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The Presidents Ranked and Graded: A Q&A With the Author of The Leaders We Deserved
Alvin Felzenberg, author of The Leaders We Deserved (and a Few We Didn't), wasn't satisfied with how vaguely, in his opinion, success and failure are defined in presidential evaluations.
So he attempted his own ranking system (which we've mentioned before on this blog), grading U.S. presidents based on three criteria: character, vision, and competence; and their handling of three policy areas: management of the economy, approach to national security, and expansion of freedom.
Felzenberg says his intention with grading the presidents and writing a book based on his findings is "not to fix their reputations in concrete, but to provoke discussion."
He didn't disclose whom he voted for, but after observing the 2008 campaign, he'd add physical endurance as a grading category.
Felzenberg teaches at the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania and the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. He was the principal spokesman for the 9/11 Commission, and served as an adviser to the U.S. Departments of Defense and State, in several senior staff positions at the U.S. House of Representatives, and as New Jersey's Assistant Secretary of State.
He has agreed to answer our questions about the book. But first, here's his presidential report card:
Q: In the process of writing this book, what did you learn about other presidential rating methods?
A: In assessing previous "ratings" of the presidents, I was struck by all the uniformity in the rankings. With the exception of Eisenhower, who has moved up considerably in each poll attempted since 1962 on, most presidents see their reputations all but placed in cement for eternity.
Given the plethora of new information that continues to come to light every day, I found this peculiar. I was less bothered by the partisanship that was evident among past graders than I was bothered by their failure to define terms. What do analysts have in mind when they ascribe the terms "great," "near great," or "failure" besides a name of a president? Past graders have not said. I try, in this book, to compensate for this weakness.
Q: If you had to add another category for ranking the presidents after this upcoming election, what would it be?
A: If the long campaign of 2008 has persuaded me to add a new category to the six against which I evaluate presidents (character, vision, competence, along with their management of the economy, their handling of national security, and their record on extending freedom), it would be physical endurance. The endless 24/7 cycle of appearances, interviews, fundraising, and all the rest that goes along with running for president that the two top contenders have endured reminds us that the job of president almost demands superhuman qualities.
Q: What past president do you predict President Bush's economic policy ranking will most resemble?
A: Good question. The situation in which Bush and the rest of us find ourselves may be truly unique. His critics on the Democratic side of the aisle and in the media did history a great disservice when they likened Bush's policies to those of Hoover's.
First, they were wrong to assert that Hoover sat idly by as the nation plunged into the Great Depression on his watch. He was exceptionally active, promoting precisely the wrong policies. He raised taxes, causing employers to lay people off; increased tariffs, thereby turning what would have been a steep recession into a world-wide depression; and went along with the Federal Reserve's practice of restricting credit when it should have increased the money supply substantially.
Bush has been no passive bystander. Not only has he avoided these three Hooverian mistakes, but he has followed the opposite course. The Federal Reserve is injecting nearly a trillion dollars to ease the credit crunch. Bush has also held the line against new taxes and restrictive trade policies.
Historians will be spending much time assessing to what extent Bush's free spending practices contributed to the casino-like atmosphere that has characterized the housing and other markets, and whether all that talk about establishing an "ownership society" enticed banks to lend to people who could not afford the costs of mortgages.
I this area, Republican and Democratic Congresses, as well as Bill Clinton will share in any blame assigned Bush. In the aftermath of Bush, conservatives will have to reassess whether it makes sense any longer to advocate "smaller government" at a time of global terrorism and world-wide financial havoc. I expect some to assert that the question is not "big" vs. "small," but "what should the federal government not attempt at all?" Cuts in those areas might free up funds to allow it to perform tasks it takes on well. During the Bush years, the impression has grown that government has simply failed at too many things and at too many levels. Given the rate of spending, one can readily understand why so many say the nation is heading in the "wrong direction."
Q: How do rankings bestowed upon presidents affect history? How can the ranking of one president affect the election of a subsequent president?
A: Rankings — of the kind we have seen in the past — have done little to advance the public's knowledge of the past; they have actually diminished it by freezing the debates about the achievements of past presidents and whether they were beneficial to the country. They have also, on occasion, mistaken consequence for greatness and failure to attain stated ends as incompetence. Jackson, for instance, was a president of great consequence. Yet his success in destroying the Second Bank of the United States plunged the country into a major depression, while his unchecked insistence on removing Native Americans from lands to which they had been given title by his predecessors remains one of the most sordid acts in all of American history. In some respects, the nation would have been better off had he been less competent in attaining his objectives. Yet Jackson places among the "near-greats" in virtually every survey of historians. He ranks lower in mine.
In selecting presidents, voters more often base their decision on their assessment of the incumbent president than by how historians rank past presidents.
Q: What are the top traits of the best and worst presidents?
A: The best presidents were intellectually curious, were good communicators, advanced a vision that proved beneficial for the nation, availed themselves of the technological innovations of their times to advance their agendas, drew upon the best talent available, and related to people from all walks of life.
The worst presidents were "been there, done that" know-it-alls, were set in their ways, bore grudges, grumbled in public about all the burdens of office, had a limited world-view, and stretched the powers of their office for power's sake.
Q: What's the most surprising correlation in presidential traits and ranking you found?
A: The surprises were not in the correlations, but in my research. I found some of the "old favorites" such as Jackson to be particularly wanting, according to my criteria, and others, such as Grant, who has had particularly bad press among presidential historians, to be rather ennobling, if not endearing. My delving into these two presidencies persuaded me that past surveys told us more about those who evaluated the presidents than they did about the presidents.
Q: You mention in the book that the least successful presidents tended to be the most intelligent; how do you explain this?
A: I would put it in a slightly different way. While the most successful presidents were certainly people with above-average intelligence, the presidency has not been a place where intellectuals or ideologues have excelled.
Fortunately, we have had relatively few such people as president. The ones we have had met with frustration when those over whom they governed or with whom they were destined to share power did not perform in ways these presidents anticipated they would. Human nature had a way of getting in their way.
Woodrow Wilson and Herbert Hoover, for instance, found themselves (or thought themselves) incapable of finding advisers as smart as they; nor were they particularly good at bringing out the best in those they considered their intellectual inferiors.
Each could have been said to have consulted his "brain trust" each morning while shaving before a mirror. Jefferson was at his best when he set his ideological predilections aside (as during the Louisiana Purchase), and at his worst when he set out to prove himself in the right (as he did during the Embargo Crisis). Madison, perhaps the most intellectual of the presidents and the most brilliant, put ideological consistency over common sense — to the great misfortune of the nation he led. (On his watch, the strongest power on earth torched the White House.)
Q: How has your rating system been received so far?
A: Quite well. I have been successful in starting a prolonged discussion as to what it means to be a great, or even a successful, president. While some may quarrel with the grades I assign particular presidents, most who have read the book have welcomed the invitation to assess the presidents themselves, rather than blindly accept the conclusion of the "experts," which was, after all, the intention of many surveys.
Q: Who are you voting for?
A: As a writer and as a public official, I have taken many stands on issues of the day over the years. Readers can easily discern where I came out on them by hitting a few buttons on their computers. Having already voted, I would be happy to defend my choice either here or in some other venue at another time.
For our purposes here, I will confine my answers to what I had to say in the book, in which I make every attempt to be even handed. Readers should know that of the post-World War II presidents, I rate Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, and Reagan the highest — although not in this order.
Q: You discuss F.D.R.'s policies in the book: What was his smartest move? His worst?
A: On the economic front, there were really two Franklin D. Roosevelts. First, there was the Roosevelt who rallied public confidence; restored faith in the nation's political, economic, and banking systems; and used the economic crisis as a catalyst to enact beneficial public policies (such as TVA and infrastructure repairs) and safeguards against what he termed the "vicissitude" of life. In the latter category would fall programs with which he is most associated today: social security, unemployment compensation, and other, including some more controversial, entitlements.
Then there was the second Roosevelt. As he would have wanted, we will call him F.D.R., the "great experimenter." This Roosevelt's zigging and zagging often exacerbated the problems before him. Under F.D.R., the Federal Reserve, save for a short interval, continued the tight money policies it had imposed under Hoover.
F.D.R. never completely abandoned his ideological preference for balanced budgets; well after Keynes's writings about the occasional need for deficits as a means of stimulating economic growth had become well known well into World War II; when heavy spending and increased borrowing finally lifted the nation from the Great Depression; and well after other nations had begun to recover.
Moreover, F.D.R.'s heavy intervention into the economy — often on behalf of organized labor — did not sufficiently cause overall unemployment rates to fall. The downturn in the economy late in F.D.R.'s second term, after a slight uplift in his first, caused F.D.R. to doubt whether his first seven years in office had been a success. I will not quarrel with that assessment.
Finally, it is time presidential evaluators took F.D.R. to task for his failure to admit more refugees into the United States when there was time (and some political support) to do so, his callous ordering of the internment of Japanese Americans, and his refusal to support Congressional efforts to make lynching a federal crime. I do.
All said, the point should be made that at a time when freedom and democracy were in retreat in so many corners of the world (the U.S.S.R., Italy, Germany, Spain, etc.), the American people turned to Franklin D. Roosevelt, while their counterparts, echoed by some within the United States, were flirting with or embracing fascism or communism. Faults and all, Franklin D. Roosevelt never lost his faith in democracy or in the good sense of the American people. His greatest achievements, of course, were his handling of world events leading up to World War II and his performance as commander in chief during that war.
Q: You mention that a good indicator of a good president is life experience. What experience/hardship would you want your ideal candidate to have had and why?
A: This is the easiest of all your questions to answer. In order to be a successful leader of a nation as diverse as the U.S., a president must be able to empathize with those in whose name he exercises power.
Truman's experience as a captain of an unruly unit during the World War I and as a haberdasher afterwards helped shape his character. (Some say he spent too much time talking politics with customers, when he could have been selling them suits.) Lincoln learned much about his fellow citizens as a postmaster, grocer, and especially as a lawyer, riding circuit and mesmerizing his fellow travelers at taverns and inns with jokes and stories. F.D.R. found his polio to be the great "equalizer" between himself and the afflicted.
What matters most is not the hardship any particular president encountered, but how he responded to it and the impact it had on him. Some, like F.D.R., emerged stronger from it. Others, like Jackson, were permanently scarred by it — emotionally as well as physically.


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Coachella Nails
Get Coachella-Cool With This Easy Nail Art Manicure
Coachella 2013 is well underway, and whether you're in Indio, CA, taking in the music or at home watching from afar, we have a manicure inspired by the festival that you'll want to try. This colorful nail look is a cinch to create; if you know how to draw a straight line, then you're already on your way. Complete your look! Be sure to check out some of our favorite music festival hairstyle ideas, too.

subset: commoncrawl


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By Daniel DePetris, Special to CNN
Editor's note: Daniel R. DePetris is an independent researcher. The views expressed are his own.
For the first time since the Syrian rebellion began, the leadership of the opposition Free Syrian Army is making a concerted effort to unify the dozens of armed factions fighting under its name. The announcement by Colonel Riad al-Asaad, leader of the Free Syrian Army, that the FSA will be relocating its staff headquarters inside of Syrian territory is widely seen as a step in the right direction. Whether the move will make any practical difference in the fight, however, remains to be seen.
Al-Asaad was once a mid-level commander in the Syrian military, but his defection last year, and his attempt to form a band of former soldiers willing to fight against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, steadily changed the nature of the conflict. He is often considered by Syrian activists and deserters to be the first really high-ranking commander to flee the Syrian army in protest over the crackdown, and his actions appear to have inspired thousands of conscripts to follow in his footsteps: the FSA now includes more than two dozen former Syrian generals.
Yet despite being the first to stand up to al-Assad's regime, Riad al-Asaad and his advisers have lost an enormous amount of credibility as the conflict has entered its 19th month. For much of that time, al-Asaad has been safely tucked away at an undisclosed location along the Turkish southern border, guarded by security forces and far removed from the bloody stalemate that has defined the Syrian civil war.
Indeed, it is not the FSA leadership, but the insurgents on the ground that are doing the actual fighting and dying, advancing into new territory at the same time that they are taking losses. As the number of civilian casualties has grown, the rising physical and psychological toll has tested the patience of the FSA battalions and has driven a wedge between the fighters on the front-lines and the senior defectors supposedly leading them.
Technically, al-Asaad is the top commander of the Free Syrian Army. But in actuality, his orders are nothing more than guidelines and suggestions. Communication between the FSA leadership based in Turkey and anti-al-Assad battalions inside Syria is improving, but remains lackluster. There appears to be no command-and-control in the traditional sense, nor is the FSA a conventional army. Hierarchy is there, but is often not respected. Even when communication occurs and the FSA leadership issues a command, it is seldom taken as gospel. Instead, local branches of the FSA appear to be making decisions on their own, based on their own circumstances at any given time. Such confusion further undermines any prospect of Western military support to the opposition.
It seems highly doubtful that moving its headquarters from Turkey to Syria will resolve any of these dilemmas for the FSA. Certainly, no doubt sensing that its influence is waning and that the power of local commanders is increasing, the upper echelons of the Free Syrian Army appear to be making a dramatic move to shift closer to the front-lines. The hope is that the independent armed groups pressing the offensive will do more than just listen to their advice. But with the makeup of the civil war shifting fast, the young men dodging bullets and air strikes in the narrow alleys of Aleppo and in the plains of Deir al-Zor may be way out ahead of the FSA.
This carnage didn't have to go on like this and wouldn't have if had both the Arab League and the West( the NATO allies) not wormed their way into this conflict! Without outside interference, probably the rebels and the Assad regime could have somehow gotten together and worked out a peace plan. Shame on the bullheaded, right-wing politicians in Washington!
Syrian conflict provide legitimate channels for Saudi's to directly finance al-Qaeda and for Turkey to arm al-Qaeda fighters! For USA the continuation of the conflict is viewed as an opportunity to weaken both Syria and Islamic extremists at the same time: as they keep fighting and bleeding each other! How can they allow this conflict to ever end!
The FSA has no more than 10.000 fighters, who are poorly armed and have only basic military training. They can't directly confront the Syrian army, which has approx. 200,000 soldiers. The army's rank and file is largely Sunni and its leadership is largely Alawite. With fightings intensified, the growing number of defections and bomb attacks in Damascus will weaken the military and strengthen the FSA.
Keep dreaming! The only flag that will eventually unite Syrian opposition is al-Qaeda's black flag of Jihad! Do you really want that? Do you want al-Qaeda getting its hands on Syrian stockpile of chemical weapons: it looks like you do!
Andrey, you said that Saudi and Turkey are supporting al-Qaeda. Taking the fact that these both countries are a good ally of the US, are you saying that the US is supporting al-Qaeda too? If so, is that bad or good for the US? I don't understand why the US would arm someone to attack the US and help al-Qaeda to grow in a country next to Israel.
This is a case where we need good gravity. Ofthe us state dept cleared the way for creating new business infrastructure in Libya, and made it happen quickly, the FDA would see a clear vision for the future. We need Jon huntsman to have a chat with h.clinton on what it means to create jobs growth in new areas.
Such is to be expected from someone like you with your obvious limitations, MobileJAL. You sound like another ignorant Tea Partier preaching American intervention where it has no business! That's why Syria is such a mess right now along with Iraq!
In this case I believe "Turkey is too much in the son; a little more than kin and lest than kind". I shall stick to such comments till USA elections are over and the winner takes over the Arabic Fall.
But meanwhşle, I did not know that Muslim sects had a mass.
The legitimate government of Syria is fighting terrorists supplied from the outside with money , propaganda and arms.There are no national security issues for the US there. The national security issues for the US are offshored jobs, open borders, unsustainable deficits which can never be paid. The bankrupcy looming over the USA is a very dark cloud. Unless our borders are closed to illigal immigration, jobs from India and China return, all endless wars stop immediately -as a nation we shall self destruct. Only fools can not see that.
Has any one noticed the similarity between the FSA and "Whites" from the Russian Civil War?
The Whites were a bunch of separate armies held only together because they opposed their government and eventually lost due to disunity amongst the armies, didn't coordinate in attacks and because of no direct foreign intervention.
I think history is going to repeat itself there.
"Whites were a bunch of separate armies held only together because they opposed their government ...."
Whites were fighting Reds because they wanted to restore authority of the Provisional Government overthrown by Bolsheviks. Whites never opposed the elected Government. Are you sure about your analogy?
What kind of 'freedom' is the motly Free Syria Army promoting?
Freedom to test new weaponry on Syria's people?
Freedom for US corporations to take Syrian resources?
Freedom for Wahabiists to enforce their misogynist version is Islam?


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Auto Publishers Price Starting at
*Based on model year EPA mileage ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your atual mileage will vary, depending on how you drive and maintain your vehicle, driving conditions, battery pack age/condition (hybrid only) and other factors.VIEW OUR INVENTORY
Stylish, iconic look and bold profile; warm, inviting cabin trims; strong V8 performance; advanced safety technology throughout; smooth, quiet ride yet responsive handling
The Cadillac Escalade remains mostly unchanged for 2016 after a redesign last year. Cadillac's CUE infotainment system gets enhanced features as well as increased Apple connectivity with CarPlay. Meanwhile, a new Lane Keep Assist function and several new exterior colors are also new for 2016.


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Star Rose Parade Horse dies after accident
Bucky the Palomino, a horse who has pranced in 26 Rose Parades, has been euthanized after being injured in a car accident.
Owner Carol Tennant says Bucky had to be put down Wednesday morning after surviving a car accident that left the horse with serious internal injuries.
Tennant was driving to the Prescott Frontier Days to participate in that parade when she lost control of her vehicle, which was towing a trailer with Bucky inside.
Animal control officials and good Samaritans tried to save the animal, along with a veterinarian.
As the temperature climbed to 116 degrees, they poured water on Bucky, used fans to try him down and gave him hydration through an IV.
But brain injuries caused him to thrash around violently until he was euthanized humanely.


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Chef's Choice PetitePie Maker, Like a Waffle Iron for Mini Pies
Kitchen gadgets, gear, and appliances to help you get things done.
When the PetitePie Maker ($79.95) from Chef's Choice landed on my doorstep, the first thing my husband said was, "Pot pies?!?!" Well, I was thinking about apple, but...yeah, I guess we could do pot pies.
The pie maker works like a waffle-maker, but with pie-shaped recesses designed to cook pastry dough. A cutting tool for making the correct-sized rounds is included, along with a "pusher" to help the bottom crust properly fit into the recess.
First, let me say that generic pre-made pie crust is pretty awful. Subsequent batches with better quality dough tasted a heck of a lot better. (What was I thinking?)
I have to say there's a bit of a learning curve involved with making pies in this gadget. One important consideration is the amount of filling. Since the top crust cooks from contact with the top plate of the pie maker, you need a large enough mound of filling—a generous half-cup—so the top crust is high enough to make contact. Too much filling, and you risk having it leak out.
Cooking time is based entirely upon the browning of the crust. The filling gets plenty hot during the baking process, but it's not in there long enough to actually cook. Cooking time, depending on the crust and filling, was about 8 minutes.
Speaking of hot, the filling, even when I started with refrigerator-cold ingredients, was screaming hot when it came out of the pie maker. So if you need to make two batches and want to serve hot pie, the first one should still be plenty warm by the time the second is done. You could also toss them into a warm oven if you need them to keep longer.
I have to say that I had a few spectacular failures along with the successes, not necessarily the fault of the gadget. In my experimenting, I tried one filling that was too wet and not conducive to mounding—it was more like a chunky jam than a pie filling—and the filling boiled and leaked out of one of the pies and created a rather amazing mess. Meanwhile, since the pie filling didn't mound high enough on another pie, that one had a very pale top. On the plus side, the surfaces are nonstick, so cleanup wasn't nearly as bad as it looked.
I'm not going to stop making full-size pies, but I have to admit that the mini pies have their advantages. Like portability. And portion size. I plan on making a whole army of turkey pot pies after the bird is done and freezing them for easy lunches.
Disclaimer: Testing samples were provided to Serious Eats. /small>
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


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Art for Social Change
Art for Social Change Weekly Meeting (Open to L&C Community)
Date: 12:00pm - 1:00pm PDT May 4, 2021
The Art for Social Change committee meets weekly to discuss ways and means of creating and supporting anti-racist and social justice events on our campus and beyond utilizing art for healing.
No RSVP is needed. Just show up if you'd like to listen or participate in art projects aimed at dismantling injustices and promoting community through art.
Read our Community Guidelines.


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Your online source to buy books at bargain prices.
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Fiction, Military or History books, Biography, Church and Religion, Art and Culture, Dictionaries, language books, Cookbooks, Children books or books on Collecting? You have come to the right place! Armeniabooks.com - ARMENIAN BOOKS AND BOOKS ABOUT ARMENIA.
Buy now! Buy from the source and enrich your library today!
Looking for a specific book? We can help you! Just e-mail us at: email@example.com


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MongoDBx::AutoDeref - Automagically dereference MongoDB DBRefs lazily
version 1.110560
use MongoDB; #or omit this
use MongoDBx::AutoDeref;
my $connection = MongoDB::Connection->new();
my $database = $connection->get_database('foo');
my $collection = $database->get_collection('bar');
my $doc1 = { baz => 'flarg' };
my $doc2 = { yarp => 'floop' };
my $id = $collection->insert($doc1);
$doc2->{dbref} = {'$db' => 'foo', '$ref' => 'bar', '$id' => $id };
my $id2 = $collection->insert($doc2);
my $fetched_doc2 = $collection->find_one({_id => $id2 });
my $fetched_doc1 = $fetched_doc2->{dbref}->fetch;
# $fetched_doc1 == $doc1
Using Mongo drivers from other languages and miss driver support for expanding DBRefs? Then this module is for you. Simple 'use' it to have this ability added to the core MongoDB driver.
Please read more about DBRefs: http://www.mongodb.org/display/DOCS/Database+References
If more information is necessary on the guts, please see MongoDBx::AutoDeref::LookMeUp
Upon use (or require+import), this class method will load MongoDB (if it isn't already loaded), and alter the metaclasses for MongoDB::Cursor and MongoDB::Collection. Internally, everything is cursor driven so the result returned is ultimately from the "next" in MongoDB::Cursor method. So this method is advised to apply the MongoDBx::AutoDeref::LookMeUp sieve to the returned result which replaces all DBRefs with MongoDBx::AutoDeref::DBRef objects. When doing updates and inserts back using MongoDB::Collection, the inflated objects will be deflated back into DBRefs.
Nicholas R. Perez <firstname.lastname@example.com>
This software is copyright (c) 2010 by Nicholas R. Perez <email@example.com>.
This is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as the Perl 5 programming language system itself.


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Daniel Theobald, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer for Vecna Robotics, a leader in robotics for automation has been named a finalist for CTO of the Year by Mass Technology Leadership Council.
Theobald continues spearhead and groom the technological advancements of his teams at Vecna, which has a mission to empower humanity through transformative technology. In April, he furthered that vision with the launch of a solution that re-imagines automation for manufacturing, warehousing and omni-channel fulfillment, one that will allow companies to compete on a global scale. While others have focused on hardware (i.e., robots) Vecna Logistics is a software-first approach, powered by artificial intelligence that continually optimizes workflow and integrates any and all material handling platforms.
"It's an honor to be listed among the finalists for CTO of the Year for MassTLC Leadership Awards," Theobald said. "Each of the finalists clearly have made significant impacts in their companies and to the broader technology community. I appreciate MassTLC taking the time to recognize CTOs for their contributions. A CTO is nothing without a team, and I want to give kudos to the amazing technical team here at Vecna. They not only are brilliant and dedicated, more importantly, they are fun to work with. Thanks for making this the best job on the planet!"
"Massachusetts is among the world's top regions engaged in creating whole new industries and markets while redefining existing ones," said MassTLC President Tom Hopcroft. "We produce visionary leaders and exciting, high-growth companies and startups that propel the state's economy. Ranging from robotics and the internet of things to products for financial or security operations, our 20th annual Technology Leadership Awards draws attention to the deep pool of talent, innovative spirit and determination that thrives in the Bay State."
Vecna Robotics Materials Handling Leadership (https://robotics.vecna.com/)
Vecna Robotics has quickly become the materials handling leader in the fork truck free environment while utilizing comprehensive Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) technologies. Vecna Robotics ensures manufacturing engineers have best-practice lean manufacturing solutions, driving prices down, improving both productivity and throughput.
With e-commerce exploding and customer expectations on the rise, distribution and fulfillment centers as well as third party logistics (3PLs) providers and manufacturers require Vecna Robotics innovation. Case picking, goods-to-person, person-to-goods, robot-conveyor hybrid systems, Vecna Robotics has cost-effective solutions. All systems are safety certified to operate along-side people and can accommodate the operational model that achieves the best efficiency with unmatched flexibility. Vecna Robotics provides a leasing option including both materials handling equipment and revolutionary disruptive IIoT monitoring. The leasing program ensures a rapid ROI and far less than the cost of employing and insuring a fork truck driver. Follow on Twitter @VecnaLogistics.
Media Contact
Company Name: Vecna
Contact Person: John Hayes
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 617- 864-0636
Address:CAMBRIDGE CAMPUS 36 Cambridge Park Drive
City: Cambridge
State: Massachusetts
Country: United States
Website: https://www.vecna.com/


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Racetrack prepared for emergency situation at Kentucky Speedway
More than 100,000 people to attend event
The Quaker State 400 will return to the Kentucky Speedway for the third time this summer. Because of the size of the crowd, Homeland Security will once again play a major role in safety and security operations.
More than 107,000 fans will pack the stands for the Speedway's biggest event of the year.
The potential for an attack like we saw in Boston is always a possibility.
"You have to have the mentality that it's going to happen and then do everything you can to make sure it won't," said Mark Simendinger, general manager of the Kentucky Speedway.
Emergencies both on and off the track are something the Speedway prepares for throughout the year.
"We got a very sophisticated surveillance system already in place. There's not a fan here that would ever know," says Simendinger.
All cameras feed into a new on-site command post.
"This will be where Homeland Security, FBI, our LEO system and law enforcement will actually monitor the gates," said Steve Swift, vice president of operations and development.
Driven by Homeland Security, it was put in place for the Spring Cup Series Race.
"We've basically got a multitude of cameras on-site that capture any face recognition, things of that nature that we can use for security purposes," Swift said.
There will also be a dispatch center onsite.
If something traumatic were to happen during an event, track officials will put their emergency action plan into practice.
"For on-site medical, UK Med Center is here and we actually have a medical center building here in addition to satellite medical centers up on the concourse level," Simendinger said.
An extra layer of protect comes from NASCAR. Speedway officials said they wouldn't be surprised if NASCAR added even more layers after what happened in Boston.


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- 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter
- 1 1/2 cups (6.6 ounces or 187 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (4.5 ounces or 127 grams) bread flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 cups packed dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup English toffee bits, such as Heath
In a small saucepan set over medium heat, melt the butter. Swirling the pan occasionally, continue to cook the butter. It should become foamy with audible cracking and popping noises. Once the crackling stops, continue to swirl the pan until the butter develops a nutty aroma and brown bits start to form at the bottom. Once the bits are amber in color, about 2 to 3 minutes after the popping stops, remove from heat and pour into a mixing bowl. Allow to cool for about 20 minutes to room temperature.
In a medium bowl combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
With an electric mixer, beat the cooled butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until well combined, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, yolk, and vanilla, beating until combined. On low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and toffee bits. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 24 hours but no more than 72 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line baking sheets with nonstick baking mats or parchment paper.
Let dough sit at room temperature just until it is soft enough to scoop. Divide the dough into 3-tablespoon sized balls and drop onto prepared baking sheets. At this point you can freeze the dough balls until hard then transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before baking as directed.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely.


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Safeguard your family's health with pediatricians, dentists, orthodontists, and specialists. Take note of those who can help kids with special needs/developmental delays, speech and language difficulties, allergies, and more.
CATEGORY: Behavior Analysis, Counseling, Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, Learning & Language Skills Development, Learning Disability Consultant, Mental Health Counselor, Mental Health Facility, Mental Health Services, Neurodevelopmental Disabilities, Neurology-Child Neurology, Neuropsychology, Psychiatry, Psychiatry-Child & Adolescent, Psychiatry: Child & Adolescent, Psychology, Psychology-Child & Adolescent, Psychology-Clinical, Psychology-Developmental Disabilities, Psychotherapy, Social Skills, Special Needs, Therapy-Addiction & Mental Health


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Brown warns of school cuts if taxes rejected
California faces a smaller budget deficit in the coming fiscal year but will require nearly $5 billion in cuts to public education if voters reject Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to raise taxes in the fall, the governor's office said Thursday in releasing its budget proposal for the 2012-13 fiscal year.
The governor's office projected the state's budget deficit for the fiscal year starting July 1 at $9.2 billion, much more manageable than the $26.6 billion deficit the Legislature closed for the current year.
The number was first reported by the Los Angeles Times after the governor's Department of Finance mistakenly posted the budget document online. It has since been removed.
The total general fund budget for the coming year is $92.5 billion, about $7 billion more than the current year.
To address California's ongoing shortfall, Brown has proposed raising the income tax on those who earn $250,000 or more a year and boosting the state sales tax by a half cent. He is trying to gather support for a November ballot initiative.
If voters reject those tax increases, Brown's budget says he will call for an automatic cut of $4.8 billion from public education. That is equal to three weeks of school.
Earlier Thursday, Brown told reporters "there'll be a lot of cuts" if his initiative fails.
"Cuts are never nice, because government does a lot of good things. But we'll have the tax measure proposal, we'll have some cuts, and then we'll have some trigger cuts in the event that the tax measure does not succeed," he said.
His office has scheduled a news conference for Thursday afternoon to discuss his budget plan in greater detail.
The release of the budget for the coming year comes as California enacts $1 billion in so-called trigger cuts across a wide array of state programs, including higher education, busing for K-12 students and services for the disabled. Those midyear cuts were necessary because tax revenue was coming in much lower than Brown and Democratic lawmakers had anticipated when they passed the current budget last summer.
The governor said he is willing to call for more automatic cuts if revenue misses the mark again in the current year.
But any cuts the state will make are likely to be felt more deeply than in years past. Since the recession began in 2007, California has seen tax revenue drop $17 billion, necessitating continued cutbacks to nearly all state services.
Brown wants to raise an additional $7 billion in annual revenue through his tax increases, which would be temporary.
If voters approve them, Brown will address the $9.2 billion deficit in the coming fiscal year with a near equal balance of spending cuts and revenue increases. If they do not, the state would make $4.8 billion in additional cuts to the K-12 system, $200 million each to the University of California and California State University systems, $125 million to courts and $15 million to state forest fire protection.
About 70 of California's 278 state parks already are scheduled to close starting July 1.
Education would take the heaviest cuts if voters fail to pass the tax increases. That would undermine Brown's plans to fully fund public schools and enact systematic education reforms.
Brown told reporters last week that he wanted to protect school funding as much as possible and that schools could expect to receive even more money than last year, after several successive years of deep cuts. But in proposing trigger cuts to education, his budget released Thursday offers a warning to voters about what could happen if they fail to approve his November initiative.
In an interview with The Associated Press last week, Brown said he also planned to include some reform proposals to streamline the complicated way the state funds education programs, although he declined to go into detail. He said he would propose consolidating some of the dozens of so-called categorical funding programs that force districts to use money for specific programs.
"But I predict that schools will enjoy a rising level of funding over the next three years," he said.
When asked how he planned to achieve that, he said, "I think the economy and Proposition 98 will make it happen," referring to California's voter-approved minimum funding guarantee for K-12 schools.
Associated Press writer Juliet Williams contributed to this report.


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Jennifer Aniston Is Wearing Florals to a Premiere. We're Breathing Into a Paper Bag.
The star stuns us all
James Higgins/Splash News Online
Jennifer Aniston can be called many things (beautiful, funny, successful) but she can rarely be called surprising. This is a woman who remains devoted to her favorite pairs of shoes and chinos after many years; one who won't change up her hair regardless of the occasion and one whose LBD obsession is so well-documented we've practically begged her to wear color.
Well, add "surprising" to that list of adjectives, because the actress just attended the London premiere of We're the Millers in a ruffly, A-line, tiered, two-tone floral Dior dress and a deep side part. She even added (are you sure you're ready for this?) slightly colorful eye makeup, cool Casadei pumps and statement earrings. Purple statement earrings!
This is such a major departure for the star that we're not sure which way is up or down. What's next: Bright pink lipstick? An asymmetrical yellow wedding dress? Shaving her head? (Hey, it could happen!) It's too soon to speculate. For the moment, we'll be pouring a glass of wine to soothe our nerves from this shock — and to toast the star's new risk-taking style.
Okay, enough silliness. Tell us: What do you think of this bold, surprising look on Aniston?
–Alex Apatoff


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歌曲 Potholes 由 Randy Newman 演唱。
Randy Newman - Potholes
LRC by lzh ,from jiangxi pingxiang
@ www.qianqian.com @
I love women
Have all my life
I love my dear mother
And I love my wife - God bless her
I even love my teenage daughter
There's no accounting for it
Apparently I don't care how I'm treated
My love is unconditional or something
I've been hurt a time or two
I ain't gonna lie
I have my doubts sometimes
About the ethics of the so-called fairer sex
Fair about what?
But I find time goes by
And one forgives as one forgets
And one does forget
God bless the potholes
Down on memory lane
God bless the potholes
Down on memory lane
Everything that happens to me now
Is consigned to oblivion by my brain
I remember my father
My brother of course
I remember my mother
I spoke of her earlier and I remember that
I remember the smell of cut gra*s
And going off to play ball in the morning
Funny story about that
Now I used to pitch
I could get the ball over the plate
But anyway, this one time
I must of thrown a football around or something
The day before
I walked about fourteen kids in a row
Walked off the mound
Handed the ball to the third baseman
And just left the field
Anyway, many years later
I brought the woman who was to become my
Second wife - God bless her
To meet my father for the first time
They exchanged pleasantries
I left the room for a moment
It was the first time he had met her you understand
When I came back
He was telling her the story
Right off the bat
About how I had walked fourteen kids
Cried and left the mound
Next time he met her told her the same
Goddamn story!
God bless the potholes
Down on memory lane
God bless the potholes
Down on memory lane
I hope some real big ones open up
And take some of the memories that do remain


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Top 10 Dr. Seuss facts you may not know
I found this on the Mental Floss blog today, I knew a few of these facts from when I was researching the Cat and the Hat 50th anniversary but after reading this I really wish there was a Dr. Seuss omnibus, it actually suprises me there isn't.
1. In case you haven't read "The Lorax," it's widely recognized as Dr. Seuss' take on environmentalism and how humans are destroying nature. Loggers were so upset about the book that some groups within the industry sponsored "The Truax," a similar book — but from the logging point of view.
Another interesting fact: the book used to contain the line, "I hear things are just as bad up in Lake Erie," but 14 years after the book was published, the Ohio Sea Grant Program wrote to Seuss creator Theodore Geisel, and told him how much the conditions had improved and implored him to take the line out. Geisel agreed and said that it wouldn't be in future editions.
2. Somehow, Geisel's books find themselves in the middle of controversy. The line "A person's a person, no matter how small," from "Horton Hears a Who!," has been used as a slogan for anti-abortion organizations. It's often questioned whether that was Seuss' intent in the first place, but when he was still alive, he threatened to sue an anti-abortion group unless they removed his words from their letterhead.
3. "If I Ran the Zoo," published in 1950, is the first recorded instance of the word "nerd."
4. "The Cat in the Hat" was written because Dr. Seuss thought the famous Dick and Jane primers were insanely boring. Because kids weren't interested in the material, they weren't exactly compelled to use it repeatedly in their efforts to learn to read. So, "The Cat in the Hat" was born.
5. Bennett Cerf, Dr. Seuss' editor, bet him that he couldn't write a book using 50 words or less. "The Cat in the Hat" was pretty simple, after all, and it used 225 words. Not one to back down from a challenge, Mr. Geisel started writing and came up with "Green Eggs and Ham" — which uses exactly 50 words.
The 50 words, by the way, are: a, am, and, anywhere, are, be, boat, box, car, could, dark, do, eat, eggs, fox, goat, good, green, ham, here, house, I, if, in, let, like, may, me, mouse, not, on, or, rain, Sam, say, see, so, thank, that, the, them, there, they, train, tree, try, will, with, would, you.
6. It's often alleged that "Marvin K. Mooney Will You Please Go Now!" was written specifically about Richard Nixon, but the book came out only two months after the whole Watergate scandal. It's unlikely that the book could have been conceived of, written, edited and mass produced in such a short time.
Also, Seuss never admitted that the story was originally about Nixon. That's not to say he didn't understand how well the two flowed together. In 1974, he sent a copy of Marvin K. Mooney to his friend Art Buchwald at the Washington Post. In it, he crossed out "Marvin K. Mooney" and replaced it with "Richard M. Nixon," which Buchwald reprinted in its entirety.
7. "Yertle the Turtle" = Hitler? Yep. If you haven't read the story, here's a little overview: Yertle is the king of the pond, but he wants more. He demands that other turtles stack themselves up so he can sit on top of them to survey the land. Mack, the turtle at the bottom, is exhausted. He asks Yertle for a rest; Yertle ignores him and demands more turtles for a better view.
Eventually, Yertle notices the moon and is furious that anything dare be higher than himself, and is about ready to call for more turtles when Mack burps. This sudden movement topples the whole stack, sends Yertle flying into the mud, and frees the rest of the turtles from their stacking duty.
Dr. Seuss actually said Yertle was a representation of Hitler. Despite the political nature of the book, none of that was disputed at Random House — what was disputed was Mack's burp. No one had ever let a burp loose in a children's book before, so it was a little dicey. In the end, obviously, Mack burped.
8. "The Butter Battle Book" is one I had never heard of, perhaps with good reason: it was pulled from the shelves of libraries for a while because of the reference to the Cold War and the arms race.
Yooks and Zooks are societies who do everything differently. The Yooks eat their bread with the butter-side up and the Zooks eat their bread with the butter-side down. Obviously, one of them must be wrong, so they start building weapons to outdo each other: the "Tough-Tufted Prickly Snick-Berry Switch," the "Triple-Sling Jigger," the "Jigger-Rock Snatchem," the "Kick-A-Poo Kid", the "Eight-Nozzled Elephant-Toted Boom Blitz," the "Utterly Sputter" and the "Bitsy Big-Boy Boomeroo."
The book concludes with each side ready to drop their ultimate bombs on each other, but the reader doesn't know how it actually turns out.
9. "Oh The Places You'll Go" is the final Seuss book published before he passed away. Published in 1990, it sells about 300,000 copies every year because so many people give it to college and high school grads.
10. No Dr. Seuss post would be complete without a mention of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" Frankenstein's Monster himself, Boris Karloff, provided the voice of the Grinch and the narration for the movie. Seuss was a little wary of casting him because he thought his voice would be too scary for kids. If you're wondering why they sound a bit different, it's because the sound people went back to the Grinch's parts and removed all of the high tones in Karloff's voice. That's why the Grinch sounds so gravelly.
Tony the Tiger, AKA Thurl Ravenscroft, is the voice behind "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." He received no credit on screen, so Dr. Seuss wrote to columnists in every major U.S. newspaper to tell them exactly who had sung the song


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ASU Electronic Theses and Dissertations
This collection includes most of the ASU Theses and Dissertations from 2011 to present. ASU Theses and Dissertations are available in downloadable PDF format; however, a small percentage of items are under embargo. Information about the dissertations/theses includes degree information, committee members, an abstract, supporting data or media.
In addition to the electronic theses found in the ASU Digital Repository, ASU Theses and Dissertations can be found in the ASU Library Catalog.
Dissertations and Theses granted by Arizona State University are archived and made available through a joint effort of the ASU Graduate College and the ASU Libraries. For more information or questions about this collection contact or visit the Digital Repository ETD Library Guide or contact the ASU Graduate College at firstname.lastname@example.com.
- Redding, Kevin E
- Allen, James P
- Arizona State University
- 1 Gisriel, Christopher James
- 1 Jones, Anne K
- 1 English
- 1 Public
- Biochemistry
- evolution
- Biophysics
- 1 heliobacteria
- 1 homodimeric
- 1 photosynthesis
- 1 reaction center
- more
- 1 x-ray crystallography
- Reverse Fountain Cytoplasmic Streaming in Rhizopus Oryzae
- Diné Research Practices and Protocols: An Intersectional Paradigm Incorporating Indigenous Feminism, Critical Indigenous Research Methodologies and Diné Knowledge Systems
- Developing an Augmented Reality Solution for Mapping Underground Infrastructure
- Characterization of 2D Human Ankle Stiffness during Postural Balance and Walking for Robot-aided Ankle Rehabilitation
- Using Molecular, Cellular and Bioengineering Approaches Towards Understanding Muscle Stem Cell Biology
The evolution of photosynthesis caused the oxygen-rich atmosphere in which we thrive today. Although the reaction centers involved in oxygenic photosynthesis probably evolved from a protein like the reaction centers in modern anoxygenic photosynthesis, modern anoxygenic reaction centers are poorly understood. One such anaerobic reaction center is found in Heliobacterium modesticaldum. Here, the photosynthetic properties of H. modesticaldum are investigated, especially as they pertain to its unique photochemical reaction center. The first part of this dissertation describes the optimization of the previously established protocol for the H. modesticaldum reaction center isolation. Subsequently, electron transfer is characterized by ultrafast spectroscopy; the …
- Contributors
- Gisriel, Christopher James, Redding, Kevin E, Jones, Anne K, et al.
- Created Date
- 2017


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released June 10, 2011
WASHINGTON—U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will celebrate the 234th anniversary of the adoption of the official national symbol—the Stars and Stripes—by welcoming thousands of new citizens in special naturalization ceremonies across the nation.
Two ceremonies on June 14—one in Washington, D.C., and another in Baltimore—will be part of the weeklong festivities to commemorate Flag Day 2011. Alejandro Mayorkas, Director, USCIS, will participate in both.
"Flag Day is a time to honor America and celebrate our heritage," said Director Mayorkas "We are a nation of immigrants and on this day it is especially meaningful to welcome new citizens, people from all over the world who help define the United States as the world's beacon of hope and opportunity."
In Washington, Director Mayorkas will administer the Oath of Allegiance to 20 new citizens, including four members of the U.S. armed forces, during a ceremony at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Gerda Weissmann Klein, founder of Citizenship Counts, will be a special guest and deliver congratulatory remarks. Klein, a Holocaust survivor and USCIS Outstanding American by Choice recipient, received the 2010 Medal of Freedom. The newly naturalized citizens from the U.S. armed forces will lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance.
That evening, the Director will travel to Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine in Baltimore and administer the Oath to 25 new citizens. Fort McHenry—known as the "Birthplace of the National Anthem"—successfully defended Baltimore Harbor during the War of 1812. It was the British bombardment of the fort that inspired Francis Scott Key to write "The Star-Spangled Banner."
USCIS's Flag Day celebration runs June 10-17 and includes ceremonies at the Betsy Ross House historical site in Philadelphia; the Homestead National Monument of America in Beatrice, Neb.; Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Va.; and the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society in Buffalo, N.Y.
For more information on USCIS and its programs, please visit www.uscis.gov or follow US on Twitter (@uscis), YouTube (/uscis) and the USCIS blog The Beacon.
From Source


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NASHVILLE - At a senior center in Nashville, Tennessee, Doug Oliver and his friend, Geneva McElroy, talk about old times.
But it is more than a simple stroll down memory lane. Through guided conversation, Oliver helps seniors remember their own self-worth by drawing on the memories of experiences long past.
"They can see what they have done that has or will impact the future and it lifts their mood," he said. "Many times they will realize that they are and were important; that they have something to offer."
In a society that celebrates eternal youth, a renewed appreciation of wisdom and experience can help older people cope with loss and depression. Oliver says the technique, sometimes called "reminiscence therapy" is especially effective with seniors.
"One of the hidden benefits that many elders have is that, even when they are having trouble with short-term memory, their long-term memories are usually intact for a much longer time," he said.
Short term and long term memories are stored in different areas of the brain. Diseases that impair one may not affect the other. Alzheimer's Disease, for example, begins in the areas of the brain where short-term memories are created and held.
Oliver used that quirk of the human brain to help his geriatric patients during the more than two decades he worked as a clinical therapist. Retired now, he no longer has patients, but each week he visits the daycare facility for seniors. He tries to lift the spirits of the people he's come to care about, because depression for seniors can be deadly.
"Without trying to lift the depression a little bit, people can languish quickly and deteriorate," he said, "and so part of the purpose is to take that healthy part of their thinking and get that firing as passionately as you can."
Oliver says the key is to connect the past to the present and the future; both good experiences and bad, victories and regrets.
"Help them to determine what they learned from those incidents, those memories," he said. "How did that apply to them and their families in the present, and what impact do they think they have had on the future."
Catholic Charities, which runs the facility, couldn't be happier with Oliver's work. Senior daycare coordinator Linda Edwards says he has a gift for helping the elderly feel valued.
"They respond readily to his interest in them and his ability to get them to talk about what they remember, what they enjoyed," Edwards said. "And they come away from those interactions feeling good about themselves."
Every once in a while Oliver thinks about quitting because he is legally blind, a result of macular degeneration, so getting to the daycare center and home again can be a chore. But Oliver says he has always been drawn to seniors and the stories they tell.
"Each time I consider that, I actually step back and say, 'No. I am where I need to be right now, and I am doing what I should be doing.'"
Oliver says an added benefit to listening to the stories seniors tell is that it brings history alive in a way nothing else can.


text: ABiC™ is a new, comprehensive MIGS procedure that flushes out the natural outflow channels, without damaging tissue, and without leaving behind a stent or shunt. Based on the same dilation principles of traditional Canaloplasty but via a simplified and much faster surgical approach, ABiC™ is the only MIGS procedure that successfully and comprehensively addresses all aspects of potential outflow resistance. ABiC™ is also fast and easy to perform and can be successfully combined with phacoemulsification in order to make the best use of time in the operating room.


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Matthew B. Sperry: Case Successes
Personal Injury
Mr. Sperry represented a client who slipped and fell, sustaining severe injury to the client's knee, which subsequently became infected. After engaging in extensive discovery and negotiation, Mr. Sperry was able to obtain a settlement of $150,000.
Mr. Sperry's client was charged with DUI, Driving without a Valid License, and was facing a license suspension after the client was stopped for parking in the lot of a closed business after dark and for subsequently allegedly submitting a breath test in excess of Illinois' legal limit of .08. Mr. Sperry filed a motion to suppress evidence and a petition to contest the license suspension, arguing that the Police had no legal basis to stop someone for parking in the lot of a closed business after dark. After hearing, Mr. Sperry's motion to suppress was granted, the license suspension was successfully rescinded, and as a result the State DISMISSED ALL CHARGES against Mr. Sperry's client.
Criminal/Domestic Violence/Order of ProtectionFinding of Not Guilty at Trial/Order of Protection Dismissed: Mr. Sperry's client was charged with multiple counts of domestic battery for alleged illicit touching of the complainant that allegedly happened over a period of days, and the same complainant filed an order of protection against Mr. Sperry's client as well. Mr. Sperry demanded trial, and following Mr. Sperry's devastating cross examination of the complainant, Mr. Sperry's client was found NOT GUILTY of all counts. Following the criminal trial, the complainant discontinued prosecution of her order of protection.
Criminal/Burglary – Mental Illness Court Alternative Program (MICAP) in DuPageDismissal of Charges of Burglary: Mr. Sperry's client was charged with Burglary. Following extensive negotiations with the State's Attorney's Office, Mr. Sperry successfully enrolled his client in the DuPage MICAP program, a diversion program for defendants with mental health issues. Mr. Sperry successfully assisted his client through a successful undertaking of the program, resulting in a negotiated DISMISSAL OF ALL CHARGES.
Criminal/Unauthorized use of Credit Card First Chance Program and Expunged
Mr. Sperry's client was arrested by the police for felony unauthorized use of a credit card. Following invoking his client's rights following arrest and securing his client's release at a bond hearing, Mr. Sperry successfully negotiated his client's admission into Kane County's Second Chance program, in which charges are dismissed if the defendant follows certain conditions. Under Mr. Sperry's advisement, his client successfully completed the program resulting in DISMISSAL OF ALL CHARGES.
DCFS Appeal/Expungment Appeal Sustained
Mr. Sperry's client was indicated by the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) for child abuse for allegedly engaging in a physical altercation with a spouse in front of children. Following a contested administrative hearing, Mr. Sperry's request for an expungement was granted, and the client's indicated finding was removed from the State Central Registry.
Criminal/Leaving the Scene of Accident, Intervention in Police Interrogation, Trial, NOT GUILTY
When the police confronted Mr. Sperry's client at her home in an attempt to obtain evidence regarding a "leaving the scene of an accident" investigation, Mr. Sperry's client followed his advice and immediately called Mr. Sperry. Mr. Sperry invoked the client's rights, preventing the police from obtaining any statements from his client and required the police to obtain a warrant for any further investigation of the client's property. When the police threatened Mr. Sperry and his client by stating that they would press charges unless his client admitted wrongdoing, Mr. Sperry instructed the police to file whatever they wanted to file, and that he would see them in court. Once the police filed charges, Mr. Sperry responded by promptly filing a trial demand. After trial, his client was found NOT GUILTY. Mr. Sperry's aggressive defense saved his client.
Immigration/Cancellation of Removal Granted
Mr. Sperry's client was placed in removal proceedings after immigration officials learned of multiple criminal convictions of the client when the client returned to the United States from a trip abroad. Mr. Sperry filed a petition for cancellation of removal on behalf of his client, and after a hearing, the cancellation petition was granted. Following the successful conclusion of removal proceedings, Mr. Sperry sought and successfully obtained naturalization for his client, ensuring the client would not be subject to future removal proceedings. Mr. Sperry didn't just stop the Removal of his client, and Mr. Sperry used the process to obtain citizenship for his client.
Immigration/I-601 Waiver Granted for Client Who had Entered U.S. Illegally
After building an extensive hardship case related to the client's family, Mr. Sperry successfully obtained lawful permanent resident status via an I-601 hardship waiver for a client who entered the United States unlawfully and was illegally in the country for several years.
Criminal/Class X Judgment of Acquittal
Mr. Sperry, assisted as co-counsel to fellow Mevorah Law Offices LLC attorney Bradley Giglio, and successfully defended a client who was charged with Class X Predatory Criminal Sexual Assault of a Child. Over the course of the case, Mr. Sperry and Mr. Giglio successfully defeated the State's efforts to use hearsay statements of the alleged complainant via a multi-day evidentiary hearing by arguing that the statements were untrustworthy. Following trial, the Court granted a JUDGEMENT OF ACQUITTAL on all charges. Mr. Sperry and Mr. Gigilio's client walked away with not guilty on all counts.
Possession of Alcohol by a Minor
An open bottle of alcohol was found in the client's bedroom at his parents' home while the client was not home. Later, after the police confronted him with the bottle, the client admitted to the police that the alcohol was his. At trial, Mr. Sperry successfully obtained a directed finding on the legal doctrine of corpus delicti, in that the State failed to show that adults over the age of 21 did not have access to the room and alcohol in question, and it was not a crime for adults to possess alcohol. Mr. Sperry then argued that absent other evidence that a crime occurred, Mr. Sperry's client's admission alone was not legally sufficient for conviction. The Court agreed and the CHARGES WERE DISMISSED with prejudice.
Possession of Marijuana
Mr. Sperry represented a client who was pulled over on two separate occasions by the same police officer for having one brake light out of three out. On each occasion, Mr. Sperry's client was alleged to have possessed marijuana in the automobile. In a consolidated motion to suppress between the two cases, Mr. Sperry successfully argued that the police officer lacked probable cause to pull over his client due to the taillight being out, as the controlling law stated that an automobile shall have two functional brake lights. The Court agreed and suppressed the marijuana found in the car, resulting in DISMISSALS OF BOTH CHARGES as well as the underlying traffic tickets for having a brake light out.
Domestic Battery
Mr. Sperry's client was charged with battering his girlfriend, and then dropping her off from his car at his girlfriend's mother's home. The girlfriend went directly inside, locked the front door, and told her mother in detail that Mr. Sperry's client had beaten her. When the girlfriend did not appear at trial, the State Attorney attempted to proceed with the trial by having the girlfriend's mother testify as to what the girlfriend told her about the alleged beating. Mr. Sperry successfully argued that all of the girlfriend's statements should be excluded from evidence as inadmissible hearsay, and the Court agreed, ultimately resulting in the State Attorney moving to DISMISS THE CASE.
Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol
Mr. Sperry co-chaired a jury trial which involved an able-bodied client who was observed by police parked in a handicapped spot while having difficulty keeping his balance. After he left the handicapped parking spot, the police pulled over Mr. Sperry's client for the handicap parking violation. The police alleged that they found open containers of alcohol within the vehicle, and further charged that Mr. Sperry's client was intoxicated. The client refused all sobriety tests and the breathalyzer, but proceeded to act belligerently and erratically throughout his arrest toward the police. A few of the client's alleged behaviors included smashing his own head against the wall, swearing, and mumbling. It was successfully argued at trial that just acting rudely and erratically toward the police is not proof of drunkenness, and that the police car camera failed to show the police pulling the alcohol bottles from the car. While the jury found Mr. Sperry's client to have committed the petty offense of illegally parking in a handicapped zone, the jury also returned NOT GUILTY verdicts on the transportation of open alcohol containers and driving under the influence.
Felony Theft
Mr. Sperry successfully negotiated a plea for a client who was accused of committing a Class 1 Felony Theft involving embezzlement in excess of $100,000 from an incapacitated elderly woman down to a Class 4 Felony Theft with no jail time, 1 year probation, and with the only restitution due in the criminal case of $25,000.
Disorderly Conduct
Mr. Sperry successfully represented a client accused of committing disorderly conduct by sending lewd emails to a neighbor after being told to cease emailing the same neighbor by the police. At trial, Mr. Sperry successfully obtained a directed verdict, with the court finding that the client did not engage in any conduct that could be considered disorderly. The client was found NOT GUILTY.


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Wine Knowledge
Culinary Resolutions, Week 6: Expand Your Wine Knowledge
We've entered the last week in our new series, Six Weeks of Culinary Resolutions, wherein we vow to tackle a different gastronomic goal each week.
Surely you know how to drink wine — but do you know how to really taste it? In week six, we'll show you how to expand your wine knowledge, learning how to better taste and understand the vast, complicated world of wine.
Stay tuned for features on everything from obscure wine varietals (Carignane, anyone?) to how to visit wineries and talk to sommeliers. Got any special requests for us? Be sure to leave them in our comments below.
Wine Basics
Master 21 essential wine terms
4 places you shouldn't store wine
The best way to clean wine glasses
Visiting Wineries
Tips for hosting an informal wine tasting
5 misconceptions about visiting wineries
The perks of joining a wine club
How to open a bottle of bubbly the right way
Tasting and Pairing Wine
How to pair wine
To make wine explode, pair it with popcorn
Our favorite sparkling wines
Top white wines under $15
Best reds under $15
Top Italian wine picks
What to do with your leftover wine
Wine Varietals and Regions
Get into the Grüner Veltliner groove
Why you should care about Carignane
What to know about Grenache
Hail to Glera, the grape responsible for Prosecco
Champagne: how it's made
What you should know about New Zealand's Sauvignon Blancs
Why isn't Riesling found in most wine blends?
4 lesser-known wine varietals you should know
5 reasons you should be drinking wine from Rioja
Burning question: what's a meritage blend?
Further Suggested Reading
Learn how to make a basic red wine sangria
What makes wine kosher, anyway?
Wine by the numbers: what goes into the cost of a glass?
Eat, don't drink your wine: recipes to use up those reds and whites


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We are the coolest photo booth in Southern California. A fresh renovated 79' Volkswagen into a photo booth. We keep it classy and chic without all the cheesy bells and whistles. Please check out our website to see more Malibooth has to offer!
Your beautiful wedding day is a once in a lifetime event. Give your guests the ultimate experience and a memory to take home with their own photo booth strip. Our beautifully handcrafted wood photo booths will accent your event decor and are sure to get your party started. Making a lasting impression with a photo booth is fun and fabulous.&...
Our photo booth features an open-air design with a modern look. It includes an interface that is user-friendly so every one of your guests can join in on the party! Every photo booth is set up to the needs of YOUR event, with endless possibilities in regards to customization. Our in-house design team will make sure that your photo strips and even the photo b...
Magic Mirror Pics is the New Upgraded Photo Mirror for Event entertainment. It has tons of exciting features that will keep your guest entertained for hours. Magic Mirror is not the typical photo booth, it's an experience of having an amazing custom photo shoot. You will be able to take your wedding photos and not worry about your gue...
Welcome to Splitting Image Mirror Photo Booth! Our photo booth is a portable state-of-the-art, interactive Photo Booth utilizing the latest technology in the photo booth industry. Unlike a traditional photo booth, we specialize in providing a unique experience to capture all your memories in a fun and unique way. Combining all the fun of a traditional photo ...
Best Party Ever!We're so honored that you're here considering us for your special day. Our most precious resource is people like you. Working with the team is like pure imagination, (ahem! Willie Wonka) Our digital photo booth will give your guests instant memories. The Social Oval is a luxe open air photo booth with luxury backdro...
Carolina Selfies
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Exoglass® round fluted pastry cutter, specifically designed for cutting bases for tarts.
The Exoglass® composite material is a trademark of Matfer.
Compliance with European hygiene regulations.
The Exoglass® material does not buckle, is dishwasher-safe and can be sterilised.
The design ensures long lasting cutting properties and an easy grip thanks to the rounded top.
The one-piece design allows for easy cleaning.
Diameter: Ø 4cm
Sold by: Unit
More about... Exoglass® moulds:
Exclusive to MATFER, this composite material ensures even cooking results and excellent heat diffusion.
Exoglass® properties
Rigid, non-deformable
Stainless and dishwasher-safe
Can be used straight from freezer to oven. (-20°C to +250°C)
No need to grease the mould if there is fat in the dough.
However, we recommend greasing to add flavour and colour to the dough.
Exoglass® moulds have the advantage of low inertia to heat. They can be handled without danger a few seconds after removing from the oven for a perfect release.
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I highly recommend starting as early in the morning as possible in order to take advantage of the shade from the towering cliffs for a large portion of your climb.
The hike begins from the Weeping Rock Trailhead, and immediately begins climbing a series of long switchbacks up Cable Mountain. Much of this trail was blasted out of the canyon walls in the 1920s. As the trail climbs higher you'll have stunning views of Angels Landing, The Organ, and Big Bend in the Virgin River:
At roughly 1.5 miles the trail leaves the cliff side and enters into the incredibly beautiful Echo Canyon. For the next half-mile you'll have a nice break from the relentless climbing.
In some ways Echo Canyon was even more impressive than the views from Observation Point. This narrow canyon, sitting roughly 1100 feet above the trailhead, would make a wonderful destination by itself. The trail follows along a shelf above the canyon floor, with an extremely narrow slot canyon sitting just below it.
To get an idea of the immensity of this canyon, see if you can spot my wife at the very bottom of this photo:
Looking over the side of the trail I spotted this interesting looking hole, roughly 200 feet below:
Once out of the canyon the trail begins to climb again, and will gain roughly 900 feet over the next mile. Roughly 60% of this hike has some exposure that leads to long drop-offs. However, most of the trail is at least 4-5 feet in width, with some places narrowing down to maybe three. Obviously if you have a fear of heights you're going to feel very uncomfortable on this trail. For the most part I was able to do my normal pace, and didn't feel any intimidation. There was one section, about a tenth-of-a-mile long near the final push to the rim that did make me a little nervous. This section of the hike stands-out prominently from Observation Point. In the photo below you can see a "Z" etched into the side of the white cliff face. This is another part of the path that has been blasted out of the rock:
Other than this one short section, if you're used to hiking in the mountains, you likely won't have any other problems with vertigo-inducing drop-offs.
Beyond the "Z" the trail levels out for the most part, and begins to hug the forested cliffside over the course of the last mile to Observation Point.
From Observation Point you'll have one of the great iconic images of Zion National Park. The views are just awesome. From this vantage point Angels Landing, The Organ and Big Bend will be the most prominent landmarks almost directly below you. On the west side of the canyon you'll see Cathedral Mountain and the Three Patriarchs. On the left is the East Rim, Cable Mountain and the Great White Throne. Running down the middle of the valley is the Virgin River as it flows towards Springdale and beyond.
Afterwards we drove into Springdale and had a great burger and an oven fired pizza from the Flying Monkey.
Trail: Observation Point
Roundtrip Distance: 8.0 Miles
Total Elevation Gain: 2150 feet
Max Elevation: 6507 Feet
Hiking Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks covers 56 hikes in the two parks, as well as the surrounding areas, such as Cedar Breaks National Monument.
Hiking in Great Smoky Mountains National Park


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Far from being just rampaging warriors, the Vikings also brought civilisation to modern Ireland, discovers Vanessa Harriss
In the wall of the Church of Ireland cathedral in Armagh lie the bones of Irish hero Brian Boru, who vanquished the Vikings and liberated Ireland at the historic Battle of Clontarf in 1014.
All hail Brian, Ireland and St Patrick!
Well, no. Brian was too old to fight; he was killed in his tent after the battle. "And the Battle of Clontarf was nothing to do with freeing Ireland," says Jack Burtchaell, historian and tour guide in Waterford.
"It was a turf war over trade. Brian Boru was recast as a nationalist in the 19th century, but it's all rubbish – there were Norsemen [Vikings] fighting on his side."
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Ireland's Viking history is a recent discovery. Some 25 years ago, Dublin Corporation commissioned a headquarters on Wood Quay, one of the oldest parts of the capital.
During the build, diggers unearthed vast quantities of Viking relics, which are now in the National Museum in Dublin and in Dublinia heritage centre in Temple Bar.
This stunning find rewrote history, says Neil Hegarty, author of The Story of Ireland, which accompanied Fergal Keane's series for the BBC and the Republic of Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ: "The Vikings' story had been almost completely unknown but suddenly we could see how they lived, what they ate, what they made and what they traded."
Far from ceaseless rampaging, it seems that the Norsemen were settlers by inclination. The 830s saw their first attacks on Ireland, and by 835 they were attacking the monastery at Clonmacnoise. "That's what made them so terrifying," says Hegarty.
A mere six years later, in the autumn of 841, the Vikings pulled their longboats out of Lough Neagh, signalling their decision to stay.
"The Vikings shaped the Ireland of today," says Hegarty. "There were no towns here, but Limerick, Cork, Waterford, Wexford, Youghal, Arklow and Wicklow all have Viking origins."
Place names echo their Nordic roots: Strangford and Carlingford, Wexford and Waterford are all corruptions of "fjord".
Hegarty agrees, "Ey is another Viking giveaway, because it means 'surrounded by water', like Dalkey and Ireland's Eye."
Within a generation the raiders had settled. "With the Wood Quay treasures, you can see how Irish design was influenced by a Scandinavian aesthetic. These people made jewellery, worked glass and minted coins – they were civilised, not thugs," says Hegarty.
Burtchaell concurs: "They influenced design, seafaring, shipbuilding and they plugged Ireland into a trading network that stretched from Iceland to Turkey and the Baltic."
And even the Viking reputation for disproportionate violence is unfair. The records were mostly written or preserved by monks, so they are bound to reflect a jaundiced view.
"Yes, the Vikings attacked monasteries," says Burtchaell, "but as for bloodthirsty pillaging, well, basically, they were no worse than the natives."
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The new Clonmacnoise app takes you back 1,000 years to one of Ireland's most important monastic settlements, says...
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In the last few years, there have been many changes to the way that the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) implements the federal affirmative action regulations. The agency has issued many new and revised regulations that have affected organizations throughout the United States. OFCCP has taken some particularly aggressive positions in regard to discrimination that it believes is occurring involving...more
With the flurry of changes and ever-expanding obligations for federal contractors over the last eighteen months, employers have undoubtedly spent countless hours and resources "getting into compliance" and updating documents and forms. With each new obligation, employers have reviewed and altered everything from job advertisement taglines and purchase orders to online applications and self-ID forms.
Yet with all of these required changes, there is one important document that federal contractors have likely neglected – the job description. While there are no new regulations explicitly requiring changes to job descriptions (in fact, there is no law requiring...more
For many years, compensation compliance has been discussed ad nauseam in Industry Liaison Group (ILG) meetings, webinars, and in articles by the hundreds that included topics on OFCCP expectations/enforcement, data collection and suggested analyses. In related fashion, EEO/AA professionals have attended the National Industry Liaison Group (NILG) conference held in various major cities in the U.S. each year for a few decades now and every year...more
The workplace culture of federal contractors is about to change dramatically. It has been taboo in the private sector to discuss one's personal salary or inquire about the compensation of others, but the recently issued Pay Transparency Final Rule will provide protections to applicants and employees who break tradition...more
President Gerald Ford passed Section 4212 of the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA) on December 4, 1974, which was originally created for veterans returning home from the Vietnam War. This was necessary because - generally speaking - society was biased against the war and the military men and women who served in Vietnam...more
The OFCCP Digest is a complimentary resource featuring affirmative action, equal employment opportunity, and government compliance topics to help federal contractors and subcontractors navigate the regulatory environment. Your feedback is important to us. Please share your thoughts about The OFCCP Digest by taking a short survey.


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Faster TAT, More Uptime, and Reduced Maintenance
Hospital Clinic de Barcelona
Siemens Healthineers high-throughput analyzers and automation systems improved productivity and helped deliver faster, high-quality results to clinicians in this university hospital setting.
The Biomedical Diagnostic Center (BDC)*
- Serves a local population of 550,000 people.
- Processes 550,000 orders from hospital and ambulatory patients annually.
- Performs 3,414,000 clinical chemistry tests annually.
*The BDC comprises all laboratories of the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona.
- Aptio® Automation
- ADVIA Centaur® XPT Immunoassay System
- ADVIA® Chemistry XPT System
- ADVIA® 1800 Chemistry System
"We can now utilize operator time for more important tasks, such as technical validation, allowing earlier release of patient results. In addition, the system saves operator time through automatic daily quality control management." Dr. Jose Luis Bedini,
Head of Biomedical Diagnostic
Center Core Laboratory, Hospital Clinic de Barcelona.
Key Outcomes and Benefits:
- Mean clinical chemistry turnaround time (TAT), including reruns and dilutions, was reduced from 40 to 22 minutes (45%).
- Mean immunoassay TAT, including reruns, was reduced from 57 to 34 minutes (40%).
- Decreased manual interventions in the pre- and post-analytical phases using a combination of system and automation features, such as intelligent sample routing and onboard aliquot retention, repeats and dilutions.
- Throughput increased from 4400 to 5880 samples per day (34%) while the number of analyzers decreased by 30%.
- Overtime costs were reduced by improving staff utilization, conducting more tests with fewer processes, and minimizing manual intervention.
Clinic de Barcelona Case Study 1.0 MB
Read how Siemens Healthineers worked together with Clinic de Barcelona to increase system uptime and throughput with technology that automated system maintenance and reduced the need for operator interventions.
ADVIA, ADVIA Centaur, Aptio, and all associated marks are trademarks of Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc., or its affiliates. All other trademarks and brands are the property of their respective owners.
Product availability may vary from country to country and is subject to varying regulatory requirements. Please contact your local representative for availability.
The outcomes obtained by the Siemens Healthineers customer described here were realized in the customer's unique setting. Since there is no typical laboratory, and many variables exist, there can be no guarantee that others will achieve the same results.


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Review: Crank Adventures – Chiang Mai, Thailand
It all started with a dog named Lucy.
On an evening in early December, Liz and I had been celebrating the Shan New Year with our "Team Chiang Mai" friends at the Thai Freedom House. Arriving separately, I biked back to our guesthouse, and Liz's walk home took her past a man and his dog grabbing some dinner at a streetside noodle stall. Liz was friends with Lucy by the time she found out that her owner was an adventure sport and tour leading expert. After a quick flurry of late night emails, it was settled — I'd be picked up early in the morning to join Crank Adventures for a 2-day mountain biking tour.
Blearily waking up at 7:40a, I took a quick shower and grabbed breakfast to go from the nearest 7-11. I ate my pork bao, yogurt, and pandan cake as the van carried us north into hills, an hour past Mae Rim. I spent the time getting to know the owner. Damian is a jovial and knowledgeable Australian, fluent in Thai and familiar with just about every trail in Northern Thailand. Finally we were deposited on a hilltop where we unloaded the bikes, donned our gear, took the requisite 'before' photos, and charged down the mostly paved hill.
The valley scenery was stunning. We rode past rice paddies and hill tribe villages, and up and down a number of small hills, of which I walked up many of the climbs, out of breath but determined. On or off-road, bicycling is one of the best ways to see a country. Senses of sight and smell are heightened, and you attain an intimate connection with your environment. A rutted dirt track took us through a field, thick smoke rising from slash-and-burn farming. We crossed the Mae Taeng at the river village of Ban Sop Kai, where we stopped for lunch at a noodle shop and were accosted by Hmong women selling cheap bracelets, smiling with betel-blackened teeth.
Back on our bikes, we headed downstream, taking our leave from the road to explore the hills. This was my first time, so I was unaware that the holy grails of mountain biking are "single track" trails, and Damian's passion is seeking them out. Whereas such trails at home might be created ad-hoc by bikers, these paths were clearly used for inter-village travel – for some villages, a small trail might be the only way in or out. Many of the villages are sustained by the King's Royal Project to turn opium fields into rice, teak, lychee, longan, corn, banana, cabbage, and passionfruit. Lulled into the peaceful scenery, I was unprepared for the grueling mid-afternoon climb, wherein I pushed the bike and my backpack up a rock-strewn rutted mountain trail.
Bikes and bikers strewn across the forested hilltop, we enjoyed a short rest. Then, as if we were getting off a ski lift, it was time to launch ourselves nearly straight down the mountain. Exhilarating doesn't begin to describe the feeling of barreling downhill, on track that was maybe 9 inches wide, with a precipitous dropoff to the side. I quickly learned new skills of gauging paths, speed, and break control. Sliding on dirt and rubble is not only unavoidable, it's part of the skillset.
We finally arrived at a village along the Mae Taeng, used by several tour groups as an overnight stop. A bouncy bamboo bridge spanned the river next to a much bigger, yet broken, concrete one. The first thing I did was strip down to my underwear and jump in the river, letting the fast-flowing cool water carry the day's sweat away. After rinsing my clothes just as the locals do, I wandered up the hill to relax on the deck with a beer before dinner – green curry with chicken and pumpkin. A long day behind us, and another ahead of us, it was early to bed. We slept dorm-style, in a big multi-room building, and I was unlucky enough to be between snorers, earplugs useless against the reverberating of floorboards throughout the night.
In the morning, after a breakfast of leftovers, we loaded bikes onto the roof of a truck, and took an e-ticket ride up the mountain, bouncing around the back of the truck. After what felt like forever, we reached the top, where we once again unloaded the bikes, and took off down a twisty mountain road. We went through a gate into a nature park of completely overgrown forest, often with no visible trail. We crossed little streams on foot, or over "bridges" of lumber.
We rejoined civilization next to the rapids of the Mae Taeng, riding past white water rafting outfits and negotiating around elephants. I waved to a man making a thatched roof, and passed by a woman doing laundry. The dirt road led to the place we'd had lunch the day before, and the same Hmong women were peddling trinkets. Across the river again and down the other side, up a long hill, then we shot off towards Lisu Lodge, biking down same road I last went down on ox-cart seven months earlier.
Looking back, it was a blur of concentration – extremely technical riding, but thru scenic valley vistas and rice fields, forests, and past villages where kids waved and laughed as we passed by. A decade of serious road cycling was barely adequate training for the sorts of skills that one must quickly learn in mountain biking. Our adventure ended at Wat Tung Luang. We stopped in Mae Rim for lunch, and I savored my last khao soi. Finally back home, I enjoyed a 2 hour massage for 240 Baht ($8).
I still haven't met Lucy, but I look forward to thanking her when we return to Chiang Mai.
Crank Adventures
3/2 Ratchapakinai Rd, Tambon Suthep
Amphur Muang Chiang Mai 50200 Thailand
Phone: +66 (0) 819527699
Email: email@example.com
Web: http://www.crankadventures.com


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Home » mothers day » Mother's Day (2016)
Mother's Day (2016)
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You've just seen the movie categories mothers day titled Mother's Day (2016). You can bookmark this page with the URL http://zivotmalemarti.blogspot.com/2016/03/mother-day-2016.html. Thank you!
Mother's Day (2016) 910109.
Label: mothers day


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We Recommend - Green River Ordinance, 'Under Fire'
Texas' Green River Ordinance is a band with compelling music and an equally compelling story. Signed by Virgin Records and releasing an album of well received and tuneful pop-rock a few years ago, the band walked away from the deal to go out on their own and call the shots, including embracing issues like human trafficking and the recovery of the Gulf Coast from the BP oil spill. All of this would just be an interesting side note if the music on Under Fire were not compelling, and (spoiler alert) it is. A long (by industry standards) and satisfying slice of guitar rock and southern harmonies, Under Fire is worth every penny, and a worthy addition to your playlist for this upcomming summer and any road trips you might have planned. Recommended highly for fans of Needtobreathe's southern harmonies and Switchfoot's epic and thoughtful guitar rock.
- Alex Caldwell
Green River Ordinance
Under Fire (2012)
Click here for our review of the album.
Our synopsis: "Funding the record themselves through Kickstarter allowed Green River Ordinance to throw everything into the skillet over the course of fifteen songs; the country music influences, the modern guitar rock, the worship element and cook up a gumbo that is just right...and that makes for a great story indeed.." (Recommended by JFH's Alex "Tincan" Caldwell)
Song Highlights: "The epic title track "Under Fire", the worshipful and gosple-choir backed "Resting Hour", the romantic "Heart Of Me" and the encouraging "New Day"
So, what are your thoughts on and experiences with the album Under Fire? Do you recommend it? If so, why?