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I am terrible at being on my own. Absolutley terrible.
For a start there's the whole making meals just for me thing. I walk into the kitchen, examine the food on the shelves, open the fridge, close it again and think about how long it takes to peel potatoes/slice carrots/chop an onions. Then my mind drifts to all the dishes that will have to be used to make a proper meal. Dishes that will then have to be washed up afterwards. By me. And I decide there's no point in going to all that effort when nobody else is around to eat the food I prepare. And so, in the 5 days since Jan went away, I have been living on potato croquettes (just shove them in the oven and wait!), chocolate raisins, cake (not even home made cake I'm ashamed to say) and those Knorr instant thingies that claim to turn into pasta in cheese sauce or spaghetti bolognese as soon as you add boiling water.
Then there's the sleeping thing. I'm used to sharing a bed with Jan. He's here almost every night. When he's not at mine I sometimes join him at his. On the nights that he's at his place and I'm at mine I have trouble sleeping. The bed seems to magically grow… surely it hasn't always been that big? The room feels colder, the flat emptier (actually that last one kind of makes sense. The flat is emptier…I'm the only person in it). But it's okay, because usually it's only for one night. When he goes away though, it's not just for one night, but for a couple of days, a weekend, an entire week…
Which is why, since Wednesday, I haven't made it to bed before midnight once. And even after getting into bed I've chosen reading until 1 or 2 am over going to sleep.
All that has to chnge now though. I start my new job tomorrow. That means getting up early enough to be showered, dressed, breakfasted and on the train that leaves Karlsruhe at 7:30 am. It also means eating a proper breakfast so I'm not starving by 9 o'clock. And it means preparing something proper to eat for my lunch.
I'm so excited. I can't wait to be a real, employed member of society again!


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LEAGUE v. STATE OF TEXAS(1902)
Decived February 24, 1902.
On August 6, 1898, the state of Texas filed a petition in the district court of San Augustine county, Texas, averring that the defendant was justly indebted to the state of Texas and the county of San Augustine in the sum of $1,305.87, on account of taxes, interest, penalties, and costs due on certain described lands for the years 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1894, 1895, and 1896. The prayer was for a recovery of the taxes, interest, etc., and for a decree establishing and enforcing a lien upon the several tracts for the amounts found due upon each. An answer was filed and a trial had, which resulted, on September 9, 1889, in a finding that there was due the state the amount claimed for taxes, atc., a decree that the state recover the amount thereof from the defendant, and adjudging a lien upon the several tracts therefor, and directing a foreclosure and sale. On appeal to the court of civil appeals [184 U.S. 156, 157] the decree was modified by striking out the taxes of 1884, all penalties and the personal judgment against the defendant, leaving the decree to stand as a finding of the amount due for taxes subsequent to the year 1884, interest and costs, and a foreclosure of a lien therefor upon the several tracts. This modification reduced the amount of the recovery to $1,232.77, with interest at 6 per cent from September 9, 1899, the date of the decree in the district court. On error to the supreme court of the state the decree of the court of civil appeals was affirmed (93 Tex. 553, 57 S. W. 34), whereupon this writ of error was sued out.
Mr. F. Charles Hume for plaintiff in error.
Messrs. D. E. Simmons and C. K. Bell for defendant in error.
Mr. Justice Brewer delivered the opinion of the court:
In 1897 the legislature of Texas passed an act for the collection by judicial proceedings of delinquent taxes upon real estate. Texas Gen. Laws 1897, chap. 103, p. 132. The contention of the defendant, now plaintiff in error, is that prior thereto the collection of taxes was enforced by an administrative sale made by the collector of taxes after January 1 of the succeeding year; that the state's lien for taxes was merged in the estate passed or vested by that sale; that the status of the rights of the state or other purchaser was fixed by the sale, and must depend upon the legality of the title acquired under the collector's deeds, and that any right of a purchaser at such sale, whether state or private individual, to revive or continue any lien for taxes must depend upon some statute existing at the time of the sale; and that, hence, this act of the legislature providing for the collection of delinquent taxes by judicial proceedings was a violation of the constitutional guaranty of due process in so far as it avoided the legal effect of the prior administrative sale and directed a further and judicial sale with the rights attending thereon. [184 U.S. 156, 158] There is no pretense that the taxes levied for these several years were invalid, or that the proceedings up to and including the collector's sale were irregular. On the contrary, the delinquent tax record in evidence, duly certified and filed, which by 3 of the act is made prima facie evidence of the regularity of all prior proceedings and also that the amount of the tax against any real estate is a true and correct charge, showed taxes due as found by the court. It does not appear that the lands were assessed to the defendant, or that he was the owner of them at the time of the early assessments. Indeed, he alleges in his answer that he acquired title about the year 1889, but does not allege that this title was from the state. Apparently he had purchased from some individual who claimed title. His argument assumes that the taxes had not been paid, and that the lands had been sold by the collector to the state. The case, therefore, presented is one of a party, admitting that valid taxes have been duly levied on his property and have not been paid, who is contesting the manner in which the state shall collect them, and insisting that the only method which it can adopt for such collection is one which has hitherto proved ineffectual.
That a state may adopt new remedies for the collection of taxes, and apply those remedies to taxes already delinquent, without any violation of the Federal Constitution, is not a matter of doubt. A delinquent taxpayer has no vested right in an existing mode of collecting taxes. There is no contract between him and the state that the latter will not vary the mode of collection. Indeed, generally speaking, a party has no vested right in a mere matter of remedy; that is subject to legislative change. And a new remedy may be resorted to unless in some of its special provisions a constitutional right of the debtor or obligor is infringed. 'There is no vested right in a mode of procedure. Each succeeding legislature may establish a different one, providing only that in each are preserved the essential elements of protection.' Backus v. Fort Street Union Depot Co. 169 U.S. 557, 570 , 42 S. L. ed. 853, 859, 18 Sup. Ct. Rep. 445, 450. That in the new remedy in the case at bar, as well as in the change from the old to the new, there was no violation of the Constitution of the State of Texas, is for [184 U.S. 156, 159] us settled by the decisions of its highest court. West River Bridge Co. v. Dix, 6 How. 507, 12 L. ed. 535; Bucher v. Cheshire R. Co. 125 U.S. 555 , 31 L. ed. 795, 8 Sup. Ct. Rep. 974;Adams Exp. Co. v. Ohio State Auditor, 165 U.S. 194 , 41 L. ed. 683, 17 Sup. Ct. Rep. 305; Long Island Water Supply Co. v. Brooklyn, 166 U.S. 685 , 41 L. ed. 1165, 17 Sup. Ct. Rep. 718.
Defendant further contends that interest, expenses, and costs are included in the new remedy by judicial proceedings which were not provided for by the prior statutes in reference to collector's sales. The court of civil appeals and the supreme court of the state dealt with this question in these ways. The latter, in its opinion, quoted the following averment from the sworn answer of the defendant:
Upon this it observed that it had granted the writ of error upon a question of the validity of the charge for interest, and added:
The court of appeals said:
Whichever be the true view of the effect of the answer (and, of course, so far as the two courts differ, we must accept the view expressed by the highest court of the state as controlling), the same result will follow. Whether the title which passed by the sale was conditional or absolute, the state may waive the rights obtained by such sale and prescribe the terms upon which it will waive them. In the one view it waives the right to a forfeiture; in the other, the title acquired by the sale; and in either case the state may fix the conditions of its waiver.
The costs referred to are simply the ordinary expenses which attend proceedings of the character prescribed, to wit, compensation to the collector for preparing the delinquent list and certifying it to the commissioners; to the county attorney for conducting the suit; to the sheriff for selling the land, and to the district clerk for making the court records. There is no pretense that any separate charge is exorbitant or unreasonable. And if the state is compelled to resort to such proceedings for the collection of its taxes it may provide reasonable compensation for the officials charged with any duty in connection therewith, and incorporate the charges therefor as costs in the case. Liability for these costs and expenses can be avoided by payment of taxes, and a delinquent taxpayer,-one who fails to discharge his obligations to the state, compelling it to go into court to enforce payment of the taxes due upon his land,- [184 U.S. 156, 161] has no ground of complaint because he is charged with the ordinary fees and expenses of a law suit.
While the matter of interest stands upon a little different basis, yet, so far as the Federal Constitution is concerned, there is nothing to prevent its collection. The statute may be retroactive, but a statute of a state is not brought into conflict with the Federal Constitution by the mere fact that it is retroactive in its operation. In Baltimore & S. R. Co. v. Nesbit, 10 How. 395, 401, 13 L. ed. 469, 472, it was said:
This decision, it is true, was before the 14th Amendment, and the restrictions placed by that amendment upon state action apply to retrospective, as well as prospective, legislation. But it contains no prohibition of retrospective legislation as such, and therefore now, as before, the mere fact that a statute is retroactive in its operation does not make it repugnant to the Federal Constitution.
As the state may, in the first instance, enact that taxes shall bear interest from the time they become due, so, without con- [184 U.S. 156, 162] flicting with any provision of the Federal Constitution, it may in like manner provide that taxes which have already become delinquent shall bear interest from the time the delinquency commenced. This is adding no novel or extraordinary penalty, for interest is the ordinary incident to the nonpayment of obligations.
We see nothing else in the record calling for notice, and, finding no error, the judgment of the Supreme Court of Texas is affirmed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Sadly, my friend's mother died recently of a fall that could have been prevented. At age 97, she carried a vacuum cleaner upstairs, even though she already had another vacuum cleaner on that floor. On the way back down, she fell and broke her arm, and the next day she died from a blood clot. No doubt one cause of this accident was stubbornness, which remains a difficult condition to treat. But fortunately, for many other causes of falling, there are preventive steps that can be taken by older adults who are willing to make the effort.
Falling is a serious public health concern because falls are the leading cause of injury and accidental death in people age 75 and older in the United States. Falls are the most common reason for emergency room visits in people age 45 and older, and 9 in 10 hip fractures are caused by falls. Nursing home residents fall three times more frequently than people living in the community. A person's risk of falling increases with age; this is true for both sexes and all racial and ethnic groups. One in three adults age 65 and older who does not live in a care facility will fall within a given year, and 10% of those who fall will receive serious injuries that may include head trauma, soft tissue injury, joint dislocation, and hip fracture. Falling may lead to limitations on activity, loss of independence, a lower quality of life, greater anxiety, reduced self-confidence, institutionalization, and even death. This article aims to explain how falls occur and what you can do to prevent them.
Why people fall
Older adults have more chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and visual problems, that increase the risk of falling. Also, as people age, they tend to get weaker, a process that is often accelerated by reduced physical activity. Older people tend to take more prescription drugs and therefore experience more drug side effects, including dizziness and muscle weakness. Older people may also experience social isolation, which leads some to take on physical tasks they can't easily perform, both because no one is there to do it for them, and no one is there to advise against their doing it themselves. Being isolated can also make it harder to get help in the event of a fall.
Older people with diabetes are both more likely to fall and more likely to have fall-related complications than those without diabetes. Insulin users with an HbA1c level below 7% (indicating "tight" blood glucose control) are four times more likely to fall as those with an HbA1c above 7%. This is because among insulin users, a lower HbA1c is associated with a higher risk of hypoglycemia, which can cause blurred vision, dizziness, and weakness. According to Dr. Ann Schwartz of the University of California, San Francisco, however, achieving tight blood glucose control with oral diabetes drugs does not increase the risk of falling. But some oral diabetes drugs, notably metformin, can cause vitamin B12 deficiency, which can lead to postural instability (balance problems).
Peripheral >neuropathy (nerve damage) adds to the risk of falling in people with diabetes; some estimates state that one-third of people with diabetes have this complication. Peripheral neuropathy can cause loss of sensation, numbness, and pain in the feet and legs, often resulting in a slower gait and poor balance that can worsen when walking on uneven surfaces. Visual impairment resulting from diabetic retinopathy (or from cataracts, glaucoma, or macular degeneration) also increases the risk of falling. Impaired kidney function from diabetic nephropathy can lead to inadequate levels of vitamin D, which can reduce bone density and muscle strength. And people with diabetes can experience wounds, skin breakdown, joint inflammation, or joint deformity, all of which can lead to instability when walking.
Hazards in the environment are estimated to play a role in one-third to one-half of falls. Typical hazards include inadequate lighting, clutter, electrical cords across pathways, small rugs or rugs on top of carpets, uneven surfaces, slippery surfaces, raised thresholds, low chairs, and soft chairs. Most falls occur indoors: in the bathroom, bedroom, or kitchen. Ten percent occur on stairs, with walking downstairs causing more falls than walking upstairs. The most common outdoor hazards are steps and curbs.
A person's likelihood of falling increases in proportion to the number of internal risks (such as poor vision and neuropathy) and external risks (such as stairs and rugs) present.
Some people may not report a fall to their family, friends, or even doctor due to a misperception that falls are a normal part of aging, or they may withhold the information because they feel embarrassed or fear losing their independence. But falling is not normal, and it can lead to serious injury and loss of independence. By letting someone know that you have fallen, and seeking help to address the cause of your fall, you are taking an important step toward preventing future falls and maintaining your independence to the greatest degree possible.
Getting assessed
The American Geriatrics Society and the British Geriatrics Society issued joint guidelines for fall prevention in 2010, in which they recommend an annual doctor's assessment of fall risk for older people. You can ask for this assessment if your doctor does not raise the subject of fall prevention with you. To evaluate your fall risk, your doctor should ask whether you've ever fallen and, if so, under what circumstances. He should ask if you have any mobility problems, if these are not already known. If your risk of falling is deemed to be high enough based on these answers and your overall health status, your doctor may refer you to an occupational or physical therapist for individualized help. Sometimes it is possible to get a fall-risk screening done at a community health fair or through a senior center or seniors' organization.
Ask your doctor to check your prescriptions for drug interactions or other factors that may increase your risk of falling; your pharmacist may also be able to help you with this. Also ask your doctor whether it would be beneficial to get your vitamin D and B12 levels checked out. Let your doctor know about any episodes of hypoglycemia you've experienced and what the circumstances were. If your HbA1c level is below 7%, you may want to discuss the possibility of "loosening" your blood glucose control, especially if you're experiencing frequent hypoglycemia.
An occupational or physical therapist can do a safety assessment of your living space (a nurse may also be able to perform this service) and evaluate your functional mobility. Screenings typically last about an hour. At your home, a therapist will look at your typical daily activities and evaluate your balance, your posture, and any difficulties you have with each activity. He will guide you through a problem-solving process to identify and prioritize changes that can be made throughout your home. You should feel free to discuss any activities that have been affected by your diabetes or any other chronic condition you have so that the two of you can work out solutions that improve your quality of life. A physical or occupational therapist can suggest environmental adaptations to improve your ability to care for yourself independently, such as adaptive equipment for dressing, grooming, toileting, and showering. Some difficult tasks may have simple alternatives, such as using no-tie expanding shoelaces in place of regular ones.
Physical therapists can also teach you exercises to improve your strength, balance, and posture and help you plan for other physical activities. If needed, they may focus on your walking patterns to help you improve your gait.
Preventing falls
Research shows that falls can often be prevented. The most common recommendation for reducing one's risk of falling is to exercise. Several different kinds of physical activity have been found to reduce the risk of falling. These include stretches to improve flexibility of the feet, legs, and hips and resistance training to strengthen the abdominal and back muscles and increase endurance. If you don't like to exercise, try joining a group that exercises together to help motivate you. The ancient Chinese practice of tai chi, which is typically done in groups and involves going through a series of poses, has been shown to offer older adults improved balance, range of motion, strength, coordination, endurance, and reaction time.
Wear sturdy, nonslip footwear that fits properly; this will help you keep your balance, stay mobile, and avoid turning your ankles. Shoes that fit also protect the skin on your feet by lowering your risk of developing small wounds that could become ulcers. If you have diabetes and loss of sensation or neuropathy in your feet, Medicare may cover the cost of therapeutic footwear. To qualify, your doctor must complete a certificate of medical necessity and document your need for special shoes in your medical records. The shoes and any inserts must be prescribed by a podiatrist or other qualified doctor and provided by a podiatrist, orthotist, prosthetist, or pedorthist.
If you use a walking aid such as a cane or walker, ask your physical therapist or another knowledgeable member of your health-care team to check your gait to make sure you are using the device correctly. Be especially cautious when carrying items while you are walking.
Use this checklist to evaluate your home for safety challenges and to make any changes needed to ensure your safety:
• Remove throw rugs or hang them on your walls for decoration.
• Secure carpet edges (duct tape works in a pinch).
• Reduce floor clutter, including any obstacles or wires in high-traffic areas.
• Remove or modify low furniture, and move objects off the floor so that you don't have to reach down. If chairs are too low, add a dense foam cushion to raise the height of the seat so that you can sit and stand more easily.
• Keep your home adequately illuminated, especially at night. Make sure you can reach a lamp (or a light switch) from your bed.
• In the kitchen and elsewhere, avoid step stools. It is a good idea to stay off ladders, too. Reorganize your belongings so that these devices are not necessary.
• In bathrooms, install grab bars in the tub or shower and by the toilet. Medicare and Medicaid will not pay for these devices, but your safety is worth your expense. If you get tired or have balance problems when showering, buy a shower stool or chair (one with rubber feet) so that you can sit down.
• Remove mats from the bathroom floor when the bathtub or shower is not in use.
• Place treads on stairs and secure any stairway carpeting. To avoid tripping, do not leave any items on or near stairs.
• Make sure that indoor and outdoor stairs are well lit. Some companies make inexpensive battery-powered lights for indoor stairways that can be mounted or fastened onto the wall.
• Stairs, whether indoors or outdoors, should ideally have handrails on both sides, extending the length of the stairwell.
• If you wear bifocal lenses, place fluorescent tape on each step of any staircases so you will not accidentally miss a step.
• Repair any cracks in outdoor walkways and driveways. Check to make sure that the surface is level, and if it is not, have it repaved or have the bricks relaid to make it so.
• Keep shrubs trimmed along pathways, and make sure there are no weeds to trip over.
• Illuminate long walkways.
• Use night lights throughout your home.
• In the bedroom, remove any wheels from your bed to position it lower to the floor. This will make getting in and out of bed easier and safer.
(Click here for fall prevention resources.)
Prevention is the best medicine, but sometimes accidents happen in spite of the best-laid plans. To make sure you can get help quickly, get in the habit of carrying a cell phone (even in the house and around the yard), or consider wearing an alerting device (such as Life Alert) to call for help in case you fall.
Taking control
Talking with your doctor is a good first step toward fall prevention. Ask for a referral to an occupational or physical therapist if you think you might benefit from such a visit. Medicare or Medicaid may cover a home visit from a therapist for a fall-risk assessment. If you have friends, family members, or neighbors who receive therapy services, check to see who they know and recommend. Check your telephone directory or the Internet for practitioners in your area, or contact services for the elderly in your community.
If you are feeling depressed about changes in your health or are afraid of falling, you are not alone. Falling is one of the most common fears among older adults. One Finnish study showed that people who are depressed run twice the risk of falling and sustaining fractures compared with people who are not depressed.
Depression and anxiety are treatable, however. So rather than live with depression, get help from a mental health professional. Psychotherapy (talk therapy) can help you learn new ways to cope with the stresses and problems in your life.
Remember that the key to preventing falls is to be informed about your risks and proactive in acting to reduce them, both at home and at the doctor's office. Do everything in your power to preserve your health and independence. You'll never know what you prevent, and when it comes to falls, it's much better not to know.


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Happy Birthday
Courtney Love turns 45 today. Tom Hanks is turning 53. Jack White is 34. Jimmy Smits is 54. Floyd Abrams, the famed First Amendment attorney (and father of Dan), turns 73. Author/neurologist Oliver Sacks is turning 76. Former defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld is 77. ACLU honcho Anthony Romero is 44. AIDS activist Mathilde Krim is turning 83. Architect Michael Graves turns75. Actor Chris Cooper is 58. Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen turns 38. Author Dean Koontz is 64. Fred Savage of Wonder Years fame turns 33. Actress Kelly McGillis is 52. And OJ Simpson is celebrating his 62nd birthday behind bars today.


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September 24, 2013
Paul McGinley
Tom Watson
SCOTT CROCKETT:Ă'Â Ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much for your attendance with us here this afternoon.Ă'Â My name is Scott Crockett, communications director of The European Tour, and it's my great pleasure to welcome you here at the Gleneagles Hotel.
Today's press conference is culmination of a two‑day celebration of the fact that it is now a year to go before the 2014 Ryder Cup here at Gleneagles.Ă'Â The two gentlemen on my right have been involved in each and every part of that celebration process, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them both publically, not only for their participation and their professionalism, but also for the sense of fun and the sense of enjoyment that they have brought to everyone that they have encountered over these past two days.
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our 2014 Ryder Cup Captains, Tom Watson and Paul McGinley.
It is right and proper that our two captains are the sole focus of attention, but before we hear from them I would like to acknowledge several special guests with us in the audience today.
Firstly to the First Minister of Scotland, the Rt Hon Alex Salmond MSP.Ă'Â First Minister, from yesterday morning at Edinburgh Castle through to today here at Gleneagles, your personal attention and the attention of all your staff to all of us has been much appreciated by everyone in the official parties, and we are delighted to have you here with us today.
The Ryder Cup is, of course, a match between Europe and the United States, but it's also a friendship between the two; a fact that's perfectly illustrated in relationship between ourselves, The Ryder Cup Europe, and our colleagues at The PGA of America.
We are thrilled that so many of hour friends have travelled across the Atlantic to be with us here this week, and I know that European Tour Chief, Executive George O'Grady, Ryder Cup Director Richard Hills and Chief Executive of the PGA, Sandy Jones, wish to put on record their personal welcome to all of our guests, led by The PGA of America president, Ted Bishop, and his wife Cindy, Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haigh and their communications director, Julius Mason.
Finally, many of us in this room have had the pleasure of staying here at Gleneagles Hotel over the past couple of days.Ă'Â Celebrated as one of the Leading Hotels of the World, it really is not hard to see why, and we are delighted that managing director Patrick Elsmie, is with us here today.Ă'Â Patrick, to you and all of your staff, sincere thanks for your warmth and your hospitality.
And now to the men of the moment, before we move to questions from the media, Tom, perhaps you would like to kick us off with your reflections of the two days so far, and perhaps your own thoughts as you sit here with a year to go.
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â It was a wonderful experience to be part of the junior golf programme that has been instituted here in Scotland for all nine‑year‑old kids to pick up a golf club and try the game, free lessons.Ă'Â It's a wonderful programme.Ă'Â It culminated in 16 of them playing with Paul and me yesterday.Ă'Â That was a wonderful experience.
And then added to that was the Auchterarder School and their programme of getting kids involved with The Ryder Cup through direct, hands‑on, practical approaches, anything from culinary to media to all sorts of different things that are involved with The Ryder Cup.Ă'Â And the applications of that, those applications are in particular important to them through their lives and doing a lot of different things, and I was very, very impressed by what I saw over there with the young people and the people who are teaching them.
SCOTT CROCKETT:Ă'Â Paul, I'm sure you'll share Tom's views.Ă'Â Give us your own thoughts as you sit here with a year to go.
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â Yes, of course, I echo all of those sentiments that Tom has said.Ă'Â I thought it was ‑‑ we are here in the Home of Golf, Scotland.Ă'Â And you know, obviously very proud to be a Ryder Cup Captain anywhere, but to be captain in the Home of Golf, it's an extra layer on top for us, Tom and I, and we very much appreciate that.
It's been a wonderful two days.Ă'Â We started yesterday at Edinburgh Castle in a steam train and a history of Scotland, and then moved on then to see the future through the wonderful programme of club golf and the school in Auchterarder today.
As much as we want to have the most magnificent golf tournament ever staged next year, we also want to leave a legacy behind us, and that's been a big part of the last two days.
Q.Ă'Â It's been very jovial, lots of smiles from both of you over the two days, but have either of you learned any serious points of interest that helped you prepare for this time next year?
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â I think anybody who knows Tom Watson knows how much of a competitor he is and he's not going to let his guard down at any stage, so I didn't expect anything, and that's the way it's been.
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â Come on, Paul.Ă'Â (Laughter).
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â So I don't expect anything, and that's exactly what happened.
But it's been fun spending time with Tom.Ă'Â And this is our first joint press conference together.Ă'Â We spent a lot of time together over the last two days, and it's been fun getting to know Tom even better, and I'm sure it will continue over the next 12 months.
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â We had the opportunity to have dinner at The Open Championship at Muirfield this year.Ă'Â And I think, yeah, we know this is a partisan event, and of course, we are on away turf right now and Scotland is showing its colours, and obviously the European Team is the favourite.
But the one thing that Paul and I really did agree upon is the manner in which their matches are played; the way it should be played is probably paramount.
We know there's going to be an edge.Ă'Â We know that as Paul said, he's going to go in his corner and I'm going to go in my corner as managers of these teams and try everything possible to create a winning atmosphere and let the actors go out and win it for us, and there's going to be an edge there.
But beyond that, the way we'll handle it is the important thing, and golf is that type of game.Ă'Â It requires respect; bottom line, it requires respect.Ă'Â When you lose, you have respect for the person who beat you.Ă'Â When you win, you have respect for the people you beat.
And these players of today, on The Ryder Cup Teams have played against each other for years, so they are familiar with each other.Ă'Â They are friends.Ă'Â Many times, they are friends.Ă'Â But then they go on each side and they pull in each other's corner, and they draw the line right there.Ă'Â And that's what makes this event so wonderful is that at the end, it comes out, and yeah, there's a winner and a loser, but the guys go back to being friends again.Ă'Â
Q.Ă'Â Given your affinity with golf in Scotland and the Scottish people, how do you feel your PR battle has begun on Scottish soil with a year to go?
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â My PR battle?Ă'Â (Chuckles).Ă'Â I don't see it as a PR battle.Ă'Â I just see that the‑‑ I love the game of golf over here. Ă'Â I'm not‑‑ everybody knows that.Ă'Â I've always‑‑ after about four years of playing links golf, lets put it that way, I fell in love with it.
The Scottish people, they are knowledgeable.Ă'Â They understand the game, and of course, they are going to be very partisan, we know that.
I remember my very first Ryder Cup match, it wasn't in Scotland, it was at Lytham and I remember Hubert Green and I had the team six down after ten holes, and I got on to the 11th green at Lytham St.Annes and I 3‑putted after they made a 10‑footer for birdie, and when I missed my 5‑foot putt, there was a big cheer, and I had not heard that before.Ă'Â I had not heard somebody cheer me when I missed a putt.
But I knew that was going to happen.Ă'Â But it still was a little bit‑‑ I was taken aback by it just a little bit.Ă'Â But the more you play in The Ryder Cup, you understand; you understand the partisanship of it and that's the beauty of this event.
Q.Ă'Â Tom, I hope you don't take this the wrong way but some people have said you're perhaps too old to be The Ryder Cup captain.Ă'Â What would you think about that and what does Paul think?
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â The way I've answered that question is that age is not an issue, at all, because the players that will be on my ‑‑ my team; our team, they know that I've been a player on The Ryder Cup.Ă'Â They know I've been a captain of The Ryder Cup.Ă'Â And they know that I know that they know (laughter).Ă'Â And that's all that matters.
Q.Ă'Â And Paul, is that something that you obviously are very aware of as well, his experience?
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â Of course, yes, as Europe we have had a lot of success in the last decade in The Ryder Cup, no doubt about that.Ă'Â But if you look behind the end result of Europe winning, you see that particularly in the last two occasions, we won by one point; the margin is small, virtually as small as it can be.
So the difference between the two teams is very slight in my mind.Ă'Â The teams are very well matched in terms of playing ability.Ă'Â I'm very aware that Tom has‑‑ the Americans are going to produce a very strong 12‑man team, and when you put the layer of Tom Watson on top as captain, that's going to make it a very formidable package.
I'm aware of that, and all the players are aware of that and it's going to make for a wonderful Ryder Cup next year, no doubt about that.Ă'Â But I'm under no illusions about how strong this package of America is going to be and there's no doubt that Tom Watson's captaincy is going to add to that.
Q.Ă'Â Yesterday would have been a good opportunity for to you have a good look at the golf course.Ă'Â Can you ask you what your impressions are on the course and which players in particular on your team the set up would suit best?
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â I was here after The Open Championship in July and my assistant, Andy North, was with me and we went around the golf course looking at it.Ă'Â My first impression was that without the wind, I think they will make some birdies on this golf course.Ă'Â I think birdies will be‑‑ there will be a lot of birdies made.Ă'Â People will enjoy that.
Obviously the conditions make it so that sometimes you don't get that.Ă'Â If we have wind and cold weather, wet weather, that putts a damper on making a lot of birdies.Ă'Â But I think there will be a lot of birdies made and I think that‑‑ I hope that my team makes just a few more birdies than this team.
Q.Ă'Â The recent Johnnie Walker Championship, the course was set up a bit tougher than it has been in recent years.Ă'Â You said you were going to talk to players and get their feedback on that. Ă'Â Can you give us an idea of maybe the early feedback?
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â The feedback is very clear from the guys like myself who have played the Johnnie Walker.Ă'Â I've played every edition of the Johnnie Walker here, and every time I come back, the golf course is in better condition than it was the year before.Ă'Â It's a great testament to the work going on behind the scenes here.
There's no doubt with the addition of the SubAir system, the greens have quantifiably improved, and now with the drainage in the fairways as well, too, I really think there should be think‑‑ touch wood, there should be no issues regarding waterlogging of the golf course next year.Ă'Â I think we have things in place like the SubAir and the drainage, and that should take care of that.
So I think the golf course will be turned out impeccably and the feedback from the players is very strong.Ă'Â Everybody is looking forward to it.
Jack Nicklaus was up here two years ago.Ă'Â Made a few subtle changes to the golf course, particularly around 18; a lot of run‑off areas around the 18th.Ă'Â I can assure you that I will be not putting be big, American‑style rough around that 18th green, because not long then will I have Tom Watson coming after me, but I'll have Jack Nicklaus, as well, too.
So the run‑off areas will obviously be maintained as Jack has designed it.
Q.Ă'Â For both captains, Tom referred to Europe as being slight favourites but we've just seen a TOUR Championship where there were 21 Americans and four Europeans and we've got six Americans in the Top‑10 of the World Rankings.Ă'Â I just wonder whether they can comment on whether Europe already look as if they need another miracle.
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â After losing seven out of the last nine Ryder Cups, I don't think that question has any merit at all (laughter).
The European Team has been absolutely sensational.Ă'Â I have to say, even though it left a pit in my stomach, just a hole in my stomach after our defeat this last September at Medinah, I have to say that if you look at it objectively, that Ryder Cup was sensational, sensational theatre.Ă'Â It really was something to see.
I'm not saying that it didn't affect our players.Ă'Â I know for a fact that our players through my conversations with our captain last year, Davis Love, he said our players were absolutely depressed over the fact that they lost and it kept with them for a while.
Actually, I hope that that feeling remains for some of those players who will be on my team and our team coming up next year and be able to use that as a motivator.Ă'Â I don't think there's going to be much motivation necessary, but maybe just a word or two about, we don't want this to happen again, will maybe carry them over the hump, and they may make a few more putts when they need to.Ă'Â
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â Yeah, I think relates to the previous question as well, too, insofar as the margin between the two teams is so slight.Ă'Â It has been for a number of years.
And Lady Luck, I can tell you right now, Lady Luck has shone on us at the right times in the last two Ryder Cups, there's been no doubt about it and we have been fortunate to come out on the right side.Ă'Â Some wonderful play and great heart from our team at the right moments in time, but having said that Lady Luck has always played a factor and we have been on the right side of Lady Luck.
I'm well aware that the margin between the two teams is very slight, and I think it's going to be a very closely‑fought contest, and that's what makes The Ryder Cup so special and that's why everybody has such an interest and we know it's going to be in boxing terms a heavyweight contest from toe‑to‑toe from start to finish.
Q.Ă'Â Yesterday you mentioned, you talked about the pressure and how you needed to try to ease it for the players.Ă'Â Who are the more light‑hearted individuals on your side who will bring a bit of humour into the mix?
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â The players that come to mind are‑‑ I think the infamous Jason Dufner with his wry wit.Ă'Â I think he has a way‑‑ even though he's pretty silent around you people and the public, I hear he's quite a funny person when he's in private.
That type of humour is what I would like to inspire, and not only inspire, but actually encourage the players to have during the heat of the contest, because there is a tremendous amount of pressure.Ă'Â We all know that.Ă'Â There's more pressure here, we've said it a number of times, there's more pressure in The Ryder Cup than playing for yourself.Ă'Â I've experienced that as a player and as a captain.Ă'Â That pressure can‑‑ with humour, you can get rid of it, a team humour.
And there are a few things that you do as a captain that can help that, but it really comes‑‑ you hope you can nurture it from the players themselves as a team.
Q.Ă'Â And do you get a bit of that from Tiger?
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â Get a bit of what?
Q.Ă'Â Wry humour.
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â Yeah, he has a sense about him that‑‑ he's got the needle out and he knows how to needle people the right way.Ă'Â He became very much a part of the team this year, in talking to Davis, he was very much a leader, and that was‑‑ we need him to be a leader.Ă'Â There's not a question about that.
I don't care who you are, if you don't look up to Tiger Woods, what he's accomplished in his career and say, I want to play like Tiger Woods, you don't know what you're talking about.Ă'Â He's had the most remarkable career probably of almost any professional golfer in the history of your game.
To have him on your team‑‑ when I played in The Ryder Cup, I stood on the tee several times, "And now on the tee, I heard several times, Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus."Ă'Â You don't think that was kind of a (taking deep exhale) moment; God, I've got Jack Nicklaus on my six.
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â We've got Ian Poulter.Ă'Â (Laughter).
Q.Ă'Â You spoke last night at the Q&A about Henrik Stenson's fantastic form and said that he was 85 per cent in the team, but you also mentioned in passing some of our big names and you described them as flat‑lining.Ă'Â Could you just expand on that?Ă'Â You said you weren't concerned about their form at this stage, and I understand Rory has said he's going to add a few more European Tour events in 2014; is that something you'd approve of?
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â Yeah, my reference to flat‑lining is that they haven't reached the heights they have in previous years of winning majors and such, Rory being one example, but that's okay.Ă'Â I mean, we understand.
Jack Nicklaus went through his whole career and there was large periods of his career where he doesn't win any majors and then he comes back into form and he wins a few again, and Tiger Woods as we talked about, similar.Ă'Â That's just part and parcel of being a professional golfer and part and parcel of playing at a very elite level like the guys do.
Yes, okay, we have not had the success we might have had at this time last year but having said that we just produced a U.S. Open Champion as a European in Justin Rose and now we've had the FedEx winner in Henrik Stenson.
You know, when some guys don't have a run of form or somebody is there to pick up the mantle and go forward with it, that's the great thing about the quality of golf that we have on The European Tour nowadays.Ă'Â And I'm quite confident that this time next year, I'll have 12 players all playing very well and looking forward to another titanic battle.
Q.Ă'Â There's a lot of speculation that Tiger will be paired with Jordan Spieth at The Presidents Cup; is that a partnership that you would like to see and excites you?
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â I'll be watching with great interest The Presidents Cup to see how our team competes and who is paired with whom.Ă'Â But right now, I have no‑‑ I don't have any teams that I've already made up in my mind about who is going to play with whom.
It's too early to tell.Ă'Â I want to see how the players are playing.Ă'Â I want to get a good understanding of the players themselves from direct conversations with them who they would like to play with.
That's a long way in the future right now.Ă'Â I'm just formulating kind of the questions I'm going to be asking.Ă'Â I've done this before, and I basically am going to be doing pretty much the same thing again as far as how I handle the pairings, and that's‑‑ I think maybe that's a secret but I don't think it's rocket science of how you do it.
Q.Ă'Â Just wonder, though, you must be enthused by the fact that Jordan has played so well this year, and players like Billy Horschel have also come to the fore.
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â Jordan has played‑‑ he played his way on to the tour, which is, first of all, a remarkable achievement.Ă'Â Now the way he's continued to play such good golf, everybody is looking at Jordan Spieth right now, and we'll see how he handles it.
Again, your career, it can blossom and stay in bloom for a long time, and sometimes‑‑ and many of us have had it.Ă'Â In my career, I went into the doldrums, severe doldrums for nine years of my career and then finally found my golf swing again.
That's what happens in the game of golf.Ă'Â Paul's probably done the‑‑ every golf has gone through stretches where they can't seem to find it, but those stretches where you can find it, and when you're playing your best, you wear them out.Ă'Â You go with it until you can't go any longer, and Jordan right now is on one of those stretches and I suspect because of his youth and he's learning the golf courses, he's only going to improve.
But he will probably have problems in his career, just like anybody else does, and that will define him and define his character, how he deals with that.
Q.Ă'Â David made a good point about favourites; you seem to indicate that the World Rankings has nothing to do with why your team wouldn't be favoured.Ă'Â Can you tell us what the reasons why your team isn't favoured, and Paul, can you agree that the European Team would be the favourites coming in right now?
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â The way I'm looking at it, we have an away game.Ă'Â Traditional sport, the home team has an advantage from a crowd standpoint and familiarity standpoint.Ă'Â I think we are going to go in as the underdogs, because of the past records of The Ryder Cup.
But don't tell that to my players.Ă'Â My players are going to, I hope‑‑ I said in 1993, I hope the players are all playing well going into the matches.Ă'Â If you're lucky enough to be a captain on a team like that, then you have no worries at all.Ă'Â Where you have worries are where the players‑‑ some of the players are not playing very well.
You know, The Ryder Cup pressure does a lot of things to players and their ability sometimes.Ă'Â That's where picking the right players for the team comes into play for me.Ă'Â I've said a number of times, I want players with heart.Ă'Â I want people who can make that 5‑footer when they have to make that 5‑footer.Ă'Â That's what I'll be looking for and those are the types of players that win Ryder Cups.
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â Yeah, to be honest, again, at the risk of repeating myself, I really see this as, again, boxing parlance, as two heavyweights going toe‑to‑toe, 15 rounds.Ă'Â That's the way I see it.
As I've said many times, the margin between the two teams is so slight and so small, even though we have come out on the right side of winning, I think there's no doubt about it, we are going to have to play incredibly well to win this Ryder Cup.Ă'Â I know we are on home soil, but I know it's going to be a very formidable package that Tom are going to pose to us, and I know that ‑‑ that's what makes it so enthralling.Ă'Â That's what makes it so exciting.
It's a real heavyweight contest, and as we saw in Medinah it came right down to the wire, and I have no reason to think it won't come right down to the wire again here in Gleneagles.
Q.Ă'Â No offense, but that's not really answering my question, but do you think you will or won't be the favourites a year from now?
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â My answer is I think I have to say‑‑ I'd be lying if I didn't; any bookies will tell you that we are marginally favourites for the reasons that Tom gave:Ă'Â We are playing at home; we have had great success over the last decade in winning, and that's going to give us that little bit of an edge when it comes to the bookies, and I have no reason to argue with that.Ă'Â But the point I'm making is that‑‑
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â The bookies can be wrong, though.
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â Particularly Irish bookies are right on the money (laughter).
To be honest.Ă'Â Margin between the two teams is so slight, the point I'm trying to make is, I would agree that, yes, playing at home is definitely a significant advantage.Ă'Â It probably does put us just ahead in terms of slight favourites but it's very, very marginal.Ă'Â I think it's a big heavy weight contest and that's the way it should be.
Q.Ă'Â Given the focus on match‑play experience and shot‑making in The Ryder Cup, how good an indicator is the Money List and the Orders of Merit?Ă'Â If you had 12 picks, would the teams look significantly different?
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â Oh, that's such a difficult question to answer.Ă'Â But, you know, one of the things again‑‑ and Tom has mentioned it a number of times, is form, and whether that form be playing in a PGA TOUR event in America or playing The European Tour here, it's very significant as a professional golfer to have form going into a Ryder Cup.Ă'Â That form can come in so many different ways.
Generally the guys who play great in Ryder Cups have a bit of form going into that Ryder Cup, so whatever way that form appears, will be very welcome, certainly.Ă'Â I'm going to have hopefully as many players on form, on a little bit of an up in their game, because we all go through upanddowns.Ă'Â I would love to see, if possible, as many players on that little upward cycle on The European Team going into the match next year.
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â If you really look at it, the purist form of Ryder Cup would be no picks, no captain's picks, 12 players who qualify.Ă'Â That's the way I qualified my first two Ryder Cups, I think it was, or maybe three.Ă'Â All three of them, you had 12 players and no picks.Ă'Â Maybe that's the way it should go back to.
I reduced my picks this year from four to three, and was thinking actually two, because I wanted the players who are playing, to get on The Ryder Cup Team, to have that as a goal.Ă'Â If they got there, then they have earned something very, very special.Ă'Â And maybe we should go back to no picks.
What do you think about that, Paul?
PAUL McGINLEY:Ă'Â Different dynamic on the European side when we have so many players playing on the PGA TOUR.Ă'Â So let's defer that one, thank you.Ă'Â (Laughter).
Q.Ă'Â This feels a bit like the Eurovision song contest, but I'll proceed.Ă'Â Question to Tom:Ă'Â Since 1993 when you were last involved with The Ryder Cup, I just wonder if you can give some idea of how this scale of the event itself has changed so completely?Ă'Â It's now almost a global event, perhaps marginally just behind the World Cups.Ă'Â It's a big, big event now in a way that it wasn't in 1993.Ă'Â Wonder if you can give an idea of how it's changed in your eyes?
TOM WATSON:Ă'Â Actually in 1993 the tide was turning against the Americans as far as their dominance in The Ryder Cup.
Prior to adding the Europeans, everybody knows the history there that Americans dominated and it was kind of a yawner.Ă'Â Nobody really paid much attention to The Ryder Cup because they expected the Americans to win.Ă'Â The European side, with the addition of Seve and crew from Europe, it changed the dynamics dramatically, and the Europeans started to win.
Now they are winning a lot.Ă'Â It's really opened the eyes of the American public, because, hey, we are supposed to win this thing, and now, you don't hear that in America; we hope we win this thing.
Paul says it's two heavyweights coming down to the wire.Ă'Â And as I said earlier, it's great theatre, it's wonderful theatre, and people, because they have seen this theatre several times where there's one point, one point, one point, it comes down to one of the last two or three matches, it just holds your attention and people love to watch that, and they expect that now from The Ryder Cup.Ă'Â And that's how it's changed.
Before it was a yawner, and now it's something that people really look forward to come out and they will tune in.
SCOTT CROCKETT:Ă'Â If there are no other questions, all that's left for me to say is thank everyone for their attendance today.Ă'Â Thank everyone who has been involved in the two days for all their help and assistance; largely to thank the two gentlemen on my right, we wish you all the very best for the next 12 months, and we look forward to welcoming you back here in September 2014.Ă'Â Thank you very much.
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text:
Note: All meeting dates, time, and locations based on the current Who's Who as downloaded from MyLCI.
If any are incorrect update your Club's Data on MyLCI and Email the State IT. email@example.com
Clear Lake Noon Lions Club Meeting
May 8, 2024 @ 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 12:15 PM on Wednesday, repeating indefinitely


text:
When your mother
has grown older,
When her dear, faithful eyes
no longer see life as they once did,
When her feet, grown tired,
No longer want to carry her as she walks –
lend her your arm in support,
Escort her with happy pleasure.
The hour will come when, weeping, you
Must accompany her on her final walk.
And if she asks
you something,
Then give her an answer.
And if she asks again, then speak!
And if she asks yet again, respond to her,
Not impatiently, but with gentle calm.
if she cannot understand you properly
Explain all to her happily.
The hour will come, the bitter hour,
When her mouth asks for nothing more.
-Adolf Hitler, 1923


text:
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Piers Morgan And Chelsea Handler
The most strained interview ever with Chelsea Handler capping it off by telling Piers Morgan to suck her a**. To save you having to watch the whole thing, I just am posting the suck my a** portion.
The most strained interview ever with Chelsea Handler capping it off by telling Piers Morgan to suck her a**. To save you having to watch the whole thing, I just am posting the suck my a** portion.
Posted by ent lawyer at 9:00 AM
Labels: Chelsea Handler
Can't stand Chelsea Handler, but I LOVE the phrase "suck my ass". I used to say it all the time, but forgot about it! Hah.
I don't like either of them, but tolerate piers becos he is a strong and vocal supporter of my football club.
I don't watch either of them but have heard a lot of Piers Morgan hate more so over the past few weeks then ever before, what gives?
I just don't like Chelsea Handler. I do, however, like the show she used to be on, Girls Behaving Badly or something like that. Does anyone know what I'm talking about?
Ugh, I despise Chelsea. That was a funny comeback from Piers when she says she's not going to pretend it's a good interview or that she's good at her job: "Both things are clearly apparent today."
I want to do all of my creative insults in a British accent, ala Maggie Smith.
Chelsea Handler is a bitter, mean spirited hag. Her brand of "comedy" is barely tolerated anymore.
People have evolved, try it.
Piers gets told to piss off at least once a week by someone on television. My favorite was the Jesse Ventura interview.
and I love that Piers speaks his mind about any issue no matter how sensitive or unpopular it is.
People are hating on him because he's finally calling out the ridiculous gun culture in America.
As I said before, I used to watch Chelsea before WWHL went 5 nights a week. The or two times I've seen it lately, she seems much meaner than she used to and almost seems to be phoning it in. But again, maybe I'm just used to Andy. Chelsea gets my jack hole of the day for this interview!
gmg: I remember that show. LaFawnduh was on it as well. It was great.
Chelsea is simply unbearable. It's just not funny at this point. There is a way to be direct and still have class. She comes off as a drunk with not sense of decorum. I'll pass on this chick.
Did anyone see Kathy last week when the guests were Chris Noth and Chelsea? Chris Noth was hilariously drunk, but Chelsea was such a bitch the whole time. I feel like there used to be some comedy mixed in with the bitchiness; now she's just straight up bitchy, hold the comedy
If you don't want to watch it, read this article on DM. They were hating on each so much - Chelsea was getting a taste of her own sour grapes.
"...he turned to the audience and added to the insult: 'She's like a bad boomerang, you chuck her away and she just sucks back in,' he said."
"Laughing out loud, the Brit then asked her again if she'd had any work done, annoying her further: 'Are you sure you haven't had any surgery? Seriously?' he asked.
When Chelsea then announced that she was trying to keep herself together, Piers got out a pretend violin and played it to the audience.
'Poor multi-millionairess Chelsea, whining about her life again,' he said."
Oh, that made my morning.
@greenmountaingal yes I remember that show, it was hella funny.
Not a big fan of Handler but I like that she asks her guests the tough questions, while other talk shows just give the same old boring interviews. If celebs don't like Chelsea they should just avoid going on her show or Wendy Williams.
Can't stand either of them.
I don't get the hate for Chelsea H. These interviews -- their tone, etc. -- are part of her act. And her guests know it. Perhaps some of you are not willing to accept women dishing out this kind of humor. Seems like a (sadly, too common) male/female double standard. Free your minds! Guess all the haters missed the hug between her and Piers Morgan at the end of the interview.
I love her. He seems like a blowhard, though I didn't see this interview.
Oh, please.
i watched last night. was an entertaining interview. they each gave as good as they got.
What jax said. Please CJ, just because we don't like her brand of "humour" doesn't mean we have a problem with women. If you like mean-spirited comedians, go for it.
@greemmountaingal, yes! I loved that show!!
Aww I like Chelsea, but I agree that some of her jokes are getting old. If Ellen can be funny without constantly bullying, so can Chelsea. I am more a fan of her books than her show though.
I also think she has just gotten meaner, not funnier. I'm glad if Piers called her out on her mean girl schtick, she's just become an asshole.
Piers can be annoying at times but I like his interviews better.
Agree with those who don't like "mean" humor. I like most female comedians, just not her (and "mean" male comedians as well).
There is also a big difference between "shocking" and "funny".
I also don't like either of them, but I did like when Chelsea was interviewing Aubrey Plaza and called Barbara Walters a cunt.
I love Piers Morgan, he revels in the fact that everything annoys him (just like me. HA!).
He also looks like Lord Grantham (Hugh Bonneville), so there's that.
Bah, Piers Morgan
He's the guy who tried to get Andy Capp off the comics page of the Daily Mirror while the creator was on his death bed with cancer.
He's also a yellow journalist and and a two faced bullying hypocrite.
Part of the reason he's here in the states is because he got so slimed back in Britain for likely having a part in the phone hacking scandal.
@VIPBlonde YES! Last week's Kathy was so painful to watch. I think Chris Noth would have been hilarious if it weren't for Chelsea constantly cutting him off and telling him to shut up. I couldn't stand it!
Cant stomach piers morgan. Pretentious jerk.
The one and only time Chelsea was funny. Melissa from Real World New Orleans was on it too.
Love Andy! Just read his book- hilarious!
"a bitter, mean spirited hag. ...":)
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Branding Design
Creating beautiful, fun and thought-provoking logos
Creating beautiful, fun and thought-provoking logos
Just a few of the recent projects I've worked on. I'm very privelaged to work with a number of wonderful and diverse clients. Have a look at some of the work I've currently been having fun with...
I have always maintained that to be, not just good, but exceptional at something you have to be deeply passionate about it. Well, I am deeply passionate about graphic design... and I am really good at it.
My passion for design started early on in life and hasn't stopped growing. I graduated top of my class at the University of Stellenbosch in 2004 and jumped head first into the working world to make my mark. Some of the amazing clients I have had the privilege to work with have included the World XV Rugby Team, designing their international logo, the Lions Rugby Team, including redesigning their Super14 logo, Nu Metro Cinema's new branding and working with some of the biggest corporates in South Africa, including BMW, Nashua Mobile, Anglo American, Bluebean, Old Mutual and Deloitte, just to name a few.
The experience that I have accumulated ranges from pitching for large Government contracts to working on a campaign for The Freedom Park, a heritage site which Nelson Mandela created in South Africa. I handle everything from liaising with clients, design and layout to ensuring a successful campaign overall. As a result of my working closely with a leading print company in Johannesburg in the past, I have the added advantage of being able to prepare files for print, without any problems, and an understanding of the practicalities of print. I advise my clients to deal directly with their print company to ensure optimum pricing.
After 5 years of hard work and countless formative experiences in the corporate graphic design world, I decided it was time for a change. I have always wanted to try my hand at freelance graphic design and with all the experience that I have gained in the dynamic graphic design studios that I have worked for I felt that it was finally time to take the plunge.
Business is booming. I have gained so much insight into the needs of my clients and have felt the thrill of running a successful business. Every day brings its own challenges and rewards and being able to offer my clients the perfect solution to their design needs at an affordable rate and handled with a personal touch ensures that they always come away from the experience of working with me happy and satisfied.
Sugar + Spice Design remains a studio driven out of a desire to create beautiful, fun and thought-provoking design, that will appeal to both the corporate and independent business world.
As a highly skilled and experienced graphic designer I can offer you a myriad of graphic design services. Click here to view these services.


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Story highlights
Love your favorite shampoo? Don't worry, it will keep working
Marcia Brady may have brushed her hair incessantly, but you don't need to
It's OK to shampoo every day -- and even rinse with warm water
1. Frequent trims make your hair grow faster.
Cutting the ends of your hair doesn't affect the follicles in your scalp, which determine how fast and how much your hair grows, says Paradi Mirmirani, MD, assistant professor of dermatology at the University of California, San Francisco.
Hair grows an average of a quarter-inch every month—whether or not you cut it. Regular trims might make your hair look a little longer, though. Getting rid of split ends reduces hair breakage, and breakage is what makes hair look thinner at the ends (and shorter), says Matt Fugate, a hairstylist at Sally Hershberger Downtown in New York City. Every eight to 12 weeks, ask your stylist to take off the minimum necessary to eliminate split ends.
Oprah.com: 4 high tech hair gadgets we love
2. If you always use the same shampoo, eventually it will stop working.
You don't need to practice shampoo rotation to keep your hair clean. But if you've recently started coloring your hair or increased your use of hot tools, it might be a good idea to switch to a more moisturizing shampoo, says Mirmirani. Otherwise, stick with your favorite as long as you love it.
Oprah.com: 6 things women with gorgeous skin do every day
3. A cold-water rinse makes your hair shinier.
Hairstylists love to spread this gospel. Their rationale: The icy water will make the cuticle of your hair close so it's flat (and light-reflective), not ruffled (and dull-looking).
Your hair, however, contains no living cells—it doesn't react to cold (or hot) water, says chemist Mort Westman. Use conditioners and styling products that contain silicones and oils to smooth the cuticle. And limit damage to your hair from straightening treatments, hot tools, and frequent dyeing.
Oprah.com: The 10 products in every beauty editor's bathroom
4. For healthy hair, brush 100 strokes a day.
You've probably heard that rigorous brushing will distribute the natural oils from your scalp to add shine to your hair. Or that it will stimulate blood flow to your scalp and boost hair growth. Neither is true. In fact, brushing causes friction on hair, leading to cuticle damage and breakage, which makes hair lusterless and frizzy, says Mirmirani.
Brush your hair minimally (only to detangle or style), and use the right tools—a wide-toothed comb or a paddle brush with ball-tipped, plastic bristles. Avoid boar-bristle brushes—natural bristles aren't uniform, so they're especially harsh on your hair and scalp.
Oprah.com: How to protect your body from stress
5. If you shampoo less often, your scalp will gradually produce less oil.
No matter how frequently you shampoo, your scalp produces the same amount of oil, says Jeffrey Benabio, MD, a dermatologist at Kaiser Permanente in San Diego. Cutting back on shampooing will have no effect on your sebaceous glands; genetics and hormones determine the amount of oil they produce. But it will cause dirt and oil to accumulate on your scalp and hair follicles, and could cause inflammation and irritation that might stunt hair growth.
All experts agree: How often you wash your hair is a personal decision. Use your judgment. Wash your hair with a moisturizing shampoo when you feel you need it, whether that's daily or weekly.
Oprah.com: 7 tricks to make your hair look thicker
This one, unfortunately, is true: Men prefer longer hair.
According to studies, men are generally more attracted to women whose hair flows past their shoulders. In one study, women's images were digitally altered to give them short, long, and medium-length hair. Men rated the same faces as more attractive when they were attached to more hair. In another study, long and medium-length hair improved male raters' evaluation of female subjects' health.
Well, call us crazy, but we say the hell with that. Because one quick glance at Audrey, Halle, or Tilda tells us that the cropped look can be sexy, seductive, and wildly glam.
Subscribe to O, The Oprah Magazine for up to 75% off the newsstand price. That's like getting 18 issues FREE. Subscribe now!
TM & © 2015 Harpo Productions, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


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Morning Star Quilts
Unpaved Paradise
Mother-daughter team Marsha Haunschild and Jennifer Van Iderstine fulfilled a dream when they opened this quilt shop. One of Marsha's goals was to create a welcoming atmosphere. "People drive 100 miles or more to come to our store because they know we care about them," she says.
Meet the Staff
Front (from left):
Mark Haunschild, Marsha Haunschild, Jennifer Van Iderstine, Bella (store mascot), and Renee Waelbrock; Back (from left): Rocki Crowder, Laurie Knifong, Jody Carlile, Ronda Brown, Linda Dolling, and Coleen Hodges.
Organizational Sorting
Contemporary prints are sorted by color; batiks are in a separate room. Both fabric types are specialties here. Shop samples are changed often to keep ideas fresh for returning customers.
Global Inspiration
Inspiration is drawn from all angles of this shop, which specialize in batiks and contemporary fabrics. This armoire features some of these fabrics and gives customers ideas for storage and projects.
Have a Seat
A reading area where customers can sit and browse through books and patterns occupies a spot among samples designed to inspire thoughts of the next project. "Life is a party, and when you come into Morning Star Quilts you are guaranteed to laugh, play, and create," Marsha Haunschild says.
Vast Variety
"The shop is always filled with wonderful samples, from large quilts to little doll aprons, with new samples introduced weekly," one customer says.
Past to Present
A few 1940s prints are displayed in an antique crib. Their modern foil, Valori Wells' Gracie pattern in orange, pink, and brown, is the hanging quilt.
For more information about Morning Star Quilts, visit www.morningstarquilters.com.


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Posted workers
12 November 2020
A posted worker is 'a person who, for a limited period of time, carries out his or her work in the territory of an EU Member State other than the state in which he or she normally works'.Read more
A posted worker is 'a person who, for a limited period of time, carries out his or her work in the territory of an EU Member State other than the state in which he or she normally works'. Posting situations raise the issue of the regulation applicable to the employment and working conditions of posted workers.Read less
Recent updates
Improving the monitoring of posted workers in the EU
Member States still getting to grips with the single labour market
EU Presidency conference on labour mobility
EU contextTop
European legislation on the posting of workers aims to ensure freedom of services across Europe, while guaranteeing the rights of posted workers. These rights have to be protected throughout the EU, to avoid 'social dumping'.Read more
European legislation on the posting of workers aims to ensure freedom of services across Europe, while guaranteeing the rights of posted workers. These rights have to be protected throughout the EU, to avoid 'social dumping'. For this purpose, the Posting of Workers Directive (96/71/EC) stipulates a mandatory core set of terms and conditions of employment to be applied to the posted workers. These include the minimum standards of employment applicable according to the host Member State regulations and regarding: pay, work and rest periods, paid annual leave, health and safety at work, hiring out workers through temporary work agencies, and equal treatment between men and women. The more recent Enforcement Directive (2014/67/EU) provides for new and strengthened instruments to fight and sanction circumventions, fraud and abuses.
Given the developments in labour markets across Europe, discussions have taken place on adapting the regulation to current situations regarding the posting of workers. On 8 March 2016, the European Commission proposed to revise the Directive on the posting of workers with the aim to better balance the protection of workers' rights and the provision of cross-border services within the context of fair competition. Negotiations on the revised proposal took place between the Council and the European Parliament and resulted in the publication of Directive (EU) 2018/957 on 28 June 2018. The revision introduced changes in three main areas: work and employment conditions, including in situations of subcontracting; regulation of temporary agency work; and rules on long-term postings.
- European Commission: Posted workers
- European Parliament and Council: Council Directive 96/71/EC on the posting of workers
- European Parliament and Council: Directive 2014/67/EU on the enforcement of Directive 96/71/EC
- European Parliament and Council: Directive (EU) 2018/957 amending Directive 96/71/EC concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of services
Eurofound's work on posted workers links in with the Commission's 2019–2024 priority on a new push for European democracy.
- About Eurofound: EU priorities: Working for a strong social Europe
- European Commission: A new push for European democracy
Eurofound's research on this topic has looked at the situation of posted workers in the European Union and the implementation of the Posted Workers Directive across the Member StateRead more
Eurofound's research on this topic has looked at the situation of posted workers in the European Union and the implementation of the Posted Workers Directive across the Member States. Eurofound's European Observatory of Working Life (EurWORK) publishes regular articles on issues related to the posting of workers at national and EU level.
Improving data collection
Given the lack of reliable, comparable data on the phenomenon, a new study by Eurofound looks at ways to improve the monitoring of the situation facing posted workers in the EU. It maps existing information sources at the European and Member State levels, and identifies gaps in, and limitations of, data currently available, with suggestions for improving data collection.
Development of the posting of workers
Previous Eurofound research on posted workers in the European Union examines the development of the posting of workers. It assesses the roles played both by European and national-level regulations on the employment and working conditions of posted workers, as well as the roles played by collective bargaining and social partner initiatives in the field.
Issues of policy concern
Long-standing and current discussions about the posting of workers raise several key issues around, among others topics, remuneration of posted workers, abuse of posting, the relevance of subcontracting liability, as well as availability of data around the itopic.
Research has looked into the pay inequalities experienced by posted workers and the discussions around the minimum standards of employment, including the minimum rates of pay definition. It summarises the views of European and national-level stakeholders on recent debates on implementing the principle of equal pay for posted workers.
With the main objective of Directive 96/71 being to ensure freedom of services across Europe while safeguarding workers' rights, ensuring a level playing field has become key for businesses and workers, to avoid unfair competition and social dumping. Abusing the posting of workers is part of the practices studied in Eurofound's research on the fraudulent contracting of work. This issue is particularly discussed in view of regulations and the positions of the social partners in three countries – Belgium, Finland and Italy – and across the three sectors of construction, transport and industrial cleaning.
Given the role played by subcontracting in various sectors and in the context of posting of workers, research has also looked at national regulations on liability in subcontracting processes in the construction sector.Read less
Key outputs over the years
Policy pointersTop
- Assessing the number of posted workers across the EU member states remains particularly challenging and only estimates are currently available at European level. Delimiting the phenomenon is the first issue, as posted workers are defined differently depending on regulations.
- Two different application/declaration processes can potentially provide information on posting situations, but each has different objectives and covers different issues. The Portable Document A1 (PD A1) certifies affiliation to the social security system of the sending Member State. Member States may impose an obligation for a foreign service provider to make a declaration to the competent institutions in the host Member State, mainly considering employment aspects.
- Very different information is collected in each country, leading to difficulties in comparing data and efficiently monitoring cross-border posting. Moreover, sanctions are not consistently applied.
- Cross-border exchange of information is also tackled very differently, given the important margin of discretion granted to Member States in the design of the system of declaring posted workers and issuing of the PD A1 form.
- Improving data sources to allow for the monitoring of posting is needed to ensure that businesses are competing fairly across Europe and that the labour and social rights of posted workers are recognised. A comprehensive monitoring tool would also be useful to help Member States ensure that they get their dues in social security contributions and taxes, as well as to combat abuse.
- Publication: Improving monitoring of posted workers in the EU
Publications & dataTop
The sections below provide access to a range of publications, data and ongoing work on this topic.
- Publications (47)
Eurofound publications come in a variety of formats, including reports, policy briefs, blogs, articles and presentations.


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Available at: Xen-Tan
What I think: As a kid from Massachusetts
I spent most of my summers on the Cape. No hats, no umbrellas, no
SPF. Just sun, sun and more sun! My friends and I loved and "worked
on" our tans. In fact, I still remember winning a contest
one year for having the best bathing suit tan lines!
How sad it was to have to sacrifice that gorgeous bronze
glow once we learned about the danger of too much time in the sun.
More From Good Housekeeping
Enter those geniuses who came up with self-tanning products!
Whew, now there was a safe alternative
for the look we wanted - with none of the health hazards.
Or was there? I still
remember the first time I used a self-tanner on my legs so I wouldn't
have to
wear stockings to a job interview. As I sat waiting in the reception
area, I
looked down and all I saw were giant, orange streaks running down my
legs. When I finally got in to meet with the editor
I was so self-conscious that I tucked my legs so far under the chair my
was almost resting on her desk! (Needless to say, I didn't get the
That's probably more than you needed to know about my
experimentation with self-tanners. Since
then, they - and my technique -- have vastly improved.
What might be of more interest to you is a very special deal
I've just learned about on Xen-Tan products that is happening for one
only. April 27, 2010. On that day, Xen-Tan is offering 35% off all
products on its website.
If you're not familiar with Xen-Tan products, check them out
-- especially their new line that has a new scent of vanilla. I'm
partial to really good face tanners
(which aren't always the easiest to find), but they have two, both very
reasonably priced - and particularly so at 35% off.
Just remember, this is a one-day sale only. And it's a day I'll be
sure to remember since
it's also my daughter's birthday!


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[picapp align="center" wrap="false" link="term=*&iid=7438873″ src="1/7/7/5/Two_die_in_3bae.JPG?adImageId=8732196&imageId=7438873″ width="234″ height="351″ /] VOLGOGRAD REGION, RUSSIA. DECEMBER 29, 2009. Victim's body at the site of a road accident in the Volgograd region. Two people died and several were taken to hospital as a result of collision of two passenger buses on a federal highway here. Each year at least 35,000 […]
Posts Tagged 'VOLGOGRAD'
Two die in South Russia traffic accident today…December 30, 2009
Posted in Social Politics, Uncategorized |
Tags: "Jerry Brice", (Photo, /, 2009, 29, 30, accident, body, buses, collision, December, die, died, Dmitry, emergency, federal, fighters, fire, highway, hospital, ITAR, ITARTASS, jerry lee brice, Jerrybrice, jerrybrice's blog, Ministry, Newscom, passenger, People, Putin era, region, rescuers, result, road., Rogulin), russia, site, south, taken, TASS, traffic, two, Victim's body, victims, VOLGOGRAD, work
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Bloggers will come under the watchful eyes of the Federal Trade Commission for the first time, as the agency has finalized new rules governing bloggers and the products they write about. "Consumer-generated media" outlets (e.g., bloggers) will now have to disclose if they are being compensated by a manufacturer, advertiser, or service provider when they review an item. So if a blogger gets a laptop from a manufacturer to review and gets to keep it, he or she will have to make that fact public.
The new guidelines don't tell bloggers how they need to make the disclosure, but they do lay out the penalties: up to $11,000 per violation with the possibility of injunctions to boot, although the FTC makes it clear that the fines are a last resort. "Worst-case scenario, someone receives a warning, refuses to comply, followed by a serious product defect; we would institute a proceeding with a cease-and-desist order and mandate compliance with the law," FTC assistant director of advertising practices Richard Cleland told Fast Company. The FTC could also order that consumers be reimbursed in cases where a relationship between blogger and advertiser isn't disclosed and they suffer financial harm because of it.
The FTC began studying the issue in January 2007, and the debate since then has been hot and heavy. Some commenters during the rule-making processes said that there was no need for the government to get involved, arguing that industry self-regulation with occasional FTC enforcement under existing laws was sufficient. There were also fears that the commission would wield a broad regulatory axe in the forest of consumer-generated media.
If you're into gadgets and computer hardware and like to blog about your newest purchases, chances are good that you'll never draw the FTC's attention. Those who buy a product "with his or her own money and praise it on a personal blog or on an electronic message board will not be deemed to be providing an endorsement," read the rules. At the other end of the spectrum, anyone who is directly compensated to write about a product by an advertiser is covered by the new rules.
The new rules take effect on December 1, 2009.
Further reading
- The FTC's Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising: Notice Announcing Adoption of Revised Guides is available from the agency as a PDF
- The FTC's press release offers the (really) condensed version


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Millet, a healthy and gluten free cereal, pairs perfectly with oven-roasted asparagus and sauteed mushrooms to create this filling, meatless roasted asparagus and mushroom millet pilaf. It's one of my favorite gluten free asparagus recipes!
I was totally lazy yesterday afternoon while The Bug was napping. And all evening, after he went to sleep. I should have been folding laundry. Or cleaning up the kitchen. But instead I started writing a blog post, perusing Facebook, and catching up on My Fair Wedding and Sweet Genius on my DVR. And why was I feel totally OK with this? Well, The Bug was napping.
My tummy was full from gobbling up some leftovers of Friday night's dinner (after I had already eaten lunch. And a cake pop.) while I was photographing it for this blog entry. And The Hubby was away until Sunday afternoon, so I knew I had all night and a good portion of Sunday to do the piddly tasks. Other than the sound of The Bug snoring over the monitor, the house was very quiet. Almost unnerving how quiet it was. Today, for some reason, the quiet is nice and appealing. Maybe because now the chores are done, and it is a damp, dreary day, perfect for staying inside.
So anyway, dinner Friday night. So good! As I mentioned, I was picked at more of it straight out of the fridge. And, since The Hubby wasn't home, I just finished it off for dinner. The Bug happily devoured a broccoli and cheese omelet (with ketchup naturally). I'm wasn't sharing my leftovers.
I love Jessica's How Sweet It Is blog. Her photos are amazing (something I aspire to), and she cracks me up regularly. You would think by the name that her blog would be all about desserts. Well, she does have some A-MAZ-ING desserts. But oftentimes, it is her savory recipes that catch my attention. Like this Springtime Jasmine Rice Salad. Mushrooms, asparagus… mmmmm!!!!
I scoured my grocery store and could not find the jasmine brown rice. I guess I could have bought regular jasmine rice, but I bought a bag of millet on a whim awhile ago. Millet is a grain that looks similar to couscous or maybe even kinda like barley, but it is gluten-free. I have been trying to figure out a way to make it that wouldn't freak out The Hubby. Put a new dessert or a new meat dish in front of him, and he is all over it. A new vegetable or grain – well, that is usually perceived as me trying to force "crunchy" health foods on him. But this was good. Real good.
I used some dried cranberries instead of the dried cherries, and tweaked the amounts of other ingredients, since I was making a larger portion. And I used vegetable broth instead of chicken. I'm sure either way would be great, but with the veggie broth, this is a nice vegan meal. And if you aren't vegan, try it with some shrimp, like we did on Friday night, or sprinkled with a little goat cheese, as I did on Saturday night. Or eat it straight out of the fridge, cold.
The Hubby liked it, despite his lack of love for asparagus and mushrooms, and The Bug ate his portion. Though honestly, he was more interested in devouring seven or eight shrimp – go figure, normally he won't touch shrimp. Ugh, the eating habits of toddlers!
I definitely want to try it with the brown jasmine rice, just as Jessica made it. But I think that'll require a drive to Whole Foods, which, sadly, is not too convenient. And I still have that bag of millet, or I am thinking it would be good with quinoa, to, to amp up the protein. Mom, can't wait for you to try it – this is what I am making on Good Friday!
And since it is so quiet, I need some conversation, even if it is "virtual". So tell me what you think of this recipe, answer the questions below, or just say Hi. I'd love to hear from everyone who is reading, so we can get to know each other!
Are you lazy or productive when your significant other is away? What are you favorite spring vegetables or fruits?
I hope you enjoy this delicious millet pilaf side dish!
Asparagus and Mushroom Millet Pilaf
- about 1 lb asparagus spears woody stems removed, cut into 1-1 1/2 in pieces
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 cup millet
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock
- 1 shallot minced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pint white or baby bella mushrooms quartered
- 1/2 cup dry white wine I used a sauvignon blanc
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries coarsely chopped
- kosher salt
- freshly ground pepper
- Prepare the millet as per the package directions, using stock instead of water. I cooked mine in my rice cooker.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the asparagus with 1 T olive oil, 1 t salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Lay in a single layer on a baking sheet, and roast until tender, about 20-25 minutes.
- Heat 1 T olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
- Add shallot and a little salt, and cook until soft, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add mushrooms to the pan, and cook until nicely browned and soft, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and dried cranberries, and cook for another minutes or so.
- Add the wine, and cook for a couple of minutes to reduce the liquid a bit.
- Toss the mushroom mixture with the roasted asparagus and millet, and season to taste with salt and pepper.