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AP's Ohlemacher Describes 'Gang of Six' Document As a 'Plan' 12 Times (Update: If CBO Won't Score a Speech, It Sure Can't Score This)
It really is a "plan," and don't you forget it.
Never mind, as the Washington Examiner's Conn Carroll inconveniently points out, that the document produced by the "Gang of Six" — Republican Senators Coburn, Chambliss, and Crapo, along with Democratic Senators Conrad, Warner, and Durbin — is all of five pages. If you take out the white space, it's about 3-1/2.
Early this evening, the Associated Press's Stephen Ohlemacher called the output of the Gang of Six a "plan" no fewer than 12 times — and his report's headline was "Bipartisan tax plan trims mortgage deduction." Okay, Steve, even though you (and the Gang) are obviously wrong, we get it.
A "plan" — at least one that is supposed to lead to legislation — is supposed to be "a detailed scheme, method, etc., for attaining an objective." The roughly 1,050 words in the AP writer's report is not that much shorter than the Gang of Six's almost 1,600-word "plan." Ohlemacher himself cites the document's lack of specifics or details in some manner about a half-dozen times. Sorry, Steve: The Gang of Six document is not a "plan" in any meaningful sense of the word, and their calling it a "plan" doesn't change that reality.
But give Ohlemacher and AP credit in one area: While the Gang of Six claims that "If CBO scored this plan, it would find net tax relief of approximately $1.5 trillion," the wire service's coverage reveals that taxes would instead increase by almost as much or possibly more.
Here are several paragraphs from Ohlemacher's effort (bolds are mine). Note the class warfare hit in the final bolded item:
A new bipartisan plan to reduce government borrowing would target some of the most cherished tax breaks enjoyed by millions of families – those promoting health insurance, home ownership, charitable giving and retirement savings – in exchange for lowering overall tax rates for everyone.
Many taxpayers would face higher taxes – a total of at least $1.2 trillion over the next decade, and perhaps more.
… For its part, the Gang of Six plan punts on many of the most difficult issues, leaving it to congressional committees to fill in the details later. But supporters say it provides a framework to simplify the tax code, making it easier for businesses and individuals to comply while eliminating incentives to game the system.
… The Republican staff of the House Budget Committee issued a critique saying the revenue increase could exceed $2 trillion over the next decade, when compared with current tax policy.
"A tax increase is the wrong policy to pursue with so many Americans out of work," said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va.
The plan would simplify the tax code by reducing the number of tax brackets from six to three, lowering the top rate from 35 percent to somewhere between 23 percent and 29 percent. That could provide a windfall for wealthy taxpayers because the 35 percent tax bracket currently applies to taxable income above $379,150.
Geez, Steve, higher-income people (who may or may not be "wealthy") would lose all kinds of deductions, but might still get "windfalls." In some cases, sure, but to present it as if it's a likelihood for most, which is definitely implied, is sheer speculation which is in my estimation backed up by little or no investigation.
The Examiner's Carroll points to the Gang of Six document's absurd assumption that the World's Greatest Deliberative Body will actually "find" (that's the document's actual word) massive amounts of spending to cut as anticipated:
The Armed Services Committee is then charged with finding $80 billion in cuts, Homeland Security $65 billion, Agriculture $11 billion, Energy $6 billion, and Commerce $11 billion. All this budgeting from Democratically controlled committees that haven't produced a budget in over 800 days!!!
Indeed. What a joke. Without specifics, this isn't a plan, it's just a bunch of nice intentions at best, or deliberate deceptions at worst, which will never materialize.
Cross-posted at NewsBusters.org.
BizzyBlog Update: The whole idea that these guys think that the Congressional Budget Office can "score" anything based on what they've produced so far is absurd. Several weeks ago, CBO's Doug Elmendorf politely informed a congressional committee that "We don't estimate speeches." The Gang of Six document is no better than a speech.


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High Quality Photos Of DWTS Pro Karina Smirnoff In Women's Running Magazine 2013
There are some super high quality photos of Dancing With The Stars pro Karina Smirnoff in the new issue of Women's Running Magazine at Blemish.com. If you are a fan, be sure to see them. They are stunning. According to Karina's official site, Karina shares her dance-inspired toning tips in this issue that keep her "feminine physique".

subset: commoncrawl


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John Donne
John Donne (24 January 1572 - 31 March 1631 / London, England)
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
Holy Sonnet X:Death Be Not Proud
Death, be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadful, for thou art not so;
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poor Death, nor yet canst thou kill me.
read more >>
- Hits: Number of visitors who read the poem on the given date.
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Background: The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century; Japan occupied the islands from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence after Japan's surrender, but it required four years of intermittent negotiations, recurring hostilities, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to transfer sovereignty in 1949. Free and fair legislative elections took place in 1999 after decades of repressive rule. Indonesia is now the world's third most populous democracy, the world's largest archipelagic state, and home to the world's largest Muslim population. Current issues include: alleviating poverty, improving education, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing economic and financial reforms, stemming corruption, holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations, addressing climate change, and controlling infectious diseases, particularly those of global and regional importance. In 2005, Indonesia reached a historic peace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh, which led to democratic elections in Aceh in December 2006. Indonesia continues to face low intensity armed resistance by the separatist Free Papua Movement.
Location: Southeastern Asia, archipelago between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean
Area land: 1,811,569 sq km
Area water: 93,000 sq km
Coastline: 54,716 km
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Indonesia
Country name conventional short form: Indonesia
Country name former: Netherlands East Indies, Dutch East Indies
Population: 245,613,043 (July 2011 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 27.3% (male 34,165,213/female 32,978,841); 15-64 years: 66.5% (male 82,104,636/female 81,263,055); 65 years and over: 6.1% (male 6,654,695/female 8,446,603) (2011 est.);
Population growth rate: 1.069% (2011 est.)
Birth rate: 18.1 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Death rate: 6.26 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)
Net migration rate: -1.15 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female; under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female; 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female; 65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female; total population: 1 male(s)/female (2011 est.);
Infant mortality rate: total: 27.95 deaths/1,000 live births; male: 32.63 deaths/1,000 live births; female: 23.03 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.);
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 71.33 years; male: 68.8 years; female: 73.99 years (2011 est.);
Total fertility rate: 2.25 children born/woman (2011 est.);
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.2% (2009 est.);
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 310,000 (2009 est.);
HIV/AIDS - deaths: 8,300 (2009 est.);
Nationality: noun: Indonesian(s); adjective: Indonesian;
Ethnic groups: Javanese 40.6%, Sundanese 15%, Madurese 3.3%, Minangkabau 2.7%, Betawi 2.4%, Bugis 2.4%, Banten 2%, Banjar 1.7%, other or unspecified 29.9% (2000 census);
Religions: Muslim 86.1%, Protestant 5.7%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 1.8%, other or unspecified 3.4% (2000 census);
Languages: Bahasa Indonesia (official, modified form of Malay), English, Dutch, local dialects (the most widely spoken of which is Javanese);
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write; total population: 90.4%; male: 94%; female: 86.8% (2004 est.);
GDP (purchasing power parity): $1.033 trillion (2010 est.); $974.6 billion (2009 est.); $932.6 billion (2008 est.);
GDP (official exchange rate): $695.1 billion (2010 est.);
GDP - real growth rate: 6% (2010 est.); 4.5% (2009 est.); 6% (2008 est.);
GDP - per capita (PPP): $4,300 (2010 est.); $4,100 (2009 est.); $3,900 (2008 est.);
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 16.5%; industry: 46.4%; services: 37.1% (3rd quarter, 2010 est.);
Population below poverty line: 13.33% (2010);
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3%; highest 10%: 32.3% (2006);
Labor force: 116.5 million (2010 est.);
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture: 38.3%; industry: 12.8%; services: 48.9% (2010 est.);
Unemployment rate: 7.1% (2010 est.); 7.9% (2009 est.);
Budget: revenues: $119.5 billion; expenditures: $132.9 billion (2011 est.);
Industries: petroleum and natural gas, textiles, apparel, footwear, mining, cement, chemical fertilizers, plywood, rubber, food, tourism;
Industrial production growth rate: 3.6% (2010 est.);
Electricity - production: 129 billion kWh (2008 est.);
Electricity - consumption: 119.3 billion kWh (2007 est.);
Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (2009 est.);
Electricity - imports: 0 kWh (2009 est.);
Statistics: CIA World Factbook.
Bisnis Indonesia
(Business-oriented, independent), Jakarta
Jakarta Post, The
(Independent, English-language), Jakarta
(Independent), Jakarta
(Islamist), Jakarta
Suara Pembaruan
(Moderate, Christian), Jakarta
(Independent newsmagazine), Jakarta
(Independent daily), Medan
Indonesia in the News
Displaying 41 to 44 of 55 items.
East Timor: Trouble Ahead, Trouble Behind
Joseph Kirshcke reports on the challenges facing the world's newest country.
Trouble Ahead for Indonesia's Free Press?
One of the most public debates about press freedom in Indonesia since mass rioting brought Suharto's rigid, 32-year presidency to its knees in 1998 is coming to an unceremonious close at the end of a secluded, nondescript street in south Jakarta behind a padlocked gate.
Jakarta: Best Sellers amid the Grief
Indonesian newspaper Koran Tempo reports on how people in Jakarta are getting information on Osama Bin Laden.
Indonesia: Getting Desperate
World Press Review - Wahid's constant reshuffling of his cabinet indicates he is getting desperate. A review of the Indonesian press.


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Scott Less recently conducted an interview with guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz and vocalist Jesse Leach of Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE inside The Download Parlor. You can now watch the chat below.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE kicked off its summer headline tour in support of "Disarm The Descent" on May 30 at the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The region was hit by a devastating tornado on May 20. Therefore, the band has decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from the evening's tickets sales to the Regional Food Bank Of Oklahoma.
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's fifth studio album, "Disarm The Descent", sold around 48,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on April 2 via Roadrunner Records.
"Disarm The Descent" is KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's first album with original singer Jesse Leach at the vocal helm since 2002's now-classic, genre-defining "Alive or Just Breathing". Leach returned to the band in January 2012 after a decade-long absence. The artwork for the new CD was created by bassist Mike D'Antonio.


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About Greece - From $1,238.00 USD
This captivating takes you to delve into the birthplace of Western civilization by land and sea. Your 9-day commences with the opportunity to delve into ancient Greece in Athens on an included half day city tour featuring visits to the Parthenon and the fascinating Acropolis Museum. Take time to walk the pedestrian street of the old town "Plaka" and savor the flavorful authentic Greek food and lively vibe at a taverna. Next stop on this postcard perfect is Crete, where you can step back in time as you explore the Palace of Knossos and see the remnants of the island's Minoan civilization dating back to 2700 BC. Take your time to get to know Crete, the largest island in Greece, with three nights to adventure around. Sip on a glass of raki in the glistening Cretan sun on the island's beaches and take in the sweet aroma of orange blossoms in the air. Then, a short flight takes you to Rhodes, the isle of Roses, where you can enjoy leisurely walks in the old town and head to Lindos where you can climb up for spectacular Mediterranean views from the cliff-top acropolis. Beautiful beach resorts, enriching ancient ruins, and remains of its occupation by the Knights of St. John during the Crusades will mesmerize you at every turn.
Terms, conditions and restrictions apply; pricing, availability, and other details subject to change and/ or apply to US or Canadian residents. Please confirm details and booking information with your travel advisor.


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Brantley Gilbert Is Proud to Be a Mama's Boy
For most country artists, moving to Nashville is a matter of course because it simply makes sense to be right there in the middle of Music Row.
But for Brantley Gilbert, there were other factors to consider when it came time to decide whether he'd be picking up stakes and leaving his Georgia home. Like, for instance, his mama.
"When it all comes down to it, when I'm going through something I can't handle on my own she's the first person I call," Gilbert told Taste of Country during a recent interview. Asked if he'd consider himself a mama's boy, he responded, "A little bit, yes sir."
Gilbert, who recorded the track 'Indiana's Angel' about his mother for his 'Modern Day Prodigal Son' album, has come to understand some of the sacrifices she made — and grown into someone she can depend on, too.
"You know she moved out of Indiana, moved down here with my dad, didn't really have any friends, made some friends and just pretty much … My dad and her got divorced recently," said Gilbert. "And she's been pretty strong through the whole thing. I've kind of been there for her. The roles have kind of switched a little bit."
Gilbert is currently building a new home on a 12-acre plot — and yes, it's close to his mother's house, which will come in handy while he's on the road as part of this year's Taste of Country Christmas Tour and needs a dogsitter for his pet pit bull.


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mount_ufs - mount ufs file systems
mount -F ufs [generic_options] [-o specific_options] [-O] special | mount_point mount -F ufs [generic_options] [-o specific_options] [-O] special mount_point
The mount utility attaches a ufs file system to the file system hierarchy at the mount_point, which is the pathname of a directory. If mount_point has any contents prior to the mount operation, these are hidden until the file system is unmounted. If mount is invoked with special or mount_point as the only arguments, mount will search /etc/vfstab to fill in the missing arguments, including the specific_options. See mount(1M). If special and mount_point are specified without any specific_options, the default is rw. If the directory on which a file system is to be mounted is a symbolic link, the file system is mounted on the directory to which the symbolic link refers, rather than on top of the symbolic link itself.
See mount(1M) for the list of supported generic_options. The following options are supported: -o specific_options Specify ufs file system specific options in a comma-separated list with no intervening spaces. If invalid options are specified, a warning mes- sage is printed and the invalid options are ignored. The following options are available: dfratime | nodfratime By default, writing access time updates to the disk may be deferred (dfratime) for the file system until the disk is accessed for a reason other than updating access times. nodfratime disables this behavior. If power management is enabled on the sys- tem, do not set nodfratime unless noatime is also set. If you set nodfratime without setting noatime, the disk is spun up every time a file within a file system on the disk is accessed - even if the file is not modified. forcedirectio | noforcedirectio If forcedirectio is specified and supported by the file system, then for the duration of the mount, forced direct I/O will be used. If the filesystem is mounted using forcedirectio, data is transferred directly between user address space and the disk. If the filesystem is mounted using nofor- cedirectio, data is buffered in kernel address space when data is transferred between user address space and the disk. forcedirectio is a performance option that is of benefit only in large sequential data transfers. The default behavior is nofor- cedirectio. global | noglobal If global is specified and supported on the file system, and the system in question is part of a cluster, the file system will be globally visible on all nodes of the clus- ter. If noglobal is specified, the mount will not be globally visible. The default behavior is noglobal. The global option is mutually exclusive of the nbmand option, described below. intr | nointr Allow (do not allow) keyboard interrupts to kill a process that is waiting for an operation on a locked file system. The default is intr. largefiles | nolargefiles If nolargefiles is specified and supported by the file system, then for the duration of the mount it is guaranteed that all reg- ular files in the file system have a size that will fit in the smallest object of type off_t supported by the system perform- ing the mount. The mount will fail if there are any files in the file system not meet- ing this criterion. If largefiles is speci- fied, there is no such guarantee. The default behavior is largefiles. If nolargefiles is specified, mount will fail for ufs if the file system to be mounted has contained a large file (a file whose size is greater than or equal to 2 Gbyte) since the last invocation of fsck on the file system. The large file need not be present in the file system at the time of the mount for the mount to fail; it could have been created previously and des- troyed. Invoking fsck (see fsck_ufs(1M)) on the file system will reset the file system state if no large files are present. After invoking fsck, a successful mount of the file system with nolargefiles specified indicates the absence of large files in the file system; an unsuccessful mount attempt indicates the presence of at least one large file. logging | nologging If logging is specified, then logging is enabled for the duration of the mounted file system. Logging is the process of storing transactions (changes that make up a complete UFS operation) in a log before the transactions are applied to the file system. Once a transaction is stored, the transaction can be applied to the file sys- tem later. This prevents file systems from becoming inconsistent, therefore eliminat- ing the need to run fsck. And, because fsck can be bypassed, logging reduces the time required to reboot a system if it crashes, or after an unclean halt. The default behavior is logging for all UFS file systems. The log is allocated from free blocks in the file system, and is sized approximately 1 Mbyte per 1 Gbyte of file system, up to a maximum of 64 Mbytes. Logging is enabled on any UFS file system, including root (/), except under the fol- lowing conditions: o When logging is specifically dis- abled. o If there is insufficient file system space for the log. In this case, the following message is displayed and file system is still mounted: # mount /dev/dsk/c0t4d0s0 /mnt /mnt: No space left on device Could not enable logging for /mnt on /dev/dsk/c0t4d0s0. The log created by UFS logging is continually flushed as it fills up. The log is totally flushed when the file system is unmounted or as a result of the lockfs -f command. m Mount the file system without making an entry in /etc/mnttab. nbmand | nonbmand This option specifies that non-blocking mandatory locking semantics should be allowed on this file system. Non-blocking mandatory locking is disallowed by default. If the file system is mounted with the nbmand option, then applications can use the fcntl(2) interface to place non- blocking mandatory locks on files and the system will enforce those semantics. Ena- bling this option can cause standards con- formant applications to see unexpected errors. Do not use the nbmand option with /, /var and /usr. The remount option should not be used to change the nbmand disposition of the file system. The nbmand option is mutually exclusive of the global option, described above. noatime By default, the file system is mounted with normal access time (atime) recording. If noatime is specified, the file system will ignore access time updates on files, except when they coincide with updates to the ctime or mtime. See stat(2). This option reduces disk activity on file systems where access times are unimportant (for example, a Usenet news spool). noatime turns off access time recording regardless of dfratime or nodfratime. The POSIX standard requires that access times be marked on files. -noatime ignores them unless the file is also modified. onerror = action This option specifies the action that UFS should take to recover from an internal inconsistency on a file system. Specify action as panic, lock, or umount. These values cause a forced system shutdown, a file system lock to be applied to the file system, or the file system to be forcibly unmounted, respectively. The default is panic. quota Quotas are turned on for the file system. remount Remounts a file system with a new set of options. All options not explicitly set with remount revert to their default values. rq Read-write with quotas turned on. Equivalent to rw, quota. ro | rw Read-only or read-write. Default is rw. suid | nosuid Allow or disallow setuid/setgid execution. The default is suid. This option also allows/disallows opening any device-special entries that appear within the filesystem. This option is highly recommended whenever the file system is shared via NFS with the root= option, because, without it, NFS clients could add setuid programs to the server, or create devices that could open security holes. -O Overlay mount. Allow the file system to be mounted over an existing mount point, making the underlying file system inaccessible. If a mount is attempted on a pre-existing mount point without setting this flag, the mount will fail, producing the error "device busy". The mount_ufs command supports the xattr flag, to allow the creation and manipulation of extended attributes. See fsattr(5) for a description of extended attributes. The xattr flag is always on.
When a UFS file system is mounted with logging enabled, file system transactions that free blocks from files might not actually add those freed blocks to the file system's free list until some unspecified time in the future. This behavior improves file system performance but does not con- form to the POSIX, Single UNIX Specification, SPARC Confor- mance Definition, System V Application Binary Interface, System V Interface Definition, and X/Open Portability Guide Standards, which require that freed space be available immediately. To enable standards conformance regarding file deletions or to address the problem of not being able to grow files on a relatively full UFS file system even after files have been deleted, disable UFS logging.
/etc/mnttab table of mounted file systems /etc/vfstab list of default parameters for each file system
See attributes(5) for descriptions of the following attri- butes: ____________________________________________________________ | ATTRIBUTE TYPE | ATTRIBUTE VALUE | |_____________________________|_____________________________| | Availability | SUNWcsu | |_____________________________|_____________________________|
fsck(1M), fsck_ufs(1M), mount(1M), mountall(1M), fcntl(2), mount(2), stat(2), mnttab(4), vfstab(4), attributes(5), fsattr(5), largefile(5)
Since the root (/) file system is mounted read-only by the kernel during the boot process, only the remount option (and options that can be used in conjunction with remount) affect the root (/) entry in the /etc/vfstab file. File system transactions that free blocks from files might not immediately add the freed blocks to the file system's free list. This behavior occurs in a system that has a UFS file system mounted with logging enabled. This behavior improves file system performance, but does not conform to the following standards: o POSIX, Single UNIX Specification o SPARC Conformance Definition o System V Application Binary Interface o System V Interface Definition o X/Open Portability Guide These standards require that freed space be available immediately. Consider disabling UFS logging under the following condi- tions: o You want to enable standards conformance regarding file deletions. o You encounter problems creating or growing files immediately after files have been deleted on a rela- tively full file system.


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As used in this article, unless a different meaning appears from the context:
(a) "Director" means the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources or his or her designee.
(b) "Limited and intermittent nursing care" means direct hands on nursing care of an individual who needs no more than two hours of nursing care per day for a period of no longer than ninety consecutive days per episode, which may only be provided when the need for such care meets the following factors: (1) The resident requests to remain in the home; (2) the resident is advised of the availability of other specialized health care facilities to treat his or her condition; and (3) the need for such care is the result of a medical pathology or a result of normal aging process. Limited and intermittent nursing care shall be provided under the supervision of a registered professional nurse and in accordance with rules promulgated by the director.
(c) "Nursing care" means those procedures commonly employed in providing for the physical, emotional and rehabilitational needs of the ill or otherwise incapacitated which require technical skills and knowledge beyond that which the untrained person possesses, including, but not limited to, such procedures as: Irrigations; catheterization; special procedures contributing to rehabilitation; and administration of medication by any method prescribed by a physician which involves a level of complexity and skill in administration not possessed by the untrained person.
(d) "Personal assistance" means personal services, including, but not limited to, the following: Help in walking, bathing, dressing, feeding or getting in or out of bed, or supervision required because of the age or physical or mental impairment of the resident.
(e) "Resident" means an individual who is provided services, whether or not for a fee, by a service provider, but resident does not include a person receiving services provided by another who is related to him or her or the spouse thereof by blood or marriage, within the degree of consanguinity of the second cousin. Residents, who are incapable of self-preservation, shall be housed only on a ground floor level of the home with direct egress to the outside. A registered unlicensed health care home shall: (1) Provide residents at the time of admission with the name, address and telephone number of the offices of health facility licensure and certification, the state long-term care ombudsman, and adult protective services, all within the Department of Health and Human Resources; and (2) advise residents both orally and in writing of their right to file a complaint with the aforementioned entities.
(f) "Self-preservation" means that a person is at least capable of removing him or her self from situations involving imminent danger, such as fire.
(g) "Service provider" means the individual administratively responsible for providing to consumers for a period of more than twenty-four hours, whether for compensation or not, services of personal assistance for one to three residents and who may require limited and intermittent nursing care, including those individuals who qualify for and are receiving services coordinated by a licensed hospice: Provided, That services utilizing equipment which requires auxiliary electrical power in the event of a power failure may not be used unless the home has a backup power generator.


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BBC News
- Coronavirus: Year groups kept isolated in back-to-school plan
- Coronavirus: UK travel quarantine rules 'not worth it', says Theresa Villiers
- Coronavirus: Leicester schoolchildren kept at home in local lockdown
- Haile Selassie: Statue of former Ethiopian leader destroyed in London park
- Pubs in Wales to open outdoors from 13 July
- Man charged with murdering sisters in Wembley park
- Coronavirus: Scottish government to announce 2m rule decision
- Meghan felt 'unprotected' amid 'false' media claims, court documents suggest
- Stars back plea to support UK live music industry
- Bristol balloon fiesta flypast to take place over city
- Loot boxes: Lords call for 'immediate' gambling regulation
- Lockdown: Suicide fears soar in LGBT community
- Coronavirus: Why has Bedford got a high infection rate?
- Local lockdowns: Misleading claims circulate online
- Coronavirus: How will local lockdowns work?
- Coronavirus: Cross-border 'cluster' of virus cases investigated
- Leicester lockdown: Boundary line branded 'stupid' by residents
- First pantomimes cancelled ahead of make-or-break Christmas for theatres
- Coronavirus: Frailty 'indicator' to survival
- Coronavirus: The town housing rough sleepers in student digs
- Period poverty: Rise in free sanitary products needed in lockdown
- The unlikely key workers
- Coronavirus: Snacking and family meals increase in lockdown
- Coronavirus: Lockdown boosts Couch to 5K downloads
- Coronavirus: Kate Silverton on her fear for children's mental health
- The new cinema seating plans
- Coronavirus grief: 'Lockdown makes a bizarre situation ten times worse'
- Leicester lockdown: Oadby 'guilty by association'
- Russia report: Intelligence committee faces credibility challenge
- Councils 'need culture change' to boost diversity, campaigner says
- Warnings curry houses may not reopen after lockdown
- 999 Cenotaph: Planned Emergency Services Memorial updated to include PPE
- MOT to SORN: How to get your car out of lockdown
- 'This is most informative interview I've done all day'
- Rise in LGBT people seeking suicide prevention during lockdown
- Tony Hudgell raises £1m walking 10km on prosthetic legs
- Newspaper headlines: Hong Kong law and 'lost NHS heroes'
- Bobby Storey funeral fallout likely to dominate executive meeting
- Grange University Hospital: Cwmbran's £350m facility could open early
- Killer Brett Rogers' mum had 'no choice' in having him back home
Local Pubs in TRETOWER:
BeerInTheEvening.com search for pubs in TRETOWER
TheGoodPubGuide.co.uk search for pubs in TRETOWER


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City of GlendoraHome Menu
Strategic Plan
|It Started with a Vision…
1904 Athena Club establishes free community reading room
|Grew With the Community…
1930 Glendora Library Staff
|Became a Symbol of Glendora's Heart and Soul…
1972 to present: Glendora Public Library and Cultural Center
Glendora Public Library and Cultural Center
Plan of Service 2006-2010
Library Mission
The Glendora Public Library and Cultural Center enriches the community by connecting people to the world of ideas, information and imagination to support their work, education, personal growth, and enjoyment. The library stimulates civic involvement and is a symbol of the community's well-being.
The Planning Process
The Glendora Public Library embarked on a two year strategic planning process in 2004. A committee comprised of members of the community, Friends Foundation, Library Trustees and library staff explored current and projected demographics, trends, strengths and weaknesses of the library, as well as the roles and services of the library.
Focus groups were convened in 2005 representing key segments of the community: teens, seniors, schools/parents, service/business organizations, and the faith community. Feedback was gathered on what library services they expected or desired from their public library and how well services were currently being delivered. After the conclusion of the focus group meetings, two open community meetings were held to gain a broader perspective and to help prioritize responses. Several meetings with the library staff were also conducted to fold in their valuable, frontline insights and provide feedback on the community's input.
The Library Board of Trustees reviewed and identified key service areas and roles for the library to focus on based upon the information and feedback gathered by the strategic planning committee. They are: self-directed personal growth for all ages (Lifelong Learning); and responding to the demand for information about popular culture, social trends and recreational experiences through the library's collections and programming (Current Topics and Titles). The plan resulting from this wide and varied input will guide library services and resource allocations and it is intended that the plan will be reviewed and updated annually.
The Findings
It was found that Glendorans closely mirrored national priorities for public library services. (Marist Institute for Public Opinion: The Public Library: A National Survey , Nov. 2003). The priorities identified by the citizens of Glendora are: programs and services for children, technology, accessibility, a comfortable environment, customer service-oriented and competent staff, good collections in a variety of formats, cultural programs for all ages and outreach into, and partnerships with, the community.
The expanding of technological applications will be a major focus in responding to the current and future needs of Glendorans. More resources will be made accessible via the website making them available to Glendorans from home, office or school at any time of the day or night. Staff training in using, promoting, and instructing the public in electronic resources will become a priority.
An additional area will be promotion of the library and its services. Comments were made by the public that the library was the 'best kept secret' in town. Many of the services and resources identified as desired by the community are currently offered at the library. New and innovative techniques will be explored to further enhance the library's visibility which will include the use of e-mail and cable television. In concert with these innovative techniques, the utilization of traditional methods that are currently in place will continue to be used such as newsletters, press releases, newspaper articles, presentations to community groups, and the library's website.
Key Service Areas 2006-2010
The Glendora Public Library and Cultural Center supports self-directed personal growth and development, lifelong learning, for all ages. This includes:
- Staff knowledgeable in subjects and topics of interest to the community and able to provide expert assistance in locating materials of all types and formats;
- Collections that are easily accessible and organized to encourage browsing;
- In-depth collections and resources in areas of special interest to Glendorans;
- Access to collections and resources from home, work, school or other venue through the appropriate use of technology;
- Programs and resources that encourage and support informal learning from introducing children to the joy of reading to more structured adult literacy services;
- Individual and group meeting and/or study areas;
- Outreach into, and partnerships with, different segments of the community to promote lifelong learning and library services and resources.
The Glendora Public Library and Cultural Center strives to fulfill our community's appetite for current information about popular culture, social trends and recreational experiences through its collections and programming. This includes:
- Staff knowledgeable about popular culture and literature;
- Collections that reflect the community's interests and in a variety of formats with enough copies to meet demand;
- Programs and exhibits that reflect community interests and stimulate dialogue;
- A pleasant environment with warm and friendly staff that facilitates community interaction and browsing of the collections.
Library Strategic Planning Committee Members:
- Jim Theel, President, Glendora Public Library Board of Trustees, Committee Chair
- Ed Tronaas, Educator, Focus Group Facilitator
- Gordon Trask, President, Glendora Public Library Friends Foundation
- Sylvia Slakey, Glendora Public Library Board of Trustees
- Anne Pankow, Development and Educational Services Manager, Glendora Public Library
- Suzette Farmer, Staff Member, Glendora Public Library
- Robin Weed-Brown, Library Director, Glendora Public Library
Glendora Public Library Board of Trustees:
- Jim Theel, President
- Sandra Freeman, Vice-President
- Don Fields
- Doug Hodson
- Sylvia Slakey
A Special Thank You to Elke Cathel, Administrative Assistant , Glendora Public Library, who booked rooms, contacted participants, wrote letters, made signs, transcribed pages and pages of flip chart notes, and generally kept us all on track!
Goals and Objectives
Expand virtual/electronic access to library services and resources:
- Launch and Promote new library website and URL (web address) www.glendoralibrary.org; Summer 2006
- Train staff on new databases available for public; Summer 2006
- Begin promotion to, and training for, public targeting key user groups based on database content (e.g.: BusinessDecisions database promoted to business community; California Missions database to students); Fall 2006
- Purchase and promote audio downloads, books and/or music; Fall 2006
- Purchase and promote Reference e-titles (reference materials in electronic form); Winter 2007
Readers Advisory:
Expand training for staff to increase skills; August 2006
Reader's Advisory module purchased and incorporated into the library's web-based catalog assisting the public in what to read next based on genre, subject, author, etc., of the last read; e.g., "If you liked Harry Potter try."; Fall 2006
Restructure programming:
- Add second children's sessions where needed beginning with Summer Reading Club programs; Summer 2006
- Transfer Adult and Young Adult programming to Development and Educational Services staff, (except Summer Reading and Books Alive! programs); July 2006
PR and Outreach:
- Channel 3 cable programs produced to promote programs and services to community beginning with adult literacy and homebound services; Winter 2007
- Expand presentations to community groups on library services and programs; Fall 2006
- Implement e-mail option for library patrons for holds, and related account management and to expand promotion of library programs; Summer 2006
- Promote Friends Bookstore remodel and relocation; Summer 2006
- Begin implementation of main floor layout remodel to respond to community input gathered in strategic planning process; August 2006
- Move tech center to west side of building and consolidate with other computers and breakdown current tech center;
- Relocate Reference desk to former bookstore area;
- Create quiet, comfortable reading area for public surrounding planter, former tech center and turn planter into focal point-sculpture/art work, water element, etc.;
- Add shelving to relieve congestion and accommodate remodel; Winter 2007
- Begin replacement of 20 study carrels that are 35 years old, worn and splintered; Winter 2007
- Create and expand, online tutorials on library resources for patrons;
- Implement Public Library Association's "Every Child Ready to Read" early literacy program for children from birth to 5 years;
- Purchase and implement Polaris (library's web-based catalog) Kid's Catalog module;
- Plan and implement one book discussion group for youth to gauge interest/demand;
- New copier service; City-wide issue;
- Continue internal layout remodel:
- Move community bulletin board and related agency pamphlet to lobby;
- Turn former bulletin board area into bookstore-like New Books area-improved lighting, face-out shelving, chairs;
- Continue replacing study carrels;
- Continue to add shelving and relocate materials as needed to accommodate remodel;
- Begin planning for expanded children's area-story time room to respond to community input, accommodate increased usage and reduce noise on main floor;
- Replace circulation desk and security system to respond to ADA and ergonomic issues;
- Forum upgrade: projection equipment, storage space, speakers/audio equipment, conferencing equipment replaced/upgraded;
- Improve subject headings on stack ends to facilitate independent use of library when all additional shelving is in place;
- Build children's room expansion


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"The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of Christmas." [W. C. Jones]
I love the Christmas lights. There are so many beautiful colors, no longer just the red, green, blue and yellow. There are purple, pink and a huge array of vivid twinkling colors. We walked down to Indian creek with Rosie last night to enjoy the beautiful lights and I thought I would share out city's version of Christmas.
With that I leave you with Journey….
Related articles
- Christmas Lights From Around The World (freepeople.com)
- Lebanon: Christmas lights (sethsnap.com)
- Magic Christmas in Lights Opens (wkrg.com)


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Welcome to DW Insider, your
inside source for Disney World information online .
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whether you are looking for the full Disney
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There is so much to see and
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Purchase discount restaurant certificates for Orlando area restaurants at Restaurant.com - use zip code 32830 for the Orlando area.
If you are planning to take in other Orlando area attractions, be sure to learn about the Orlando Go Card.
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Disney World Information by DW Insider. All rights reserved
Site Map
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with, authorized or endorsed by, or in any way officially
connected with The Walt Disney Company or any of their affiliates.


text:
Calendar of Trips
The Olivia Experience
Why Olivia
Group Travel
Sisters at Sea
Military Discount
Airfare Specials
Payment Plans
Win a Vacation
Request a Catalog
(800) 631-6277
8:30am-5:30pm Pacific
In 2005, Olivia was ranked No. 2 for companies with under 100 employees in the Best Places to Work in the Bay Area competition as voted by its employees. This score reflects how our employees feel about working at Olivia. We're a profitable, fun, exciting, rapidly growing, life styles company specializing in unique travel events, and future plans include a retirement community. Olivia provides an award winning place to work, world-class travel, and life changing experiences for our guests. Olivia is looking for exceptional individuals who are interested in helping us grow by providing unique and memorable experiences for its travelers.
At Olivia, all employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, national origin/ancestry, religion, gender, gender identity and/or expression, age, disability, medical condition/pregnancy, sexual orientation, marital status, domestic partner status, military status or any other characteristic protected by law. We treat all employees with sensitivity and respect, regardless of physical or mental disability. Olivia will make reasonable accommodations for employees to perform the essential functions of their jobs on a case-by-case basis using local, state and federal guidelines.
Besides our unique environment, we offer full time employees competitive salaries, 401(k) including qualified matching, vacation, medical, dental, vision benefits, commuting subsides, life insurance, long term disability and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and many sponsored employee activities. We are an equal-opportunity employer.
At Olivia, our philosophy for our guests is to "feel free" and for our employees is to "be me." Our culture is one where everyone feels welcomed, valued, part of the team, excited about the ideas they share, and career opportunities open to them. Our company was founded on diversity. Respecting individual differences is the foundation of Olivia's diversity program. Be me, means to, be unique, be respectful, be proud and, most of all, be open to embrace everyone's individual greatness. We promote and support diversity through training, mentoring and the daily celebration of it.
If you are interested in working for Olivia, please read the information below which explains our employment process.
Olivia's corporate office is headquartered in San Francisco in the SOMA/South Beach area. Olivia periodically has open positions available in this office. We hire only individuals to work in our Headquarter Office. Resumes can only be accepted for posted open positions.
For all open positionsPlease submit a cover letter and current resume to email@example.com, making sure to include the title of the open position in the subject line.
General resumes or resumes without a position specified cannot be considered.
If you are interested in becoming a server, massage therapist, bartender, etc., on one of the many cruise ships or at one of the vacation destinations, you must apply to work directly with the company that operates that ship or facility. Existing cruise and resort staff are supplemented with Olivia employees who manage coordination of the events. Please contact the company directly for a list of their employment opportunities. Olivia is not involved in these hiring decisions.
Some of the companies* we use are:
*This list is subject to change.
Are you an artist or do you represent an artist who is interested in performing on an Olivia vacation? If so, please send an electronic press kit and a current audio and/or video recording of a recent live performance to firstname.lastname@example.com. If you prefer to send your material via post, please send to:
We love hearing from you, but due to the large volume of materials we receive, we are unable to confirm their receipt or provide updates. If there is a performance opportunity we think will be perfect for you, we'll contact you to discuss it! Please keep in mind that performance opportunities are limited by the number of events Olivia produces each year. We thank you for your interest in working with Olivia. We love our entertainers (and so do our guests).
Sincerely,The Olivia Team
All guests traveling with Olivia must be 21 years or older.


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16 April 2012
Another World
by Fran Rizer
17 comments:
I am so sorry about your mom. Losing a parent is such a hard thing, but it sounds as if you have good memories and happy thoughts of her, so she will always be in your mind in a good way.
- 16 April, 2012 08:14
- David Dean said...
On some level; and if only in momentary glimpses, your mother knows that you are there, Fran...and is glad. There are few greater gifts than that of a loving daughter or son--your mother has been greatly blessed in that regard.
- 16 April, 2012 08:53
My heart goes out to you.
- 16 April, 2012 09:23
- Dale Andrews said...
So sorry for what you (all) are going through. We went through this with my mother two years ago. Life just doesn't dish out happy endings.
- 16 April, 2012 09:34
Last month I JJlost a sister who suffered Alzheimer's. Ten days later my wife's brother died. So I know what you are going through. You have done all you can. Take comfort in that.
- 16 April, 2012 12:29
- Leigh Lundin said...
Fran, from those who've seen this and from those who haven't, our hearts reach out to you and your mom. My friend Steve makes a two hour round trip to visit his mother 3-4 times a month, a mother that hasn't recognized him in years. It's what it says about him… and you.
And that's no fiction.
- 16 April, 2012 13:38
- John Floyd said...
Fran, I'm SO sorry to hear that news. My wife and I have been through this now with three of our four parents. It's one of the hardest things in the world.
- 16 April, 2012 14:17
- Elizabeth Zelvin said...
Thanks for sharing what you and your mom are going through so movingly and honestly, Fran. My husband and I have been through it six times--both parents and an elderly aunt with dementia for each of us. It is tough no matter how it happens.
- 16 April, 2012 15:13
- Eve Fisher said...
It's a hard time, and all you can do is go through it. Prayers are with you.
- 16 April, 2012 17:09
- Velma said...
Fran, how is the 'c' in surcie pronounced?
- 16 April, 2012 18:18
- Fran Rizer said...
Thanks for your comments. I didn't write this for sympathy. I started out to write about creating fictional settings, but my heart took over from my brain, and then I didn't get back to finish or illustrate the blog so I just added the poem bit which is a favorite of mine.
Actually, I went through this type situation at 21 with my mother-in-law, a year later with my father-in-law, later with my dad and favorite aunt and uncle. Somehow, it's a lot harder now. Perhaps because she's my mother, though truth be known, I'm a whole lot more like my dad than my mom.(My mom never smoked a cigarette or danced in her life. I used to say I did enough of that stuff for both of us during my youth. She'd never tasted wine until we converted from Baptist to Lutheran.)
I'm also older and less able to physically handle being here all the time, and her condition has caused my mom, who never cursed in her life, to develop a drunk sailor's vocabulary, which I'd love to hear now that she lies silent.
Velma, Surcie is pronounced with a soft c, with both the s and the c being an s sound as sir-see.
May each of you have many happy surcies in your life and give out surcies of your own.
- 16 April, 2012 20:06
- Robert Lopresti said...
Fran, words fail me, although they clearly don't fail you. May you keep finding strength.
- 16 April, 2012 21:48
- Dixon Hill said...
Fran, this was very moving. I know what you're going through.
Hang in there,
- 17 April, 2012 01:23
- alisa said...
I am going to readily admit I cried when I read this. I lost my mother when she was 59 to Ahlzeimer's though she didn't pass till she was 67. I finally learned to greet my new mother each time I met her. You have a good heart which was passed to you by a good mom. Take care.
- 19 April, 2012 10:47
- Jennifer said...
- 22 April, 2012 09:55
- Jennifer said...
- 22 April, 2012 09:56
- natalie said...
am sorry to hear this. Continue to pray as we did for you and for your mother. Don't lost hope everything happen for a reasoncheaper limo rate in Charleston south carolina
- 24 April, 2012 03:43


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California lawmakers have figured out how to balance the budget and that is bad news for students at California universities.
The 2011-12 plan will cut $650 million each from the California State University and the University of California school systems. That is $150 million more than previously projected.
The cuts mean the CSU system will consider raising tuition before the fall semester, according to the Sacramento Bee. The paper was told the new increase would be around 12%. That is on top of the 10% already approved to go into effect this fall.
The UC system has not said how much tuition will rise, but President Mark Yudof told the Bee, "We cannot stand silent." UC fees are already supposed to rise 8% in the fall.
As for community colleges, fees are expected to go up $10 a unit this fall.
The budget is based on some optimistic revenue projections. If those do not come through, it could mean further cuts to the education system in December.


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August 01, 2018
Events happening today
16 June 2020 11:00 PM 17 June 2020 02:00 AM
This event repeats every week on Tuesday forever
((The Weary Traveler is a player-run Inn and Lounge that serves as an Open, Walk-Up RP hub for roleplayers of TN-RH Alliance. If you are new to roleplaying (or to roleplaying in this server or faction) and would like to network with other guilds and roleplayers in the server, this weekly event is for you!
The property is located on Cut-Throat Alley in the Dwarven District of Stormwind City.
The campus consists of the Shady Lady Tavern for drinks and typical tavern interactions, the Alley for outdoor strolls and conversations, and then the empty building which ICly serves as the Weary Traveler Inn. The inn contains ample seating, Hors d'oeuvres sold by RPed innkeeping staff, and has one room for rent on a first-come first-served basis.
The space is ICly open 24/7 for players' IC needs, but the formal timeslot in which the Innkeeping Staff will be online to roleplay and host the hub is on every Tuesday night at 7pm server. Prior to starting time, reminders shall be broadcasted on the /RP chat channel as well as the Blizzard channels, with the hope to encourage hesitant RPers to have the more frequent and consistent roleplaying opportunities.
All roleplayers that are merchant, service, or mercenary in nature are welcome to utilize the space to advertise their work without requiring OOC permission. Guilds are also welcomed to use the area to advertise their organization ICly to potential recruits and new RPers.
Please contact Innkeeping Staff members if you or your organization ICly and actively uses the Cut-Throat Alley space for your current roleplay. We will do everything in our power to fairly share the OOC space available while accommodating both properties to exist in lore.
The Innkeeping Staff reserves the right to advise, warn, and report attendees who grief roleplay or otherwise maliciously infringe on the Blizzard Terms of Service for an roleplaying server, found here https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/300463 and here https://us.battle.net/support/en/article/200475.
If you are interested in formally joining the Weary Traveler's staff, please contact Tuuroto-TwistingNether or any member of the guild "Cup and Blade Caravan." The Weary Traveler is staffed by OOC members of the Cup and Blade Caravan but is not directly affiliated with the Caravan ICly.
A special thanks to Tahzani and all the folks from the Horde-side RP community who have made the Coldstar Cantina successful. It is our hope to emulate their success in order to keep Alliance RP vibrant now, through Legion, and onward.
For all other questions, please contact Tuuroto-TwistingNether))
Community Calendar 0 Comments


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By MARC KOVAC
Dix Capital Bureau
COLUMBUS -- The race for governor pits a Republican who wants to decrease the size of government, increase access to job training programs and cut citizens' tax burdens against a Democratic incumbent who says he's already done those things.
One wants to privatize the Ohio Department of Development, replacing the public agency with a nonprofit board. The other says that move would lead to conflicts of interest and state-issued bonuses to private individuals.
And then there's the $8 billion question -- that is, how exactly will the state's next chief executive deal with a budget hole, the result of using federal stimulus and other one-time monies to maintain agency work and services over the current biennium.
Neither Gov. Ted Strickland nor his challenger, John Kasich, are offering many specifics on their plans for handling that issue.
But the two have spent recent months trying to convince voters to rely on their past actions in elected office as a gauge for how they will tackle budget shortfalls and policy issues.
"I've dealt with extremely difficult circumstances, and I have made very difficult decisions," Strickland said. " ... I think I've acted responsibly, and I think I have managed the affairs of this state responsibly during a very, very difficult period of time economically. Going forward, I will continue to exercise the same kind of good judgment and priority setting that I have in the past four years."
"I've written 13 budgets -- I was budget committee chairman, and I spent 10 years of my life trying to balance the federal budget, " Kasich said of his background in Congress. "... I went through every single program of the federal government. If it worked, we made it better. If it didn't work, we got rid of it. If we could combine it, we combined it.
"We had a $3 trillion 10-year projected deficit (when I started). When I left in 2000 after laying down the balanced budget act, which I was the chief architect of, we had a $5 trillion surplus."
Strickland and Kasich are the two major party candidates on the ballot. Others running in the gubernatorial election are Dennis Spisak (Green Party), Ken Matesz (Libertarian) and David Sargent (write-in candidate).
'Flat-out wrong'
Strickland is quick to point out the accomplishments of his first term.
He pushed for education reform, signing into law an evidence-based model that proponents believe will provide the resources schools need without relying on ever-increasing property taxes.
He worked with lawmakers to finalize law changes to make the state more attractive for emerging advanced and renewable energy industries, including a recent solar project in southeastern Ohio projected to create hundreds of jobs.
He spearheaded an expansion of the homestead tax exemption to cover more senior and disabled homeowners.
And he's mostly continued the tax reform timetable implemented under the prior Republican administration.
Strickland also says he's reduced the size and scope of government, cutting the state's work force by about 5,000 employees and eliminating more than 200 business regulations.
"Some of my agencies are operating with about 70 percent of what they had available to them in prior budgets," he said.
Strickland also points to difficult decisions he has made to ensure a balanced state budget. He asked for and accepted federal stimulus funding. He attempted a plan to place lottery-controlled slot machines at horse racing tracks, only to have the move blocked by a court challenge. With the backing of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and other business groups (the same ones that are now backing his opponent), Strickland froze the final year of a phased-in income tax reduction.
Kasich has been critical of some of those actions, saying the latter amounted to a tax increase at a time when state government should be cutting such costs to its citizens and businesses.
The governor has called such characterizations of his decisions as "simply inaccurate" and "not grounded in fact."
"Mr. Kasich says a lot of things that I disagree with, obviously," Strickland said. "... I think he's talking irresponsibly. He says he doesn't want federal assistance. He says he's going to begin reducing the state income tax. He says he's going to immediately eliminate the estate tax. And he has signed a pledge that he will never support any increased revenue. ... I just think Mr. Kasich is flat-out wrong."
'Dead wrong'
Kasich declined when asked to respond to Strickland's critique of his ideas, focusing his comments instead on several policy proposals he plans to implement if elected in November.
Those initiatives include:
-- Revamping Ohio's regulatory environment: "Between the paperwork and contradictory directions from people inside the government, it's become very, very difficult in Ohio for small businesses to be successful," he said. "... We need to protect health and safety, but it should not be inconsistent with economic growth and job creation."
-- Controlling workers compensation costs: "They gyrate and skyrocket, and they are unpredictable," he said. "That system needs to be stabilized."
-- Widening the reach of Ohio's job training programs: "If there's a state where we need to train people, it's in Ohio."
-- Spinning off the existing Ohio Department of Development into a nonprofit controlled by a board of individuals appointed by the governor. Kasich believes the board would be able to respond more quickly and effectively when companies are considering expanding or relocating in the state.
(Strickland rejects that idea: "A CEO's primary fiduciary obligation is to their investors, not to the people of Ohio or the state of Ohio," he said. "So I don't know how a CEO could really function without having a serious conflict of interest. What if there's a company that wants to come in and set up a competing operation against one of the individuals that's on that board?")
No new taxes?
But the centerpiece of Kasich's campaign is his pledge to reduce Ohio's tax rates, including the eventual elimination of the income and estate taxes.
"We need to reduce taxes, and we need to reduce the size of government," Kasich said, adding later, "If we think that raising taxes is going to get us out of this ditch, we're dead wrong."
Strickland and Kasich appear to agree raising taxes now would have a devastating effect on households and businesses.
But Strickland is leaving that option on the table going into the next budget cycle.
"You never know what may happen," the governor said. "... I think raising taxes under the circumstances could have the effect of depressing the recovery or even resulting in what's referred to as a double dip."
In recent days, Kasich repeated his no tax pledge.
"We're driving people out," he said of the need to reduce taxes quickly. But he added, "All things in its time. You can't just kill taxes without downsizing. ... This is a goal and it's a process. You don't just slash things. ... It is a consistent effort -- lower overhead, lower taxes, generate more revenue."
No answers (yet)
The next governor, whether a re-elected Strickland or newly elected Kasich, will have to deal with a purported $8 billion gap in the next state budget.
Both televised debates between the two candidates included questions seeking specifics on how they would fill that hole, and Statehouse reporters have asked repeatedly for answers to similar questions.
Neither candidate, however, will say what they plan to do.
"You don't release it chapter by chapter," Kasich said. "The governor's budget person can't even tell you how far we're in the hole. So until I know the revenues, I can't give you some partial picture of what I'm going to do."
"I don't know that it's going to be $8 billion," Strickland of the budget gap. "But it's going to be a huge challenge."
Kasich has mentioned cost-cutting in the state's Medicaid spending, determining the real value of state-owned assets and pushing more shared services among schools and local governments as a partial means of dealing with budget issues.
"How many superintendents do we need in one county?" he asked. "How many principals, assistant principals, curriculum advisers, outreach community people? ... We need to share."
"I will continue, as I have, to advocate for additional federal resources until the effects of this recession lift," Strickland said. "I think that's reasonable (though) I don't think that the state of Ohio or any other state should expect (federal stimulus) on an ongoing basis."
And without federal help? "It will require massive, massive reductions in state government -- in the state government that I contend has already been reduced," Strickland said. "... The fat has been squeezed out of this budget. Now, is it possible to further cut? Absolutely, you can always cut more. Is it possible to cut while continuing to provide the services that the people of this state expect from their state government? I don't think so."
Strickland also said he has taken steps to pinpoint ways to reduce spending in the areas that account for much of the budget: Medicaid, education and prisons.
He's asked outside groups to study the state's Medicaid, K-12 and justice system policies to find cost savings. The chancellor of higher education is heading a comparable study of the state's university system.
Strickland and Kasich agree on the need for prison sentencing reform, an issue that has stalled in the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate.
"We want to make sure that people are confined," Kasich said. "... We have to take a look at that. It's common sense. ... But you don't want to over-confine somebody that costs the taxpayer a fortune when we could have them in a better setting where we're safe."
"I can tell you, we have too many people in prison, it's costing us too much money," Strickland said. "It's an irrational system we have in place. (Nonviolent offenders are) staying for nine months, and we're training them how to be a better criminal, quite frankly."
Marc Kovac is the Dix Capital Bureau Chief. E-mail him at email@example.com or on Twitter at OhioCapitalBlog.


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No worries ... with a week to spare, I was able to finish up all of the blocks this past weekend. Here are the blocks I've made since my last update:
- First, a block for Ashley. She sent an inspired (and inspiring!) selection of browns, whites, and teal greens with lime accents. I decided to go kinda improv on this one, with intentionally wonky horizontal stripes. I had a lot of fun selecting some coordinating prints (mostly from the "Nest" line) from my stash. It's one of my favorites!!
- Next up, two blocks for whoopdedoo_5. I've been wanting to try making some string blocks, and I felt that this selection of Surf & Sand fabrics was the perfect place to start. I loved making this block and I love the end result even more. I'll be making more blocks like this, so don't be surprised when you see them!
- Here's a block for thatbluesea. I wanted to keep it simple and let the teal and red combo speak for itself. I love the look but, unfortunately, it's not quite finishing out at a nice, clean 12.5". I think I'll be making a second (replacement) block before sending this back, just in case.
- Next, a block for swap hostess (and SewConnected regular!) Audrey. I felt like the fun, vintage-y fabrics called for a more traditional block. The colors look so great together, don't they?! I tried to make Audrey a bonus block (below), but ran out of enough long strips of fabric to put a top and bottom border on it. I sent it anyway ... I thought Audrey could finish it up if she likes it, or use it for another purpose.
- The block below was made for libbyk. Her fabrics selection included a bunch of black and white prints (very much outside my usual comfort zone) and a splash of color. I hope she likes it!
- And finally, two batik beauties for 1b1g1k2. You know, I've never really been drawn to batiks. Of course, I've seen many of your beautiful quilts made from batiks on your blogs and Flickr streams, but for some reason I tend to always walk right by them in the store. But I started feeling a small itch when working with Kim's fabrics in the SewConnected 2 swap. The itch grew a lot when making these two blocks, and just the other day I found myself lingering on the batik pages of the latest Hancock's of Paducah catalog. I LOVE how these blocks came out ... especially the first one. The pictures really don't do the bright colors any justice. I think there will be a batik project in my future ...


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The Columbus GA SQL Users Group will be hosting their first ever SQL Saturday on September 8th 2012 at Columbus State University. We currently have 5 classrooms reserved and have the ability to add a couple more if needed. Each room holds over 40 people so our current capacity is 200 attendees.
SQL Saturday's are a free event for attendees. Anyone can attend and get free Microsoft SQL Server training. If our event is like all overs we will have a nice selection of sessions to pick from. Topics of interest will include database administration, business intelligence, power shell and professional development.
I have been involved with helping to organize the last two SQL Saturday's in Atlanta GA and have spoken at eleven SQL Saturday's since Jan 2011. I am hoping that through my involvement in other events that myself and my leadership team here in Columbus GA can pull of a very successful event for our local SQL Community and help grow the Columbus GA SQL Users Group. Currently the only other event on this day is SQL Saturday #162 in Cambridge and a few friends have already submitted to that event. If I had the funds I would be there too. Would love to see my UK buddies.
Here's to happy planning.


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From it's completion in 1913 until about 1930, the Woolworth Building, funded by all those drugstore nickels and dimes across the country, was the world's tallest. A "cathedral of commerce" it was promptly dubbed, and a monument it truly is. The entire facade is clad in white terracotta, intricately sculpted in a dizzying array of ornamental shapes. The lobby is a stunning melange of gothic and byzantine sytles, with gorgeous gold and azure blue mosaics. Every little piece of architectural furninture is created with brilliant gothic detail.
The structure was built quickly, and paid for in cash. Click on the drawing here, from The Building of Manhattan by Donald MacKay, to get a detailed view of the innovative foundations that hold it all up. (I heartily recommend this book for any urban infrastructure fanatics.) The topmost surface of the bedrock in Manhattan is not on an even plane; it dips and rises in folds. To some extent, this subsurface geology is responsible for the clustering of high-rises in midtown and downtown, with a relative slough in between. The bedrock on the Woolworth site was said to be deep, too deep to excavate the entire pit down that far, so the caisson tubes were sunk instead. Well, deep is a relative term, and what was deep in 1913 might not pose a problem today. Thus, I daily watch over the huge "bathtub" of the World Trade Center site, excavated down to bedrock. (See this post for a video a bedrock blast.)
Here are two views of the tower from the conference room where I work. Nowadays, here in the United States of Fear, you can no longer visit the lobby of this great building. Since 9/11, a sign posted on the sidewalk warns away tourists, and guards won't let you in the door. Yep, I'm sure those Islamic terrorists are busy scouring the AIA Guide to NYC for landmarks to target.
The golden ball on a pedestal is on the top of the AT&T Building, the lobby of which is shown below. The building was erected in stages: in 1927 the Broadway portion, faced in white, severe and enormous Doric columns was finished. The entry is a vast space with the feel of a temple, and includes a memorial to the dead of WWI. The contrast with the Woolworth Building, just across the street, is extreme
And while we're at it, here's a Krazy Kat strip illustrating the need for gun control.


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Tara Swinchatt
100 Pounds Lost
Weight Loss Before and After: Marie Conquers A Sugar Addiction And Loses 143 Pounds
Name: Marie Dozier
Age: 30
Height: 5'7″
Before Weight: 271 pounds
How I Gained It: My abuse of sugar, as a substance to provide me that rush, began as a small child. I knew I had a problem because I could never understand why all of my friends were able to have entire pantries full of snacks and treats at all times. The pantry would not stay stocked in my house for longer than a day because instead of eating treats occasionally, I would eat until the entire stock was gone. This continued to be an on-and-off struggle for me throughout my adolescence and into early adulthood, but reached its peak when I entered into an extremely unhappy and dysfunctional marriage. What started as a problem with overindulgence and lack of moderation became a full-fledged addiction. For about two years, I stuffed my emotions down by filling myself with food: cheap, easily accessible, nutrient-deficient junk food. I ate from fast-food restaurants daily and made frequent trips to the grocery stores for chips, candy and cakes. I'd go to the movies by myself with a giant purse full of binge food just so I could get my high in private. I would only binge in private. But what I kept trying to hide from others became extremely apparent when I continued to gain weight and topped the scale at 271 pounds.
I was tired of living the miserable existence that comes with having over 100 pounds of excess body weight. I was tired of being uncomfortable, unattractive and alienated. It was very unpleasant for me, physically, to have to carry around the heavy burden of morbid obesity. Simple tasks, such as getting in and out of the car, carrying groceries into the house or putting away laundry were exhausting and torturous. I was uncomfortable in every single thing I did, from breathing to sleeping. Every moment of my existence was terribly burdensome.
I also felt a lot of shame as a morbidly obese person. I wore the same outfit every day because I couldn't bring myself to go out and purchase anything for the size that I was. I left my house to either go to work or go get food, but otherwise I was on my couch, in front of the TV, with food. I couldn't do anything I wanted to do because I was uncomfortable in my own skin, and therefore uncomfortable around other people. It kept me from making friends, participating in activities that I would have otherwise enjoyed. I was a perpetual loner.
Breaking Point: July 27, 2007 is when I "snapped" and decided that I had to get the weight off once and for all. Food issues and my morbid obesity was a form of slavery, and I was determined to break free in order to live the life I desired. I had finally grown weary of starting over every single day. I knew my youth was going to be gone soon. I rationalized that if I was going to enjoy my youth at all, it was now or never.
How I Lost It: Losing weight is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. The journey began slowly. I became more mindful of what I was putting into my body. I slowly began replacing soda with water, candy bars with high-fiber snacks, fast food with home-cooked meals. I began by eliminating fast food and food that comes from packages (like chips and candies) and working through the process of learning to "eat clean". It was not easy at all, considering I had pretty much been living off of fast food and junk food for years. Breaking any addiction requires a certain amount of suffering, and suffer I did. It was misery. I experienced legitimate withdrawal symptoms. I had intense cravings. This was beyond just "being on a diet". It felt like I was in detox for the first six months. During those six months, I lost about 40 pounds.
In 2008, I joined SparkPeople and began to look through the success stories and food logs of fit and healthy members. I tried to mimic how they ate, which changed my diet dramatically. I began to eat significantly more fruit and vegetables and increased my exercise. I started walking in the neighborhood and going to the gym. This was also another difficult thing for me to do, because I had become so accustomed to living a sedentary lifestyle. But, every day, I forced myself to do some type of exercise. I was walking more, doing the elliptical trainer at the gym and hiking three miles at a time. Eventually I was able to start running for a few minutes, here and there, on the treadmill at the gym. My weight continued to drop, and I began to start feeling better about myself. It wasn't long before I started running outside. Next, I ran my first 5K, then 10K, then half marathon. A year later I was running a full 26.2 miles!
I experimented with many diets throughout the process of losing weight, but have indeed made this a lifestyle change. When I first began my journey, I had little expectations of transforming my life from a morbidly obese, sedentary person to a fit and healthy person. I felt somewhat hopeless. When I found SparkPeople, it really drove home the possibility that I could make lasting changes and achieve success. It took about two years to lose the bulk of the weight and then another three years of "ups and downs" in maintenance. Then, in the last two years, I have finally lost the last 30 pounds to reach a comfortable weight.
Now, I love and enjoy healthy, nutritious, fresh foods on a daily basis. I really enjoy food and the experience of eating, but it's no longer a destructive behavior that causes guilt, shame and weight gain. I feel fueled, nourished and energized! I exercise every single day, and don't even have to force myself to anymore; it is now a habit and a consistent aspect of my life. I participate in sports and fitness classes that keep me engaged and that I consider fun. I take my dog hiking in the woods. I run races. I do yoga.
I am a better person because of my weight loss. I have more energy to keep up with my two young daughters. I have confidence to be a good wife to my husband. I have a better work ethic because I'm more fit, rested and can move about with ease. I no longer shy away from opportunities to socialize, such as going to church or birthday parties. I have been able to travel and see the world — something I never would have done as my obese self. I am able to do things I never dreamed possible. I'm in the perfect career now, working as a psychiatric nurse to help others with addictions, and finally, I look cute in a pair of jeans! Fighting that battle and overcoming my food addiction was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. But I believe I'm a stronger person for it and have learned incredibly valuable life lessons that continue to help me grow and mature into a healthy, whole, happy and content individual. I am no longer a slave to my addiction. That is very liberating!
After Weight: 128 pounds
Source: Huffington Post
Republished by Blog Post Promoter
72 Comments
Giving up sugar and processed foods; white flur, etc. is a great start.
Smashing!! Great job
Congratulations this is 1 of the hardest this to do
Bio oil is great for stretch marks, skin discolouration etc. Been using it for years.
Thanks for sharing your story…
Love the weight loss stories, they are truly inspirational!
You look fabulous!!!
okey, then surgery and PS, I guess. 😀
I know they can do miracles – but stretchmarks? How??
exept the good old plastic surgery (Y)
Wow congrats and amazing story and very inspiring too. I can actually relate to some parts of your story.
Wow! :O But what happened with the skin on her stomach? You can get rid of loose skin all right, but nothing can make the strechmarks disappear.
Great job! I'm working on my journey as well!
You look fantastic!!!
Great job. Amazing story. Very inspirational.
Awesome, congratulations to you!
Thank You for sharing!! This gives me hope. You did an amazing job! Congratulations!!
Hi Everyone!! Thank you for your patience while I did a long overdue overhaul of the back end of TheWeighWeWere.com. I still have about 2 weeks of work to clean up the images, and get the new logo right, but as least I can start posting stories again. Pardon my dust, and thank you all for your patience!!! 🙂 ~kat
Congratulations and thank you for sharing your story and both inspiring and helping others.
Congratulations, great job Marie.
Twylia Robbins! Amazing! This will be US!!!!!!!
That stomach. Great.
Sugar is the worse for your body
Wow good job, you look amazing.
Congrats u look great
Need to do this
We can do this Kody M Branch
Meow Khan
Raisa Slesarchuk it's all about the damn sugar!
This is great! Vanessa Swindell….see it's possible 😉
Dale..first part of story could have been written by me. There is hope.
I'm going through detox to sugar now. It's Hell but I want to get to the other side. Congratulations.
Congrats. I know the difficulty of overcoming sugar addiction. My trainer realized I was addicted to sugar. I had be eating fairly healthy for awhile at that point but changed from fast food and sweets to lots of fruit. He put me on detox and I had withdrawal systems. It was hell for the first couple weeks. But so worth it now. As I don't have the cravings as bad and food does not control me like it used to.
Congratulations!! You look amazing!
Wonderful story!
Marissa Isabel Escalante
Awesome job
That's great….but where is the extra skin?
Congrats girl…. I was in a group with you years and years ago when u started the journey… Couldn't believe my eyes when u popped up on my feed. So happy for you!!!!!!
That's wonderful!
I have the same problem. I lo e my sugar
I love this. Very inspirational
My story minus the weight loss
Wow Marie ! You look good ! Congrats !
Awesome transformation!
I'm book marking this one. I too am a die hard sugar addict. I'm 3 days soda-free today and I'm starting to feel better!!
Please help me do this….
Congratulations! I am also addicted to sugar and have zero willpower. You are an inspiration for me. I love the stories on The Weight We Were.com!
Wow Marie Dozier what awesome transformation. You once shared your story with me in nursing school and I still could not believe it but seeing this before picture and knowing the after makes a lot of sense. Thank you for sharing your story once more, it remains a constant reminder to me as I am on my journey that yes it can be done.
Very inspiring. I am where you were so many years ago. Getting ready for my turn. Looks daunting but it has to happen. Reading your story is extremely helpful. Congratulations and keep it up!! You deserve it. So do I.
271 has never looked so small only thing on her overweight was her stomach! Wish I looked like that at 271
Did u have surgery to remove the excess skin?
Great job
I am glad you got through such a tough time
Marie. Congrats! I'm hoping to see me like this! Only 50 lbs to go
WOW!! I absolutely love seeing the before & after pictures of outstanding lifestyle transformations like this!! but I also love the fact that you talked about the psychological aspects of transforming from an obese to a fit & much healthier person!! I wish more people would realize that you can't go on the crazy strict diet programs & expect long-term results!
What an amazing story! Congratulations on your weight loss. Staying motivated can be hard at times but have done it. Again, congratulations!


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BEIJING (Reuters) - China's vast manufacturing sector saw expansion accelerate in November for the first time in 13 months, preliminary results from a factory survey showed, a sign that the pace of economic growth has revived after seven consecutive quarters of slowdown.
The China HSBC Flash Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) rose to a 13-month high of 50.4 in November, the latest indicator of recovery in the real economy after data showing solid credit growth, firmer exports and rising industrial output in the previous month.
A sub-index measuring output rose to 51.3, also the highest since October 2011.
"This reflects that conditions for smaller firms, especially exporters, are looking up," said Li Wei, a Shanghai-based economist for Standard Chartered. "The consensus in the market is already for a small, gradual improvement."
An uptick in key economic activity indicators in October, following encouraging signs in September, cemented the view of many analysts and investors that a rebound in the world's second largest economy gathered momentum as it entered the fourth quarter, thanks to a raft of pro-growth policies rolled out by the government over recent months.
China is currently shuffling its senior officials after the seven top leaders of the ruling Communist Party were selected at a congress last week. The new appointments should end months of uncertainty in the highest ranks, although economic policy is not expected to change abruptly in the near-term.
Even before the congress, the central bank had moved to ease liquidity by pumping short-term cash into money markets rather than resorting to the interest rate cuts or reduction in banks' required reserve ratios that many investors had expected.
This month's PMI reading above 50 is likely to be seen as a turning point by the market, particularly if it is born out by the final reading due on December 1 and by official indicators.
Asian shares extended gains slightly after the data to stand up nearly 1 percent on the day and the Australian dollar, sensitive to demand from the biggest customer for Australia's resources, rose as far as $1.04.
"This confirms that the economic recovery continues to gain momentum towards the year-end," Qu Hongbin, chief China economist at index sponsor HSBC, said in a statement accompanying the data.
"However, it is still the early stage of recovery and global economic growth remains fragile. This calls for a continuation of policy easing to strengthen the recovery."
With a one-month exception in October 2011, the HSBC PMI — which largely reflects the private manufacturing sector — has remained stubbornly below the 50-point level separating accelerating from slowing growth since June 2011.
Unlike the patchy results seen in previous months, in November almost all the sub-indices in the HSBC survey concurred in showing an improving economy.
The one exception was a fall in the sub-index measuring output prices, demonstrating that manufacturers are still struggling with overcapacity and relatively weak domestic demand.
That could also reflect the weight in the survey of exporting firms, which have less ability to raise sales prices, said Standard Chartered's Li.
Indeed, China's exporters are increasingly squeezed by rising domestic costs and competition from new international suppliers, Zhou Haijiang, head of Chinese textile exporter Hodo Group, told reporters this month.
"Not only Western countries manufacture industrial goods, but also a lot of developing countries including former socialist countries who now have market economies are all exporting, thus creating a global surplus that cannot be changed," Zhou said.
"Because of this it is hard to raise sales prices, everyone is selling and it is hard for manufactured goods prices to rise. In some cases prices have even fallen."
Analysts expect no further cuts to interest rates this year or next after back-to-back cuts in June and July, and only one more 50 basis point cut to banks' required reserve ratios (RRR) in 2012 after three since late 2011 that have freed an estimated 1.2 trillion yuan for new lending.
Chinese banks are on course to make new loans worth more than 8.5 trillion yuan ($1.4 trillion) in 2012, expansionary versus the 7.5 trillion of new loans extended in 2011 and above the 8 trillion yuan that sources told Reuters back in February was the target for 2012.
Total social financing aggregate, a broad measure of liquidity in the economy, weakened to 1.29 trillion yuan in October, down from 1.65 trillion yuan in September, but still remained on track to hit a record 14 trillion yuan this year.
China also opened many previously-closed sectors to private investment with a view to funding new infrastructure projects and supporting economic growth without piling on more debt that local governments can ill-afford.
Although analysts expect fourth quarter GDP growth to outpace the 7.4 percent seen in the third quarter, full-year expansion for 2012 is expected to be the slowest in 13 years.
Editing by Alex Richardson


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MWC 15 Special
Right after the launch of Windows Phone 7, users started to report about abnormal high idle data usage they haven't experienced with any handsets before and Microsoft followed-up earlier this year and confirmed that it started to investigate the phantom-data cause. According to BBC and fellow MVP reports, some users have complained that their phone has send "between 30 and 50 MB of data every day; an amount that would devour a 1 GB allowance in 20 days". Other users have noticed that the phone's "idle data usage is around 2 - 5 MB per hour" and interesting enough, most reports and complaints seemed to came from the U.S.
While I haven't noticed any abnormal data usage on any of my Windows Phone 7 devices (I already easily hit the 5 GB mark with my regular use), Microsoft said later that the root cause was found but only said that "its investigation found that most problems were caused by an unnamed 'third party' service". However, Microsoft denied to give any further details and therefore it wasn't clear if it was an inbuilt third party service, like Microsoft's Facebook integration or a downloaded third party application like Facebook's very own Windows Phone 7 app.
Nevertheless, as it turned out today, it was neither an internal social media service nor a later downloaded third party application but Microsoft's very own integration of Yahoo! Mail! To make it easy for users to setup Windows Phone 7, Microsoft has pre-included a wide range of popular E-Mail services where users have to enter the E-Mail address and password only and all the rest is automatically configured by the Windows Phone 7; for instance Windows Phone 7 comes out of the box with support for Windows Live, Outlook, Yahoo! Mail and Gmail as well as ODMs and carriers can add even further E-Mail services to the list of predefined services.
According to information Paul Thurrott received from Microsoft, the Windows Phone 7 maker admitted yesterday that "it has determined that an inefficiency exists in the synchronization of E-Mail between the Windows Phone Mail client and Yahoo! Mail" can continued that "this inefficiency can result in larger than expected data usage for a very small percentage of users". Furthermore Microsoft confirmed that "Microsoft and Yahoo! have worked together to identify a fix, which will be rolled out in the coming weeks" (most likely together with the expected NoDo update which might also explains why NoDo wasn't released in January as expected/rumored first). In the meantime, Microsoft recommends to tweak the Yahoo! Mail settings to manually download E-Mails instead of using the default settings which polls E-Mails every 2 hours. Also Microsoft recommends to use a shorter time range of "the last 7 day" instead of the default setting of the last 2 weeks.The E-Mail settings can be changed by choosing "Settings" from the app list, tapping "email & accounts", choosing "Yahoo! Mail" and tapping the setting under "Download new content".
Furthermore, Microsoft has also identified an issue with its Exchange ActiveSync [EAS] E-Mail synchronization protocol that may affect another very small percentage of users. This issue can be caused by E-Mail that exceeds the mail server E-Mail size setting or is sent to an invalid E-Mail address. This issue can potentially affect E-Mail services that utilize the EAS protocol - Outlook and Gmail for example and the immediate mitigation is for users to delete mail that appears "stuck" in the outbox.Like the Yahoo! Mail bug, this issue is currently scheduled to be fixed in a near-term end user update from Microsoft!
UPDATE: I've just received an official information from Microsoft's PR where the Yahoo! Mail and Exchange ActiveSync bugs were officially confirmed! And indeed, Microsoft suggests to change Yahoo! sync settings - as mentioned above - as an interim-workaround.
Cheers ~ Arne
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