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Kudlow – clips from Boehner speech at Economic Club of NY on Debt Limit Increase
Update: Video embed addedVodpod videos no longer available.
http://video.cnbc.com/gallery/?video=3000021046. Click through to view.
Text of speech at TheCorner. Emphasis Mine:
Remarks by House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH)
Economic Club of New York, New York, NY
As Prepared for Delivery
May 9, 2011
"Chairman Tisch, thank you for that introduction. And thank you for the chance to be here.
"Let me start by expressing my admiration for what you do. You come from many different backgrounds. But you're united by a common interest in the prosperity and security of our nation.
"Last night marked one week since the operation against Osama bin Laden, the man who orchestrated the horrific attack upon this city nearly 10 years ago.
"Bringing justice to Bin Laden was an important moment for America and all of the free world. But the challenges that lie ahead here at home remain formidable.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to share my thoughts tonight on how we need to address those challenges together, as a nation.
"I came to be Speaker of the House by way of small business.
"Before I ran for Congress, I was president of a small business in West Chester, Ohio — Nucite Sales. We were manufacturers representatives in the packaging and plastics industry.
"But Nucite wasn't my first life experience with small business. That came earlier, when my brothers and I grew up mopping the floors of Andy's Cafe, a tavern outside of Cincinnati established in the 1930s by my grandpa, Andrew, and run for decades by my dad, Earl.
"It would be fair to say I'm not from around here. I come from a working class family of what you'd call Kennedy Democrats. I have 11 brothers and sisters.
"These experiences taught me a lot, long before I entered government service.
"They taught me our economy is a product of our people. Our economy does best when government respects our people enough to give them the freedom to do what they do best.
"I believe our mission as legislators is to liberate our economy from the things that impede growth. . .to provide clear policies, so that innovators and entrepreneurs have the green light to move forward and create jobs, without having to worry about second-guessing from Washington.
"My message to you tonight is that we will not succeed in balancing the federal budget and overcoming the challenges of our debt until we commit ourselves to government policies that will let our economy achieve long-term growth. Our economy won't grow as long as we continue to trip it up with short-term gimmicks from Washington.
"Many of our problems can be traced to a misguided belief by politicians that the American economy is something that can be controlled or micromanaged or influenced positively by government intervention and borrowing.
"All too often, rather than providing long-term policies that will help our economy expand, government offers short-term fixes that do little right away, and end up making things worse over time.
"When things aren't going well in our economy, the impulse in Washington is usually to respond with something big…something quote-unquote 'comprehensive.' The assumption is that this will provide reassurance to job creators. But it usually has the opposite effect in practice.
"We saw this with Dodd-Frank. There was a financial meltdown in our country, and millions of Americans were hit hard. But Washington's response was all wrong.
"We got a banking system that is less competitive, pitting the small community banks like the ones in my district against giant banks that the federal government deems 'too big to fail.'
"We got a consolidated banking system with a small number of large firms operating as public utilities.
"We got a lot of new rules that make job creation and investment more difficult.
"And the government mortgage companies that triggered the whole meltdown went untouched.
"For job creators, the 'promise' of a large new initiative coming out of Washington is more like a threat. It freezes them. Instead of investing in new employees or new equipment, they make the logical decision to stand pat.
"The American economy is the sum total of the hard work and ingenuity of our people.
"When the economy grows, it's not because of a new government program or spending initiative. It's because a lot of people in the private sector worked hard, and were successful in overcoming the obstacles thrown in their path.
"The rash of 'stimulus' legislation passed by Congress in recent years has been one of those obstacles.
"The recent stimulus spending binge hurt our economy and hampered private sector job creation in America.
"The effect of adding nearly a trillion dollars to our national debt — money borrowed mostly from foreign investors — caused a further erosion of economic confidence in America, and increased uncertainty for millions of private-sector job creators.
"The massive borrowing and spending by the Treasury Department crowded out private investment by American businesses of all sizes.
"Americans were told the stimulus would create millions of new jobs, and that most of them would be private sector jobs. It didn't happen.
"Job creators were looking for certainty. You don't get long-term certainty from short-term government programs.
"The lesson of the stimulus era is that short-term government intervention is no substitute for long-term economic investment, private initiative, and freedom.
"I believe it's time to leave that era behind.
"We've also seen the arrogance of government recently in the skyrocketing gas prices our citizens and businesses are dealing with.
"There's a clear connection between high gas prices and the weak dollar that some in Washington have quietly welcomed over the past couple of years.
"It's well known that when you print tons of money, the dollar sinks, and the price of food and energy rises — significantly. Yet the American people are told there is nothing that can be done about it. This is simply untrue.
"Washington has also kept most of our nation's vast energy resources under lock and key for decades, over the clear objections of the American people — the people who own those resources.
"If we had listened to the people decades ago — or even a few years ago — many of these resources would be available to us right now to lower the price of energy. And we would probably have about a million private-sector jobs in America that we don't currently have.
"Instead what Washington has done is raise the specter of higher taxes, creating more uncertainty for those in America who create jobs.
"Washington's arrogance has triggered a political rebellion in our country.
"I don't think 'rebellion' is too strong of a word. The revolt we have seen by ordinary citizens over the past few years is like nothing we've seen in our lifetime. And it's happening in part because the arrogant habits of Washington are having real economic consequences.
"The debt limit debate presents our nation's leaders with the opportunity to reverse these habits and prove that we're starting to get the message. It's a chance to change course and admit that reactionary, short-term Washington solutions aren't always best.
"Creating a sustainable fiscal structure for the federal government is essential for long-term economic growth. Particularly when it comes to entitlements.
"We have a chance to provide certainty to job creators by signaling that our government is finally set to take a new approach when it comes to the spending and borrowing that has put us so deeply in debt.
"As you know, the president has asked Congress to increase the debt limit, and to do so without preconditions.
"There are those who insist we shouldn't 'play games' with it.
"Others have gone further. One prominent figure even went so far as to say 'the people who are threatening not to pass the debt ceiling are our version of Al-Qaeda terrorists.'
"With all due respect, this is the arrogance of power — and the American people won't stand for it.
"This is the time to end the spending binge and prioritize and modernize what we spend.
"There's a reason the debt limit can't be increased without a vote of Congress. The debt limit is set in statute specifically so that the executive and legislative branches of our government have to deal with the difficult fiscal choices we face.
"I know there are many in this room who are uneasy with this debate. I understand your concerns.
"It's true that allowing America to default would be irresponsible. But it would be more irresponsible to raise the debt ceiling without simultaneously taking dramatic steps to reduce spending and reform the budget process.
"To increase the debt limit without simultaneously addressing the drivers of our debt — in defiance of the will of our people — would be monumentally arrogant and massively irresponsible.
"It would send a signal to investors and entrepreneurs everywhere that America still is not serious about dealing with our spending addiction.
"It would erode confidence in our economy and reduce certainty for small businesses. And this would destroy even more American jobs.
"So let me be as clear as I can be. Without significant spending cuts and reforms to reduce our debt, there will be no debt limit increase. And the cuts should be greater than the accompanying increase in debt authority the president is given.
"We should be talking about cuts of trillions, not just billions.
"They should be actual cuts and program reforms, not broad deficit or debt targets that punt the tough questions to the future.
"And with the exception of tax hikes — which will destroy jobs — everything is on the table. That includes honest conversations about how best to preserve Medicare, because we all know, with millions of Baby Boomers beginning to retire, the status quo is unsustainable.
"If we don't act boldly now, the markets will act for us very soon. That's the warning we got from Standard & Poor's a few weeks ago.
"If we fail to use this as a moment to demonstrate that we're getting serious about fixing the debt, the result will be fewer jobs, less confidence, and more uncertainty.
"The debt limit debate is critical because it's forcing us to make a choice right now as a nation. It's a choice between the policies of the past, and a new vision that acknowledges we can't tax, borrow and spend our way back to prosperity.
"The big myth of the current budget debate is the notion that in order to balance the budget, we have to raise taxes.
"The truth is we will never balance the budget and rid our children of debt unless we cut spending and have real economic growth. And we will never have real economic growth if we raise taxes on those in America who create jobs.
"I ran for Congress in 1990, the year our nation's leaders struck a so-called bargain that raised taxes as part of a bipartisan plan to balance the budget.
"The result of that so-called bargain was the recession of the early 1990s. It wasn't until the economy picked back up toward the end of that decade that we achieved a balanced budget.
"Today some seem intent on recycling the 1990 budget deal, only this time with much larger tax increases.
"That's not going to happen, and I've told that to the president. A tax hike would wreak havoc not only on our economy's ability to create private-sector jobs, but also on our ability to tackle the national debt.
"Balancing the budget requires spending cuts and economic growth. We won't have economic growth if we raise taxes and fail to address the drivers of our debt.
"The mere threat of tax hikes causes uncertainty for job creators — uncertainty that results in less risk-taking and fewer jobs.
"If we're serious about balancing the budget and getting our economy back to creating jobs, tax hikes should be off the table.
"I mentioned I was raised in a family of Kennedy Democrats. It was before this very club in 1962 that President John F. Kennedy said the following: 'Our true choice is not between tax reduction, on the one hand, and the avoidance of large federal deficits on the other. It is increasingly clear that no matter what party is in power, so long as our [needs] keep rising, an economy hampered by restrictive tax rates will never produce enough revenues to balance our budget — just as it will never produce enough jobs or enough profits.'
"Rather than increase government spending, President Kennedy told the New York Economic Club, we should cut taxes significantly, and take steps to 'increase incentives and the availability of investment capital' for employers.
"I would note that my colleagues and I are not calling for tax cuts in our budget. Rather, we're calling for an end to the threat of tax hikes — and a fundamental reform of the tax code — to provide certainty to those in our country who create jobs. We're calling for an end to the government spending binge that is crowding out private investment and threatening the availability of capital needed for job creation.
"There's another myth I need to address, and that is the myth that addressing our debt challenges requires 'pain.'
"Addressing our debt requires action. 'Pain' comes only from inaction.
"Suffering comes from standing pat and waiting for investors, job creators, and capital markets to impose a solution before elected leaders cannot.
"Root-canal economics has a name, and its name is Doing Nothing. The greatest threat to our economy and our future is doing nothing.
"We urgently need to enact reforms that will protect and preserve critical programs like Medicare and Medicaid.
"If we do nothing, as some propose, that guarantees benefit cuts for seniors.
"Let me repeat that, because it's a crucial point that is too often overlooked.
"If we do nothing, seniors' benefits will be cut.
"And to those who contend that the economy is too weak to take on the challenge of entitlement reform — I would simply say, you've got it backwards.
"The truth is that making fundamental reforms to these programs would be good for the economy — and good for the next generation.
"It's possible to make changes in a way that will ensure future beneficiaries will have access to the same kinds of options as Members of Congress currently have.
"The budget put forth by our Budget Committee Chairman, Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, accomplishes this.
"And instead of raising taxes, it calls for fundamental reform of the tax code — a priority for us that will be led by Dave Camp of Michigan, the chairman of the House Committee on Ways & Means.
"There are also other steps that can be taken immediately to help free our economy and support private-sector job creation. Many of them are outlined in the Pledge to America, the governing agenda we put forth last year by listening to the people.
"We can stop the Environmental Protection Agency from proceeding with a backdoor energy tax that will further increase gas prices and destroy jobs.
"We can pass the REINS Act, authored by my colleague Geoff Davis of Kentucky. It requires congressional approval of any new government rule with an estimated economic cost of $100 million or more.
"We can use trade agreements with Panama, Colombia, and South Korea to create jobs and boost our economy by opening new markets to American exports.
"Coupled with the fundamental spending reforms and tax reforms I've described, these policies will clear a path for long-term, sustained economic growth.
"With such policies in place, the federal budget can be balanced.
"In closing, let me say I'm humbled by the opportunity to serve our country.
"We owe it to the people of our country to ensure that the opportunities our generation had are there for current and future generations.
"We owe them a humbler government that lives within its means and values the entrepreneurial drive of our people, with policies that unleash the awesome potential of our economy.
"For those of us in Washington, this has to be our focus.
"Until our economy is back on track and the American Dream has been restored, there can be no rest.
"It starts with freedom. In America, it always has.
"Thanks for the opportunity to be with you tonight."


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Packers Beat Lions 27-15 to Improve to 11-0
DETROIT – The Green Bay Packers are working on a perfect season. The Detroit Lions have plenty to work on following a slew of physical and mental mistakes.
Aaron Rodgers threw two touchdown passes and the Packers built a big lead in the third quarter, taking advantage of Ndamukong Suh's ejection and beating the Detroit Lions 27-15 Thursday.
The defending champion Packers are 11-0 for the first time in franchise history and have won a team-record 17 straight, including the playoffs.
Green Bay easily passed what was expected to be one of its toughest tests toward joining the 2007 New England Patriots as the NFL's only teams to have 16-0 regular seasons.
The Lions fell to 7-4 -- losing a franchise-record eighth straight Thanksgiving game -- and added to their misery in ugly fashion.
Suh was tossed for stepping on Evan Dietrich-Smith's arm in the third quarter and Matthew Stafford threw three interceptions.
The Packers turned Stafford's interceptions into two TDs and a field goal, going ahead 24-0 late in the third.
Detroit finally scored when Keiland Williams ran for a 16-yard TD with 13:11 left and added a 2-point conversion pass from Stafford to Titus Young. It also scored a meaningless TD on Stafford's 3-yard pass to Calvin Johnson with 11 seconds left.
The Lions raised expectations for their ability to compete and entertain during their annual showcase after losing the last seven games by three-plus TDs on average.
They kept it close early -- in a punt- and penalty-filled first half -- then simply couldn't keep up with Rodgers' passing attack and failed to stay disciplined.
Rogers was 22 of 32 for 307 yards with two TDs -- a 3-yard pass to Greg Jennings with 4:51 left in the first half to make it 7-0 and 65-yard pass to James Jones in the third for a 21-0 lead. He fumbled once, but a teammate recovered the football.
"Second half, we got under center a little bit more, started running some regular offense and just kind of got things going," Rodgers said. "We had a good bead on what they're going to do there in the third quarter and James ran a nice post route and I didn't underthrow him too bad and he ran in for a touchdown. That kind of got us going."
Stafford was 32 of 45 for 276 yards with a TD in the final seconds and three interceptions, getting picked off by Charles Woodson, Clay Matthews and Robert Francois.
Detroit became the NFL's first team to win three games in a season after trailing by 17 points with Sunday's comeback win over Carolina, but the Packers proved they weren't as vulnerable as the Panthers.
Green Bay's winning streak, including its run in the 2010 playoffs, equals the streak the Oakland Raiders had during the 1976-77 seasons.
New England won 18 straight during the 2007 season only to lose to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl.
The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints were the last teams to start a season 11-0, pulling off the feat two years ago.
Detroit's best shot to beat the Packers -- as it did at home last year -- was to knock Rodgers out of the game like they did last year. The Lions gave that tactic their best shot, hitting him even if he had gotten rid of the ball. Kyle Vanden Bosch was flagged for one of those late hits and could've drawn a penalty for doing even more to the star quarterback on the same drive.
Rodgers refused to be rattled, kept his cool and won -- again.

subset: commoncrawl


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Fulbright Scholar Louis Mendy to Lecture on Human Rights Issues in American Literature
Join the Department of Pan-African Studies on Wednesday, Feb 13, at noon for a lunch-and-learn session that will feature a lecture by Fulbright Scholar Louis Mendy, Ph.D. The event takes place in Room 127c main office conference room at Ritchie Hall, which is located at 225 Terrace Drive on the Kent Campus.
Mendy is an associate professor of American literature and civilization at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal. He is at Kent State University this academic year to conduct research on human rights issues in American literature. Mendy also is a human rights defender who has voluntarily worked for Amnesty International in Senegal and London for nearly a decade.
For more information about this event and to participate in upcoming events, contact the Department of Pan-African Studies at 330-672-2300.


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Melanoma Research Foundation and Pale Girl SPEAKS Host Miles for Melanoma Run/Walk at Universal Studios
Mar 15, 2012, 02:25 ET
May 6 Event Will Raise Funds for Melanoma Research, Advocacy and Education During Melanoma Awareness Month
WASHINGTON and LOS ANGELES, March 15, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) and Pale Girl SPEAKS announced today that they will partner in hosting a 5K run/walk on the Universal Studios backlot in Hollywood, California. MRF is the largest independent, national organization devoted to melanoma in the United States. Pale Girl SPEAKS, founded by melanoma activist Hillary Fogelson, is an online resource providing practical advice and tips for living safely in the sun. The run/walk will take place on the backlot of the studio where Hillary's husband, Adam Fogelson, serves as the Chairman of the motion picture group. The Fogelsons will co-chair the event on May 6th and Universal Pictures will be a sponsor. The announcement was made today by MRF Executive Director Tim Turnham and Hillary Fogelson.
The 5K run/walk will allow participants to experience many of the iconic motion picture scenes that populate the Universal Studios backlot. Runners and walkers will see movie sights that are etched into the collective memory of moviegoers, like the re-creation of Amityville Island from Jaws, Spartacus Square and the village of Whoville. In addition to exploring Universal's backlot, participants will be offered critical tips on how to face the sun safely.
"Sun-soaked Los Angeles is a constant battleground which requires real champions in spreading the word about how to protect against the harmful effects of the sun," said Turnham. "We're thrilled to have Hillary and Adam's support in championing our cause and we're looking forward to the event in May."
Pale Girl SPEAKS will support and promote the run/walk through its far-reaching social network. A melanoma survivor herself and mother of two young girls, Fogelson has been an advocate for melanoma education, prevention and early detection since being diagnosed over a decade ago. Her website palegirlspeaks.com, which launched in August 2011, provides tips, product recommendations and common sense solutions to help adults and children live sun safe.
"It's possible to live safely in the sun, but people need and want simple, practical ways to do that," said Hillary Fogelson. "They need to know how to protect themselves and their families as well as understand the importance of starting early with daily sun protection routines." Pale Girl SPEAKS and the MRF are likeminded in their efforts to educate and provide practical tips for prevention. "I'm thrilled to be partnering with the MRF for this amazing event."
Registration for Miles for Melanoma at Universal Studios is open now and the information on how to participate is below:
- Register for the Miles for Melanoma 5K to be held at the Universal Studios backlot in Hollywood on May 6, beginning at 7:30 a.m.
- Create a fundraising team and a personalized fundraising page
- Share the page and a fundraising goal with friends, family and social networks
Visit the MRF's Miles for Melanoma website, or follow @CureMelanoma and @PaleGirlSPEAKS on Twitter for more information about special guests, prizes and activities during the event.
About Melanoma
Melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, is one of the fastest growing cancers in the United States. It can strike men and women of all ages, races and skin types, and it can develop anywhere on the body, including eyes, scalp, hands and feet. One in 50 Americans have a lifetime risk for developing melanoma and the incidence continues to rise. Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25 to 29 years old and the second most common cancer in adolescents and young adults 15 to 29.
About Melanoma Research Foundation
The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is the largest independent, national organization devoted to melanoma in the United States. Committed to the support of medical research in finding effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma, the MRF also educates patients and physicians about prevention, diagnosis and the treatment of melanoma. The MRF is an active advocate for the melanoma community, helping to raise awareness of this disease and the need for a cure. The MRF's website is the premier source for melanoma information seekers. More information is available at www.melanoma.org.
SOURCE Melanoma Research Foundation


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Perry to Obama: No shake, but yes to meeting
Texas Gov. Rick Perry and President Barack Obama will meet in Texas on Wednesday to discuss the crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border, a governor's spokeswoman said Tuesday.
"Gov. Perry is pleased that President Obama has accepted his invitation to discuss the humanitarian and national security crises along our southern border, and he looks forward to meeting with the president tomorrow," spokeswoman Lucy Nashed wrote in an email to POLITICO. Nashed said that the meeting will be in Dallas.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest confirmed the meeting at Tuesday's press briefing, saying that the administration is "pleased" that the two will have a chance to discuss the border situation on Wednesday.
( Also on POLITICO: Commissioner: Perry 'metrosexual')
The announcement comes after a back and forth this week between the governor and Obama, who will be in the state for two days this week.
Perry declined an official White House offer to greet President Barack Obama when he lands at Austin's airport Wednesday.
The Republican governor, who has repeatedly criticized Obama for his handling of the situation on the border, wrote the president and asked for a more "substantive meeting."
"I appreciate the offer to greet you at Austin-Bergstrom Airport, but a quick handshake on the tarmac will not allow for a thoughtful discussion regarding the humanitarian and national security crises enveloping the Rio Grande Valley in South Texas," Perry wrote in a letter on Monday to the president, according to the Austin American-Statesman. "I would instead offer to meet with you at any time during your visit to Texas for a substantive meeting to discuss this critical issue. With the appropriate notice, I am willing to change my schedule to facilitate this request."
( Also on POLITICO: Ingraham: Obama 'kicking the can')
Obama will be in Texas primarily to attend private Democratic fundraisers in Dallas and Austin. On Monday, White House press secretary Josh Earnest downplayed criticism that Obama would be raising money rather than visiting the border, saying the president isn't worried about the "optics" of his trip.
The American-Statesman later reported that White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett responded to Perry, inviting the governor to a roundtable discussion on the border situation with local officials and faith leaders.
"The president would welcome a meeting with you while he is in Texas," Jarrett wrote in a letter to Perry. She also reiterated the Obama administration's commitment to addressing the "urgent humanitarian situation" along the border.
The Texas governor, a potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate, has exchanged barbs with the White House over the recent influx of children trying to enter the U.S. illegally along the border. Perry has been increasingly critical of the president, most recently on Sunday saying Obama isn't personally invested in solving the issue.
"I don't believe he particularly cares whether or not the border of the United States is secure," Perry said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."
Last week, Earnest said Perry is "playing politics" in his criticism of Obama and that the governor should instead work to support comprehensive immigration reform.
"The reason that some people are suggesting the president should go to the border in Texas is because they'd rather play politics than try to address some of these challenges," Earnest said.


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As this post appears, I'm presenting on this subject for the Dutch Oracle User Group OGh. This blog post won't contain as much detail as the presentation itself, although it's pretty close. If you're interested to see and replay everything for yourself, you can find the material of the presentation in the "Presentations and papers" section and here directly. There are installation instructions in the readme.txt file to help you setup a special database schema and an APEX application on top of that schema.
The running example is a query joining two tables, mytable and mytable_details, and a slow PL/SQL function which takes 0.01 seconds to execute due to a dbms_lock.sleep call. The objects are created like this:
demopaar@ORCL> create function my_slow_function return number 2 is 3 begin 4 -- Wait 1/100 sec 5 dbms_lock.sleep(.01); 6 return 42; 7 end; 8 / Functie is aangemaakt. demopaar@ORCL> create table mytable (id,name,status,mydate,filler) 2 as 3 select level 4 , 'Name ' || to_char(level) 5 , mod(level,20) + 1 6 , trunc(sysdate,'yyyy') + numtodsinterval(dbms_random.value * (trunc(sysdate)+1-trunc(sysdate,'yyyy')),'day') 7 , lpad('*',1000,'*') 8 from dual 9 connect by level <= 50000 10 / Tabel is aangemaakt. demopaar@ORCL> create table mytable_details (id,mytable_id,name) 2 as 3 select level 4 , level 5 , 'Name ' || to_char(level) 6 from dual 7 connect by level <= 50000 8 / Tabel is aangemaakt. demopaar@ORCL> alter table mytable add constraint mytable_pk primary key (id) 2 / Tabel is gewijzigd. demopaar@ORCL> alter table mytable_details add constraint mytable_details_pk primary key (id) 2 / Tabel is gewijzigd. demopaar@ORCL> alter table mytable_details add constraint mytable_details_mytable_fk foreign key (mytable_id) references mytable(id) 2 / Tabel is gewijzigd. demopaar@ORCL> create index myindex on mytable(status,mydate) 2 / Index is aangemaakt. demopaar@ORCL> create index mytable_details_fk_i on mytable_details(mytable_id) 2 / Index is aangemaakt. demopaar@ORCL> exec dbms_stats.gather_table_stats(user,'mytable',cascade=>true) PL/SQL-procedure is geslaagd. demopaar@ORCL> exec dbms_stats.gather_table_stats(user,'mytable_details',cascade=>true) PL/SQL-procedure is geslaagd.
So both tables contain 50,000 rows. Table mytable contains 20 different statuses, each status occurring 2500 times. So the query below, with predicate "status = 3" retrieves 2500 rows. And therefore the query will take at least 25 seconds, because of the my_slow_function() call in its select list.
select t.id , t.name , t.mydate , td.name detail_name , my_slow_function() from demopaar.mytable t inner join demopaar.mytable_details td on (t.id = td.mytable_id) where t.status = 3 order by t.mydate desc
And the execution plan of this query (with the database parameter optimizer_mode at its default value all_rows) is using a nice hash join:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Id | Operation | Name | Rows | Bytes | Cost (%CPU)| Time | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 0 | SELECT STATEMENT | | 2500 | 104K| 2288 (1)| 00:00:01 | | 1 | SORT ORDER BY | | 2500 | 104K| 2288 (1)| 00:00:01 | |* 2 | HASH JOIN | | 2500 | 104K| 2287 (1)| 00:00:01 | |* 3 | TABLE ACCESS FULL| MYTABLE | 2500 | 67500 | 2234 (1)| 00:00:01 | | 4 | TABLE ACCESS FULL| MYTABLE_DETAILS | 50000 | 781K| 53 (0)| 00:00:01 | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Predicate Information (identified by operation id): --------------------------------------------------- 2 - access("T"."ID"="TD"."MYTABLE_ID") 3 - filter("T"."STATUS"=3)
Typically, in a web report, you only want the first few rows -say 15- out of a sorted set to appear on the page. And the page contains buttons to navigate to the next/previous set of 15 rows. To only select the first 15 rows, wrap up the query above and use pseudocolumn rownum twice, for the lower and upper bound, like this:
select * from ( select x.* , rownum rn from ( select t.id , t.name , t.mydate , td.name detail_name , my_slow_function from demopaar.mytable t inner join demopaar.mytable_details td on (t.id = td.mytable_id) where t.status = 3 order by t.mydate desc ) x where rownum <= 15 ) where rn >= 1
Looking at the brackets, it looks like this query first needs to identify the 2500 rows, then sort them, execute the slow function, and only then limit the number of rows to 15. However, Oracle is smarter than that and uses an optimization technique for pagination queries, as you can see here:
rwijk@ORCL> set serveroutput off rwijk@ORCL> alter session set statistics_level = all 2 / Sessie is gewijzigd. rwijk@ORCL> select * 2 from ( select x.* 3 , rownum rn 4 from ( select t.id 5 , t.name 6 , t.mydate 7 , td.name detail_name 8 , my_slow_function 9 from demopaar.mytable t 10 inner join demopaar.mytable_details td on (t.id = td.mytable_id) 11 where t.status = 3 12 order by t.mydate desc 13 ) x 14 where rownum <= 15 15 ) 16 where rn >= 1 17 / ID NAME MYDATE DETAIL_NAME MY_SLOW_FUNCTION RN ------- ---------- ------------------- ----------- ---------------- ---- 32102 Name 32102 04-11-2016 16:38:57 Name 32102 42 1 8842 Name 8842 04-11-2016 14:18:24 Name 8842 42 2 44942 Name 44942 04-11-2016 13:47:10 Name 44942 42 3 5662 Name 5662 04-11-2016 13:34:54 Name 5662 42 4 12422 Name 12422 04-11-2016 12:46:42 Name 12422 42 5 41562 Name 41562 04-11-2016 11:35:30 Name 41562 42 6 38002 Name 38002 04-11-2016 09:36:56 Name 38002 42 7 26922 Name 26922 04-11-2016 09:03:07 Name 26922 42 8 3442 Name 3442 04-11-2016 08:38:25 Name 3442 42 9 13842 Name 13842 04-11-2016 08:10:28 Name 13842 42 10 8042 Name 8042 04-11-2016 06:13:13 Name 8042 42 11 14522 Name 14522 04-11-2016 06:11:02 Name 14522 42 12 7642 Name 7642 04-11-2016 01:45:08 Name 7642 42 13 31122 Name 31122 04-11-2016 01:35:38 Name 31122 42 14 36322 Name 36322 04-11-2016 00:57:18 Name 36322 42 15 15 rijen zijn geselecteerd. rwijk@ORCL> pause rwijk@ORCL> select * from table(dbms_xplan.display_cursor(null,null,'iostats last')) 2 / PLAN_TABLE_OUTPUT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SQL_ID 6p620zht2qhp8, child number 1 ------------------------------------- select * from ( select x.* , rownum rn from ( select t.id , t.name , t.mydate , td.name detail_name , my_slow_function from demopaar.mytable t inner join demopaar.mytable_details td on (t.id = td.mytable_id) where t.status = 3 order by t.mydate desc ) x where rownum <= 15 ) where rn >= 1 Plan hash value: 2786083199 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Id | Operation | Name | Starts | E-Rows | A-Rows | A-Time | Buffers | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | 0 | SELECT STATEMENT | | 1 | | 15 |00:00:00.17 | 52 | |* 1 | VIEW | | 1 | 15 | 15 |00:00:00.17 | 52 | |* 2 | COUNT STOPKEY | | 1 | | 15 |00:00:00.17 | 52 | | 3 | VIEW | | 1 | 15 | 15 |00:00:00.17 | 52 | | 4 | NESTED LOOPS | | 1 | 15 | 15 |00:00:00.01 | 52 | | 5 | NESTED LOOPS | | 1 | 15 | 15 |00:00:00.01 | 37 | | 6 | TABLE ACCESS BY INDEX ROWID | MYTABLE | 1 | 2500 | 15 |00:00:00.01 | 19 | |* 7 | INDEX RANGE SCAN DESCENDING| MYINDEX | 1 | 15 | 15 |00:00:00.01 | 4 | |* 8 | INDEX RANGE SCAN | MYTABLE_DETAILS_FK_I | 15 | 1 | 15 |00:00:00.01 | 18 | | 9 | TABLE ACCESS BY INDEX ROWID | MYTABLE_DETAILS | 15 | 1 | 15 |00:00:00.01 | 15 | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Predicate Information (identified by operation id): --------------------------------------------------- 1 - filter("RN">=1) 2 - filter(ROWNUM<=15) 7 - access("T"."STATUS"=3) 8 - access("T"."ID"="TD"."MYTABLE_ID") 36 rijen zijn geselecteerd.This query doesn't take 25+ seconds, but only 0.17 seconds, as it only fetches 15 rows. The my_slow_function call is executed only 15 times. This happens because of the COUNT STOPKEY [filter(ROWNUM<=15)] line. This basically tells the database to execute the steps below (lines 3-9), but stop once it has retrieved 15 rows. And as you can see from the A-Rows column, it works perfectly here. The execution plan starts with an INDEX RANGE SCAN DESCENDING of myindex (status,mydate). All statuses 3 are retrieved and since the index itself is sorted, it just needs to 4 consistent gets (see Buffers column line 7) to identify those 15 rows. Then the columns of mytable are retrieved and with two (!) NESTED LOOPS the mytable_details are joined. So this is an effective optimization technique, which prevents having to execute the function call 2500 times.
Lots of people have been written about pagination in the past. If you want to read more about the technique itself or its side effects, here you can read a few of the better articles:
- On ROWNUM and Limiting Results, by Tom Kyte in Oracle Magazine
- Partial Results - fetch next page (offset method) by Markus Winand
- Getting first rows of a large sorted result set quickly - NOSORT issues, by Randolf Geist
Now let's have a look at what APEX does with our query. In APEX you enter your query via the GUI into the APEX repository and on runtime, APEX constructs and executes dynamic SQL around the query you entered. The exact SQL constructed depends on numerous APEX settings. By SQL tracing your APEX application you can see what exact query APEX constructed and executed.
We'll start by looking at an LOV query, then classic reports and finally interactive reports. At a client site, I tested it on version 4.2.4 and privately, the basis of this post, I use 5.0.3 (in a prebuilt App Development VM). I saw no differences between the two versions for this story.
APEX List of Values
This is the one with the least amount of variations. In an LOV query, we see APEX uses two variants of the pagination query. One for the very first set of rows, with just an upper bound bind variable:
select a.* from ( select t.name || ' | ' || to_char(t.mydate,'dd-mm-yyyy hh24:mi:ss') || ' | ' || td.name || ' | ' || my_slow_function description , t.id from mytable t inner join mytable_details td on (t.id = td.mytable_id) where t.status = 3 order by t.mydate desc )a where ROWNUM <= :p$_max_rows
and one for the subsequent sets, also containing an offset:
select * from (select a.*, ROWNUM as apx$rownum from (select t.name || ' | ' || to_char(t.mydate,'dd-mm-yyyy hh24:mi:ss') || ' | ' || td.name || ' | ' || my_slow_function description , t.id from mytable t inner join mytable_details td on (t.id = td.mytable_id) where t.status = 3 order by t.mydate desc )a where ROWNUM <= :p$_max_rows) where apx$rownum >= :p$_first_row
So, APEX LOV queries use the pagination optimization technique and are efficient. The user experience is that the first set of rows is taking 0.15+ seconds, the next set 0.3+ seconds, then 0.45+, et cetera. Below is tkprof snippet from clicking on the "Next" button on the page containing rows 31-45, which needs to retrieve the rows 46-60:
call count cpu elapsed disk query current rows ------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Parse 1 0.00 0.00 0 0 0 0 Execute 1 0.00 0.00 0 0 0 0 Fetch 1 0.03 0.64 8096 8953 4 16 ------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- total 3 0.03 0.64 8096 8953 4 16
We see the elapsed time of the fetch taking 0.6+ seconds, as expected. Also worth noting is that APEX uses a single fetch to retrieve 16 rows. A nice bulk fetch. It fetches 16, not 15 rows, presumably because APEX needs to know whether to display the "Next" button when rendering the new page. If only 15 rows are present, the 16th row would be missing, and the "Next" button wouldn't be displayed.
APEX Classic reports
The queries issued from classic reports are very different from LOV's, since they don't use the pagination techique under the covers. If they did, the "Download" functionality wouldn't retrieve all rows, but just the rows currently being displayed. Which is probably not what you want. Also, user defined sorting would break, since only the retrieved rows -the small set- would be sorted. A classic report query therefore sets out to retrieve all rows, using the hash join plan in my example, but it just doesn't fetch all rows from the cursor, only the number of rows displayed, plus 2. Our query in a classic report, with an extra search box as indicated in the wizard, looks like this:
select * from ( select t.id , t.name , t.mydate , td.name detail_name , my_slow_function from mytable t inner join mytable_details td on (t.id = td.mytable_id) where t.status = 3 order by t.mydate desc ) where ( instr(upper("NAME"),upper(nvl(:P20_REPORT_SEARCH,"NAME"))) > 0 )
And executing this query takes the full 25 seconds. A tkprof snippet from pressing "Next" on the page with rows 31-45, to get to rows 46-60:
call count cpu elapsed disk query current rows ------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- Parse 1 0.00 0.00 0 0 0 0 Execute 1 0.00 0.00 0 0 0 0 Fetch 62 0.47 25.18 8096 8953 4 62 ------- ------ -------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- total 64 0.47 25.18 8096 8953 4 62
Three things to note here:
- Even though we need only 15 rows, the first 45 rows are also fetched, because no pagination (offset) is used.
- A mysterious extra fetch is done. For 60 rows, we expect 61 fetches: 60 rows and one more to know whether APEX should render a "Next" button. So why is the number of fetches
+2 ?
- Classic reports don't bulk fetch like LOV's do. We need 62 single row fetches here instead of a single bulk fetch.
- Use an additional functional default filter, if applicable. For example, only select rows where mydate is more recent than a user provided value, default sysdate minus five days. This will limit the number of rows retrieved and will possibly flip the execution plan to use a nested loop.
- Write your own pagination into the query, without using an offset. Internally, APEX keeps track of where you are in your pagination navigation. If you hover over the "Next" button, you see "javascript:apex.widget.report.paginate('
', {min:16,max:15,fetched:15});". And if you follow the numbers in the second argument around javascript, you can see the first two end up in Oracle package variables wwv_flow.g_flow_current_min_row and wwv_flow.g_flow_current_max_rows. You can't use Oracle package variables in a SQL query, but by writing a wrapper package around these variables, you can use them, like this:
select * from ( select * from ( select t.id , t.name , t.mydate , td.name detail_name , my_slow_function from mytable t inner join mytable_details td on (t.id = td.mytable_id) where t.status = 3 order by t.mydate desc ) where ( instr(upper("NAME"),upper(nvl(:P20_REPORT_SEARCH,"NAME"))) > 0 )) x where rownum <= pagination_hack.min_row + pagination_hack.max_rows
For example, for the second batch of 15 rows, by adding the 16 and 15, the predicate is "rownum <= 31". This is just enough to fetch all visible rows and let APEX know that a "Next" button is needed. APEX takes care of discarding the first set of 15 rows. Note (again) that this practice is not recommended, since it'll break your download functionality and gives unexpected sorting when you click on a sortable column. And you cannot sensibly use a pagination type with a Z.
The best way of addressing performance issues on classic reports is the same as for interactive reports. So hang on.
APEX Interactive reports (IR)
Interactive reports are great for the end user for giving them LOTS of options, to sort, filter, aggregate and more. APEX handles the user defined settings by dynamically adjusting the query fired to the database. Very different from a classic report, for which the query stays the same. This also makes it non trivial to demonstrate how the query arriving at the database will look like. Below is what I can come up with, after tracing lots of variants. It's obviously still far from complete and leaves many options untold, but it gives you an idea how an IR generated query looks like:
select null as apxws_row_pk, [ all visible columns ,] [ in case Maximum Row Count specified or Row Ranges X to Y of Z: count(*) over () as apxws_row_cnt] from ( select * from ( select [ all columns (b.*), including LOV columns (Ln.descriptor)] from ( select * from ( [ your APEX-report query ] ) ) b, [ outer join LOV tables ] ) r where [ your IR filters ] ) r [ in case Max Row Count specified: where rownum <= to_number(:APXWS_MAX_ROW_CNT) ] order by [ IR user sort ]
Basically, the query is a non-pagination query that sets out to retrieve all rows. You can trim the result set by specifying the Maximum Row Count property.
There are two settings and a characteristic of the query execution plan important to the performance of IR queries:
- Pagination Type
- Maximum Row Count
- Whether the base query can be fetched from directly
The three possible options for an IR pagination type are None, Row Ranges X to Y of Z, and Row Ranges X to Y. And if you specify "Row Ranges X to Y of Z", APEX needs to calculate the Z and it does so by adding the analytic function "count(*) over ()" to the outermost block. To calculate this sum, all rows must be visited and the query will therefore never be able to fetch directly. If your IR query will retrieve lots of rows and performance is important, you should choose the Pagination type "Row Ranges X to Y", without the Z.
Maximum Row Count
If your base query retrieves too many rows, you might want to reduce this number by specifying the Maximum Row Count. If you set it to -let's say- 1000, an end user probably won't hit the "Next" button so many times that he/she will hit that number. There are some issues with this. First one is that the download functionality will be deemed broken, as only 1000 rows will appear in the file. A second one is that the user might be unpleasantly surprised when he starts sorting the 1000 rows and he expects rows at the top that are now being filtered. But if these disadvantages don't mean much to you, you can use this property for tuning purposes.
If you specify a non null value for Maximum Row Count, APEX will add a "where rownum <= to_number(:APXWS_MAX_ROW_CNT)" predicate to your query. This sounds nice, as it will introduce a COUNT STOPKEY in the query execution plan, and get us pagination-query-type performance. However, specifying the Maximum Row Count also introduces the "count(*) over ()" expression, regardless of the Pagination type! Which effectively kills the possibility to fetch directly as the database now still needs to visit all rows. By unwrapping some APEX packages for learning purposes, I learned that the "count(*) over ()" expression is generated when the Maximum Row Count is specified OR pagination type is "Row Ranges X to Y of Z". This doesn't make sense to me and I'd love to hear why this is the case. I'd expect the "count(*) over ()" only being generated when calculating the Z in pagination type "Row Ranges X to Y of Z". Don't try this at work, but in my development VM I hacked the APEX package and changed the OR into an AND and witnessed a spectacular performance improvement because the optimizer could now succesfully transform the execution plan to a plan similar to a pagination query.
Whether the base query can be fetched from directly
Here I'm talking about making it possible for the database to immediately start returning rows, right after issuing the query. If we have a simple query retrieving rows from just one table, this is possible. If we join a second table with a nested loop join, it's still possible. If we join the second table using a hash join, then it's not possible. The hash join needs to be complete before we start returning rows. There are all kinds of operations which prohibit the database from immediately returning rows, too many to list here. Aggregating, grouping and analytic functions generally prohibit the immediate returning of rows. For sorting you might need an index on the column(s) in the order by clause. Et cetera.
There is however a general good idea you can apply here. In our example we tell the database to give us 2500 rows and the CBO generates an execution plan to make that happen as fast as possible. But we didn't tell the CBO our intention of only wanting the first 15 rows. The purpose of the FIRST_ROWS(n) hint is to tell exactly that to the database. In our example, adding a FIRST_ROWS(10) hint immediately switches the plan from using a hash join to a nested loop join after an index range scan descending to identify the first 15 rows quickly. A FIRST_ROWS(n) hint is suboptimal for the download functionality, but that's a disadvantage which is usually outweighed by a much quicker response time for regular IR querying. Sometimes however, a FIRST_ROWS(n) hint is not enough. A customer I visited, had the database parameter OPTIMIZER_MODE set to FIRST_ROWS_10, but nevertheless didn't saw their queries switching to direct fetch plans. I reluctantly had to add optimizer hints to the queries, forcing nested loop joins and sometimes even an index_desc hint, which made most queries better. The trouble with adding hints, especially with interactive reports, is that they are not always the right fix for every query that can be generated.
For both classic reports and interactive reports, the recommended solution is the same: make your query able to fetch directly, preferably without hints or with the FIRST_ROWS(n) hint. If that doesn't work use other hints (like USE_NL or INDEX_DESC) to force the execution plan you want. Needless to say, a sound data model helps tremendously with writing straightforward queries allowing direct fetching.
Leave the Maximum Row Count property null, so classic reports won't fetch all the way to this number and interactive reports won't introduce the analytic function count(*) over ().
Don't use a Pagination Type with a Z, so classic reports won't fetch all rows and interactive reports again won't introduce count(*) over ().
Recommendations for the APEX development team
Maybe some of them have already been evaluated and rejected. Or maybe I'm unaware yet of certain disadvantages. If so, I'd appreciate it if you would mention this in the comments section.
1) Use bulk fetch
In classic reports and interactive reports, there are as much fetch operations as their are rows being retrieved, which indicates single row fetching. In a report you'll always retrieve 10 to 100 rows, so it makes sense to use bulk fetching here, which lowers the number of context switches between PL/SQL and SQL. When I tweeted this finding recently, Joel Kallman tweeted back with "IRs don't use array fetch, probably should. Legacy decision. Will evaluate using array fetch for IG in 5.1.", where IG stands for the new Interactive Grid. It's still worth implementing this for classic and interactive reports as well, in my opinion.
2) In interactive reports, use "count(*) over () apxws_row_cnt" if and only if Pagination Type is set to "Row Ranges X to Y of Z"
As it is now, this analytic function is also generated when Maximum Row Count is specified, needlessly preventing pagination optimizations. If you cannot make your query fetch immediately, the Maximum Row Count property, and giving up a useful download functionality, is a good option to lessen the performance impact. However, this works best when the analytic function is not there.
3) Default top level hint FIRST_ROWS(10), and checkbox to not generate this hint
It makes sense for APEX to always include a FIRST_ROWS(10) hint into the query in interactive reports and also in classic reports when Maximum Row Count is null and the Pagination Type doesn't contain a Z. This clearly states APEX' intent to the cost based optimizer of only fetching the first few rows and will generally lead to better execution plans. To still give the developer full control over the generated queries, APEX may need an extra checkbox to not include the hint in a rare case, even though I can't think of reason to not want this hint.
4) Default top level hint ALL_ROWS behind download functionality and classic reports with a pagination type containing a Z, and checkbox to not generate this hint.
The counterpart of recommendation 3, is that the download functionality in both the classic reports as the interactive report will be better with an ALL_ROWS hint, clearly stating the intent of wanting to fetch all rows to the cost based optimizer. The hint is also useful for a classic report with a pagination type containing a Z, because such a report will also fetch all rows.
Update 29 december 2016
In Apex 5.1 (5.1.0.00.45 to be more precise), all above conclusions and recommendations still stand.
Update 1 June 2018
In APEX 18.1, the inner workings of classic reports and interactive reports have changed, and the story above no longer applies. It applies up until version 5.1.4. Also, bulk fetch has been implemented in 18.1. Recommendations 2, 3 & 4 still stand and would be nice to have.


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ETSU's 24-match home winning streak ends with loss to Owls
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (April 7, 2012) – Jana Hueckinghaus pulled out the deciding point at No. 4 singles against senior Karina Kedzo (Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela), 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-4), 6-0, as Kennesaw State ended the ETSU women's tennis team's streak of 24-consecutive home wins with a, 4-3, victory on Saturday at the Buddy Hartsell Tennis Center.
Along with its three-year home winning streak coming to an end, ETSU (9-8, 6-2 A-Sun) had its five-match winning streak snapped while Kennesaw State (13-6, 5-2 A-Sun) extended its winning streak to seven in a row. ETSU's last home loss came March 24, 2009 against Winthrop, 5-2.
"We worked extremely hard today, but just left too many chances out on the court," assistant coach Travis Sandlant said. "We need to capitalize, especially when we change the momentum, and get back into the match."
In doubles, ETSU took the early advantage, but could not finish the point after dropping the next two sets.
Kedzo and senior Diana Navrostska (Lviv, Ukraine) got the action started at No. 2 doubles with a perfect set against Vera Shkundina and Therese Lagerkvist, 8-0. The final two sets were taken by the Owls, as Jessica Brumit (Elizabethton, Tenn.) and Giulia Andreazza (Balneario Camboriu, Brazil) fell to Tamara Plocher and Hueckinghaus at No. 3, while Paula Jaime (Madrid, Spain) and Marine Wieliczko (Rouen, France) were dropped at No. 1 by Alexandra Apostu and Virginie Stein. Both sets were decided, 8-6.
ETSU stormed back with the match's next three points. Brumit put the Bucs on the board by defeating Kelsey Kenneday, 6-0, 6-1, before Navrostska put ETSU in front at No. 5 with a second, 6-0, 6-1 win against Lagerkvist. At No. 1, Jaime improved her team-leading singles record to 23-9 with her sixth-win in a row by defeating Shkundina, 6-3, 6-2.
One point from taking the match, ETSU watched as KSU took the final three matches to sneak away with their fifth A-Sun win. Andreazza fell to Apostu in two close sets at No. 2, 7-5, 7-5, and Stein pulled away from Wieliczko in three sets, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4.
With the match tied at 3-3, Hueckinghaus won a second set tiebreak to keep the Owls alive, and pulled out the third set against Kedzo to give KSU the victory.
The ETSU women's tennis team's next match will be a makeup from Feb. 19, when it travels to Boone, N.C., to take on Appalachian State.
For more information on ETSU tennis, please visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the tennis links.


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An alternative to popular faith
Popular faith holds that the federal debt is a ticking "time bomb," ready to explode into inflation and high interest rates, and destroy our economy. Here are a few references, beginning 70 years ago. Note that the language remains the same, down through the years — repeated predictions of a disaster that never seems to come.
Even with the end of the gold standard in 1971, arguably the most significant economic event since the Great Depression, the debt-hawk language never changes — as though 1971 were a non-event.
Sept 26, 1940, New York Times: Deficit Financing is Hit by Hanes: " . . . unless an end is put to deficit financing, to profligate spending and to indifference as to the nature and extent of governmental borrowing, the nation will surely take the road to dictatorship, Robert M. Hanes, president of the American Bankers Association asserted today. He said, "insolvency is the time-bomb which can eventually destroy the American system . . . the Federal debt . . . threatens the solvency of the entire economy."
Feb 11, 1960, New York Times: Mueller Assails Rise in Spending: The enormous cost of various Federal programs is a time bomb, threatening the country's fiscal future, Secretary of Commerce, Frederick H. Mueller warned here today ". . . the accrued liability is a ticking time bomb. Some day someone will have to pay."
Oct 4, 1983 Evening Independent – The United States and the developed world face a "ticking time bomb" because of the huge foreign debt involving loans to Third World nations
Oct 26, 1983, David Ibata: " . . . home-building officials called for a commission to propose ways to trim the $200 billion federal deficit. The deficit is a 'ticking time bomb' that probably will explode in the third quarter of 1984,' said Fred Napolitano, former president of the National Association of Home Builders.
Feb 21, 1984, James Warren: "'We now hear from them (the Reagan administration) that deficits don't cause high interest rates and inflation,' AFL-CIO President Lane Kirkland said. 'If that's the case, we've suddenly discovered the horn of plenty and should stop worrying and keep borrowing and spending. But I don't believe it. It's a time bomb ticking away."
January 12, 1985, Lexington Herald-Leader (KY):The federal deficit is "a ticking time bomb, and it's about to blow up," U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, a Louisville Republican, said yesterday.
Feb 17, 1985, Los Angeles Times: We labeled the deficit a `ticking time bomb' that threatens to permanently undermine the strength and vitality of the American economy."
Jan 5, 1987, Richmond Times – Dispatch – Richmond, VA: 100TH CONGRESS FACING U.S. DEFICIT 'TIME BOMB'
November 28, 1987, The Dallas Morning News: THE TICKING TIME BOMB OF LONG-TERM HEALTH CARE COSTS A fiscal time bomb is slowly ticking that, if not defused, could explode into a financial crisis within the next few years for the federal government and our nation's elderly. The ticking bomb is the growing cost of long-term care.
October 23, 1989, FORTUNE Magazine: A TIME BOMB FOR U.S. TAXPAYERS The government guarantees millions of mortgages, bonds, deposits, and student loans. These liabilities, now twice the national debt, are growing fast.
May 1, 1992, The Pantagraph – Bloomington, Illinois: I have seen where politicians in Washington have expressed little or no concern about this ticking time bomb they have helped to create, that being the enormous federal budget deficit, approaching $4 trillion and growing now at an annual rate of $400 billion per year.
October 28, 1992: Ross Perot: "Our great nation is sitting right on top of a ticking time bomb. We have a national debt of $4 trillion. Seventy-five percent of this debt is due and payable in the next five years. This is a bomb that's set to go off and devastate our economy and destroy thousands of jobs.
Dec 3, 1995, Kansas City Star: Deficit is sapping America's strength. Concerned citizens. . . regard the national debt as a ticking time bomb poised to explode with devastating consequences at some future date.
April 14, 2003: Porter Stansberry, for the Daily Reckoning: The baby boomers are heading into retirement with no savings and no productive companies to support them in old age. Generation debt is a ticking time bomb…with about ten years left on the clock.
October 1, 2004, Bradenton Herald: A NATION AT RISK: TWIN DEFICIT A TICKING TIME BOMB: Lawmakers approved Bush's request without cutting federal spending by a penny, thereby fattening the country's projected record deficit of $422 billion by another $145 billion next year.
May 31, 2005, Providence Journal, Defusing the Medicare time bomb, Some lawmakers see the Medicare drug benefit for what it is: a ticking time bomb, set to wreak havoc on the budget and shoot future tax rates sky-high.
April 5, 2006, NewsMax.com, "We have to worry about the deficit . . . when we combine it with the trade deficit we have a real ticking time bomb in our economy," said Mrs. Clinton.
Dec 3, 2007, USA Today: US debt: $30,000 per American. WASHINGTON (AP): Like a ticking time bomb, the national debt is an explosion waiting to happen.
*September 24, 2010, Email from the Reason Alert: " . . . the time bomb that's ticking under the federal budget like a Guy Fawkes' powder keg."
*July 7, 2011, Washington Post, Lori Montgomery: " . . . defuse the biggest budgetary time bombs that are set to explode as the cost of health care rises and the nation's population ages.
[*Added subsequently]
And on and on and on. You get the idea. That time bomb has been on the verge of explosion at least since 1940. Even today, the media, the politicians and sensationalist economists refer to the debt as a ticking time bomb. Please look at the following graph and see if you can find any relationship between deficit spending vs inflation and/or interest rates.
This graph shows there is no predictable relationship between federal deficits vs. inflation and or interest rates.
If the debt is a time bomb, it surely has the slowest fuse in history. The pundits have been wrong, wrong, wrong, all these years. We should understand federal deficits, even large federal deficits, have not caused inflation or any other negative economic effect, and the debt is not a ticking time bomb? It's an economic necessity. Let us turn away from faith and start to rely on facts.
The faith healers* are killing our economy by restricting money growth. See: The damage done by deficit cuts.
Rodger Malcolm Mitchell
*Faith is belief without evidence. Science is belief from evidence.


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Just because you have the resources to build the world's first toilet-shaped house doesn't mean that you should. Then again, if you happen to be Sim Jae-duck, the chairman of the organizing committee of the Inaugural General Assembly of the World Toilet Association, you may have an interest in such a thing. And a guy with a title that long deserves to get his way.
The 4,508-sq-foot structure features four deluxe toilets—one of which includes a misting device that helps users "feel more secure" and electronic motion sensors that lift and lower the lid when needed. And if that wasn't hilarious enough, Sim Jae-duck is letting patrons rent the house for an absurd $50,000 a day. I would take him up on it, but there's no pool. Where am I going to drop the kids off? [AFP via Spluch via Freshome]


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For many of the people scooping up an iPhone 5, its 8-megapixel camera will be their go-to shooter. But how much of an improvement is it over the iPhone 4S? And how does it compare to the smartphone—and point and shoot—competition?
We tested the iPhone 5's camera against the iPhone 4S, the top Samsung Galaxy S III, HTC One X, and Nokia's preposterously high-resolution, 41MP 808 PureView. And just to see if it can really hold its own with high-quality, pocketable point-and-shoots we put it up against the Canon S100.
Can the iPhone 5 keep up with (or outshoot) these cameras in everyday conditions? We tested two very common situations: a daytime cityscape, and a very low-light close-up in the darkest corner of the office. Below, we've collected a series of side-by-side comparisons. The area inside the loupe will be at 100-percent resolution if you click to expand each of the images. The cameras all have slightly different focal lengths and stock apertures, but we did our best match the field-of-view in each of the shots. Beyond image quality, we were also interested in the speed of each camera's performance.
Design and performance
The main addition to the iPhone's camera arsenal in iOS 6 is panorama shooting. But otherwise the camera app's interface is the same as ever, which is to say crazy simple. Every other camera we used has way more customizability—from manual function controls to continuous shooting modes to additional scene settings. The iPhone just takes care of all of that for you—or expects apps like Instagram or Camera+ to provide filters and processing for tinkerers.
That makes the iPhone 5 an easy camera to use, but that simplicity turns out to be a major drawback when shooting in the dark. Every other camera in our test has a built-in low-light setting that use fancy tricks to improve image quality and reduce noise and distortion.
On the upside, the iPhone 5's A6 processor makes a huge difference compared to the A5 in the iPhone 4S. The camera responds faster to touch and when you hammer on the volume button repeatedly to release the shutter, the iPhone responds like a blazing semi-automatic weapon.
All that being said, what really matters is the final product. So how does the iPhone 5 snapper stack up?
Image quality
iPhone 5 Vs. iPhone 4S
From what we heard at announcement time, it would seem the iPhone 5 and the iPhone 4S have nearly identical 8-megapixel cameras, but as this image shows they take very different photos. The iPhone 4S tops out at a maximum sensitivity of ISO 800, which just isn't enough to get a properly exposed photo in a dark situation without flash. Apple's greatly improved the image processing on the iPhone 5 such that the camera can now shoot up to a sensitivity of ISO 3200 while still ending up with less noise. This is a sea change. If you like taking photos in dark bars and you're addicted to Apple's iOS ecosystem, this upgrade is essential.
Similarly, the iPhone 5 is a much better camera during the day. It's not even close. Look at that sharpness.
iPhone 5 Vs. Samsung Galaxy S III
That said, when taking photos in the dark, the iPhone still falls short compared to most of the other cameras we tested. Here, the Samsung Galaxy S III's low-light setting does a really great job. It's sharper and less noisy in the dark than the iPhone 5. The S III also did a better job with colors; it captures a true white and the correct, more-purple-than-pink color of the flower.
During the day, though, it's a close call between the iPhone 5 and the Galaxy S III. From this particular image the iPhone 5 looks slightly sharper and it also has better dynamic range.
iPhone 5 Vs. HTC One X
Like the Galaxy S III, the HTC One X does a better job than the iPhone 5 with the color of the flower, but the regular, spotted noise pattern is also much uglier. We prefer the blended swirl of the noise on the iPhone 5.
Even during the day, the HTC One X is a distorted mess and the dynamic range is completely lacking. iPhone 5 wins.
iPhone 5 Vs. Nokia 808 PureView
Nobody's ever going to buy an Nokia 808 PureView in the US, but boy does the 41-megapixel 1/1.2-inch sensor on its camera deliver. In the camera's low-light setting, it doesn't shoot at full resolution, and instead uses the extra photodiodes on the sensor to help reduce noise. The result is this lovely sharp image.
And the comparison in the dark doesn't begin to tell the story during the day. This is what the PureView's 41-megapixels can do. Hopefully we'll see this badass camera in a good domestic smartphone sometime soon.
iPhone 5 Vs. Canon S100
The Canon S100's full-resolution low-light setting is fantastic, and this image shows why mainstream phones like the iPhone 5 just aren't anywhere near taking over the world from point-and-shoots—at least in terms of image quality. Compared to every other photo in this test it's virtually noise-free. The downside of course is that the camera smooths everything out so much that it loses sharpness and detail.
While we'd expect the iPhone 5 to crumble in daylight compared to the S100, it puts up a fight. The photo on the left is maybe slightly sharper, but there's also a lot more noticeable distortion.
As with photos the iPhone 5 takes much better video than the iPhone 4S. And really, it does very well when compared to nearly everything else. In this test, it's a tossup between the iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S III. That's impressive.
The iPhone 5's camera is a significant improvement from the iPhone 4S both in terms of image and video quality. It holds its own compared to the Samsung Galaxy S III—the top camera on a smartphone people are actually going to buy. Still, there's a lot of room for improvement. Apple really needs to add additional settings for darker conditions. Yes, our low-light test was extreme, but Apple can and should do better. In short, the iPhone 5 camera is better, and as before, it's suitable for snapshots. But if you're serious about good-looking memories, you should keep a point-and-shoot around. We're dreaming someday Apple will adopt a camera as good as the 808 PureView or the Canon S100. Sigh, someday.
Video by Michael Hession, additional photography by Nick Stango, and thanks to Wagner


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If you're in a big city like New York City, you're probably used to walking around the block away from where you live to the corner shop and picking up a jug of milk or some dishwashing detergent.
But Paul McDonald (who says he has not lived in New York), who was at Google for more than 13 years, wants to collapse that distance between walking to that store to pick something up and ordering it online even further. A new startup called Bodega hopes to install kinds of convenience store-like kiosks right into apartment buildings, gyms, or other infrastructure that'll sell the goods — like dish detergent — that residents need. The company has raised $2.5 million in a financing round led by First Round Capital and Homebrew Ventures and has 30 bodegas live scattered around the Bay Area.
"Retailers are contouring their business around this fact that users want convenience," McDonald said. "There's really only been two options: you can go to the store, or you can order something online. What we're trying to do is introduce a third option, a new way of buying things. Shrink the store, bring the best parts in a smaller form factor and bring it to where you are."
Bodega will, of course, have to go up against the typical corner stores in cities, which at this point are iconic within their various neighborhoods with their quirks — and sometimes their cats. And as they look to woo office buildings and gyms, those organizations may already have vending machines and stores internally and have spent time building up those relationships. (The Bodega in your apartment building, also, probably won't remember your favorite weekend sandwich order even two years after you've moved away.)
The whole process starts with a small kiosk that sits inside a building filled with goods. Bodega uses an array of cameras to see who's walking up to the kiosk. They open up that kiosk with a three-digit password and then grab something out of it. The cameras then isolate their hand and what they are picking up, and when they walk away with that product Bodega logs it as sold to that customer. The customer's credit card is charged, and then life moves on.
Bodega then tracks which goods were sold, who's buying what, and then predicts over time which products they should place in the bodega. It gets filled up periodically, and then people come and buy their once-a-week purchases again when needed. McDonald said Bodega uses off-the-shelf hardware for its cameras, meaning it should be easier to deploy rather than create something custom. And, thanks to advances in image recognition, companies like Bodega can theoretically finally get off the ground.
Bodega starts with a base set of products whenever it strikes a deal with a location to put a new kiosk down. Over time, the company refines that set of products based on what people are and are not purchasing. Bodega will query its users periodically to ask what's missing after their second or third trip over to the kiosk. All this is in an attempt to try to shave off everything that's unnecessary in the buying process — space, travel, and so on — to something that's a more streamlined experience.
"Retail in The U.S. is huge, 10% of Americans work in retail," McDonald said. "The folks who are retailers want technology to reduce their costs and bring products closer [to consumers]. The market we're going after is some combination of the grocery, gym market, and everyday essentials. Eventually, what we see is a world where you don't have to go to the 30,000 square foot stores. Instead, we distribute the store based on products you buy once a week or month."
McDonald actually said getting their kiosks into apartment buildings and gyms is one of the easier parts of the pitch, as apartment buildings are always looking for new amenities in order to attract tenants. But that makes sense in a kind of urban sprawl like New York City, where living in an apartment building is normal and its tenants might find something like this genuinely useful outside of walking to the actual store on the corner.
This also might make sense with new, modern apartment buildings — but in a lot of cities, you'll find yourself apartment hunting in older buildings and dealing with landlords that know they won't need these perks. Your building might not even have laundry in it, much less the room for a kiosk like this. While it might help the newer buildings attract higher rents from more affluent tenants, it's not clear if this will become as prolific as McDonald hopes.


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So I'm looking at my site stats, not expecting much because I haven't been writing much and I discovered that one of the sites referring to mine is is this one – it goes to the Harvard College Library. I guess I ought to do something to earn that – like writing posts on a more regular basis?
Filed under: Silliness | 2 Comments »


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It is said all enlightenment that is not from God is false.
This word, "God", takes many people away from the meaning of this self evident message.
Change the word "God" to the word "nature", as the Biblical God is nature and Jesus (as God) taught the natural law, and all becomes illuminated for all people.
The California Government Code, Section 243, simply states:
"243. Every person has, in law, a residence."
When you understand this statement, which represents the unnatural state of man as an artificial person contracted in a jurisdiction and thus subject to man's laws – which are against natural law (God's Law) and nature itself (against God) – then you may finally understand how to be free of that web.
Those who remove residence, become outlaws.
Those enlightened with natural law would never choose residence, for they have the capacity to be free.
This may be the first documentary I've seen on what a free man actually looks like, in mind and body.
–Clint Richardson (realitybloger.wordpress.com)
–Sunday, July 14th, 2013


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Bl. Columba Rieti
Source: catholicsaints.info
lso known as:
Angelella Guardagnoli
Colomba of Rieti
2 February 1467 at Rieti, Umbria, Italy as Angelella Guardagnoli
Short Biography:
Legend says that at her birth, angels gathered around Columba's house to sing. During her Baptism, a dove suddenly flew down to the font. From that point on, no one used her by her given name (Angelella = little angel), but called her Columba (= dove). She was raised in a poor but pious family; her parents gave away nearly everything thing they had to people even poorer than themselves. As a small girl Columba learned to spin and sew; she and her mother repaired the clothes of the local Dominicans. Educated by Dominican nuns.
Columba quickly developed a strong devotion to Saint Catherine of Siena and to the Blessed Virgin Mary. While still in her teens she prayed about her vocation in life, and received a vision of Christ on a throne surrounded by saints. She took this as instruction to dedicate herself to God, and so she cut herself off from the world, made a private vow of chastity, and spent her time in prayer. Unbeknownst to Columba, her parents had arranged a marriage for her, but she cut off her hair and sent it to her would-be suitor, an accepted way at that time of telling him that she was devoting her life to God, not marriage.
She had the gifts of prophecy, healing, exorcism, raising the dead, and miracles. Given to ecstacies during one of which her spirit toured the Holy Lands. Dominican tertiary at age 19. Her reputation for wisdom and holiness spread throughout the region, and she was a much sought after counsellor. Some people from the city of Narni, Italy tried to kidnap her so she could be their miracle worker, but she escaped.
Following a revelation that she should leave Rieti, Italy, she walked away with no destination in mind. Along the way she was arrested in Foligno, Italy as a vagrant, but she eventually stopped and stayed in Perugia, Italy. On 1 January 1490 she and several other women took vows as a community of Dominican teritary nuns. Noted spiritual counselor to any who sought her advice. During an epidemic she worked among the sick, healing many by praying for them. She offered her own health in exchange for the city; when the general epidemic ended, she became ill, eventually recovering through the intercession of Saint Catherine of Siena. Her sanctity caused her to be persecuted by Lucrezia Borgia for years; at one point Borgia had a decree issued accusing Columba of practicing magic.
20 May 1501 at Perguia, Italy of natural causes.
at the moment of her death, her friend, Blessed Osanna Andreasi, saw Columba's soul as a radiance rising to heaven.
the whole city turned out for her funeral, which was paid for by the city fathers.
- against magic
- against sorcery
- against temptation
- Perugia, Italy


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Obama: To honor victims, we 'have to change'
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama memorialized the victims of the Washington Navy Yard shooting as patriots but also individuals — one with a talent for fixing cars, another who coached softball and yet another who loved hockey and her cats.
It's not enough to cry over their deaths, Obama said.
"If we really want to honor these 12 men and women, if we really want to be a country where we can go to work and go to school and walk our streets free from senseless violence without so many lives being stolen by a bullet from a gun, then we're going to have to change," the president said.
Speaking Sunday at the city's Marine Barracks, just blocks away from where the shootings happened a week ago Monday, Obama called on Americans not to give up on trying to change gun laws that he argued are to blame for an epidemic of violence.
Gun control measures Obama had backed failed to pass Congress earlier this year and showed no new momentum in the days following the rampage at the Navy Yard, a military installation just blocks from the Capitol.
Obama said that when such tragedies strike, "it ought to be a shock to all of us, it ought to obsess us. It ought to lead to some sort of transformation."
But, he said, "nothing happens." Obama said he sometimes fears "there is a creeping resignation that these tragedies are just somehow the way it is, that this is somehow the new normal. We cannot accept this."
He acknowledged "the politics are difficult," a lesson he learned after failing to get expanded background checks for gun buyers through the Democratic-controlled Senate this spring, a measure he proposed after the shooting at Connecticut's Sandy Hook Elementary School killed 20 first-graders and six staff.
He said Sunday that by now "it should be clear that the change we need will not come from Washington, even when tragedy strikes Washington."
"Change will come the only way it ever has come, and that's from the American people," he said.
The invitation-only crowd Obama spoke to at the Marine Barracks parade ground included more than 4,000 mourners, with the victims' family members directly in front of the speakers' stage. The president and first lady Michelle Obama met privately with the families before the service, White House officials said, and both hugged family members as they left.
Authorities say their loved ones' lives were taken Monday by shotgun-wielding former Navy reservist, Aaron Alexis, a 34-year-old information technology contractor who struggled with mental illness. Police killed Alexis in a gun battle.
Obama said it's clear from the Navy Yard shooting that the country needs to do a better job to secure its military facilities and improve mental health services, but also address gun laws.
"I do not accept that we cannot find a common-sense way to preserve our traditions, including our basic Second Amendment freedoms and the rights of law-abiding gun owners while at the same time reducing the gun violence that unleashes so much mayhem on a regular basis," Obama said, adding the change may not happen soon but it will happen "because it is the change that we need."
Earlier Sunday, National Rifle Association Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre rejected any call for gun control. "The problem is there weren't enough good guys with guns," LaPierre said on NBC's "Meet the Press."
The military leaders who spoke before Obama at the memorial service included Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus and Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of naval operations.
Washington Mayor Vincent Gray also called for action, saying "our country is drowning in a sea of guns."
The service ended with a bugler playing taps and a reading of the names of the fallen. They ranged in age from 46 to 73 and included civilian employees and contractors. A bell sounded as each name was read.
Peggy McFarland, 56, attended the ceremony and said she agreed with the president's words. McFarland, who works in building 197 where the shooting took place and said she always greeted the security guard Richard Ridgell who was killed, said she too is frustrated by gun violence.
"I think that we shouldn't accept this as the norm," she said, echoing the president, and adding, "It can't be like this."


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Vegan Society Registered, PETA Approved Vegan
Ethically made in Portugal under EU health and safety regulations
Toe shape: Tapered round
Width: Regular
Sizing: Order your usual size. If you are a half size order up


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By Queen Noor
Special to CNN
Adjust font size:
Editor's note: Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan is an international humanitarian activist, a leading voice on issues of world peace and justice, and honorary chair of Rediscover Mother's Day, which celebrates the role of women as peacemakers.
AMMAN, Jordan (CNN) -- In 1982, during a period of dangerous stalemate in the Middle East peace process, I gave a speech at Georgetown University about the critical need for a more engaged and balanced role for the United States in the region.
The newspapers the next day covered my handbag, my rings, and my dress. When asked about the substance of my message, one U.S. Senator said, "It's a great public relations weapon to have an attractive queen."
Twenty-five years later, the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East still reflects some of the most pressing global challenges confronting the contemporary world -- the stagnant Palestinian/Israeli peace process, the increasingly dangerous conflict in Iraq, the escalation of extremism, the debate over emerging democracies -- all point to the need for visionary and transformative leadership. I firmly believe that peace will only come to the region when mothers find their voice and say of the violence, "Enough is enough!"
Mother's Day -- whether it is the U.S. tradition of celebrating mothers on the second Sunday in May, or on the first day of spring, when we observe the holiday in Jordan -- is universally meant to be a tribute to motherhood and the blessings of peace. In fact, in America the holiday was originally called "Mother's Day for Peace." It was proposed over a century ago by Julia Ward Howe, the famous abolitionist and suffragist, after she witnessed first-hand the terrible bloodshed of the Civil War in America and the Franco-Prussian War in Europe. Howe hoped that the powerful maternal desire for security could shape world events, and she called on mothers of the world to unite against war.
Howe's vision and her call to action could not be more relevant today. As a mother, stepmother and grandmother, nothing is more important to me than the safety of my family. I am not alone. Studies show that women's priority, when given either money or opportunity, is the well-being of their families. They invest their time and devote whatever resources they have to reducing poverty and hunger, improving maternal, child and general health and promoting educational opportunity. That is why the position of women is the best marker of a country's development and stability.
Mothers prove every day, all over the world, that peace and security require cooperation and compassion. Having traditionally occupied a paradoxical position at the heart of society but on the fringes of power, women often bring unique strengths, talents, and perspectives to the quest to resolve conflict and establish freedom. They are willing and able to cut across ethnic, religious and tribal barriers, and break through obstacles through peace in order to do what is best for their families.
It is no coincidence, then, that so many of today's leading peacemakers are themselves mothers. All of us must do everything we can to support their efforts. People like Swanee Hunt, who served as the United States Ambassador to Austria and has spent her life advocating for peace and for the inclusion of women in the peace process through her work and by creating Women Waging Peace. Or Trish Malloch Brown, who travels the world advocating for people affected by war and conflict on behalf of Refugees International. Or Lisa Schirch, the director of the nonprofit 3D Security Initiative, who uses development projects like building schools and water wells to disarm conflicts from Lebanon to Ghana.
But the day has come for something more than individual efforts. Millions of mothers from Nablus to New York and from Baghdad to Beersheba must begin to find common cause in peace and work together to give their quiet power a louder voice. We need a movement of what Naila Bolus of Ploughshares Fund calls "global security moms," who can work within their families and communities, and in national and international arenas to temper extremism and to hold their leaders accountable for decisions that escalate the cycle of violence rather than address underlying problems. Such a movement of mothers would be impossible for our leaders to ignore, and would be more powerful than all the tanks and suicide bombers combined.
So from one mother to many others, let us be silent no longer in the face of war and violence. May all mothers and families around the world be blessed with a happy Mother's Day for Peace.
What is your take on this commentary? E-mail us
The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the writer. This is part of an occasional series of commentaries on CNN.com that offers a broad range of perspectives, thoughts and points of view.
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text: Recurrent reports have called for improvement in the way in which obstetric teams work together. The cultural and organisational working practices that differ between these groups can make handover and teamworking a challenge. Dr Edward Prosser-Snelling's article examines the nature of teams and handover in obstetrics and provides some suggested areas for improvement.


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Stampin' Up! have a limited release for you in August in the form of the Thoughtful Branches bundle. And, oh my, what a bundle. Lets talk more about this card I made using the bundle first.
This gorgeous bundle is available for one month only. You will be able to order the bundle between 2nd and 31st of August AND you can use your Bonus Days coupons that you collected during July towards this purchase too. The bundle retails for $110 NZD. I will have a tutorial for purchase or free (with purchase of this bundle) available in August too, so check back here for more details then!!


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Gary Brown: Don't be in a big hurry to make your own decisions
I was a grade-school runaway.
I took off on my own in the first or second grade. I'm not sure which. It's difficult so many decades later to remember exactly when I decided to start messing up by making my own decisions in life.
Don't get me wrong. I wasn't rebelling and running away from my family. My parents provided a rather nice life for their family in a Waltons-by-a-lake sort of way. We swam nearly every day in the summer and played baseball. We did chores, grudgingly perhaps, but without feeling like we had to run away from the work. And, when we gathered for dinner, there always was food on the table and love around it.
No, I wasn't running away from my folks. I was running to my friend, Kathy.
Bus pals
Technically, I was riding away with her, not running to her. We sat together on the bus.
Kathy was like an older sister. She was a day older to be specific, born the day before I came into our world in a small hospital, where our mothers even roomed together for the days surrounding delivery. She grew up only a mile or two up the lake road on which my family's home sat and she went to the same elementary school. We were sort of bound, cosmically, by birth and school bus.
So, early in our educational life, we often sat in the same seat on the ride home after school and talked about whatever things in life that 6- or 7-year-olds get to experience. Not much, really. They were short chats. I'd get off the bus and our lives would go on until the next day.
Except one afternoon we decided to extend our time together. I don't know if she invited me over, or if I invited myself, but we figured we'd play together. We were older now, out of kindergarten. Who needs to ask parents?
I wasn't exactly seeing the obvious answer at the time.
Still, I wasn't belligerent about it. After kids in my neighborhood got off — including my older brother, who obviously was not my keeper — and I stayed on the bus, I smiled and waved at my mother, who had been waiting for us. From beside me on the seat, I think Kathy waved, too.
Mothers conspire
I didn't actually hear my mother phone Kathy's mother. I think the call was made during those moments of ignorant bliss on the bus. All I recall is that Kathy's mom seemed not to be surprised when I arrived with her daughter.
And how else would she have known that my dad would be picking me up after he got off from work?
Kathy and I played. Can't remember the games. The recollection does return to me, however, that this was one of the first times in my life that I instinctively knew — without anybody threatening me to "Wait until your father gets home" — that I was in trouble when my father got home.
Astonishingly, he didn't yell at me. In fact, we sat silently in the front car seat during the short ride to our house.
Oh, at home, my mother had a long talk with me about how I just can't take off without warning and about how worried she might have been if she hadn't seen me and Kathy sitting together and about how my brother had spilled the beans.
But, in the car, my dad only said a few words.
"Ya know, for your own sake, you really ought not to rush things. You should let us make decisions for you as long as you can. It's easier."
It took me years to understand.
Canton Repository


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Japanese sandwiches are my go-to meal when I am on the run, even before onigiri rice balls. Meruhen is my favorite sandwich shop and if I am not near one, then some of the convenience stores like 7-11, Lawson, or Family Mart, also has great sandwiches.
The sandwiches are built on crustless pain de mie (white bread). Savory fillings can be egg salad, tonkatsu, ham and cheese, kabocha with mayonnaise, and more. The sweet sandwiches are fresh fruit with whipped cream, which I have a hard time swallowing. My favorite is the simple julienned carrots with a bit of mayonnaise, but you have to go early. It's popular and is often sold out by the time I get there. The sandwiches are in the 300 JPY range.
Meruhenk branches in popular areas (there are many more):
Tokyo Station eCute 1st floor (inside the station) – with limited seating in the area.
Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi
Shinjuku Takashimaya, Shinjuku Odakyu
Ginza Matsuya
Daimaru Tokyo Station
and many more!


text:
Ames West Side Storage
Experience the only 100% fully automated storage facility in Iowa.
"Experience the only 100% fully automated self storage facility in Iowa. The Megan Kiosk is your one stop shop for all of your needs, from accessing a vehicle to storing furniture or even buying household goods! Get started right away with 24/7 access 365 days a year.
Ames West Side Storage is a fenced, gated, and 100% concrete driveways. We have five-foot, ten-foot, ten-foot, ten-foot, ten-foot, ten-foot, and twenty foot sizes. We also offer outside storage for boats, cars, and trailers. We are in a residential area surrounded by apartments, so we have many people looking down at our system. We are not located in an isolated industrial area.
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