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Counteroffers: Just Say No!
March 1, 2010 at 6:54 am 31 comments
I recently posted a blog called "The Proper Way to Quit a Job." Towards the end of that article, I mentioned that the most typical response by any boss who doesn't want to lose an employee who is quitting is to come up with a counteroffer (more money, a promotion, more responsibility, a modified reporting structure, etc.) Most recruiters are trained to discuss this issue with their candidates from the very first conversation … and keep bringing it up over and over. That's because one of the most common reasons for placements falling apart at the last minute is a candidate foolishly accepting a counteroffer. I say "foolishly" because it is considered Career Suicide by almost all Staffing Professionals. Why is that? The following information was published in the Wall Street Journal:
Fact: 80% of all people who accept a counteroffer leave their company or are terminated within six months. (Source: National Employment Association)
Fact: 90% of all people who accept a counteroffer will re-start their job search within six months. (Source: Business Week)
Fact: Decent and well-managed companies don't make counteroffers … EVER! Their policies are fair and equitable. They will never be subjected to counteroffer coercion, which they perceive as blackmail.
And needless to say, you will have burned a pretty major bridge to the company whose offer you turned down by accepting the counteroffer. Once you've "left someone at the alter," you can almost never go back. That other opportunity will be gone forever. Word gets around – and when you do inevitably end up back on the job market, that burnt bridge might come back to bite you. [Read "The Golden Rule for Business: Don't Burn Bridges" for more on why this issue is so critical.]
So why do some companies make counteroffers? Think about it. When someone quits, it's a direct reflection on the boss. Employers don't like to be "fired." In most cases, the boss will look bad for allowing you to go. It's an implied insult to their management skills. Bosses are judged in part, by their ability to retain staff. They probably don't have a contingency plan for your departure. Your leaving may jeopardize an important project, increase workload for others or even foul up vacation schedules. It's never a good time for someone to quit. It may prove time consuming and costly to replace you. In the short term, it's much cheaper to keep you – even at a higher salary. So their gut reaction is to do whatever has to be done to keep you from leaving … until they are ready to fire you on THEIR timetable! That's human nature.
The following list is not new – it's been published in many different forms, has appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and has been floating around the internet for many years. Still, it's absolutely on target … and each of these points is totally true. They all add up to one inescapable conclusion: Just Say No to Counteroffers!!!
The TOP 10 Reasons Why NOT to Accept a Counteroffer:
Reason No. 10: Once the word gets out, the relationship that you now enjoy with your co-workers will never be the same. You will lose the personal satisfaction of peer group acceptance.
Reason No. 9: Accepting a counteroffer is a bribe – an insult to your intelligence and a blow to your personal pride. You will always know that you were bought.
Reason No. 8: Statistics compiled by the National Employment Association confirm the fact that over 80% of people who accept a counteroffer are no longer with their company six months later.
Reason No. 7: The same circumstances that made you consider a change in the first place will repeat themselves in the future, even if you accept a counteroffer.
Reason No. 6: When times get tough, your employer will begin the cutbacks with you. Your position will be much less secure going forward.
Reason No. 5: When promotion time comes around, your employer will remember who was loyal and who wasn't. Which list do you think you will be on?
Reason No. 4: You have now made your employer aware that you are unhappy. From this day on, your loyalty will always be in question.
Reason No. 3: Your company will immediately start looking for a new person at a lower salary.
Reason No. 2: Where is the money for the counteroffer coming from? Is it your next raise, early? If you were worth "X" yesterday, why are they suddenly willing to pay you "X + Y" today?
Reason No. 1: What type of company do you work for if you have to threaten to resign before they give you what you are worth?!
Entry filed under: Advice for Job Seekers. Tags: counteroffers, job-seekers.
31 Comments Add your own
Good point. The lesson internally is don't make counter offers. I was forced to make a counter offer once to someone I thought highly but didn't think she was yet worth the salary she had been offered elsewhere. She accepted the counter offer, everyone else at her level heard about it and demanded higher salaries to0 – and she left 3 months later. Not worth it at all. We should have just let her go gracefully.
I liked it. I especially liked #9 and #7. Thanks Michael. Very good points made.
I agree that in the vast majority of cases, making or accepting a counter offer is not a good idea. However, as with anything, one must carefully weigh their own specific situation in making the decision – and it is a good idea to talk it through with a disinterested party who can help you see it from all angles.
I once had an employee who came to me to turn in her resignation, and was clearly very unhappy about it. I sat down and talked with her for an hour about what was really going on, and she knew that had I believed the move was the best for her, I would have been the first to congratulate her enthusiastically. When we got to the underlying issues, I found I was able to solve them, and she continued to work for me happily for several more years (until our company went through a merger).
A client of mine went in to his CEO (with whom he had a very good relationship) to turn in his resignation, with a very nice offer from another company that would move him into the sort of position he wanted. He had not anticipated that he could get that type of position at his company, so he hadn't even pursued it. The CEO sat him down, heard him out, countered the offer and created the role my client really wanted, even adjusting the organizational reporting structure to accommodate him. My client was very happy with the result, and continued to thrive at his company.
John West Hadley
Career Search Counselor
This is more interesting comment than the article itself. The reasons for making decisions like resigning, making a counteroffer and accepting or rejecting a counteroffer are personal in nature.
If you understand your deep motivations for those decisions and understand your company, you should be able to make and informed decision.
Looking from a macro perspective at statistics (80 / 20%) could influence your decision making and you may loose the opportunity to come with a better career path for yourself.
That being said, the key is to make an informed decision taking into account all factors involved in this decision.
Thanks, Michael. This was interesting.
I must admit it's purely the truth, at least in my experience. Interesting to read that it has a high statistical value.
I must admit that most points are valid, but your statements on loyalty are the key ones. I doubt there are many employers who will not take a resignation letter as a lack of loyalty.
I fully agree. Luckily I had an excellent recruiter who pretty much predicted (almost verbatim) what my manager would say when I told him I was leaving. Because I was prepared, I was able to easily turn him down (and he wasn't able to come close to the offer I had anyway).
Michael, good advice. A boss once asked if I would consider a counteroffer, and my response was: "Why am I now worth more now than yesterday?" I took the position with another company.
Michael, I completely agree! "Just Say NO"
I've witnessed it countless times through-out my career as friends and co-workers have been enticed to accept the counter-offer only to find themselves "handcuffed" to the very job they were trying to "escape" – moreover the executive recruiting community is a fairly small and tight-knit group and word travels fast amongst them. They are reluctant (in the current glut of candidates) to work with someone who breaks their commitment to accept the new position.
I agree. A counteroffer should never be accepted. It makes you look like a mercenary, and it is an insult to senior management because it makes them feel like you pushed them around. They never forget about it, never give you any more opportunities, and often find a way to eventually boot you out.
That's a nice article Michael.
Thank you.
By the time a counteroffer is a possibility, the person has most likely received an offer. Also, the person has already decided, for whatever reasons, that it is time to leave. The mind set is already there. And, the person probably is leaving because the line manager didn't care about their contributions and skills and has allowed that person to stagnate in the position.
I think once a person has decided to leave, if a counteroffer is made, they should not accept because of that mind set that has happened. I don't believe it would be good for either party short term.
Just a thought.
Thank you Michael for the post. Obviously your point is pretty clear that counter offers are simply unacceptable, no matter the reason.
One thing I have witnessed over the past 15 years is that if a person is with a company less than 2 years the counter offer tends to be money, when someone is with their company more than 2 years the counter offer is loaded with more emotional power. The title, the perks, the promotion, the corner office. Things that stroke the ego more. On my blog I have been following a gentleman that unfortunately accepted a counter offer. It has almost been one year now and he is miserable. Probably a time for an update on his story. http://www.theinterviewgurus.com/theblog
Thanks again for your post!
Hey Michael, what an excellent post—and an excellent blog as well. Having had professional experience abroad before I moved to the U.S. in 2000, I've witnessed many cases where what you say is not corroborated by experience. I've seen many people leverage their careers by negotiating a new job only to accept a counter offer of either more money or promotion, many times both—all while being respected and valued for being perceived by the "market" as a hot employee. This may be though something specific to my field (editorial/broadcast/publishing). For me it was illuminating to see an insider's view with a totally different approach than what I'd expect.
Agreed! It is usually the fact that the reason(s) and circumstances that caused someone to start looking for a new position still exist after a counteroffer is accepted. Unless the counter offer completely resolves long term issues and positions the person to continue and flourish in their career it is wise to just keep moving on.
I worked for a recruitment agency who always advised candidates not to accept counteroffers for exactly the same reasons given by Michael Spiro. When I handed in my notice after working for them for a period of time I was offered a counteroffer. Bizarrely they were shocked when I declined the offer.
Maybe I can weigh in from another side. In past positions I have had people quit and in a few cases decided to "counteroffer". You can rest assured that THE COMPANY had a very good reason for doing so. It generally has nothing to do with what's best for the employee. It has to do with the immediate circumstances FROM THE COMPANY PERSPECTIVE.
Some times it has worked for a short period but generally it is just a band-aid. The employee has 1) proven to him/her self that they can move on and 2) convinced themselves that it is time to do so. Once those mental hurdles are crossed, the path is set and I find that they eventually do.
It definitely influences how the company/manager feels about the employee. It is impossible for it not to affect the relationship if for no other reason than that no one likes to be pushed into a corner. So don't expect the company to feel a lot of loyalty to you once you've done it and know that you have no future bargaining power.
Bottom line, from a job-seeker point of view I would have to agree with Michael. If the issue could have been sorted out it should have been before you went to the leaving point. Once you've crossed that line – keep going!
Lastly, in search mode you need to play all the cards you can and recruiters – love 'em or hate 'em – are one of the tools for finding a new role.
NOTE: I am not a recruiter nor have I ever been but more than half my roles have come to me via recruiters.
Unrelated question: What if you are forced to leave a company on bad terms. For example, they close their city office, where you worked for about 10 years–and working in the city was a term of your employment–and expect you to relocate about 50 miles away, into the wilds of the suburbs, a distance you'd have to drive, which you can't because one) with traffic, it takes anywhere from 2-3 hours each way; two) because you have a painful back condition and three) it wasn't the agreement. They won't let you work from home even part of the week. You even have a doctor's note. But they won't budge and you are forced to resign. They fight your attempt to collect unemployment, but you win and collect anyway (you are in the right, obviously). Is there any way to mitigate any harm the company may do when future potential employers call them?
just be careful with some recruitment agencies because some of them are scammers too ~
Great post, useful and uncomplicated to comprehend. I will take advantage of your advice!
Thanks for this advice. I had no idea this was such common practice- it's insane! And I see this coming!- it's been implied a couple of times by my employer who knows I'm looking to leave. And it happened just yesterday to my colleague- she stayed! I think it's their assumption that this will all fall into place and I'll stay. I'm actually really offended by that thought, so I keep a note on my phone to remind myself…I would rather be committed to a company who sees the value in me as a relative stranger and is willing to invest, rather than a company that knows me well but needs to see another company want to invest in me first.
If there are many layers of administration, and you are being pushed out to leave because of horrible bullying and harassment, without being bitter, shouldn't one at least be honest and say the reason why one is leaving, that is, without ranting or giving details, just "due to X and Y."? I don't want to seem naïve, but maybe you want to let people know what's going on before leaving…
Thanks for the post! It explains some of my bosses attitude toward me for the past year. Yes I probably will be part of the statistics you cite, and thanks for the letter and how to answer my bosses questions in your other post. The 10 reasons crystallize my decision this time.
Good articles. I have a little unique spin to this though…I was involved in a social services part-time job. I had been there for just over two years. I didn't need the job, but did it because I enjoy helping others and making a difference. I simply have too much on my plate and a busy life style now. I gave two weeks notice a couple months back and it was denied. They know I'm talented and skilled in that area and have good relations with clients, families, and coworkers. I wasn't moving on to another company, just looking out for my own interests and time. I was offered a raise, and to pay for a portion of car washes due to having to drive on gravel for my job. The family begged me to stay, my coworkers did, and so did my boss. I hated to leave and felt guilty for my decission to quit, and it felt nice being valued and appreciated. Yet, I've still felt guilty and time crunched for staying and not sticking to my guns and quitting originally.
Now, I've turned in permenent two week notice again as my full-time work will be starting back up and I simply don't have time for everything. I haven't felt management treat me different, or under valued with what I was doing before. I felt honored they were willing to fight to keep me. However, I also feel stressed and guilty for not looking out for myself. Just a different perspective on this concept, but I'm now part of the statistis quoted. I wish I'd found this article a few months sooner. I'm not burning bridges, and I think they are understanding, yet struggling to find a replacement.
Hi Michael, great articles!
After several years working in project management and continuous improvement in a manufacturing company, I just started last week working as a product manager in a oil & gas company. It was a conscious movement into an unknown field to me, as I want to get more exposure to the commercial side of business.
During the job hunting I was lucky to get a few proposals, some of them even after I had signed a contract with my current new employer. But last week I got a very tempting proposal, to establish a project management department in a huge pharma production site, with a higher salary and very challenging position reporting directly to the local CEO, which all sounds great but it seems to me quite a risky move as it will be very very demanding, and also will need to move from the city to the country side (which is 4 hours away). Also I will not mind getting 2-4 more years of management experience before such a role, but the opportunity is there NOW!
So I'm considering different scenarios:
A- to stay in my current new job, learn a lot for a few years before moving into a higher management position
B- in case of a counteroffer from the oil company to accept it
C- to explain the situation to my new boss, and see if there is any chance to freeze the position for a few months (I know it sounds like to much asking…), as in the pharma I will have a probation period of 1 months and a 2nd probation period of 6 months
D- "jump in deep waters" and follow Richard Branson saying— 'If somebody offers you an amazing opportunity but you are not sure you can do it, say yes – then learn how to do it later!'
any recommendations or ideas?
A, B C or D with a short explanation why
So their gut reaction is to do whatever has to be done to keep you from leaving … until they are ready to fire you on THEIR timetable! That's human nature.
This is the truth, over the next 6 months bosses will readjust responsibilities and priorities and all of the sudden "efficiencies" will be found.
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You can't just walk away from the Yakuza
The Dragon of Dojima returns
Legendary martial artist and ex-Yakuza enforcer Kazuma Kiryu – once known as the Dragon of Dojima – has severed all ties with the Yakuza and is trying to live the quiet life as a taxi driver. But with a bloody turf war looming over the Japanese underworld, Kazuma is forced to return to a life of violence to protect his loved ones.
Japan trembles in fear as two major criminal organisations prepare for all-out war. Caught up in the crisis, Kazuma must fight for his dreams, his hopes and his life as violence spills out into the streets.

subset: commoncrawl


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Could Your Flip-Flops Make You Sick?
Here in Montana, we are hundreds of miles away from the nearest beach. But that doesn't stop us from sliding our feet into one of America's favorite beachwear items: flip-flops.
And why wouldn't we? They are the epitome of cool, carefree summer fashion. Plus, with some pairs as cheap as $5 — or even less — you can afford to have a pair in every color.
Recently, I dug my extensive flip-flop collection out of storage. As I pulled them out, I noticed that some of the older pairs were starting to develop dark-colored surface stains in the shape of feet. Ultimately, I decided that some of them just weren't going to make it another summer, and I tossed them in the garbage.
Turns out, that decision might end up saving me a lot of trouble later on. According to a study performed a few years ago, flip-flops can harbor thousands of harmful germs. In one study, a single pair contained more than 18,000 bacteria. Among those was Staphylococcus aureus, a germ that could enter the body through a cut or blister and eventually cause a deadly infection.
Another pair contained the germs that cause yeast infections and diaper rash. In fact, one doctor estimated that if a person wore a single pair for a full summer, at the end of three months there would be a 93 percent chance that the shoes contained fecal matter and a 20 percent chance that they contained E. coli.
When you think about all of the places you flip and flop around during the summer, it really isn't much of a surprise. Those flip-flops go with you as you stroll down city sidewalks, through dingy bars and into public restrooms.
If, like me, you're unwilling to kick your flip-flop habit completely, just be sure to take a few safety precautions. Avoid touching your shoes and feet with your hands, don't go sock free if you have an open lesion on your foot and remove your sandals before entering your home.
Brooke is a 2010 graduate of The University of Montana, where she ran track and cross country for the Grizzlies. She is currently working as a writer and editor in Missoula.


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NEW YORK — Bernard Kerik, the police commissioner under former Mayor Rudy Giuliani who nearly became head of the Homeland Security Department, will surrender to authorities Friday to be arraigned on criminal charges, an official said Thursday.
The federal law enforcement official said prosecutors plan to announce the filing of an indictment against Kerik at a news conference Friday. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the secrecy of grand jury proceedings.
Prosecutors have been presenting evidence to a federal grand jury in White Plains for several months to consider charges against Kerik including tax evasion and corruption.
A second person familiar with the investigation, who wasn't authorized to speak publicly about the investigation, said Kerik will turn himself in Friday morning and be arraigned at noon in U.S. District Court. He would not disclose the specific charges.
Several calls to Kerik's lawyer, Kenneth Breen, were not immediately returned.
Authorities have alleged that Kerik took tens of thousands of dollars in services from benefactors and never reported it as income. Earlier this year, he rejected a plea deal, and his attorney insisted he had done nothing wrong.
An indictment would be the latest chapter of a downfall that began within days of Kerik's nomination in 2004 to head the Department of Homeland Security. At the time, he was billed by the former mayor as a no-nonsense, self-made lawman who helped restore calm following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Possible setback for Giuliani
A federal indictment of Kerik could complicate matters for Giuliani as the first presidential primaries draw near.
The ex-mayor frequently says that he made a mistake in recommending Kerik to be Homeland Security chief, but that might not be enough to avoid the political damage of a drawn-out criminal case involving his one-time protege.
During a campaign stop in Dubuque, Iowa, on Thursday, Giuliani was asked whether he still stands by Kerik. He sidestepped that question and said the issue has to be decided by the courts.
"A lot of public comment about it is inconsistent with its getting resolved in the right way in the courts," Giuliani said.
Other political news of note
Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
House Speaker John Boehner became animated Tuesday over the proposed Keystone Pipeline, castigating the Obama administration for not having approved the project yet.
- Budget deficits shrinking but set to grow after 2015
- Senate readies another volley on unemployment aid
- Obama faces Syria standstill
- Fluke files to run in California
- Animated Boehner: 'There's nothing complex about the Keystone Pipeline!'
A former undercover police officer with a bodybuilder's physique and a knack for charming people in high places, Kerik has since been hit with a string of revelations about personal and professional improprieties.
His nomination was confronted with news reports about stock-option windfalls, his connections with people suspected of doing business with the mob and overlapping extramarital affairs with two women: Judith Regan, the publisher of his memoir, and a city correction officer. The liaisons reportedly occurred in an apartment near ground zero that had been set aside for rescue workers.
Kerik, 51, who married his current wife in 1998 and has two children with her, apparently became close with Regan while writing "The Lost Son," in which he described being abandoned by his prostitute mother.
Meteoric rise
Kerik rose from cop to Giuliani's correction commissioner in the late 1990s. From there, he became police commissioner and later went to work in Iraq rebuilding the country's police force.
Then came the failed Homeland Security nomination. Democrats who opposed the nomination focused on Kerik's recent windfall from exercising stock options in a stun-gun company that did business with the department. His take: $6.2 million.
Days after President Bush introduced Kerik as his nominee, Kerik announced he was withdrawing his name because of tax issues involving his former nanny. But by then, state investigators were already aware of the expensive renovations done to his Bronx apartment in 1999, including built-in cabinets and a rotunda with a marble entryway. They alleged the work was paid for by Mafia-connected builders who sought his help winning city contracts.
Giuliani was forced to testify before a state grand jury in a case that resulted in Kerik pleading guilty last year to accepting illegal gifts while on the city payroll. The plea spared Kerik jail time and preserved his new career as a security consultant, but his name was quietly removed from a downtown jail named in his honor.
The state case isn't over: Two brothers who run the construction firm have pleaded not guilty to charges they lied to the grand jury about their relationship with Kerik.
In the past 18 months, a federal grand jury took up the tax case, quizzing another parade of witnesses. They included a commercial real estate developer who picked up the $9,000-a-month tab for a luxury Upper East Side apartment that Kerik lived in around the time he left the police department in 2001.
The federal case also involved allegations that former Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro tried to recruit Kerik to eavesdrop on her husband, whom she suspected of having an affair, in 2005. But authorities have indicated that no charges would arise from the encounter.
Earlier this year, Kerik had committed to work as a national security adviser in Guyana and Trinidad, but had to pull out. The president of Guyana said he did not want either country "tainted" by the corruption allegations in the U.S.
© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Washington (AFP) – North Korea poses a mounting threat to the United States due to its pursuit of long-range missiles and nuclear weapons, the Pentagon said Tuesday in its latest strategy document.
Describing the regime in Pyongyang as "closed and authoritarian," the Defense Department said the US military would maintain a major presence in the region and keep up investments in missile defense.
The North represents "a significant threat to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia and is a growing, direct threat to the United States," said the Quadrennial Defense Review, an update of the military's global strategic outlook.
US forces would continue to collaborate closely with South Korea's military "to deter and defend against North Korean provocations," it said.
The release of the Pentagon's strategic review came as North Korea flexed its military might three times over the past week, firing short-range Scud missiles and rockets into the sea. The test launches were timed to coincide with joint US-South Korean drills that Pyongyang opposes.
The strategy document said the United States will seek to stay ahead of the threat of ballistic missile arsenals in Iran and North Korea, noting plans to bolster the number of ground-based interceptors on US soil from 30 to 44 while investing in better sensors.
The US administration also is deploying a second powerful surveillance radar in Japan to provide early warning of any missile launched by North Korea, it said.
North Korea has pressed ahead with its missile program but experts have voiced skepticism over its claims to have a working inter-continental ballistic missile.
To promote "stability" in the region, US forces will keep up "a robust footprint in Northeast Asia while enhancing our presence in Oceania and Southeast Asia," the review said.
Although Washington's much-touted strategic "rebalance" to the Asia-Pacific region has been criticized as more hype than substance, senior Pentagon officials insisted the review and a new budget proposal released Tuesday showed a commitment to the shift.
US officials cited ship building plans, deployments of marines to Australia and an expansion of joint military training and drills.
"We will continue our contributions to the US rebalance to the Asia-Pacific region, seeking to preserve peace and stability in a region that is increasingly central to US political, economic, and security interests," the review said.
At the same time, the US military would retain an "enduring" presence in the Middle East and the Gulf, where some 35,000 troops are stationed, while also keeping up ties to "stalwart" allies in Europe.
The document was drafted before the current crisis erupted in Ukraine, with pro-Russian forces taking de facto control over the Crimean peninsula.


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Surprised? That must mean you're one of those [fill in the blank here] who are destroying our country! Or perhaps you're just someone who hasn't paid much attention to politics since Ike's last term in office. Pew takes a look at the drift to the poles over the last 20 years since the halcyon days of warm bipartisanship and gentlemanly politics of the, er, Newt Gingrich/Bill Clinton era.
Who knew that James Carville represented the baseline for our better selves?
Republicans and Democrats are more divided along ideological lines – and partisan antipathy is deeper and more extensive – than at any point in the last two decades. These trends manifest themselves in myriad ways, both in politics and in everyday life. And a new survey of 10,000 adults nationwide finds that these divisions are greatest among those who are the most engaged and active in the political process.
The overall share of Americans who express consistently conservative or consistently liberal opinions has doubled over the past two decades from 10% to 21%. And ideological thinking is now much more closely aligned with partisanship than in the past. As a result, ideological overlap between the two parties has diminished: Today, 92% of Republicans are to the right of the median Democrat, and 94% of Democrats are to the left of the median Republican.
Partisan animosity has increased substantially over the same period. In each party, the share with a highly negative view of the opposing party has more than doubled since 1994. Most of these intense partisans believe the opposing party's policies "are so misguided that they threaten the nation's well-being."
"Ideological silos" are now common on both the left and right. People with down-the-line ideological positions – especially conservatives – are more likely than others to say that most of their close friends share their political views. Liberals and conservatives disagree over where they want to live, the kind of people they want to live around and even whom they would welcome into their families.
And at a time of increasing gridlock on Capitol Hill, many on both the left and the right think the outcome of political negotiations between Obama and Republican leaders should be that their side gets more of what it wants.
Ahem. I've been following politics for forty years, and I don't recall a time when people thought they should negotiate to get less of what they want than their opponents. Even when people spoke in more altruistic terms about finding "common ground" in politics, what they meant — and what they tried to establish — was a definition of "common ground" that made it at least adjacent to their own position. Politics has never been beanbag, after all, and it certainly wasn't in 1994, the baseline for this analysis.
As for polarization within the parties, that looks more like a consequence of a shift from geography to ideology in politics. For most of America's history, geography and regional interests trumped political parties, which were more organized for elections than philosophy. Over the last few decades, as the revolution in communications and transportation homogenized the country and shaped our national culture, the parties have become the natural home for ideological fraternity.
That's what seems to be happening in this Pew chart:
In terms of personal "ideological silos," that gets explained later in the Pew poll by the choice of communities. Liberals are far more likely to seek out living space in dense urban areas, while conservatives are far more likely to look for suburban or exurban living space. As a consequence, we see low levels of coexistence within living communities, although that doesn't touch on other communal arrangements like families and worship communities. This, too, doesn't strike me as breaking news. Urban areas have attracted liberals for many years, and as regulations in those areas get more and more intrusive — I'm thinking about Michael Bloomberg's New York City in particular, but it's true in general — fewer and fewer conservatives would find urban living attractive anyway.
On the other hand, I do think that politics has gotten meaner, in both the current and archaic senses of the word. It has become both more petty and more angry, although that's strictly a personal observation and not one that has any data set to back it up, save the Pew poll. But has ideological polarization caused that, or does it come from a larger cultural corrosion created by the celebration of derision and a nihilistic social trend? Politics reflects who we are more than it defines who we are, I think, and so those issues look cultural rather than political. Pew may be highlighting the symptoms, but missing the disease.
Update: Kevin Glass busts a few myths in his analysis.


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About Me:
Paul + George+ John + Ringo = <3<3<3<3 My Life Hey Beatles Fans!! I am a Beatlesgirl who doesn't like modern music at all (like Justin Beaver or Lady Gaga, Rihanna or "music" like that)... As you can see, I AM TOTALLY IN LOVE WITH THE BEATLES :D I LIVE FOR THEM!!!!! I am a true, HUGE SuperObsessed BeatleManiac who definitely was born in the wrong era. I can say I have grown with the Beatles, they've always been leading me through my days... But I'd never imagined to become this crazy fan XD I do love ALL the Beatles with their fantastic british sense of humor and their adorable and irresistible look and voices! I had a crush on Paul which then became a REAL LOVE!!! <3<3 So yeah, my fav beatle is Paul, but I love him particulary not just because he's "the cute one"(I know, that helps too XD), as lots of girls say, but also because he plays one of my favorite instruments and he's a great composer, a gifted singer.... I have always loved his voice, his particular music style and his songs; I think he was the one who did the most for the band, in fact, In the end of their story, he did everything as possible to keep the Beatles united :) he's not just lovely, but also a wonderful man and so I am madly in love with him, really! <3<3<3<3 Anyway the Beatles always make me smile and laugh because when I listen to their songs I..."I Feel Fine"XD!! Love them<3 Yeah, they make my life better, I cannot explain my infinite love for them with few simple words. Everyone in my family tells me I'm crazy because I'm ALWAYS talking about them... I really love ALL their songs, they are all soo important for me!! :D I was soo unlucky because last time my Paulie came to Italy I tried to go and see him but the theatre was already full:( That would be the Best day of my life but it turned out to be the worst...*sigh* I like collecting Beatles-Stuff, such as rare books,posters, clothes, magnets, copybooks, DVDs :) I can play guitar, I Started learning to play it because I did wanted to play the Beatles songs!!! Like my heroes do, I play guitar in my spare time ;) Oh and "Rock Band Beatles wii" sooo cool!!!! The best game everr!! I play it every afternoon!! And I ALWAYS listen to Beatles' songs (loudly) in my room or on my iPod Touch and I ALWAYS sing them alone like a fool... Yeah, A fool on the hill!! XD You know, I consider myself a Fool on the Hill!! Oh! And I totally HATE those teen girls who wear Beatles T-shirts boasting of them, but without knowing their story or liking them or listening to them!!!... I get sooo angry every time I see one of those homologate girls!!! >:( Anyway Yes,I know, I am a Crazy BeatlesManiac... HELP! XD I will really love these four boys... Forever... They have changed my life and I'll NEVER forget them.... Thank you my Fabulous Four. Mop-top Heroes <3<3<3<3 Thank you all, I hope you enjoyed my wall, leave me a message if you want to! Add me!! Peace and always Love the Beatles bye byee xxxx BeatlesLover:) •WATCHING MY PAULIE PLAYING AT OLYMPIC GAMES 2012 HAS BEEN A WONDERFUL AND EXCITING EXPERIENCE!! I LOVE YOU PAUUUUL!!!!!! <3<3<3 ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ILovePaul McCartney♥♥♥♥♥ _♥_♥___♥_♥_ Put This ♥___♥_♥___♥ Heart _♥___♥___♥_ On Your __♥_____♥__ Page If ___♥___♥___ You Love ____♥_♥____ The _____♥_____ Beatles They're my Life, my Love,my Heart, my Music, my Heroes<3<3<3<3
Favourite Track:
Can't Buy Me Love (AHDN)
Tell us why:
YEEEEEIIIII NEW PAUL MCCARTNEY TOUR DATE IN ITALYYYYY!!!!!!! I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE, I'M JUST SOOOOO EXCITED, MY DREAM IS COMING TRUE!!!! :D :D Well, I really love ALL their songs but "Can't Buy Me Love" is one of my best favorites for sure!! The rhytm, the melody, the lyric, and Paulie's voiceee... I simply ADORE it!!! :) Of course, I also love all the rest of the albums' songs, A Hard Day's Night, All the Anthologies, Abbey Road, Beatles for Sale, Revolver, Magical Mistery Tour, Please Please Me, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Live at BBC, With the Beatles, Help!, The White Album, Let it Be, Rubber Soul... I've been trying again and again to make a list of my favorites songs, but always failed!! Ahahah, it's really impossible for me!! XD The Beatles, are the only four people who can make me really happy, I'm grateful to them like anyone else :) when I listen to their songs I really can't help singing!!! Oh! And ,please, don't tell me that the Beatles don't exist anymore, 'cause they absolutely do!!! They are ALL Alive in MY heart with their cool look and their lovely mop-top hair cut... I know I'm irrational but I like thinking so. They have really done so much for me... So I love them with all my heart and I demonstrate it on my way;) When someone sometimes says (without knowing them, just talking) a piece of Beatles song, I smile and no one knows whyXD My friends tell me I'm obsessed... Ok, yes, I am!! But I think there's nothing wrong with it:) When I listen to one of Beatles's song I feel exactly how I felt the first time I heard them<3<3 it was love at first sight... They have that something which can make me feel so lucky and excited and full of joy at the same time:) They make me enter my own world and then I start imagining them playing, laughing and singing together and I think about their emotions, their voices... Like I live those moments with them... Paul, John, George, Ringo ...Thank You guys, really, you have changed,rescued my life and I will always love you, forever, I promise :) Yes, They were and they still ARE the best, and that's it... ;) The End <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> ~~And now... A little demonstration of my abnormal obsession with the Beatles, my guys!!!~~ BEATLES= B est music ever! E verybody loves them! A ll the time, we listen to them! T hey are just awesome! L osers are the people who hate on them. E verywhere you go. S o, listen to them! ♥ █10% fool ██ 20% tired ███ 30% boys! ████ 40% quiet █████ 50% cute ██████ 60% funny ███████ 70% artist ████████ 80% sarcastic █████████ 90% animalist! ██████████ 100% AUTHENTIC BEATLE!!! 000000000000000_000000000000000 00000000000000___00000000000000 0000000000000_____0000000000000 000000000000_______000000000000 00000000000_________00000000000 0____________True____________00 000______Paul McCartney ____0000 000000 _______Fan_________00000 0000000_________________0000000 000000_________0_________000000 00000_______0000000_______00000 0000_____0000000000000_____0000 0000__0000000000000000000__0000 ♥ A Real Paul McCartney Fan ♥ It takes one instant to love his innocente face. It takes half a second to love his great eyes. It takes one second to love his wonderful songs. It takes one minute to fall in love with him. It takes a lifetime to forget him. …………♥…♥ ……..♥………♥ …..♥……………♥ …♥………………..♥ ..♥………………….♥ .♥……………………♥… ……♥….♥ ♥…………………….♥… ♥…………..♥ .♥…………………….♥.. ……………..♥ ..♥…………………….♥. ……………♥ …♥……………..PAUL…….. ..….♥ …..♥…………………… ……….♥ ……..♥………………… ……♥ ………..♥……………… ….♥ ……………♥………….. .♥ ………………♥……….♥ …………………♥…..♥ ………………….♥..♥ ……………………♥ ……………………♥ …………………..♥ PAUL IS MY BIGGEST LOVEEEE!!!!!!!! MY HUSBAND!!!!! ♥If ♥♥You♥♥ ♥♥♥Really♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥Love ♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥The Beatles♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥Copy♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥And♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥Paste♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥This♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ I L♥VE, The Beatles!!♥♥ ♥Paul McCartney ♥George Harrison ♥Ringo Starr ♥John Lennon P PA PAU PAUL PAULM PAULMC PAULMCC PAULMCCA PAULMCCAR PAULMCCART PAULMCCARTN PAULMCCARTNE PAULMCCARTNEY PAULMCCARTNEYI PAULMCCARTNEYIS PAULMCCARTNEYISM PAULMCCARTNEYISMY PAULMCCARTNEYISMYL PAULMCCARTNEYISMYLO PAULMCCARTNEYISMYLOV PAULMCCARTNEYISMYLOVE!!!!!!!!! <3<3<3<3 PAUL MCCARTNEY IS : █96% Funny ██97% Sweet ███98% Talented ████99% Adorable █████100% ALL MINE!!!! ♥♥♥♥ Definition of ♥Beatlemaniac♥= (adj) -One who has an over the top or ABNORMAL obsession/infatuation with the Beatles. ¤º°¨ ¸"ø¤º°¨"ø¤º°¨°º¤ø"¸¨°º¤ø"¸¸" º¤ø"¸ ¨°º¤ø" ¸BEATLES FOREVER!! º¤ø"¸ ¸"ø¤º°¨¸"ø¤º "¸¨°º¤ø"¸¸" ¸"ø¤º¨°º¤ø"¸ (¯`v´¯) `*.¸.*´ ¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨) ♥PAUL McCARTNEY♥ I LOVE YOUUUU!!!! (¸.•´ (¸.•´ (¯`v´¯) `*.¸.*´ ¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨) ♥THE BEATLES♥ (¸.•´ (¸.•´ ╔★═• ╔╗ ♡ ╚╗╔╝ ║║★═╦╦╦═╗ THE BEATLES ♥ ╔╝╚╗★╚╣║ ║║║╠╣ ╚═☆╝╚═╩═ ╩★╩═╝ <<Remember John ((ºJº)) 1940-1980>> <<Remember George 1943-2001>> You're still alive in our Hearts, love u forever<3 ╔══╗ ╚╗╔╝ ╔╝(¯`v´¯) ╚══`.¸. The Beatles soooo mucchhh!!★ ★ KEEP CALM AND LISTEN TO THE BEATLES!!!!! •We miss you, Georgie...I love you!! —--♥♥♥♥—— —♥♥♥-♥♥♥—Put This -♥♥♥—♥♥♥—On Your -♥♥♥—-♥♥♥—Page If -♥♥♥—-♥♥♥—You Know —♥♥♥-♥♥♥—Someone —♥♥♥♥♥——Who Died -—♥♥♥♥——Of or is —♥♥♥ ♥♥♥—suffering -♥♥♥—♥♥♥—from cancer _ / 7 /_( |_| |_| |_| <3THE BEATLES |_| /\ 4EVER<3 /\|=|/ / \ |_| / ) _ \ / |_| \ / -=-o / \ /~\_/ \/ ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ILovePaul McCartney♥♥♥♥♥ ╔══╗♫ ║██║ ║(o) ♥ I love them yeah yeah yeah! ╚══╝ |B|E|A|T|L|E|S| __________ |__|__|__|__|__|__|__|_____\ |_ The Beatles Fan Bus_| __\_ |_______________________ | |_(O¯O)__________(O¯O)___| --by robin p. melahn--- (COPY AND PASTE IF YOU ARE AND YOU PROMISE YOU'LL ALWAYS BE A BEATLES OBSESSED) <3<3<3<3 ☮John☮ (¨`·.·´¨)♥Paul♥ `·.¸(¨`·.·´¨)♫George♫. ¨`·.·´¨)¸.·´ `·.¸.·´ ☆Ringo☆ Beatlemaniac♥ «·´`·.(*·.¸(`·.¸.¸.·´)¸.·*).·´ `·» «´¨*♫The Beatles,my Love♫*¨`» «·´`·.(¸.·´(¸.·***·.¸) `·.¸).·´`·» ╔══╦╗╔═╗ ╚╗╔╣╚╣╔╣ ═╚╝╚╩╩═╝ ╔═╗ ║╬║ ║═╬═╦═╦══╦╗╔═╦═╗ ║╬║╔╣╬╠╗╔╣╚╣╔╣═╣ ╚═╩═╩╩╝╚╝╚═╩═╬═║ ═════════════╚═╝ •TO MY FOUR HEROES, MY BOYS... <3<3<3<3 _♥_♥___♥_♥_ Put This ♥___♥_♥___♥ Heart _♥___♥___♥_ On Your __♥_____♥__ Page If ___♥___♥___ You Love ____♥_♥____ George _____♥_____ Harrison _♥_♥___♥_♥_ Put This ♥___♥_♥___♥ Heart _♥___♥___♥_ On Your __♥_____♥__ Page If ___♥___♥___ You Love ____♥_♥____ Paul _____♥_____ McCartney (Yeah, he's my husband<3<3<3<3) _♥_♥___♥_♥_ Put This ♥___♥_♥___♥ Heart _♥___♥___♥_ On Your __♥_____♥__ Page If ___♥___♥___ You Love ____♥_♥____ John _____♥_____ Lennon _♥_♥___♥_♥_ Put This ♥___♥_♥___♥ Heart _♥___♥___♥_ On Your __♥_____♥__ Page If ___♥___♥___ You Love ____♥_♥____ Ringo _____♥_____ Starr •YOU'RE A REAL BEATLES OBSESSED FAN LIKE ME IF: 1. You saw all their films 2. You frame all their posters like important portraits 3. You run through the house shouting:"GO GO G'JGOOB!" 4. You want to be Lucy in the sky 5. You love when the Beatles shout in their rock songs 6. You want to buy all their instruments 7. You watch over and over the films AHDN and Help! and never get bored of it 8. You love the scene in the bath or the fight in the house of Help! 9. You LOL when you hear shout: "KAILIIIIIIII!!!" 10. You smile when you see a photo in which they have a lot of fun 11. You love the scene where they're playing on the field in A Hard Days Night 12. You always talk to the people about the Beatles even though they get bored 13. You want to live in a Yellow Submarine with your heroes 14. You want to visit all the places where they have been (London, Liverpool, Hamburg, New York...) 15. You want a house that is identic of the Beatles' house in Help! 16. You pretend an autograph of all four even though John and George aren't alive 17. Your biggest wish is to live in the 60's and go in all their concerts 18. You would have been one of the stewardesses who served the Fab Four during one of their flight 19. You know at least 5 verses of each Beatles song 20. Your iPod is full of Beatles songs 21. You can't stay a single day without listening their songs 22. You want to build a "Cavern" in your town 23. You want to build a hotel in your town called "Help!", "A Hard Days Night", "Abbey Road", "The Cavern", "A Day In The Life", ... 24. You get really angry when you hear a bad critic about the Beatles 25. You smile when somebody says a sentence which is a part of a Beatles' song and nobody knows the why 26. You would like to play RockBand Beatles all day without get boring... With loud volume of course!! 27. The Beatles are your LIFE! 28. You love them also with beard and moustaches, they're always perfect!!! 29. You fell madly in love with them and your passion grows more and more everyday. 30. Every week you have a different song in your head and you keep on singing it... 31.You stayed up late all night on 27th July watching Paul playing at Olympic Games 2012. I hope you enjoyed my page:) I expressed all my passion for the Beatles in it;) <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> HEY, IT'S REALLY VERY IMPORTANT!!! In this period I'm really really busy, so forgive my late replies ;) Read the box "About Me" if you want to know me better; and you ofc can leave me a message if you want to! I'll be glad to reply back :D Thank you, love you all<3 Bye bye:) xxx. BeatlesLover:) Oh and Please (PLEASE!!) BeatlesFans, do NOT copy my Beatles-stuff on your walls without asking, everyone has his/her own creativity to create something really special, thank you all ;)
Favourite Album:
Past Masters
Tell us why:
Hey, you can't make me decide just ONE album!! I mean, THEY'RE THE BEATLES!!! I love their whole discography!!! I do not know which one to pick now!! Why can't I choose the option "ALL THE ALBUMS"?! :D


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A Comment on "Party Autonomy and Access to Justice in the UNCITRAL Online Dispute Resolution Project"
As we are writing these lines, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law's (UNCITRAL) working group III is meeting in Vienna to continue its work on online dispute resolution (ODR) or, rather, on establishing guidelines for potential ODR service providers. Since previously scheduled obligations have kept us from taking part in this year's meeting, we'll have to wait for feedback from other participants to comment on how things are moving forward.
In the meantime, however, those who wish to get a broader picture of the UNCITRAL negotiations and their potential impact are in luck since Professor Ronald A. Brand, who we've both had the pleasure of meeting, published a paper that is currently available on the SSRN website. Said paper, which is titled "Party Autonomy and Access to Justice In the UNCITRAL Online Dispute Resolution Project", was published online back in August, and should be printed in the pages of the Loyola University Chicago International Law Review shortly. It explains the UNCITRAL process with regards to ODR and outlines the major hurdles that negotiators are currently facing. As professor Brand puts it:
The most difficult issues in the ODR negotiations are centered on concepts raising important questions about the coordination of the ODR process with national rules of private international law (conflict of laws), national rules of consumer protection, and the international arbitration law framework.
He continues by adding:
If any global system of ODR is to be successful, it must avoid difficult questions about the application of national mandatory rules of law, it must be considered to provide fair procedures and results for consumers, and the results obtained must be enforceable across borders.
Although we agree with professor Brand's evaluation of the underlying issues, we cannot accept the solution he proposes to settle said issues – allowing parties "to enter into binding ODR agreements at the time they form the basic contract for an online transaction" – as one that will ultimately help ODR thrive while offering "fair procedures and results for consumers".
As we've stated in previous posts, and as professor Brand points out in his paper, binding ODR agreements are incompatible with European legislation where consumers are always entitled to seize the court of the country in which they reside (in Canada, such is also the case for Quebec residents). This is done to protect consumers and give them access to the courts, should they wish it. There is therefore no possible way of making Europe (and part of Canada) adhere to an agreement that would impose ODR on consumers unless they agree to change their laws. Of course, since there are those, including professor Brand, who consider the EU model to be inadequate with regards to high-volume low-value disputes, this might be a necessary step.
As we understand it, professor Brand's critique of the EU approach is that it forces merchants to adopt a strategy akin to a classic insurance model: every consumer pays more so that the merchant will have enough funds to defend himself against eventual lawsuits in different states. Therefore, the goal is to mitigate risk by spreading it around. If consumers were forced to relinquish their right to be heard in their own states, this would limit the number of possible fora and, therefore, limit risk (and costs) for merchants. They could then sell their goods at a lower price, to the benefit of consumers. Notwithstanding the fact that there is no guarantee that a merchant wouldn't simply pocket these profits, we question the underlying premise of this argument.
As we see it, for professor Brand's claim to be accurate, it must be demonstrated that there is risk, i.e. that some consumers WILL litigate, otherwise the exercise is pointless. Yet, he believes that "access to courts does not provide a feasible path to an effective remedy in low-value high-volume cross-border transactions". We would agree with this claim, but cannot understand how it can be made in the same context as a statement that non-binding ODR agreements generate "unpredictability and risk" for merchants as to choice of forum.
If the option is only a theoretical one, i.e. if consumers never seize the courts, it shouldn't scare merchants. In other words, the argument can only succeed if professor Brand's underlying premise to justify recourse to ODR (consumers don't use the courts) is false, in which case there's no need to make the argument at all. You cannot state that consumers will never go to the courts, and then claim that the fact that consumers could go to the courts is a deterrent for merchants to contract with these same consumers.
But, as the Supreme Court has pointed out, choice of forum isn't really why merchants cling to binding ODR agreements; choice of process is. Merchants aren't afraid of being brought before a foreign court for a supposedly defective 50$ DVD. They know it won't happen. They're mostly afraid of class action suits. This is the real reason why binding arbitration agreements (whether online or offline) are so attractive to merchants: they are incompatible with class action suits. This is also one of the main reasons why Quebec's legislator opposes binding arbitration agreements for consumers.
Notwithstanding our philosophical objections to professor Brand's thesis, we can only agree with his general statement that "access to courts is not access to justice", and that "[a]n ODR system that is simple, efficient, effective, transparent, and fair, offers the hope of real justice in such disputes". But even if we agree that ODR mechanisms COULD operate outside the scope of traditional tribunals, we have yet to find an example where all of these criteria are truly present in B2C scenarios, except for closed communities such as eBay. It is therefore difficult to imagine a system that combines all of these elements, as well as low fees (another necessary component of actual access to justice), outside of state funded ODR initiatives. For-profit ODR providers will always have to charge a fee to stay in business which will either deter consumers if they have to pay part of it, or give the process an appearance of unfairness if merchants or merchant associations are the ones to assume all the costs of proceedings.
Getting back to Professor Brand's position, maybe state sanctioned ODR would be the best way to give merchants the predictability they claim to want while staying within the legal framework of Quebec and most of Europe. If a given ODR service is controlled and funded by a state (or states), it becomes that much more attractive a solution for consumers, making their recourse to the courts even less probable. It still would not be officially binding, but would have the same effect as if it were. In this sense, the European Commission's proposed Regulation on consumer ODR could be a step in the right direction, but that is a topic for another day…


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Words of Power
To nab this achievement / trophy you'll will need to learn all three words of power for one of the Shouts you learn throughout the game. This is easy enough if you continue the main questline as all three words of power for "Unrelenting Force" will be given to you along with the automatic ability to use them. See: The Way Of The Voice
The first word of power will be obtained when you kill the dragon by the west tower outside of Whiterun during Dragon Rising. After you've killed the dragon and absorbed its soul, you will be granted the ability to unlock your first word of power. The second will come after you answer the summon of the Greybeards, ancient masters of The Voice. You will then be sent on a quest to complete your training in the way of the voice. Upon returning, you will be granted the third word of power in the shout and the ability to use it.
You can also find a Shout with three words in the game. You must use three Dragon Souls to unlock each word in the Shout. Remember to hold down the Shout to use all three words. See Shouts for a full list of shouts and their word wall locations.


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Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea is a heartfelt debut. Rogers gives us a coming-of-age tale set in 1960s Maine. Florine Gilham is an unforgettable character, and I laughed with her and cried with her. So will you. Florine reminded me so much of Fannie Flagg's Daisy Fay Harper, the main character in her novel, Daisy Fay and the Miracle Man (also known as Coming Attractions). I sought out Rogers for an interview via email and she kindly accepted.
Jaime Boler: Morgan, thanks so much for letting me ask you these questions! When did you begin writing Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea?
Morgan Callan Rogers: I began the book seven years ago, in 2004. It was originally a short story that turned into a novella. Actually, it's 'backstory'. The original short story involved an adult Florine who was having a conflict with someone in her life. Someone asked me what the source of the conflict was, and I began to write an explanation. Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea is the 'explanation'.
JB: What was your inspiration for this novel and for Florine?
MCR: Ooh – this is such a fun question and I love answering it. So – it's important to pay attention to all sorts of flotsam and jetsam – the weirdnesses that happen in our every day lives. Sometimes, they turn into novels, or pieces of art, or music, and so on. Okay – so the inspiration for this novel came from a letter to the editor in a community newspaper. The writer of the letter wrote as she would speak – in a perfect Maine dialect. The subject of the letter: lawn ornaments that had been stolen from her neighbors. The writer was incensed about the theft and wrote about how special the ornaments had been, and what they meant to her neighbors. I was in the middle of my Masters in Fine Arts degree in creative writing at the time, so I decided to write a story from the point of view of the 'neighbor', who turned out to be Florine. I named her right off, and she opened her mouth, and her story tumbled out.
JB: You have been compared to both Fannie Flagg and Elizabeth Strout. How does it feel to hear your name alongside these talented writers?
MCR: Humbling. Elizabeth Strout's book, Olive Kittredge, is an amazing piece of literature. And Fannie Flagg is brilliant and funny. So, yes, humbling.
JB: Why was the novel published first in Germany in 2010? Could you not find a US publisher at the time?
MCR: My agent was shopping the novel around the U.S. While she was doing that, a foreign 'scout' came into the agency and saw the manuscript, thought it might be a good fit for a small, but awesome German publishing company that just happened to specialize in coastal communities and on the sea. And they loved it, and I had the amazing privilege of working with them for a year before it was sold to Viking. And Viking – I mean Viking. Look at the list of authors that have been published there! Again, humbling. By the way, I have an awesome agent – just had to say that.
JB: Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea is set in Maine, where you grew up. How difficult was it to capture the state's beauty and its people on the page?
MCR: It was a labor of love, and a love letter to the people I grew up with and the gorgeous, tough and tender place where I was raised. It was not difficult at all. I loved writing it all down.
JB: As I was reading your book, such nostalgia struck me, both for the idyllic seaside setting and for a seemingly more innocent time. How would Florine's story be different if it were set in Maine today?
MCR: Good question. Well, everyone would have a cell phone, so her mother could be tracked. The way missing folks are located is a completely different process now. Florine would have a laptop and access to the bigger world, and probably she would whine until she got an iPhone. Coffee would be made with a French press, or Ray's store might have a Starbucks attend. Florine could download any tunes she wanted, and might be able to 'friend' her cousin, Robin, who appears briefly, but is important, none-the-less. Technology rules the earth, now. It was a more 'innocent' time, although the fear of being bombed and the threats set off by the Cold War were ever-present. When President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, then Robert Kennedy, then Martin Luther King, things changed forever.
JB: Do you have a favorite character in Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea? If so, which one?
MCR: Well, I don't have a favorite character, but I think the one that surprised me the most, that kept showing different aspects of his personality despite the fact that he was supposedly tied to The Point and to his lobster boat, was Florine's father. He broke my heart. Also, I loved it whenever Dottie walked into a scene. I always breathed a sigh of relief when she showed up.
JB: On your website, I read that you've been a librarian, a journalist, an actress, an editor, and a teacher. Wow! What got you into writing?
MCR: I have a gigantic imagination. All of the characters and stories in my head had to go somewhere. Down on paper seemed to be the safest and clearest way to claim some sort of sanity. All of the things you've listed above played an important part in writing these books. Librarian = access to all kinds of books; Journalist = research, organization, wide-spread interest in all sorts of things; Editor = Clarity and the ability to cut my precious jewels without crying too much; and Teacher = Confidence and knowledge of character.
JB: What is your writing process like? Can you describe a typical day of writing for you?
MCR: I write in the mornings – from about 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., after I take the dog for a walk, clean the house, brew some tea, and so on. I can write for about four hours. Sometimes I'll work at night for a little while, but morning seems best for me. I take Sundays off.
JB: Will you go on a book tour? If so, which cities will you visit? (Please come to the South!).
MCR: So far, I'm 'touring' in Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. If the novel does really well, maybe I can expand that territory. I would LOVE to come to the South!
JB: What do you like to do when you are not writing?
MCR: When I can, I sing jazz and blues with a friend of mine who plays guitar. I ride horseback (not well, but I love horses). I read, I walk the dog, I see friends, I like to cook. I like to do many things – time seems to go so fast.
JB: Do you have any favorite authors? What would you say is the one book you would never part with?
MCR: I have a lot of favorite authors and I can never remember them when I am asked this question. John Irving, Ray Bradbury, Harper Lee, T.C. Boyle, Amy Hempel, Ann Tyler, Margaret Atwood, George Saunders, James Joyce, Dylan Thomas. So many… Some of the books I will never part with: A Prayer for Owen Meany, Cat's Eye, A Child's Christmas in Wales, Dandelion Wine, Morgan's Passing, Dubliners, To Kill a Mockingbird, and a little-known but amazing book called The Little Locksmith by Katharine Butler Hathaway.
JB: I read on your blog that you are working on a sequel to Red Ruby Heart in a Cold Blue Sea. Can you give fans any little sneak peeks?
MCR: Um, no. I never give sneak peaks. All will be revealed at some point down the road. 🙂
JB: Ah, well, a fan can dream…Thanks, Morgan, for a great interview!


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President Barack Obama accepted his party's nomination to run for reelection at the Democratic National Convention. Then he promised America pet unicorns, leprechaun servants, and monkey butlers, if only we please (please!) vote for him again.
Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain while 23 million people are out of work, the national debt has passed $16 trillion, and one in seven Americans are on food stamps.
Okay, maybe Obama didn't promise us mythical creatures to do our bidding, but he sure as heck offered up quite a few myths. Like free heath care for everyone! Free college for everyone! No more oppression for women! No jobs being shipped overseas! Happy happy joy joy!
The Free Health Care Myth
The truth is that health care is neither a right nor a privilege; it's a service. I know it's shocking, but doctors don't want to work for free any more than anyone else. What if we all expected our mechanics to work for free? This is the real world, and part of living here is paying for things that we receive.
The Free College Myth
Same problem as with health care: There's no such thing as a free lunch. If you receive a good or service (like medical care or a college education), someone provided it to you. If you didn't pay for it, someone else did. There's only so much a doctor or a professor can do for free. They have their own bills to pay. I'll say it again, because it can't be said enough: If you didn't pay for it, someone else did.
The Oppressed Women Myth
I have never, ever, not even once, been denied access to health care because I'm a woman. Since I've started using it a decade ago, birth control has never been banned. So long as I've been willing to pay my bills, I've been seen by whatever doctor I wanted to see. Silly doctors, wanting to be paid. It's not like we have programs that allow poor people to receive health care ... oh wait, Medicaid. Never mind.
But -- glass ceiling! Women deserve equal pay! Newsflash: If women deserve equal pay to men, they'll see their paychecks cut. Because when all things equal are considered, it's actually women that make more than men. Unless they work for Barack Obama, because he pays his female staffers 18 percent less than their male counterparts.
The Overseas Jobs Myth
The president referenced several times that Mitt Romney sent jobs overseas, rather than employ Americans on U.S. soil. Then he said Mitt had no foreign policy experience, which made me giggle, because with all the jobs he's supposedly sent overseas, you'd think he'd be a foreign policy expert.
Obama also failed to mention that he's sent more jobs overseas than Romney ever has. But math is hard, so maybe Obama decided to give himself an incomplete. It's happened before.
The Bottom Line
Obama delivered a speech full of platitudes and nice ideas. If he can get my unicorn to me by November 6, I might even consider voting for him.
Image via Alex Wong/Getty


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Salty and sweet with a crunch, these chocolate pretzel cupcakes have it all.
My Chocolate Pretzel Cupcake Inspiration
Before my office moved near my new favorite clothing store, Plato's Closet (it's not just for teens, really it's not), we were located downtown directly above a Macy's (we're talking in the same building, no need to even go outside). Macy's was my second office. If I needed to make a private phone call, I'd do it while strolling around Macy's. Needless to say, I have never gotten to know a department store so well. When I was in Macy's and needed a snack, I'd head to the chocolate counter. My favorite item (basically the only item I ever got) was the dark chocolate covered pretzels.
This week I decided to recreate the experience in cupcake form (what else?).
The Chocolate Pretzel Cupcake Crust
I started with a pretzel crust. I had made a pretzel crust once before when I made a margarita ice cream pie. Mmmm that was a tasty thing, perhaps I'll make that again someday when I am once more making something other than cupcakes.
I got the chocolate pretzel cupcake crust recipe from my old standby, allrecipes. I lined 24 cupcake wrappers with it and still had a bunch leftover. Per my husband's request, I rolled the leftovers into a big ball, wrapped in foil and baked. We've been snacking on that although it never quite solidified.
I am reprinting it with my instructions on how to use it in cupcakes.
The Chocolate Pretzel Cupcake
For the chocolate cake part, I used a recipe I found on Chezpei (originally from Martha Stewart). She raved about the recipe and said one of the nice things about it was that she had all the ingredients in her house. As it turns out, so did I. Sure, not everyone has buttermilk sitting around, but when you bake cupcakes every week, you tend to have these things.
Chezpei warned that the cupcakes would rise a lot and that you should just fill them halfway if you wanted them to be tall and domed like hers. Because I already had the crust in my liners and I wanted to be sure to have a decent amount of cake, I ended up filling mine 2/3 of the way. To my surprise, they barely rose at all. I would have liked for them to be much taller. Most of them didn't even come over the top of the liner. My only guess as to why that would be is that maybe she beat her batter more. She had no direction about how much to mix. I'm always concerned about over mixing, so I didn't mix very much.
But who really cares about size? They looked and smelled great. I was getting excited.
I am reprinting her ingredients along with my instructions.
The Chocolate Ganache
For the topping, I opted for a dark chocolate ganache. Since this is the first ganache I have made and not all of you read a plethora of cupcake blogs like I do, let me take a moment and explain what a ganache is. I will also freely admit that I never heard of ganache prior to reading all these cupcake blogs.
According to wikipedia, "Ganache is a French word (literally translated as "fool") for a mixture of chocolate and heavy cream." At first I thought it would be more like a hot fudge. Actually, it's more like the topping on a hostess cupcake only a billion times better. When used as a frosting, it's like a thin layer of fudge with some bit of texture to it.
I got my recipe from allrecipes. The recipe is printed along with my slight modifications.
The Chocolate Pretzel Topping
For the piece de resistance, I topped each cupcake with a decorative chocolate covered pretzel. I also got that idea from allrecipes. What can I say, they never let me down.
Chocolate Pretzel Cupcakes – The First Ganache
Chocolate Pretzel Crust Ingredients
- 3/4 C butter room temperature
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 1/2 C crushed pretzels
Chocolate Pretzel Cupcake Ingredients
- 3/4 C unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
- 1 C sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 3/4 C buttermilk
- 3 T vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache Ingredients
- 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Pretzel Topping Ingredients
- 24 circular pretzels
- 24 milk chocolate candy kisses
- 1 1.69 ounce package mini candy-coated chocolates
Chocolate Pretzel Crust Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients.
- Line two cupcake tins with paper liners.
- Press the mixture into the liners.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
Chocolate Pretzel Cupcake Instructions
- Mix in the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
- Beat in the eggs.
- Beat in the warm water, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until just combined.
- Spoon the batter over prepared cupcake liners with pretzel crusts.
- Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until cupcake bounce back when lightly touched.
Chocolate Ganache Instructions
- Place the chocolate into a medium bowl.
- Heat the cream in a small sauce pan over medium heat.
- Bring just to a boil, watching very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot.
- When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chopped chocolate, and whisk until smooth.
- Stir in the vanilla.
- To frost the cupcakes, dip them into the bowl of ganache.*
Chocolate Pretzel Topping Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Place pretzels on baking sheets.
- Unwrap candy kisses and place one in the center of each pretzel.
- Place in preheated oven 1 to 2 minutes, until kisses melt.
- Remove from oven and place one candy-coated chocolate in the center of each pretzel.
- Chill in refrigerator until set.
The End Result
I thought these were sensational. I loved looking at them cause they seemed so festive with the nice potpourri of colors and I loved the combination of flavors in my mouth. If they had sold those at Macy's instead of the plain ordinary chocolate covered pretzels, I would have been in big trouble.
I brought these cupcakes to a friend's birthday party. There were 3 other bloggers at the party. Blogger 1 did not write about the party (although, in all fairness he has not yet blogged about the weekend so there is still time. I'll be sure to post an update if something changes), Blogger 2 (blog no longer exists) wrote about the party and mentioned the fact that there was ice cream and the ice cream bringer was her hero (I do like ice cream and after having just jumped up and down for an hour I can't quite blame her for wanting something cool and refreshing and not focusing on my little masterpieces), Blogger 3 raved about the cupcakes. She's my new best friend :).
Update 8/2/07: Blogger 1 didn't write about this specific cupcake, but he did give props to the Cupcake Project . Thanks Blogger 1!


text:
Men ordinarily ask on ways to help them stay hard longer. The most probable suspect why this questions pops up is that, most men do not last long in bed. Though most men will not admit, they ordinarily suffer from premature ejaculation. This may be shameful for men as it affects their sexual doing and women's understanding of them.
If a man does not last long in bed, his partner might later on find another lover who can satisfy her sexual needs. This can dramatically affect their sex life and their total well-being. A woman will not raise this issue face to face to her partner, but poor erectile function does affect maximum sexual pleasure.
Halloween Costumes
Simply put, if the penis doe not stay hard long enough, the woman won't be satisfied. This will cause her to find other lovers who can satisfy her needs. The good thing is, this qoute has a solution.
Here are some techniques you can use to increase your chances of staying hard longer.
1. Penile Exercise. The Kegging rehearsal is the most coarse rehearsal of the penis which can lead to a longer penile erection when done on a regular basis. To do this, first, go to the toilet and try to urinate. When the sensation to urinate starts, hold on to your urine. Hold on to it until you feel the pressure in your buttocks. This rehearsal stimulates the muscles that controls the flow of semen to the genitals. It play a role in avoiding premature issue of semen. When you have this petition down you can institution this anytime, in any place even if you are not urinating. Just mimic the petition and you can perform this simple rehearsal to increase the opportunity of having a longer erection in bed. Do this petition for 50-100 times a day. This can be tiring for you, but once you had mastered the motion, it will be easier.
2. Pills. There are herbal pills that have been formulated to make you stay hard longer. But before taking any of these pills, you great investigate on their contents and effects. Not all pills have been proven effective, it is wise to investigate the effectiveness of the pill you are about to use before taking it.
3. A wholesome diet. Some foods surely contribute to the blood flow of the penis. The more you eat these types of good on a regular basis the more your genitals will get used to holding more fluids for a longer duration of time. Some of the foods consist of fish, nuts and dark chocolate.
These are some tips to stay hard in bed for longer periods of time. Do this on a regular basis to enhance your sex life and keep you sex partners happy.
If you want an even more productive and easier explication to keep your erection hard for much longer, then read on.Tips On How To Make Your Penis Stay Hard Longer!


text:
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
They HAD a Secret
So here's the executive summary, but I invite you to click on the hotlinks below to read the documents in full: Shaffer's platinum parachute, after only four years of "service" to the town, a whopping $62,129.
And Jane Doe, serving only three-and-a-half years (earning $43,900 last year) sauntered off with $23,012. In the private sector you would be lucky to get a couple weeks to a month pay as severance (and even then only after a ten year minimum service), or in her case about $3,000 and Shaffer's case maybe $10,000.
"I've never heard of anybody, public sector or private sector, getting severance pay when they voluntarily leave employment," said John Tillman, CEO of the Illinois Policy Institute. Interestingly the legal agreements dubbed Jane Doe a "resignation," Mr. Shaffer a "retirement."
"In a week's time I'll be 62 years old and indeed I have been thinking about retirement," Shaffer told the Select Board back then (with two years still left on his contract). That final spring in Amherst Mr Shaffer retired a few things: divorcing his wife and selling his home on Amity Street.
But merely a month after his October 1 "retirement" he was seeking a city manager job in Michigan. According to the 12/10/10 Birmingham Patch: "Because Shaffer's significant other teaches at Central Michigan University in Mount Pleasant, commissioners asked him about whether he plans to commute. Shaffer assured them that he's fully open to making Birmingham his permanent home if he is offered the position and that he's here to stay."
That "significant other" is former UMass psychology professor Jane Ashby who, five years ago, sat on the original Amherst "citizen search committee" that chose Shaffer over two other highly qualified candidates; she too divorced her spouse in Amherst last spring and headed off to Central Michigan University, a state school that made CBS Money Watch list of "25 Colleges With the Worst Professors."
The whereabouts of Shaffer's former administrative assistant is currently unknown.
Jane Doe's agreement
Click links above and below to read
Larry Shaffer's agreement
official minutes of 80 minute 8 /30 executive session (all two sentences, where one of them was redacted)
36 comments:
Larry, you mentioned 13 individuals.
We need to see the other 11... such as the bus driver who killed that kid and the "mechanic" who each got paid around 15 grand to leave...
Show them all Larry...
- April 6, 2011 at 5:05 PM
The school bus incident was an accident. How on earth could the driver see a 2 year old running towards the bus. Shameful that you brought that up. I'm sure the bus driver suffers over that incident every waking moment. Yes, you are a roach.
- April 6, 2011 at 7:44 PM
- Brian W. Ogilvie said...
On a side note: that "25 Colleges with the Worst Professors" web page references a "study" whose only data source was RateMyProfessors.com. Given that my own RateMyProfessors.com rating includes a comment from a course I never taught in a semester when I was on leave, and the moderators did not respond to my request to correct the record, I would take anything there with a large grain of salt.
Even if the ratings were completely accurate, I have 24 ratings on RateMyProfessors.com. In my 14 years at UMass, I have taught over 1000 students. Somehow, a 0.24% response rate doesn't suggest a reliable sample.
- April 6, 2011 at 8:25 PM
- Larry Kelley said...
Yeah, kind of like the voter turnout in our recent election.
- April 6, 2011 at 9:01 PM
- TCC said...
Shaffer wasn't offered the job, according to this Birmingham, MI announcement about the new city manager: http://www.ci.birmingham.mi.us/index.aspx?page=10&recordid=2702&returnURL=%2findex.aspx%3fpage%3d730
Brian Ogilvie: I live in Michigan, and Central is a mediocre institution.
- April 6, 2011 at 10:28 PM
Ms. Ashby's sudden emergence in the Plum Brook/Potwine hoo-hah as the darling of the Awad Party and then her just as sudden disappearance always was wierd. But, for a brief period, she was being promoted for everything by the BANANA crowd. (You can remind us of what the letters stand for, Larry.)
And, where did the aforementioned political flame-out exercise? Oh, the mind does wander during those endless repetitions.....into thoughts of..........Town Managers?
- April 7, 2011 at 7:06 AM
so shaffer bounces from town to town stealing taxpayers money. same guy who stonewalled me getting my 7 grand.... which I actually did work for.
so Larry, a prick who scared people out of town positions, has affairs, gets divorced, screws the boyscouts, lies about retiring, etc.... how does someone like that waltz away with 62 grand? sounds like he had someone over a barrel and extorted the agreement. my tax dollars paid his salary when I was a resident, and I demand a full investigation. and Larry, who could be held accountable for this when there are 2 sentences documenting 80 minutes of discussion? this smells worse than Barry roberts' shitpiles.
- April 7, 2011 at 7:09 AM
- Larry Kelley said...
BANANA: Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anybody. Just watch what is happening with the Solar project at the old landfill.
Yeah, at one point Select Man Rob Kusner threw a hissyfit because the Select Board was balking at appointing Jane Ashby to a 3rd committee (town protocol calls for no more than two committee appointments per person).
She ended up getting the appointment.
- April 7, 2011 at 7:14 AM
Between Anne the Select Board chair discovering Robie the Select Board member, and then making it their little secret, and now this with LarryS, all those meetings with people staring at each other...talking about protecting wetlands.....who knew that Town Government was such a passion pit?
No wonder the meetings ran long.
- April 7, 2011 at 7:15 AM
- Unknown said...
Once again we can thank Gerry Weiss for bring wonderful Mr. Shaffer to town....
- April 7, 2011 at 7:18 AM
Other than the resolve of some never to let it happen again, is there anything good that came out of the almost-nine-year (she quit early) Awad era, involving the misadventures of Anne and Her Friends?
Now that Town Meeting has turned into a marriage retreat, we now know definitively why we voted to preserve this system of government, that brings so many people together under the bright, hot lights, for another several decades.
It's the romance.
- April 7, 2011 at 7:40 AM
- Larry Kelley said...
Nothing good I can think of.
Only makes me happier I took her out (metaphorically speaking of course.)
- April 7, 2011 at 8:13 AM
"The school bus incident was an accident. How on earth could the driver see a 2 year old running towards the bus. Shameful that you brought that up. I'm sure the bus driver suffers over that incident every waking moment. Yes, you are a roach."
Oh, Bob's not suffering. Trust me. He was asking to drive the day he came back to work. This is a monster we're talking about, fool.
- April 7, 2011 at 11:41 AM
Larry, it gets better - and I am waiting for Maria G to get dragged into this because Ashby was/is a SPED researcher. In particular, apparently still a PI in an EEG study involving brain waves and reading http://www.psych.umass.edu/eeglab/ongoing_research/
which is related to children
Jane Ashby, "The nature of phonological representation in reading: Evidence from eye movements and event-related potentials" (January 1, 2006). Electronic Doctoral Dissertations for UMass Amherst. Paper AAI3215898.
- April 7, 2011 at 12:19 PM
Call it a hunch, but the word "remains interested" implies that she was doing it while here at UMass...
"She remains interested in applying this basic research to improve reading instruction in the primary grades and continues to consult with educators and parents interested in preventing early reading failure."
- April 7, 2011 at 12:24 PM
- Larry Kelley said...
How many layers does this onion have?
- April 7, 2011 at 12:29 PM
Well Brian, I am inclined - when in doubt - to see what FIRE has to say about a college and Central Michigan very much is on their radar. http://thefire.org/spotlight/schools/785
Seems that in October of 2001, "students were ordered by university administrators to remove patriotic posters and the American flag from their dormitory. The students were told that these items were "offensive.""
Now where have we heard that before?!?!?
- April 7, 2011 at 12:34 PM
Well, if you want to peel the onion, I would look into the NIH grant that Ashby is the PI (Primary Investigator) of -- and see what other names show up on the NIH grantee paperwork that she has to file.
Who has been paid out of it -- I genuinely don't know and politically can not inquire, but it would be interesting.
And the other question is how UM can have her as the PI of a grant if she is no longer a UM employee...
Larry, this could well be serious journalism on the level of what Matt Drudge did with Clinton.
- April 7, 2011 at 1:45 PM
Come on Larry. Show them.
This is justice.
15 grand ?!!?
- April 7, 2011 at 2:44 PM
..... And George Bush pushed the detonator switch to bring the towers down. Or was that Ms. Awad too? You folks really are having to dig deep for anything juicy to talk about these days aren't you? Another sign that town government is chugging along nicely. (Thanks in no part to all those married town meeting members, I'm sure.)
- April 7, 2011 at 5:50 PM
- Larry Kelley said...
Yeah, hush money will do that. Too bad it's taxpayer money.
- April 7, 2011 at 6:22 PM
We don't have to dig deep: we had a horndog Town Manager that we had to pay extra to get rid of, and a dysfunctional system of government that's ready to deal with all the problems of the 19th century. No need to bring the Towers into it.
The dysfunctional part will be on display once again this spring.
- April 8, 2011 at 6:51 AM
- Larry Kelley said...
What do you wanna bet they spend hours talking about backyard chicken coops?
- April 8, 2011 at 6:56 AM
Excuse me, there's more. We had to pay extra to get rid of THIS Town Manager so we could get the qualified, experienced Town Manager that we could have had originally, but we didn't because Anne and Her Friends perceived John as being Barry DelCastilho's guy and since they detested him, he was out. So we had to pay the equivalent of at least one teacher's salary to be rid of LarryS,so he could have his middle age crisis chasing his dream through Michigan.
Unless you have the memory of a fruit fly, this is not digging deep.
- April 8, 2011 at 7:00 AM
- Larry Kelley said...
And the price of a Library Assistant or Parking Enforcement officer to pay off his administrative assistant.
- April 8, 2011 at 7:08 AM
So just how much taxpayer money have we spent in recent years just to be rid of certain employees?
And how does that compare with similar expenditures in other towns and cities?
Just asking.
- April 8, 2011 at 8:47 AM
I hope you're keeping track of all these expense figures, Larry. They need to be publicized widely whenever the next override comes up for a vote.
- April 8, 2011 at 9:03 AM
- Larry Kelley said...
Couple hundred grand just in the past five years.
This public documents request cost me $54 so to compare us Amherst all the other 350+ municipalities in Massachusetts (and since I"m sure they ALL sweep this kind of things under the rug so it would require a Public Documents request to get the records)would get a tad expensive.
Interestingly enough the only question asked of me by the Gazette reporter was along that line:
Hey Larry -
Interesting commentary related to your public records request. Jane Doe certainly did well for herself. As a community watchdog, do you have
concerns about her severance package, or is that standard operating procedure for a community like Amherst?
If you do have concerns, could you
elaborate. Thanks!
Hey Scott,
I had great concerns precisely because I do not wish for Amherst to become a community where severance packages like these (hers and Shaffer's) become "standard operating procedure." And the more people who know about these backroom deals, the less likely they are to happen again. Sunlight is the ultimate antiseptic.
The Select Board used a lot of taxpayer money (in tight financial times) to sweep a problem under the rug. The people have a right to know. And that of course, is our job.
- April 8, 2011 at 9:09 AM
Why is this a surprise or a secret? If Shaffer had not been paid off, he wouldn't have announced his sudden "retirement" on the day of his performance review and then immediately been in the running for other jobs? Wasn't a payoff obvious?
Thank you Larry for going beyond to pursue the public records case and actually proving it.
- April 8, 2011 at 9:18 AM
So speaking of the town manager's office, John Musante seems like a good guy, however, there is one thing that has been bothering me about his compensation package ever since he started as town manager. His compensation package included the town paying for his participation in a program at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. The cost of this perk was never revealed publicly, at least not that I found. From the language in the articles I read, it wasn't clear if this program was a degree program, a one-day course, or something in-between. Regardless, even short seminar series at the Harvard KSG can run into the thousands of dollars. Tax payers deserve to know what funding Mr. Musante's further education is costing them.
- April 8, 2011 at 10:05 AM
"And the price of a Library Assistant or Parking Enforcement officer to pay off his administrative assistant." THANK YOU for the perspective!!
What was the cost of the three extra personal days given to the professional staff for Shaffer's last hurrah?
Larry, where's your public records fees bucket? I'll chip in a buck.
You do know that sunlight kills most molds, right?
- April 8, 2011 at 12:09 PM
We've made some expensive mistakes in recent years.
- April 8, 2011 at 1:11 PM
I gotta wonder if there was a MCAD sexual harassment complaint involved? If this was the quiet settlement of that -- and I do believe that MCAD complaint filings are public info -- we at least knew about the Price family's filing against the SHSD....
Why would an administrative assistant vanish off the face of the earth? And with the extended unemployment, is she still collecting it -- remember that the town gets billed for that, too....
(Seriously, an employer has to pay part of the unemployment or gets charged a higher rate or something -- it costs the employer.)
- April 8, 2011 at 2:28 PM
Apart from the rhetoric about why Shaffer left,
(which is usually negotiated, and customary so as give the former employee a clean slate in order to help them land employment elsewhere,)
it is common in the private sector to offer a former employee whose position is downsized 2 weeks pay, plus 2 weeks for each year served, plus a promise not to challenge their unemployment insurance claim, in return for a liability release (aka cannot sue got damages.) .
So in Shaffer's case, 10 weeks pay would be a market rate for golden parachute.
Now, that is private sector but public would be roughly similar.
Was he dating a subordinate? If not the marital situation likely had no bearing on his job loss.
It looks as through the Select Board wanted him to go. Too bad we can't learn the main drivers of their decision, which seems relevant to the public in a democracy.
Great bit of journalism research Larry, and fairly written as well.
- April 9, 2011 at 6:34 AM
Well it seems that Amherst and Charlie Sheen do have something in common after all.
- April 9, 2011 at 7:07 PM
Stephanie must cringe every time she sees that photo.
- April 9, 2011 at 7:10 PM


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Skip to 0 minutes and 14 secondsYou might remember an argument for veganism. That's the strong version of vegetarianism that says not only shouldn't we eat meat, but we shouldn't eat any animal products-- milk, honey, eggs. We used it to illustrate how to put arguments in standard form. We've made a version of the argument, reenacted to protect the identity of the original people. I'm sure you've seen lots of similar clips. What we're interested in is whether the arguments and reasons you're given in this sort of exchange are good or bad and why. So here's the clip. Remember, this is taken more or less verbatim from actual arguments. We're not making this up. Hi. I'm Justin, and I'm the author of the book Living a Better Life.
Skip to 1 minute and 1 secondAnd I'm here to tell you my top three reasons for going vegan. Animals from factory farming spend their entire lives in miserable conditions, until the day they are slaughtered. Most won't ever feel the warmth of the sun on their backs or breathe fresh air until the day they are loaded onto trucks, bound for the slaughter houses. Their suffering is unimaginable. Animals from factory farming are treated cruelly. [SNAP] OK, I just need to interrupt here to tell you a story. where I can see that it just doesn't matter. I was in a class once, and I had to do an experiment with the extracts of a cow's rumen. For that, I had to reach inside the cow's stomach.
Skip to 1 minute and 40 secondsThe cow was living, and it had a rubber plug in its side. I pulled out the rubber plug, and put my hand in the cow's stomach. The whole time I'm doing this, I'm thinking, oh man, this cow is gonna hate this. It's gonna be torture for the cow. But it wasn't like that. The cow was just eating food. It didn't even seem to notice it. It wasn't on painkillers or anything like that. The point is-- if I can put my hand through a hole in the cow's stomach and take stuff out and it's not going to react, then I have a hard time believing that it notices what kind of treatment we subject it to.
Skip to 2 minutes and 12 secondsI don't think it cares about that. I mean if you could show me something-- anything-- of some sort that I am wrong, I'll admit you're right. Do you know what I mean? Now, you might think that eggs are OK to eat because, after all, you don't need to slaughter chickens to eat their eggs. Wrong. Chickens get their beaks cut off with a burning hot blade and with no painkillers. And half of the chickens on farms, the cockerels are slaughtered. The fact is eggs come from hens that are treated cruelly. All that so that you can enjoy bacon and eggs. So what?
Skip to 2 minutes and 47 secondsCan you provide me with some sort of proof that chickens fear death or that they're conscious of being alive? That they understand the situation they're in at all? Maybe then you'd have a point. But until then, sorry. I just don't care. The same thing goes for plants. If you can prove to me that plants care about being alive, I will stop eating plants. And another thing, even if it's true that some chickens are treated cruelly, that will only be reason not to eat eggs produced by those chickens. My friends' chickens just wander around the place, laying eggs wherever they feel like. And my friends find the eggs. That's gotta be OK, doesn't it? Do you know what I mean?
Skip to 3 minutes and 27 secondsBut I only eat fish, some people say. Well, that won't cut it either. The problem is that commercial fishing is destroying and emptying our oceans. As a result of commercial fishing, 90% of large fish populations have been exterminated in the past 50 years. Sure, but most fish in supermarkets and restaurants come from fish farms now. Instead of going vegan, maybe we should regulate fishing and apply science to help preserve and replenish the fish population. That would actually be useful. If I go vegan, it won't be to save the oceans, you know? Perhaps If we all went vegan, but that's ludicrous. You can't seriously expect everyone on Earth to stop eating meat and fish. How are we going to survive?
Skip to 4 minutes and 11 secondsHow are we going to feed 7 billion people on tofu? If I go vegan, all it will achieve is to deprive me of the good taste of fish and meat. Do you know what I mean? [BONES CRACKING] Let's not forget the arguments from the other side. How about some arguments for eating meat? Vegans and vegetarians talk as though they're trying to get us to live as one with nature. Guess what. Eating meat is natural. What do you think these are for? And if I were that cow, I'd show you that you only have one stomach. That's because I don't have to digest grass. Our food has already processed the grass for us. Go cows.
Skip to 4 minutes and 50 secondsAnd so is using the things animals produce. Even the Bible tells us that. Let us make mankind in our image, so they can rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals. That's Genesis 1.26. And don't just give me the Genesis 1.29 response. I know God has also meant to have said, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole Earth and every tree that has fruit with seeds in it. They will be yours for food. But even if he did give us the fruit and the seeds, it doesn't mean he didn't also give us the animals.
Skip to 5 minutes and 26 secondsAnd another thing, we've probably all heard of cases where babies got really sick because of their diet. It's common. Vegetarians and vegans are at higher risk of getting vitamin B12 deficiency. And where do you get B12? From animals and animal products. Look, I want to be fair. Maybe veganism is right for some cultures. But it's not right for most of us. Do you know what I mean? Wow. That was pretty rough. But that's the way arguments often are in the real world. And now it's time for you to get your hands dirty. We'll get you to look at the argument and the response more closely. And we've devised a couple of assignments for you.
Going Vegan
Earlier in the course, we saw Justin's argument for becoming vegan. Here we re-present that argument, with a response, which we'll use to see how the skills you've learned during the course can be put into action. (The pig in the picture is Tim's pet, Penny, by the way: she is not for eating even if you're not convinced to become vegan).
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