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DeM Banter: However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results. -Sir Winston Churchill
Wall Street Journal
August 24, 2013
Pg. C1
The Saturday Essay
In the beginning, the Hebrew Bible tells us, the universe was all "tohu wabohu," chaos and tumult. This month the Middle East seems to be reverting to that primeval state: Iraq continues to unravel, the Syrian War grinds on with violence spreading to Lebanon and allegations of chemical attacks this week, and Egypt stands on the brink of civil war with the generals crushing the Muslim Brotherhood and street mobs torching churches. Turkey's prime minister, once widely hailed as President Obama's best friend in the region, blames Egypt's violence on the Jews; pretty much everyone else blames it on the U.S.
The Obama administration had a grand strategy in the Middle East. It was well intentioned, carefully crafted and consistently pursued.
Unfortunately, it failed.
The plan was simple but elegant: The U.S. would work with moderate Islamist groups like Turkey's AK Party and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood to make the Middle East more democratic. This would kill three birds with one stone. First, by aligning itself with these parties, the Obama administration would narrow the gap between the 'moderate middle' of the Muslim world and the U.S. Second, by showing Muslims that peaceful, moderate parties could achieve beneficial results, it would isolate the terrorists and radicals, further marginalizing them in the Islamic world. Finally, these groups with American support could bring democracy to more Middle Eastern countries, leading to improved economic and social conditions, gradually eradicating the ills and grievances that drove some people to fanatical and terroristic groups.
President Obama (whom I voted for in 2008) and his team hoped that the success of the new grand strategy would demonstrate once and for all that liberal Democrats were capable stewards of American foreign policy. The bad memories of the Lyndon Johnson and Jimmy Carter presidencies would at last be laid to rest; with the public still unhappy with George W. Bush's foreign policy troubles, Democrats would enjoy a long-term advantage as the party most trusted by voters to steer the country through stormy times.
It is much too early to anticipate history's verdict on the Obama administration's foreign policy; the president has 41 months left in his term, and that is more than enough for the picture in the Middle East to change drastically once again. Nevertheless, to get a better outcome, the president will have to change his approach.
With the advantages of hindsight, it appears that the White House made five big miscalculations about the Middle East. It misread the political maturity and capability of the Islamist groups it supported; it misread the political situation in Egypt; it misread the impact of its strategy on relations with America's two most important regional allies (Israel and Saudi Arabia); it failed to grasp the new dynamics of terrorist movements in the region; and it underestimated the costs of inaction in Syria.
America's Middle East policy in the past few years depended on the belief that relatively moderate Islamist political movements in the region had the political maturity and administrative capability to run governments wisely and well. That proved to be half-true in the case of Turkey's AK Party: Until fairly recently Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whatever mistakes he might make, seemed to be governing Turkey in a reasonably effective and reasonably democratic way. But over time, the bloom is off that rose. Mr. Erdogan's government has arrested journalists, supported dubious prosecutions against political enemies, threatened hostile media outlets and cracked down crudely on protesters. Prominent members of the party leadership look increasingly unhinged, blaming Jews, telekinesis and other mysterious forces for the growing troubles it faces.
Things have reached such a pass that the man President Obama once listed as one of his five best friends among world leaders and praised as "an outstanding partner and an outstanding friend on a wide range of issues" is now being condemned by the U.S. government for "offensive" anti-Semitic charges that Israel was behind the overthrow of Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi.
Compared with Mr. Morsi, however, Mr. Erdogan is a Bismarck of effective governance and smart policy. Mr. Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood were quite simply not ready for prime time; they failed to understand the limits of their mandate, fumbled incompetently with a crumbling economy and governed so ineptly and erratically that tens of millions of Egyptians cheered on the bloody coup that threw them out.
Tinfoil-hat conspiracy theorists and incompetent bumblers make a poor foundation for American grand strategy. We would have done business with the leaders of Turkey and Egypt under almost any circumstances, but to align ourselves with these movements hasn't turned out to be wise.
The White House, along with much of the rest of the American foreign policy world, made another key error in the Middle East: It fundamentally misread the nature of the political upheaval in Egypt. Just as Thomas Jefferson mistook the French Revolution for a liberal democratic movement like the American Revolution, so Washington thought that what was happening in Egypt was a "transition to democracy." That was never in the cards.
What happened in Egypt was that the military came to believe that an aging President Hosni Mubarak was attempting to engineer the succession of his son, turning Egypt from a military republic to a dynastic state. The generals fought back; when unrest surged, the military stood back and let Mr. Mubarak fall. The military, incomparably more powerful than either the twittering liberals or the bumbling Brotherhood, has now acted to restore the form of government Egypt has had since the 1950s. Now most of the liberals seem to understand that only the military can protect them from the Islamists, and the Islamists are learning that the military is still in charge. During these events, the Americans and Europeans kept themselves endlessly busy and entertained trying to promote a nonexistent democratic transition.
The next problem is that the Obama administration misread the impact that its chosen strategies would have on relations with Israel and Saudi Arabia—and underestimated just how miserable those two countries can make America's life in the Middle East if they are sufficiently annoyed.
The break with Israel came early. In those unforgettable early days when President Obama was being hailed by the press as a new Lincoln and Roosevelt, the White House believed that it could force Israel to declare a total settlement freeze to restart negotiations with the Palestinians. The resulting flop was President Obama's first big public failure in foreign policy. It would not be the last. (For the past couple of years, the administration has been working to repair relations with the Israelis; as one result, the peace talks that could have started in 2009 with better U.S. management are now under way.)
The breach with Saudis came later and this one also seems to have caught the White House by surprise. By aligning itself with Turkey and Mr. Morsi's Egypt, the White House was undercutting Saudi policy in the region and siding with Qatar's attempt to seize the diplomatic initiative from its larger neighbor.
Many Americans don't understand just how much the Saudis dislike the Brotherhood and the Islamists in Turkey. Not all Islamists are in accord; the Saudis have long considered the Muslim Brotherhood a dangerous rival in the world of Sunni Islam. Prime Minister Erdogan's obvious hunger to revive Turkey's glorious Ottoman days when the center of Sunni Islam was in Istanbul is a direct threat to Saudi primacy. That Qatar and its Al Jazeera press poodle enthusiastically backed the Turks and the Egyptians with money, diplomacy and publicity only angered the Saudis more. With America backing this axis—while also failing to heed Saudi warnings about Iran and Syria—Riyadh wanted to undercut rather than support American diplomacy. An alliance with the Egyptian military against Mr. Morsi's weakening government provided an irresistible opportunity to knock Qatar, the Brotherhood, the Turks and the Americans back on their heels.
The fourth problem is that the administration seems to have underestimated the vitality and adaptability of the loose group of terrorist movements and cells. The death of Osama bin Laden was a significant victory, but the effective suppression of the central al Qaeda organization in Afghanistan and Pakistan was anything but a knockout blow. Today a resurgent terrorist movement can point to significant achievements in the Libya-Mali theater, in northern Nigeria, Syria, Iraq, Yemen and elsewhere. The closure of 20 American diplomatic facilities this month was a major moral victory for the terrorists, demonstrating that they retain the capacity to affect American behavior in a major way. Recruiting is easier, morale is higher, and funding is easier to get for our enemies than President Obama once hoped.
Finally, the administration, rightfully concerned about the costs of intervention in Syria, failed to grasp early enough just how much it would cost to stay out of this ugly situation. As the war has dragged on, the humanitarian toll has grown to obscene proportions (far worse than anything that would have happened in Libya without intervention), communal and sectarian hatreds have become poisonous almost ensuring more bloodletting and ethnic and religious cleansing, and instability has spread from Syria into Iraq, Lebanon and even Turkey. All of these problems grow worse the longer the war goes on—but it is becoming harder and costlier almost day by day to intervene.
But beyond these problems, the failure to intervene early in Syria (when "leading from behind" might well have worked) has handed important victories to both the terrorists and the Russia-Iran axis, and has seriously eroded the Obama administration's standing with important allies. Russia and Iran backed Bashar al-Assad; the president called for his overthrow—and failed to achieve it. To hardened realists in Middle Eastern capitals, this is conclusive proof that the American president is irredeemably weak. His failure to seize the opportunity for what the Russians and Iranians fear would have been an easy win in Syria cannot be explained by them in any other way.
This is dangerous. Just as Nikita Khrushchev concluded that President Kennedy was weak and incompetent after the Bay of Pigs failure and the botched Vienna summit, and then proceeded to test the American president from Cuba to Berlin, so President Vladimir Putin and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei now believe they are dealing with a dithering and indecisive American leader, and are calibrating their policies accordingly. Khrushchev was wrong about Kennedy, and President Obama's enemies are also underestimating him, but those underestimates can create dangerous crises before they are corrected.
If American policy in Syria has been a boon to the Russians and Iranians, it has been a godsend to the terrorists. The prolongation of the war has allowed terrorist and radical groups to establish themselves as leaders in the Sunni fight against the Shiite enemy. A reputation badly tarnished by both their atrocities and their defeat in Iraq has been polished and enhanced by what is seen as their courage and idealism in Syria. The financial links between wealthy sources in the Gulf and jihadi fighter groups, largely sundered in the last 10 years, have been rebuilt and strengthened. Thousands of radicals are being trained and indoctrinated, to return later to their home countries with new skills, new ideas and new contacts. This development in Syria looks much more dangerous than the development of the original mujahedeen in Afghanistan; Afghanistan is a remote and (most Middle Easterners believe) a barbarous place. Syria is in the heart of the region and the jihadi spillover threatens to be catastrophic.
One of the interesting elements of the current situation is that while American foreign policy has encountered one setback after another in the region, America's three most important historical partners—Egypt's military, Saudi Arabia and Israel—have all done pretty well and each has bested the U.S. when policies diverged.
Alliances play a large role in America's foreign policy success; tending the Middle Eastern alliances now in disarray may be the Obama administration's best hope now to regain its footing.
As the Obama administration struggles to regain its footing in this volatile region, it needs to absorb the lessons of the past 4½ years. First, allies matter. Israel, Saudi Arabia and the Egyptian military have been America's most important regional allies both because they share strategic interests and because they are effective actors in a way that groups like the Muslim Brotherhood and smaller states aren't. If these three forces are working with you, then things often go reasonably well. If one or more of them is trying to undercut you, pain comes. The Obama administration undertook the hard work necessary to rebuild its relationship with Israel; it needs to devote more attention to the concerns of the Egyptian generals and the House of Saud. Such relationships don't mean abandoning core American values; rather they recognize the limits on American power and seek to add allies where our own unaided efforts cannot succeed.
Second, the struggle against terror is going to be harder than we hoped. Our enemies have scattered and multiplied, and the violent jihadi current has renewed its appeal. In the Arab world, in parts of Africa, in Europe and in the U.S., a constellation of revitalized and inventive movements now seeks to wreak havoc. It is delusional to believe that we can eliminate this problem by eliminating poverty, underdevelopment, dictatorship or any other "root causes" of the problem; we cannot eliminate them in a policy-relevant time frame. An ugly fight lies ahead. Instead of minimizing the terror threat in hopes of calming the public, the president must prepare public opinion for a long-term struggle.
Third, the focus must now return to Iran. Concern with Iran's growing power is the thread that unites Israel and Saudi Arabia. Developing and moving on an Iran strategy that both Saudis and Israelis can support will help President Obama rebuild America's position in the shifting sands. That is likely to mean a much tougher policy on Syria. Drawing red lines in the sand and stepping back when they are crossed won't rebuild confidence.
President Obama now faces a moment similar to the one President Carter faced when the Soviets invaded Afghanistan. The assumptions that shaped key elements of his foreign policy have not held up; times have changed radically and policy must shift. The president is a talented leader; the world will be watching what he does.
Mr. Mead is the James Clarke Chace Professor of Foreign Affairs and Humanities at Bard College and editor-at-large of the American Interest.


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OLIVIER DURBANO : Architect of Stones
For a number of days now, I have felt unimaginative and overwhelmed. As I power up my iMac again - fingers strumming impatiently on my desk whilst waiting for the spiralling pixels on the screen to cease and the interface to load - I imagine the substantial task ahead of me. I double-click the file on my desktop named Olivier Durbano Visit and it opens on command. My eyes instantly narrow to thin slits as the brilliant white of the document causes my pupils to contract. The cursor flashes with a sense of urgency in the top left corner of the page. Still empty. My eyes drag around the room and across my cluttered desk, looking for welcome distractions. Quick facebook check. A rummage in my pen-jar. At the back of my mind, I wonder how I can cohesively recount my extraordinary experience in Paris with this man whom I have come to admire. I shuffle some papers around and reveal two highly polished fluorite cabochons on my desktop. I take one and close my hand around it. It is extremely cold, but not unpleasantly so. Regarded as a semi-precious stone which metaphysically encourages a sense of heightened concentration and objectivity; I sit for a moment hoping for my analytical abilities to sharpen. The second stone, I lift between my thumb and forefinger, and hold it up to the light. I look into its dark purple and emerald green heart to see if I can find my inspiration there. For just a second, I step outside of myself, and imagine what I might look like to a passing bystander. It suddenly dawns on me that I am engaging in an ancient practice that has diffused down through the millennia. For thousands of years mankind has been enchanted with semi-precious stones for their value both physical and esoteric. I set the cabochons down carefully in front of my keyboard and start typing; confident that they will inspire me as they have the man who has devoted his life to harnessing the essence of stone through both his jewellery and his perfume: Olivier Durbano.
When I first arrive outside the Parisian home of Olivier Durbano, I discover the double-doored buildings along the Rue des Francs Bourgeois conceal delightful 17th century cobbled courtyards and lush gardens. I am struck by a sense of whimsy and feel I am glimpsing at a piece of Paris that existed long ago. Monsieur Durbano emerges from a door off to my left and, with a broad smile, invites me to his home atelier on the first floor. Entering his studio, I am immediately conscious of the scent of Omani frankincense burning from a concealed censer. I stand for a moment, admiring the centuries-old exposed wooden beams across the ceiling and quaint paned windows which frame charming vistas across the central courtyard. The apartment is tastefully decorated with exotic artefacts that Olivier has collected from his travels - objects that speak their own cultural or historical narrative.
As I remove my coat and am ushered to a comfortable sofa, Monsieur Durbano asks if I would care for some champagne. I agree, and he exits the room, leaving me under the anonymous gaze of an audience of mannequins whose necks are decorated with semi-precious stones. I admire the heavy baubles of amethyst, jasper, carnelian and jade, and pour over several tiered wooden trays laiden with jewels. Daisy-chains of polished gems are delicately strung amongst raw minerals that look as though they have just been struck from the earth... the contrast of shapes and textures just beg that they be held. I extend a hand, but withdraw it immediately as Olivier returns with champagne and canapés. He sits opposite me on the foot of his bed and I thank him for granting me the opportunity to visit him in his personal space. He smiles broadly, knitting his hands together over his knee and explains "Non! This is also my workspace. It is only natural we meet here!"
Olivier, I find fresh-faced and excited, having just returned from the Pitti Fragranze expo in Florence, Italy.
"I spent many days hanging out with Andy Tauer and Mona d'Orio. We had much fun, just like school children", he says, throwing is head back and roaring with laughter. The more we speak, the more I observe this genuine boyish charm emerge.
"It was a very friendly atmosphere, and totally non-competitive" he adds. "These forums are very new but also very important to me", he says, "it is always a good idea to stay on top of what is happening in the industry".
I respond by telling him I've heard that the perfume industry is only really 25% about perfume, and he bellows with laughter again.
"This is true, this is true", he agrees, cradling his champagne flute with both hands. "In this industry...", he adds, "...there is a high road and a low road with how you can deal with things. Where many may choose to take the low road, I will always take the high one".
I feel he is sincere.
The conversation shifts to his jewellery - the inspiration behind his perfume.
"Stones have always been in my life" he says. "My parents told me that my very first childhood tantrum occurred when I was 5 years old when I saw a stone that I wanted. It is not a special stone, but I liked it, and I went crazy", he says, a little embarrassed.
"I have kept it all these years", he adds, reaching beside his bed to retrieve a grapefruit-sized grey rock. He places it in my hand and it is heavy, ordinary, and aside from a few twinkling facets, rather uninteresting. I am impressed that he has carried it with him through the years, and it is still awarded pride-of-place amongst his far more attractive treasures.
"When I was returning from the expo in Italy, I experienced big problems with customs. My pockets and bags were full of my precious stones, and I was stopped and asked: 'Do you have minerals?'. When they saw what I was carrying, they threatened to confiscate them all, and I had tears streaming down my cheeks". Olivier draws an invisible arc under each eye with two index fingers. "I am fortunate they let me take them".
I am beginning to get a good sense of precisely how passionate Olivier is about his craft.
Olivier Durbano creates jewellery for international customers - many are one-off pieces for clients in far-flung locales like Saudi Arabia. When I ask where he sources his stones from, I see his eyes drift beyond me, as though he were looking straight through the wall behind me and off into time and space.
"The earth is made of stone. Stones are everywhere. I mix a lot of sources from around the world. Sometimes I can see something special in a raw piece of stone, otherwise I design the cut of each stone, and have it fashioned. When I can see I have collected all the stones I need for a piece, I create the unique necklace in my quiet place here in Paris. I start with a pile of gems and, like an artist, compose a picture, taking into account each stone's colour, shape and size. This time of creation should be a very special moment to reflect on love and creating a thing of beauty."
We talk for a while about how he goes about recognising all the physical and spiritual attributes of a stone, and translates them into perfume.
"It is like a story; a movie in my mind. A lot of sensations, emotions and travels come from our dreams. Perfume is a translation of these. I work with a chemist and it is a very special collaboration. We learn together to search for the best way in which we can open the doors to the universe of imagination. There must be a good harmony between chemistry and creation".
My eyes fall upon the tidy display of his perfume creations by his bureau - each bottle is accompanied by a short printed blurb, and displayed alongside the corresponding gemstone that served as the inspiration for each scent. I lift Améthyste in my hands and see three genuine amethyst beads suspended in the juice. As I turn the flacon in my hands, listening to the satisfying tinkle of the mauve orbs against the glass, I wonder if the liquid has imbued the stones with perfume, or, if indeed the perfume has been released by the stones.
"Which stone will be featured as your sixth perfume?", I ask rather cheekily, knowing very well that his fifth launch Turquoise has really only just hit retailer's shelves.
Olivier's immediate response catches me off guard. "Why, rose quartz of course".
I turn on my heel sharply to face him, my eyes ballooning in size. I had somehow expected I would not get an answer, but am astonished at his matter-of-fact reply.
"For a long time, I have thought about the creation of a perfume focused on the legend and symbolism of pink quartz; in fact, since the first step of the collection. I don't know when I will launch this perfume because I like to work step by step. I take my time to find the real fragrance which will be exactly like the fragrance I have created in my mind. I don't like to rush... it is like a meeting between ideas and events. I've begun to write a lot of things down, and have begun to mix some ingredients".
When I ask if one can safely assume it will be a rose-based scent, Olivier smiles and his dark brown eyes glitter like one of his polished agate cabochons.
"You can safely assume it will be a very interesting and unexpected interpretation", he says, and reveals no more.
Olivier's fragrances have always been intended to be worn as one might wear a talisman around the neck. His collection of five scents to date appeal to me as an entire perfume wardrobe in itself - there appears to be something for any and every occasion.
"At Pitti in Florence, I wore Black Tourmaline", he confesses. "I am sometimes a shy person by nature and occasionally feel overwhelmed in rooms full of people. I had to speak with groups of industry people; the marketers and the bloggers, so I felt Black Tourmaline best in this situation. It is a stone of protection".
It fascinates me that Olivier chose to wear this perfume to empower himself in such a challenging environment, but am not at all surprised that his choices and motivations are far from arbitrary. I get a sense that every aspect of his craft is systematic, and that he relies heavily on his intuition and inner sense of what is good and honest and true. He dares to dream, and in doing so, affirms his aspirations and makes them tangible.
"I dream of opening a retreat", he says, "one with rooms associated with my stones... for example, an amethyst room, decorated accordingly and filled with stones and my Améthyste perfume".
I observe for a moment the environment in which I find myself... there is a zen-like calm in his atelier that can be attributed to the modest lighting, the hand-turned wooden bowls filled with incense, the exotic statuettes residing in shadowy corners, and dishes brimming with shells and coral-root collected from the shore. If such a retreat were to become a reality - and I don't doubt that one day it will - Olivier will most certainly leave his sophisticated fingerprint all over it. I tell him I love the idea. He willingly admits that he is not driven or motivated by money, and would just a much like to create such a retreat for his own personal pleasure as he would for others. When I also mention the extremely limited distribution of his perfumes (limited to only a handful of retailers internationally) Olivier reaffirms that the quality of his distribution wins out over the fiscal rewards of having his brand on every street corner.
"I am always open to doing business with like-minded people. I will rarely go out and search for new avenues of distribution... rather, I wait until I am approached because this way I know they are perhaps more sincere about my product and my vision. I like to build a very special rapport with my distributors."
As much as I turn it over in my head, I can't fault his professional outlook and willingness to answer to his inner voice only. He is a man who places great importance on remaining true to ones own self.
Something tells me Olivier Durbano enjoys his anonymity behind the facade of Rue des Francs Bourgeois. He wakes by 8am, drinks his morning coffee whilst looking over his email, and then sits with a pile of stones and begins to construct an ornamental neckpiece with all the deliberation and precision of a professional architect. His studio space is a direct reflection of the road he has travelled, and the road he continues to explore.
As our time together draws to an end, I fill my eyes one last time with prickling light as the halogens in the room pick out twinkling facets of stone. I feel as if his gems are winking at me and bidding me good bye. Olivier presents me with a lovely parting gift - a matte black box filled with enchanting 10ml miniatures of all his scents to date. I re-tie the beautiful monogrammed ribbon and cushion the gift in my hands. Despite this being an extremely generous gesture, I leave Olivier's atelier feeling as if the greatest treasure I received was the time I spent in his company. I cross the courtyard and push through the heavy double doors and lose myself in the bustling throng of the Marais.
Reproduced with kind permission of Basenotes.net.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Situation Brings Us Jersey Shore's First Reprehensible Dance Single
We figured DJ Paulie Disco would be the first of MTV's guidos to land a recording contract, but TMZ got their hands on a snippet of The Situation's single. It's sort of like a Snooki punch to your eardrums.
The sad part is that it barely has any of Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino's rapping, it's just an insane house music beat and crazy voice going, "Whoa, whoa, Situation." The single—called "The Situation" so that we will be even more confused between whether "The Situation" refers to the single, the person, or a real set of circumstances actually described as "the situation"—is a collaboration between The Sitch, Fatman Scoop, DJ Class, and The Disco Fries. Are these their real professional names, or did they pick something from the Jersey Shore nickname generator so that their real identities won't be connected to this project?
Of course, the tune is the kind of thing that would get a bunch of dudes hopped up on Red Bull and vodkas and wearing Ed Hardy ripoffs beating up the beat on the dance floor, but no one with something passing as taste would dare admit to liking it. We can't wait to hear the whole thing (next week on iTunes!) so that we can give a full dissection of The Situation's hip-hop skillz and the sure to be mind-bending lyrics of his first musical outing.
But isn't he a little tardy to the reality-stars-with-singles party? You know your life is sad when Kim Zolciak from Real Housewives of Atlanta has a catchier track than you do.


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(CNN) - Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus announced Sunday the organization will spend $10 million on hundreds of staff workers to communicate conservative principles in cities across the country.
As part of its conclusion from a months-long "autopsy" of the GOP - which will be formally announced Monday - the RNC will also work to shorten the primary calendar, limit the number of debates in presidential primaries, and move up the party's convention date.
[twitter-follow screen_name='politicalticker'] [twitter-follow screen_name='KilloughCNN']
In the outreach portion of the plan, Priebus said, the RNC will pay people "from coast to coast in Hispanic, African-American, Asian communities" to talk about the GOP brand.
"(They'll be) talking about what we believe in, going to community events, going to swearing-in ceremonies, being a part of the community on an ongoing basis … make the case for our party and candidates," he said on CBS's "Face the Nation."
Following the Republican Party's presidential loss and significant Senate losses in the 2012 election, the RNC conducted a major self-review of the party, seeking ways to improve its messaging. The group will further detail the report Monday at the National Press Club in Washington.
Demographics have also been at the center of the GOP's makeover, after exit polls revealed that President Obama won overwhelmingly among minority voters. That was especially seen among Latino voters, who favored Obama over GOP nominee Mitt Romney by 71% to 27%.
In its self-assessment, the RNC heard from more than 50,000 people - by phone, polling or through focus groups. One of the major points that emerged, Priebus said, was that the party needed branding and marketing not just during election seasons, but year-round. He said the plan to get more engaged in various communities includes a commitment to make more visits to historically black colleges and tell the story of the GOP.
"If you're not in the community, if you're not talking to people and the level of familiarity isn't there, then things - silly things like Todd Akin and some of the goofy things that are said - the caricature becomes true if you're not there.
If we have unscripted moments and you've got no relationship to explain anything, obviously, I believe you're a sitting duck," he said.
He was referring to Akin's controversial statement about rape that ultimately derailed the Missouri congressman's campaign for the U.S. Senate – a seat he was favored to win.
Priebus didn't say the party intends to change any of its principles or policies, but focused on the way Republicans communicate those messages.
"We have to win the math war, which we do a good job of. But we're going to have to learn how to win the heart war," he said "And that's what, in presidential elections, what is plaguing our party."
Reshaping the party's messaging strategy was a common point of self-criticism at this year's Conservative Political Action conference, which wrapped up Saturday. And House Speaker John Boehner said Sunday the issue with the party has nothing to do with its principles, but the way it gives voice to those ideas.
"We've gotta do a better job of helping people understand what our principles are in terms that they deal with every day," Boehner said on ABC's "This Week."
Priebus said another common theme among the 50,000 people questioned was a view that the party was characterized by "stuffy, old guys."
Priebus said such analysis was "painful to hear" and pointed to some of the rising stars in the GOP, such as House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
Priebus said other upcoming strategies include making changes to the election year calendar, in particular the calendar for debates and primaries. Starting a year and a half before the 2012 election, Republican candidates ultimately participated in about two dozen primary debates over the next 10 months.
Such a long, crowded process hurt the party, he argued.
"While we were playing footsy debating each other 23 times, what was the other side doing? They were spending potentially hundreds of millions of dollars on data, technology, voter outreach. They're actually getting the job done," he said.
Priebus said if it were up to him, he would set a beginning date for the primary season of January 1, with the end date at the end of April or mid-May. He even floated the idea of a "regional rotating primary" in which the country would be divided into quarters and each region would hold a primary every two or three weeks.
He would then hold the convention in mid-June or the end of July, adding that he will lead a commission that will look into that date process.
One of the reasons Romney "was a sitting duck for two months over the summer," Priebus continued, was because he was not allowed to legally use RNC money until he officially became the Republican presidential nominee at the convention during the last week of August.
The chairman, who was re-elected to his position in January, said if the party doesn't get started on its retooling now, it's not going to be successful in future elections.
"This is going to be huge," Priebus said. "And we're ready to go, and we're ready to lead."
Oh good money well spent , strippers , golf and scotch .
Free bow ties for young impressionable male professionals ,
The republicans spending money ten millions dollars an want the poor people to pay the rich people bills for the they are confuse the whole republicans clains just stupid.
a waste of money if they don't understand that they need to change their policies. How about they put ininto the budget they keep hollering about!


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Mike Krieger
Liberty Blitzkrieg
Many people, including myself, have discussed this threat over the past several years. The obvious concept is that when the government runs out of money, or they face a drying up in interest for its debt, they will come for the $19.4 trillion in American's retirement accounts. It seems that day may be finally drawing near.
I stopped contributing to my 401k back when I worked at Bernstein, and I will probably now have to give more serious consideration whether I want to take the penalty and move the funds out of my retirement account entirely. I haven't made any decisions, but will be watching closely.
I'm sure the government is just trying to protect your retirement account from terrorists.
From Bloomberg:
The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is weighing whether it should take on a role in helping Americans manage the $19.4 trillion they have put into retirement savings, a move that would be the agency's first foray into consumer investments.
"That's one of the things we've been exploring and are interested in in terms of whether and what authority we have," bureau director Richard Cordray said in an interview. He didn't provide additional details.
The bureau's core concern is that many Americans, notably those from the retiring Baby Boom generation, may fall prey to financial scams, according to three people briefed on the CFPB's deliberations who asked not to be named because the matter is still under discussion.
The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Labor are the main regulators of U.S. retirement savings vehicles and funds. However, the consumer bureau — established by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act — sees itself as a potential catalyst for promoting a coherent policy across the government, the people said.
Full article here.


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Turntable.fm is maybe the most fun I've had with music since I quit dropping acid. Okay that's an overstatement. But it's quite fun. Here's how it works.
When you enter the site you can go into one of several rooms. Some will be packed, others empty. You can also create your own room. Once in, you can either jump on the decks and start playing music or just hang out and listen. If a song's not already in the Turntable database, you can upload it yourself. There's a chat interface, and DJs can earn points from the audience, which earns them both points and gear for their avatars.
OMG! Nerdy! Yeah. It's actually even nerdier than it sounds. But it's also a pretty nice interface to kick back and listen to music from your friends and discover new songs. There's even a Gizmodo room. You should totally drop in.


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Our New Car!
The 2005 smart fortwo Passion coupe
Time elapsed since our new car arrived:
Check out Smart Vancouver's latest adoption listing!
Fuel consumption: (Average liters per 100k)
3-cylinder cdi turbo diesel engine (799 cc) with charge air cooling (rear-mounted) rear wheel drive
4 Airbags, driver front and side, passenger front and side
softip - automated, sequential 6-speed transmission
softouch - automatic gear programme with kickdown function
Power Steering
styleline alloy wheels (front tires: 145/65 R 15; rear tires: 175/55 R 15)
air conditioning plus with exterior temperature indicator and frost warning
Glass roof (including sun screen)
Power windows
Electrically adjustable heated mirrors
Heated rear window
Rear window wiper
Cockpit clock and rev counter with black dials
smart sound package (2 tweeters, 2 bass-reflex speakers, frequency switcher)
Drawer under driver's seat (lockable)
All-weather floor mats
Vanity mirror in driver & passenger's sun visor
CD holder
Tire repair kit with compressor
Extras we have added:
Last Updated 09/03/05 (Updated Main Image of our Car!)


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Alex Lifeson is born
Alex Lifeson, OC (born Aleksandar Živojinović; August 27, 1953) is a Canadian musician, best known for his work as the guitarist of the Canadian rock band Rush.
In the summer of 1968, Lifeson founded the band that would become Rush with friend and original drummer John Rutsey. He has been an integral member of the three-piece band ever since.
For Rush, Lifeson plays electric and acoustic guitars as well as other stringed instruments such as mandola, mandolin, and bouzouki. He also performs backing vocals in live performances, and occasionally plays keyboards and bass pedal synthesizers. During live performances, Lifeson, like the other members of Rush, performs real-time triggering of sampled instruments, concurrently with his guitar playing. The bulk of Lifeson's work in music has been with Rush, although Lifeson has contributed to a body of work outside of the band as well. Aside from music, Lifeson is part owner of the Toronto restaurant The Orbit Room, and is a licensed aircraft pilot.
Along with his bandmates Geddy Lee and Neil Peart, Lifeson was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on May 9, 1996. The trio was the first rock band to be so honoured, as a group. On May 1, 2007, Rush released Snakes & Arrows, their eighteenth full-length studio album. Lifeson and the band followed up the album with the Snakes & Arrows Tour.


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MusicDish President Eric de Fontenay announced the signing of leading Russian composer, performer and industry executive Alexander Shulgin to its artist development program. Shulgin has had more than 20 hit albums, including 10 Number 1 albums as co-producer, while working with such iconic artists as Valeria, Mumiy Troll, Dima Malikov, Gruppa.fm and many others.
MusicDish will be providing representation in the North American market, including brand development, marketing, fan building and consultation on all aspects of online artist development. Specifically, MusicDish will be promoting Shulgin's 3-album compilation "Tryptych" through its network of online assets, social networks and street teams. Featuring new music, melodies and instrumentals from the famed composer, the albums were recorded by an impressive line-up of artists including legendary drummer Billy Cobham, pianist Gary Husband, bassist John Patitucci and guitarist Paul Drew, to name a few.
About Alexander Shulgin Alexander Shulgin is a leading composer, performer and executive in the new Russian music industry, having worked with such iconic artists as Valeria, Mumiy Troll, Dima Malikov, Gruppa.fm and many others. Mr. Shulgin owns and operates Familia Entertainment, a record label, and Familia Publishing, a publishing company.
Shulgin began his career with the legendary Russian rock band The Cruise (1983-1986), which sold 20 million copies of their first album in 1985. He went on the work on a series of international projects, from "The Taiga Symphony," a combination of Russian classic music with western rock-music performed by The Moscow Symphony Orchestra, to "Merry Christmas to the World", another ambitious East-West collaboration between Shulgin and BBC Worldwide. Shulgin is also a composer of music for films and TV, his songs appearing in films by Lukas Moodysson and Ken Russell, the TV music serial "Primadonna" as well as all the music for the first public TV channel "Spas" for which he composed .
Websites: (Russian language)
About MusicDish, LLC Since 1997, MusicDish LLC has served as the bridge between the music industry and the artist. Through its extensive online presence, MusicDish provides artists with an edge over the ever-prevalent competition the music industry entails. MusicDish gives the artist the opportunity to take advantage of several different services: a creative approach to artist development and representation; online press release distribution & marketing; publications disclosing all the latest information involving the music industry; and even a indie music video channel.


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Gaudy? hmm… for a travel theme? I have to admit that the first place that came to mind when I thought about this challenge was Las Vegas. So, I decided to post this photo:
I really liked this snail. It doesn't seem gaudy at all in the garden at the Bellagio. Of course, it is among other floral displays like it and huge glass flowers.
I'm just thinking it would look pretty gaudy in my front yard.


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From Duty to be Armed to Permission to Carry
By Publius Huldah
"If the central government has the authority to tell a state it must accept permits from all the other states, then it also has the authority to tell a state it may not accept a concealed permit from any other states. If the central government can do these things it can set up a national concealed carry permit scheme and in essence bring into existence a national arms registry. That is exactly where this is headed." Attorney Richard D. Fry 1
Some are touting the federal Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 (HR 38) as a bill which would expand our right to carry. But if you will walk with me for a few minutes, I'll show you a better path to take.
Let us look at the applicable First Principles, to which I propose we return.
1. Gun control is not an enumerated power delegated to the federal government
Our federal Constitution doesn't delegate to the federal government any power over the Country at Large 2 to restrict our arms. Accordingly, all pretended federal laws, regulations, orders, opinions, or treaties which purport to do so are unconstitutional as outside the scope of powers delegated. They are also unconstitutional as in violation of the Second Amendment.
The only power the federal government has over the Country at Large respecting arms is set forth at Article I, §8, clause 16 with respect to providing for the "organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia". Pursuant to this clause, Congress passed the Militia Act of 1792 which required every able-bodied male citizen (with a few exceptions) between the ages of 18 and 45 to acquire a rifle, bayonet, ammo, ammo pouch, and report to his local Militia Unit for training. 3
2. What does your State Constitution say about the right to keep and bear arms?
Each State has its own Constitution which addresses its State Militia and the right to be armed.
Now listen: No State may lawfully make any law which contradicts its State Constitution or which interferes with Congress' power to "organize, arm, and discipline, the Militia".
Accordingly, any State Statute which purports to require a permit before one may carry a gun is probably unconstitutional under that State's Constitution; and is certainly unconstitutional under the federal Constitution because Congress may lawfully require able-bodied male Citizens to acquire firearms and ammo and report to their local Militia Unit for training!
Do you see?
Now let's look at Title 18, US Code, Part I, Chapter 44, which HR 38 proposes to amend.
3. Title 18, US Code, Part I, Chapter 44 is unconstitutional
It sets up a complex federal regulatory scheme over firearms, every word of which is unconstitutional as outside the scope of powers delegated, and as in violation of the Second Amendment.
HERE it is, look through it (§§ 921-931).
4. What HR 38 actually does
HR 38 proposes to amend this existing federal regulatory scheme to insert a new provision [to be § 926 D] to require States which have a statute which permits residents of their State to apply for a permit [!] to carry a concealed firearm
to allow persons from other States:
· who aren't prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms [!]; and
· who are carrying a photographic ID issued by a government body [!]; and
· who are carrying a concealed carry license or permit from the other State [!],
to possess or carry a concealed handgun (other than a machinegun or "destructive device") which has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.
So! Even though a State Constitution, such as that for Connecticut, 4 prohibits the State Legislature from making ANY laws restricting firearms (such as imposing requirements for registration, a permit, government issued photo ID), a Citizen of Connecticut who exercises his constitutionally recognized right to carry without registration or a permit or a government issued photo ID, wouldn't qualify under HR 38 for concealed carry in another State.
To qualify for concealed carry in other States, the Citizen of Connecticut would need his State Legislature to pass a law [which is unconstitutional under the Connecticut and federal Constitutions], so that he could comply with an unconstitutional federal statute [HR 38], so that he could carry in other States which also would have to pass unconstitutional laws imposing permit requirements on those who carry concealed.
Do you see how a God-given right [self-defense] is thus converted into a privilege which is regulated, granted, or denied, by civil government?
HR 38 also provides that any person carrying a concealed handgun in a State under the reciprocity provisions may also carry concealed in the public parts of National Parks and certain other lands under federal control. Lest you think this a gain, consider that: (1) The Constitution doesn't authorize the federal government to operate national parks and such like, and (2) the federal government has no lawful authority to impose registration requirements for carrying arms anywhere!
5. What's the solution?
Read our Declaration of Independence and federal Constitution. Then you won't fall for unconstitutional gimmicks like HR 38.
The gun rights organizations could perform valuable services to our Country by working for:
· the repeal of the entire unconstitutional federal regulatory scheme respecting arms;
· the repeal of all unconstitutional State regulatory schemes;
· the revitalization of the State Militia to replace the federally controlled National Guard; 5 and
· by providing more classes for Citizens in arms training.
And please stop lobbying for unconstitutional federal legislation!
1 From the late Attorney Richard D. Fry's email of Dec. 10, 2015 to US Senator Moran, a co-sponsor of SB 498, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2015. Richard, who was my Friend, sent me a copy of his letter.
2 Pursuant to Article I, § 8, next to last clause, Congress has general legislative powers over the District of Columbia, military bases, dock yards, mints, federal courthouses and post offices, and such other places needed for Congress to exercise its enumerated powers. The exercise of such powers by Congress over these small federal enclaves is restricted by the Bill of Rights – including the 2nd Amendment. So Congress is prohibited from making, for these federal enclaves, any laws which infringe the Right of The People to keep and bear Arms. Congress may properly require individuals visiting federal prisons, the psych ward of military hospitals, the mint, federal courthouses, and such like, to leave their arms in their vehicles. But Congress may not require Citizens to obtain and carry a permit or photo ID as a condition precedent to carrying a firearm.
3 The "Militia of the several States" were creatures of State Statutes – not of the federal government. Dr. Edwin Vieira's short video shows how the State Militia were replaced by the federally controlled National Guard.
4 The Constitution of the State of Connecticut says at Article I: "SEC. 15. Every citizen has a right to bear arms in defense of himself and the state."
5 See A SERIOUS QUESTION FOR THE NRA, by Dr. Edwin Vieira, re revitalization of the Militia of the several States. Dr. Vieira's mind is a delight.


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The most striking aspect of the Pentagon's decision to lift a 1994 ban on combat duty for women last week was the lack of any substantive opposition in Congress. Normally, any policy change that hints at evolving social values leads to some kind of political uproar; it was a deeply divided Congress, for example, that repealed "don't ask, don't tell." No comparable controversy erupted last week, as such Republicans as Senator John McCain embraced the change. That's partly because the new policy reflects the actual practice in the field in Iraq and Afghanistan. It also gives belated acknowledgment to the over 150 women who have died in uniform since 2001. They did, in fact, perish in combat.
In retrospect, the White House, which appears to have been taken by surprise by the timing of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's decision, was unnecessarily fearful of addressing the issue. All the service chiefs came to the conclusion some time ago that, in wars with no clear battle lines, the formal exclusion of women was impossible to enforce.
Commanders still have some latitude; the new rules give them the authority to exclude all women from some units. But as explained on Thursday by General Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the new rules put the onus on the military to defend policies or practices that exclude women. "We have never had that conversation before," he said.
Implementation of the new combat rules will occur over time. The winding down of US military involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan means that any changes will be gradual. Meanwhile, the question of whether young women will be required to register for a potential draft, as young men are, remains unanswered; for now, the Pentagon seems content to punt on that decision — wisely concluding that it's best to let the changes in combat policy sink in first.
In the meantime, the greatest practical effect of the new rules is to give more women the chance to attain the highest levels of military rank, for which formal combat experience can be an important credential. And, over time, more high-ranking female officers can be deeply involved in decisions about whether to send women — and men — to war.


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09/19/2016 Expansion of Barcelona airport with duty cycle crawler cranes from Liebherr
Between February and August 2016, three duty cycle crawler cranes from Liebherr were involved in deep foundation work at the airport Barcelona-El Prat. With nearly 40 million passengers per annum, it is one of Europe's most important hubs. Continuous improvements are being made to the airport infrastructure in order to cope with the increasing number of passengers. The work includes, among other things, the linking of the new airport to the suburban railway.
Tasks of the two new HS 8100 HD and the HS 873 HD, all equipped with mechanical slurry wall grabs, was the making of an access shaft for the later application of a tunnel casing machine; additionally, they had to erect support walls for the railway, which is partly underground. The total length of the slurry wall in this section was about 1,000m with depths up to 30m.
The machines worked in shifts, Monday to Friday from 06.00 to 24.00 hours. The two HS 8100 HD proved to be exceptionally efficient. According to the customer, their diesel consumption was up to 30 % less than that of a similar machine. This is achieved, above all, through the optimized hydraulic system.
Furthermore, both HS 8100 HD machines convinced with their modern and reliable safety concept. They were equipped with modified roof railings and ladders, as well as additional walkways. These are foldable making the machine extremely easy to transport.


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One of South Park's strengths is that no matter how close to downright preachy its satire can sometimes be, it can always make up for any hint of self-seriousness with something completely, cartoonishly ludicrous. For example, the proposition that well-known rock guitarist Slash is actually a mythical character based on the ancient Dutch legend of "Vunder Slash," and whose participation in everything from Cartman's birthday party to his entire tenure in Guns 'N' Roses can be explained away as somebody's parent donning a hat and wig just to bring a little love into the world. To name another example, a hot tub filled with KFC gravy. It's often these little things that keep South Park's satire from turning into full-bore sermonizing, and thankfully tonight had a lot of them.
You wouldn't think that an episode based on the premise of Cartman luring Kyle into the seedy underground world of crack baby basketball—a sport that, as its name suggests, consists entirely of malnourished crack babies tussling over a little ball filled with cocaine—would need any further leavening, but let's get our one minor criticism out of the way first. "Crack Baby Athletic Association" was such a direct commentary on the NCAA and its treatment of college athletes that the episode couldn't help but get on its soapbox a little. And that moment came approximately halfway through, when Cartman adopted his Southern alter ego "Eric P. Cartman" (as the Dukes Of Hazzard taught us, all it takes is adding the middle initial "P." to make you sound like a pompous hick) and stormed the dean's office at the University of Colorado Boulder to inquire pointedly about the "slaves" on its basketball team.
Now, saying that this scene bordered on preachy isn't a knock on its message: Many have argued that college athletes do tend to get royally screwed by their institutions—all of which make a huge profit off of everything from ticket sales to licensing deals while the people actually doing the work are expressly forbidden from making a dime—and there's every reason to stick it to the NCAA in this regard. And it's not even a knock on how overall funny the scene was, as Cartman certainly made for a fine plantation owner ("Screw you, sirruh, I'm a-goin' home"), and his switch to a conspiratorial whisper as he asked the dean flat out how he got away with it had its own mischievous, Bugs Bunny-esque charm. But this scene, combined with Kyle's repeated, one-sided attempts at justifying the league for all the attention it brought to otherwise-ignored crack babies (the scholarships and potential NBA pathways provided to college athletes, in other words), made "Crack Baby Athletic Association" a particularly talky episode, one that seemed unwilling to leave anything to subtlety, lest anyone miss the fact that, yes, it was definitely about the NCAA.
Luckily it didn't apply that blunt pressure everywhere: "CBAA" was far slyer in the scene where Kyle proposes building an orphanage for their exploited crack babies, and Cartman rejoices because it will look like they're also giving their athletes "a place to live and grow for a few years" as a trade-off. And Cartman's visit to an expectant crack mother as he lays out his hoop dreams for her unborn child got right to the heart of the bureaucratic nonsense of the matter, with Cartman explaining he couldn't very well change the rules of the "historic franchise" of crack baby basketball, founded 12 long days ago, because he didn't make the rules—he just thought them up and wrote them down. (Less poignant but much funnier was Cartman's incredulous response to amending them on his office whiteboard: "What do you want me to do—find a stepladder of some kind and risk my safety to get up there and change the rules?") These went a long way toward keeping the episode from being completely heavy-handed.
Meta Quest Pro
Mixed reality
The Meta Quest Pro centers on working, creating, and collaborating in a virtual space.
And again, while the episode tended to grind on its message, it was abated by some especially top-notch ridiculousness—particularly the subplot about Clyde and Craig discovering the truth about Slash, which I'm guessing will end up outshining even the crack babies and the digs at the NCAA to be this episode's most lasting legacy. For good reason, too: Casting Slash as a benevolent, omnipresent, Santa-like figure is one of the show's greatest celebrity alternate realities since it brought in Mel Gibson as a poop-smearing masochist, or revealed that Robert Smith is capable of transforming into a giant moth. (Hopefully it will think to bring Slash back for a proper Christmas episode.) Plus, it explains so much about why Slash ever agreed to play with the Black Eyed Peas at the Super Bowl; knowing that it was probably just my dad in a top hat will make me sleep a little sounder tonight.
I also enjoyed Cartman's surprisingly easy beguiling of Kyle, who's seduced by a whirlwind of flashy karaoke club sequences, some smooth "the world is ours for the taking" talk straight out of Wall Street or Boiler Room (or The Social Network, for you young'uns), and the irresistible lure of bacon pancakes. Like the crumbling of his kosherness in the face of so much delicious bacon, Kyle's rare step away from his usual moral standards, though it initially seemed out of character, was one of the more nuanced aspects of the episode, proving that the argument really isn't so cut and dry as "college athletes are slaves," and allowing that there are at least a few more angles to it than that, including the obvious (and defensible) belief of recruiters that they're actually doing some good. Again, I didn't love that Kyle simply talked through these ideas in long, circuitous monologues, but I did like Stan's pointed non-reaction to them—or better yet, his trenchant remark that Kyle was saying exactly what Cartman would say, spurring Kyle's terrible self-realization that indeed he, too, could be corruptible. In the world of South Park, tiny moments like these actually count as big leaps forward in characterization.
Finally, you have to admire the way things wrapped up both appropriately thematic and totally absurd, beginning with the tables being turned and the boys falling prey to the even more underhanded contract dealings of EA Sports and its own ruthless slaveowner-like manager. Screwed out of so much as a free copy of the videogame they'd helped to create according to the company's equally irrational rules, Cartman and the other managers of the Crack Baby Athletic Association are left with nothing but the cold comfort that they briefly "got to play with the big boys," and maybe the knowledge that they learned a lesson or two of their own about trusting corporations and always reading your contracts carefully.
But rather than dwell on this with an "I learned something today" speech—a conceit South Park seems to have totally dropped this season—things came to a close with a last-minute intervention from Slash, who was revealed to have created the crack baby orphanage anyway, out of the love and caring that he stands for (or did he?). And thus, "CBAA" ended things by having it both ways, hitting its message hard one last time, then veering wildly away to a magical place where Slash watches over us from the stars. If not quite the gleefully escalating lunacy of last week, it was another solid balance of satire, character, and hilariously stupid shit.
Stray observations:
- Let's take a moment to discuss in very annoying, humorless fashion some of the logistical quibbles with a business that makes money off of crack babies playing basketball, shall we? First of all, where is Cartman getting his crack? Is he stealing it all from his mom? If so, don't you think she would notice and say, "Hey, where's all my crack going?" If not, and accepting the idea that Cartman is an atypical fourth-grader who would have no qualms about negotiating with crack dealers, doesn't it seem like a good portion of his overhead would go into securing more crack, and wouldn't that at the very least play havoc with Kyle's bookkeeping? And either way, what sort of major corporation would even consider licensing deals with a business that not only involves an illegal narcotic, but advertises that involvement right there in its name for all the authorities to see? And hey, for that matter, how does one make money off posting videos of crack babies to the Internet in the first place? When Cartman says he's clearing $1,000 in six days, is that "Internet dollars" like in "Canada On Strike"? How could anyone call that a proper "business"? And so on.
- "Hello, I'm Sarah McLachlan, and I was famous for two months."
- "Sarah McLachlan touched my heart—is that so hard to believe?"
- Basically, a hearty "yes" to anything making fun of Sarah McLachlan and her misery porn PSAs.
- "We're swimming in cash. Let me take you out to Denny's."
- Dear hypothetical irate Canadian: Yes, we know that poutine also involves cheese curds. You are adorable.
- "Slash isn't a person. He's more like a feeling in your heart."
- "Now let's part with that old EA Sports saying: Get the fuck out of my building."


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Halloween brings out the kid in all of us. Although for the adults, it's really about dressing up in wild costumes for a fun party or decorating the house to scare the bejeebus out of any visitors. For kids, Halloween is still all about the candy. It's quite a unique holiday that, over time, has evolved into telling ghost stories and hording sweets.
Several candy companies have gotten into the spirit of Halloween by developing their own version of gross-out treats, which you can enjoy all year around.
Here then are the top 10 grossest Halloween candies:
10. Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans
If you're a true Muggle, you might not have any idea what these special jellybeans are all about. But true devotees of the world of Harry Potter are quite familiar with Bertie Botts and her confectionary concoctions. Borrowing a page from the best-selling novels and popular film franchise, this collection of jelly beans come in such delightful flavors as dirt, ear wax, rotten egg, soap and vomit. There are some regular good tasting jellybeans in each batch but buyer beware!
9. Sour Flush Toilet Candy
It's a toilet full of sugar! It's a plunger lollipop! It's both! Sour Flush Toilet Candy is shaped like an actual tiny toilet. You flip the lid and dip in one of your flavored lollipop plungers and, "Voila!"- you've got a tasty treat simulating the unclogging of your toilet. Insert your own joke here.
8. Crime Scene Candy Tubes
Nothing says Halloween like a good old-fashioned crime scene. Now the kiddies can get in on all the CSI fun with their own edible Crime Scene Candy Tube. Each tube is filled with drinkable goodness in three flavors: Blood, Urine and Saliva. Yes, that's Blood, Urine and Saliva (or cherry, lemonade and apple if you're being picky).
7. Box of Boogers
Full disclosure: you won't really know you're eating simulated boogers unless you have the actual Box of Boogers handy. Each individual booger looks like it could really be a typical piece of gummy green or yellow candy. But thanks to the packaging that proudly proclaims "Tangy gummy boogies that look and feel real" you won't soon forget what you're supposed to be chewing on.
6. Scorpion Suckers and Chocolate Covered Bugs
Wasn't there always a kid in every neighborhood who would eat a bug for a nickel? Now everyone can get into that act with these actual ants, crickets dipped in chocolate or scorpions encased in lollipop candy. They are completely edible and taste great, so the reviews say. Fear Factor candy anyone?
5: Nose Hose
You know you're in for a tasty treat with a candy slogan that is "It's snot what you think!" The Nose Hose works on the simple principle of strapping a big plastic nose on your face then having a tube run through to drip sweet tasting liquid onto your waiting tongue. Fun for the whole family.
4. Ear Wax Candy
Keeping with the "what can we eat from our head" theme, Ear Wax Candy is perfect for when you've got a craving to eat some ear wax but don't really want to eat actual ear wax. You get a big plastic ear with a handy ear drum snap lid. Inside the ear canal is a fruity-jelly like substance that approximates ear wax. You dip in your plastic swab, scoop out some ear goop and lick away.
3. Zit Poppers
How devastating was it to discover a pimple on the eve of the big dance? Or to have your graduation photo ruined because of an errant blemish. Ahh, to be young again with a face full of acne. Now you can relive all those wonderful moments of teenage angst with Zip Poppers. Imagine gummi candies shaped like huge pimples loaded with gooey jelly that you squeeze or pop out to taste. Available in strawberry and watermelon just like regular acne.
2. Chocka Ca-Ca
As the name implies, Chock Ca-Ca are bite size pieces of chocolate shaped to look just like what babies leave behind in their diapers. And if you need more convincing, each piece of Chock Ca-Ca actually comes wrapped in their own diaper. This unique treat comes in blue for boys and pink for girls packaging. Won't it be fun to bring this gift at your next baby shower? Chances are you'll never be invited to another baby shower. Mission accomplished. (Image: itsstupid.com.)
1. Lick Your Wounds Candy
Have you ever found yourself wearing a Band-Aid and wishing you could pull it off and lick a piece of candy underneath? Well, now you can with these delightful candy scabs. Underneath the pad of a typical Band-Aid is a lollipop-style hard candy that you can take a few licks of and then replace. S-w-e-e-e-e-e-e-t. Just be on the lookout for skin hair. Did we mention this is gross candy?
By Rick Bitzman
What was your favorite Halloween candy?
by Rick Bitzman


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3T Eye is a robust, handlebar-mounted digital display that supports navigation and training.
It monitors the outputs both of training aids communicating via ANT+, and smartphones communicating via Bluetooth.
Paired with a suitable input device, it's capable of displaying key data such as speed, cadence, heart-rate, altitude, and power, in real time.
In Bike Mode, 3T Eye automatically pairs with any ANT+ sensor, such as a heart-rate monitor or power meter, and displays the data on its screen.
In Smart Bridge Mode, it captures data from an ANT+ sensor and transmits it via Bluetooth 4.0 to a compatible sports app running on a smartphone, as well as displaying the data.
In Smartphone Mode, it exchanges data automatically with the 3T Cycling app (available for Apple IoS™) running on a smartphone, enabling real-time data display, monitoring, and recording. Most important for many riders is speed, which is calculated using the phone's GPS.
3T Eye's miniature, line-of-sight display means there's no need to take the phone out of your jersey pocket to check your numbers. Key training data is always visible, while your costly and fragile smartphone is kept securely out of harm's way. 3T Eye fits a Barfly 2.0 mount, and there's a neat 3T stem faceplate adaptor for maximum convenience and security (for ARX II only).
* The 3T Cycling app is compatible with iPhone 4 and later and is available now in the Apple App Store.


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Sunda Tech (HK) Ltd Try To Establish A Global Supply System For Electric Field & Industry Automation
Sunda Tech (HK) Ltd is a company that is involved in the distribution of industry automation and electric field. The company is based in China. It was founded in the year 2005 and has been able to establish a global supply system.
Press Release
China. 24th July 2017: In modern times the economy has been functioning on the key factors of demand and supply of goods and services. However, there are a number of people who play important roles in all economic transactions, such as the manufacturer, the distributor, the wholesaler, the retailer, etc. They work in their own capacities for the smooth functioning of the complex process of transactions that take place simultaneously. The domains of industry automation and electric goods are a part of the larger economy. They are in a dynamic process as they make advancements in technology and are upgraded from time to time.
Sunda Tech (HK) Ltd is a distributor in the fields of electric goods and industry automation. The company has an overseas experience if 10 years and caters to its customers across the world. They work with some of the world famous brands. It has been able to establish a global supply system because of which they have gained a reputation for being consistent and reliable. They seek to build communication between themselves and their partners on the basis of culture, technology and information. Some of the brands they deal with include Mitsubishi, Siemens, Omron, SICK, Pro-face, fanuc, Schneider, Fuji, etc.
The company presents its exclusive range of photoelectric switch. The wide variety of switches includes E2K-F10MC1, e2k-c25mf1, Omron photoelectric switches, etc. For checking out each of their switches, customers can visit their website. It features all the details along with specifications.
Sunda Tech (HK) Ltd also distributes temperature controller. These are available in different capacities and come with various specifications as per the requirement of the consumers. The range of temperature controllers includes E5CN-Q2MT-500, e5cn-c2t, Omron temperature controllers, etc.
The company is also involved in the distribution of Omron plc. The range offered by them includes products such as CP1E-N40DR-D, c200-hw-bc101-v1, Omron plc, etc. Sunda Tech (HK) Ltd is backed by its workers who have many years of experience in their field. They are committed to provide the beast services to their customers within affordable prices, so as to ensure high levels of customer satisfaction.
The details and descriptions of all the products and services provided by the company are available on the company's website. Customers can also send in enquiries by contacting the company's representatives in case of any doubts.
About Sunda Tech (HK) Ltd
Sunda Tech (HK) Ltd is a distributor of industry automation and electric goods. It was founded in 2005 and it is based in China. To know more about the company, please visit their official website.
Person: Gilbert
Company: Sunda Tech (HK) Ltd
Add: 2607 Wenan centre NO.1010 wenjin north road Luohu District,shenzhen,China 518020
Tel: 13750014627
Site: www.automation-part.com
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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"The less one notices happiness, the greater it is."
How interesting that Moravia's Contempt, and Tolstoy's Anna Karenina should begin with the concept of happiness. It is a place to start, to be sure, for a novel about marriage. But, how often is it the place to end?
Riccardo Molteni's marriage to Emilia quickly falters within the first few pages of the novel. A script writer without much money, he is determined to provide a home for her; perhaps unwisely he rents a flat which he cannot afford, causing him to associate with film producers and directors for work when he would prefer to write for the theater.
Emilia's enthusiasm for her home depicts the only joy we see from her in the entire novel. Before it is even furnished, she unreservedly displays her affection for her husband on the dusty floor. But, is she loving her husband or what he has provided?
The kiss over, in a very low voice that was like an inarticulate breath and yet was melodious, melting, she murmured in my ear–or at least so it seemed to me–that I should take her; and meanwhile, with all the weight of her body, she was pulling me down towards the floor. We made love on the floor, on the dusty tiles, under the sill of the window I had meant to open. Yet in the ardor of that embrace, so unrestrained and so unusual, I was conscious not only of the love she felt for me at that time, but more particularly of the outpouring of her repressed passion for a home, which in her expressed itself quite naturally through the channel of unforeseen sensuality. In that embrace, in fact, consummated on that dirty floor, in the chilly gloom of the empty flat, she was giving herself, so I felt to the giver of the home, not the husband.
How surprised he is when not long after, she takes the pillow from their bed to the divan in the living room where she wants to sleep alone. Emilia contends that she cannot sleep with the early morning light coming in through opened shutters, with his snoring, with him next to her in bed. No matter what compromise he is willing to make, she insists on this new arrangement. And then comes fully half of the book which involves Molteni obsessing about his wife not loving him any more.
We do not know why she doesn't love him any longer, but frankly, I didn't find much affection for him either. He seemed paranoid and weak, whining endlessly about her not loving him as she once did, and therefore he could not love his job.
Then I understood that, during the last month, I had been seeking all the time to accustom myself to an intolerable situation, but that I had not, in reality, succeeded: I could not endure to go on living in that way, what with Emilia who did not love me and my work which, owing to her not loving me, I could not love. And suddenly I said to myself: "I can't go on like this. I must have an explanation with Emilia, once and for all..and if necessary, part from her and give up my work as well."
But, Riccardo does not readily get an explanation from Emilia. Nor does he give up his job. Instead, he puts up with Emilia's indifference just as he succumbs to the will of Battista, a film producer who invites Riccardo, Emilia and Rheingold, a German director, to his villa in Capri. Battista is a large, loud, dominating man who manipulates situations to get what he wants, which happens to include the affections of Emilia.
Battista and Rheingold plan to make a film of The Odyssey, particularly the story of Ulysses and Penelope. Battista feels that it should be an adventure film; Rheingold wants it to take on a psychological perspective. Moravia draws an apt parallel between Ulysses and Penelope, and Riccardo and Emilia, through Rheingold's point of view.
"Penelope, being proud and dignified, in the antique manner, would like to refuse their (the suitors) presents, would, above all things, like her husband to turn the suitors out. But Ulysses, for some reason that we don't know, but that we shall easily find, does not wish to offend the suitors.
Penelope conceives a deep contempt for him. She feels she no longer loves him and tells him so…Ulysses then realizes, too late, that, by his prudence, he has destroyed Penelope's love."
It is a parallel story in many ways, but Riccardo does not destroy Emilia's love by his prudence. I think instead that he destroys it by his timidity. Neither of them are willing to speak to each other in a straightforward way; neither of them tells the other what he is really feeling.
Our relationship had never been clarified right down to the bare truth, it had always been carried on by means of allusions.
Their situation rises to an enormous misunderstanding, in which the only way Riccardo's anxiety is even slightly appeased is through his dreams of how he wants it to be. Twice Emilia comes to him as his wife; the first to be kissed on the beach where she is sunbathing, the second when she seems to be sitting in the same boat he is rowing the afternoon she has promised to leave him.
But the tragedy lies in the face of reality, that our hopes for love do not a happy marriage make. Only one of Riccardo's last laments rings true for me, "The ambiguity which had poisoned our relationship in life continued even after her death."
Some favorite quotes:
…thought is always more fallible, even in its apparent preciseness, than obscure, confused feeling.
But I loved her, and love has a great capacity not only for illusion but also for forgetfulness.
An uncertain evil causes anxiety because, at the bottom of one's heart, one goes on hoping till the last moment that it may not be true: a certain evil, on the other hand, instills, for a time, a kind of dreary tranquility.
I read this novel with Frances and Richard who hosted it, as well as Ally, Grant, Scott, and Scott G. F. Bailey.


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Saturday, Jul 15, 2023 at 7:00 a.m.
Please call before attending any community events to make sure they aren't postponed or canceled as a result of the coronavirus. You can find CDC coronavirus information at cdc.gov/coronavirus; AARP has additional resources at aarp.org/coronavirus.
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Dayton: Florida case stiffens resolve on gun control
ST. PAUL — Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton said Wednesday that the Florida case involving Trayvon Martin's death in a scuffle with a neighborhood watch volunteer has stiffened his opposition to efforts to expand cases where lethal force is presumed legitimate.
Dayton commented on last weekend's acquittal of George Zimmerman in the fatal shooting of Martin in 2012. Dayton said while he isn't privy to evidence jurors in the case saw, he personally believes Zimmerman "went way beyond what was called for in the situation."
He tied the case to proposals recently before lawmakers to expand Minnesota's stand-your-ground law in which people can use reasonable, potentially deadly force to defend themselves, their home or dwelling. A bill he vetoed in 2012 would have included hotel rooms, tent, cars and boats. Backers say potential victims of crime shouldn't have to retreat from aggressors.
Dayton said the Martin case underscores the need for limits.
"We have to use common sense here. People have the right to protect themselves. On the other hand, we have a sanctity of life that I think we all believe in," Dayton said.
The bill Dayton vetoed passed when Republicans were in control of the Legislature. Democrats now hold both chambers, making a new effort to pass a broader deadly force laws a tougher endeavor.


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As President Obama prepares for his second term, preparations have begun for the traditional shuffling of the Cabinet.
Top priority for the president: filling slots for those top officials heading – if not running – for the door: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Secretary of the Treasury Tim Geithner.
To replace Clinton, Democratic insiders suggest that U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Dr. Susan Rice is the frontrunner, with Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., also a viable candidate.
Rice has been harshly criticized by Republicans for the erroneous comments she made on Sunday news talk shows after the attack on the U.S. compound in Benghazi, Libya, comments that were based on intelligence reports that falsely blamed the attack on a protest against an anti-Muslim video. When the president, during his recent press conference, offered a vociferous defense of Rice, many of those close to him began to suspect he was tipping his hand as to what he might decide.
To replace Geithner at Treasury, White House chief of staff Jack Lew is thought to have the inside track if he wants it, with other possibilities including Neal Wolin, the current deputy secretary of the Treasury and Lael Brainaed, current under secretary of the Treasury for international affairs.
Other informed sources suggest that there is consideration being given to a business/CEO type such as investor Roger Altman, former Time/Warner chair Richard Parsons, and Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg.
Those are the two most pressing jobs to fill, with Clinton exhausted from a long stretch in government – eight years as first lady, eight as senator, and four as secretary of state – and the president having personally promised Geithner's wife that he could leave as soon as possible after the election.
Any of the business/CEO types being discussed for treasury secretary could also serve as secretary of commerce, a position that for the Obama administration has proved as troublesome as the role of drummer in Spinal Tap. Jeff Zients, the acting director of the Office of Management & Budget, is said to be under consideration.
It's too flip to refer to it as a consolation prize, but informed sources say that – with Defense Secretary Leon Panetta also planning on leaving – Kerry could be offered the position secretary of defense if he wants it, though the Massachusetts senator has suggested he only wants State. Another option, Michelle Flournoy, a former under secretary of defense for Policy, would be the first female to serve in that position. There was some discussion of National Security Adviser Tom Donilon moving across the river, but it seems clear, sources say, that he's staying where he is.
If Lew leaves to take the position at Treasury, some possible replacements for him as chief of staff include deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough or Vice President Biden's current chief of staff Ron Klain. Tom Nides, deputy secretary of state for management and resources, has also been discussed.
President Obama's senior adviser David Plouffe has also long discussed leaving the White House. There are many options to fill his shoes, including the elevation of communications director Dan Pfeiffer. Also possible: bringing back former press secretary Robert Gibbs, or former deputy chief of staff/campaign manager Jim Messina. Another option might be to bring in some of the people who were part of the messaging shop in the campaign – David Simus, who served as director of opinion research for the campaign, or Larry Grisolano, who did ads for campaign.


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Grown men who play professional baseball like to celebrate momentous victories by furiously shaking bottles of Champagne and spraying other grown men in the face. It's such a rich tradition that we've made a happy little gallery. Enjoy!
2009: Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees. [New York Daily News]
2009: Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. [Reuters, via Yahoo! News]
2009: Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals [Reuters, via Yahoo! News]
2008: Tampa Bay Rays [Getty, via ESPN]
2008: B.J. Upton, Tampa Bay Rays [Reuters, via Boston Globe]
2008: Chicago Cubs [Sporting News]
2008: Los Angeles Dodgers [AP, via SI.com]
2008: Philadelphia Phillies [Ump Bump]
2008: Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers [The Fightins]
2008: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox [Boston Herald]
2007: David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox [Boston Globe]
2007: Jimmy Rollins, Philadelphia Phillies [Flyers Fieldhouse]
2007: Jonathan Papelbon, Boston Red Sox [Lard Lad's Flickr account]
2007: TV reporter Jade McCarthy, Philadelphia Phillies [The Fightins]
2007: Arizona Diamondbacks [tep.imagen's Flickr account]
2007: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees [Flyers Fieldhouse]
2005: Ozzie Guillen, Chicago White Sox [sscornelius' Flickr account]
1990: Rob Dibble, Cincinnati Reds [Cincinnati Enquirer]
1977: Tommy Lasorda, Los Angeles Dodgers [Blue Heaven]
1972: Ken Forsch, Houston Astros [Houston Astros, via Astros Daily]
1969: Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman, New York Mets [Collect Sports]
1969: New York Mayor John Lindsay, New York Mets [New York Observer]
1963: Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles Dodgers [Blue Heaven]


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Merrimack mother sentenced in child's drowning
Melissa Gutierrez charged with negligent homicide
A Merrimack mother charged with negligent homicide in the death of her son was sentenced Monday for 5 to 10 years in state prison.
Prosecutors said that Melissa Gutierrez, 28, left her two children, ages 2 years old and 8 months old, in her bath tub with the water running in 2011.
They said she stepped away long enough for the tub to overflow and water to drip to the floor below. The 8-month-old, Christian, drowned in the tub.
Gutierrez took the stand Monday before sentencing, testifying that her life was filled with drugs, death and hardship.
"I'm angry at myself, but I'm just angry at the situation. It wasn't supposed to happen like that," said Gutierrez.
She described what happened the day her son died.
"There was a little water on the floor, so I ran upstairs," said Gutierrez. "JJ was standing in the back, and Christian was floating in the water."
Gutierrez's mother told News 9 that her daughter is not a monster and that the accident could have happened to anyone.
"I wish more than ever that I could have my son back. Not that I'm suicidal, but there are days when I wish I could just be with my son," said Gutierrez.
The judge spent considerable time explaining to Gutierrez that negligence is not an accident and the difference between legal guilt and "mommy" guilt.
The judge also acknowledged the immense sadness in Gutierrez's life and her lengthy criminal record when issuing the sentence.


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Hi Friends!
This is one of two blog posts for today.
If you are looking for the Blog Hop post that features Chibitronics and Honey Bee Stamps click —>HERE<—
Thank you so much for joining in on the World Cardmaking Day fun with KatScrappiness.com!
Today all of the designers are participating in a fun blog hop with their take on the first Kat Scrappiness Mood Board Challenge! There will be lots of prizes to be won and several chances to win. Make sure you comment on all the designers blog posts today for several chances to win and then make a card (or any project) inspired from our mood board and link up to the Kat Scrappiness blog before Monday October 9th for a chance at winning one of several prizes! Winners will be announced on that blog post Tuesday October 10th by Noon PST. Don't forget you can get 15% off in the KatScrappiness.com shop today only! Use Code "IMAKECARDS" at checkout!
Here is the Mood Board that is apart of the challenge and what has inspired my project today!
And here is my card inspired by the images above:
I just love the adorable layered owl die from Katscrappiness.com so I decided to gather some paper scraps I had leftover from the 6×6 paper collection "Hello Fall" By echo park. I absolutely love these patterned papers and it fit so well with today's challenge!
I added some Distress oxide ink for added dimension as well as some eyebrows with a black marker. I also darkened the center of the eyes with a black glitter pen. Then I pieced everything together for the little owl.
I took several pieces of patterned paper and a piece of vellum and cut different size Ovals from the Kat Scrappiness Never ending Oval die set and layered them together with a mix of doubled up thick cardstock spacers or foam tape in between. This allowed room to place little leaves and sequins in between the layers as well as a hand cut branch that I colored with Distress oxide ink.
I hope you have been inspired by my little owl card today! Below is the list of all the designers participating in the blog hop, Make sure you stop by and see what project(s) they have to inspire you today!
Kat Scrappiness Designers (Blog Hop Links)
To go to the Kat Scrappiness Shop Click HERE and save 15% off your total purchase today (10/7/17) only! To go to the Mood Board Challenge blog post click HERE and enter your card for a chance to win fabulous prizes!
Thanks for stopping by… Happy World CARDMAKING Day!


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GC hoops teams cruise past visiting Pensacola
PANAMA CITY — It was a risk worth taking.
Tamara Taylor's insertion back into the rotation late in the first half despite her two fouls proved fruitful for Gulf Coast on Saturday night in an 86-45 drubbing of Pensacola in a Panhandle Conference women's basketball game.
The Lady Commodores (19-3, 4-2 Panhandle) ended a two-game losing skid with the win at the Billy Harrison Field House. Pensacola (11-9, 0-5) remained winless in conference play. Paired with Chipola's 61-58 home win over Northwest Florida State, the result forced a three-way tie for first place in the Panhandle.
GC constructed an early double-digit lead against the Lady Pirates, turning a 4-4 tie into a 17-4 cushion following a 13-0 run in which the Lady Commodores held Pensacola scoreless for 7½ minutes.
GC's offense stagnated late in the half, however, opening the door for Pensacola to trim its deficit to 24-18 on Ricki Alex's bucket. Taylor, who was benched with 17:26 left in the half after picking up her second foul, returned to the floor for the final two minutes and sparked the Lady Commodores.
Taylor's layin ended a six-minute scoring drought for GC and gave her team a 26-18 lead with 1:50 left before halftime. Taylor proceeded to add an offensive putback 35 seconds later, a 3-pointer with 32 seconds left and a pull-up 15-foot jumper for a 33-20 lead as time expired in the half.
GC coach Vernette Skeete could have kept Taylor planted on the bench and ensured her player had three fouls remaining for the second half. Instead, Skeete saw her team needed a lift and put her most experienced scorer back on the floor.
"I put her in there to give us some consistent points and so we could see what we were doing was working," Skeete said.
Taylor was glad that the team had put its two-game hiccup behind it.
"After two losses we had to come back and play together as a team," Taylor said. "We didn't do that the last two games."
The Lady Commodores carried their momentum into the second half, scoring the first seven points out of the locker room to take a 40-20 lead and leave Pensacola's players looking dispirited. GC outscored the Lady Pirates 53-25 in the second half, and the final score also was GC's largest lead of the contest.
Taylor was one of four GC players to finish with 14 points, joining Jessica Morton, Rose Rosario and Sarah Woods.
Allysia Rohlehr led all scorers with 16 points for the Lady Pirates.
Gulf Coast men 65, Pensacola 56
The Gulf Coast men put an end to their own two-game losing streak, heating up in the second half offensively to seize control and pull away for the conference win.
The Commodores (18-5, 3-3) trailed 26-24 at halftime after shooting just 7 for 25 from the field in the opening 20 minutes. GC was far more assertive offensively in the second half, and the Pirates (16-7, 2-3) were unable to keep pace.
GC moved into third place and remained a game behind Chipola (21-2, 4-2), which defeated first-place Northwest Florida State 82-79 on Saturday. The Raiders (19-2, 5-1) lead the Indians by a game.
"It helped open things up when we got some transition buckets off some long rebounds and turnovers," GC coach Jay Powell said.
GC gained a 28-26 lead on Leonard Smith's layin early in the second half, and Chad Frazier's 3-pointer minutes later extended the Commodore lead to 32-27. Devin Wilson did his part to keep Pensacola in contention with four 3-pointers in a seven-minute span, but no other Pirate player scored during that window as GC stretched its lead.
Zach Reynolds delivered three big buckets during a 12-3 run, the last of which was a pretty turnaround jumper from the post that gave the Commodores a 46-36 lead with 10 minutes remaining. Another reserve, Dylan Smith, added a key 3-pointer during that spurt.
"Those types of shots allow you to separate a little bit," Powell said.
Pensacola's last gasp came with 5 minutes remaining when Denzel Richardson drilled a 3-pointer to pull his team within 52-45, but GC answered with eight straight points to put the contest out of reach.
Five GC players scored in double figures. Devon Baulkman tossed in 15, Chad Frazier had 12, Leonard Smith and Jose Rodrigues each added 11, and Reynolds had 10. Smith also contributed with nine rebounds for the Commodores, who outrebounded Pensacola 41-35.
Qiydar Davis led the Pirates with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Wilson added 12.


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Tom Attwater is dying of a brain tumor, but he isn't worried about his cancer. Instead, he is trying to save his 5 year-old daughter from her own.
Tom Attwater with daughter Kelli and wife Joely
He has vowed to raise approximately $820,200.00 for her cancer treatment, even if he wouldn't be around to see her go through it.
Now Tom is almost half way to his fundraising target he is more adamant than ever to reach it. Tragically his deadline is short as his latest scans show his brain tumour is growing.
He says: "These days people make bucket lists, and the very top of mine – the one that matters most – is raising money to make sure Kelli gets the medical help she might need.
"Some people have advised me to slow down and concentrate on enjoying the rest of my days. But how can I knowing…
View original post 1,700 more words


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Stop the motherfucking presses, you guys: Katy Perry and Russell Brand are about to get a divorce. Love is over forever.
TMZ is reporting that Brand was the one to file papers, citing "irreconcilable differences." The two were married in late 2010 in India and have, thankfully, refrained from reproducing. Katy Perry's post-divorce plans may include forlornly shooting tears from her breasts and making an album wherein she alternately questions Brand's sexuality and provocatively praises Jesus while licking a candy Bible. Hopefully, this means that Brand will halt his gradual and upsetting transformation from hilarious disheveled British comic to clean cut movie headlining Weird Al Yankovic clone.
Obviously, we'll be reporting more from this earth shattering development as the story unfolds.


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Absences pile up at Carrollton school as sickness spreads
Associated Press
CARROLLTON, Ga. - Administrators at a west Georgia elementary school are hoping the upcoming spring break will interrupt a cycle of sickness that led to more than 150 absences.
Officials say 159 children out of the 952 students enrolled at Central Elementary School were out sick Wednesday with a variety of illnesses. School officials tell WSB-TV (http://bit.ly/Xd58Cs) that the number is about 100 more than on a typical day.
In a letter sent home to parents, school administrators said fever and nausea have struck some students. Officials said strep throat and flu were to blame for some other absences.
The school is about 50 miles southwest of Atlanta.