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Income Levels and Transition of Cooking Fuel Among Rural Poor in India
Full Text:PDF
[1] Arntzen J. W., & Kgathi, D. L. (1984). Some of Determinants of the Consumption of Firewood Energy in Developing Countries: The Case of Rural Botswana. Botswana Journal of African Study, 4(1), 24-44.
[2] Balakrishnan K., Mehta, S., Kumar, P., Ramaswamy, P., Sambandam, S., Kumar, K. S., & Smith, K. R. (2004). Indoor Air Pollution Associated with Household Fuel Use in India. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development/THE WORLD BANK.
[3] Census of India: 2001. Retrieved from www.pon.nic.in/open/depts/ecostat/census/homepage.htm
[4] Chaurey, A., & Kandpal, T. C. (2009). Solar Lanterns for Domestic Lighting in India: Viability of Central Charging Station Model. Energy Policy, 37(11), 4910-4918.
[5] Ekholm, T., Krey V., Pachauri, S., & Riahi K. (2010). Determinant of Household Energy Consumption in India. Energy Policy, 38(10), 5696-5707.
[6] Gundimeda, H., & Kohlin, G. (2008). Fuel Demand Elasticity for Energy and Environmental Polices: Indian Sample Survey Evidence. Energy Economics, 30(2), 517-546.
[7] Gupta, S., & Ravindranath, N. H. (1997). Financial Analysis of Cooking Energy Option in India. Energy Conversion and Management, 38(18), 1809-1876.
[8] Heltberg, R., Arndt, T. C., & Sekhar, N. U. (2000). Fuelwood Consumption and Forest Degradation: A Household Model for Domestic Energy Substitution in Rural India. Lend Economics, 76(2), 213-232.
[9] Heltberg, R. (2003). Household Fuel and Energy Used in Developing Countries-A Multi Country Study, Oil and Gas Policy Division. The World Bank. Retrieved from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTPSIA/Resources/490023-120845825946/FuelUseMulticountryStudy_05.pdf
[10] Jiang, L., & Brian, C. O. N. (2004). The Energy Transition in Rural China. International Journal of Global Energy Issues, 21(1/2), 2-26.
[11] Kanagawa, M., & Nakata, T. (2007). Analysis of the Energy Access Improvement and It Socio Economic Impact in Rural Areas of Developing Countries. Ecological Economics, 62(2), 319-329.
[12] Kavi Kumar, K.S., & Viswanathan, B. (2007). Changing Structure of Income Indoor Air Pollution Relationship in India. Energy Policy, 35(11), 5496-5504.
[13] Mathur, J. N. (2001). Indoor Air Pollution in India – A Major Environmental and Public Concern. Indian Council of Medical Research, 31(5), 1-9.
[14] Mishra, A. (2008). Determinants of Fuelwood Use in Rural Orissa: Implications for Energy Transition. Retrieved from http:www.sandeeonline.org/uploads/documents/abstract/844_ABS _ abstract_wp37.pdf
[15] National Sample Survey Organization. (2001). Energy Used by Indian Households 1999-2000. Retrieved from http://mospi.nic.in/rept%20_%20pubn/464_final.pdf
[16] Njang, A. M., & Jnhannos, T. A. (2011). An Analysis of Domestic Cooking Energy Choices in Cameroon. European Journal of Social Sciences, 20(2), 336-347.
[17] Onyekuru, N. A., & Eboh, E. C. (2011). Determinants of Cooking Energy Demand in the Rural Households of Enugu State, Nigeria: An Application of the Bivariate Probit Model. Asian Journal Experimental Biological Science, 2(2), 332-335.
[18] Pachauri, S., & Jiang, L. (2008). The Household Energy Transition in India and China. Energy Policy, 36(11), 4022-4035.
[19] Peng ,W., Hisham, Z., & Pan, J. (2010). Household Level Fuel Switching in Rural Hubei. Energy for Sustainable Development, 14, 238-244.
[20] Roa, P. S. C., Miller, J. B., Wang, Y. D., & Byrne, J. B. (2009). Energy Microfinance Intervention for Below Poverty Line Household's in India. Energy Policy, 37(5), 1694-1712.
[21] Stock, J. H., & Watson, M. W. (2005). Introduction to Econometrics. New Delhi: Pearson Education Inc..
[22] The Energy and Research Institute. (2004). TERI Energy Data Directory and Year Book 2003-04. Delhi: TERI Press.
[23] Viswanathan, B., & Kavi, K. (2005). Cooking Fuel Used Pattern in India 1983-2000. Energy Policy, 33(8), 1021-1036.
[24] Von, S., Yasmin, N. B., Smith, K., Ballard-Tremeer, G., Majid, E., & Kseniya, L. (2001). Addressing the Impact of Household Energy and Indoor Air Pollution on the Health of the Poor—Implications for Policy Action and Intervention Measures. WHO Commission on Macroeconomics and Health Working Paper WG5:12. Geneva: World Health Organization. Retrieved from http:www.who.int/mediacentre/events/H&SD_Plaq_no9.pdf
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/j.est.1923847920120402.226
DOI (PDF): http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/g3221
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President Trump said this week that "Democrats want to destroy Medicare. If you look at what they're doing, they're going to destroy Medicare. And we will save it. We will keep it going. We're making it stronger. We're making Social Security stronger."
PolitiFact's Jon Greenberg rated that claim false: "Trump said that his administration is making Medicare and Social Security stronger. The forecast for both programs is worse today than a year ago. The main Medicare trust fund is expected to run out of money three years sooner. The main Social Security trust fund is expected to run out one year sooner. The Republican tax cut law and lower-than-projected wages accounted for most of the downgrade."

subset: commoncrawl


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14 posts
Hi, I'm new in this forum, very wonderfull project!
Sorry but my english isn't very very good, anyway I like Frresound!
I don't understand what's a flac file and how can I convert a flac file in wave file??????
Somebody could help me please???? :roll:
flac is a no sound loss format. its something like an mp3 format BUT BETTER. many people use it here because..well they can (that's really the only reason but wait a day and someone will tell you other wise).
you can convert it pretty easily. i forgot who it is but one of the guys here has a site and bunch info and links on how to convert it. like i said give it a day and he'll post all that info here.
he's good about that.
flac is just a zipped WAV, this saves lots of bandwidth when either me or Freesound move the (often heavy) files for you. There *is* a way to use flac under a number of OS, just search sourceforge.net for FLAC.
And about changing the format: use Aud-a-city!
For FLAC codec:
#1 - http://flac.sourceforge.net/download.html
#2 - http://www.free-codecs.com/download/FLAC.htm
#3 - http://cyberial.com/flacinstaller.asp
#4 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FLAC (for info)
Ya!!! :twisted:
Thanks very much!
I'll study the Flac details later, for the moment I I've found a program called Foobar 2000 for PC . It converts Flac in Wav .
Bye :lol:
I wish there was a way to make the FAQ on this easier to find... ideally a little messge could come up the first time someone tries to download a FLAC/OGG file.
oops, it seems flac is not the only annoying/weird/ lossless format: http://www.wavpack.com/
Yes, there exists also a wavpack format which is lossless and comparable in compression to Flac. Wavelab form Steinberg includes this format as standard an several plugins for e.g. winamp and nero exist. I wonder if Freesound would accept this format, because it can also convert 32 bit files, which flac does not accept. Bram, could you give your opinion? Thanks!
Ls wrote:
that's really the only reason but wait a day and someone will tell you other wise).
Flac format is for hiendfi sound the best quality sound for big details,bass, no peak etc. from your pc to the amplifier!
Yes, there exists also a wavpack format which is lossless and comparable in compression to Flac. I wonder if Freesound would accept this format, because it can also convert 32 bit files, which flac does not accept. Bram, could you give your opinion? Thanks!
Bram doesn't like the idea very much: http://www.freesound.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3537
Hey can somebody explain to me how do you setup flac (VB Coded) frontend to work when in winx64 v.7? ops:
I don't know how for flac, but wavpack is supported by some major audio hosts (like Cool Edit aka Adobe Audition, or Steinberg Wavelab), which means you can directly open it without recompressing it. Plus - less CPU usage for rockbox slower/older hardware players, to mention some iriver units here (yet in the age of ipods it does not matters anyway now). For everything else - there is no signifficant difference between various lossless formats (except slight compression factor), because everything is supported by winamp, foobar and ffdshow based players and sound editors. Wavpack however, as a codec - has one confusing thing for beginners - it has also lossy mode inside (which can be good for certain types of sound around 200kbps, sometimes - but only sometimes - even better than musepack). Yet lossless wavpack is very good for storing all kind of FS stuff, at least to my opinion. By the way - for converting between popular formats - you can use dbpoweramp (find via google) - is pretty handy software, that integrates with windows shell (context menu). Basic converter (don't forget download plugins) is free.
FLAC is a loseless audio format I link it with foobar2000.
It is quite popular right now and I cannot see what is wrong with it.
I found FLAC pretty decent with quality from 500kbps to about 1000kbps
pretty easy to work with also.
14 posts


text:
VZ ONLINE GAMES - Spiele für Unterwegs
Crossy Path
Crossy Path is a tricky and highly addictive brain teaser game that requires visual thinking and quick decision making. The player has to reach the exit point of a puzzle while navigating through what can only be described as Escheresque levels. The geometric figures in this game might not be able to exist in reality but they will for sure make you feel like your brain is melting for real. Are your quick enough to find your way through the levels? Can you think quick under pressure? Play Crossy Path now for free and step into the realm of imagination! You will find tons of fun and fascinating geometric puzzles!
Skill, Puzzle Games
Berry Bug
Bob the adorable bug dreamed of delicious strawberries day in, day out! Help him to solve his way through the level by collecting as much strawberries as you can! Unlock the endless mode and beat up the highscore!
Puzzle Games
Fruity Annie
Fruits are blocked by branches. Use tools to help Annie collect fresh fruits! Total of 25 levels and 7 tools, all tools can be placed wherever you want! Just use your imagination to pass different levels!
Games for Girls
Shoot the Stars
Tricky logic game for your mobile phone! Try to hit all stars using trampolins and walls in your near! Find the best way to hit them and try to clear all level!
Train Tycoon
Command your own train empire! Solve tricky puzzles and make sure that your train can get to the goal without any crashes!
Strategy Games
Get Those Sheep
As a shepherd, you need to take care of all the sheep! Bring them back to the farm in a numerical order, and as fast as possible!
Puzzle Games


text:
At LuGoSoft we specialize in solutions spanning the interface between web applications and voice communications. We provide custom solutions, hand-crafted to meet our clients' needs, as well as some common web hosting and VoIP phone services.
We can host your website, no matter if it's just a one-page business card website, a blog, or a busy e-commerce website. For specialized applications we offer Virtual Private Servers.
Our VoIP phone solutions utilize the Internet to route phone calls between parties. This technology offers great flexibility as well as cost savings. New to VoIP? Read our quick intro.


text:
"This will be painful, for the USA was once the most vital market economy in the world. But for now, it's time to say goodbye."
Must read document, read it all and think about the ramifications. Then read the prior article on gold, then read Armstrong's latest article on Gold… (Props to Zerohedge and CWB).
Wednesday: ADP Employment, Beige Book
8 hours ago


text:
Shoppers disappoint retailers this holiday season
Photo: AP
In this Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 photo, people walk through the Fashion Island shopping center in Newport Beach, Calif. U.S. holiday retail sales this year are the weakest since 2008, after a shopping season disrupted by storms and rising uncertainty among consumers. A report out Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012, that tracks spending, called MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse, says holiday sales increased 0.7 percent. Analysts had expected sales to grow 3 to 4 percent. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson, File)


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text:
A-Rod collects two hits as DH in Triple-A game
Third baseman thrown out trying for double, happy with progress in mobility
MOOSIC, Pa. -- Alex Rodriguez took the night off in the field, but had a busy day as the designated hitter on Friday in his second game with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a pair of singles in the RailRiders' 2-1 loss to Louisville. He didn't provide a big home run like Thursday night, but Rodriguez had two chances to run the bases as he tries to get back to Major League form.
Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that the club's best-case scenario is to have Rodriguez playing third base on Monday.
"He's due to DH on Sunday [at Triple-A]. If he gets through the weekend fine, and he responds to the DH fine and flying from Scranton to join us in Texas, all that is fine and he's like, 'I'm ready to go,' [then] he's in there," Cashman said.
Batting second on Friday, Rodriguez grounded out to Louisville shortstop Kris Negron in the first. Despite the grounder's routine nature, Rodriguez looked like his old self and was only out by a half-step at first base.
A-Rod played down his form on the basepaths by joking with the media following the game.
"I promise it wasn't in slow motion," Rodriguez said of his baserunning. "That's how fast I'm running now, a bit slow, but I feel good."
His second at-bat in the fourth inning provided his first hit of the night, as he blooped a single down the right-field line. The base hit allowed A-Rod to run the bases, and he advanced to second base on a hard single by Adonis Garcia. Scranton/Wilkes-Barre failed to score in the remainder of the frame, and he was stranded at second base.
Following a strikeout in his third at-bat, Rodriguez slammed a liner to left field in his final at-bat. He dug for second base, but the ball took just one hop off the wall and he was thrown out as he slid in trying to beat the tag from Louisville second baseman Emmanuel Burriss.
Despite the out at second, Rodriguez was happy with how his body felt following the multihit performance.
"As far as mobility, I think all that stuff is coming along pretty well," Rodriguez said.
"They [Louisville] were playing no doubles defense, but that's no excuse," said Rodriguez.
"My preparation for tomorrow has already started," he added of his postgame routine. "I go through all my routines, and when I wake up in the morning, more routines and then I come in ready to play. Hopefully that proactive type of work will keep me away from trouble."
A suggestion was made in his postgame press conference that Rodriguez could return early and help the Yankees in a DH role, but he was quick to brush off those suggestions.
"DH is a bad idea for me," said Rodriguez, who did admit his eagerness to rejoin the Yankees and help his teammates. "I'm such a baseball guy; I finished my at-bats and ran up the stairs to watch every pitch of [the big league game]. I would do anything to be at Fenway right now."


text:
LOL featured!
Well with a douchebag like him, better to be known as a prude bitch than so much as give him the time of day. Maybe if enough people do that, he can be known as "celibate... by popular demand."
lol Steve
Haha. pretty much the message that seems to be portrayed to women.


text:
Missouri Catholic Conference Annual Assembly
Keynote Address
Missouri Catholic Conference Annual Assembly
The Most Rev. José H. Gomez, S.T.D.
Archbishop of San Antonio
Missouri State Capitol
Jefferson City, Missouri
October 4, 2008
My brothers bishops, my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus:
Greetings, my brothers and sisters! It's so very good to be with you today! Thank you for your very warm welcome. I'm honored by your invitation to speak with you today about immigration.
Archbishop Gomez calls for moratorium on deportations
In recent years, the work of the Missouri bishops and the Catholic Conference has been a model for mature, reasoned, and compassionate participation in the immigration debate. When we finally achieve the comprehensive reforms America needs, it will be in no small part thanks to the kind of witness and leadership you've provided. So I thank you for your work. And I'm humbled that you would ask to hear some of my perspectives.
As you know, the immigration issue is very important to me, too. In fact, I believe immigration is the great civil rights test of our generation. I was recently honored to be appointed as a consultant to Pope Benedict's Pontifical Commission on Latin America. And immigration is one of the critical challenges the Church faces in our hemisphere.
This issue is also deeply personal for me. I come to this debate as both an American citizen and an immigrant, born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico. Some of my ancestors were in what's now Texas, since 1805. (At that time it was still under Spanish rule.) I've always had family and friends on both sides of the border. So I have many conflicting emotions about the way this debate has played out in recent years.
If you don't mind, I'd like to back into the subject of our discussion today. I want to go back in history a little bit. To the short reign of the Emperor Julian, who ruled the Roman Empire from 361 to 363 a.d.
You remember your history, I'm sure. After centuries of persecution, Christianity became first a "tolerated" religion, and then the official state religion under the Roman Emperor Constantine, beginning in the early fourth century. Well, Julian was the son of Constantine's half-brother, Julius Constantius, and he came to power after a series of bloody struggles.
Julian came to be known for all time as "Julian the Apostate." He got that notorious label because, although he had been baptized and raised a Christian, he abandoned his faith immediately upon becoming emperor. Julian then used his "bully pulpit" as emperor to scorn the Church and Christianity and to promote devotion to the pagan gods and goddesses of ancient Greece and Rome—Zeus, Apollo, Aphrodite, and the rest.
Julian called the Christians "Galileans." It was a kind of ethnic and class slur. And he wrote a big book against the Church. He said his aim was to strip that "new-fangled Galilean god" of "the divinity falsely ascribed to him" (Wilken, The Christians as the Romans Saw Them, 177).
But there was something that Julian couldn't shake about the Christians. Something he couldn't get out of his mind. And that was the Christians' virtue. Their charity. And especially their hospitality to those they didn't even know. In fact, Julian once issued an order to try to get pagan believers to start imitating the Christians in what he called their "benevolence toward strangers."
Here's a quote from a letter he wrote, and you can tell he's not very happy. He complains that Christians' care for strangers and their holiness is contributing to the spread of "atheism." (He called Christians "atheists" because they didn't believe in the pagan gods.)
Here's what Julian wrote: "Why do we not observe that it is their benevolence to strangers … and the pretended holiness of their lives that have done the most to increase atheism. … It is disgraceful that when … the impious Galileans support not only their own poor but ours as well, all men should see how our people lack aid from us." (Macmullen and Lane, Paganism and Christianity, 100–425 C.E.: A Sourcebook, 271–272).
You see he's embarrassed. Ashamed. The Christians are so generous that they're helping the poor Romans and that exposes how the Romans themselves don't take care of their poor.
My friends, my point in this little history lesson is this: From the beginning there was something very different about Christians. Something even their enemies, like Julian, couldn't help but notice—and admire, no matter how reluctantly.
It's true there was a tradition of welcoming the stranger in other cultures and religions. Philosophers like Plato wrote about the importance of hospitality. But for the first Christians it became an original and central element of their religious identity. To be a Christian was to practice hospitality to the stranger.
Of course for them, the tradition originated in Scripture. In the Old Testament, we have the story of how Abraham showed hospitality to three strangers, who turned out to be angels of God (Gen. 18). Still today we have that expression about "entertaining angels unaware."
That expression actually comes from the New Testament interpreting the Abraham story. The Letter to the Hebrews gives us the principle: "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares" (Heb. 13:2).
There are quotes about hospitality throughout the New Testament. And I could cite many from the Church Fathers. I'll just quote one. St. Augustine.
Now, St. Augustine wrote this near the end of the Roman Empire. And even then, when the borders of the empire were compromised and its economy was in ruins, Augustine taught that Christians have a duty to welcome the strangers.
He wrote: "Be meek, sympathize with the suffering, carry the weak. And in this time of so many strangers, needy, and suffering people, let your hospitality and good works abound." (Sermon 31)
This teaching of hospitality and doing good works for strangers comes from Jesus himself. Jesus taught that in the stranger we have an encounter with the living God. "For I was a stranger and you welcomed me … As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me" (Matt. 25:35, 40).
My brothers and sisters: We all know this quote. It is an important inspiration for our works of charity and justice. But what I want to emphasize today is how unique and important that is to our identity as Christians.
To be a Catholic is to be a man or woman who serves God in the poor, in the least of these. To be a Catholic is to be a person who welcomes the stranger in need. This is who we are.
So this is the first point I want to make today. The Church's interest in immigration is not a recent development. It doesn't grow out of any political or partisan agenda. No. It is a part of our original religious identity as Catholics, as Christians. We must defend the immigrant if we are to be worthy of the name Catholic.
So your work here in Missouri is not only vital in terms of solidarity and care for others. In terms of the dignity of the human person and the dignity of labor. Your work is also very close to the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We can never forget that Jesus himself and his family were migrants. They were forced into Egypt by the bad policies of a bad government. This was to show us Christ's solidarity with refugees, displaced persons, and immigrants—in every time and in every place. So through your work, you reveal Christ's love for all who are forced to leave their homelands to seek a better life in a new land that's not their own.
Yet our work together on this issue faces many challenges today.
Friends, I'm not a politician. I'm a pastor of souls. And as a pastor I believe the situation that's developed today is bad for the soul of America. And it's bad for the souls of Americans. There is too much anger. Too much resentment. Too much fear. Too much hate. It's eating people up. And it's just no good for people to be consumed by fear and hate. It's no good for their souls. And it's no good for our country, my friends.
And I worry that our policies more and more reflect these kind of fears and resentments. I don't know how many anti-immigrant laws have been enacted this year. I've lost track. The last I heard, it was something like 200 new laws in 40 states. And that's just this year. In 2007, I believe there were 240 new laws in 46 states.
Many of these laws are so clearly vindictive, so obviously meant to injure and intimidate, that I worry that the effect will be to diminish respect for the rule of law. The law should not be used to scare people, to invade their homes and work-sites, to break up families. From a practical standpoint, I don't see how these measures are solving any problems. Instead, they're creating new ones.
Again, I say these things as a pastor, not a politician. We need to find a way to stop lashing out at the problem and to start making sensible policy. I would like to see a moratorium on new state and local legislation. And, as the U.S. bishops recently called for, I would like to see an end to federal work-site enforcement raids.
This is a national crisis and it calls for national leadership. I understand that the presidential candidates don't want to touch this issue before the election. Nor does Congress after the bitter failure of the 2007 immigration bill.
But this is the hard work of democracy. As soon as this election is over and a new government sworn in, we need to insist that our leaders roll up their sleeves and get to work on comprehensive immigration reform.
As I said, this is the greatest civil rights test of our generation. The lives of millions of undocumented workers and their families hang in the balance. Millions who are presently forced by our failed policies to live without rights at the margins of this great country.
So that's my second point. We're at a worrisome impasse in our work for immigration reform. That means we need renewed determination to forge a solution worthy of a great nation.
My third point today is about the role of the church. Your role and mine. In this volatile debate, the church must be a voice of compassion, reason, and moral principle.
In Catholic teaching, the right to migrate is among the most basic human rights. It's very close to the right to life. Why? Because God has created the good things of this world to be shared by all men and women — not just a privileged few.
That means that if a person can't find the necessities of life for his family, he has the right to leave his country and to seek these things in some other country.
Now, it's true that the right to immigration is not absolute. Church teaching recognizes the government's right to regulate immigration. To weigh immigration's impact on the economy and our national security.
But the church also insists that no country can deny this basic human right out of exaggerated fears or selfishness. And Catholic teaching presumes that the more prosperous a country is, the more generous that country should be in welcoming foreigners.
We need to help our people and our leaders to examine their conscience in light of these principles of Catholic social teaching.
As we stress the church's moral principles, we need to be more sensitive to people's fears. My friends, the opponents of immigration are also people of faith. Many of them, unfortunately, are Catholics. They are hard-working Americans, and our brothers and sisters.
They are afraid. And their fears are legitimate. They're afraid of another terrorist attack carried out by foreigners able to cross our borders without any trouble. They're afraid that an influx of foreign workers will drive down their wages or cause them to lose their jobs. These are not baseless fears. And as this financial crisis unfolds on Wall Street, those fears are only going to get worse.
So we have to do a better job of listening to people. And we need to be calm about presenting the facts.
By the way, I am very impressed by the work of MATT — Mexicans and Americans Thinking Together. They have a very reasoned and comprehensive approach to reform that is in line with Catholic social teaching. If you don't know their work, they are on the web — MATT.org.
We have to keep reminding people of some basic facts. First, that the borders are much more secure now than they were eight years ago. The federal government has done a great deal to secure the borders against terrorist threats and further illegal immigration.
Second, we need to help people see that our economy needs a large immigrant workforce. The fact is that immigrants are doing work Americans won't do. And if that work doesn't get done, important businesses die. And that has an effect on everyone because our economy is so interconnected.
I was in Pennsylvania a few months ago to talk about immigration. They have enacted some of the toughest laws. And as a result, one of the largest tomato growers in the Northeast had to go out of business. The owner shut down because so many of his workers were being deported and he was being threatened with jail and huge fines for employing them. This is happening all over the country.
If American businesses can't find the workforce they need here in America, they're going to either shut down or relocate elsewhere. I'm not an economist any more than I'm a politician. But I think we can see that this isn't good for our economy.
So it makes good sense to offer immigrants a path to become taxpaying citizens, with all the benefits and responsibilities of other workers and citizens.
Already, we see that Hispanics are following the pattern of earlier generations of immigrants — learning the English language and ensuring that their children too become fluent in English. This is an area that the Church can help in, too. We need to help ensure that these newcomers become true Americans while preserving their own distinctive identity and culture, in which religion, family, friendship, community, and the culture of life, are important values.
I also think we need to keep talking about immigration in terms of the realities of globalization. I know you've done good work on this issue here in Missouri. The bottom line with globalization is that as long as workers can earn more in one hour in the United States than they can earn in a day or a week in Mexico, they will continue to migrate to this country.
We need to ensure that our leaders, and leaders throughout the hemisphere, address the economic "causes" of immigration. We need to promote local development and reform in Latin American countries. Few people "want" to leave their homes. They do so because they need work. We need to seek changes so that fewer people will feel compelled to leave their homelands to seek work in this country.
Finally, my friends: The church has an important role to play in promoting forgiveness and reconciliation on this issue. We must work so that justice and mercy, not anger and resentment, are the motives behind our response to illegal immigration.
The fact is that millions of immigrants are here in blatant violation of U.S. law. This makes law-abiding Americans angry. And it should. Why should they obey the laws if others aren't punished for breaking them? As advocates, we can't ignore this fact or somehow argue that our immigration laws don't matter.
We have to make sure that our laws are fair and understandable. At the same time, we have to insist that our laws be respected and enforced. Those who violate our laws have to be punished.
The question is how? What punishments are proper and just? I think, from a moral standpoint, we're forced to conclude that deporting immigrants who break our laws is too severe a penalty. It's a punishment that's disproportionate to the crime. It's a punishment that doesn't account for the complex circumstances of how and why people enter this country illegally.
What's most troubling to me as a pastor is that these deportations are breaking up families. Leaving wives without husbands, children without parents. A fundamental dimension of Catholic social teaching on immigration is that our policies should be aimed at reuniting and strengthening families—not tearing them apart. As we all know, a policy that breaks families apart can only lead to greater sufferings and social problems.
Pope Benedict was adamant on this point during his visit to America. He said this: "I have seen the breadth of this problem, especially the serious problem of the break-up of families. And this is really dangerous for the social, moral and human fabric … Families should be protected rather than destroyed." (Interview during the flight to the United States, April 15, 2008)
Now, this doesn't mean we shouldn't enforce the laws. It means we need to find more suitable penalties. The church needs to be a voice for mercy as well as justice. We have to insist that those who come to our country respect our laws. If they are here illegally, they can't expect to escape punishment. But I would suggest that intensive, long-term community service would be a far more constructive solution than deportation. This would build communities rather than tear them apart. And it would serve to better integrate the immigrants into the social and moral fabric of America.
This brings me back around to the point I began with. As Catholics, we need to recover our identity as a people who welcome the stranger.
Reasoned arguments will only get us so far. We will change the hearts and minds of our countrymen on this issue only if we ourselves become living examples of the Gospel we proclaim.
We need to be the people St. Augustine talked about. People who sympathize with the suffering, who lift up the weak. Who abound in good works and hospitality.
It's interesting to me that in the New Testament, the word for "hospitality" in Greek is philoxenia. We all know what xenophobia is. That's the "fear of strangers." In fact, I'd say we have more than a mild case of xenophobia in our country these days. The Christian word for "hospitality" is like the antidote to that. Philoxenia literally means "love of strangers."
This is who we are called to be — "lovers of strangers." Lovers of the immigrant, the alien, the undocumented. This love is not some sentimental affection. It's a radical love in which we open our hearts and our homeland to the stranger in need.
My friends, we need to intensify our concern and advocacy for the immigrants in our midst. But I appeal to you: Don't forget their spiritual needs, even as you fight on for their dignity and rights in the economic and political realm.
I often recall a story about Blessed Mother Teresa. Once she went to Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico. She was talking to the very poor people there. People living in the worst conditions. She asked them what their greatest need was. One man spoke for all the rest. He said: La Palabra de Dios. The Word of God.
Let's never forget that, my friends. Our people hunger and thirst for justice. For fair wages and benefits. For decent working conditions. But they hunger, too, for the Gospel, the truth of salvation. La Palabra de Dios.
Let me leave you with one more story about Blessed Mother Teresa. It's a great story of hospitality. Early in her ministry in Calcutta, she found a woman who had been left on the streets to die.
Mother Teresa took her into her home and started cleaning her up. She was covered in sores. The whole time the woman was cursing at her. At one point the woman screamed: "People don't do things like this. Who taught you?" Mother Teresa responded, "My God taught me."
So the woman asked who her god was. And Mother Teresa said: "You know my God. My God is called love."
This is the God we serve, my friends. The God who is Love. Let us be faithful servants of Love. Let us abound in love. In good works and hospitality for the strangers among us.
I'm grateful for this chance to speak with you today. I pray that Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of the Americas, will watch over and keep you. Thank you.


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Works for me! 🙄
Leather Flavored Donut
leather flavored donut has been put through the most strenuous testing done to donuts since the creation of nacho donut. although nacho donut and leather donut originated from the same source, these are in fact two separate, but equal entities. we work for the same goals, but each website has it's own distinct flavor. this is the flavor of leather.


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Perfect for little organisers, this beautiful Armoire is the big sister to our standard Armoire, featuring an additional drawer for even more space to store seasonal clothes, big snuggly jumpers and bed linen.
Featuring two hanging rails, two adjustable shelves and two spacious full-width drawers underneath - no attention to detail or quality is spared. Plus you can choose from five classic colours or a bespoke colour to match your interior scheme. Bliss.
Let the glorious organising begin! 'T-shirts here, jumpers in the drawer... ONLY pink things this side, Mummy!'
Good to know
• Features two full-width, spacious drawers and a double wardrobe with central divider, two half-width hanging rails and two adjustable shelves.
• The two drawers are perfect for blankets, bed linen and snuggly jumpers.
• A choice of five beautiful colours with a durable silk finish (Prussian blue, silk white, antique white, taupe and dark grey).
• Made to order with bespoke colours/sizes available. (Shocking pink? Sure. Call us on 0800 021 9015).
• Elegant design details such as grooved panelling, rounded corners (to avoid little knocks) and deep sturdy skirting for a classic, contemporary look.
• Made from solid pine and composites (so it's safe, sturdy and will last for years).
• Delivered pre-assembled in two parts - our drivers will complete the job for you and take away the packaging. Bonus.
• Shop the whole Charterhouse collection in our Lookbook.
A word on delivery: If your assembled Armoire is destined to pass through an awkward, tight space or a spiral staircase, please call us so we can discuss your specific requirements.
Box one (wardrobe top) dimensions: H 131cm x W 57cm x D 58cm
Box two (wardrobe base and drawer) dimensions: H 56cm x W 97cm x D 57cm
We will be able to supply the same Armoire in a different specification to allow it to go upstairs. If our experienced drivers sense a risk, they may suggest stopping, or ask you to sign a disclaimer before continuing with the delivery.
Any further questions about our wardrobes?
Got any questions about any of our children's wardrobes? Our helpful team of chaps won't keep you hanging around on the phone all day, so you can be sure that if you need any help or anything to do with your new Aspace furniture, get in touch with us today and we'll get you sorted out!
|Solid Pine and composites
|Available in Prussian Blue, Silk White, Antique White, Taupe and Dark Grey
|H 182cm x W 91cm x D 52cm
|Two hanging rails and two adjustable shelves; two drawers
|Delivered assembled
|ASPACE Exclusive
Need To Know
• We deliver and assemble with our own, friendly delivery team, on a day to suit you. For that reason we will always call you within 24 hours of placing your order (unless it's the weekend, then we'll get straight back to you the next working day) to arrange a convenient day and time.
• Occasionally we will use a carefully selected delivery partner to help us out.
• If your item is in stock, it will be delivered within a few days, so long as you're ready for your new purchase!
• If you need something in a hurry, please call us – we may be able to arrange next day delivery, and will always try to deliver as soon as possible if not.
• If you need anything else, or have any questions, please get in touch with us at email@example.com of 0800 021 9015.
' Very nice good quality product. '
' Made to order, the wardrobe is just lovely. Beautiful colour, plenty of room and really solid '
' Great quality wardrobe, excellent customer service '
Our response:
We are delighted to read that you're happy with your Charterhouse Two Drawer Children's Wardrobe. We're always happy to help.
' Seems great but we've only just bought it so not much time to assess it yet. No issues so far. '
WHAT'S SPECIAL ABOUT OUR Charterhouse 2 Drawer Armoire
Superior design
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Did someone say bespoke?
That's right! This Charterhouse armoire can be tailor made to your requirements. Just give us a ring on 0800 021 9034
Delivered fully assembled
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Among the issues being considered by the Moretown Development Review Board in its review of the Moretown Landfill's application for a fourth cell is groundwater. At a Thursday, September 27, meeting, board members, neighbors and landfill personnel spent a fair amount of time discussing how the proposed new cell will impact groundwater and local wells.
At the meeting, Moretown Landfill general manager Tom Badowski and Matt Poirer, an engineer with Sanborn, Head & Associates, gave a more detailed description of the landfill's history and design to help provide residents with the context they need to understand the facility's proposed expansion.
The Moretown Landfill, which currently consists of three lined cells, has been accepting trash at its Route 2 location for about 30 years. The landfill—one of two in the state—will be forced to close once it reaches capacity within the next year, but if Interstate Waste Services' application to build a fourth trash cell is approved it could remain open for another 12 to 16 years.
In the preliminary hearings regarding the fourth trash cell—which would be about the size of the existing three cells combined—residents who live nearby the landfill have outwardly opposed its expansion, expressing concern about how it will affect their quality of life.
One of the residents' major concerns is that leachate from the landfill could pollute groundwater—most notably, their wells. "Folks have drinking water supplies in this area," DRB chair John Riley said, addressing Badowski and Poirer. "Is that a risk?" Riley asked.
In response, Badowski and Poirer presented a small sample of the type of plastic lining used in landfill construction, in which "the whole concept is to protect groundwater," Badowski said. Although in the past, the company has detected contamination in the groundwater adjacent to the landfill's oldest—and only unlined—trash cell, technology has since drastically improved, and the fourth cell would be lined.
In addition to installing lining, Interstate Waste Services is required by the state to sample the groundwater around the facility every six months. When residents questioned the location of the testing sites, Badowski responded, "We've studied the hydrology of the site very robustly," and only test in areas they've found could be affected by runoff. Still, Riley said the board can discuss whether or not the town will require additional testing sites.
Thursday night's hearing, while originally designed to be an overview, evolved into a fairly in-depth discussion of the issue of groundwater pollution. And the discussion isn't over yet. At the end of the hearing, the board and residents worked together to establish a schedule of meetings for the upcoming weeks, each addressing a separate issue relating to the expansion project, such as that of odor pollution and increased traffic.
In the end, "the million-dollar question is whether this application can be done so that it doesn't affect your quality of life," Riley told residents.


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Cycling and Statistics
recent poll conducted by Lovely Bicycle, of the 221 respondents who claimed to ride mainly diamond frame bikes for transportation, 76% were male. Of the 95 respondents who claimed to ride mainly step-through bikes for transportation, 80% were female. And of the 39 respondents who claimed to ride mainly mixte bikes for transportation, 66% were female. This numerical evidence we can wield like a mighty weapon the next time someone contradicts these tendencies.
Of course the one little problem with Statistics, is that it's mostly BS. In the words of comedian Vic Reeves, "88.2% of Statistics are made up on the spot" - which may very well be the case. But numbers need not be maliciously forged in order to misrepresent reality. There are multitudes of ways in which a study can be flawed or biased from the start, set up so as to elicit particular responses. Often this is done unintentionally, or at least unconsciously, by researchers eager to find evidence for their pet theories. Other scenarios can include how data is processed, or even how the final results are presented. Statistics are highly prone to human error and bias, which means that they are inherently subjective. This, combined with the fact that we respect them so much, makes our statistics-loving culture susceptible to misinformation.
Yes, the NHTSA numbers suggest that in 2009 there were 50 times more motor vehicle fatalities than there were bicycle fatalities in the US. But those numbers mean nothing until they are weighed against how many cars vs bicycles there are on the roads at large. If there were 50 times more cars on the road than bicycles, than the risks of fatal traffic accident would be equal for each mode of transportation. But I believe that in actuality, there are more like 1,000 more cars on the roads than bicycles... which means that the number of cycling fatalities is disproportionately high.
Obviously, I am not trying to prove that cycling is unsafe. But I do want to understand the reality of the situation. After all, if cycling advocates use statistics incorrectly, they open themselves up to some very harsh critique from unfriendly forces. Where could one go to obtain accurate statistics about the number of cars vs bicycles on the roads, and the number of traffic accidents for each?


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Less richly realized than the X-MEN and SPIDER-MAN films, this live-action adaptation of the long-running Marvel series favors light action over character dynamics. Scientist Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd) believes a cosmic storm could be the key to many genetic ailments, but must turn to his old college nemesis, billionaire Victor Von Doom (Julian McMahon),...read more
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"We have owned/trained and raised Weimaraners for approx. 15 years. We only raise one breed; the wonderful Weimaraner. Our family is very involved in hunting and competeing our fur kids. This is a family affair for us and our dogs are involved with everything we do. Our puppies are socialized from the moment of conception. The mothers are in the house and around the family at all times. We believe socialization starts before birth and one of the main points of raising a well rounded hunting partner/family member. Health is also very important to us and our puppies come with a full health guarantee against genetic disorders. All parents are screened before breeding. Certifications are displayed on our website for each of them. All puppies are started on the hunting process by 5-6 weeks of age.
We are members and participants of the WCA (Weim Club of America), NAVHDA (North American Hunting Dog Association),The IABCA(International All Breed Canine Association) and the VHDF (Versatile Hunting Dog Federation). We are also involved in the local rescue and placing needed homes for rescue Weimaraners. We have some of the top hunting bloodlines from around the world, including Germany, Australia, Sweeden and the USA. Our puppies are raised for family companions, hunting partners, agility, show, tracking, therapy...they truely are the versatile dog. Please contact us with any questions or information. We also have NAVHDA puppy packets for anyone seriously interested in becoming a member. We look forward to visiting with you about our dogs and family. Please view our website for health certifications such as OFA, PennHip, CERF, General Wellness and pictures galore!


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Welcome to Store Front Week here at OPOD. We will be reminiscing about bygone days when we actually purchased our stuff from small, independent, local businesses that were intimately a part of the community. The picture above shows a meat market and grocery store from 1916. The owner proprieter is pictured with his son, and one of his employees out front.
While this picture was taken in 1916, things were not much different in the 1960's in the area I grew up in. Our little community of 1,900 people had 2 small locally owned grocery stores. In addition, the bus station had a small grocery store. The owners were part of the community, and the businesses operated on the concept of exceptional customer service. Grocery shopping was not something you dreaded.
So, hopefully you all will share your memories of such locally owned shops this week.


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Sylvester the Cat
Sylvester the Cat (October 12 1937 - December 3 1976) was an Animated American feline, originally made famous by his involvement with the now-controversial Looney Tunes project (see main article for details). He spent his later career trying to distance himself from this work, and is now most commonly recognized as a [[hero] for going against sexual abuse
Early Life[edit]
Sylvester was born in a small, cardboard box under a bed in the back room at Granny's house in 1937. This was typical of life for Animated Americans at the time, as the movement to grant full civil rights to Animericans was still decades away. He was taken from his parents and sold to Dot Warner almost before his eyes had opened. Dot doted on him for a time, pampering and spoiling him. However, he was still not treated as a full member of the household, forced to eat and sleep off the floor most of the time, only to be snatched up and forcibly petted by Dot when she was feeling bored. As he grew up, he stopped being cute enough for the ever-demanding starlet, and eventually Dot donated him to the casting department at WB, where he lived in a small pen with dozens of other young Animericans.
Life in the pen was hard for Sylvester, who was used to a life of (relative) comfort. While here, he was subjected to repeated sexual assaults by his penmates. After "making the rounds" for a while, he caught the eye of fellow penmate Captain Pete. Pete had been in the Warner Brothers Anipen for years, since he was sold off as part of a lot of unused and unwanted characters by Disney. Despite the abysmal living conditions in the pen, they formed a good friendship.
Early Career[edit]
Tragically, Sylvester's new friend was not to last. It came to a sudden end when a producer came to the pen looking for Animerican actors for a new project. Having no rights of their own, he was taken away to the lot in Burbank and forced to participate in a variety of secret military plots, as well as appearing in propaganda films. Two months after his transfer, Pete died of a rare form of cellulose decay, which
This news and ultimately graduating to Kitten Huffing. His new job afforded him many luxuries, including a comfortable apartment on the studio and his own private car, but he after Pete's death he found no comfort in these things. Towards the end of this period, he would often be found passed out, a bottle of gin in one hand and a dead kitten in the other.
The studio took all steps to keep Sylvester's drug abuse a secret, and made no real effort to help him overcome his personal problems. However, this changed in 1943, when studio executives learned that Sylvester was having a homosexual affair with aspiring actor Goofy, who would later become famous for his many roles in rival studio Disney's Exploitimation films of the 60s and 70s. He was thrown off the lot the next day. While outraged at the injustice at the time, he later saw this as a defining moment in his life, and thanked God for kicking him while he was down.
Future Career[edit]
He was a male whore begging for sex, He raised 20 cents in total.
for services call 893-345-puss 5 cents an hour
Political Activism[edit]
After struggling for a while to find work again as an actor, Sylvester became one of the early founders of the Associated Guild of Animated American Gay and Lesbian Actors Against the Persecution of Animated Americans in Hollywood and Other Places with a Large Media Presence (AGAGLAAPAAHOPLMP, pronounced ag-ag-lap-aho-plimp). The organization was more famous than influential, as even members of the Associated Guild of Animated American Actors (AGAAA) would regularly beat them senseless at Animerican rights protests.
However, they persevered, taking beating after beating, until the political climate changed. He is perhaps most famous for his long-winded rants on public access television, where his criticisms of politics, both in Hollywood and in Washington, were punctuated with the now-familiar "Sufferin' Succotash," delivered in his trademark lisp. Some credit the affected lisp common among homosexuals to this day to Sylvester, though in his case the lisp was a genuine speech impediment, the result of a misshaped palate. Throughout the 60s and 70s other Animerican actors began to "come out" and join the AGAGLAAPAAHOPLMP, and today the organization is respected by some people, and mob beatings occur only a few times a year.
Sylvester died in 1976. The cause of death was never determined with absolute certainty, as the body was mutilated and burned beyond any reasonable analysis. The official police report simply called it "suicide." A few prominent members of the AGAGLAAPAAHOPLMP called this outrageous, but their reasons for thinking so were never reported as they all committed suicide in a similar manner shortly thereafter.
- Sylvester the cat's last & most well known tv appearance was the role of the seventh Doctor Who. In his era, Sylvester and his companion Ace faced the Daleks, the Cybermen, and an extradimensional picnic basket thief. It was also rumored that he had some other companion, Mel, but this has never been proven.
See also[edit]
|Looney Tunes & Merrie Melodies
|Primary: Bugs Bunny • Daffy Duck • Porky Pig • Elmer Fudd • Sylvester • Tweety Bird • Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner • Foghorn Leghorn • Pepé Le Pew • Yosemite Sam • Speedy Gonzalez • Marvin the Martian • Tasmanian Devil • The Barnyard Dawg • Henery Hawk
|Secondary: Bosko • Clyde Rabbit • Buddy • Goopy Geer • Foxy • Piggy • Beans • Michigan J. Frog • Petunia Pig • Rocky and Mugsy • Granny • Hector the Bulldog • Goofy Gophers • Cecil Turtle • Sylvester, Jr. • Gossamer • Spike the Bulldog and Chester the Terrier Hippety Hopper • Marc Antony and Pussyfoot • Witch Hazel • The Three Bears • Hubie and Bertie • Claude Cat • Sniffles • Ralph Phillips • Beaky Buzzard • Willoughby • Charlie Dog • Pete Puma • Crusher • Count Blood Count • Private Snafu • Sam Sheepdog and Ralph Wolf • Slowpoke Rodriguez • K-9 • Merlin the Magic Mouse and Second Banana • Blacque Jacque Shellacque • Nasty Canasta • Cool Cat • Penelope Pussycat • Egghead Jr.
|Comics and TV Shows: Honey Bunny • Wendell T. Wolf • Digeri Dingo • Daniel and Timothy Platypus • Lola Bunny • Melissa Duck • I.Q. Hi • Star Johnson • Queen Tyr'ahnee
|Television Animation
|Tiny Toon Adventures : Babs and Buster Bunny • Plucky Duck • Hamton J. Pig • Montana Max • Elmyra Duff • Dizzy Devil • Furrball • Calamity Coyote • Little Beeper • Gogo Dodo • Sweetie Pie • Shirley the Loon • Fifi La Fume • Li'l Sneezer • Concord Condor • Byron Basset • Fowlmouth • Arnold the Pitbull • Barky Marky • Mary Melody
|Animaniacs : Yakko, Wakko, and Dot • Ralph the Guard • Thaddeus Plotz • Dr. Otto Scratchansniff • Hello Nurse • Ms. Flamiel • Pinky and the Brain • Snowball the Hamster • Slappy Squirrel • Skippy Squirrel • Walter Wolf • Buttons and Mindy • The Goodfeathers • Rita and Runt • Flavio and Marita • Minerva Mink • Chicken Boo • Katie Ka-Boom • Mr. Skullhead
|Hanna-Barbera : • Ruff and Reddy • Huckleberry Hound • Yogi Bear • Loopy de Loop • The Flintstones • The Jetsons • Top Cat • Wally Gator • Lippy the Lion • Touche Turtle • Space Ghost • Scooby Doo
|Other Cartoons : Freakazoid! • Road Rovers • Histeria! (Characters)


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Sunday the 16th of October we had a meeting.
PROBLEMS OF THE FOREST #1 (of seventeen…)
Who was there: Dai, Nick, Magda, Chris, Gareth, Ryan, Jane, Dan (not Gorman), Tim, Pogo, Mat, Chisum, Duncan, Kasia, Marcin and myself(george).
-and this is how it went….
We should be charging people to use our stuff upstairs
Action: Will arrange Carol-Forest meeting. Jane is happy to be the liaison. Preferrably "liaision and…"
Also, we will put a lock on the door to the church hall complete with letterbox in which to deposit key.
2. Getting organized: we need action points. real ones. recorded and checked.
The more grants, the more projects.
Getting volunteers involved (ah, the eternally tricky one…). We should party more. none of this volunteer "meeting" stuff make it a volunteer party and we will all drunkenly bond. And will go back to publishing minutes on speaks to keep everyone in the know.in fact…
Actions:KMs will get vollies informed.
Dai will organize volpartay for last sat of the month(to replace tedious "meeting"). Oh and will close the last Sunday of each month, for various reasons.
george will tell vollies that we'll fund them to do stuff in the space, revamp-wise.
3. Budgets: they who need a budget must write themselves a budget. By budget we mean money required for regular spending needs.
There should be limits on spending on stupid things…ladidadida..
"subcommittees" should each have a budget
Actions:Pogo gets 100£ to wire up forest?
Dark room gets whatever budget is required and doesn't include such extravagances as monthly trips to Taiti
And btw we need a new Strategy and Details person
note: TK Budget does carry over
4.You must prove yourself to be granted the privilege of being on the forest committee… -at this point we went round and everyone said what they do as part of the committee, just to make sure.
5. We don't really hang out any more. Aside from the obvious stuff it would help the space run smoothly.
Events: the events subcommittee doesn't really need ot be re-established since it's really a one-man job.
ideas: maybe require special permission to book a fri/sat night event?
perhaps could have specific liaising time/week where all potential events runners could meet with events manager and sort stuff out.
also split corkage 50-50 with musicians
Actions:we will hang out here more
will be splitting the corkage takings with musicians
There will be monthly promotion of our events
Ah yes and committee members should be doing events…
7. SHOP.we want it.we need it.
once a week, like Sunday, could be shop day:selling everything, even kitchen prod?maybe?.
Advertisement…on line? display case?
Action: Jane will brainstorm for shop setup. George might help. Also, to start, will make inventory of stuff to sell.
Should re-issue old stuff for sale
Oh and of course launch the whole shop madness off with a party make compilations, play them display them
Ryan and Nick are on forest publishing
Oh and the new forest records slogan is "Buy it for the music"
8. We dotn take care of our stuff and it costs us money
Action: just get organized. A place for everything and everything in its place. Easier said than done-maybe we need a stuff manager
Action: Respect. And start by keeping the office tidy.
9. The forest looks normal. This is wrong very wrong.
Action: Magda and her forest arts subcommittee is empowered: give her paint and she will throw it.
Maybe we should have a deco day? more madness goddammit . Bring back the Stefanos vibe!
Also make sure CIA-nights gets out there. Maybe have an events mailing list? And actively hunt out cool events.
10. Sound:Basically we need a new sound engineer. Btw, the trainee sound engineers will be coming to practice on us.brilliant!
Action: computer for day music. Mat will set it up for Pogo
11. Twisted smilesssssssss. Poor Ryan does most of the barring. Which brings us back to hanging out here more. If we're here we can keep those nasty people at bay.
Action: Ryan will henceforth bar people in a funny voice.
12. Old rules…which do we keep and which to we ditch? Action: we'll have rules meeting
13.Closing up. Action: Mat is almost done with a print-out of the new closing procedure.
blah the end.but really it was a great meeting
This is how much fun this meeting was: :D :) :( :o :shock: :? 8) :x :P :oops: :cry: :evil: :twisted: :roll: :wink: :!: :?: :idea: :arrow:
And that is all
Committee meeting 16/10/05
Working group and other such Forest meeting minutes
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1 post • Page 1 of 1


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With apologies to John Dunne, we remind you that no advisor is an island. To be successful—whether you measure success by growth in assets or increased profitability or in excellent client service—advisors must partner with larger firms to conduct their research and trading, to custody client assets, to gain entree to money managers and investment vehicles, and to access technology tools to effectively service clients and run better businesses. Those partner firms all provide practice management assistance to their affiliated advisors as well, but are their offerings useful? Do they have a clear understanding of what advisors need, and are they then meeting those needs? Are they accurately measuring what works in practice management and what doesn't? Are they putting dollars behind those offerings, or are they merely paying lip service to helping advisors run more efficient and effective businesses?
In this, our second published report on the findings of the inaugural AdvisorOne/ActiFi Pursuing Practice Excellence practice management study, we take an objective, comprehensive look at what those partner firms are offering advisors in the practice management arena.
Our first article in the June issue of Investment Advisor and online at AdvisorOne.com related what nearly 1,000 advisors in a comprehensive online survey told us they need and want regarding practice management help. For this analysis, we then followed up by conducting personal interviews with more than 50 practice management leaders from advisor partner firms of all shapes, sizes and affiliation models, from the wirehouses to independent BDs both large and small and clearing firms, from the leaders of large RIAs to the mutual fund companies and software firms advisors work with.
By listening to advisors first and then speaking to these industry leaders, in Pursuing Practice Excellence we will be able to identify the gaps between what advisors say they need and what their partners are providing. By analyzing those gaps with the help of a select group of industry experts in a roundtable meeting, we will present in our third article in August how the industry as a whole can more perfectly target its practice management efforts to meet advisors' true needs, while giving advisors the tools and strategies they need to be more successful.
Who the Survey Participants Were
In the second phase of our Pursuing Practice Excellence study, we conducted comprehensive telephone interviews with 52 industry leaders from five different categories of firms. Our interviewees answered a series of questions and completed an in-depth online survey as well. This pool of interview participants represents a broad swath of the financial services industry. While the number of participants in the survey may be too small to make the sampling statistically significant on its own, the participants' leadership positions affect such a large number of advisors that the results, we argue, are quite meaningful. Realizing that many of these firms compete with each other but wanting to encourage candid responses, we also guaranteed anonymity to our industry leaders.
To help measure the importance of practice management to these firms, we asked them to tell us the number of staff members dedicated to practice management. A majority reported having between one and nine dedicated practice management staff members. It is important to point out, however, that in almost all cases, interviewees reported that practice management staff resources have not been totally centralized as part of a specific department but spread across multiple areas of the firm. This may be a result of a strategic decision to provide an integrated offering delivered and managed across the firm. At the other end of the spectrum, individual components of practice management may have been grown organically without any coordinated oversight.
During our interviews, we also asked whether firms had formal practice management programs and how advisors were selected to participate in those programs. We found that larger firms tended to have formal programs and most often had defined processes for selecting the advisors that could participate in those programs. Several firms had formal pre-work requirements for potential advisors and also measured skill and readiness to participate prior to engaging advisors in their programs. Most of the firms based selection of advisors on recommendations from sales or branch managers or other field leaders. A small number of firms require advisors to participate in the cost of the programs. Finally, almost all firms had some sort of self-service option that was open to all of their advisors.
Words, Words: How Do Industry Leaders Define 'Practice Management'?
Echoing what we asked advisors in the first part of our survey (see "Pursuing Practice Excellence: The Advisor Perspective," Investment Advisor, June 2012), we asked each industry leader to provide us with their own definition of practice management. While no one quoted a formal definition, most were able to fairly quickly define what practice management meant.
The most common words used to define practice management were:
- Help
- Build
- Improve
- Manage
- Productivity
- Profitable
- Efficiently
We had several interesting discussions about the differences between "business development" and "practice management," with equal numbers of respondents arguing that the terms were interchangeable or that they were separate, unique topics.
Interestingly, while one Pursuing Practice Excellence participant said his firm tries to focus on helping advisors improve what they already have rather than adding anything new, another participant seemed to speak for many firms in saying they view practice management as a way to make their "internal program managers more effective sales managers." So while there were certainly many similar definitions of practice management, there was also wide variation in the specific ways participants define practice management.
What Participant Firms Offer
Our 52 respondents reported that they are mostly working with non-employee advisors. Exactly half also reported that less than 25% of the advisors they work with take advantage of the practice management offerings that they currently provide.
The Leaders Speak
"A big challenge is to deliver information to advisors in a way they can absorb it […]. We all hear 'I didn't know you have that.' Our biggest challenge is to get them to adopt what we already have."
—CMO of West Coast-based independent broker-dealer
Which People and Programs Work
We next turned to the question of which staff members or outside providers tended to be most effective in delivering practice management solutions and which programs were most effective. Perhaps not surprisingly, 70% of respondents said they believed their own programs and staff were effective. However, their views of the effectiveness of sales management (46.2%) and product wholesalers (17.3%) in delivering practice management were rated much lower than their own staff's effectiveness.
This demonstrates one of the disconnects between the advisors' portion of the Pursuing Practice Excellence study and the industry leaders'. As reported in our first article in this three-part series—Pursuing Practice Excellence: The Advisor Perspective—50.7% of advisors reported that they have a "good" or "deep" relationship with their wholesalers. Look for an exploration of this and other disconnects between advisors and their industry partners in our August cover story. (Visit the Pursuing Practice Excellence homepage at AdvisorOne.com/tag/Pursuing-Practice-Excellence for updates.)
In terms of programs, participants were somewhat less enthusiastic. The highest rated program type, business management solutions, was only rated "effective" or "extremely effective" by 55.8% of participants.
In a theme we saw throughout the industry leaders' portion of the study, despite their confidence in their own teams, participants were eager to improve their practice management solutions and staffs. More than 60% of respondents rated as "important" or "extremely important" each of the six options we presented. This indicates that there is ample opportunity to improve programs and that firms are actively working on making their offerings more effective. Practice management is an emerging discipline; while it has always existed in some format, making it a consistent and effective part of the advisor experience is relatively new.
What Are Firms Actually Spending on Practice Management?
In one significant finding from the industry leader portion of the Pursuing Practice Excellence study, it appears that most respondents expect their firms to allow them to put money where their practice management mouths are. A significant majority of respondents (60.8%) said that practice management will be a priority in their next budget cycle. Given the emerging nature of practice management solutions, it is also not surprising that success appears to be difficult to measure given the lower rankings of case studies, ROI analysis and the concept of advisors participating in the costs of providing these solutions.
ActiFi Speaks
We believe that the success of practice management programs will become more effectively defined and measured over the next few years as these programs mature.
Given the importance placed on helping advisors improve their sales efforts, it's probably not such a surprise to see that most firms focus on activity and sales results to measure success of their programs.
The Leaders Speak
"We do have trouble objectively evaluating the impact, and the outcomes, of these [practice management] programs to be able to compare them to the returns on recruiting." —Regional director of Southeast-based broker-dealer.
How Advisor Needs Are Perceived
The participants viewed advisors as looking for solutions that are tailored to their needs, but the industry experts also argue for a sweet spot in terms of sophistication, rejecting approaches that are too basic and those that are too involved.
Managing plans are a strong area of need for most advisors, according to our Pursuing Practice Excellence study participants. All four areas of plan management would be valuable, the industry leaders said, to advisors.
Survey participants didn't believe there was too much difference in the importance of the four areas of practice management, with all of them hovering around 60% importance.
The Leaders Speak
"Product manufacturers will pick and choose where they want to play. [We] may be experts in loyalty, retention and acquisition. You might find [someone else] being the expert in generating alpha. It's going to get sliced up a bit."
—Head of strategic integration for a large mutual fund company
Digging deeper, how the industry leaders listed the importance of specific areas of practice management also reflected the balance of each of the four areas with a mix of different types of activities. (Click the chart at the left to view an extended version with all of our respondents' answers.)
Leaders' Perception of Advisors: Not Ready for Business Prime Time?
There was a prevailing view among industry leaders that a majority of advisors do not view their practices as businesses. This probably ties quite closely to the fact that, as we saw earlier, a majority of advisors are not taking advantage of practice management solutions.
However, there is a bit of a disconnect between the industry leaders' perception that advisors are not running their practices as businesses and the leaders' belief that advisors perceive value in practice management solutions.
ActiFi Speaks
This disconnect above may have to do with firms positioning practice management as individual solutions to specific problems as opposed to integrated solutions that drive business value.
What's Most Valuable in Practice Management?
Industry leader respondents in the Pursuing Practice Excellence study said that person-to-person delivery was the most effective delivery method for practice management solutions. The human touch remains important overall: The top four delivery methods—and the only ones called "valuable" or "extremely valuable" by more than 50% of respondents—all involve direct human interaction. Most leaders believe that this human touch is much more valuable than automated alternatives. The challenge is that the cost of human delivery tends to be more expensive than other options.
The Importance of Practice Management
While participants believe that practice management is important in many ways, when asked to compare it to other core services (back office, product and technology offerings), only 50% agreed that it was equally important.
ActiFi Speaks
Since the core value proposition of these partner firms has historically centered on back office, technology and product offerings, rating practice management as equal to those three actually confirms the growing importance of practice management to these firms.
We also discussed with interviewees the priority practice management was given within their firms. Their comments ("definitely top five," "top one or two," "top handful," "top five, maybe even top three") strongly reinforces the survey responses.
The Leaders Speak
"Yes, [practice management] is still a differentiator, but we are rapidly coming to that point where it's not enough to just have the next great white paper or a fantastic conference or the greatest seminar or some new tool and gadget. It's not enough to just say you have it; it's going to be a matter of truly moving the dial with your best client so that they are rabid, raving fans of how you have helped them build their business."
—Vice president of practice management for an RIA custodial firm
In another part of the interview with these industry leaders, we asked about some of the obstacles firms faced in implementing practice management solutions. A couple of themes emerged—the importance of creating scale, improving management buy-in, finding qualified people who understand what practice management is, and being able to demonstrate the ROI from practice management programs.
The Takeaway
Here are the key findings from the industry leader interview portion of the Pursuing Practice Excellence study:
- Most advisor partner firms recognize that practice management is becoming a critical part of their value proposition for advisors and, beyond paying mere lip service, are actually budgeting significantly to improve their practice management offerings to advisors.
- Practice management remains an immature area without clearly defined goals, budgets, staff and agreed-upon methods to measure the effectiveness of practice management programs.
- It will be important for firms to develop a sustainable economic model to continue to deliver a high-quality practice management experience. Many firms are experimenting with different delivery methods and cost structures. As they figure out what works and what doesn't, we expect that the offerings will be refined and focused on the areas and methods that create the most value.
- While almost all firms try to offer advisors help in any area they can, there is very little specialization in terms of focus on specific areas of assistance.
- For advisor partners, it remains an open question whether or not to include business development or sales and marketing efforts as part of the definition of practice management.
- Most institutions currently deliver robust platform capabilities. Future differentiation will depend on their ability to help advisors leverage those existing capabilities versus simply developing more capabilities.
The Leaders Speak
"We expect to see an increased focus on practice management […] with new firms coming to the marketplace with practice management solutions to meet the needs of advisors."
—Vice president of advisory products and services for a Midwest-based asset management and financial planning firm
ActiFi Speaks
All of these issues are common for products and services early in their product life cycle. As the value of a product is proven, economies of scale can be created, centers of expertise emerge and clearer value propositions can be defined.
What's Next: Identifying the Gaps, Proposing Solutions
In the next article in this series on the findings of the Pursuing Practice Excellence study, we will look at the gaps between what advisors said they needed and what their partners are offering. We will also analyze the differences in the expressed needs of advisors of different business models and affiliations and their respective affiliated partners. And in a conscious nod to the importance of in-person assistance in providing successful practice management help, we will be convening a panel of experts from across the industry that we identified in the second portion of the study as being particularly insightful. In a roundtable discussion moderated by Investment Advisor Group editors with the assistance of ActiFi's practice management experts, we will report on the suggestions of these experts to help close the gaps between what advisors need and what their partners offer to the benefit, we humbly hope, of the entire industry and, in the end, to advisors' clients.


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The Basics
L.A. Galaxy vs. New England Revolution at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
Galaxy lead all-time regular season series 13-12-4.
TV Info
11:00 p.m. E.S.T, Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en Español
What's at stake?
The Fourth of July comes early for both sides. The last two seasons New England has visited the Galaxy on the nation's birthday. The Revs have taken three of the last four meetings between the two teams at The Home Depot Center. With Shalrie Joseph missing from the match, the new-look Revs have their work cut out for them.
Last meeting
Two minutes into his Galaxy debut, Alecko Eskandarian scored and the Galaxy made it stand in a 1-0 win on July 4, 2009. In the process the Galaxy snapped an eight-game winless streak against the Revolution. Eskandarian was not supposed to start but replaced Alan Gordon, who was scratched after suffering an injury during warm-ups.
Remember when?
The Revolution have never won an MLS Cup before, and the Galaxy have played a large role in that. Twice the Revs and Galaxy have met in an MLS Cup final, and twice the Galaxy won. In both 2002 and 2005, the Galaxy beat the Revolution 1-0 after extra time. Both games were scoreless going into the extra session and a Guatemalan did the Revs in each time. Carlos Ruiz scored a golden goal in 2002 while Guillermo "Pando" Ramirez slammed a full volley into the back of the net three years later.
Heroes & Villains ...
Preston Burpo vs. Landon Donovan: You've got to figure Donovan will get past New England's defense at some point. Whether he is able to score a goal will depend on Burpo, who figures to start with Matt Reis injured. Burpo has some success against Donovan and the Galaxy. Chivas USA's first-ever shutout against the Galaxy was in July 2006, with Burpo in goal for the Goats.
Stat that makes you go, "Hmm …"
The probable forward combinations: the Galaxy's Donovan and Edson Buddle have combined for 169 MLS goals. New England's Kheli Dube and Zach Schilawski have combined for 12.
He said it
"I don't think there are any secrets to how we approach the game, just try and go out there and play well and get a goal at home and put them under pressure." – Galaxy coach Bruce Arena on his team's game plan.


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Feb 2013
Stop the R-Word Campaign
On Wednesday March 6, Miss Universe, Miss USA and Miss Teen USA will participate in the 5th annual day of awareness to support "Spread the Word to End the Word" with Best Buddies. We need your help! The campaign's goal is to raise the general public's awareness about the hurtful nature of the R-word and ask people to choose to use people first language. We ask our fans to help us on March 6 to post about the campaign and show your support.
Follow @EndtheWord and use the hashtag#Rword. Also, like http://www.fb.com/EndtheWord. Learn more here!
Feb 2013
2013 Miss Teen USA Dates Announced!
The 2013 MISS TEEN USA® Pageant will be held on Saturday, August 10th at 8PM ET and streamed LIVE on missteenusa.com from Atlantis, Paradise Island in the Bahamas. The Presentation Show will be held the day before, August 9th, and will also be streamed on the Miss Teen USA Website. Friends and Family rates are now available to book your trip! Click here to book now!
Feb 2013
Katherine Webb Talks Future With A.J. McCarron & Adapting To Sudden Fame
Katherine Webb, Miss Alabama USA 2012, talks with Access Hollywood about her sudden fame and her future with A.J. McCarron. See More Here!
Feb 2013
Miss Universe stars in You-C 1000 Commercial
Earlier this month, Olivia Culpo traveled to Indonesia to film a You-C 1000 Commercial. Click below to watch.
Feb 2013
Miss Universe Olivia Culpo to Judge the 2013 MISS UNIVERSE® Russia Pageant
Olivia will be on the judging panel to select Miss Universe Russia 2013, which will be held in Moscow on Sunday, March 3. Follow Olivia @MissUniverse on Twitter and Instagram to see what she is up to during her trip.


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I was putting together clips for a class, and I started watching THE HOURS again. And I was struck by how beautiful Nicole Kidman looks with the big fake nose. In fact — and this might just be me — I think she looks better with the big nose than with her own nose. I think this is the most beautiful she was ever on screen.
I asked followers on Twitter if they thought I was crazy. In the meantime, I thought I'd show one of the scenes I was looking at. It's almost certainly the scene that won Kidman the Oscar:


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President of the Southeastern Highland Athletic Group, Medlin, from Catawba County, said the organization will once again be traveling to Franklin for the Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival on June 14. Celebrating the rich Scottish heritage and culture of Southern Appalachia, the event showcases traditional foods, attire, activities and, of course, the Highland Games.
"A lot of clans [today] don't have representatives, but clan tents are still placed around the competition field," he said. "We have evolved now, where many athletes like to compete, but they must wear a kilt with their family crest if at all possible."
Within the seven athletic events, there's the clachneart (stone throw), weight throw, hammer throw, caber toss, sheaf toss and weight over bar. Objects range from a 22-pound hammer and 16-pound bag of hay to a 56-pound weight and 120-pound pole. Each event is about sheer brawn, patience and technique, where contestants are judged on their style, distance of throw and technique.
"As an ex-competitor — I still throw some when the wife doesn't know — I took the positive from previous games and threw away the negative to make the competition field game friendly and positive, making sure the athletes are taken care of and that competition blends nicely with the music, clans, border collies, dancing and others as time permits," Medlin said.
Having a Scottish background himself, Medlin had an early appreciation for attending Scottish games. He has since traced his genealogy, finding out his last name came from the "Maitland/Lauderdale" families of Scotland.
These days, Medlin is the track and field throwing coach for Lenoir Rhyne University in Hickory. The techniques, skills and events on the 21st century field are not only similar to those of the Highland Games, but they also provide a physical and emotional connection to the competitions of the past.
"I love watching men and women improve from game to game, and I really like helping them develop a good technique in throwing," he said. "I do this because I do love the Scottish Highland Games, the athletic competition and the people associated — it's definitely fun."
Medlin is proud of once again having the SHAG bring the Highland Games back to the Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival. To him, the town of Franklin truly encompasses a proud and rich Scottish heritage that still vibrates through the mountains of Western North Carolina.
"I love the area, the town and its affiliation with Scotland," he said. "I focus on safety, completing a game before 5 p.m. and then return home to post each throwers scores on a board called NASGA, so that all can see their world ranking. This improves as their throws improve. To validate throwers scores, I have judge clinics to train individuals that have the love of the sport."
Highland games events
During the Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival in Franklin on June 14, there will be several demonstrations of Highland Games. They include, in order, the following:
• Clachneart (Stone Throw): This event, the "Stone of Strength," was introduced in the mid-19th century at Scottish games and is similar to the modern shot putt. Contestants have three tries to "throw" a 16-pound stone with one hand for distance.
• Weight Throw: Two different weights are used in these two events, a 28-pound weight thrown for distance and a 56-pound weight thrown for height and distance. The weights are traditionally block or bell shaped and on a short chain. Contestants have three tries to throw each weight.
• Hammer Throw: The modern hammer, 22 pounds, in this event is a descendant of the blacksmith's sledgehammer. The contestant must keep his feet firmly planted until after the throw.
• Caber Toss: The most popular athletic event at any games requires a combination of strength, skill and balance. The Caber is a pole 18 to 20 feet long, weighing from 80 to 120 pounds. It must be tossed end-over-end to land pointing directly away from the athlete. Each contestant gets three attempts.
• Sheaf Toss: A 16-pound bag of hay is tossed by a pitchfork over a cross bar which is raised at two-foot intervals. Each contestant gets three tries at each height. They are eliminated if they miss all attempts.
• WOB: The Weight Over Bar is a 56-pound weight. It is thrown with one hand over a cross bar which is raised at one-foot intervals. Each contestant gets three tries at each height. They are eliminated if they miss all attempts.
For more information on the Southeastern Highland Athletic Group, click on www.throwshagshag.org.
Want to go?
The Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, June 14, in downtown Franklin.
"North Carolina has more residents of Scottish heritage than any other state in the union," said Doug Morton, event chairman. "In fact, North Carolina has more Scots than Scotland. This festival and supporting events is a sampler of everything Scottish. We have a great weekend planned sure to be enjoyed by every member of the family."
Patrons of the event will be able to sample traditional Scottish foods, see demonstrations of the Highland Games, shop for authentic Scottish attire, tour the nearby Scottish Tartans Museum, and hear plenty of Scottish/Celtic music. Performances will include My Three Kilts, Calendonia Swing, Dunham Harps, John Mor MacKinsoh Marching Piper Band, Juniper Trio and the Highlands Pipers.
A clan dinner will be held on the evening of Thursday, June 12. The buffet style meal is $20 per adult, $10 for children ages 12 and under.
The Taste of Scotland & Celtic Festival is sponsored by the Franklin Main Street Program, Franklin Tourism Development Authority, Macon County Tourism Development Committee and Franklin Merchants.
For a full schedule of events, visit the festival website at www.tasteofscotlandfestival.org.


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