, not necessarily consecutive, in a period of 7 consecutive days).
If you are unemployed for a second time within 26 weeks of your last JB payment, your application for Jobseeker's Benefit is not treated as a new claim and you do not have another 3 days of non-payment. See 'Linking claims' above.
More information is available in our document about signing on for the first time.
If you think you have been wrongly refused Jobseeker's Benefit you can appeal the decision.
Online applications
You can apply for Jobseekers Benefit online at MyWelfare.ie. When you log in, you will be asked for some personal and financial information, as well as details of your employment, training or education history. You will also be asked to upload or post any supporting documents that are needed.
You must have a verified MyGovID account to apply online.
Find out more about applying online for social welfare payments and services.
Paper applications
If it is your first time applying you fill in form UP 1. You can get an application form at your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office
If you are making a repeat claim (less than 6 months since your last claim), you complete form UP 6 (pdf). Application forms are also available from your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.
You will also need certain documents when you apply for Jobseeker's Benefit. If you do not have these documents to hand, you should apply anyway and supply them later. You should remember that delay in applying for Jobseeker's Benefit may mean that you lose out on your full entitlements.
You can get help to fill in your application form at your Intreo Centre, Social Welfare Branch Office or Citizens Information Centre.
Where to apply for Jobseeker's Benefit
You should apply for Jobseeker's Benefit to your Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.
Online applications
You can apply for Jobseeker's Benefit online at MyWelfare.ie.
Further information
Changes to duration of Jobseeker's Benefit
The duration of Jobseeker's Benefit reduced by 3 months with effect from 3 April 2013. For people with 260 or more PRSI contributions paid, it reduced from 12 months (312 days) to 9 months (234 days). For people with fewer than 260 PRSI contributions paid, it reduced from 9 months (234 days) to 6 months (156 days). Claimants getting Jobseeker's Benefit for 6 months or more on 3 April 2013 (or 3 months for people with fewer than 260 contributions) were not affected (see table below).
|Number of paid contributions
|Number of days claiming JB
|Maximum duration of JB claim
|Effect of change
|260 or more
|156 or more (6 months or more)
|312 days (12 months)
|No change
|260 or more
|Less than 156 (less than 6 months)
|234 days (9 months)
|Claim duration reduces by 78 days (3 months)
|Less than 260
|78 or more (3 months)
|234 days (9 months)
|No change
|Less than 260
|Less than 78 (less than 3 months)
|156 days (6 months)
|Claim duration reduces by 78 days (3 months)
Half-rate Jobseeker's Benefit with another social welfare payment
In the past, people getting a Widow's, Widower's or Surviving Civil Partner's Pension, a One-Parent Family Payment or a deserted wife's payment and who met all the conditions for Jobseeker's Benefit, were entitled to half the normal rate of Jobseeker's Benefit. These half-rate payments were discontinued from February 2012.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If you plan to use "colubriform" in public you'd best devote fifteen minutes to making sure it really means what you want it to.
Hugh Kenner
In a 1986 essay* about his messy desk and G. K. Zipf's principle of least effort, Hugh Kenner made some interesting observations about the "carpentry" of texts. Chapter X of Henry James' The Ambassadors consists of 2339 individual words, but only 665 different ones. "The 665 words," he notes, "seem a meager resource. Spread evenly over the pages like soft margarine, they'd turn up with dull uniformity, each one just three or four times." But this, of course, is not how a text is made. Indeed, Kenner reports that "fully 75 percent of the chapter's carpentry is done with a mere 176 of the different words that went into it--only 27 percent of its vocabulary." That is, of the 2339 words that comprise the chapter, 1754 are uses of only 176 different words (86 "the"s, 72 "you"s, 62 "to"s, etc.). By the time this core part of his vocabulary has been used, he has 585 words left in his chapter to write but wholly 489 words left in his vocabulary, which are "available for special effects." Needless to say, he will use most of these words only once, as when the fire has "burnt down to the silver ashes of light wood", where four words are used that are not used in the chapter again.
Kenner draws our attention to a number of seemingly lawlike regularities of this kind about the texts we write. As a rough approximation, we can expect 80 percent of the work in a text to be done by 20 percent of its vocabulary. (This 80-20 rule has been claimed to count for everything, including the kitchen sink. "The one-time words resemble those kitchen gadgets you must rummage for because you want them so seldom." 80 percent of the cooking gets done using 20 percent of the kitchen: a reasonable hypothesis.) Hugh Kenner contributes his own law, derived from a study of Shakespeare: 40 percent of the plays consist of 40 different words. This, he says, will be true of "any extensive text sample".
So we can expect it to be true of academic texts as well. Indeed, I expect to do some statistics of my own in weeks to come on the texts I read and edit. I imagine that we can learn something important about those first 40 words (that do 40 percent of the work) and that first 20 percent of a text's vocabulary (that does 80 percent of the work).
But the thing I want to emphasize is that of the different words you use when writing 80 percent of them will be used very rarely and over half of them will be used only once. These rare words are cognitively more expensive to use because they are more difficult to find (fifty-dollar words, Kenner calls them). It is therefore well worth the effort to make a list of words that you regularly use only once or twice in a text (there will be hundreds of them). I suspect that these words are the ones that define your discipline and your area of specialization. Without them your text would have none of the "special effects" that display your knowledge.
Kenner liked to draw attention to the ease with which dictionaries define difficult words and the difficulties they face in defining easy ones. His favourite example may have been the word "set",
the supreme Swiss Army knife of the English word kit, handy in any thinkable context--get set to set the table with the dinner set, set the alarm so we can set out early, and set things up so we'll not be upset by a prowler but can set our teeth and set a dog on him--the Oxford entry was thirty years in the pondering, forty days in the writing, and ran to two-thirds the length of Milton's Paradise Lost.By contrast, James Murray, the chief editor of the original OED wrote the entry for "Dziggetai" on Christmas Eve, 1896, "while his wife watched."**
*Kenner, Hugh. "The Untidy Desk and the Larger Order of Things", originally published in Discover magazine, 1986, and reprinted in Mazes (North Point Press, San Fransisco, 1989).
**Reported by Kenner in his review of the Oxford American Dictionary for Harper's in 1981, reprinted in Mazes, p. 83.


text: I'm a writer, living and loving life in Huntsville, Alabama. I'm proud to have just released the third book in the Rose series, Under the Umbrella. After so many years of not sharing my writing with anyone, I'm so excited to finally open up my heart and soul for others to read my words. Several more books are in the works, so stay tuned, and thanks for stopping by!


text: The Indian journey to become a missile power was enabled by a team of dare devils at the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL). The book traces the origin and development of India's missile related infrastructure and missiles till 1982 until Dr. Abdul Kalam arrived at the scene. The fascinating story has been narrated by the pioneers themselves and edited by Dr. Prahalada.


text:
Submitted by browndog5 on April 19, 2007 - 10:18am.
After being graciously guided through the process of starter CPR by BWraith, I found myself with a significant (and growing) stash of starter cast-off. Thought I would save it for the next batch of dog biscuits, but a remark of Mini Oven's that the discard can be pressed into service as poolish gave me paws. (I am SO sorry...) So instead of actually making sourdough bread with my born-again starter, I took the spare and made some yeasted oatmeal bread. (About 5 cups of flour, about a cup of rolled oats, about a third cup of maple syrup, a handful of raisins and some other stuff.) That's a pretty anemic spiral, I agree, but further in it blossomed a little . The other loaf is a spiral-free zone.


text:
Photo: Orville and Kim, his caddie and friend.
KIM GREEN WAS A CLOSE FAMILY FRIEND of Orville Moody, who died last week in Texas. Kim also caddied for "Sarge," a U.S. Open and U.S. Senior Open champion, in the early 1990s. She graciously shared many of her memories and stories of life on tour with Orville. Following is the conclusion.
I remember one time in Napa we had played well enough to be on TV. So we went back to Orville's condo and watched the coverage. We saw ourselves on the 18th hole and the commentators were making these statements about us. I remember looking at him and he looked at me and we just laughed because they were just making stuff up!
I'll never forget that when I started to caddie I was in L.A. and going out to the parking lot at the course to get something for Orville. I passed this really nice man alone by his car. He looked up at me, smiled, and said hello. I casually said hello while thinking that I should know who that man is. It took me about five minutes to realize that Arnold Palmer had just said hello to me and I didn't even recognize him!
I also really loved Lee Trevino. He and Orville were two peas in a pod, and when they got together, it was a party. Lee and his caddie, Herman, were like an old married couple. One time in Florida we were walking down a fairway and Lee asked me if I had ever seen an alligator. I said no. So he took a golf club and went over to one of the ponds on the course. He started whacking the top of the water with his club and making strange sounds. I grabbed him and told him to knock it off and we laughed all the way to their second shots!
He also told me this hilarious story about his Rolls Royce that he brought home and forgot to put in park. The poor car rolled down his driveway and into a lake on his property. The way he told it just made me cry with laughter.
Dave Stockton is another guy that is first class. I think he felt sorry for me so he let me caddie for him a few times. I thought he'd let me have his bag permanently but he chose someone else. I was really disappointed but I understood. In the meantime I had quite a few tournaments with him and I just adored him. World-class golfer and human being. His whole family is wonderful.
Now I'm a wife, a mom to three boys that I home school, and have given up golf. I thought I would be better after having been around such greatness. I expected to learn golf through osmosis. It was hard to play after what I witnessed. So I gave up the game. Someday when I have time, I hope to take it up again. I'll do it in honor of Orville.
−The Armchair Golfer
Remembering Orville Moody: A Caddie's Story (Part 1)
Riding Shotgun with Orville Moody


text:
Submitted by rc-admin on
32nd Annual Conference of the Nineteenth Century Studies Association
March 3-6, 2011 at Arizona State University, Tempe & Phoenix, Arizona
How was money understood in the nineteenth century? in its global context? by laborers? How did the ideation of money evolve around and through art, music, race, nation, and empire? How did the stories told about money influence people and practices? What role do myths play in comprehending money? How were relations between people mediated by narratives of money? relations between nations? This theme would invite papers and panel proposals concerning any aspect of money/myth during the long nineteenth century, including, but not limited to the "myths" or "realities" of trade, debt, industry and investment, economics, money-lending, poverty, consumer culture, class relations, race relations and their economic implications, gender politics, masculinity and femininity as shaped by/of money, sexual politics, sexuality and the law, aesthetics, art and art collecting, theater and performance politics, religion and wealth, social service programs, education, travel, entertainment, sporting, financing and producing wealth through science, international connections and compacts, public/private divide, differential health care, class mobility, marriage, widowhood, inheritance, prostitution, child rearing, infanticide, property politics, movements motivated by money (Chartism, socialism, communism, trades unions, reform), immigration, empire, war, and slavery. Equally welcome are paper and panel proposals concerning the processes of creating mythic structures around money including governmental campaigns, the publishing industry, legal processes, military campaigns, advertising, propaganda, and novelizations.
Abstracts (250 words) for 20 minute papers, author's name and paper title in heading, with one page c.v. by September 15, 2010: Marlene Tromp, Program Chair, Denison University: nsca [at] denison [dot] edu
Presenters will be notified by December 15, 2010.
Graduate students whose proposals are accepted can at that point submit a full-length version of the paper to compete for a travel grant to help cover transportation and lodging expenses. Registration and accommodation information available November 15, 2010 at http://www.english.uwosh.edu/roth/ncsa/index.html
Keynote Speaker:
Mary Poovey, Samuel Rudin University Professor of the Humanities, Institute for the History of the Production of Knowledge and Department of English, New York University. Author of Genres of the Credit Economy (2008), A History of the Modern Fact: Problems of Knowledge in the Sciences of Wealth and Society (1998), Making a Social Body: British Cultural Formation, 1830-1864 (1995), Uneven Developments: The Ideological Work of Gender in Mid-Victorian England (1989), and The Proper Lady and the Woman Writer: Ideology as Style in the Works of Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley, and Jane Austen (1984), all with University of Chicago Press.


text:
OAKLAND — In a city where unemployment is high and officials are desperate to rebuild an understaffed police force, the Oakland Police Department is having a hard time finding applicants from Oakland.
Local recruitment remains abysmally low — a mere 8 percent of last year's police academy graduates were Oakland residents, far fewer than the number of homegrown trainees graduating from police academies in San Jose and San Francisco.
That's a problem for a beleaguered Police Department that would welcome an influx of native sons and daughters already keyed into Oakland's rhythms and familiar with its culture.
What's more, young Oakland residents don't seem to be all that eager to sign up with any regional law enforcement agency.
Law enforcement experts say that hiring more Oakland residents would help the Police Department win cooperation and build legitimacy, especially in areas where residents often are hesitant to cooperate with officers in solving crimes.
"The more people who know somebody in the Police Department, the more they have a connection to it and the less likely they are to be unfairly judgmental of police operations," said Eugene O'Donnell, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.
From the mayor on down, city officials are working on new programs, including police-oriented charter schools, to persuade young Oakland residents to apply to city police academies and help them pass the entry exams.
But police recruiters face inherent challenges in Oakland. Residents are less likely to meet hiring requirements, which include a high school diploma and no felony arrests. And they are more likely to have a negative opinion of the Police Department, which remains under unprecedented federal oversight in connection with a 1999 brutality scandal.
When 23-year-old Oakland High School graduate Mandela Castaneda told his cousin that he wanted to be an Oakland police officer, the cousin resisted. "He told me they discriminate," said Castaneda, who is African-American. As for several of his friends, "They said, 'If that's your dream, you should go for it,' but they have negative views of OPD."
Recruiting struggle
Of 75 Oakland police academy graduates last year, only six were city residents. That amounts to 8 percent, which is the same percentage of total sworn officers who live in Oakland. O'Donnell said the figures seemed "startlingly low."
In San Jose and San Francisco, at least 40 percent of graduates from their last three police academies were hometown recruits, according to city figures.
Oakland doesn't just struggle to get its residents onto the force. The Police Department's feeder program, which offers high-school seniors and recent graduates paid on-the-job training, currently has four Oakland residents and 14 out-of-towners.
Mayor Jean Quan said she has asked police to revise the feeder program's entry exam so that it is more relevant to city residents. "Police officer jobs are some of the best paying in the city, and I would like more people in Oakland to have them," she said.
Even if Oakland residents are wary of the Police Department, they don't appear to be flocking to other police agencies. Recent police academies held by San Jose, San Francisco and the Alameda County Sheriff's Office included just 12 Oakland residents among the nearly 450 graduates, records show.
Oakland's most recent police academy began in December with three city residents among 55 trainees.
The two biggest obstacles to getting more Oakland residents on the city's police force appear to be a lack of candidates and poor scores on the mandatory statewide police academy written entrance exam.
Oakland residents made up just 11 percent of applicants to the last four city police academies, and barely half of them — 57 percent — passed the standardized test, compared with 75 percent of nonresidents.
Castaneda, who works two jobs and takes classes at Merritt College, recently failed his first attempt at the written test, which includes a vocabulary section. "There were certain words I've never seen before," he said.
The Police Department does take into account whether applicants are from Oakland when making new hires, but, ultimately, "it's really about who is most qualified," assistant chief Paul Figueroa said. State law precludes residency requirements, and the city requires only that the department meet goals for foreign language fluency. Nearly half the academy graduates last year spoke a language other than English.
Local pipeline
Police are stepping up local recruitment by enlisting community leaders to seek out candidates and holding exam workshops throughout the city.
But the most ambitious initiative, which is being undertaken with Quan and school officials, aims to develop a pipeline of Oakland students into the police force.
Next month, the City Council is expected to approve an agreement with Merritt College's Administration of Justice program to preselect students interested in becoming Oakland officers. The program will provide direct interaction with city police officers and give students extra support, including help maintaining good credit and avoiding social media posts that could harm their candidacies.
"It's more than passing the test," said Margaret Dixon, a retired Oakland police officer who teaches at Merritt. "We want to support them once they get into the academy, and we want them to truly understand what they are getting into."
Officials also are working to set up special programs at two small high schools where students would learn about law enforcement issues and work daily with police officers.
"We really think that getting connected with high school-aged students and getting them into college would really help them be successful in the police academy," said Figueroa, himself an Oakland native.
While stressing that many out-of-town officers are quick to build ties to Oakland, Figueroa said that growing up in the city has made him a better officer.
"I still get calls from people in the community who have known me for years," he said. "There is that trust that is built through years of relationships."
Castaneda, whose high school football coach and mentor was an Oakland police officer, said he also would enter the force with strong ties to the city he loves.
"I want to help people, and my community is one of the places that needs help the most," he said. "Having grown up in Oakland, just playing that role as a police officer would really mean a lot."
Contact Matthew Artz at 510-208-6435.


text:
Take a memory home with you with our Brisbane studs.
Quirky studs that are hand drawn with love, made on wood and with two coats of resin to ensure longevity.
They have surgical steel posts.
They are so light you forget you are wearing earrings.
- Handle with care
- They will handle some water however we recommended that you avoid water where possible for longevity
- Avoid swallowing


text:
Go back to: Matching Sets
Collection Ref. Alice - Matching Sets
How to Order
To order this matching set go to each item and select required quantity and click add to cart button. Then proceed to checkout. Once these steps are completed, fill in and submit this Invitation Wording Submission Form. Include wording for other items as well. We will arrange it on the invitation etc. for you so you do not have to worry about it. Then we will send you a preview of how the wording will look like on your selected items. You can either make comments (which we will incorporate and re-send preview for re-checking) or approve the preview - we will then send these for printing. For detailed instructions and our full terms and conditions go to How to Order section.
For UK delivery it takes up to around 10 working days from when you sent us your approval for print, to when the invitations are delivered. Please contact us for international orders and we will adjust postage fee and give you delivery date estimates.
It is always possible to cancel a purchase before you sent us your approval for print. In these cases money will be refunded in full. Once we receive your approval for print, no refund is possible. Because wedding invitations, menu, place cards etc. are personalized with your wording, we do not accept any returns.
A collection including matching Wedding Invitation, Wedding Menu/Order of Service Card, Place Card.
Wedding Invitation:
Nicol - Ref. F1092
135mm x 135mm
From £1.35
Wedding Invitation:
Nicol - Ref. F1095
165mm x 110mm
From £1.35
Wedding Menu / Order of Service Card:
Order - Ref. FM1092
£2.15 each
Place Card:
Place card - Ref. FW1092
£0.95 each


text:
The latest shockwave to hit the publishing world is the news that Random House and Penguin could be merged by their respective parent companies. Instead of having the Big Six publishing companies, we could be down to the Big Five. What will this lead to (apart from John Scalzi's joke that we could get a company called Random Penguin)? And what would this mean for science fiction and fantasy?
Currently, Random House owns Del Rey and Spectra — the latter imprint already having been somewhat decimated by layoffs a few years ago. Meanwhile, Penguin owns Ace and Roc — which were originally parts of totally separate companies, until Penguin merged with the Putnam Berkley Group in 1996.
Actually, the experience of Ace and Roc is a good barometer for what you'd expect to happen if the Penguin/Random House merger goes through. Ace, Roc, Del Rey and Spectra would all be parts of the same publishing empire — and for a while, at least, they might keep their own staffs and identities. But not forever. As Ace/Roc editor Anne Sowards explained in a 2007 interview with Dear Author:
Until 2003, Ace and Roc were separate editorially and the difference between the two was a matter of editorial taste. But towards the end of 2003, the editor who ran Roc left to pursue her own writing, and the editor in chief of Ace was put in charge of both lines. Subsequently, the science fiction and fantasy editors, whether they are a part of Berkley or NAL / Signet, work on both Ace and Roc titles.
Apple MacBook Air Laptop
Powerful performance
The M1 chip delivers 3.5x faster performance than the previous generation all while using way less power. Get up to 18 hours of battery life.
So in the case of Ace and Roc, it took about seven years from the Penguin/Putnam merger to the imprints coming under a single editorial regime. And when HarperCollins acquired the William Morrow and Avon book lines from Hearst, it immediately merged its HarperPrism and Avon Eos imprints into one line, called Eos. (And now called Harper Voyager.)
On the other hand, this article from 2000 about the state of science fiction from Publishers Weekly — after the last wave of mergers — is full of quotes from publishing insiders saying that these mergers only strengthen science fiction imprints, in part because a merged sales force has an easier time knowing what's going on in the market.
What does that mean to aspiring authors and people who just love to read? Presumably, if imprints do merge or come under a single editorial management, that means eventually you have somewhat fewer approaches to the fields of science fiction and fantasy — at least, within mainstream publishing. You're less likely to be able to say that Ace/Roc does one sort of book, while Del Rey does another — although, of course, even within imprints different editors often buy different things. A merger also might make it fractionally harder for new authors to break in, since they might have one less address to send manuscripts to. And with self-publishing becoming more and more attractive an option, it's not a great time for traditional publishers to become even more monolithic and unwelcoming.
Still, it's early — and it's really hard to speculate about a merger that's just been announced as a possibility and may not actually happen in the end.
Thanks to Rose Fox for helping us with the correct URL for the 2000 PW article.
Top image: A random penguin, by Rezsox


text:
New and Notable
Haiti—One Year Out
As the January anniversary of the 7 moment magnitude earthquake came and went, leaders of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) like Cameron Sinclair of Architecture for Humanity and Kevin Rowell of Kleiwerks International, weigh in on postearthquake recovery. Sinclair reports in a blog in the online news outlet Huffington Post, We've established a rebuilding center, distributed a basic guide to rebuilding safely to thousands, provided urban planning and construction expertise to our partners, and, most critically, worked to rebuild schools. All told, our design services have impacted the lives of more than 37,935 to date."
Rowell reports that Kleiwerks International's Technical Working Group, in partnership with other NGOs, such as Builders Without Borders, Ecological Building Network, Architecture for Humanity, and the American Bamboo Society, has rebuilt schools and orphanages, provided training in ecological building practices, published open-source manuals on ecological building in both English and Creole, and trained Haitian builders in improvements to traditional architecture as well as bamboo construction.
If you take a long or wide-sweeping view of the capital city, Port-au-Prince, NGOs working on rebuilding are all holding hands across political, ethnic, and organizational lines. Many seem anxious to stand out of the way of the Haitians themselves, who are working to rebuild their lives. "To implement visionary plans, you need to build a strong foundation, one that is responding to immediate needs but making sure we are enabling projects for economic stability and local ownership," Sinclair says.
Rowell notes that according to an AP story in Valley News Live, "Out of every $100 of U.S. contracts now paid out to rebuild Haiti, Haitian firms have successfully won $1.60." That's 1.6%. "In development work," Rowell says, "there are ways to empower communities and there are ways to undermine them. You get to decide how we will live on this planet together when you donate this year. Will we continue with development that leaves children begging in the streets year after year, or will we support community leaders to face the issues today and tomorrow with a vision for the next 1,000 years."
Architecture for Humanity runs a small volunteer outfit from its office in Pétionville, Port-au-Prince. As of October 2010, volunteer needs on the ground were for highly skilled builders, architects, and architectural designers to work on a variety of assignments—from site surveys and documentation to CAD drafting to research; from assisting to facilitate meetings to working on impromptu construction projects.
For more information:
For more information about Kleiwerks International, go to: www.kleiwerks.org.
For more information about Architecture for Humanity, go to: www.architectureforhumanity.org.
Learn and Earn, Share the Flair:
Using Social Networking to Spark Some Friendly Competition
Two recent graduates of the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business created an online service that encourages people to save energy at home. It's called Energy Flair, and it not only teaches people how to lower their electricity and natural-gas bills, but also rewards households that reduce their usage with virtual pieces of Energy Flair, or digital merit badges. Users can track their savings over time with charts and post their collection of Energy Flair on Facebook and Twitter, giving them a way to showcase their accomplishments in saving energy and money. They can also compare their Energy Flair collection to those of their Facebook friends, telling them how they're doing relative to others—and sparking some friendly competition. Energy Flair helps people save money by offering discounts on products and services, such as a discounted energy audit in southeastern Michigan.
People can create an Energy Flair account for free in less than a minute at www.EnergyFlair.com. They can then learn how to improve their home's efficiency by browsing a list of energy-saving tips, which can be filtered by category and by the level of effort required to implement the tip. Users can also view graphs of their energy usage over time. As they reduce their monthly energy consumption compared to the previous year, they earn digital Energy Flair buttons. Energy Flair partners with the member's utility (with the member's consent, of course) to find out how much energy the member is using. To verify reductions, users send in an electronic copy of their utility bill.
For more information:
For more information on EnergyFlair, go to www.EnergyFlair.com.
Lakeland Electric Puts Its Customers in Hot Water
Lakeland Electric, in Florida, is offering its customers an option to use solar hot-water systems to save on their utility bills.
Lakeland residents who have unobstructed south-facing roof space to accommodate a solar-thermal collector can now pay a locked-in monthly fee of $34.95 and receive a solar hot-water system with an 80-gallon water tank, plus installation and ongoing maintenance, all at no further cost. Households of four or more (with average water use) will see their utility bills decrease from day one while the sun offsets their electricity use for heating water. Additional benefits include decreasing long-term electricity demand for the utility and increased public exposure to renewable energy. Lakeland Electric hopes that this project will be a model for the rest of the country; at present, only about 1% of U.S. households are using the sun to heat their water. When the house is sold, the equipment and the rate stay with the home and can be passed along to the next owner.
The program, launched by Regenesis Power, is part of a 30-year contract with Lakeland Electric. Headquartered in San Carlos, California, Regenesis Power is a renewable-energy service company that owns and operates solar assets in the United States. Its goal is to bring commercial-grade solar-energy solutions to its customers. Once a Lakeland Electric customer qualifies for the service, a solar crew member will perform a brief site survey to make sure the home will benefit from the service. The $34.95 per month fee is locked in for 20 years and never rises with energy prices or inflation.
"Enabling utility companies and municipal organizations to offer a clear choice for clean energy that delivers immediate value to the customer, benefits regional job creation, and increases our energy independence is right on target for Florida," said Regenesis Power's Dell Jones, vice president of Renewable Project Development. "We are pleased to be working together with Lakeland Electric on the first of these solar-service programs. As we continue to build relationships with like-minded partners and investors, we're confident and excited about the potential to make a meaningful imprint on America's emerging green economy."
For more information:
For more information about Lakeland Electric's solar hot-water service, go to www.solarlakeland.com.
For more information about Regenesis Power, go to www.regensp.com.
Keeping Up—or Down—with the Joneses
In "Evidence from Two Large Field Experiments that Peer Comparison Feedback Can Reduce Residential Energy Usage," a study published earlier last year in the National Bureau of Economic Research, Ian Ayres, Sophie Raseman, and Alice Shih showed that when customers received information on their neighbors' energy consumption, average energy use declined by 1.2–2.1%.
When utility customers are told how much energy their neighbors use, those who are consuming more than average tend to cut their consumption. The authors of the study examined data from two field experiments carried out by West Coast public utilities. Their sample was larger than the samples in any similar past studies: 35,000 customers of the Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) over a period of 12 months, and 40,000 customers of Puget Sound Energy (PSE) over a period of 7 months. "Together, the two experiments provide compelling evidence that properly framed peer comparisons can predictably lower energy consumption, particularly of the highest energy using households," they write. The study of the two groups of utility customers looked at the daily impact of comparison information on energy use, measured changes in the use of both electricity and natural gas, and investigated the effects of the timing and formatting of energy-saving messages. In both field experiments, certain households were randomly assigned either to a control group or to a test group. The test groups were sent reports, on either a monthly or a quarterly basis, showing the energy use of homes in their area that were similar to their own homes. These reports contained not only data but also messages (including emoticons and computerized happy faces) designed to convince customers that saving energy was a good thing.
In the SMUD experiment, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research, "the energy reports did not produce a 'boomerang' effect—there was no evidence that households using the lowest amount of energy increased their energy consumption once they found out how much more energy their neighbors were using. But in the PSE experiment, the homes using the least amount of energy before the study did boost their consumption by an average of 3.4%. By contrast, the highest energy-using households decreased their energy use by an average of 6%, so overall energy demand declined."
For more information:
To read a digest of the study described in this article, go to www.nber.org/digest/feb10/w15386.html.
Congress Likely to Extend, but Modify, Energy Efficiency Tax Incentives
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) reported in mid-December that the tax package that had just passed the Senate and that was likely to pass the House of Representatives includes extensions and revisions to three existing federal energy efficiency tax incentives. They are for appliances, a one-year extension; for new homes, coverage for 2010 and 2011; and for home retrofits, extension of one year with modifications.
The new-homes credit is for homes that use no more than half as much energy as homes that just meet the SB 2003 Federal Model Energy Code. The credit is $2,000 and goes to the home builder. Since this credit was enacted in 2005, the market share of homes that qualify has gone from less than 1% of new construction in 2005 to 12% of new construction in 2009. The credit expired at the end of 2009, but the new bill extends it to cover new homes that are built in 2010 and 2011.
The home retrofits provision covers the installation of insulation; the sealing of leaky building shells and ducts; and the installation of efficient windows, furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, water heaters, and woodstoves. The original 2005 incentive reimbursed 10% of the cost of the measure, up to $500 per homeowner. In 2008, as part of legislation passed in the closing days of the Bush administration, this was increased to 30% of measure cost, up to $1,500 per homeowner for installations through December 31, 2010. The new bill extends eligibility to the end of 2011, but reduces the incentive to the original 10%, up to $500. Included are provisions limiting window incentives to $200, oil and gas furnace and boiler incentives to $150–200, and water heater and wood heating-system incentives to $300. As part of these amendments, Congress is loosening the qualification for window incentives (Energy Star windows now qualify) and tightening the specifications for oil furnaces and boilers and gas boilers to 95% efficiency, up from the 90% efficiency in current law.
Next year, Congress is likely to consider further extensions of these incentives into 2012 and beyond. Key congressional offices have already indicated that the existing-homes incentives are likely to
receive a major overhaul at that time. In 2011 there are also likely to be discussions about improving incentives for energy efficiency investments in commercial buildings—incentives that, under current law, continue until the end of 2013.
For more information:
For more information on the current federal tax incentives and the new tax incentives, go to www.energytaxincentives.org.
For more information on ACEEE, go to: www.aceee.org.
- 1
Enter your comments in the box below:
(Please note that all comments are subject to review prior to posting.)
While we will do our best to monitor all comments and blog posts for accuracy and relevancy, Home Energy is not responsible for content posted by our readers or third parties. Home Energy reserves the right to edit or remove comments or blog posts that do not meet our community guidelines.


text:
Home » Energy
Category Archives: Energy
It Depends On Whose Dead Bodies We're Talking About.
The Dakota Access Pipeline has "environmental disaster" written all over it. It's a senseless destruction of land and culture and a blatant disregard of treaty with the Standing Rock Sioux Nation. I hate this pipeline and would love to see it scrapped. But it's time to be truthful. The protest against it near Cannon Ball, North Dakota is a tragic exercise in futility.
Many of the "police" at the site are privately contracted security guards, not unlike the ones the US military had in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are a heavily armed, paramilitary force and really answerable to nobody other their employers who pay them very, very well. Local and state government stand to benefit greatly when the pipeline is operational so they are going to be of no help. Quite the contrary, they apparently are all too thrilled to throw as many of the protesters behind bars and to be blunt, people are crazy to think they will lift a finger to stop any violence when it happens. Some in this country may even welcome a forcible crushing of this protest, the First Amendment be damned. As such, in the absence of direct intervention at the Federal level, the self-described "water protectors" out there are sitting ducks. When the time comes that the corporate overseers of this project back in Dallas decide they are bored with this nuisance, those guards will be given leave to do whatever they want.
Let me say that again. They can and will do whatever they want.
If those security contractors, or the Morton County Sheriff's office, or the North Dakota State Police, or any of the myriad enforcers with a badge and a gun out there decide to go in and kill fifty protesters, they will likely do just that and there isn't a single court with any jurisdiction in these United States that will send a single one of those men to jail. The law, right or wrong, will call the protest "trespassing on private property" and that is all that will be required to initiate a legal mass execution. At the rate we are going, there is nothing to indicate that this will not end in a brutal and violent crackdown. Why? There has never been a point in our national history where the needs and rights of Indigenous Peoples have ever trumped private interests. This pipeline is 60% completed, has cost almost $4 billion and despite the injunctions currently in place, construction will resume sooner than later and it will resume through Indigenous land. It's oil, people. Nobody is going to get in the way of the flow of oil which everybody needs and loves. And ugly as it sounds, obscure petitions on even more obscure websites, appeals to the United Nations or a protest that is smaller than the average Grateful Dead concert will do little if anything to dislodge a powerful oil developer like Energy Transfer Partners.
I'm very upset at this. Not so much because of the construction of the pipeline itself. I'm upset because it's only when the abuse of the Indigenous people of this nation reach an absolutely horrendous point such as this exigency do white people start to care and that is the rub. This is why it's now acceptable for the rich and famous to now make "appearances" in opposition to the project. Rarely, however, are the elite of Hollywood's activist class actually going anywhere near North Dakota. Some do, but it's always best to play it safe. Protests in New York and Washington, DC are great. So are interviews on YouTube, primetime cable news shows and of course, what could be better than the ever popular hashtag activism on their Twitter feed? They want you to know that they "stand with Standing Rock".
Well, so what?
Well-known entertainers and media stars don't want trouble. They just want exposure. Honestly, who wants to go to where there's the potential for real danger to life and limb? Especially theirs, since they have a vested interest in maintaining those faces and bodies that keep them so very well compensated at the box office. Does anyone think these celebrities will go to North Dakota and stick it out long-term to fight a real injustice? Hell, no. They want a photo-op and then they are gone. Lawrence O'Donnell will not lose a day of sleep once the protest has been successfully terminated. America barely knows who Amy Goodman is now much less cares. So when she was arrested for reporting on this travesty, it was hardly noticed.
Worse yet, the endless parade of celebrities who never trouble themselves with Indigenous matters at any other time will still be able to enjoy their lives of luxury when this protest inevitably ends. It's a disgusting spectacle. Think about it. What do Leonardo DiCaprio, Susan Sarandon, Pharrell Williams, Rosario Dawson, Mark Ruffalo, et al really have to lose if the pipeline goes through? Not a damn thing. Riley Keogh is out there taking promotional selfies with people there like she's at a family barbecue, for God's sake. Now, I'll give credit where credit is due. Shaliene Woodley went to Standing Rock and got herself arrested and humiliated and brought attention to the cause. Good for her. On the other hand, Ms. Woodley is privileged enough to have the best of attorneys at her disposal to get her out of jail as quickly as she can get thrown in. Plus, as soon as her agent calls with the latest Divergent script, she is on the next plane back to Los Angeles. Guaranteed. Who do the people who live there all the time have to turn to when they get beaten, strip searched and imprisoned? Nobody, that's who.
Dr. Jill Stein has been out there, but seeing as her future in politics is up in smoke, she may as well take up professional activism full-time. As for the Rev. Jesse Jackson? He just goes where the cameras are and has for the last thirty years. As nice as it may appear, it's all just famous people making themselves feel good by going somewhere to have a camera pointed at them and say "Look at me! I'm progressive! I care about issues! And by the way, check out my new movie." Don't believe me? Then ask Ben Affleck about the attachment of this protest with promotion of the new Justice League movie set for 2017 release. Wow. Now that's what I call heroism.
So what's the solution? Let the Dakota Access Pipeline go though.
Let it go through and wait for catastrophe to strike. When white people start dying after the pipeline breaks down, which at some point in the future it will, you can rest assured that the Powers That Be will get their collective asses in gear and fast. When rich white people are getting hurt then things get done. That's a fact. Things never get done when the people who were here thousands of years before America even existed are the ones getting hurt.


text:
Columnist says Obama's speech lacked creative solutions
Here's a thoughtful piece from syndicated columnist Michael Gerson on President Obama's post-Zimmerman verdict comments on Friday. Gerson throws cold water on wild contentions that Obama's remarks were racially divisive, but chides the president for not going far enough with creative remedies. (The edited version will appear on tomorrow's Editorial Page. )
Obama's necessary, uncreative speech
By MICHAEL GERSON
WASHINGTON -- Eight American presidents owned slaves while living in the White House. President Zachary Taylor pledged that his fellow slave-owners would "appeal to the sword if necessary" to keep them. So when an American president arrived at the White House briefing room to speak of his personal experience with racial bias, it stirred some historical ghosts.
Typically, President Obama's 18-minute remarks did not aspire to memorable rhetoric. Rather than "I have a dream," it was "I have an explanation." But he explained something uncomfortable and important: How America contains within itself different experiences of the promise and justice of America.
Speaking as president, Obama responsibly affirmed the integrity of the legal process in the Trayvon Martin case. Speaking as an African-American, he identified with the experience of being singled out for scrutiny. He talked of being followed in department stores and of being preceded by clicking car locks. This description was more powerful for being clinical. He effectively conveyed a social reality many people seldom consider. One of the privileges of looking privileged is anonymity. One of the burdens of appearing less privileged is feeling watched -- followed by "eyes that fix you," according to T.S. Eliot, "in a formulated phrase."
Some conservatives attacked Obama for being "divisive" and for injecting race into the Trayvon Martin debate. Those criticisms were misdirected.
It is perfectly appropriate for a president to apply his own history to his role as communicator and policymaker. Was it out of bounds for John F. Kennedy, who had a mentally disabled sister, to call for an overhaul of the nation's mental health system in 1963? Was it inappropriate for Lyndon Johnson, who grew up in Texas without electricity or indoor plumbing, to convene the National Advisory Commission on Rural Poverty? Or is it only concerning the issue of race that a president should ignore his own background for fear of being "divisive"?
The opposite criticism is more serious -- that Obama has missed opportunities over the years to talk about race in a compelling and personal way. It is the unavoidable American issue. At one point, a third of all human beings in the South were owned by another human being. For a century beyond slavery, Jim Crow laws enforced a racial caste system. The election of an African-American president -- born three years before passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 -- is a wonder of national healing and historical compression. Who can argue that we have heard too much from Obama on this topic? For five years, he strategically downplayed the reality of his own miracle.
Having finally engaged the issue of race, Obama drew the correct policy implication. Social divisions are deepest when it comes to African-American boys and young men: often betrayed by schools, abandoned by fathers, treated with suspicion, unable to find jobs, wandering through dysfunctional neighborhoods, locked in prison in vast numbers and denied basic civil rights (such as voting) for the rest of their lives. Obama has a unique standing to address the challenges of minority youth. As a young man, he was prone to trouble and might have easily gotten enmeshed in an unforgiving legal system. The president can effectively argue that first impressions are not always correct, and that second chances are sometimes necessary.
But Obama's speech deserves this criticism: Its policy proposals -- training police, reconsidering "stand your ground" laws, more community dialogue and "soul-searching" -- were weak. It was as though the administration's policy apparatus had never really considered the matter before -- that it was somehow ambushed by America's most obvious policy challenge.
The problem of African-American boys and young men is a complex mix of lingering racial prejudice, urban economic dislocation, collapsing family structure, failing schools and sick, atomized communities. But is there really nothing practical that can be done? How about providing family supports -- mentoring, fatherhood initiatives, teen pregnancy prevention, and removing the Earned Income Tax Credit penalty for married couples? How about strong accountability measures to close the educational achievement gap instead of granting waivers that lower standards? How about support for faith-based institutions that reclaim lives from gangs? How about prison reform, so that mandatory minimum sentences are at least reduced? How about expanding substance abuse prevention and treatment, which seem to have fallen off the national agenda?
Acknowledging a vast national division in a responsible way, as Obama has done, is not itself divisive. But healing that division will require the president to employ a presidential power he seldom uses: to drive and shape a policy debate.
Michael Gerson's email address is firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Republicans block Senate disaster aid bill
WASHINGTON – Republicans blocked an effort Monday by Senate Democrats to quickly pass a $7 billion aid package for victims of recent natural disasters like Hurricane Irene, tornadoes in the Midwest and the South and floods along the Mississippi, Missouri and other rivers.
On a 53-33 vote, the Senate rejected an attempt by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., to bring up a bill that Democrats had hoped to use to replenish the Federal Emergency Management Agency's depleted disaster fund. Democrats needed 60 votes to advance the measure.
Reid said FEMA has spent almost $400 million in the past two weeks on emergency help like food and shelter following Irene and has only about $300 million left.
President Barack Obama on Friday asked Congress for $500 million to make sure the disaster fund doesn't run out of cash before the end of the month. He also officially asked for $4.6 billion for the upcoming budget year that starts Oct. 1.
Earlier Monday, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said Republicans will attach a disaster aid package to must-pass legislation for keeping the government fully running past Sept. 30. That stopgap spending bill is likely to advance next week.
"They're playing around the edges of what really needs to be done," Reid complained, saying hundreds of millions of dollars is needed to rebuild places like Joplin, Mo., where a tornado in May destroyed more than 7,000 homes and 10 school buildings and killed 159 people.


text:
Transition Planning & Project Management – What's Important?
Here at Hedge IT, we often discuss the variety of services and solutions that a third-party technology provider can offer hedge funds and investment firms. However, one important area that is often overlooked is the process a firm must undertake in partnership with the provider in order to ensure a smooth transition to their new IT environment. In an industry that cannot afford downtime, seamless transition management is of the highest importance.
To aide in this transition, look for a provider that has deep experience working with clients to manage all implementations and other projects. Premier project management teams work with firms on such crucial processes as:
client need assessment;
IT infrastructure design;
design and development of IT construction specifications and related documents;
architectural and engineer design requirement coordination;
telcom procurement and installation management;
voice and data equipment procurement and installation management;
contractor proposal evaluation and bid leveling;
IT systems implementation management;
coordination of all system testing;
commissioning and final acceptance;
migration assistance; and
cutover support.
Transition Management Attributes to Look for in a Technology Provider
You know what to look for when assessing the solutions and services provided by IT services organizations, but do you know what the most important aspects of their project management processes are? Following are some attributes to look for when vetting an IT provider.
Experience: Before selecting an IT services provider for your firm, be sure the company offers a transition and project management team with extensive expertise in studying, analyzing, developing and planning complex IT roll‐outs. The team should have a proven track record of success in complex IT integration implementations as well as relocations and other projects.
Strong Communication Skills: Communication is a critical aspect of project management. The provider should be skilled in effectively bridging the information gap between your firm, the design teams, the construction team and other relevant parties. Ask to see an example of a working project roadmap and timeline – these should be provided for each project the provider undertakes so that there is no confusion regarding what steps will be taken and when each will be completed.
A Proven Strategy: In order to leverage your firm's IT implementation management process from planning and design, to systems procurement, construction administration, systems integration and go‐live support, the provider should have a proven, successful formula in place. This strategy should be broken down into specific, measurable tasks so that you can clearly track the progress of your implementation or project, with predictable deadlines based on predetermined timetables.
Concern for the environment: The provider should possess expertise in the design of "Green Infrastructure Concepts." Their approach should incorporate environmentally-friendly designs and facility build‐outs that will promote the reputation of your firm as an organization that cares about its impact on the environment.
For more information on what to look for in a technology services provider, don't miss these Hedge IT articles:
Selecting a Technology Service Provider: Why Experience Matters


text:
As political figures ranging from mayors to U.S. Senators to Hillary Clinton announce their support for gay marriage, a key Democrat in Florida's most liberal county is notably absent: Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler.
Seiler, who is weighing a possible run for governor in 2014, has long been viewed as supportive of gay rights, beginning in the 1990s when he was a member of the Wilton Manors city council and later as a state representative and as mayor of Broward's largest city, home to a vocal and visible gay population. But as polls nationwide have shown increased support for gay marriage, Seiler has not joined the growing list of politicians announcing they back same sex marriage.
In an interview with the Miami Herald, Seiler, a married father of four children, said he has taken no position on same sex marriage but supports civil unions. When asked if it was fair to say he is against gay marriage Seiler said that's "not fair at all. I support civil unions."
As for gay marriage, Seiler said: "I don't have any position on it. Right now it is outlawed in Florida," he said. "I haven't bothered to spend any time on it. ... I don't debate and discuss issues I can't have a vote on. ... I don't sit and discuss hypothetical issues. If an issue comes up and I have a chance to impact the outcome, I'll take a position."
"I have a 20-year track record of being extremely respectful of the gay community and trying to assist the gay community to further gay rights," Seiler said.


text:
How to Plan Egress WindowsUpdated: Feb. 15, 2023
When fire pounces, do you have a way out?
You might also like: TBD
- Time
- Complexity
- Cost
- An hour or less
- Beginner
- Free
Egress window logic and the building code
The old saying "Always leave yourself an out" is especially true when it comes to home fires. When the basement stairs are blocked by a flaming television (true story), or fire and thick, black smoke are racing down a hallway toward a dead-end bedroom, windows that are large enough for you to escape—and for firefighters to enter—become essential lifesaving equipment. These all-important escape hatches are called egress windows.
The purpose of this article is threefold:
- To inform you why and where you need egress windows and how big they should be.
- To alert you to the fact that, by today's standards, your bedrooms and basement may very well not have proper-sized egress windows.
- To help you choose the right egress windows and their placement as you build and remodel.
You may have installed smoke detectors, but if you haven't provided a way out once they blare, you've only done half the job. This is especially true for upstairs bedrooms and basements, where the stairway is often the sole escape route. If that stairway is blocked, you can be trapped.
According to the International Building Code, "Basements and sleeping rooms below the fourth story shall have at least one exterior emergency escape and rescue opening. . . . Such opening shall open directly into a public street, alley, yard or court." This "escape and rescue opening" can be a bedroom window, skylight or patio door, but it must meet certain criteria:
- It must have a minimum net clear opening of 5.7 sq. ft. Net clear opening refers to the actual free and clear space that exists when the window is open. It is not the rough opening size or the glass panel size or any other size, but the actual opening a person can crawl through. Code officials want the opening large enough so firefighters can comfortably crawl through the window in full protective gear with an air tank on their back. Ground-floor bedroom windows only need a net clear opening of 5 sq. ft.; they can be smaller because a rescue ladder doesn't take up part of the opening.
- The opening height must be at least 24 in., and the opening width must be at least 20 in.
- The bottom of the clear opening must be within 44 in. of the floor.
- The window or other opening must be operational from the inside without keys or tools. Bars, grilles and grates over windows must be operational without tools or keys and still allow the minimum clear opening.
Note that a window opening that's the bare minimum of 24 in. high and 20 in. wide does not meet egress requirements, since its net clear opening is only 3.33 sq. ft. A window has to be taller and/or wider than these minimums to meet the 5.7-sq.-ft.-opening requirement.
All these numbers may seem daunting, but selecting a new egress window doesn't need to be. Window manufacturers list the net free opening of their windows and skylights in their catalogs, and whether they meet egress requirements.
Figure A: Basic Egress Window Requirements
Few of us think of bedroom windows as lifesaving equipment— but they are! When you need to escape a house fire or other disaster, or when rescue personnel need to enter—the right size egress window can make the difference between life and death. Note: You can download Figure A and enlarge it in the Additional Information section below.
Older homes may not have egress windows
Codes require new homes to have the proper size basement and bedroom egress windows. But if you live in an older, "pre-owned" home, open your bedroom windows fully, pull out a tape measure and see if the opening meets current egress requirements. Multiply the width by the height of the opening to determine whether it's the required 5.7 sq. ft., or 821 sq. in.
Some older homes were built before there were any egress window requirements. Many more homes were built when the egress window net free opening size was a mere 4.3 sq. ft. Yet even newer homes often lack proper egress windows. Attics and basements were often legally remodeled into family rooms or offices (which didn't require egress windows) then later converted into bedrooms (which now do require them). When bedrooms are added to basements without the knowledge of inspectors and without the requisite egress window, they create a dangerous underground fire trap. During remodeling, homeowners often unwittingly replace large egress windows with smaller, non-egress windows. And while most inspectors will demand egress windows be installed when bedrooms are remodeled or added on, they won't necessarily dictate that windows in existing bedrooms be enlarged to egress size; it's simply too difficult to monitor every situation.
Required or not, egress windows are crucial lifesaving equipment. If a room has even the remote possibility of later becoming a bedroom, include an egress size window.
Extra challenges for basements
Basement egress windows present an added challenge. Besides the height, width and overall square-footage requirements that the bedroom window must meet, there are certain requirements for the window well surrounding the window.
Window wells must:
- Allow the rescue window opening to be fully opened.
- Provide 9 sq. ft. of "floor area," with a minimum dimension of 36 in. in width and in length.
- Contain a permanently affixed ladder or steps for climbing out if the window well depth exceeds 44 in. The ladder must be at least 12 in. wide and project no less than 3 in. from the window well. It can't be obstructed by the open window or encroach on the required window well dimensions by more than 6 in. If you build the window well from timbers or modular concrete blocks, you can create steps along one side, eliminating the need for a ladder. Want to keep it covered? Learn how to DIY window well cover.
We're not done yet. If an egress window is located under a deck or porch, inspectors and firefighters want at least 36 in. between the top of the window well and the bottom of the deck or porch joists; they much prefer 60 in. If the bottom of your egress opening is more than 44 in. from the basement floor, some inspectors will allow you to make up the difference with a permanently attached step.
This sounds like a lot of rigmarole and it is. Installing basement egress windows is challenging. You need to excavate a large hole, cut through and remove concrete, install a large window and window well, keep the basement walls watertight and somehow make the entire thing look good when you're finished. It's a huge project—but ask the family whose flaming television blocked their exit from the basement; they'll tell you how glad they were to have had an egress window.
Figure B: Basement egress Window size Requirements
Basement egress windows and the window well both have to meet rigorous requirements that allow occupants to escape and rescue personnel to enter. Note: You can download Figure B and enlarge it in the Additional Information section below for a full view of standard basement window size.
How to choose an egress window size
Figure C: Minimum size casement egress window
Casement windows—with hinged sashes that swing free and clear of the opening—can be relatively small and still meet egress requirements. This makes them ideal for basement egress and for other areas where space is limited. The overall size of this "smallest" egress casement window is 8 sq. ft.
Figure D: Minimum size double-hung egress window
Double-hung windows—with vertically sliding sashes that always fill more than one-half the opening area—have to be pretty big to meet egress requirements. The overall size of this "smallest" double-hung egress window is 14.85 sq. ft., almost twice the area of the egress casement window shown.
Figure E: Minimum size gliding egress window
Gliding windows— with horizontally sliding sashes that always fill half the possible window opening area— also have to be big to meet egress requirements. The overall size of this "smallest" gliding egress window is 15.5 sq. ft., almost twice the area of the egress casement window shown.
Figure F: Minimum size awning egress window
Awning windows are problematic. Since the opened sash prevents escape from most window wells, they're unsuitable for basement egress. And with most awning windows, the opening hardware and height don't meet egress requirements. Some manufacturers offer models with detachable operators that meet egress requirements.
When it comes to egress, not all bedroom windows are created equal. Figures C – F show how any style window can meet egress requirements—some just do it more space efficiently than others. As you remodel, you'll want new egress windows that match the style of the existing windows and meet egress requirements. This can be a challenge. Bear in mind these pros and cons.
Casement windows: These side-hinged windows fulfill egress requirements while taking up the smallest amount of wall space. This makes them ideal for egress windows in basements or other areas where space is limited. Some manufacturers can install a special operator arm that allows the window to open wider than the standard bedroom window size operating arm to meet egress requirements. Others have an operator arm that can be pushed to open the window wider in an emergency. These meet egress requirements as long as you leave the "PUSH HERE" label in place.
Double-hung windows: Even when it's fully open, more than half of a double-hung window's overall area is blocked by glass. This means that to meet egress window height requirements, a bedroom window must be nearly 4 ft. 9 in. in overall height. This height requirement takes it out of the running for most basement egress situations. Plus: Here's how to fix a double hung window.
Gliding windows: To meet egress requirements, these horizontally sliding windows must be at least 4 ft. wide and 4 ft. high. This extra glass area and the light it lets in are pretty darn nice in a basement area, if you have the space.
Awning windows: These top-hinged windows make lousy egress windows. They don't meet egress requirements in basements because the opened sash impedes entrance and exit. And those with center opening mechanisms don't meet code because the hardware gets in the way. Only those with special hardware will meet egress requirements—and there aren't many available.
Certain skylights meet egress requirements as long as they're installed within 44 in. of the floor.
If you're replacing a smaller window with a larger one that meets egress requirements, bear in mind that enlarging the height of the opening takes less structural work than enlarging the width. Increasing width means installing a larger, beefier horizontal structural header over the window opening—a major project. Increasing height is often only a matter of lowering the height of the sill below the window.


text:
A nasal spray sold at CVS is being recalled after concerns the product could be contaminated, according to the Food and Drug Administration.
The contaminant, identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, could be life-threatening for some patients, who suffer from cystic fibrosis or are immuno-compromised. Over 16,000 units of the 0.5 fluid ounce bottle are included in the recall. Product Quest, the company behind the spray, is in the process of notifying customers. So far, there have been no reports of any illnesses related to the recall.
The affected product was sold nationwide with a UPC code 50428432365. The box contains the lot number 173089J with an expiration date of September 2019. The spray can be identified by the white spray bottle and an orange label with "Sinus Relief" written in white and the CVS Health logo on the top left.
Any consumers who may have purchased the spray are urged to return it or throw it away.


text:
Filter By
Choose Your Styles
Wine Racks Cabinets & Stands
Discover a wine rack table, a wall wine rack or a counter wine rack that will stylishly display your bottles. Our wine racks, cabinets and stands also include stemware racks, floor wine racks and more.
Shop for a Wall Wine Rack, Stemware Rack & More
A wine rack table provides an optimal solution for the oenophile low on both storage and surface space. Stock a wine table with your best bottles of pinot grigio and chardonnay, then top the furnishing with posh stemware or maybe even a wine barrel serving tray. If you're searching for something smaller, a countertop wine rack conserves floor space and puts your prized vintages closer to eye level. Survey our wine racks, cabinets and stands for countless ways to get your collection organized. Arrange wine glasses and bottles in an artful way that proclaims your undying devotion to this sublime beverage.
Incorporate wine bottles into your kitchen island decor with a tabletop wine rack. Wine rack bookends will keep your cookbooks and wine logs looking orderly, or you can put on a French spin with a fleur-de-lis wine bottle rack. For an especially quirky statement, display a wine rack stand shaped like a corkscrew, or let bronze metal swirls cradle eight of your wine bottles instead. Whether presented as a centerpiece or an accessory to other decorations, a countertop wine rack will replenish your kitchen with style.
Discover a Wine Rack Table, Countertop Wine Rack or Tabletop Wine Rack
Next, set your sights on your vertical space with a wall wine glass rack. Let a stemware rack provide easy access to your glasses and keep your cupboard from getting too cluttered. Some stemware racks hold bottles as well or flaunt irrefutable sayings as "wine is bottled poetry." Wall mount wine racks crafted to resemble grapevines will bear the fruits of your favorite vineyard. You can also find metal and wooden wall wine racks for a robust touch.
If you haven't enough surface space for even a countertop wine rack, consider investing in a cabinet, baker's rack or table with wine storage. Finally, a floor wine rack furnishes multiple holders for your bottles. Find a place for your merlot, moscato and plenty of others with our wine racks, cabinets and stands.


text:
One of the mysteries this year is why the Government has been so stingy with the exchange control office CADIVI as well as its decision not to supply more foreign currency to any alternative market, despite higher oil prices.
That is why I was mesmerized by the following Barclays graph which was published this week. In this graph Barclays plots for each of the last six years, how much CADIVI gave out to importers, how much the parallel market traded and how much the Government issued in bonds.
The first surprise, because I had not looked at the totals for a while, was that the swap market was larger than CADIVI last year. What this means is simply that PDVSA preferred to change at the highers swap market rate than at the Bs. 2.15 per $ rate which prevailed last year. This is because in the end the Government via the Treasury, Fonden or whatever other mechanism was the main provider of foreign currency to the swap market. Thus, in the end it is the Government that provides both markets.
Thus, in some sense, it is better to look at the total CADIVI+SWAP market+Bonds and subtract the bonds to get an idea of what the last few years were like. I plot that in the next graph together with the price of Venezuela's oil basket (sort of assuming production is constant, which it is not)
In the above graph, the green line is the average price for the Venezuelan oil basket for the year in US dollars, while the blue line is the total amount of US$ dollars (in billions) given to importers by CADIVI and/or purchased in the swap market plus bonds issued, which in the end measures the number of dollars to which the Government had access on any given year. The red line simply subtracts the issuance of bonds from that total, it is a measure of the deficit of foreign currency the Government had, which forced it to resort to issue bonds.
Let's look at this graph historically. In 2004, the oil basket was US$ 31.85 and the Government "had" some US$ 25 billion of which it had to issue US$ 5 billion in bonds. The total amount for 2004,2005 and 2006, scaled reasonably with the oil price, in all three years the Government issued US$ 5 billion in bonds to complement its needs, "using" US$ 25 billion, 37 (up 50% from 2004) billion and US$ 40 billion (up 8% from 2005), as oil went from US$ 31.85, to US$ 48.36 (up 51.8% from 2004) and US$ 52.31 (up 8% from 2005) per barrel in the same years.Basically the increases were almost identical from year to year.
Then, in 2007, oil prices jumped by 64%, but the Government needed US$ 83 billion, a 107.5% increase in foreign currency in 2007 over the previous year, including US$ 19 billion in financing.
And here is where things get murky. In 2008, with oil dropping 62.5%, the Government used up US$ 75 billion, barely 9.6% below 2007, despite the dramatic drop in oil prices. How could this be?
Well, the only possibility is that the Government used funds from the development funds Fonden, taken from international reserves, and other savings in foreign currency to fund part of the needs for 2008.
And it did the same thing in 2009!
Thus, from 2007-2009, the Government "used" 75% more foreign currency than in 2006, but the average oil price in those three years was only up 29%.
And then we come to 2010, this year the average price of the oil basket is running roughly at the level of last year, in 2009 it was 67.7 dollars on average, so far this year it has been US$ 70.26, less than a 3% increase. Except that it is going to be quite difficult to issue new bonds, subtract US$ 11 billion from last year and there will not be as much in Fonden as there was in 2009. In fact, Fonden began 2009 with US$ 19 billion and this year at no point has it had more than US$ 9 or 10 billion. Thus, the "Total" in the graph for 2010 will have to be around US$ 50 billion, once you subtract no new issues, half the money (likely more) in Fonden.
Finally, PDVSA has higher cash flow needs, thus the number may be even smaller, as international reserves have been dropping, even with lower CADIVI outflows, which implies PDVSA is handing out less money to the Central Bank.
What this all means is that there will much less money for imports, which will only be complicated by the banning of the swap market, which used to provide an alternative to the official market for importers needing items to complete their manufacturing and/or buying spare parts.This will translate into shortages which I am surprised has not intensified as of yet. Most manufacturers/importers say that they typically have about six weeks of inventory. which means we should start seeing the impact of these foreign currency problems in less than a month.
(Note: Some of the money from the bond offerings flowed back into the swap market, thus I may be double counting somewhat, but this changes little the conclusions)