text:
Memory usage in the 32-bit edition of Excel 2013 and 2016
After you upgrade to Microsoft Office 2013 or 2016, you experience one or more of the following symptoms:
The computer uses more memory when you open multiple Microsoft Excel files, save Excel files, or make calculations in Excel workbooks.
You can no longer open as many Excel workbooks in the same instance as you could before you upgraded to Excel.
When you insert columns in an Excel workbook, you receive an error about available memory.
When you are working with an Excel worksheet, you receive the following error message:
There isn't enough memory to complete this action. Try using less data or closing other applications. To increase memory availability, consider: - Using a 64-bit version of Microsoft Excel. - Adding memory to your device
Although improvements in Office 2013/2016 did not significantly affect system requirements, Office 2013/2016 does use more available system resources than Office 2010 did. The limit of virtual address space for 32-bit editions of Windows-based applications is 2 gigabytes (GB). For Excel, this space is shared by the Excel application itself together with any add-ins that run in the same process. The size of the worksheet itself also affects the usage of virtual address space. Because Excel loads the worksheet into addressable memory, some worksheets that have a file size of less than 2 GB may still require Excel to use more than 2 GB of addressable memory. This situation results in the error message that is mentioned in the "Symptoms" section.
Excel expert users who work with complex Excel worksheets can benefit from using the 64-bit edition of Office 2013/2016. This is because the 64-bit edition of Office does not impose hard limits on file size. Instead, workbook size is limited only by available memory and system resources. On the other hand, the 32-bit edition of Office is limited to 2 GB of virtual address space, and this space is shared by Excel, the workbook, and add-ins that run in the same process. (Worksheets smaller than 2 GB on disk might still contain enough data to occupy 2 GB or more of addressable memory.)
The following options can help improve performance in Excel 2013/2016:
- Excel users who regularly work with large, complex Excel worksheets may benefit from using the 64-bit edition of Office 2013 because 64-bit editions of Windows-based applications can address up to 8 terabytes (TB) of memory. Learn more about 64-bit editions of Office 2013.
- The 2-GB limitation is per windows process instance of Excel. You can run multiple files in one instance. However, if the files are really large and have to be open, consider opening multiple instances for the other files. For information about limits that you may encounter, see You cannot paste any attributes into a workbook in another instance of Excel.
- If you are running Windows 7 or Windows 2008, we suggest that you install Platform update for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1.
- Test performance without COM add-ins. COM add-ins can use memory at the expense of the 2-GB limitation. For testing, disable COM add-ins, and then start Excel. If COM add-ins are causing the memory issue, contact your third-party vendor for an updated copy or a 64-bit version of the COM add-ins.
- Disable hardware graphics acceleration. This shuts off animations. To do this, on the File menu, click Options, click Advanced, click Display, and then select Disable hardware graphics acceleration.
- Change your workbook to streamline areas that use memory unnecessarily. For suggested changes, see How to clean up an Excel 2013 workbook so that it uses less memory.
32-bit Excel 2016 will be enabled for Large Address Aware with update May 4, 2016 build number 16.0.6868.2060 for the O365 Current Channel subscribers. For more information, see Large Address Aware capability change for Excel.
More Information
You can use Process Explorer to check whether you are approaching the 2-GB limit in Excel. Consider anything over 1.75 GB as a maximum for the 32-bit edition of Excel. The column to focus is not there by default and can be added by Choosing View> Select Columns> Process Memory tab and clicking on Virtual Size.
Before moving to a 64-bit version of Office, see 64-bit editions of Office 2013.


text:
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text:
Go West
Quantity in Basket:
Price: $10.00
Adam Marsland
NEW LOW PRICE!! 2009 2CD offering from the former Cockeyed
Ghost frontman that was hailed at the time as his best ever effort! It's an undertaking that operates logically in
two ways: it's a highly engaging pop/rock conception or dig a little deeper and
it is an engrossing journey from hope to despair and back to hope. "I'm on
my third spin of 'Go West' and I must say I'm very taken with it. To my ears,
this sounds like Adam's most cohesive record to date. You know, it just fits
together very well. More importantly, I also think this double disc easily
contains some of his best work to date. To name a few songs that jump out - 'Go
West', 'My Pain', 'No Return', 'Despair', 'December 24', 'Grateful For The
Rain', '1 In 4', 'Two Children In A Bed' (funky, yes, it is funky), and 'I
Don't Want To Dance With You' (this is the surprise track on the album per it's
dance club groove vibe. It's a wonderfully fun track especially per the
cheerleading like backing vocals. Words fail, you'd just need to hear it. I
smile every time I listen to it). Finally, to my ears 'Fade Away' is a stone
cold classic tune. Lovely song, great vocals, melody and harmonies." -
Steve Durbin/Audities "What's most gratifying is not only how well it
holds together, but how well it holds together given the range of things he's
doing and the fact that it's all cohering over two discs. Quite an
accomplishment." - Sam Smith/Audities "Double albums in pop music can sometimes
be troublesome beasts, which is why Marsland's opus is such a great discovery.
Like all good art, it is ambitious, did not come into being without heartache
or sweat, and is filled with contrasting emotions. It is important to note this
is unlike most albums: the ace material is not rolled into the record's onset,
but rather spread throughout, which is why the second disc has as many
compelling moments as the first. And of course the secret to any good song
collection is, if someone puts in a perfect pop tune, then follow it up with a
rambunctious garage-punk track. In his case that is The Replacements-soundalike
'This Is Hard,' with a toughened hunk of gritty guitar, deliberately sloppy
bass and drums, and disorderly vocals. Anyone who misses Paul Westerberg's
early misbehavior needs this shot of adrenaline.He has put together an
unassuming masterpiece." - AudAud.com In case you missed it the first
time…. EXCELLENT!!!
"Passengers on Trains", released on
CD only in Japan in 1995 (long out-of-print and commanding high $ on sites like
Discogs) is Anthonys first solo album (if you count "Hits From 3000 Years Ago"
as a Squire album!). The hard to find
album has been remastered from origi
... read more »
"Still Anyways" is Canadian rock supergroup Anyway Gang's sophomore
album. The band consists of read more »
Hindu deities dancing in the sky of the American desert,
psychedelic cosmic pop hanging by a thread to the star of the shepherd, the
music of Bhopal's Flowers seems to point to an unknown but familiar direction:
A world where John Wayne and the Virgin Mary drive a convertib
... read more »
"Radio Transient" features ten
songs in a fresh, sparkling, and propulsive new style for Chris, each framing his renowned
melodic instincts, lyrical wit and unmistakable vocal firepower in a giddy new
– and irresistible
... read more »
Tears have been releasing albums now for nearly 40 years, the constant being singer/songwriter
Chris Sidwell.read more »
Devil Love is the end result of singer/songwriter Peter Buzzelle's
quest to front a rhythmically heavy and guitar-driven, melodic "indie
rock" band that melds together influences of 90's alternative rock, 70's
... read more »
KOOL KAT LABEL!! "A Big Life" is Ed
Ryan's fifth release on the Kool Kat label! His aim for "A Big Life" was to
make a big, fun rock record where, as always, he wrote, played, sang and pro
... read more »
Produced by Peter Buck, Eyelids' 4th full length "A Colossal Waste of
Light" does an excellent job of framing the quintet as one of today's most
compelling purveyors of lopsided guitar pop workouts and earworm-la
... read more »
"Potpourri Of Harmony" is a Limited Edition 2CD collection
of songs from Gary's five solo albums and one track from his rare "Beat
The Meatles!" album. There are 7-9 tracks from each album here. Some
are Gary's personal faves, along with deep cuts, forgotten gems, fan
favorites...etc. &nb
... read more »
Despite a (thankfully premature statement), that
2021's "Searching For The Grown-Ups" would be the last Groovy Uncle album,
Glenn Prangnell returns with "No
Man Is An Island", the 10th album release from Groovy Uncle and t
... read more »
STOCK! Last Great Dreamers
clearly believe in second chances, as they were once one of those nearly-were
... read more »
LIMITED STOCK! They reformed in 2016 and this was their
first release after doing so – and it was like they ne
... read more »
LIMITED STOCK! Dogs
D'Amour, Quireboys, Cheap And Nasty, Kill City ... read more »
LIMITED STOCK! Expanded (4 bonus tracks) 2021 reissue of
their 1994 debutread more »
If you don't know Melbourne's mod-pop kings Little
Murders your life is incomplete.
They were two years into their stop-start career and "Anglesea 1981"
captures one of the early line-ups on a New Year's Eve night in a crammed pub
on the Victorian Surf Coast. There's a
fair sp
... read more »
Like A Key Records' "Goes DIY" series presents the third album from underground
popsters LMNOP (aka Stephen Fievet), cleverly titled "LMNO3". In 1983, the first LMNOP album was
released, which received good reviews and sparked l
... read more »
read more »
Yep Roc Records
... read more »
"Magic Sign" is the
second full-length solo record from Martin Courtney, who's best known to many as
the fron
... read more »
Matt Purcell is an Australian songwriter/singer/guitarist who
relocated to Ireland in 2014. He has played and recorded with Sydney band
Clover in the past. In 2010, he released
his debut album "Matt Purcell & The Blesse
... read more »
In 1987, rising from the ashes of The Dogmatics and Stranglehold, Jerry
Lehane and Jim Keough inspired by the Faces, and the Mick Taylor-era Stones put
together the boozy, bluesy, rocking punk orchestra, The Matweeds. Along ... read more »
A HUGE thanks goes out to Michael Gagliano (The Sails)
for donning his A&R hat to bring UK poppers Moonlight Parade to our
attention. "Here Comes Moonlight Parade",
the first CD release by the band, is a nicely-pr
... read more »
The musical outlet of Dave Ody with invaluable help from others
including, but not limited to, Robbie Burley, Phil Davies and Pat
Martyn, Mothboxer has been releasing music since 2007. "Mothboxer are splendid. &nbs
... read more »
RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! "The Macchiato" is the Kool Kat
label debut for ex-pat Robin Schell (now living in the UK), a person who's been around for a while, but has
managed to keep a relatively low profi
... read more »
People have been saying "rock is dead" since Kurt Cobain
left us. Most of us know that sentiment isn't true. Or is it? Or what if it was? This is the question at the core of Ryan
Allen's new concept album "
... read more »
The late, great Jeff Beck
graces the cover: The Jeff Beck Group - Out of The Yardbirds and
into an unwelcome pop career.
... read more »
"Attack, Sustain,
Decay…Repeat", read more »
For decades, Steve
Stoeckel has been penning and performing highlight compositions with The
Spongetones, on duo recordings with fellow Spongetone Jamie Hoover, and most
recently as part of Pop Co-Op. Steve's solo debu
... read more »
On L.A.'s Sylvie's debut, chief
songwriter Ben Schwab (a member of Drugdealer) brings in the stunning vocals of
Marina Allen and Sam Burton to create a holy trinity of Laurel Canyon-esque
alternative folk. Laid back and full of
wood-paneled atmosphere, Sylvie is ... read more »
The story of The Bings' "Power Pop Planet (The Lost Tapes)" is
one that we've all heard before. These songs on the record were recorded over
40 years ago. The master tapes, seemingly lost forever, were rediscovered in a
... read more »
With 17 tracks clocking in at under an hour, The Blusterfields' "II"
is really a double album of sorts. Separated
into two blocks of songs, they are two separate entities. The first block of
songs (1-9) are un-ashamedly roc
... read more »
Norway's The Cosmic Dropouts will appeal to fans of the rock 'n' roll
and Garage rock of bands like The Gun Club, The Cynics and more! Originally released in 1990, "Groovy Things" has
been remastered. "I don't know if ... read more »
LABEL!! Those loveable lads from Sacramento are back with their first new music
since 2019's "Scene, Not Herd"! The Decibels are almost cicada-like in
that when you think you've hea
... read more »
RELEASE ON THE KOOL KAT LABEL!! Melbourne, Australia-based The Golden Rail, who have deep
roots in the Perth jangle pop traditio
... read more »
RELEASE DATE HAS BEEN MOVED TO 4/24!! 60's Minny-beat nuggets of bouncy bliss! Along with their Twin
City topping cover of "Sugar & Spice" their Kay Bank studio master ta
... read more »
The Laissez Fairs have been peddling their brand of maximum
Mod Psych since 2014! John Fallon and
Joe Lawless craft the songs with a cracking network of musicians that have
included Cromm Fallon, Aaron Archer, and James Bailey. Together, they climb the ladder of love,
devotion and respec
... read more »
"September November"
is the first Long Ryders album in four years.
The band helped invent alt-country and Americana. Recorded in California at producer Ed
Stasium's studio, it was a labor of love for all involved.&nbs
... read more »
The No Ones are Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey, Arne Kjelsrud Mat
... read more »
Dedicated "to everyon
... read more »
This quartet hailing from Gouda, Holland, blew our minds
with their debut album and now they are back with some more refreshing,
energetic and insolent blend of power pop, pub-rock, R&B and rock 'n' roll
with their roots in late 60's and early 70's music but with a very personal and
... read more »
In a musical landscape that can sometimes be bereft of
straight-ahead quality rock 'n' roll, Dutch quartet The Tambles continue to cut
through like a waft of fresh air with a goal of striking the right balance
between the old music they love (The Kinks for one) and a fresh original sound,
and are re
... read more »
18 years and 12 albums in,
San Francisco's The Well Wishers remain a mainstay for well-crafted, hook-laden
power pop. Following the release of
2020's "Shelf Life", frontman Jeff Shelton took a brief two-year diversion to
exorcise his shoegaze and dreampop demons ... read more »
Having been
a foundi
... read more »
ORDERS NOW! On the cover are the
Petards, one of Germany's most creative and idiosyncratic bands of the late
60's and early 70's. Also, sunshine pop
icon Sandy Salisbury, who talks ab
... read more »
LABEL!! Our love for British poppers The Pencils goes back to the early 80's
when we first bought their UK-only released singles. In 2012 we released "Anthology", a 2CD set
that featured
... read more »
Little Murders have been around since 1979 and continue
to provide joy to those who have made the discovery. Emerging from the Mod
Revival scene in Melbourne and recording singles and EPs whenever the
opportunity (and budge
... read more »
62 track, 3CD set curated by Bruce Brodeen (Not Lame/Pop Geek Heaven) supremo
that represents his favorite releases from 2021 and offers a chance to hear
those that you may have missed the first time around at a
... read more »
"You Thrill Me To Pieces" is Teensville Record's retrospective
at the neglected side of beat and pop music from the U.K in the mid-1960s. The CD features 34 remastered tracks spanning
1963-1966 and features recordings b
... read more »
During the mid to lat
... read more »
Ward White has
gone over. He's gotten attention from the national press, famous musicians and
more. And yet, he's still maddeningly
obscure. Best described as a guy with an
extreme tenor singing Joe Jackson songs (with all that entails, which is an
... read more »
Over the last decade, Los Angeles based art-pop
songsmith Ward White has delivered a spate of critically lauded albums that
defy easy categorization. Praised for
his "superbly lyrical voice" (The New Yorker), and garnering accolades from
NPR, New York Magazine, Magnet, CMJ, and many more, his ... read more »


text:
se Golden's GAC Mediums to achieve complete technical control over your acrylic paints and painting environment. GAC Mediums are the raw materials from which other acrylic mediums are created. Use them to modify the working characteristics and appearance of Golden Acrylics and other acrylic paints.
Golden's other acrylic mediums are a blend of GAC mediums, the raw polymers themselves, with each other, and with other structural elements such as gels or powdered marble dust.
GAC 100: Universal Acrylic Polymer — useful for diluting and extending colors, as well as increasing flexibility and film integrity. Wets out solids more readily than other polymers, and is useful for artists making their own paints.
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text:
Monday, 03 February 2014 06:09 AM EST
Secretary of State John Kerry came under further attack Monday by Israeli hawks who accuse him of manipulating the threat of an economic boycott to pressure Israel into peace concessions.
The latest war of words between the two allies erupted Saturday after Kerry warned that Israel was facing a growing campaign of delegitimization which would likely worsen if peace talks with the Palestinians collapsed.
Washington's top diplomat also referred to "talk of boycotts" of Israel.
The so-called BDS movement -- boycott, divestment and sanctions -- works to convince governments, businesses and celebrities to cut ties with Israeli companies active in the occupied Palestinian territories, in a bid to repeat the success of the boycott which ended apartheid in South Africa.
Hardliners in the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu were quick to lash out at Kerry.
One described his remarks as "offensive" and another accused him of working "to amplify" the boycott threat, prompting a terse statement from Washington urging Kerry's critics to get their facts straight.
But there was no sign they were backing down on Monday.
"It is sad to see that the US administration does not understand the reality of the Middle East and exerts pressure on the wrong side in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict," said Gilad Erdan, Minister for Home Front Defence and a close associate of Netanyahu.
"I would have liked John Kerry to explain to (Palestinian president) Mahmud Abbas what is likely to happen if he continues to refuse to make peace," he told public radio.
Housing Minister Uri Ariel of the far-right Jewish Home party, which opposes a two-state solution to the conflict, told army radio that in raising the threat of a boycott, Kerry was not being "an honest broker" in the negotiations.
Since January 1, the European Union has blocked all grants and funding to Israeli entities operating beyond the pre-1967 war lines, sparking growing alarm in Israel.
Netanyahu has called "hypocritical" the EU's firm position against Israeli settlements, which are illegal under international law.
On Sunday the prime minister took an indirect swipe at Kerry, saying attempts to boycott Israel were "immoral and unjust" and that he would not bow to pressure in the negotiations.
"No pressure will cause me to concede the vital interests of the State of Israel, especially the security of Israel's citizens. For both of these reasons, threats to boycott the State of Israel will not achieve their goal."
Earlier Sunday, Intelligence Minister Yuval Steinitz lashed out at Kerry, calling his remarks "offensive, unfair and intolerable," and said Israel would could not be expected "to negotiate with a gun at its head while it discusses issues critical to its diplomatic and security interests."
And on Saturday, Economy Minister and Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett said Israel would not "give its country up over economic threats" and that it expected its allies "to stand by our side in the face of the anti-Semitic boycott attempts, not amplify them."
But US State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki hit back saying Kerry had demonstrated "staunch opposition to boycotts" and his remarks in Munich had merely "described some well-known and previously stated facts about what is at stake for both sides if this process fails."
"His only reference to a boycott was a description of actions undertaken by others that he has always opposed," she said, suggesting his critics make efforts to "accurately portray his record and statements."
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07/21/2017 Perth branch wins 2nd place at BHP HSEC Awards
Congratulations to the team at Perth's Mining branch who received 2nd place at the BHP Iron Ore Contractor HSEC Awards, for improving the safety and efficiency of the R 9400 engine module replacement. This new method for changing out components has reduced the risk, costs, and labour involved, halving machine down-time from 144 hours to 72 hours, and drastically reducing labour requirements from over 900 hours down to approximately 400 hours.
The module change-out process has demonstrated many positive outcomes. The number of crane lifts has significantly reduced from 50 to less than 10, with a change to simpler and more controlled lifts, minimising the risk involved in crane operations.
The amount of time service personnel are exposed to risks involved with working at heights has been drastically reduced, along with improvement in the ease of tasks that need to be performed at these greater risk heights.
The module exchange method also reduces the environmental risk exposure involved with hydraulic systems and components, and allows for component maintenance that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to complete.
Well done to Anthony Piggott, Graham Jones, Jonathon Craig, Anthony Walsh and their team for their hard work implementing this method, and for showcasing excellence in safety and customer service to our valued customers.


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Buffett, 81, said his "condition is not remotely life-threatening or even debilitating in any meaningful way."
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Iconic investor Warren Buffett announced Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with stage I prostate cancer in a letter to shareholders of his firm Berkshire Hathaway.
Buffett, 81, said his "condition is not remotely life-threatening or even debilitating in any meaningful way," and that additional tests didn't reveal incidence of cancer anywhere else in his body.
"I feel great -- as if I were in my normal excellent health -- and my energy level is 100%," wrote Buffett. "I will let shareholders know immediately should my health situation change. Eventually, of course, it will; but I believe that day is a long way off."
Over 70% of men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer don't die from the disease, according to Dr. Otis Brawley, a prostate cancer expert and the chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society.
"The 5-year survival rate for stage 1 prostate cancer is over 99%," he said.
Given that Buffett's cancer is in stage 1, the lowest stage, it has not spread to outside the prostate and has not yet spread to lymph nodes.
Buffett said he will undergo daily radiation for two months beginning in mid-July, a decision made with his doctors.
While the treatment will restrict him from traveling during the period, Buffett said his daily routine will not otherwise change.
Buffett has made a name for himself by turning Berkshire Hathaway into a successful investment firm. Berkshire owns more than 80 companies, including insurer Geico, chemical company Lubrizol, railroad company Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and MidAmerican Energy.
The firm also boasts major investments in such companies such as Wells Fargo (WFC, Fortune 500), IBM (IBM, Fortune 500), and Bank of America (BAC, Fortune 500).
Thanks to Buffett's envied eye for value, Berkshire Hathaway has managed to handily beat the performance of the S&P 500 for 39 of the 47 years he's been running the company, averaging nearly 20% annual growth.
Buffett has yet to name his successor as CEO of Berkshire, but told shareholders in February that the company's board is "enthusiastic" about an individual, as well as "two superb back-up candidates."
Buffett also said that two investment managers who recently joined the company, Todd Combs and Ted Weschler, "will be handling a few billion dollars in 2012, but they have the brains, judgment and character to manage our entire portfolio" when he and Charlie Munger, Berkshire's vice chairman, are no longer running the company.
Buffett's son, Howard, is in line to follow as chairman of Berkshire Hathaway upon his father's death. Howard will not, however, be involved in strategy or day-to-day decisions, the elder Buffett told CNNMoney in December.
Most recently, billionaire Buffett has been in the spotlight as Washington lawmakers consider comprehensive tax reform.
President Obama has been touting the Buffett Rule, which proposes that millionaires and billionaires like Buffett shouldn't pay a lower percentage of their income in federal taxes than middle-class households. Rather, it says they should pay at least 30% of their income.
A proposal to implement the Buffett Rule was blocked in the Senate on Monday, but proponents of the millionaire tax vowed to keep the issue alive in the months ahead.
Shares of Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA, Fortune 500) slipped 1.5% in after-hours trading Tuesday, following the release of the shareholder letter.
Correction: An earlier version of this story named David Sokol as a leading candidate to succeed Warren Buffett as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. Sokol left Berkshire in 2011.
-- CNN Medical Managing Editor Miriam Falco contributed to this report.
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Tuesday, 10 July 2012
Lies, Damn Lies and LIBOR
Price discovery is not a sexy function of markets, but it is critical to the efficient allocation of scarce capital and resources, and to the preservation of the long term wealth of investors and the economy as a whole. If price discovery is compromised by manipulation, then we will all be gradually impoverished and the economy will be imbalanced and unstable.
Over the past 25 years the forces of regulatory liberalisation and demutualisation of markets have allowed the largest global banks to set the rules, processes and infrastructure of global markets to their own self-interested requirements. Regulatory complexity and harmonisation benefit the biggest banks disproportionately, eroding the competitive stance of smaller, local banks and market participants. This has led to a very high degree of concentration in a very few banks in most markets that determine global reference rates for interest rates, currencies, commodities and investments. If those few collude with each other - as Adam Smith warned was always the result - then they impoverish us all.
We have allowed markets to evolve in ways that make supervision of markets almost impossible. Many instruments trade off-exchange or in multiple venues, making it nearly impossible for any single investor or regulator to supervise trading to prevent or detect manipulation or abuse. Many financial instruments are now synthetic compilations of underlying assets and derivatives, with multiple pricing components determined by reference to other prices or rates. Demutualisation and regualtory reforms stripped exchanges of the self-regulating interest in preventing manipulation and abuse by their members as mergers, profits and market share came to dominate governance objectives.
Off-exchange trading has been allowed to proliferate, creating massive ill-transparent and largely illiquid markets in almost every sector of finance. Pricing in these markets is based around calculated reference rates which, like LIBOR, are open to abusive quotation and data input practices. Many OTC derivatives are priced and margined using reference rates calculated against quotations unrelated to actual reported transactions. Synthetic securities such as ETFs are another example of an instrument that prices off a reference rate rather than the actual contents of an underlying asset portfolio. These instruments are open to consistent abusive pricing as a means of incrementally impoverishing those market participants who are the krill on which the global banks thrive.
How has it been possible for banks to grow from less than 4 per cent of the global economy to more than 12 per cent of the global economy without impoverishing others? How has it been possible for profits in the financial sector to be consistently higher than profits from other human endeavors with more tangible products or impacts on our daily lives - such as agriculture, transport, health care or utilities? How has it been possible that banks derive their profits not from the protected and regulated activities of deposit-taking and lending, but from the unsupervised and often unknowable escalation of off-balance sheet assets and liabilities? How has it been possible that pension savings have increased while pension returns have declined to the point where only bankers can expect a comfortable old age? Global banks have built the casinos and tilted the odds in the house's favour by rigging the data that determines the outcomes of most of the bets on the table. Every one of us that sits at the table long enough - whether saver, investor, borrower, taxpayer or pensioner - will be a loser. It is not a flaw; it is a feature.
There is a reason that financial infrastructure used to be dominated by mutuals. Mutual gain and mutual liability created a natural discipline on excess and on rogue elements that would impoverish their peers.
There is a reason why trading was restricted to exchanges, and exchanges and clearing houses used to be self-regulating, and even had responsibility for resolution and liquidation of their members. Direct responsibility, authority and financial control meant that they could exert very powerful and immediate consequences on those members identified as abusing the market or investors.
The investigations into market rigging are just beginning. Paul Tucker opened the box yesterday when he admitted that he could not know whether the abuses discovered in setting LIBOR had spread to other synthetically calculated reference rates. As events unfold, it may be that we begin to appreciate just how deeply vulnerable we have become to predation by bankers with no stake in a local economy or in the local quality of life of the people they impoverish. A reckoning is needed, and then a rebalancing toward more local and mutual provision of essential services and market infrastructure that serves markets rather than those few bankers on the board.
As a start, regulators should consider punitive restrictions on the sale of instruments which price on reference rates unrelated to reported market transactions or underlying asset portfolios. Pricing should reflect real market transactions rather than guesstimates talking the banker's book.
We need to rethink as a society what banks are for, what exchanges are for, and what clearing houses are for. If they are for the profit of the few at the expense of the many now, that is because it is the business model we have permitted. If banks, markets and clearing are protected because they have a social function, we should make certain that social function is adding value. If it isn't, then we need some new models and some new rules.
35 comments:
- Anonymous said...
LB - you've been duped by the new Blogger interface. If you use HTML edit, you now have to put in the
tag every time you want a new paragraph to appear.
- 10 July 2012 at 10:24
- Charles Butler said...
Of course, comments won't accept the tag. It is (br/)(br/) with angle brackets.
- 10 July 2012 at 10:26
- London Banker said...
Cheers, Charles. I noted the absence of paragraph breaks on review and have now manually put these in.
- 10 July 2012 at 11:13
- Anonymous said...
the issues and solutions don't align; one would question from the content that your blog is sponsored by the exchange business; i.e. 'members only' as opposed to the open access and free competition OTC markets.
WRT "real transactions" - You also utterly miss the key point which was reiterated by Tucker yesterday that Libor doesn't trade and hasn't traded since the crisis much beyond 1w, yet the market requires a benchmark.
- 10 July 2012 at 12:17
- PeterJB said...
Glad to see that you are finally coming around to the reality of the Recursive Scamming of the Banking System; nothing new here, mais oui, for the past ~5,000 years or so.
Try: http://verbewarp.blogspot.com.au/2011/02/recursive-game-is-policy.html
So I see "Oh Gee Whiz, the Libor is manipulated, Oh, the Bullion markets and Gold and Silver are manipulated, the Bond markets are manipulated as the Munis, the OTC, the Housing", etc., gee whiz Old Boy, no corporation is running at a profit unless Fraud, Theft, Manipulation, Mark to Fantasy Accounting, MSM Lies, and er, secrecy, ie, "national security" and assassination is not employed as elite "innovation".
Our old friends like Roubini and Stiglizt are now calling for hanging Bankers as well as a few others (except Krugman)
Can you see the dynamic yet @LB?
- 10 July 2012 at 12:18
- Manchester Capitalism said...
That's a fantastic post. We were writing about this precise point in our own blog post yesterday on the signalling effect of accounting numbers. http://manchestercapitalism.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/on-banking-culture.html
- 10 July 2012 at 12:27
- BrianSJ said...
Also need to re-think how regulation works. There aren't enough William K Blacks to go around.
- 10 July 2012 at 12:43
- RichL said...
All transactions involve two parties. If a transaction is private (off-exchange) why does it follow that one party to the trade is disadvantaged?
The world has a demographic imbalance, with more boomers about to retire than most other population cohorts. The greatest accumulation of assets should occur at the time when people are about to retire. These people have either saved for retirement on their own, or are the beneficiaries of pension schemes. The financial markets are the vehicle by which saving is translated into investment. This savings pool is large, occurs naturally, and has to be managed.
As an example, Alcoa had 1Q12 sales of $6 billion, equity of $17.6 billion, and income of $99 million. In AOCI, the firm had a loss from pensions of $56 million that flows through the balance sheet rather than the income statement. Foreign currency translation adjustments were $244 million in that quarter. There are many pages in the 10-Q describing their derivative exposures. Turning to Alcoa's 10-K, starting on page 136- footnote W- the firm has pension obligations of $13.5 billion, and assets of $10.3 billion to fund the liability, and a balance sheet liability of $3.1 billion to reflect the shortfall. The point of all this is that Alcoa is not considered to be a financial, but the financial exposures that they have to manage aren't greatly different in size from their core aluminum business.
To turn your question around, how is it possible for the financial sector to be as small as 12% of the global economy given the massive asset and liability exposures that have to be managed in a modern economy with so many people about to retire?
Perhaps the London Banker does not own bank shares? If he did he may have noticed that that investment has not been remunerative for the past 5 years. I see a financial market that is highly competitive, with MUCH lower spreads than prevailed a decade ago, much higher volume, and lower bank profitability. The collusion alleged has not been successful if judged on the more conventional measure of profitability.
- 10 July 2012 at 14:24
- PeterJB said...
@RichL Your assumption that all transactions involves only two Parties is incorrect and invalid.
You overlook the State and its diverse bureaucracies as well as the Banks as well as their widespread tentacles of intermediaries and Fiduciary Agents du finesse.
@RichL - there is nothing new here - saturated corruption by those with the opportunity and trust is pervasively notorious. And it always ends with genocide. It is called fascism.
- 10 July 2012 at 14:39
- creditplumber said...
Thoughtful piece, LB.
Universal Banking built itself on the virtues of trust, confidence and expertise. However, it ignored the abundant epistemic arrogance across the broader (shadow) Financial sector. It is therefore unsurprising the System has collapsed. What is more, it is also clear by now that when it comes to re-regulation, proctologists aren't necessarily best to fix teeth.
The (buy-side) professionals and amateurs fueling the bubble have now realized risk outcomes cannot be dictated by clever financial analysis. Soros has discussed this well in his theory of Reflexivity. And with regulators, we can be assured that they will apply the same weak standards that enabled them to repeat similar mistakes made with the Lloyds of London fiasco of the '80's and '90's writ large. Deja vu all over again.
When only one party (sell-side) has access -in a timely manner- to observable event data and has gouged significant value for themselves from this asymmetry, trust cannot be "restored". Nor can culture simply be changed.
The relationship between credit creation and M3 has collapsed thanks to what is popularly called "shadow banking". Limiting access to Central Banks LOLR liquidity to Bank Holding Companies is an anachronism. Rectifying this anomaly is one act that can reduce banks monopolistic position in the credit intermediation process. It can also offer a focus for re-regulation. Levelling the playing field for defined participants is a start. "Cross sector Risk Transfer" was addressed by the FSA in 2002 in a paper, yet ignored subsequently. In the broader financial system,Financial Law has essentially converged Structured Finance at a faster pace than regulation of cross-sector credit intermediation.
Nothing changes overnight but the Real World continues to turn. Addressing the issues of LOLR & information may begin to re-balance Financial Markets. It will certainly enable regulators and some participants to ringfence the socially useful application of investor capital to Real Economic activity from the capital of those dying in the cesspit.
- 10 July 2012 at 15:04
- BRM said...
Always appreciate your writing. I do have to say though that I find the idea that clearinghouses are the cure-all (or even the cure-most) solution to be a little naive.
The abuse of customers that existed at every single clearinghouse-based exchange until side-by-side electronic markets nullified that abuse's tactics was widely acknowledged and accepted by all "members".
I agree with the trust of the post though -- regulation must have effective enforcement measures and markets should quote actual transactions in some audit-able kind of way.
- 10 July 2012 at 17:30
- Coldtype said...
All transactions involve two parties. If a transaction is private (off-exchange) why does it follow that one party to the trade is disadvantaged? Rich L
Here's a better question RL, how is it the taxpayer's job to backstop the speculators involved when these "private" instruments blowup in their faces?
It's a simple deal here, if you want to privatize the gains then you damn well better be prepared to privatize the losses.
- 10 July 2012 at 19:27
- Unknown said...
As always, excellent post.
What you described is how the banks have inserted opacity into the financial system over the last 30 years. Opacity that the financial regulators permitted.
The results have been predictable as opacity hides bad behavior.
The solution as you correctly point out is transparency. (I have discussed this extensively on my blog: www.tyillc.blogspot.com)
It is well recognized that sunlight is the best disinfectant for the behavior the banks are engaging in and stopping their extraction of rent from the real economy.
I agree that Libor should be based on real transactions.
As for the concern that the market froze and there were no transactions, the response is the freezing of the market occurred in all the opaque areas of the market (banks and structured finance securities for example). If transparency were brought to these areas, then the market would not have frozen and prices would have been available.
- 10 July 2012 at 22:55
- Unknown said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- 11 July 2012 at 07:10
- Unknown said...
How much different is this to make conterfeit money ?
Why is sentencing shockingly light for them, if they get any ?
See Money Conterfeit Sentencing
- 11 July 2012 at 07:18
- Guidoamm said...
Just a minor correction. You say:
"Global banks have built the casinos and tilted the odds in the house's favour by rigging the data that determines the outcomes of most of the bets on the table."
This is not a matter of odds. Fractional Reserve Banking ensures that money is injected into the economy through specific and exclusive gates. In a monetary system predicated on the deliberate and artificial inducement of inflation, the diminishing marginal utility of the currency ensures that ALL profits eventually concentrate in the financial industry and, finally, concentrate in the hands of the Primary Dealers. Granted the time line is rather extended but the ultimate result is an arithmetical certainty.
- 11 July 2012 at 07:53
- Anonymous said...
Great post.
"In a monetary system predicated on the deliberate and artificial inducement of inflation, the diminishing marginal utility of the currency ensures that ALL profits eventually concentrate in the financial industry and, finally, concentrate in the hands of the Primary Dealers. Granted the time line is rather extended but the ultimate result is an arithmetical certainty."
+1 on this one
Is'nt our great "London banker" joining the lunatic fringe:)
- 11 July 2012 at 10:22
- TomTom said...
Not only has risk been mis-priced but synthetic collateral has been pyramided to the point that global GDP exceeds global Output. The constant drive for cheap labour in China to support the Credit Pyramid through increased output of physical goods has run up against constraints.
When Marks & Spencer built a financial services division it destroyed its retail operation by driving for FIRE returns from Clothing and cheapened product and presentation by skimping on textile quality and fabric sizing.
The Capitalist System is hollowed out by the FIRE Sector which distorts measurement to favour money scales of attainment only.
The FIRE Sector is a coaling station reducing all physical products to combustible carbon
- 11 July 2012 at 10:26
- MarcoPolo said...
London Whale, meet Krill. Love the analogy.
- 11 July 2012 at 14:39
- Sean said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- 11 July 2012 at 14:58
- Sean said...
Nice post.
Mutual's did not work too well in Spains cajas did they? they too were well and truly corrupted.
Now we all know how the Reed warbler feels when it discovers it has a Cuckoo in its nest. And just like the Cuckoo chick "banks" makes the sound of 6 hungry Reed warbler chicks to get the parent to feed it. The same chick that killed the Warblers natural young.
I propose a new term "Cuckoo banking" it tells the story.
- 11 July 2012 at 15:01
- London Banker said...
Cheers to all of you for reading and commenting! I'm rather surprised at the interest in this piece, as price discovery functions of markets and reference data methodologies aren't compelling topics in normal times. But these are not normal times.
Special hat tip to MarcoPolo as I had not drawn the London Whale/krill connection until he pointed it out. If only I was that clever!
- 11 July 2012 at 21:08
- jo6pac said...
Wondering what the London Bookies have odds on anyone going to jail?
This is just business as usual for the criminal class running the planet for their own greed. Only Main Street will lose.
- 12 July 2012 at 00:29
- Anonymous said...
Now we know why local police departments have been militarized.
Now we know why there are cameras all over the place, watching our every move.
Now we know why all of our governments have been spying on us for the last 10-15 years, if not longer.
Oceania and Air Strip One were not built in a day.
- 12 July 2012 at 03:55
- Knute Rife said...
As I've chimed in with Black and others on several occasions, high-speed trading alone has rendered the transparency model of regulation a farce. It is physically impossible for anyone but insiders to receive, process, and act on investment information in a meaningful timeframe. Add neoliberal policies that have left regulators asleep at the switch, and the markets have turned into gunfights with everyone but the big houses armed with popsicle sticks.
@PeterJB: In fact, there is effectively no such thing as a two-party financial contract anymore. The only laughably regulated derivatives market and the openly unregulated CDS market created daisy chains made of cotton candy that were leveraged up and down the line. We haven't even begun to wring this out yet.
@Guidoamm: You would perhaps prefer the good old days when everyone could issue scrip and no one was obligated to accept it? Talk about a boom and bust currency. Or perhaps a hard money policy? There isn't enough gold and silver on Earth to back the currency needed for a sane global economy, let alone what we have now.
@LB: Yes, price discovery is an archaic alchemy, but it's fundamental to the point of being taken for granted. People are now noticing because the comforting axioms we based our price discovery models on are proving, shall we say "weak"; what we thought was Chanel No. 5 is in fact Eau de Crappe. It's rather like waking up one morning to discover your house's foundation is just a figment of your imagination.
- 12 July 2012 at 19:35
- guidoamm said...
@ Knute - "You would perhaps prefer the good old days when everyone could issue scrip and no one was obligated to accept it? Talk about a boom and bust currency. Or perhaps a hard money policy? There isn't enough gold and silver on Earth to back the currency needed for a sane global economy, let alone what we have now."
The argument that "there is not enough gold or silver on earth to back the currency" is patently not true. All that happens is that the underlying is revalued or devalued with the ebb and flow of the economy; the old time preference trick. But without necessarily going to gold and silver, all that is needed is to eliminate the privilege to create unlimited currency from an entity that stands outside of society. In the current set up, the diminishing marginal utility of debt guarantees an asymmetric advantage to the creator of the currency whom ends up concentrating all profits.
- 12 July 2012 at 19:50
- Knute Rife said...
1. No, it is patently true there isn't enough metal to go around. How much outstanding gold and silver do you think there is? It doesn't match outstanding cash flow, let alone adding in commercial and industrial uses for the metals. I have yet to see one of you bullion bugs show evidence to the contrary, unless you include exchange-traded bullion, which is bogus.
2. All banks used to be able to issue currency. It was a mess. Now the sovereigns have pulled that power in. However Randbots may wish to misinterpret the monetary system, banks don't create money, sovereigns do, then they book it into the private system using the budget and banks and bring it back in through the revenue code. It's why having a sovereign currency matters.ivestsp 1
- 13 July 2012 at 07:28
- Unknown said...
High speed trading has not rendered the transparency model of regulation a farce.
First, the model is not just limited to trading. It extends to when and what banks/structured finance securities should have to disclose to all market participants.
Second, the fact that high speed trading distorts the market is a positive finding from the transparency model of regulation. It is positive in that it suggests high speed trading should be banned.
- 13 July 2012 at 15:21
- Charles Butler said...
Sean - I'm a tad late here. but the cajas, at least the ones in the headlines, were never mutuals. They were/are not-for-profit charities. There's a very small and totally distinct sector (maybe 2% of total banking assets) known as 'cajas rurales', which sprung from agricultural and fishing co-ops. which are depositor owned. Hands down, they are the ones that have had the fewest problems arising from the real estate bubble - even including normal banks in the comparison.
- 15 July 2012 at 09:59
- S Roche said...
Thank you, could you please comment on the likelihood and the consequences of gold being accepted as a Tier 1 asset with zero risk rating, as is presently being contemplated on both sides of The Pond.
Supplemental question: "gold" would be gold & gold receivables presumably?
All the best,
- 17 July 2012 at 03:27
- guidoamm said...
@ Knute Rife
I reiterate; there is no need to go to a gold standard.
That said, the scarcity of gold is exactly what constrains government from devaluing the currency for expedient political ends.
There is absolutely no need to expand the monetary base other than some modest amount occasionally. Under a gold standard, if the sovereign wished to expand the money supply for whatever reason (and the reason should be submitted to the people for ratification) then said sovereign either employs people and machinery in order to locate, extract, convey, refine and distribute gold or it would have to produce goods to trade in order to accumulate gold. Either way, expanding the money supply would foster economic activity and capital formation.
There cannot be a situation where there is not enough physical gold to satisfy monetary demand. If gold should be in great demand (i.e. if money should be in great demand according to the time preference of economic actors) then an ounce of gold would increase in price. Also, industrial use destroys only a fraction of mined gold. Most of the gold ever mined is still in existence.
Regarding banks, I stand corrected. It is not "banks" that create money. It is the commercial banks and the Primary Dealers that do so.
Fractional Reserve banking most certainly creates money supply. The crucial difference is that at 10% reserve requirement, 90% of the created money supply is "fiduciary media" - i.e. it is money that has not been requested by the sovereign.
By extension, the newly created fiduciary media does not enter the economy evenly and simultaneously. Thus, as this process is carried out permanently and aggressively, the farther away you are from the creator of the currency, the weaker is the purchasing power of the currency when it finally reaches you.
No need to call people names mate. We are here to debate. Keep it civil and we'll all get along just fine.
- 18 July 2012 at 16:29
- Anonymous said...
It might seem over simplistic but if existing regulations are not adhered to and no one is brought to book, why would further legislation stem the tide of greed? Legislation without enforcement is pointless.
What is worse is that our bankers have now learnt that they can operate illegaly with little more than a slap on the wrist. A little public humiliation is nothing and soon forgotten in the glittery face of mega wealth.
While we look for govenrments to enforce laws, what are we doing to motivate them. To let them see that as the voting public we demand they enforce our legislated ethics.
How many domestic Barclays clients closed their accounts, how many small businesses transferred their accounts to other banks, how many big companies severed thier ties with the lies?
The truth is, no one wants the bank to fail. It is one of our foundations and rattling it appears sucidial.
We need to sharpen the stick of justice and bring to book people, people responsible for committing the infringements, as well as those who have stood by and allowed what amounts to crimes against humanity.
The collapse of our economic system is not being perpetuated by institutions it is being perpetuated by extremely greedy people with no guiding ethics!
The system undoubtably needs a complete overhaul but in the meantime we need to lobby for personal accountability.
- 18 July 2012 at 22:38
- Anonymous said...
It might seem over simplistic but if existing regulations are not adhered to and no one is brought to book, why would further legislation stem the tide of greed? Legislation without enforcement is pointless.
What is worse is that our bankers have now learnt that they can operate illegaly with little more than a slap on the wrist. A little public humiliation is nothing and soon forgotten in the glittery face of mega wealth.
While we look for govenrments to enforce laws, what are we doing to motivate them. To let them see that as the voting public we demand they enforce our legislated ethics.
How many domestic Barclays clients closed their accounts, how many small businesses transferred their accounts to other banks, how many big companies severed thier ties with the lies?
The truth is, no one wants the bank to fail. It is one of our foundations and rattling it appears sucidial.
We need to sharpen the stick of justice and bring to book people, people responsible for committing the infringements, as well as those who have stood by and allowed what amounts to crimes against humanity.
The collapse of our economic system is not being perpetuated by institutions it is being perpetuated by extremely greedy people with no guiding ethics!
The system undoubtably needs a complete overhaul but in the meantime we need to lobby for personal accountability.
- 18 July 2012 at 22:39
- badger shaving brushes said...
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- 27 July 2012 at 16:02
- Coldwell Banker said...
I completely agree, it's never okay when banks abuse the power they have, and this LIBOR scandal has been a huge wake up call.
- 28 August 2015 at 22:28


text:
Box office report: 'The Hobbit' outdraws 'Django' and 'Les Mis' with $32.9 million
Despite the arrival of two holiday heavyweights, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey retained the top spot at the box office for the third weekend in a row.
Warner Bros.' $250 million fantasy prequel was held out of the top spot from Tuesday until Thursday by Les Miserables, but over the traditional weekend frame Hobbit dipped only 11 percent to bring in $32.9 million, and its domestic total now stands tall at $222.7 million. After 17 days, The Hobbit is performing well ahead of 2001's The Fellowship of the Ring, which had earned $189.3 million at the same point in its run (though that number climbs to about $260 million after accounting for inflation), but it still trails the 17-day cumes of The Two Towers ($243.6 million), and The Return of the King ($272.8 million). Notably, those films did not have 3D or IMAX surcharges boosting their totals.
This is not meant to imply that The Hobbit is underperforming. Like so many modern Hollywood tentpoles, The Hobbit's strong business overseas is the main component of its success. On Friday, the film smashed through the $600 million mark worldwide, and by the time the ball drops, its worldwide total will likely have surpassed $700 million. That's a treasure that would impress even Smaug.
In second place, Django Unchained galloped away with a terrific $30.7 million over the Friday-to-Sunday period, bringing its total to $64 million since its Christmas day debut. The Quentin Tarantino-directed Western, which The Weinstein Co. says cost $87 million to produce, has performed remarkably well for a controversial, R-rated film in a season often dominated by family-friendly/inspirational tales. Last year, many blamed a poor release date for the lackluster performance of Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which settled for $102.5 million total, but Django's fantastic opening week counters those assumptions.
Given its robust debut, Django Unchained will very likely become Tarantino's highest-grossing film ahead of 2009's Inglorious Basterds, which earned $120.5 million total. Weinstein has every reason to believe it will reach that level. Not only was Django's $10,195 per theater average (from 3,010 theaters) the best in the Top 10, it earned an "A-" CinemaScore grade from polled audiences, which were 56 percent male.
After winning Christmas day and spending its first three days atop the box office, Les Miserables finished the weekend in third place with $28.0 million. Universal's $61 million adaptation of the beloved operetta (which is, in turn, an adaptation of Victor Hugo's 1862 novel) has earned a terrific $67.4 million in its first six days (plus another $48.7 million internationally), and although it has exhibited some frontloadedness due to up-front excitement from passionate fans, its "A" CinemaScore grade (and ample awards buzz) should help it hold up in the weeks to come.
Les Miserables has already outgrossed the last December-released musical, Nine, which flopped with just $19.7 million in 2009, and it will quickly surpass Dreamgirls, which opened in December 2006 and scored $103.4 million total, as well. Only time will tell whether Les Mis can match the impressive $170.7 million total of Chicago, which began a platform release in December 2002 and rode a wave of awards attention to box office glory, but for now, its prospects don't look miserable at all.
Fox's Billy Crystal/Bette Midler vehicle Parental Guidance survived poor reviews and earned a not-bad $14.8 million over the weekend — the exact same amount it earned in its first three days of release. After six days, Guidance has earned $29.6 million against a modest $25 million budget, and with an "A-" CinemaScore grade and a dearth of family-oriented competition, it should hold up nicely in the new year.
Paramount's $60 million Tom Cruise thriller Jack Reacher rounded out the Top 5 with $14.0 million, marking a 10 percent drop from its inauspicious debut. After ten days, the novel adaptation has earned a rather unimpressive $44.7 million.
1. The Hobbit — $32.9 million
2. Django Unchained — $30.7 million
3. Les Miserables — $28.0 million
4. Parental Guidance — $14.8 million
5. Jack Reacher — $14.0 million
In milestone news, Skyfall reached the $1 billion mark at the worldwide box office this weekend.It is the fourteenth film to ever reach that mark.
Next week, Texas Chainsaw 3D will attempt to cut down The Hobbit and Django Unchained. Will it prevail? Check back to EW to find out. Happy New Year!
For more box office updates/analysis:


text:
Shut Up and Give Me the Mic
A Twisted Memoir
As lead singer and songwriter of Twisted Sister, Dee Snider became the poster boy for heavy metal, hair bands, and the wild side of rock. Now, in his twisted new memoir, he reveals the real stories behind the crazy makeup, the big hair, and badass hits like "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock."
A classically trained countertenor who sang with his high school choir, Dee remembers the day he decided he was "not gonna take it" and stopped caring what people thought about him. Following in the footsteps of his idols Alice Cooper and Black Sabbath, Dee jumped from band to band before meeting Jay Jay French and Twisted Sister. But it wasn't until he met his costume-designing soul-mate Suzette that they developed his unique style. Dee's hard work finally paid off with an impressive resume that includes: a monster hit record; smash MTV videos; a long-running radio show, "The House of Hair"; appearances in film (Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Howard Stern's Private Parts, StrangeLand) and television (Growing Up Twisted, Celebrity Apprentice); and a starring role in Broadway's Rock of Ages. He even authored a teenage survival guide that was required reading in Russia!
In his journey from every parent's worst teenage nightmare to Renaissance man, Dee avoided the usual pitfalls associated with rock stars. But that didn't stop Tipper Gore and the Parents Music Resource Center from targeting him—a fight that led him to testify before Congress with Frank Zappa. He may have been slapped with a Parental Advisory warning label, but, through it all, Dee stayed positive and focused on being the best he could be.
Filled with entertaining anecdotes and candid confessions, Shut Up and Give Me the Mic takes you through the good times and bad with a heavy metal star who worked as hard as he played, and who did it all for his wife, four kids, and millions of "SMF" (Sick Mother F******) fans
This story is mine.
I'm the guy that gave it all to beat the odds, left everything he had on the stage each night, didn't screw around on his woman, took care of his kids, and was sober enough to remember it all and write about it . . . myself.
The one thing that has surprised and confused me, though, is my unlikely transformation into a "beloved public figure." How did the unpopular kid, who grew up to be the angry young man, who became the '80s poster boy for the evils of rock 'n' roll, arrested for profanity and assault, and boycotted by parents and religious groups, become the likeable mensch he is today?
Comments (3)
jay coleyi am currently reading your book, "Dee Snider Shut Up And Give Me The Mic" and i have to tell you that i am enjoying it immensely !
DooshBag MacheteAWESOME, AWESOME READ! The one thing that isn't really made clear in the book (which i think would be a great selling point) is that it is ALL about the music and Dee's life within (including his family life). When I bought the book, I just assumed half was about the music and the other half was about everything else he's done.
As a semi-successful local original musician, I am in TOTAL AWE of how a person would have been immersed in the life he was and never get weighed down by the sex or drugs. And to have such a focus on his family...UNBELIEVABLE!!
The GREATEST thing about this book is that I FINALLY got to read a memoir about THE MUSIC!! I get so tired of reading about a rock star's life and having questions like, "I wonder how the recording of INSERT ALBUM HERE was like? Only to be reading the book, they make a footnote on the recording and then I get to read two full chapters of drugging and boozing before music is ever mentioned again.
FUCK THAT! Dee's the real deal. Just a normal person with an extraordinary sense of drive which is really nothing special...except for the fact that he does what he's compelled to do when so many others squander their drive. And all I mean by "nothing special" is the fact that we ALL have it...just so few of us choose to follow it through the end.
My band gets alot of heat for how we are (vulgar and loud) and we get alot of heat from people thinking we're just a bunch of fuckups. Never realizing that, for the most part, we're drug free, a couple have a college degree, and a couple of us has even worked in the biz in one fashion or another (nothing fancy but enough to get jaded enough that we're rarely if ever starstruck).
The only reason I mention my band is the fact that Dee's book is only the second in my many years of reading where I find him to be a kindred spirit. More often that not, I'm disgusted by famous people that squander their opportunities to get fucked up like any bum or hobo could.
All in all...READ THIS FUCKING BOOK!!!!!
DooshBag MacheteI was hoping you could just click on the post-pic to go the site, so I'm hoping Dee won't mind if I throw the address right here...


text:
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Theory is dead. Well, so I am told. Since the 1990s critics, authors and writers such as David Bordwell, Murray Pomerance and many others have stressed the need to steer film theory in a new direction, whether it be film-philosophy, neo-formalism or another approach (if not theory altogether). Thankfully, if theory is not completely dead […]
Tagged: Bordwell
Finding the Beauty–Book Review: The Language and Style of Film Criticism Edited by Alex Clayton and Andrew Klevan
July 14, 2011 at 11:36 am
By nsf223 | Posted in Uncategorized | Also tagged Book Review, Cinephilia, Clayton, Film Criticism, Klevan, Nicholas Forster, Rodowick, Style, Theory, Video Essay | Comments (0)


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Fox hires Dennis Kucinich as analyst
Staff Writer
Columbus Monthly
NEW YORK (AP) — Former Democratic presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich has signed on as a regular contributor to Fox News Channel.
The former Ohio congressman unsuccessfully ran for president in 2004 and 2008, and recently ended his congressional career. Fox said Wednesday that Kucinich will make his debut in his new role on "The O'Reilly Factor" on Thursday night.
Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes said he's always been impressed with Kucinich's fearlessness and thoughtfulness on the issues.
Kucinich, who was elected mayor of Cleveland at age 31, said Fox has always provided him with a chance to offer his perspective.


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Teachers Teaching Teachers #206 – Will our students find the oil spill compelling? 3rd in a series – 06.23.10
On this episode of Teachers Teaching Teachers — the third in our summer series on the Gulf oil failure — Paul Allison and Susan Ettenheim are joined by Chris Sloan and Andrea Zeller. We talk about building curriculum around the Gulf oil spill and other topics, wondering how to keep student self-motivated inquiry at the center of our work while also introducing topics such as the environment, art history, obesity, AP English, or the earthquake in Haiti and other current events.
- Chris Sloan teaches at Judge Memorial Catholic High School in Salt Lake City, and he is a member of the Wasatch Range Writing Project. He teaches digital photography, media studies and AP English. Chris, Paul and Susan and their students have been working together on a school-based social network, Youth Voices for the last six years.
- Andrea Zellner has been a frequent guest on TTT this summer, we are delighted to say! Andrea is a former high school teacher in Michigan, who taught both English and Biology. Currently Andrea works for the Red Cedar Writing Project.
- Susan Ettenheim teaches at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in New York City. Susan and Paul have been doing Teachers Teaching Teachers together for almost five years. Susan teaches computer arts, art, and digital photography, and she is the librarian as well. This year Susan is also teaching a Caribbean Art History course for the Virtual High School.
- Paul Allison teaches at the East-West School of International Studies in Flushing, Queens. He is also the Tech Liaison for the New York City Writing Project. Paul teaches English and he started a school/community garden this spring.
We hope you enjoy this conversation between four veteran teachers. Just as we build on each others ideas, we hope you build on ours and let us know what you are thinking in the comments below.
We invite you to join us each Wednesday this summer to listen to teachers from the Gulf and to hear how teachers are planning to bring these issues into their classrooms this fall.
Join us at http://EdTechTalk.com/live at 9:00pm Eastern / 6:00pm Pacific USA Wednesdays / 01:00 UTC Thursdays World Times
Click Read more to see a copy of the chat that was happening during the webcast.


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Splitting spouses Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson won't be spending the holidays with one another — but that doesn't mean they'll be alone.
The new Us Weekly, out today, reports how Reynolds, 34, and Johansson, 26, are dealing with the "civil" end of their two-year marriage (UsMagazine.com broke the news on Tuesday).
"Ryan has been reaching out to an ex the past few months," a Reynolds pal tells Us.
Yet it's purely platonic, the insider insists: "He is seeking comfort, but not in a romantic or sexual way."
Suddenly single Johansson, meanwhile, has "confided in friends."
As reported on Tuesday, it was the sexy Iron Man 2 actress who initiated the split. "She's been unhappy for a while," the source says, noting that the busy actors were force to spend too much time apart.
In a joint statement released Tuesday, the duo confirmed their plans to divorce, and said, "We entered our relationship with love and it's with love and kindness we leave it."
For much more on the split — including Johansson's screaming match on the phone days before the announcement, their personality clashes and their last-ditch effort to stay together — pick up the new Us Weekly, on stands today.
For access to all our exclusive celebrity videos and interviews – Subscribe on YouTube!


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Sunday, August 30, 2009
The Power of Network Weaving
One of the most interesting developments in the social sciences is the new science of social networks. This is the growing body of knowledge and practice about how organizations, communities, regions, industries, markets and geopolitics behave as networks of collaboration, learning, and influence.
One of the principles in social network science is that when people are better connected, they are more individually and collectively productive, cohesive, and resilient.
From a social network perspective, every social problem is a symptom of fragmentation in networks. Everything we call a problem today is a manifestation of unengaged citizens, siloed institutions, divisive politics, and fragmented industries. Few new possibilities can occur in a world of disconnections. When connections thrive, new possibilities thrive.
Where people are thriving in the world today, their social networks are the fabric of their thrivancy. When people are better connected in social networks, they become more of a community.
Social network sciences suggest that the most significant accelerator of network connections is the presence of network weavers in networks.
Network weavers are people who intentionally and informally - and often serendipitously - weave new and richer connections between and among people, groups, and entities in networks. They also weave new and richer connections between among networks.
This is not a new role; it is a role that has been around since the beginning of social introductions. Network weavers do three things.
1. They constantly learn about the assets and opportunities in the network. This includes the tangible and intangible, shared and isolated, well-engaged and unengaged talents, resources, funds, space, expertise, and knowledge available within the network.
2. They constantly learn about the dreams of people in the network. These are the passions inspiring what people are striving to create and pursue.
3. They constantly introduce and connect people with complementary dreams and assets.
Anyone can be a network weaver. It requires no specialized position, permission, personality type, or preparation. Network weaving only requires five things: intention, time, curiosity, the ability to make quality introductions, and a good connection with those they're connecting.
Network weaving can happen in any media and geography - in person, online, by phone or text. It can be strategically planned or spontaneously improvised. It can take minutes or months.
A quality introduction is one where the people introduced are immediately inspired to get to know one another more, with a new sense of learning, collaboration, transaction, or alliance possibilities.
The power of network weaving is how it invites a culture of generosity that is the basis for all thriving networks.
The more network weaving happens in a network, the more people are connected in new ways. When people are better connected, they dream with greater courage, they share their assets with greater generosity, and they innovate with greater resourcefulness.
The divide between knowledge and asset haves and have-nots shrinks, creating a culture of trust and engagement rather than isolation and entitlement. People with common dreams scale their dreams thanks to wider and richer collaborations. People become more transparent and as a result, share a sense of responsibility for the well-being of the whole.
Through network weaving, we become able to create a common future different from the past.
5 comments:
Thanks Jack... I know this to be true. Thanks putting this in words that can be shared.
- Unknown said...
An amazing post, serendipitously found thanks to Google! We're actually planning a 400 person event for Oct 1-3, where the final day is all about [insert drum roll] network weaving.... We just lost a venue which has required us to change the day's design.
Your post has inspired us to develop the "three things Network weavers do" into three experiential activities.
Fabulous!!! We're neck deep in work, but will hopefully remember after the event to let you know how it went.
- mlm leads said...
Social networks may also influence health via social influence. Shared norms about health behaviors (e.g., alcohol and cigarette consumption, treatment adherence) might be powerful sources of social influence with direct consequences for the behaviors of network members.
- patrickwilsonwelsh said...
What a lovely meme and thread. I'll spread it as virally as I can. It's a useful bit of pattern language for me. Tx so much. I'll be using your post to help our HR folks revise some of our interview questions. We need more Network Weavers on our staff.
For another theorization of network thinking as a way to rebuild a political project, see also : http://www.informaworld.com/smpp/content~db=all~content=a916116619


text: News Protect scattered data in physical, virtual, and cloud workloads with the Active Backup suite June 14, 2018 administrator Synology announced the official release of two major backup applications in Active Backup suite of packages, the official version of Active Backup for Office 365 that supports SaaS cloud backup, and the beta version of Active Backup for Business that provides data availability for workloads in physical and virtual environments. "More and more companies and organizations are operating across physical, virtual, and cloud platforms. This phenomenon presents a tremendous challenge to IT departments for ensuring the safety of the growing data in this cross-platform environment." said Jia-Yu Liu, Director of Application Group at Synology Inc. "To tackle this problem, Synology provides a new, all-in-one solution that closely integrates software and hardware for businesses of varying scale." Active Backup for Office 365 employs single instancing technology to not only help businesses with the management and availability of Office 365 data, but also significantly lower the space occupied by backups. The content search function is particularly geared toward combing through content in mail and attachments, enabling users to find the mail in need of recovery in the shortest time. Key features of Active Backup for Office 365 include: ·Support multiple Office 365 endpoints: Office 365, Office 365 Germany, Office 365 operated by 21Vianet. · Centralized and comprehensive protection: Back up OneDrive for Business, mail, contacts, and calendar data to a Synology NAS and manage the copies efficiently from a single interface. · Granular restoration, search, and export from the self-service recovery portal: Efficiently filter by keyword with the new content search feature. From there, users can find the right email and restore or download a single file, mail, mail attachment, contact, or calendar event from the self-service recovery portal. · Backup and storage efficiency: Single instancing ensures efficiency by transferring and storing files with unique content only. Block-level deduplication helps businesses keep the most data using the least storage space by only saving a file's blocks that are changed compared to its previous version. In contrast, Active Backup for Business integrates multiple technologies adopted by DiskStation Manager (DSM). For Btrf file system, Synology has developed the Global Deduplication function to greatly reduce the required storage for backup. The integration with Virtual Machine Manager allows NAS backups of physical servers or virtual machines to directly run on DSM, maximizing the availability of data and applications. Key features of Active Backup for Business include: · PC and server protection: With the Active Backup agent utility, users can perform image-based backups to protect their Windows PC or Windows server workloads. Depends on the scenario, users could choose to restore a single file from the recovery portal, bare-metal restore the whole system, or directly run a backup image on Virtual Machine Manager to retrieve the application data and provide application availability. · Virtual machine protection: Users can protect their virtual machine workloads without an agent just with VMware vSphere info. It supports multiple restoration methods, ranging from individual file restore, instant VM restore to NFS, full VM restore and running on Synology VMM. · Faster Backup: Changed Block Tracking (CBT) technology performs incremental backups instead of a full backup every time. · Storage efficiency: Built-in global deduplication greatly reduces storage consumption. · Better restore reliability: Verify backups on Synology VMM to maximize backup reliability and minimize the burden in production environments. · Run on VMM: The unique feature, integration with Synology VMM, allows users to create the same IT environment as the product site, serving as a temporary Disaster Recovery solution, export / import objects and an upgrade testing environment. Related Tags: the official release of two major backup applications in Active Backup Continue Reading Previous Demand for Mobile Video Streaming to Surge during FIFA World Cup 2018Next Falck selects HCL for Transformational end-to-end Infrastructure Services Contract


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The Friday game was suspended, and a review is underway by the Southern Nevada Officials Association and the NIAA. A double forfeiture is the likely outcome.
Search results for:
Senior Riley Schwartz came on in the second half, and engineered a pair of scoring drives as Faith Lutheran stunned previously unbeaten Centennial 24-20.


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U.S. Ambassador Returning To Syria
"Ambassador Robert Ford has completed his consultations in Washington and is returning to Syria," on its official Twitter page.
He left there the weekend of Oct. 22 because of what State said had been "credible threats against his personal safety."
As we reported on Sept. 29, Ford had gotten considerable attention for his meetings with opposition figures as protests against the Assad regime continued in recent months. His efforts have not gone over well with the Assad regime. Government supporters at one point threw stones, eggs and tomatoes at Ford's convoy as he went to meet with an opposition leader. They also surrounded the building where the ambassador was meeting with that opposition figure.
This morning, :
"Ambassador Ford's presence in Syria is among the most effective ways to send the message that the U.S. stands with the people of Syria."
Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.


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Azure Stack brings the agility and fast-paced innovation of cloud computing to on-premises environments. You can now build modern applications across hybrid cloud environments, balancing the right amount of flexibility and control. This e-book provides the information you need to plan an end-to-end Azure Stack validation environment using the Azure Stack Development Kit. It covers many of the core concepts required to build a functional Azure Stack environment, including subscriptions, services, quotas, plans, and offers. You'll learn about the constructs and configurable options available in Azure Stack, along with how to tackle the key considerations that go into planning a successful implementation.
Authored by Paul Appleby, Kath McBride, Joel Yoker, and Derek Gamlyn from the Azure Customer Advisory Team (AzureCAT), this content is based on work with early-adopter customers and is not intended to be prescriptive guidance. Our goal is to help you understand the foundational elements of Azure Stack to assist you in evaluation and planning.


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As far as guest appearances go, this is one of the more interesting ones we've been pitched.
The North American Reptile Breeders Conference and Trade Show will welcome UFC fighters Eddie Sanchez and Jason Lambert as special guests at their show at the Anaheim Convention Center this weekend, Sept. 8-9.
The UFC veterans will be available on Saturday, Sept. 8 from 12-12:45 p.m. and again from 2-2:45 p.m. to sign autographs and pose for photographs. Sanchez (who last defeated Colin Robinson at UFC 72) and Lambert (who scored a victory over Renato "Babalu" Sobral at UFC 68) are both represented by the North County Fight Club management team.
"Several of our fans are reptile owners, and we knew that this conference would be a great place to meet them," NCFC manager/trainer Jeff Clark said in a statement.
Weekend passes for the two-day event are $15 for adults and $8 for kids (children 5 and younger are admitted free of charge).
For more information about the event, head over to www.narbc.com.


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Field trip today with high school students, exploring Slippery Rock Univeresity. The weather was almost like early Spring if you can believe it.
At lunch the kids were thrilled with the fare in the Boozel Dining Hall. Especially the desserts. Jim the baker was gracious and allowed me to photograph him and his cupcakes but I was shooting into the window light so he allowed me to take another. His coworker said he is already famous. He told me he comes from England, or at least his forbears did. It was crowded and loud and we had to catch the bus back to school. I wish I had gotten more info, how he became a baker and how long he has worked at the university. Thanks Jim!
What a great day the students had, touring and visiting the library and a dorm room and trying out the climbing rock wall and pool, eating in the dining hall.
First photo taken with the iPhone.
And the middle portrait shot with Canon 5D with a 24-70mm L lens, available light,no flash ISO 400 f /4 shutter 100
Final cupcakes photo with the Canon 5D as well. When you compare the first and third cupcakes you know you need your camera at all times.


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Woman goes wrong way on I-95, plows into police cruiser
ORONO, Maine (AP) — Maine State Police say a woman is accused of driving into a utility pole in Orono, then heading the wrong way on Interstate 95 and crashing into a police cruiser, setting it on fire.
Police arrested 22-year-old McKenzie Kaphammer of Corinth on Thursday night on charges of operating under the influence of alcohol; aggravated criminal mischief, and other charges.
Trooper Christopher Hashey tried to stop the car, which was heading north in the southbound lane of I-95, by driving parallel to it. He got ahead of the car in Old Town and then got out of his cruiser, leaving it to block the car.
Kaphammer crashed into the cruiser, setting off a fire under its hood.
Kaphammer was treated at a hospital and released. Hashey wasn't hurt.


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A 'healthy' food stamp, or just a heavy hand?
CHICAGO - On a recent steamy holiday weekend, customers at a discount grocery store in Evanston, Ill., loaded their carts with bags of chips, boxes of cookies, 2-liter soda bottles and jugs of fruit punch - among other items - then paid for it all with food stamp credit.
Although some may be surprised to see "nutrition assistance" dollars going to buy food with little nutritional value, it's perfectly legal under federal rules.
Some politicians and health advocates want that to change, saying restricting food stamp purchases to healthier items would encourage better diets, reduce health care costs and make better use of precious tax dollars.
Critics of the idea say such proposals are condescending, probably wouldn't be effective and would stigmatize aid recipients.
So far, lawmakers in several states, including Illinois, have unsuccessfully pushed bills to make soda, chips and candy ineligible for purchase with food stamps, now called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Others have suggested that the program, which is administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, could be modified as part of the current farm bill negotiations in Congress.
Supporters say that adding restrictions could divert billions of SNAP dollars from junk food to healthier choices, thus saving billions more in obesity-related health care costs, which are predicted by the government to reach $550 billion by 2030.
But just how many taxpayer dollars go to purchase soda, chips, snack cakes and candy each year? The USDA says it has no idea.
"They don't keep track of what is purchased," said Republican state Sen. Ronda Storms of Florida, who introduced a failed bill to restrict junk food purchases. "How then . does the state know whether the purchases are for legal items and not, say, toilet paper, magazines, beer, et cetera? Ask that question and you might hear the crickets chirping."
One California watchdog group released a report this month suggesting that this lack of transparency covers up what amounts to billions of dollars in corporate welfare to junk food makers and other companies at a time when Congress is contemplating blanket cuts to a program that provides crucial assistance to hungry people.
"We don't have the information because there are huge economic interests who prefer this information to remain secret," said Michele Simon of Eat Drink Politics, who wrote the report. "It's convenient for USDA to say that we are not authorized to collect information on what people buy with food stamps, but the truth of it is that Wal-Mart knows exactly how much was spent on what."
The USDA has so far opposed restrictions on junk food purchases. Although government data have linked poverty to higher obesity levels and more soda consumption, the department's website says: "No evidence exists that food stamp participation contributes to poor diet quality or obesity."
Simon counters that's precisely why the data are needed: so the public, researchers and policymakers can determine if the program is contributing to poor diet quality and what programs - if any - can improve that.
USDA representatives say the department is "interested in understanding the food purchase and consumption choices of SNAP clients, but relies on other data sources such as national food consumption surveys" that don't break out statistics on SNAP participants.
Still, in recent months the department has explored a more focused approach. This year the USDA will launch a feasibility study on gathering point-of-sale data for SNAP recipients. And, according to documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the department has contracted with a private company to examine proprietary retail data with the goal of learning, among other things, "what food items are most frequently purchased with SNAP benefits."
USDA officials caution, however, that none of that information about SNAP recipients' choices will "tell us anything at all about how they would spend their money if restrictions were imposed."
There's no question that, in a time of lean budgets and class tensions, data on SNAP purchases could be a political hot potato. Simon acknowledges that some observers might use it to "judge and stigmatize" SNAP users.
"This would be counter-productive especially when cuts to the program are being considered," she noted in her report. "But fear should not keep us from accurately evaluating the effectiveness of SNAP, particularly given the program's potential for positive impact."
Supporters and opponents of the bans are remarkably diverse groups, with conservative fiscal hawks and liberal public health advocates both tending to favor the idea. On the other side are not only large food corporations and anti-regulation conservatives but also groups working to feed the hungry.
"We believe that choice leads to dignity and that individual choice should not be impeded," a spokesman for the Greater Chicago Food Depository wrote in an email to the Chicago Tribune. "We provide food for hungry people and help people access SNAP without placing judgment on their choices."
Simon and other critics note that many of these groups receive significant funding from food manufacturers. The depository's top donors include Kraft Foods and Sara Lee, and funders of the national Feeding America organization, based in Chicago, include Coca-Cola, PepsiCo and Kraft Foods.
Regarding the potential conflict of interest, Feeding America responds: "We advocate for policies that are in best interests of our clients - the people who use the programs. Our policies are not driven by our donors."
Kraft and Coca-Cola each referred the Tribune to an industry association for comment. The Coalition for Preserving Food Choice in SNAP/Food Stamps, which includes the American Beverage Association and the Grocery Manufacturers Association, issued a statement saying: "Rather than limiting food choice and layering over an already complex program with additional hurdles for recipients that may cause stigma and result in confusion and nonparticipation, efforts should focus on nutritional education, access and outreach."
Public health groups and anti-hunger advocates are split on the issue of SNAP restrictions.
Simon says she believes transparency and data-based reforms are the best way to protect the program. The status quo "only makes the program more vulnerable for attack . because the public health implications are mindboggling," she said.
That statement echoes concerns expressed as early as 1964, when Illinois Sen. Paul Douglas spoke out on the issue during a congressional debate to determine what restrictions would be included in the brand new Food Stamp Act:
"I do not want to include Coca-Cola or Pepsi-Cola or any of that family," Douglas said. "If we include them, this will be used as propaganda against an otherwise splendid and much needed measure. I want to help the poor and hungry and not sacrifice them for Coca-Cola. The senator (Allen J. Ellender of Louisiana) knows these have no nutritional value - none at all. The only benefit I see in the present language is that it will increase the sales of Coca-Cola and other cola and soft drink companies."
But in the end, soda was allowed under the new food stamp program.
At recent nutrition classes for Chicago families with children at risk of obesity, parents talked about government strategies that might help families with kids like theirs make better choices. Most of the participants were low-income, but the organizers did not ask them to disclose whether they received SNAP benefits, which are obtained in Illinois through the Link card.
The parents agreed that educational programs on how to read nutritional labels, eat and shop better could be effective, as could bringing down the price of high-quality fruits and vegetables. But they were split whether it would help to prohibit purchases of soda and junk food.
"Maybe there should be (restrictions) so kids could be healthier," said Veronica De La Vega, who went on an educational field trip to a Humboldt Park grocery store with her family. "But most people will still do whatever it takes to get what they want. They need the education in order to get healthier habits."
Others felt that removing unhealthy items from food stamp eligibility could, at least, encourage better choices.
"My friend has the Link card and she comes over with soda and chips even though I try to tell her that I'm trying not to let my kids eat that," said Lisa Peszat, who attended a class in McKinley Park. "It's just too easy to get it."
"They should really put some restrictions on it so people are more conscious of what they are buying for their kids," said Ana Alejandre.
One SNAP user at a South Side farmers market who asked that her name not be used favored restrictions on junk food but felt they should be balanced with other modifications to the program, which currently prohibits the purchase of warm and hot foods.
"I find it interesting that with SNAP you can buy 9 million unhealthy things but you can't buy a rotisserie chicken," she said. "I am a big fan of restricting soda, but I would rather they make healthy food more affordable while they discourage the other things. Where a lot of programs fail is when they are saying no this and no that but they don't give you a doable alternative to encourage a better choice."
Illinois state Sen. Linda Holmes, D-Aurora, last year introduced a bill to restrict food stamp purchases that never even got assigned to a committee for a hearing. She predicts that if obesity-related disease and health care costs continue to rise, so will efforts to add restrictions.
"We need to be creating healthier people in this country," she said. "This is the first generation that may have a shorter life expectancy than their parents, and that is largely due to diet-related problems like obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure. Every session someone introduces one of these bills, and I think we are just going to keep pushing."


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At bbin电竞押注, we're constantly monitoring and adjusting our protocols to make sure we are safely and effectively providing the care you need. For more information on how bbin电竞押注 is taking extra precautions to provide the safest environment possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, please click here .
Physicians who attended Washington Hospital Center by Degree Type


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- Monday, March 24, 2014
ACEP Sponsor's the Alaska Wood Energy Conference
ACEP is proud to support this year's Alaska Wood Energy Conference. This year the Conference will return to Fairbanks, April 15th to 17th. The Conference is free to attend and open to the public.
The Wood Energy Conference attracts more than 200 participants, presenters, and vendors. It serves as a forum to discuss issues related to biomass utilization, forestry management, air quality, and several other topics.
In addition to helping shape this event, ACEP's Biomass Coordinator, Amanda Byrd, will be moderating several discussion sessions.
So save the date for the 2014 Alaska Wood Energy Conference, April 15-17 at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel and Conference Center!
Questions and comments can be sent to firstname.lastname@example.com or firstname.lastname@example.com.
Flyer courtesy 2014 Alaska Wood Energy Conference.