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Arnold Hams it Up in California, and So Do a Couple Dozen Others
by Sam Hamod
One of Hollywood's biggest hams is making a mockery of the California Governor's race. Arnold Schwarzenegger has tossed his hat into the ring—and he did it in the true Hollywood fashion, by announcing it on Jay Leno's talk show.
But in all honestly, between the indicted criminals in the Republican Party who are running, Darrell Issa and Bill Simon, and now this oaf of an actor, the whole situation has become a farce. The Democrats in the meantime, are not sure if they want to put forth on Davis, but even then, some commentators are saying his name cannot be on the ballot. So, some Democrats are urging Senator Feinstein to put her name on the ballot, while many Latinos are asking Cruz Bustamente to put his name on the ballot. The whole thing is a God-awful mess. Before I forget, let me add that Larry Flynt, of Hustler fame, is also in the running; he says about himself that he'll win because he has the biggest name recognition of any of the candidates!
Ah, the games have begun—but now listen for this next zinger; the judicial wits of California gave a test of the recall to one of the more ignorant judges in the state; he came up with a dandy of a decision. He said that a person on this special ballot can become governor, in place of Davis, even if the recall vote fails! Yes, you heard me correctly; I'm not sure where this judge came from, but something doesn't compute in his decision.
As they told us in the first week at the U. of Chicago Law School, "We want you to be judges because 40% are ignorant, the other 40% are corrupt, which leaves only 20% we can trust, so we want you to be judges to even things out for the sake of justice." Every day, it becomes clearer, they were right.
Another problem is that there were only a small number of people necessary to sign the petitions in order to have this recall take place, not even 5% of the people of California.
If this isn't cockeyed, I don't know what is. Add to this that a person can become governor through this ballot and vote, even if the recall fails. Won't that be a ridiculous sight. Davis is saying, "But the recall didn't pass." The other person who wins the ballot says, "That doesn't matter, the judge says I am the new governor." Yes, that's the true situation in California at this time, and there is no time to mount an objection to the recent judicial ruling that let that absurd situation exist, where a person may become governor even if the recall loses in the state vote!
California was cruising along under Davis until Allen Greenspan raised the interest rates 6 times in one year and helped kill off the dot.coms. Then, FERC and one of the state's more ignorant senators helped to pass a bill allowing non-regulation; Enron, Sempra, Dynergy and others suddenly took advantage of this and began making paper trades where they inflated the costs of utilities, at other times shut off part of the utility flows in order to create false shortages, and zoom, the economy of California was upside down.
In stepped Issa, criminal record and all, and started spending some of his millions to achieve a recall ballot for a state vote; secretly hoping he could become governor through the back door.
So there you have it. It may look like a circus to the rest of you out there, but in California, most of us are hopping mad at Issa and this idiotic judge who makes no sense at all. Now we are also upset that Arnold is not only big, but he's a bigger fool. Most of us, who did not sign the petitions feel Davis was fairly elected as governor, and should serve out his term, because it wasn't his fault the dot.coms failed, nor that FERC allowed Enron and others to rape the state of California.
Keep your ears tuned, it's a long way from over, and may end up as being more surprising than some of the lame situation comedies Hollywood is trying to foist on you out there in TV land.
Sam Hamod is a resident of California; he frequently writes on world affairs, but this situation in California has tickled his fancy. He may be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
* What's Really Going On in California?
* Bush's Obsession With Saddam
* Arianna Huffington: The Recall's Silver Lining
* Steven Rosenfeld: A Cautionary Tale From California


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Let's tell your story to the global Spinlister community. Here are our editorial guidelines to get you started.
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When possible, use common examples to highlight functions. And don't be afraid to pull from your real-life experience.
Spell-checked and fact-checked, with sources cited (link to them) to back up arguments.
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All content must be exclusive to Spinlister. We can only accept articles that are completely original, as duplicate content is mutually detrimental.
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Include a personal bio and headshot sized 150×150. Hey, we want to make sure you get the promotion you deserve.
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subset: commoncrawl


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File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) overview
Applies to: Windows Server 2022, Windows Server 2019, Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2012, Windows Server 2008 R2
File Server Resource Manager (FSRM) is a role service in Windows Server that enables you to manage and classify data stored on file servers. You can use File Server Resource Manager to automatically classify files, perform tasks based on these classifications, set quotas on folders, and create reports monitoring storage usage.
It's a small point, but we also added the ability to disable change journals in Windows Server, version 1803.
File Server Resource Manager includes the following features:
- Quota management allows you to limit the space that is allowed for a volume or folder, and they can be automatically applied to new folders that are created on a volume. You can also define quota templates that can be applied to new volumes or folders.
- File Classification Infrastructure provides insight into your data by automating classification processes so that you can manage your data more effectively. You can classify files and apply policies based on this classification. Example policies include dynamic access control for restricting access to files, file encryption, and file expiration. Files can be classified automatically by using file classification rules or manually by modifying the properties of a selected file or folder.
- File Management Tasks enables you to apply a conditional policy or action to files based on their classification. The conditions of a file management task include the file location, the classification properties, the date the file was created, the last modified date of the file, or the last time the file was accessed. The actions that a file management task can take include the ability to expire files, encrypt files, or run a custom command.
- File screening management helps you control the types of files that user can store on a file server. You can limit the extension that can be stored on your shared files. For example, you can create a file screen that does not allow files with an MP3 extension to be stored in personal shared folders on a file server.
- Storage reports help you identify trends in disk usage and how your data is classified. You can also monitor a selected group of users for attempts to save unauthorized files.
The features included with File Server Resource Manager can be configured and managed by using the File Server Resource Manager app or by using Windows PowerShell.
File Server Resource Manager supports volumes formatted with the NTFS file system only. The Resilient File System isn't supported.
Practical applications
Some practical applications for File Server Resource Manager include:
Use File Classification Infrastructure with the Dynamic Access Control scenario to create a policy that grants access to files and folders based on the way files are classified on the file server.
Create a file classification rule that tags any file that contains at least 10 social security numbers as having personally identifiable information.
Expire any file that has not been modified in the last 10 years.
Create a 200 megabyte quota for each user's home directory and notify them when they are using 180 megabytes.
Do not allow any music files to be stored in personal shared folders.
Schedule a report that runs every Sunday night at midnight that generates a list of the most recently accessed files from the previous two days. This can help you determine the weekend storage activity and plan your server downtime accordingly.
What's new - prevent FSRM from creating change journals
Starting with Windows Server, version 1803, you can now prevent the File Server Resource Manager service from creating a change journal (also known as a USN journal) on volumes when the service starts. This can conserve a little bit of space on each volume, but will disable real-time file classification.
For older new features, see What's New in File Server Resource Manager.
To prevent File Server Resource Manager from creating a change journal on some or all volumes when the service starts, use the following steps:
Stop the SRMSVC service. For example, open a PowerShell session as an administrator and enter
Stop-Service SrmSvc.
Delete the USN journal for the volumes you want to conserve space on by using the fsutil command:
fsutil usn deletejournal /d <VolumeName>
For example:
fsutil usn deletejournal /d c:
Open Registry Editor, for example, by typing
regeditin the same PowerShell session.
Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SrmSvc\Settings
To optionally skip change journal creation for the entire server (skip this step if you want to disable it only on specific volumes):
- Right-click the Settings key and then select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
- Name the value
- Set the value to 1 (in hexidecimal).
To optionally skip change journal creation for specific volumes:
Get the volume paths you want to skip by using the
fsutil volume listcommand or the following PowerShell command:
Get-Volume | Format-Table DriveLetter,FileSystemLabel,Path
Here's an example output:
DriveLetter FileSystemLabel Path ----------- --------------- ---- System Reserved \\?\Volume{8d3c9e8a-0000-0000-0000-100000000000}\ C \\?\Volume{8d3c9e8a-0000-0000-0000-501f00000000}\
Back in Registry Editor, right-click the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\SrmSvc\Settings key and then select New > Multi-String Value.
Name the value
Enter the path of each volume on which you skip creating a change journal, placing each path on a separate line. For example:
\\?\Volume{8d3c9e8a-0000-0000-0000-100000000000}\ \\?\Volume{8d3c9e8a-0000-0000-0000-501f00000000}\
Registry Editor might tell you that it removed empty strings, displaying this warning that you can safely disregard: Data of type REG_MULTI_SZ cannot contain empty strings. Registry Editor will remove all empty strings found.
Start the SRMSVC service. For example, in a PowerShell session enter
Start-Service SrmSvc.
Additional References
Submit and view feedback for


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Berkeley Approves Free Weed For The Poor
Berkeley city council has unanimously approved a new law mandating medical marijuana dispensaries to put aside a portion of their pot to be offered free of charge to low-income patients. The new measure is due to take effect in August 2015.
The California college town is home to a handful of medical marijuana dispensaries, each of which must allocate at least two per cent of their supply to Berkeley residents with cannabis prescriptions, who are living on "very low" incomes, which the council has set at $32,000 or less per year for individuals, or $46,000 for a family of four.
The new city ordinance requires that the marijuana given away to low-income patients must be of the same average quality as that being sold to others.
Read Full Story On: independent


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Sapphire Waterbed Conditioner
Regular price $12.00
Unit price
Sapphire Waterbed Conditioner treats and conditions your waterbed mattress. It will extend the life of the vinyl and fiber inside your waterbed mattress when used as recommended. Keep you waterbed clean and fresh by adding one 8 ounce bottle of waterbed conditioner each year, depending upon mattress type and size.
- 8 ounce size bottle of waterbed conditioner
- Specially formulated to treat and condition water and fiber
- Lubricates and conditions vinyl waterbed interior
- Extends mattress life
- Inner foil safety seal and child resistant safety cap


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Stars have captivated the imagination of humanity since the dawn of our existence. We know that the closest star to Earth is the sun, but what about the stars beyond our solar system? This infographic explores the 44 closest stars to us, examining the size, luminosity, constellations, systems, and potential planets of each star.
Click Here for a PDF of 44 Closest Stars and How They Compare to Our Sun
What Is the Closest Star to Earth After the Sun?
The closest star to Earth besides the sun is Alpha Centauri, at a staggering distance of about 4.3 light years away. Alpha Centauri is actually a triple star system, which includes Proxima Centauri at 4.244 light years away, Alpha Centauri A at 4.365 light years away, and Alpha Centauri B at 4.37 light years away. So technically, Proxima Centauri is the nearest star. Alpha Centauri A is the the largest and brightest star in the system. It is about 10% more massive, 22% larger, and 150% brighter than our sun.
The burning question is, does Alpha Centauri have planets? In 2016, scientists announced the discovery of a super-Earth exoplanet orbiting our closest stellar neighbor, Proxima Centauri, the smallest star of the system. The planet Proxima Centauri b is believed to be a rocky and temperate world. The (habitability of Proxima Centauri b) has not been established, but scientists speculate that immense solar flares from Proxima Centauri may make the planet incompatible with life. However, these flares may be rare, or the planet could be inhabited by UV-resistant organisms.
How long does it take to travel to Alpha Centauri? Alpha Centauri is 25.6 trillion miles away, or more than 276,00 times the distance from Earth to the sun. A conventional space rocket traveling at 17,600 mph would take about 165,000 years to reach Alpha Centauri. At light speed, it would take approximately 4 years to reach Alpha Centauri … but unfortunately, we can't travel that fast. In fact, our current understanding of physics and the natural world suggests that we will never be able to achieve light-speed or faster-than-light travel. So how will we get to Alpha Centauri? The Breakthrough Starshot Project plans to launch ultra-light nanocrafts toward Alpha Centauri. Equipped with lightsails, they would be propelled through space by a ground-based light beamer. They would have the potential to fly by Alpha Centauri in just more than 20 years, capturing images of the planet Proxima Centauri b. So while we currently do not have a means of reaching the planet physically, we may be able to gather more information on the closest planet outside our solar system in the not-so-distant future.
What Is the Brightest Star in the Sky?
The brightest star visible from Earth is Sirius, also known as the "Dog Star." Its official name is Alpha Canis Majoris because it is the most prominent star in the constellation Canis Major. Sirius is about 25 times more luminous than the sun! Although it is white to blue-white in color, Sirius is called a rainbow star because it often flickers and twinkles a wide variety of colors. This twinkling is the product of the starlight hitting Earth's swirling and ever-changing atmosphere.
This educational resource was created by the expert steel building and carport makers at Alan's Factory Outlet.


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If you are interested in adopting a pet from Take Me Home Pet Rescue, please follow the application links below rather than our contact forms. Don't worry, submitting an application does not obligate you in any way, it just lets us know that you're interested so we can follow-up to discuss with you. This is the best way for us to gather information to help guide you towards adopting the best pet for you and your family.
Please select from the options below to contact us.
- Surrender/Intake Form
- Use this form to begin a dialogue with our intake team. Often times we are "full" but please understand that will do our best to help animals to the best of our abilities.
- Donation Form
- This form is for coodinating in-kind donations. This is not a monetary donation form.
- Events/Partnerships Form
- We love holding off-site adoption and fundraiser events. If you have an idea for an event or would like to host an event, please use this form to contact our event coordinators.
- General Contact Form
- This form is for all other inquiries.
Please Note: Forms on our website require pop-ups to be enabled.


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After Canon announced the Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM lens (Amazon/ B&H/ Adorama) and Canon RF 85mm F1.2L USM lens(B&H/ Adorama), more RF F1.2 primes are coming.
According to the latest rumors from CR, Canon RF 35 and 24mm F1.2L lenses are coming!
Canon RF 35mm f/1.2L USM lens is scheduled to be released in 2020, though an announcement date isn't known at this time.
Canon RF 24mm f/1.2L USM is also possible, but it isn't on the product roadmap in 2020.
Read more Canon Lens Rumors
See also 2019 Canon Lens Deals


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Drake Black Custom Ice Bucket
In stock
Regular Price: $110.00
One of the simple pleasures in life is having drinks in poolside, next to your bar cart, or out on the patio. This sharp black faux leather custom ice bucket is the perfect addition to keep your favorite cocktails cool so you can enjoy them on a nice day. It doesn't matter if you prefer an iced margarita by the pool or like to enjoy a nice bourbon on the rocks on your patio while the sun sets. It's double wall insulated so ice won't melt for hours and won't sweat. The custom ice bucket holds 3 quarts, is easy to clean, and won't stain any furniture. The included custom Drake design makes this a one-of-a-kind ice bucket. It's a gift that boyfriends, husbands, or anyone with a home bar will love. Every custom ice bucket measures 7 ¾" x 7 ¾".
- An essential item so you can enjoy iced drinks wherever you want
- Great gift for holidays, housewarming parties, or any occasion
- Custom engraving is included for an awesome custom ice bucket
- Double wall insulated design ensures ice won't melt for hours
- Ice bucket measures 7 ¾" x 7 ¾", holds 3 quarts
Write Your Own Review


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The U.N. World Food Program warns northern Mozambique's volatile Cabo Delgado province is facing a hunger crisis as escalating conflict forces thousands to flee their homes and abandon farms.
An armed insurgency in Mozambique's oil-rich northern province of Cabo Delgado has displaced more than 300,000 people since 2017. As fighting has intensified in recent months, thousands have fled to neighboring Tanzania, raising fears of a regionalization of the conflict.
Most of the displaced have no means to feed themselves, and WFP spokesman Tomson Phiri says many are totally dependent on international food aid for survival.
"We know that Cabo Delgado is a farming area," said Phiri. "This is a region that produces both crops for commercial as well as for the subsistence of the farmers there. And, we know that when there is violence and if the farmer is not guaranteed to be there to harvest, they hardly put any seeds into the ground."
The WFP plans to send food aid to reach 310,000 people in Cabo Delgado, Nampula, and Niassa. But it notes insecurity, poor infrastructure and restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of money are threatening the operation.
Phiri says the agency urgently requires $4.7 million a month to assist the internally displaced. He tells VOA the WFP will be forced to cut back on rations as early as December, if it doesn't receive the needed funds. This, he adds will have serious consequences.
"When you cut rations, the adults, particularly the mothers in the family—they start skipping meals," said Phiri. "They start reducing the meal portions in order to stretch whatever resources are available for the children to have something…We are also concerned because Cabo Delgado has very high malnutrition rates."
Cabo Delgado has the second highest rate of chronic malnutrition in the country with more than half of children under age five chronically malnourished.
The U.N. agency has enough money in its coffers to feed the internally displaced over the next couple of months. The WFP, however, warns it may be forced to suspend its life-saving operation if the funding shortage persists beyond the end of the year.


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Blind Pug Xander
20 Jan, 2014 | category - Others | 14 photos | 3457 visits
Xander, a 2-year-old pug, was born without eyes. A man named Rodney Beedy took a blind animal and made him a therapy dog. Xander focuses on being support for victims of child and spousal abuse.
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Monday November 28, 2011. Certainly not a date I will soon ever forget. Many of you know my story and have read about it through one posting forum or another. It's a story that is tough to believe, but true. I am going to start the story back in April of 2005. My dad and I decide to take a trip to Lake Okeechobee in Florida. We had an amazing trip, but I had one day that I will always remember and it wasn't for the fishing. We were fishing the famed Monkey Box and about half way through the day I got sick with the worst headache I had ever had in my entire life. We had to come off the water several hours early. I have had headaches before, but this one was definitely different from anything I had ever experienced. That would not be the last time I got one of those debilitating headaches. Over the next 6 years my condition sloooooooooooowly got worse. I would go months with no issues and then have a 2 to 3 month stretch where it was brutally tough to get through nearly everyday. I taught mathematics in Virginia for 11 + years before moving down here. The last straw towards the end was the inability to write on the dry erase boards for more than a few seconds at a time. Finally, in 2009 I started the process of being a lab rat. I had every type of imaging that you could have done and some (MRI) more than a few times. I had more scares than a Freddy Krugger movie, from cancer(non malignant tumor removed from skull) to MS and everything in between. I had a great team of doctors. They really cared about my life and tried everything under the sun to give it back to me. Fast forward to 2011. I have yet another MRI, but this time they focus on my neck only. I get called in the next day because they have urgent news for me. I am thinking right off cancer…..again. So I got somebody to cover my class and left work. When I got to the doctor's office I had my team there. They showed me some pics and asked if I could see a difference between the left side of my spine and the right side. It was easy to spot. Spinal fluid shows up white on an MRI. The left side of my neck was normal with spinal fluid passing up into my brain and coating it. The right side not so much. I had three disks that were touching my spinal cord and blocking off the spinal fluid from reaching the right side of my brain. On my bad days they believed that I was getting little to no spinal fluid. This was also the cause of loss of strength and stamina in my arms. What caused this you ask? I don't know. I have a spine condition that I have since forgotten the name of what they called it. So they sent me to physical therapy which was straight up one of the worst periods of my life. It lasted 3 weeks before I finally told my doctors that I couldn't take it anymore. The pain can't be described, both from a headache standpoint and now the spine/muscles themselves. I was then sent to Dr. Mark Kerner who looked at all MRI's and within a month had me on the table performing an absolute miracle. Dr. Kerner called my surgery, a couple months later, a grand slam home run. This past week was a special Thanksgiving for me. Just thinking about where I was and where I am now is nothing short of a miracle. I told my family during this tough stretch that if I ever beat what it was that was killing me, I wanted to do something totally different with my life. I wanted to enjoy every second that I had left even if it was just a year or 30 years. Well a year has passed and it has been the best year of my life. Was it easy?…..hahahaha. If you only knew, but anything worth having, is worth fighting for and my gloves are still on thanks to my family, faith, and Dr. Mark Kerner.
November 27th Math Teacher
November 28th Spine surgery
December 23rd moved to Zapata Tx in the nick of time for Santa to come down the chimney
Jan. – March mapped and scanned as much as humanly possible….fishing more and more as my neck allowed me to.
Jan. 27th – flew back to Virginia to have Dr. Kerner check me over. He says grand slam home run (see pic)
March 21st – catch a 48.9 lb stringer with a 12.2 lb kicker and 2 other 10's. (8.4 was small fish in the stringer) This day really got my business going. I posted it on the Texas Fishing Forums and the rest you could say is history.
Today – Blessed beyond reasonable explanation
Thanks again to the thousands of folks that read this blog. All of you who have or will be fishing with me, words can't describe how my much I appreciate the opportunity.
I will have a regular report tomorrow. I have a three-day trip on the books with Keith Combs, Jim Behnken, Tim Reneau from Power Tackle Rods and another gentlemen who I forgot his name. SORRY! :-/ We are all helping Keith with a sponsor that is coming to town and will be throwing a little money into the pot each day for a little potluck tournament. Should be fun.
If for some reason I have not gotten back with you in regards to a trip please call, text or email. I received 25 emails, calls, texts while I was gone and tried like heck to get back in touch with everyone. If I missed you it was NOT intentional….lol.


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I'm sitting here preparing January's newsletter while browsing a Facebook feed full of Trump inauguration news. As you may have ascertained from reading these newsletters or knowing me personally, this is not news that sits well for me or any of the business, creative, and personal communities I'm a part of. However – this same discomfort illuminates the increased need for community and collaboration in supporting the needs and goals of those around us…To that effect, I'm more grateful than ever for the strong partnerships L.A. Creative has formed with a growing number of Los Angeles businesses.
I spent some time in the early days of 2017 envisioning plans for the year. Two resources that mainly benefitted me were the Khorus 2017 CEO Planning Guide and Julliene Gordon's 2017 New Year Guide. Both of these are free (though I don't regret buying a paper copy of the New Year Guide). I've been using the Gordon's resource to plan out my weeks and days, helping me get more done, or at least know how I spent my time when I DON'T get things done. For all the digital work I do, I've been enjoying using a pencil and writing down what I'm doing and what I've done
All that time planning reminded me that the major theme at L.A. Creative for 2017 would be GROWTH. Starting out, this will involve hiring a new team member to assist our help desk with client support, and to help drive the company's back office operations. This team member will benefit from the documentation we created last year, as in 2016 we took the time to write down how to perform critical processes to facilitate training going forward.
And with a growing team, we'll continue to focus on growing our client base. For January, this looks like consulting with a fast-growing startup to help them build a new flagship headquarters office and to focus on their overall network and bandwidth strategy for their national warehouse properties. And in general… it means continuing to focus on marketing efforts to get the word out about our services.
I have so much gratitude to our clients and to everyone who has supported us and helped us grow. Employees, Consultants, Contractors, Vendors, and friends, you all form an incredible resource network for me!
I'd love if you took a few minutes to chat with me and let me know what you've got planned for 2017, or ask any questions you may have. Just reply to this e-mail, or call me anytime at (323) 902-6820.


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Yemen's Houthi rebels say they have captured Saudi soldiers
Issued on: Modified:
Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi group broadcast footage on Sunday that it said showed a major attack near the border with Saudi Arabia's southern region of Najran, adding that its forces had captured troops and vehicles.
Saudi Arabia, which leads a coalition that has been battling the Houthis, has not responded to Saturday's Houthi announcement that they had carried out the attack.
Reuters could not independently verify either claim.
Houthi-run al-Masirah TV broadcast images of armoured vehicles hit by blasts and what the Houthis said were dozens of surrendering fighters. Two of those men, speaking to the camera, said they were from Saudi Arabia.
The Houthi military spokesman said the offensive 72 hours earlier had defeated three "enemy military brigades", leading to the capture of "thousands" of enemy troops, including Saudi army officers and soldiers, and hundreds of armoured vehicles.
The spokesman, Yahya Saria, did not give a day for when the footage was filmed.
Yemeni government troops, supported by air strikes of the Saudi-led coalition, have in recent months fought Houthi forces in the Kataf region of Yemen's northern Saada province near the Saudi border. Local sources have said the Houthis have captured scores of Yemeni troops in the battles.
The Sunni Muslim coalition, which receives arms and intelligence from Western countries, intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the Houthis ousted the internationally recognised government from power in the capital Sanaa in 2014.
A U.N.-brokered prisoner swap deal agreed between the Houthis and Yemen's Saudi-backed government last December involving some 7,000 detainees on each side has yet to happen.
The Houthis, who had recently stepped up missile and drone attacks on Saudi cities, have claimed responsibility for the largest-ever attack on Saudi oil facilities on Sept. 14.
Riyadh dismissed the claim, saying the assault did not come from Yemen and have Shi'ite Muslim Iran. Tehran denies this.
The Houthis said on Sept. 20 they would halt missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia if the alliance stopped its operations. The coalition has not responded to the proposal.
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Why do I receive error notifications that a mailbox is locked?
Oracle B2C Service, all versions prior to November 2016
These notifications are expected from techmail under certain conditions. This message indicates that the locking mechanism is working as intended. The root cause of this message is due to multiple message processors competing for the same resources. Because one process is able to obtain the lock, the other cannot and thus returns this message. The impact to a site is very minimal considering a process is already running. Any message not processed immediately is left in the mailbox and processed in subsequent runs.
Because this is a legitimate message, notifications were moved from the error logs to the info logs starting in the November 2016 release. Again, this message should not cause alarm and can be ignored in most cases.


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Breakfast of Champions: a cheese tasting at TGCCF
On June 3, 2012, Mike and I headed out to beautiful Picton, Ontario for the second annual Great Canadian Cheese Festival. Although the festival was running all weekend, we knew that we would only be there for part of it and were therefore determined to pack as much cheese sampling, education and enjoyment into that half day as possible!
Our first stop of the day, before the gates were even opened to the public at the Artisan Cheese Fair, was the "Tutored Tasting" that we had purchased tickets for in advance. The first class of the day was aptly named, "Breakfast of Champions". From TGCCF website:
An introduction to what arguably are the best cheeses made in Canada today—from cow's milk, goat's milk and sheep's milk. Taste the three cheeses, meet the three makers, start the day on a high.
The cost for this seminar was $56.50 per adult, and it was hosted by Georgs Kolesnikovs, who is both the founding father and director of the festival as well as a passionate cheese enthusiast and prolific blogger at www.cheeselover.ca. The ticket price included a sample of each of the three featured cheeses and the opportunity to participate in a Q'n'A with a cheesemaker or representative from each featured fromagerie.
As this was the first cheese sampling seminar that we had ever attended, we didn't know quite what to expect. More to the point, we're willing to make the assumption that the majority of our readers have also not participated in this kind of event before, so without further ado, let me walk you through the class; what we learned, what we tasted, and our general musings.
After a brief introduction from the charming Georgs, it was time for us to meet our first taste-maker and try the cheese!
Cheese # 1: Zacharie Cloutier
The first young cheesemaker that we met was Marie-Chantal Houde of the Fromagerie Nouvelle France. According to Kolesnikovs, Houde is a "Rising star of Quebec cheese".
When asked about how she first became interested in cheesemaking as a career, Houde became quite animated and described watching a children's television show as a young girl, where there lead character participated in making Oka cheese with the Trappists. The seed was planted, and after that it was always her childhood dream to make and share delicious cheese. That dream came true in 2010 when she partnered with her brother to manage a sheep dairy, which provides the milk for the FNF cheeses, in the Eastern Townships of Quebec.
After a stint producing within the Fromagerie du Prebytere, Houde founded the FNF and reached her goal of creating her own big wheel sheep milk cheese using both a mesophyllic and thermophyllic process. In her words, that basically means it is "a half-cooked cheese", which ages for a minimum of 6 months before going to market. Now then, is that enough for her to be considered a rising star? Well, she started producing in 2010, and her cheese Zacharie Cloutier, (named after an early ancestor from the 1600s who settled in "Nouvelle France", aka Quebec), was winner of the incredibly prestigious Caseus d'Or in 2011. So….rising star seems rather appropriate, no?
As for the cheese, the scent was sweetly floral and grassy, with gentle aromas of roasted nuts and coffee. The texture of this Alpine-inspired cheese was semi-firm to firm and the crystallized sugars could be felt in the tooth. The flavor was likewise nutty and moderately salty and the color was a gorgeous, buttery pale gold.
Cheese # 2: Camelot
The second cheese was presented by Éric Léveillé, proxy to the head cheesemaker Lauren Petryna of Upper Canada Cheese, located in the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario. With a wry smile, Éric explained that in a small, independently run fromagerie, any unplanned interruptions (such as a staff member taking ill) can have significant repercussions, but with a shrug he gamely led us through the philosophy behind UCC.
This self starter was established 5 years ago with the goal of making premier cow's milk cheeses with a single breed (Guernsey), and I first tried their cheese with the delightful squeaky chew of golden Guernsey Girl last year. Petryna, who previously worked at Monforte Dairy, was keening to bring the lovely, salty, thick crusted ewe and goat milk cheeses that she loved to UCC.
Camelot was the fromagerie's first foray into goat, and was originally an individual 400g format which was difficult to price for sale. With the same great taste but larger size, the updated 2 kg wheel of this washed rind cheese is easier to cut and merchandise. After gaining attention with their infamous Niagara Gold, it was no surprise when UCC's newest product went on to win as the Royal Winter Fair, Reserve Champion in 2011.
The texture of Camelot is soft and supple. This salty cheese is aged 2-3 months and the creamy white interior contrasts appealingly with the dark, golden washed rind. According to Léveillé, the cheese will get more complex over time. However, with a heady sweet and musky aroma, rich but soft and slightly sour flavor and salty front-taste on the tongue, we thought it was perfect as-is.
Cheese # 3: Comox Camembert
Finally, we met Doug Smith, one of the brothers three who run Natural Pastures Cheese on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Smith humbly explained how he and his brothers are third generation dairy farmers from Comox, BC, but rather than being bred for cheesemaking, they stumbled into the field by serendipity in 1999. They met a cheesemaker from South Africa who wanted to make cheese but had no milk; they had milk but wanted to diversify. The rest became delicious history after their first cheese was produced in 2001.
As with most start-ups, there were initial challenges with merchandising this small batch, artisan product. Their first customer was a tiny health food store in the nearby town of Courtenay, BC, but they didn't really start to take off until word spread to the local air force base, when fine young men and women from Ontario and Quebec started flocking there in hopes of finding some fresh, squeaky cheese curds.
It turns out that the brothers were cheesemaking savants, and in 2002 the Dairy Farmers of Canada invited them to enter the cheese making Grand Prix….where 5 out of 6 cheeses became titled finalists, and the Comox Camembert became their first World Cheese Championship award winner! Natural Pastures no longer raises their own dairy cows, however with their local and ethically rendered dairy products, they continue to win awards.
The expertly cultivated rind on this Camembert is thin, velvety, smooth and a flawless snowy white. The gentle bloom has the typical but understated mushroom aroma, with an interior that is very lightly scented, delicate and fresh. The texture of the cheese is tender but has a fair bit of body for a Camembert, holding up well with consistency throughout. In terms of flavor, the cheese tastes overwhelmingly fresh and clean, lightly butter and fruity with a nutty undertone and a vague, understated saltiness. This is definitely a subtle but "crowd-pleasing" cheese, if there ever was one.
One thing that all of the speakers agreed upon was the difficulty that a small, artisan business had to overcome in order to bring their product to sale. Regardless of whether the business was a small artisan producer (such as FNF with 36,000 litres of milk consumed annually), medium (UCC with 250,000 litres) or "large", comparatively (such as NP, which at 500,000 L/year is still comically dwarfed by any of the main commercial dairies), there was a common complaint about the often crippling listing fees that shut most small producers out of the marketplace, heartbreaking stories about issues with herd or staff, and marketing frustration with fixed prices. These producers believe that consumers are paying the price of unfair marketing, combined with cost controls as Europe offloads excess factory produced cheeses at low prices into the marketplace. In the words of Léveillé, "[You can buy] cheap crap from Denmark…or the stabilized hockey pucks that will never age", but there is cost associated with small scale production, done with care and passion, through the fromageries that aim to get a superior product to the customer at the most consistent but fair price.
(from left to right, Doug Smith, Eric Leveille, Marie-Chantal Houde)
As Houde's eyes flashed, she proclaimed, "This will be a big battle….and I WILL do something!" and, frankly, we believe her. But in the mean time, we hope that what she does is continue to hone her mouthwatering craft, and keep plugging her product in the market place and at events like the Cheese Festival.
Overall, the course was an enjoyable way to spend an hour; surrounded by fellow cheese-nerds and turophiles, rolling around award winning cheeses on our tongues and learning about the talented people who produce these treasures. The price was fairly steep for what we got out of the seminar, however I do believe in fair pay for fair effort, and I feel good about supporting these smaller, local cheese makers however possible. In fact, we can't wait to see what next year's line up has in store!


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Cueva de la Marniosa
In the early 1970's a group of students from Lancaster University Speleological Society (LUSS) touring Northern Spain heard about some caves near Tresviso, Eastern Picos de Europa. In 1975, their first year visiting caves of Tresviso, they explored upstream, into the Sobra valley and found a crack in the side of a cliff that is Cueva de Marniosa. They explored this cave down a few pitches and along some well decorated fossil passage to a high rifty passage with a small streamway in the bottom. Over a kilometre upstream, the streamway ends at the impressive Hall of the Mountain King chamber- a 50 m x 20 m chamber with a height of over 50 m. The whole cave has a length of 5 km and a depth of 290 m. Over the next 40 years a few extra bits were added, but other caves in the area were more interesting.
During the summer expedition of 2018 a small group were tasked with surface prospecting in the brambles, bracken and beech at the head of the Sobra valley and found a number of surface shafts. One of the surface shafts, Cueva del la Silvestre, descended a series of pitches to an impressive large 45 m deep, 20 m diameter shaft. From the bottom of this shaft several ways on were found. A few days later, on the final day of the expedition, more pitches and climbs were descended and a message from the past was found: LUSS. A short walk upstream and the explorers entered Hall of the Mountain King. Much to the chagrin of those involved the 500 m deep traverse of Silvestre to Marniosa would have to wait until next year…
Cueva de la Silvestre to Cueva de la Marniosa through trip (Lydia Leather)
We got to the Silvestre layby at about 11am, kitted up and started walking down the track. This time round it was a lot easier to find having been well travelled. Stu's white tape on silver birch trees was not so great in the day light as it had been the night before. Whilst we were doing the through trip, Joe and Rob where diving the sumps in Wet Willy and had stolen Alastair for the day to carry for them. As Stu and I weren't carrying much we took two of their bags down for them (on the basis that Rob would later repay us with a create of beer, but failing that, dancing bear coffee liquor).
The Silvestre entrance had been rigged the day before down to waterfall chamber, where Bob needed to re-bolt before we continued on with the through trip, so Bob and Arwel headed in whilst the rest of us followed behind. The day before Stu had found the jaw of what we think is horse, to match the skull he'd found the year before. Now Bingo (see photo for scale) lives happily in the entrance chamber.
Following through the rest of the cave, Rob who hadn't been in the cave before grew increasingly more impressed at the fact that it was indeed a cave. We took our time marvelling at the finest bolder I've ever seen that sat in the middle of the stream way and is a conglomerate, at first I assumed it was originally the floor of the streamway and had been eroded away, but not all that convinced, think it might just be a boulder.
When we reached Bob an Arwel, there was a short wait for the bolting to be finished before we could reach the bottom of waterfall pitch
When everyone was down waterfall pitch we left the diving team and their bags and continued on. From waterfall chamber we continued up the aided climb and through into old stream way rift passage. This continued on (picture below), getting slightly small in places (for Bob and Stu) and down climbs and eventully leads to a junction, left being the way on and right being Hall of the MountainKing.
As Stu and I hadn't been before we went to Hall of the Mountain King which is an aven roughly 50m in height and 20m width, with a mud slope to the left of the chamber and 2 water inlets coming in through the aven above to the right. Here was where we stopped to take a group photo.
From Hall of the Mountain King back to the Silvestre junction we followed the stream and continued down the active passage way. The passage follows onward with multiple down climbs, some more exposed than others. Eventually the passage follows a fault and here the bolder choke began. Alastair Gott had been in Marniosa the day before and placed reflectors along the bolder choke which were extremely helpful and saved a lot of time as there are multiple ways along the choke in which you can go wrong. When the choke ends, the passage re-joins into stream way and this follows straight towards the bottom pitch of Marniosa
We headed up the muddy pitch out of the streamway, where Bob showed us "the boulder" which must not be touched or moved in anyway as it was wedged right between the wall and multiple boulders which became the false floor of the next slope.
Following this onwards the passage is very well decorated series of chambers (see photos), with various calcite flow slopes and formations, including this flying pizza like disc thing… Eventually reaching the bottom of a 22 m pitch. From here there's 3 more small pitches until eventually you get into the old cheese chamber and we were at the Marniosa entrance. The trip in total took 6 hours and we got out with plenty of time to spend in the bar drinking celebratory beers and eating local cheese. Rob and Joe eventually turned up and kept the promise of buying Stu and I a dancing bear coffee liquor.


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It seems that every week there's a new story hitting the papers about some star or another becoming embroiled in litigation. To some extent it comes with the territory. The rich, famous and powerful often lead very public lives, and their every misstep is dissected for the world to see. Their paychecks also act as some serious motivation for people looking to take advantage and carve themselves out a little bit of that wealth. Famous actresses are regularly stalked, famous actors, musicians and politicians are frequently the focus of sexual harassment suits, and high profile CEOs are regularly brought down by accusations of fraud. These cases are sometimes very contentious, as with the nasty divorce proceedings between Kim Kardashian and her pro-basketballer ex. They're also often quite bizarre, as seen in the recent accusations against John Travolta. But even run of the mill lawsuits get a ton of attention, as with the recent action against the actress Sharon Stone. A former nanny to her children recently filed a suit declaring wrongful termination and harassment, and the details paint a nasty picture of the actress best known for her dark turn in "Basic Instinct".
According to the suit filed last Wednesday in LA's superior Court, Stone's former nanny, Erlinda Elemen, is seeking unspecified damages for claims that Stone made a series of disparaging remarks about her ethnicity and religion, and then fired her without cause. Representatives of Sharon Stone went on record saying the claims have no truth to them. But Elemen claims that Stone commented often about her heritage as a Filipino, and demanded that she not speak in the presence of Stone's three children. According to Elemen's statements, Stone did not want her children to speak with a Filipino accent.
The suit goes much further than that, claiming that Stone regularly criticized Elemen for her churchgoing ways, and on one particular occasion, Stone told Elemen she was not allowed to read the bible at her house, even in the privacy of her designated bedroom.
Elemen and Stone have a significant history together. She first began work with Stone six years ago, as an assistant nanny. In 2008 she was promoted to the position of head nanny, taking over primary care of Stone's three children, four-year-old Quinn, six-year-old Laird and twelve-year-old Roan. According to the details of the lawsuit, Elemen was fired back in 2011, after Stone realized the nanny had been paid an overtime fee. According to Elemen, Stone demanded the overtime payments be returned, and actually alleged it was stolen money.
Stone's representatives are having none of this, declaring loudly in the public forum that the case will show there is no proof of any of the nanny's claims. The reps spoke to the Los Angeles Times about the issue, calling Elemen "disgruntled" and characterizing the suit as "absurd". Time will tell what the truth of the matter is, although the system does tend to favor the individual with the financial resources to manage a prolonged legal battle. In the end, neither party will get away free of blame. People will continue to think negative things about Stone, and even if Elemen wins her suit, she'll probably find it difficult to find another position in Los Angeles. Perhaps she'd be better served heading oversees to become an Au Pair in Britain, though there is nowhere on earth that the noise of the tabloids doesn't reach.


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These are just a few of my favorite photos from an incredible little book called Cat People by Bill Hayward. I read about it somewhere on the internet last year, and immediately knew I had to track it down. Happily, used copies started (and still do!) at one measly cent on Amazon. I'm telling you, this book is a total masterpiece. Every picture is incredible, and the stories that go along range from hilarious to bizarre to downright insightful. Worth every...penny!
Not having a regular job to go to or a real life to keep me busy has meant that I've basically been glued to the BBC live update page concerning the Japanese earthquake since early Friday morning when, insomniac that I am, I saw the very first images of the tsunami coming out of the country. It's rotten to feel so helpless in the face of so much misery. One thing I have done is donated what I could to the Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support (check out their Facebook page for regular updates). It's frighteningly easy to overlook how much suffering will have been imposed on animals of all kinds during this disaster, and if I can afford to chip in $10 I promise you can too! Should you need any further convincing (in the form of a punch on the heart), look no further than this photo that popped up in my tumblr feed yesterday. I can't even express to you what that photo does to me. Part of me wishes I had never seen it, as I know it will haunt me indefinitely. And while I'm sorry to share such sadness...it's a wake up call, and if it convinces just one of you to chip in even a little bit, well then consider my apology retracted ;n )


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By Rob Edel, CFA
Highlights This Month
- Volatility is notably favourable this month.
- Q1 2017 shows a slowing U.S. economy as consumer spending drops.
- Trump goes for low hanging fruit: tax cuts over tax reform.
- Will "voodoo economics" help boost economic growth?
- Despite a weak first quarter, the Fed still plans to raise rates in 2017.
- The first quarters are the worst quarters.
- Things are looking up for the Eurozone.
- Oil prices are beating up the Canadian dollar.
- Economic growing pains: when real estate dominates the Canadian economy.
Read this month's commentary in PDF format.
The NWM Portfolio
Returns for the NWM Core Portfolio Fund increased 1.8% for the month of April. The NWM Core Portfolio is managed using similar weights as our model portfolio and is comprised entirely of NWM Pooled Funds and Limited Partnerships. Actual client returns will vary depending on specific client situations and asset mixes.
Canadian and U.S. yields both flattened last month with 10-year yields falling more than 2-year yields. The NWM Bond Fund benefitted from the decline in interest rates, increasing 0.6%.
NWM High Yield Bond Fund returned +2.0% in April and +3.6% year-to-date, in line with high yield index returns. High yield credit spreads are now narrowing back close to the tightest post-financial crisis levels of 2014. The general search for yield in credit markets means market flows have been less discerning between good versus mediocre credits, resulting in low dispersion across bond yields. Overall, we do not see 5.65% "high" yield as adequate compensation for the credit risk of leveraged companies. As such, the NWM High Yield Bond Fund and its managers remain conservatively positioned—still generating some yield for our investors, but staying lower duration and beta, waiting to reposition opportunistically at better valuations.
Global bond returns were also strong last month, with the NWM Global Bond Fund returning +3.0%. Most of the gains were a result of favorable foreign exchange positioning due to stronger emerging market currencies versus a weak Canadian dollar.
The mortgage pools continued to deliver consistent returns, with the NWM Primary Mortgage and the NWM Balanced Mortgage both returning +0.4% in April. Current yields, which are what the funds would return if all mortgages presently in the fund were held to maturity and all interest and principal were repaid and in no way is a predictor of future performance, are 4.3% for NWM Primary and 5.2% for NWM Balanced Mortgage Funds. The primary fund ended the month with cash of $7.9 million, or 4.8%. The balanced fund ended the month with $80.1 million in cash or 16.5%.
The NWM Preferred Share Fund returned -0.5% for the month of April while the BMO Laddered Preferred Share Index ETF returned -0.1%. The ETF finished the month trading at a 0.3% premium to its net asset value, creating a slight valuation gap between the ETF price and the price of its underlying holdings. The negative month was the first since November last year for the fund and marks a transition as investors took profits and repositioned portfolios. Many investors continue to sit on excess cash ready to deploy, but volatility in the 5-year Government of Canada yields (hitting a peak of 1.3% mid-March before ending the month around 1%), has led investors to switch into high reset issues, preferred shares that are trading around yield to call, and perpetual. We are underweight in this space as we believe that several of these names have a limited upside given they trade above par, have extension risk if the issuer extends versus redeems and have more sensitivity to repricing with the new issuance market.
Canadian equities were stronger in April, with S&P/TSX up 0.4% (total return, including dividends). The NWM Canadian Equity Income Fund returned 1.0%, with strong contributions from materials, consumer discretionary, and energy sectors. Our underweight position in telecommunications detracted from performance.
The NWM Canadian Tactical High Income Fund gained an even stronger 1.9%, with the float contributing 0.6%. The fund still maintains a low net equity exposure (current delta adjusted exposure 31%). There were no new positions in the NWM Canadian Equity Income Fund, while the NWM Canadian Tactical High Income Fund added a new short put position in Westshore Terminals.
Foreign equities were also stronger in last month, with the NWM Global Equity Fund up 4.8% compared to a 4.2% increase in the MSCI All World Index and a 3.7% rise in the S&P 500 (all in Canadian dollar terms). Of our external managers, all had positive returns last month, with Pier 21 Carnegie +6.1%, Lazard Global +5.0%, Edgepoint +4.6%, Pier 21 Value Invest +4.2%, and BMO Asia Growth & Income +3.8%, and our new internal EAFE Quant investments returned +4.9%.
NWM U.S. Equity Income Fund increased 1.4% in U.S. dollar terms and the NWM U.S. Tactical High Income Fund increased 1.1% versus a 1.0% increase in the S&P 500 (all in U.S. dollar terms). In the NWM U.S. Equity Income Fund, we established positions in General Growth Properties and Nvidia Corporation. As for the NWM U.S. Tactical High Income Fund, a new long position was established in General Growth Properties.
Real estate was stronger in April the NWM Real Estate Fund up 1.7% versus the iShares REIT Index +1.4%.
The NWM Alternative Strategy Fund was up 1.7% in April (these are estimates and can't be confirmed until later in the month) with Winton +1.6%, Citadel +3.3%, Millenium +2.8%, and Brevan Howard +2.2%. We are still in the process of redeeming from Brevan Howard. Of our other alternative managers, RP Debt Opportunities was +0.8%, Polar North Pole Multi-Strategy +0.1%, and RBC Multi-Strategy Trust was flat. Precious metals stocks were weaker last month with the NWM Precious Metals Fund -1.5% while gold bullion was up 2.5% in Canadian dollar terms.
April In Review
Depending on geography, markets ranged from good to bad in April. The good was Europe, with the STOXX Europe 600 Index up 2.1% in local currency terms (Euros) and +6.8% in our lowly beaten-up Canadian dollar terms. The bad was China, with the Shanghai Composite down 2.1% in local currency, but still up 0.3% in Canadian dollars. In the middle, with what we will characterize as mediocre returns, was the U.S. and Canadian equity markets, with the S&P 500 up 1.0% in local currency terms (U.S. $'s) and +3.7% in Canadian dollars, and our own S&P/TSX +0.4%. Mediocre is a relative term, of course, and U.S. markets were less mediocre than Canadian stocks. The technology-heavy NASDAQ, in fact, was up 5.0% in Canadian dollars and topped the 6,000 level for the first time last month, 17 years after reaching the 5,000 point milestone during the dot-com bubble of the early 2000's.
While U.S. and Canadian stock performance may have been unremarkable, or as we have described it, mediocre, stock volatility continues to be very remarkable. Despite increased uncertainty, especially from a geopolitical perspective, stock volatility remains near all-time lows. Even after big shocks, like Brexit, market corrections have been shallow and short.
Of course, low volatility has been typical of the post-U.S. election rally. With the economy in recovery mode even before the election and the prospects of President Trump's policies adding even more growth, market risk has been skewed to the upside. Leadership last month, however, was not typical. Rather than a broad rally led by smaller domestic-oriented companies that would stand to benefit the most from the Donald's pro-American policies, investors appeared to chase a handful of large growth stocks whose earnings would likely continue to increase even if Trump fails to get any of his policies past Congress. It wasn't a stronger economy that markets appeared to begin pricing in, but an increased chance of a recession, with copper prices and bank stocks falling, and shares of utility companies rising.
Nowhere is the market's apprehension more evident than in the bond market, where 10-year U.S. treasuries peaked on March 13th at 2.63%, levels not seen in over two and a half years, before falling to 2.17% by mid-April and ending the month at 2.28%. Given the short end of the yield curve is heavily influenced by the Federal Reserve and their loose monetary policy, the fall in longer term treasuries also had the effect of flattening the yield curve, which is typically a bad omen for the economy.
The Federal Reserve is still guiding towards two more rate increases in 2017, but doubts are starting to creep into the market expectations. Lower interest rates also took some of the luster off the U.S. dollar, with Goldman Sachs reserving their previous bullish call on the greenback.
So is the economy really slowing? Well, according to first quarter GDP growth it is. The U.S. economy managed to expand at only a 0.7% annual clip in January through March, mainly due to slower consumer spending. Despite rising stock prices, low unemployment, and high consumer confidence, consumers were unusually frugal the first few months of the year. Temporary issues, like a warm winter which resulted in lower power demand (less need for heating), and delays in tax refund cheques from the IRS hurt results, but a slowdown in the sales of big-ticket items, like cars and refrigerators, is harder to explain. Durable good sales, in fact, suffered their worst decline in nearly six years and car dealers, who have benefitted from a seven-year run in growth, are sitting on a 72 day supply of inventory versus only 66 days a year ago. Also unsettling is the apparent slowdown in bank lending, with commercial loans and leases up just 3.8% over the past year. While the pullback is concerning, economic forecasters are quick to point out that it's not unusual for first quarter growth to disappoint; as the past eight years have seen the U.S. economy expand at an average 1% pace in the first quarter before growing at 2.3% the rest of the year.
Also unsettling is the apparent slowdown in bank lending, with commercial loans and leases up just 3.8% over the past year. While the pullback is concerning, economic forecasters are quick to point out that it's not unusual for first quarter growth to disappoint; as the past eight years have seen the U.S. economy expand at an average 1% pace in the first quarter before growing at 2.3% the rest of the year.
Also unsettling is the apparent slowdown in bank lending, with commercial loans and leases up just 3.8% over the past year. While the pullback is concerning, economic forecasters are quick to point out that it's not unusual for first quarter growth to disappoint as the past eight years have seen the U.S. economy expand at an average 1% pace in the first quarter before growing at 2.3% the rest of the year.
The stronger job market definitely contributed to the recent rise in consumer confidence, but the prospect of President Trump's pro-growth election promises further boosting the economy has also been a major catalyst. But the Donald's effectiveness as a politician and the market's view on his ability to get things done has taken a hit during his all-important first 100 days in office, with healthcare reform stumbling before the House of Representatives finally approving a bill in early May.
This early disappointment increased pressure on Trump to get a victory on something, and tax reform appears to be his current target. Well, tax cuts are probably more accurate, because Trumps' plan doesn't focus much on actual tax reform. Who can blame him, tax reform can get a little controversial, but who doesn't like paying less tax? Surely he can get Republicans to rally together on a plan to cut taxes. The President didn't release a full plan; rather it was more of an outline light on technical details. The headline grabbing features included a reduction in the corporate tax rate from 35% to 15% and a rollback of the individual tax rate increases enacted under the Clinton and Obama administrations. While the Donald can point to the success of previous tax cuts to sell the plan, especially those during the Reagan administration, government debt was lower and growth more robust back in the Gipper's day.
The only way tax cuts of this magnitude can be justified in today's slow-growth-high-debt world is if the cuts themselves actually create stronger economic growth. With The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget claims the total package would cost about $5.5 trillion in lost revenue over the next 10 years and the Congressional Budget Office projecting federal debt as a percentage of GDP will increase from 75% presently to more than 110% over this time period. Only if the tax cuts lead to stronger economic growth, which in turn generates higher than expected tax revenue, would financial disaster be averted.
This is what happened with the Reagan tax cuts and is the theory put forth by Trump's Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin. Mr. Mnuchin believes the tax cuts could help produce sustained GDP growth of 3% versus the 1.8% presently forecasted and would largely pay for the cut in corporate taxes, though not the cut in personal tax rates. Naturally, Trump is even more optimistic and claimed at times during the election campaign that if elected, he would not only balance the budget, but he would wipe out the entire $19 trillion U.S. debt in eight years.
Referred to as "voodoo economics" by George H.W. Bush, the linkage between tax cuts and economic growth is hotly debated, with many economists believing the two are unrelated. Past tax cuts in Canada and Britain failed to deliver the expected economic growth, though it's hard to rule out what other factors caused the disappointment.
Harvard professor N. Gregory Mankiw falls somewhere in between the two extremes and believes that while the benefits of tax cuts may be exaggerated, so are the budgetary costs. Professor Mankiw believes that as a reasonable rule of thumb, faster economic growth should pay for about a third of the cost of a tax cut. Other studies have shown a positive impact on investment, but not on national growth. Regardless, expect markets to react favorably if tax cuts become more likely, and put off worrying about the implications of higher debt to a later date.
For its part, the Federal Reserve isn't waiting for tax cuts, or any other Trump's other policies, before continuing to increase interest rates. The Fed believes the weakness seen in the first quarter is temporary and it still plans to raise rates two more times in 2017, with the next increase likely taking place next month. In addition to continuing to raise rates, the Fed has also started to discuss plans to begin shedding their bloated balance sheet of the $4.2 trillion of treasuries and mortgages accumulated during their quantitative easing programs. The Fed's timing could be interesting if they start to sell the same time U.S. government budget deficits increase as a result of Trump's tax cuts. The bond market may find it hard to digest all this supply at one time and could result in yields moving higher than desired.
We agree with the Federal Reserve that the slowdown in economic growth is temporary. Stronger economic growth is no longer just a U.S. story, it's global, and this should take some of the burden off of the U.S. economy. The Brookings-FT Tiger Composite Index shows the recovery has become broad based, with advanced and emerging economies showing growth. The IMF recently moved up its forecast for global growth by 0.1% to 3.5%, despite keeping their 2.3% forecast for U.S. GDP growth this year unchanged. In fairness, the IMF has been overly optimistic the past five years.
The Eurozone is looking particularly strong, with first quarter GDP growth of 1.8% soundly trouncing the U.S.'s 0.7%. Some economists predict the Eurozone economy could grow nearly 2% this year. The Purchasing Manager's Index has also pushed higher and now stands at a six-year high while consumer sentiment is near levels not seen since 2007.
European political uncertainty has also eased, with Emmanuel Macron topping the polls in first round voting for France's Presidential election and soundly trouncing far-right anti-Euro candidate Marine Le Pen in the subsequent two-person runoff. Next up is the June 8th general election in the UK, where the ruling Conservative Party presently commands a 20 point lead over the Labour Party. Of course, the Brexit negotiations with the EU remain an overhang, but so far the impact has had a muted impact on the British economy. Eurozone stocks and the Euro have benefitted from the positive economic and political environment, as could be seen by the strong returns in the STOXX Europe 600 Index last month.
One of the reasons economic growth in the Eurozone and the rest of the world has been stronger has been because of China. According to UBS, Chinese imports grew 15% last year and China accounted for 27% of total global investment last year, far outpacing their 15% share of the global economy. Unfortunately, much of China's growth last year was fueled by debt and China's central bank has started to tighten credit. In addition, Chinese authorities have rolled out a host of measures aimed at curbing risk in China's financial system ahead of the 19th National Party Congress scheduled to take place this autumn. Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is expected to sign on for another five years, doesn't want any surprises, like a debt crisis upsetting the transition in leadership and has directed finance officials not to miss "a single risk" or "hidden danger". Chinese stocks have sold off, anticipating that tighter credit would lead to slower growth, but strangely the global market, and emerging economies, in particular, have not.
Apart from China, one of the weakest markets last month was in fact Canada. Unlike China, however, tighter credit wasn't the issue. Concerns over lower oil prices, fears of Donald Trump tightening the screws on trade, and the housing market, are what had Canadian investors nervous. There is a fairly strong positive correlation between the price of oil and the Canadian dollar, and the fall in crude prices took a toll on the loonie last month. A glut of gasoline was likely the culprit as refiners took advantage of high refining margins and produced gasoline and diesel at the highest rate in more than 34 years. Lower prices should lead to increased demand and a more balanced market later in the year. We still believe oil prices need to move higher given lower future supply from non-OPEC and non-U.S. shale oil sources.
Also hurting the Canadian dollar and Canadian stocks were concerns President Trump may press for more than just small tweaks to NAFTA as he verbally attacked Canada's dairy industry and the U.S. Commerce Department levied preliminary duties on softwood lumber exports. The softwood lumber duties, while unpleasant, were not unexpected and were in the works long before Trump was elected. Higher lumber prices had already more than offset the tariffs and Canadian lumber stocks are actually been moving higher.
As for the comments directed at Canada's dairy industry, we view it as the beginning of the negotiating process. Yes, Canada has a lot to lose from a trade war with the U.S., but there are a lot of states that depend on exports to Canada as well, and many of them voted Republican in the last election. We still believe Canada is not in Trump-trade crosshairs.
As for the housing market, Canadian financial stocks were rattled last month after the Ontario Securities Commission launched proceedings against alternative mortgage lender Home Equity. The fallout from the news resulted in a sharp correction in Home Equity's stock price and a run on its deposit base. Many feared a contagion to the rest of the mortgage market, which short-sellers had been negative on for years.
While the problems at Home Equity appears company specific, the sharp rise in home prices, especially in Vancouver and Toronto, do put increased risk on the Canadian economy. Higher interest rates and a rise in unemployment are typically the catalysts for a housing correction, and we don't see either of these in the near term. As a percentage of the total economy, however, residential construction and real estate related industries in general presently represent an outsized share of the economy and we fear the inevitable reversion to the mean could present a sizable headwind to future economic growth in Canada.
Overall, a noisy month, but we think the global economy is still on track. We like the fact that European and emerging markets did well last month, but we don't think this is sustainable if U.S. growth falters. Fortunately, we believe the recent softness in first quarter U.S. growth, like last year, is temporary and should pick up the rest of the year.
In addition, any progress President Trump is able to make on his pro-growth policies would provide even more upside to growth. China's growth should moderate, but we don't see any crisis for at least the next year. A slowdown in Chinese growth will be more of a headwind for Europe and emerging market economies than the U.S. economy, or Canada for that matter. We continue to worry about the housing market in Canada, but higher oil prices and a stronger U.S. economy should help keep the Canadian economy growing.
What did you think of April's economic activity? Let us know in the comments below!
This material contains the current opinions of the author and such opinions are subject to change without notice. This material is distributed for informational purposes only. Forecasts, estimates, and certain information contained herein are based upon proprietary research and should not be considered as investment advice or a recommendation of any particular security, strategy or investment product. Information presented here has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. NWM Fund returns are quoted net of fund-level fees and expenses but before NWM portfolio management fees. Past performance is not a guarantee or a reliable indicator of future results. All investments contain risk and may lose value.


text:
A central air conditioning system is a complex piece of machinery, but it's also built tough. It's designed to take on the wear and tear that collects over the years—to an extent. But some wear and tear is largely preventable, and only adds unnecessary strain to your AC.
Proper air conditioning maintenance is important, as we'll show you in today's guide. And it's easier to have done than you may think—when you work with a qualified team of technicians. Learn how and why to keep your air conditioner in the best condition possible today.


text:
In brief:
I have a problem with compiling vim with preferred python version.
When I use
--enable-pythoninterp it compiles with system OSX python version.
When I use
--enable-pythoninterp=dynamic I get an error in vim while trying
:py import sys
Here is what I was doing in more detail:
% git clone https://github.com/b4winckler/macvim.git
% cd macvim
% ./configure --enable-pythoninterp \
--with-python-config-dir=/usr/local/lib/python2.7/config <- this option has no affects on result
checking for python... /usr/local/bin/python
checking Python version... 2.7
checking Python is 1.4 or better... yep
checking Python's install prefix... /usr/local
checking Python's execution prefix... /usr/local
checking Python's configuration directory... /usr/local/lib/python2.7/config
% make
% open src/MacVim/build/Release/MacVim.app
In the opened MacVim I type:
:py import sys; print (sys.version, sys.executable)
('2.6.1 (r261:67515, Jun 24 2010, 21:47:49)
[GCC 4.2.1 (Apple Inc. build 5646)]',
My default python is 2.7! And it lives at
I was searching for solution all day. And I found it. It is =dynamic attribute (but this solution had not explanation).
After that I tried to recompile vim with dynamic python:
% ./configure --enable-pythoninterp=dynamic
... output the same ...
% make
% open src/MacVim/build/Release/MacVim.app
In opened MacVim:
:py import sys
And here comes an error:
E370: Could not load library libpython2.7.a
E263: Sorry, this command is disabled, the Python library could not be loaded.
My OSX version is 10.6.8.
Default python version is 2.7.
% which python
Can anybody explain how python is integrating into vim during the compilation?
And how to fix the error with libpython2.7.a?
update: I no longer have the environment described at the question. So I couldn't test new answers. But remaining part of mankind will appreciate your help.


text:
Free Medora Musical tickets to flood victims; proceeds from annual Music Fest to benefit flood fund
Medora, N.D. – The Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation wants to lift the spirits of North Dakotans across the state who have been battling flood issues this year by giving away free tickets to the Medora Musical and donating proceeds from the upcoming Wade Westin Music Fest to the North Dakota 2011 Flood Relief.
"It has been a difficult summer for many people in the state," said Randy Hatzenbuhler, president of the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation. "We decided that dedicating the Music Fest proceeds to help with flood relief and inviting those who have been most impacted by the floods to be our guests at the Medora Musical are ways that we can help. We look forward to serving these people and giving them a first class show."
Free tickets to the Medora Musical
Families and individuals impacted by this year's flood can receive complimentary tickets to one of eight selected performances of the Medora Musical, set in the Burning Hills Amphitheater.
The selected dates are: August 24, 25, 31; September 1, 5-8.
Each household can receive two complimentary adult tickets; all students in the household are free. Those impacted by the flood include people displaced from their home due to flooding; people who helped their neighbors protect homes from flooding or are helping clean damaged areas post-flood.
To inquire about free tickets for flood-impacted guests, call 1-800-633-6721, and ask for tickets under the 2011 FLOOD BLOCK CODE.
3RD Annual Wade Westin Music Fest
The 3rd annual Wade Westin Music Fest will be held at the Burning Hills Amphitheatre on Sunday, September 4, at 2 p.m. Mountain Time. This annual event is held in honor and memory of Wade Westin, who was a Burning Hills Singer and host of the Medora Musical during seven seasons.
The concert features cast and band members of the Medora Musical and other North Dakota musicians and bands, including the University of Mary Steel Drum Band. Admission is free for the concert, and Hatzenbuhler says the goal is to fill the theater.
"Wade loved to showcase North Dakota talent and help others. This event is a highlight of our summer season and a legacy event for our friend and co-worker who we enjoyed so much," said Hatzenbuhler.
Since it first started, proceeds from the Music Fest have been donated. "We've had a good tradition of 'passing the hat' during the concert and putting the proceeds to good use. The first year, all proceeds were put into a college fund for Wade's young children. Last year, proceeds were used to place a plaque in memory of him. And this year, the Theodore Roosevelt Medora Foundation will gift the proceeds from the Music Fest to the North Dakota 2011 Flood Relief Fund."
For more information about the Wade Westin Music Fest and the complimentary Medora Musical tickets for North Dakotans affected by this year's flooding, please call 1-800-633-6721 or visit www.medora.com.
The North Dakota 2011 Flood Relief Fund was established by the North Dakota Community Foundation at the request of Governor Jack Dalrymple. It serves as an efficient, coordinated vehicle for those wishing to assist with flood relief efforts across North Dakota. More information can be found at http://www.ndcf.net/flood/.


text: As a Scorpio born on November 9th, you are well known for a shy nature and artistic aptitude. While others seem to live for attention, you could not be more of the opposite. You are far more comfortable in the background as you hate when all the eyes are on you. You naturally appreciate artistic expression, which explains your interest in writing, art, dance or other creative expression. While you are very sensitive to your loved ones, they are not immune to your shy demeanor. Your friends and family would be very surprised to know that there are still parts of yourself that you keep hidden from them. Luckily, this only adds to your mystery, which others find interesting and alluring.


text:
Established in 2017, Hollywood Blvd Film Festival (HBFF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting emerging filmmakers.
Now, in its the fourth year, HBFF is run by a team of highly qualified and experienced professionals who are committed to choosing high-quality films.
This year we had overwhelming worldwide submissions of over 500 films. Selecting top-quality indie films is always the festival's first priority.
The HBFF programmers focus their energy in selecting a vibrant collection of films, which are an ideal means for communication across perceived boundaries of race, culture, age, and gender.
Our valued sponsor CIFF, donors, supporters, friends of the HBFF, as well
as our competition entrants, are an integral element of our third successful year.
In times of inclusion & diversity, all we need is 'LOVE' says David, our new festival director. Thus, the letter L is stretched out to symbolize many familiar things about Los Angeles city. It stands for Love, incLusion, Diversity, the BLvd, traffic on 405, the paLms and las but not the least the passion for the craft.
"No one really knows for sure where LA begins and ends". The vintage Hollywood Hills typeface is chosen to represent the spirit of HolLywood. The red color symbolizes passion for the craft.


text:
Behind the shot
One thing I love about photography is being able to find scenes that can relate back to my life. Often it's thinking back to my past trying to understand more about myself. I find it interesting how one decision can change your entire path in life and at the same time how a group of decisions can mold your personality. This tree obviously is able to withstand wind. On this particular day, the wind was not blowing hard at all but you could see that the tree has been formed past wind. Something small that caught my eye as we were driving by.
Purchase Prints
Please click below to purchase a print of this photo.


text: SWISS ARMY KNIFE Victorinox Swiss Champ Super Timer 91mm rare. Send combined lots to save your mailing expenses.The item "SWISS ARMY KNIFE Victorinox Swiss Champ Super Timer 91mm rare" is in sale since Thursday, July 18, 2019. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Knives, Swords & Blades\Collectible Folding Knives\Modern Folding Knives\Factory Manufactured". The seller is "viktryls" and is located in Novoyavorivsk, lvivska oblast. This item can be shipped worldwide.


text:
Seahawks Week 10 Preview
Seahawks Week 10 PreviewWhen a house game is going on, simply head for seat and that is just it. Keep a close watch on Reggie Bush's performance during the bingo against the Eagles. He stayed on the team's practice squad last season.nfl tips, 2011 nfl playoff scenariosBut he could slide as they has spinal stenosis -- even though he passed his physical at the Combine.Another former Titan offensive tackle Daniel Loper also has joined the Lions for a free officer.While your initial week in the NFL months are in the books & we have noticed our share of upsets, fans currently eagerly interested in the upcoming week. Here i will discuss five games can't miss during week 2 belonging to the 2009 NFL season.Gambling using the Super Bowl doesn't stop there, even when. You can either place bets online or make bets employing friends on the number of other pieces. Bet on when the first TV timeout as a result of injury can. Gamble on how many missed field goals there are. Place bets on the Super Bowl halftime show - what songs will the Rolling Stones play?I really thought both Packers and Ravens would be better shock as to than include shown. But both teams have had flashes of greatness and flashes of average also. Green Bay has a beautiful winning streak going it's in the nfc playoff hunt for 2009. Aaron Rodgers and Ryan Grant are having nice seasons and the defense is arriving around. Whole stop the run and Woodson
is really a danger to intercept any pass coming his idea.The Steelers are Broncos are very legitimate AFC teams but public perception goes lengthy way in inducing NFL Superbowl Possibilities. In fact, Las Vegas is in order to shade the series on the the public team each morning Superbowl. I would personally even go so far as clearly that if your Steelers lived through to the Superbowl, they could even be underdogs towards 2020 seahawks super bowl jersey cheap.My advice to anybody in upcoming years comes about when they see an early betting line like this AFC -10, to go against the public perception. Topic . bet your early line would be to go ahead and take NFC at +10 considering that the line was completely formulated based around assumption the Indianapolis Colts were the idea to the Superbowl. Irrespective of how value these people do definitely. With a Broncos and Steelers matchup possibly being a 3-7 point spread, may get take the AFC team and traumas a middling situation. A middling situation is step both on both sides game and win both them.The San diego Chargers aren't going to waltz together with AFC Western. Picked by the few who still what to see happy the AFC West november 23 it easily, the Chargers might choose to start playing their games on the field rather than paper. The Kansas City Chiefs aren't special, though their schedule, and a Divisional win in their pockets, an individual have already helped cloud the AFC playoff pictures.George Blanda was a 12th round pick by the Bears as well as the 119th player taken typically the 1949 pen. He played from 1949 to 1975 first with the Bears who dropped him for being too old. Then with the Oilers and Raiders, as both a quarterback and kicker. When he retired he was the NFL leader in points scored with 2,002. He was playing well as being a backup quarterback well into his 40s and was just an amazing player.The Raiders offense had their own three and out before punting it back to Seattle. Lechler boomed the ball 60 yards, but it was returned to the Seattle 55. The got as far because your Raiders 33 yard line, but their kicker Olindo Mare couldn't convert character yard take a look at.
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Lions Sheila honda Hamp possibly not willing to talk is and
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Corus enjoyment overlooks expected results
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text:
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text:
Iran's Ahmadinejad Questions Whether Holocaust was a 'Real Event'
TEHRAN, Iran – Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Friday lashed out at Israel and the West, questioning whether the Holocaust ever happened and claiming it was a pretext for occupying Palestinian lands, reiterating anti-Israel rhetoric that has brought him international condemnation.
The Iranian president said Israel was formed on a "false and mythical claim" and expressed doubts whether the Holocaust, when the Nazis killed 6 million Jews during World War II, was a "real event."
Ahmadinejad spoke in an address to worshippers before Friday prayers at the Tehran University campus as Iran commemorated Quds Day, an annual government-organized day of mass rallies aimed at showing the Islamic Republic's sympathy for the Palestinians. Quds is Arabic for Jerusalem.
"If the Holocaust was a real event, why don't they allow research on it to clear up facts," said Ahmadinejad.
As he spoke, tens of thousands of government supporters and thousands of pro-opposition activists held competing rallies across Tehran, underscoring the crisis that has gripped the country since Ahmadinejad's June re-election for a second term in office.
Ahmadinejad's questioning of the Holocaust and repeated predictions of Israel's demise have drawn international condemnation. Even some Iranians have criticized him for needlessly provoking the West with the rhetoric, but Ahmadinejad has persisted, apparently seeking to burnish his reputation for defying Iran's rivals and to drum up support among ordinary Iranians who see the Palestinian suffering as an injustice sponsored by the West.
Ahmadinejad also on Friday accused world powers of double standards in favor of Israel and of disregarding violations of Palestinian rights.
The U.N. and world powers, Ahmadinejad said, "issue (anti-Iran) resolutions when a cat is run over by a truck on the streets here, but when it comes to Israel, they cover up (Israeli) crimes."
Ahmadinejad repeated his old predictions that Israel would soon cease to exist and urged people to stand up against the "Zionist regime as a national and moral duty."
The very existence of the Jewish state "jeopardizes" the whole region, he added. "The Zionist regime is the symbol of lies and deception. Its existence amounts to eternal insecurity in the region."
Ahmadinejad pledged Iran's full support for Palestinians and said Quds Day was the "day of unity" for Iranians, Muslims and the international community. Pro-Palestinian marches were also held elsewhere in the Mideast, in the Syrian capital Damascus and the West Bank.


text:
One of the most common things I hear in class is "I've been trying to get my husband/wife/friend to the range,…" or something to that effect. Introducing someone to shooting for the first time or getting a friend or spouse back to the range for practice sessions might seem tough at times. Unfortunately, it could be that he or she really isn't interested in shooting as much as you thought and you should look for a new range buddy. Hopefully, it's just a matter of managing expectations or mitigating differences in skill level or learning style. Whatever your situation, here are some tips to keep your range relations on track…
Recognize Your Differences
In my teaching experience, men and women process information in different ways. Women usually like to fully understand each step in the process and see how everything fits together before they feel comfortable taking a shot. Often times, men are more willing to jump right in and learn by doing. As long as safety rules are followed, we are fine with either way. Understand up front that your partner may be coming from a different angle than you and don't be afraid to talk about what you expect. If you're the type to jump right in, then try planning some extra time before range day to review the fundamentals, dry-fire, etc… If you're the one who needs all the details, then speak up and ask a lot of questions beforehand so you're ready when you get to the firing line.
Communicate – Make A Plan
My husband and I have been together for 15 years and some of our clients have been married much longer! Many couples assume their partner knows what they're thinking half the time, but in reality you may be on different pages. Talk about what you want to accomplish – whether it's to learn effective defensive shooting, get your concealed carry permit, competitive target shooting, or just challenge yourselves with a new (and fun!) skill. Talk about your goals and put together at least a loose plan for your range trip. If you need help figuring out what to do at the range, try Google or contact us for some ideas. Don't make it too complex for beginners and focus on fundamentals.
One of the most important choices you will make is which gun(s) to shoot. If one of you is a new shooter, do not let machismo rule the day. Stick to firearms that are easy for beginners to manage, such as .22 caliber or full size 9mm pistols. Too many times we've seen first-time shooters turned off or even frightened when their partner hands them a hand-cannon at the firing line. Yes, we know, it's a "really cool" gun and, of course it may have its place in the arsenal, but give your friend a chance to develop some skill first. It will pay off in the long run when he or she can manage the recoil and enjoy the experience.
Be Positive And Encouraging
One thing I like about shooting is the instant feedback. You either hit what you're aiming for or not. Nobody needs to be told that they are not hitting the bulls-eye or that their shot grouping is horrible. If you're training for defensive purposes, then keep the targets close (3-7 yards) and remember the difference between combat/defensive accuracy and competition accuracy. Encourage new shooters to keep the groups consistent while working fundamentals.
Be upfront and tell your partner if you want any corrections while at the firing line. While this can actually help if done the right way, with encouragement and patience, ask yourself if you are qualified to make corrections. If your answer is less than certain, maybe that is your cue to hire a professional to join you at the range and provide guidance.
Remember to take some breaks and discuss the good and bad points. Shooting on different lanes may reduce the stress of having your partner watch your every move. Resist the urge to make it a competition unless your partner is willing and competent. Then, it's "Game On!"
Cover The Basics At Home
Half of the battle with a new shooter is demystifying guns. You can lay the groundwork for good fundamentals and a positive range experience by taking a class together with a qualified instructor. If you have already taken some classes, spend some time reviewing firearm safety rules, firearm operation, and shooting fundamentals before your next range trip. Follow all the proper dry-fire rules (empty/unloaded firearm, no ammunition in the room, point the gun in a safe direction, etc…) and practice building your grip, aligning the sights and making some good trigger presses.
Sometimes it helps to take the gun apart and put it back together again a few times, explaining the safety features and function of the parts. For beginners, explain what the range will be like (noise, hot casings flying – possibly into your shirt/shoe, range commands, etc…) and talk about what to do if there is a firearm malfunction or any other issue at the firing line. All of these things will help put new shooters at ease and will allow them to focus more on the fun part – the shooting!


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Being in love is the most joyous feeling ever. However, when that love is not reciprocated to the same level, it can cause a lot of pain and anguish. To add to that, it is sometimes impossible to understand the psyche of the opposite sex. It can be quite difficult to understand them and get to know what's going on in their hands. Wouldn't it be perfect if there were a guide to know how your partner thinks, feels and wants? For all those who are dating a Taurus man, your wishes have been answered. Anna Kovach's Taurus Man Secrets is the know-it-all guide when it comes to tackling the Bull. If you are dating a Taurus man, or want to date one, you are a lucky gal because there is no one like them. However, they can be an enigma sometimes and create an impenetrable wall around them. This guide will help you to know the reasons behind him being the way he is, his deepest desires and his true way of communicating. Anna Kovach (pen name) is an astrologer by profession and author of Taurus man Secrets program. Having herself dated and then married a Taurus man, she knows what it takes to capture his heart and make him fall deeply in love with you. Taurus men are known for their strength and loyalty, however they can also be very confusing and frustrating when you don't understand them. And as you keep trying your best to know what is going on, they keep getting cold and before you know it, your relationship is in danger! The key to avoid this catastrophe is good communication. With the help of these guides, Anna shows you how to truly understand Taurus man, how to get yourself noticed and easily seduce and please your man. If you are a non-believer, keep reading and you will know how stars can get aligned well to make your relationship the one you always wanted and other would be envious of.
Views: 73
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