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Sheffield United have made a promising start to life in League One, as they seek to gain promotion back to the Championship at the first attempt. Although many Blades fans were against the appointment of Danny Wilson as manager, because he previously held a similar role at bitter local rivals Sheffield Wednesday, his experience has helped guide United into the play-off places.
Although the nucleus of last season's squad has been retained, some key players were sold in the summer, with the likes of Jamie Ward, Mark Yeates and Darius Henderson opting to remain at the higher level. However, others have come to the fore with goals being provided by Welsh international Ched Evans, ably supported by the veteran striker Richard Cresswell and Chris Porter, a new signing from Derby County. The defence has also looked more solid, as Neill Collins has formed an effective partnership with academy graduate Harry Maguire.
Nevertheless, nobody is taking promotion for granted at Bramall Lane, as the club has become accustomed to disappointment over the last few seasons, starting with their relegation from the Premier League after just one season in 2006/07. This came about in controversial circumstances, as West Ham narrowly evaded the drop, even though the East London club breached league rules relating to third party agreements with the signing of influential forward Carlos Tévez.
"Right Said Ched"
Having narrowly missed out on promotion in 2008/09, when they lost the Championship play-off final 1-0 to Burnley, things went from bad to worse, when they were relegated last season to English football's third tier for the first time since 1988.
At various times, Kevin McCabe, the chairman of Sheffield United PLC, has attributed the club's decline to ill fortune, complaining that "fate was against us" last season and previously wondering why the "rub of the green" eluded them. Although Napoleon once commented that he would prefer lucky generals to good ones, others might describe Sheffield United's decline as a textbook example of a failed strategy. Indeed, McCabe himself was moved to personally "apologise to all shareholders and supporters" in the most recent annual report.
There were two elements to McCabe's grand vision: (a) an ambitious plan to turn Sheffield United into a global force that could be variously described as innovative, unorthodox or plain foolhardy; (b) diversification off the pitch into a number of non-related football activities, such as property development, a new hotel, conferences and events and a health club.
"We need to talk about Kevin"
The first step towards worldwide domination was the appointment of former England captain Bryan Robson as manager in the vitally important first season after relegation to the Championship. Although "Robbo" possessed the requisite high-profile name, his managerial skills were less evident and his brief reign was an unmitigated disaster, as he wasted the club's best opportunity to bounce straight back, despite the boost of substantial Premier League parachute payments.
Further evidence of the club's imaginative approach came with the creation of an international network of overseas clubs that, according to McCabe, would "be commercially profitable as well as nurturing the best academies in those countries." The joint development of young players was known as the "Blades Way", featuring feeder clubs in China (Chengdu Blades), Hungary (the famous Ferencvaros) and Australia (Central Coast Mariners), as well as partnerships with clubs in Belgium, Brazil, India, the Ivory Coast and the Caribbean. However, it is highly debatable whether this substantial focus on overseas expansion has produced the desired results.
Of course, it may have worked out better if the team hadn't suffered the ignominy of relegation, though this was exacerbated by a string of mistakes made in the aftermath, when the club speculated in a forlorn attempt to try to get back to the top flight. As the 2008 annual report explained, "The board made a strategic decision to maintain both the level of investment and the salary level the club had supported in the Premier League to underpin its key business objective of promotion."
"Meet Danny Wilson"
Following the recruitment of expensive players like James Beattie, Gary Naysmith and Lee Hendrie, Sheffield United were saddled with one of the highest wage bills in the Championship, one that the board admitted was "far in excess of the revenues generated by the club." They also lavished considerable sums on a vast array of short-term contract and loan players, resulting in a huge turnover in the squad.
This was also partially as a result of numerous changes in manager, each of whom wished to sign players conducive to a different playing style. In fact, when Danny Wilson was appointed, he became the club's fourth (permanent) manager in a crazy ten months. The inexperienced Gary Speed replaced Kevin Blackwell in August 2010, before leaving to take charge of the Welsh national team in December that year, when he was succeeded by Micky Adams.
In short, too much money was squandered on wages, loans and the managerial merry-go-round. McCabe commented, "We've speculated to get promotion – we've not succeeded." Former chief executive, Trevor Birch, agreed, "The club has to hold its hands up and acknowledge that we got it wrong."
"The mighty Quinn"
The other aspect of Sheffield United's unique business model (for a football club) was the attempt to build the business through diversification. This was explained thus: "The target of our business divisions off the pitch is to generate revenue and profits to fund first team and youth development football." The aim was to "broaden income streams and reduce risk." That sounds mighty impressive, but the only problem was that it didn't deliver the hoped for results.
In fairness, this is partly down to bad timing, as this strategy coincided with one of the worst economic recessions for many a year with "unprecedented turmoil in the banking and property markets." As just one example, the impressive Copthorne hotel that was opened in January 2009 was impacted by a dramatic fall in occupancy rates in Sheffield hotels.
Although the 2011 annual report noted an improvement of £5.2 million in the bottom line, this only represented a reduction in the annual loss before tax from £18.8 million to £13.6 million. In other words, Sheffield United have lost an astonishing £32 million over the last two seasons. As the current chief executive, Julian Winter, somewhat unnecessarily stated, the club's approach "has not worked" resulting in "significant annual losses."
Some might point to the hefty £10 million impairment charge in 2010, but on the other hand that year also included a sizeable £10.6 million profit on player sales, mainly arising from the sales of Kyle Walker and Kyle Naughton to Tottenham plus Matthew Kilgallon to Sunderland.
Even the £5.8 million profit reported in 2009 is not all it seems, as this includes the net £18.1 million settlement from West Ham for the Tévez affair. If this exceptional item were excluded, the club would have made a £12 million loss that year, which would have meant aggregate losses of around £50 million in the past four seasons. Former chief executive, Trevor Birch pulled no punches when describing this sorry state of affairs, "Since we have been relegated, we have made losses which are unsustainable going forward."
The only season when a genuine profit was made was unsurprisingly 2006/07, when the club was playing in the Premier League, and even that was only £0.4 million. Following relegation, the chief executive at the time, Jason Rockett, stated, "the Sheffield United business plan is not reliant on Premier League football." At the risk of sounding like a pantomime audience, "Oh yes it is." In fact, a few years later, McCabe confirmed this, when he said that the model now in place needed the club to be a Premier League force.
Of course, few clubs actually do make money in the very demanding world of football. Of the 24 clubs that competed in the Championship in 2010/11, only four actually reported profits (Burnley, Leeds United, Reading and Swansea City). That said, Sheffield United's loss of £18.8 million was by some distance the worst in the division, so they cannot draw too much comfort even from that comparison.
Sheffield United is a fairly complex business to analyse by the standards of football clubs with the profit and loss statement complicated by: (a) numerous exceptional items; (b) continuing operations, discontinued operations and joint ventures; (c) non-football activities. I have tried to present this in a clear format, but however the figures are displayed, these factors still have an impact.
In this way, the 2011 results were boosted by £2.2 million profit on the sale of the hotel, though this was offset by a £0.9 million loss on the sale of assets, plus £1.3 million grant income (included in Other Operating Income) that was released following the disposal of the Blades Enterprise Centre. Without the net £2.6 million gain from these events, the total loss would have been even higher at £16.2 million.
As stated earlier, the diversification into non-football activities has not been a financial success. Since 2006, this decision has adversely impacted the financials, increasing the magnitude of Sheffield United's losses, especially in 2010, when £13.1 million of the total £18.8 million loss came from these divisions, leaving the football club (UK) loss at "only" £5.7 million. On the other hand, the impact was considerably smaller in 2011 at only £0.6 million with football contributing almost all of the £13.6 million total loss.
This was partly due to the directors deciding to sell or dispose of these loss-making businesses. In the last couple of years, they have sold the Copthorne hotel and the Blades Enterprise Centre, though have retained options to repurchase as and when finances allow, and also disposed of their interest in Chengdu Blades. Following the downturn in commercial property, they sold their 50% interest in Blades Realty Limited, while they also sold the Thames Club and entered into an outsourcing arrangement with Compass for their conferences and events business.
Even where these divisions made operating profits, they were eaten up by high interest charges and the need to make provisions to cover lower asset values, hence the board's decision to adopt a different approach. McCabe said that the board had "used these difficult experiences to reassess the whole way the Blades are run." These disposals are part of that process, as they have helped reduce debt, so that the club will benefit from lower finance costs in the future (net interest payable has averaged £3.4 million over the last four years).
However, it is important to understand that even after the club has finished cleaning house the picture is still bleak. The underlying business model for the "pure" football club is broken and is only sustainable through the financial support of McCabe and his companies.
If we take 2011 as an example, the football club made a loss of £13 million on turnover of £13.4 million. Put another way, for every Pound of revenue that the club generates, it pays out two Pounds in expenses. OK, at least £4 million of that loss relates to non-cash items, such as player amortisation and depreciation, but remember that these accounts relate to last season, which was in the Championship, and revenue will be a fair bit lower in League One.
Actually, Sheffield United's revenue has not been too shabby. At £20.5 million, it was the eighth highest of the 24 teams that competed in the Championship in 2010/11 (using 2009/10 accounts, as figures are not available for all clubs for the latest season). That's pretty good, but is effectively even better than it appears, as revenue for six of the clubs above them was boosted by the Premier League: Portsmouth, Hull City and Burnley all played in the top flight that season, while Middlesbrough, Reading and Derby County all received £12 million parachute payments.
Excluding these factors, the Blades had the fourth highest revenue in the division, though a good chunk of that (£5.9 million) came from non-football activities. Even if that is ignored, Sheffield United's football revenue of £14.7 million was more than acceptable in the Championship. To place that into context, it was higher than two of the three teams promoted to the Premier League in 2010/11, namely QPR and Swansea City, and only just below the third team, Norwich City.
However, revenue has plummeted by nearly 60% (£23 million) since they were in the Premier League, falling from £39 million to £16 million. The decline has come in three distinct stages: (a) the initial £7 million impact of relegation from the Premier League in 2007/08; (b) a further £12 million in 2009/10 after the parachute payments stopped; (c) £4 million in 2010/11 due to disposal of non-football businesses, mainly the hotel £1.4 million and Chengdu Blades £1.2 million.
The football business also suffered last season with gate receipts dropping £0.7 million and commercial income deteriorating by £1 million, only offset by a £0.4 million net improvement in TV money. However, even though all revenue streams have taken a hit following relegation, it is undoubtedly television that has contributed the most to the lower revenue, falling by £15.2 million from £20 million in 2006/07 to £4.8 million last season.
The influence of television on a football club's finances is undeniable and Sheffield United are no exception. Relegation from the Premier League lead to an immediate £6 million decrease, even though the fall was cushioned by annual parachute payments of £12 million for the next two seasons. However, when these stopped in 2009/10, the club's finances were dramatically affected.
The impact would have been even worse if the Football League distribution to all Championship clubs had not increased from £1 million to £2.5 million that season. The remaining money came from a £1.3 million solidarity payment from the Premier League plus facility fees payable each time the club was televised live. Last season's rise was largely due to the solidarity payment being increased to £2.2 million, though this was mitigated by less money from the cup competitions.
Sheffield United will receive even less TV money this season in League One, as the central distribution and the solidarity payment are much smaller in that division, being £656,000 and £335,000 respectively, so the total earned will be only just over £1 million.
"Neill Collins - See Those Eyes"
Although there is never a good time for a football club to be relegated, it is fair to say that Sheffield United's timing was particularly unfortunate, as they missed out on the significant growth in TV deals, e.g. West Ham received £40 million for finishing bottom of the Premier League last season compared to the Blades' £18 million in 2007. Similarly, while their relegation was eased by £24 million of parachute payments, West Ham will receive £48 million (£16 million in each of the first two years, and £8 million in each of years three and four).
The other cloud on the horizon is the new Football League three-year Sky TV deal that kicks off in the 2012/13 season, which will be £69 million lower than the current contract at £195 million, a reduction of 26% or £23 million a season. This reflected what Football League chairman Greg Clarke called, "a challenging climate in which to negotiate television rights." Whatever the reason, it will mean a reduction in the payments distributed to each club.
There are two ways of looking at the attendance figures at Bramall Lane. On the one hand, last season's average of 20,632 was the eighth best in the Championship (and the 27th highest of all English clubs). On the other hand, they have been steadily falling since the peak of 30,684 in the Premier League and this season's average to date has further shrunk to 18,373, though this is still the second best in League One, only behind neighbours Sheffield Wednesday (20,360), which highlights the commitment of the fan base. Incidentally, when they played in the top flight, the Blades had the 11th highest attendance, which is a sign of the club's potential.
The other interesting point here is that the club's gate receipts are low relative to the size of the crowds, as evidenced by looking at the money generated by the clubs with the ten largest attendances in the Championship in 2009/10. This shows that Sheffield United's gate receipts of £4.9 million that season were the lowest of those ten clubs, even though their crowds were the third highest. The money further reduced to £4.2 million last season, meaning that this revenue stream had fallen 45% from the £7.6 million earned in the Premier League.
The income is partly dependent on progress in the cup competitions, so the comparatively high £6.9 million received in 2008/09 was helped by the run to the play-off final.
The club has introduced some worthy initiatives to "make attendance affordable", such as cutting season ticket prices. A couple of years ago McCabe noted, "We're going into a recession, and if we have to adjust our prices to keep our lifeblood here, we will." Indeed, a recent BBC survey suggested that Sheffield United provided the fifth cheapest day out at a League One club (taking into consideration ticket, programme, pie and tea) with only Rochdale, Preston, Walsall and MK Dons costing less.
Bramall Lane is described as the world's oldest major football stadium, having staged its first game in 1862. Obviously, it has been extensively modernised since then, though the England 2018 World Cup committee still favoured Hillsborough, home of Wednesday, as the Sheffield stadium for the unsuccessful bid. Planning consent is in place to increase the capacity from its current 32,609 to 40,000, though this has been put on hold until the club regains (and maintains) its Premier League status.
Commercial income has mirrored the performance at the gate, falling by 46% from £8.2 million in the Premier League to £4.4 million last season. Sponsorship deals are (understandably) lower in the less prestigious division, as the 2008 annual report explicitly noted, "much of this reduction was directly linked to contractual reductions arising from relegation."
Merchandising revenue was also adversely affected by the economy with customers having less disposable income. In addition, Sheffield United had to make stock clearances, which reduced the gross retail margin from 46% in 2009 to just 2% in 2011.
"Don't sit down 'cause I've moved your hair"
The Blades have been quite innovative in their sponsorship arrangements. Their previous shirt sponsor, the Maltese Tourism Authority, was the first time a government had supported a major UK football club. Their current shirt sponsors are shared with Sheffield Wednesday with Westfield Health on the home shirts and Gilder Motor Group on the away shirts (it's the other way round for Wednesday), as these local companies did not want to sponsor only one club for fear of appearing partisan.
United also have a deal with Nexis Holdings that will see the club receive company shares in return for its logo appearing on the back of the home shirts. It is not clear how much this deal might be worth, though Nexis has itself announced that it has suffered a "most difficult year." Nor do we know how much Macron pay for the kit supplier deal, though this has been reported as a "seven-figure" deal.
On the cost side, the Blades' wage bill has been one of the highest in the Championship, e.g. in 2009/10 it was the sixth largest at £19.4 million. As the 2009 annual report put it, "Make no bones, the budget Sheffield United FC has is well in excess of the majority of our competitors in the Championship." Indeed, McCabe admitted, "Our wage bill is two to three million higher than we wish it to be."
Last year, chief executive Julian Winter outlined he problem, "Strong support from the parent company meant United long maintained a wage bill far in excess of the revenues generated." Although wages have been cut by £7.2 million (28%) from the £25 million peak in 2007/08 to £17.8 million, in the same period revenue has halved from £32.4 million to £16.2 million, so the wages to turnover ratio has risen (deteriorated) from 77% to a deeply worrying 110%. To place that into context, the ratio at big spending Manchester City is only slightly higher at 114%.
Of course, these are the wages (and turnover) for all divisions, but we can be reasonably sure that football accounts for the lion's share, as a player's wages will be substantially higher than, say, a hotel employee.
In any case, the club is painfully aware of this issue with the latest annual report stating, "We seek to drive down the player wage bill." It goes on to explain why this is the case, "The club is no longer in a position to fund above average wages as done so in previous years." That is one of the reasons why (relatively) high earners, such as Henderson, Yeates, Rob Kozluk and Ryan France were offloaded in the summer.
Directors' remuneration increased from £0.6 million in 2010 to £1.1 million, though this was almost entirely due to redundancy payments of £0.5 million. In this way, the highest paid director earned £745,000 last season, though this was only £233,000 the previous year. As is the norm, the accounts do not identify who this is, but the obvious candidate is Trevor Birch, given that he resigned in May 2011.
There has been a fair bit of upheaval at the executive level in recent years with Chris Steer replacing McCabe as chairman of the football club, though the latter stays on as chairman of the PLC. The company also de-listed from AIM in January 2009 after 12 years on the stock market, due to the financial and administrative burdens.
It is instructive to look at Sheffield United's transfer dealings over the last decade, as they form an almost perfect "game of two halves" with the club being a net purchaser (£20 million) in the five years up to season 2006/07, but a net seller (£23 million) since relegation. In fairness, the Blades have never been particularly big spenders with their transfer record being the £4 million they paid to Everton in August 2007 to secure the services of James Beattie.
The last season of major expenditure was 2006/07 when a total of £16 million was splashed out on the likes of Matthew Kilgallon, Claude Davis, Rob Hulse, Luton Shelton and Colin Kazim-Richards. There have been isolated instances of relatively high investment, e.g. Ched Evans was the most expensive acquisition in the Championship in 2009/10 at £3 million. However, the last two seasons have seen the club "strengthening" the first team almost exclusively with free transfers. In that time, they have only paid (small) fees for a couple of players: Neill Collins and Ryan Flynn.
Instead, they have opted to "throw money at too many loan players", as McCabe said in the annual report, concluding that this approach "does not work for Sheffield United." The chief executive concurred, "One of the lessons to be learnt from relegation is that reliance on such a high number of loan players is flawed." In 2009/10 the club had an incredible 13 players on loan, but this was more than matched in 2010/11, when the "loan stars" included the varied talents of Marcus Bent, Andy Reid and Nyron Nosworthy amongst many others.
Net debt was cut from £57 million to £32 million in 2011 as a consequence of two steps: (a) a re-financing exercise in November 2010; (b) conversion of £17.2 million of loan notes into equity. This is obviously good news, but the fact remains that the debt is still approximately twice annual turnover, which is far from comfortable.
The re-financing resulted in the settlement of all outstanding HBOS debt through the raising of a £15.5 million loan from Santander, secured on the future receipts from West Ham in respect of the Tévez case. It is planned to repay this debt as the money is received over the next three years. In addition, the hotel assets were sold to Scarborough Partnership Limited (a McCabe company), which assumed responsibility for the remaining hotel debt.
This is important, as it has strengthened the balance sheet, though it should be noted that the financing required for property ventures was one of the reasons for the rising debt over the past few years.
"Cresswell - tricky Ricky"
Much of the debt can be described as "soft" debt, given that it is owed to McCabe's companies. Although this is preferable to external bank debt, it would be a mistake to believe that this is problem-free, as it is not clear what would happen if his companies got into financial difficulties or if McCabe were to walk away, as has happened with benefactors at other clubs. This may be considered unlikely, because he is clearly a Sheffield United fan, but you never know.
In passing, we should note that the club also owes £0.4 million for deferred player signing-on fees plus a potential £2.1 million in transfer fees that depends on factors like number of appearances (though the accounts state that this "is not expected to be payable").
The balance sheet now shows net assets of £6.1 million, up from £2.5 million the previous year, mainly due to £25 million of tangible fixed assets, very largely the stadium and the training ground. In addition, the players are only valued at £2.1 million in the accounts, including nothing for those developed in the Academy, while their market value in the real world is much higher - £15 million according to the respected Transfermarkt website.
"Chris Morgan - Rage Hard"
However, there are net current liabilities of £3.4 million, which is cause for some anxiety. Indeed, the accounts feel the need to mention that the McCabe family has committed sufficient working capital "to ensure that the funding of the club for the 2011/12 season is assured." The business review explains that the company can continue as a going concern, but this assumes "that the group is able to continue raising further financing facilities, reduce costs, sourcing additional equity investment or selling assets to generate cash", though the directors "are confident that such funds can be raised."
That's not exactly comforting to the club's supporters, but it's nothing new under the sun at Sheffield United. The cash flow statement shows that the club is cash negative before financing, though this has come down to less than £2 million in 2011 after substantial deficits in previous years. These losses have only been funded by taking on new loans, the sale of assets and the issue of share capital (either through a share offer in 2006 or the acquisition of a subsidiary in 2007).
McCabe has provided Sheffield United with plenty of financial support, examples including a £10 million loan in 2007 so that key projects could continue to be funded in spite of relegation and, of course, the recent conversion of a £17 million loan into equity. In total, he has probably ploughed more than £50 million into the club via share issues and loans.
However, there have been concerns that in some way his companies have benefited from the various transactions made with the club. For example, the loans made to the club have been at a relatively high rate of interest (e.g. 10%, 8%, LIBOR + 4%), producing £4.3 million of interest payments to related parties in the last four years. In addition, some asset sales to his companies have either been at a loss, e.g. £1.4 million loss on disposal of the Blades Enterprise Centre to Scarborough Enterprise Centre Limited, or at a low market value, e.g. the hotel to Scarborough Partnership Ltd.
"Tonight, Matthew, I'm going to be..."
There is little doubt that he has made mistakes, but these have also hurt him financially. If the economy had not tanked, then his strategy might just have worked, but the fact is that it did not, which has cost both him and the club.
The question is whether he will continue to support Sheffield United financially going forward. He has already relinquished the role of chairman of the football club, but he claimed that was due to being based in Brussels rather than the poor financial results, and he obviously maintains an interest as an owner. The indications are that he will not want to put in as much money as in the past. A couple of years ago, Trevor Birch said, "McCabe has funded those (high) costs and he is now saying 'enough is enough'. The club has to stand on its own two feet."
Reading between the lines, it looks like McCabe would make an exit if possible. His property company has suffered in the recession, his grand plan for Sheffield United has failed and he risks becoming a hate figure unless performances on the pitch improve. However, finding new investment is easier said than done. The club appointed bankers to look at a possible sale back in May 2010 with the annual report that year mentioning discussions with two prospects, but no concrete offer has been received to date.
"It was this wide"
As a supporter McCabe is unlikely to consider external investment unless it is in Sheffield United's long-term interests, which should re-assure any fans that were unsettled by the "Dispatches" television documentary that focused on mysterious Asian investors looking to make a quick buck from investing into English clubs and featured a visit to Bramall Lane.
The latest annual report says that "once the club has become self sufficient financially it will become a more attractive option" to potential investors, which is undoubtedly true, though this does rather beg the question: will they be able to become sustainable through football income alone, especially in League One?
What would be more appealing to investors, I would have thought, is the possibility of Sheffield United at some stage returning to the lucrative Premier League. This might seem like pie in the sky at the moment, but it is the club's stated "medium term objective", even though they admit that the introduction of higher, four-year parachute payments makes this task even more difficult. The size of the prize is, however, clear as seen by a comparison between revenues generated in the different leagues with Blackburn's £58 million in the Premier League being substantially higher than Sheffield United's (football) revenue of £13 million in the Championship.
Of course, it's a long way back from the third tier, so the Blades have to (ahem) cut their cloth according to a far lower budget for the time being. As they stated in the annual report, "With the reality of life in League One and football's new Financial Fair Play Regulations, it is essential for the long term health of Sheffield United that the club now becomes financially self sufficient."
"Michael Doyle - when Irish eyes are smiling"
By the 2012/13 season, that division's Salary Cost Management Protocol will not allow clubs to spend more than 55% of their turnover on player wages, which implies some serious cost cutting at Bramall Lane if they don't manage to gain promotion.
Like many other clubs, they may have to place their trust in youth. Fortunately, they have an excellent Academy set-up, which is run by former defender John Pemberton, who succeeded the respected Ron Reid in 2010. Last season a talented young team reached the FA Youth Cup final, only succumbing to Manchester United. It may be too early for those players to make an impact in League One, but the club has a good record of progressing talent into its first team, most notably Harry Maguire. This was endorsed by McCabe, who said, "There will have to be changes in player personnel, young players will have to be given their opportunity at the right time."
However, the price of success is that larger clubs will come sniffing around, leading to the departure of some good prospects. This was exactly what happened last summer with the sale of striker Jordan Slew to Blackburn Rovers for around £1 million. Danny Wilson conceded that the sale was drive by financial needs.
"Hurry up, Harry"
The club faces a difficult balancing act, as they struggle to improve their finances while targeting promotion. The task of eradicating their large losses will be made even more challenging with the lower revenue in League One, which will inevitably mean slashing the wage bill, probably by off-loading some of the higher earners, such as the prolific Ched Evans, as there are few non-football assets left to sell – unless McCabe arranges a sale and leaseback of the stadium. That will obviously make the manager's job even harder, though it's not impossible to achieve both objectives, as Southampton demonstrated last season.
We will have to wait until the end of the season to see whether Sheffield United take the first step back to the big time. There's little doubt that they have the potential to reach the Premier League, as they play in one of England's largest cities in a good stadium in front of good-sized crowds. However, they still have to produce the results on the pitch if they want to banish the Steel City blues.


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FILM FEST- Puppet perfection: Morris helped create a masterpiece
By 1980, Academy Award-winning cinematographer Oswald Morris had shot films in every conceivable genre: all-star WWII epics (The Guns of Navarone); black comedy (Stanley Kubrick's Lolita); literary period pieces (Moby Dick); musicals (Oliver!); and James Bond movies (The Man with the Golden Gun).
But despite these wildly disparate credits, he managed to end his career on a decidedly different note: shooting Muppet creator Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal.
Morris, 91, recently spoke with the Hook about his experiences working on Henson's all-puppet fantasy epic.
Henson, for whom he had previously photographed The Great Muppet Caper, "was wonderful to work with," Morris says, "very creative, very dedicated."
The Dark Crystal tells the story of the fulfillment of an ancient prophesy in a wondrous world of mystics, monsters, and everything in between. The film employs a complex variety of puppets, models, and special effects– but no human actors– with awe-inspiring results.
Morris calls the work "one of the most exciting films I've ever done," due in large part to the fact that he was helping to blaze a new cinematic trail. "We had nothing to refer to, so the challenge was tremendous," he says, "but it was the same for all of us: everybody was trying something new, spearheaded by Jim and [co-director] Frank Oz."
The filmmaking process was painstaking, Morris recalls: "You cannot rush that sort of thing, and Jim would not be rushed."
Thus, patience was key. "Sometimes, it would get boring," he says, "but when we came to shoot, it had to be absolutely perfect, or Jim would reject it."
Morris says that the camera operator, Derek Brown, had an especially hard time because Henson was fanatical about "not revealing, in any shape or form, the way he was manipulating the puppets."
Henson did certain hand movements with sticks attached, he says, but "The minute he saw a stick, we would have to do it all again."
To give the film its unique "fairy tale" look, Morris used the Lightflex system– a process that involves reflected light passing through glass and then bouncing onto the camera lens. Then he exposed the film a bit to give it a "slightly unreal effect." Color gels over the glass highlighted the colors of sets or miniatures.
Since Henson produced the film as well as co-directed, his crew had tremendous creative leeway. "We didn't have a producer down our necks all the time," Morris says.
There were two scales of characters in the film, Morris says, everything from the giant Garthem to the huge Land-striders and down to Jen and Kira, the young Gelfling lovers.
But Henson's intense commitment came with a price. Morris believes it was overwork that led to his untimely death from pneumonia in 1990. While Henson was producing and co-directing The Dark Crystal, Morris recalls, the Muppets' creator worked five days on the film with his crew in London, flew to New York late each Friday night, worked all weekend there, flew back to London Sunday night and immediately returned to the studio to repeat the process.
"In the end it killed him, I'm sure," Morris says.
Of the overall experience, Morris says, "Nobody will ever know, nor should they know, how difficult it was" to make the film. "This is a very important point– if it looks easy, we've done our job. If it looks difficult, then we've failed."
After filming wrapped, Morris retired. "I'd run out of scripts that gave me a challenge," he says.
Of course, after making The Dark Crystal, what wouldn't seem anticlimactic?
The Dark Crystal shows at 1pm Sunday, October 29, at the Regal Downtown theater.
Oswald Morris was the man behind the camera for Jim Henson's masterpiece, The Dark Crystal.

subset: commoncrawl


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Zorkaz wrote:Does anyone know if there has been an OST released and where I can get it? I just watched a new episode after a long time and the music is just great.
Zorkaz wrote:Don't understand that. The music was just awesome...
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About Ben in TX
Anyone who knows the Beach Boys' history won't be too surprised by this. Those guys are a bunch of drug-addled has-beens who couldn't get a gig playing anything after about 1969. Everything they did after that failed and they were totally washed up until the re-released all their hits from the 60s on the Endless Summer album. They've been making money touring ever since, but not producing anything new that was noteworthy.
So here's a golden troll opportunity and they jump on it. I don't expect much else from washed up losers like these guys. I hope they reach an agreement but I won't be surprised if they don't, or if any agreement they do make is totally unfair.
I may have to go torrent Endless Summer purely out of spite.
Mike, thanks for doing what you do. I've been reading your blog for 7+ years now and it just gets better and better. Please keep it up! i don't know what I'd do if you stopped!
I think I know why your traffic has doubled in 6 months:
1. SOPA and other issues you cover gaining more visibility.
2. Honest, frank coverage and informed, untelligent suggestions; your contributions to the community.
3. Me posting so many lunks to TD on my Facebook news feed :-)
Thanks for a great year. Hope 2012 is even better.
Spoken like someone totally ignorant of history, unintended consequences, and precedent.
Allowing any censorship of speech, especially just because someone 'doesn't like it,' inevitably leads to censorship of more speech which in all likelihood affect many others.
It's the principle behind it, and you and he are both WRONG.
How much did you earn for posting that comment?
Excellent post Paul.
I love how you and a few others keep calling AC out for ignoring the parts which he doesn't agree with, yet he continues to do the same in his responses without ever denying that's what he's doing.
Keep on slaughtering him. I have enjoyed this thread... too bad AC will keep on trying to redefine FUD and ignore facts which don't fit into his worldview.
How have you determined that anything on the site was 'illegal speech?'
It seems to me that this should be determined by the court, not just arbitrarily decided by the Justice Department? That's the definition of prior restraint!!! Taking someone's rights away without any due process to determined if said speech is truly illegal (which it probably is NOT).
The simple fact that stifling speech is a 1st Amendment violation if there's no due process to determine if anything illegal was said. If you don't recognize this then you don't understand anything about the 1st.
I am consistently amazed at all these examples of blatant corruption and abuse of a system that is so clearly broken. Meanwhile, Congress spends all their time attacking each other over ridiculous political issues (which are equally amazing and disgusting), blaming their opponents, shirking responsibility, and generally ignoring the interests of their constituents.
This behavior should be criminal, and should come attached to jail time. I'm sick and tired of reading about this broken system and the damage it's doing to US interests. Reform is an absolute necessity but we're so far away from any real change that I almost (not quite) feel like even discussing it is a complete waste of time.
I socialize these stories everywhere I can but very few people I know show much interest in them. I don't think most people even care about or are aware of how much damage this system causes for US businesses.
I suppose I should have learned that my expectations of common sense and reasonable solutions to obvious problems are too much for the idiots known as Congresspeople and Senators in the USA. What a joke.
History will look back on our times and call us the most corrupt people ever documented in the history of mankind.
Well he is a lawyer...
Oh please DO!
I only ask because I would LOVE to call Mr. Wolk a small-minded, petulant, ignorant, Streisand-Effect-Generating PRICK... but I'm a little worried he might sue me if I did go so far as to actually call him anything like that. So I won't.
In any case, I hardly need to go so far as to call Mr. Wolk anything. He's apparently doing his best to call down the power of all the interwebs upon his own tiny head. One has to wonder what sort of rose-colored lens he looks through when viewing his own actions because, as the readers of this site are well aware, he will likely soon start to suffer the ill effects of his own actions, and I suspect he may regret them very soon.
That is a really weak excuse. TD has used the same format for their blog for years, and the byline has always been to the left of the article. You fucked up and got called out. Rather than accept it like an adult, you admit your mistake but blame the layout of the page for your mistake and put the blame right back on the guys you so obviously despise.
Your excuse is pathetic, as is your attempted defense of Apple. They deserve every bit of criticism they receive, and more IMHO.
I saw this on Reddit yesterday. I recognize the guy violated their ToS, but Google's customer service is just freaking horrible. I think they could easily resolve this situation without just killing the guy's Adsense acct two weeks before Christmas without even speaking to him once.
Lame, Google... what happened to "Don't be Evil?"
"...and he is still a million times richer than you will ever be. For all your internet skill, he still wipes his ass with more money than you will ever have. I would love to fail like him."
You would love to fail like him, huh? Will you still feel that way in 20 years when his empire has crumbled around him and his failures have bankrupted his family? Would you love to be remembered as a dinosaur of a previous age who utterly failed to respond to the world changing around him? Would you love to be the 'riches to rags' failure story of the 21st century?
All of these things will happen, and Rupert Murdoch will be viewed as a total, complete failure. History will not be kind to him, not would it be to you, if you were worth remembering.
as a government watchdog about 15 years ago, which has been its traditional role for centuries.
Murrow has been turning over in his grave ever since the press started giving government a free pass on eroding our civil rights.
Fascinating, and very relevant post. You do bounce around among topics more than you probably should, and paragraphs would be nice, but I (unlike a couple of ass-hats in this thread) did not mind because the content is good.. Great post!
I too can make a blade last six months or so. Check out this link on sharpening your used, dull blades. It really works; I do it every week and have not bought blades for about two years.
Disposable razors are a total rip-off. I smile to myself every time I sharpen one of mine, knowing Gillette just lost a sale.
They're afraid that intelligent, well-educated people will go sign up to send their letter, take out all the canned bullshit they prepared and edit it to say things like "hey this letter is canned BS from the CRIAA (or whoever)" and do some damage to their 'grassroots' (LOLOLOLOL) campaign.
I doubt the interns at the Canadian legislature (Parliament? I am unfortunately ignorant about Canadian government setup) actually read all those letters word-for-word anyway, but it just shows you that the industry groups who support the CA-DMCA are well aware that the arguments against the bill are logical and sensible, while the arguments in favor of the proposed law are anything but sensible, fair, or reasonable.
Your link is broken... it's got a period at the end which gmail certainly didn't like (firstname.lastname@example.com.)
It should be email@example.com
Very well-written and concise - I hope she pays attention.
I'm going to send in my own email, but it's going to say:
"What Michael Masnik said."
I'm an avid reader. Mostly sci-fi stuff, but I also love historical fiction and frequently read books from the business section related to my field of work (software technical sales). Oh and I just bought a nook from B&N, which I love dearly.
I haven't purchased a major-label CD or DVD for almost ten years. I got so fed up with the **AA groups and their anti-consumer practices that I decided I wouldn't support their efforts. I have bought a few CDs from indy bands on small labels or who produce their own CDs, but that's it. I am still carrying on with this boycott and will keep it up until the music labels and movie industry come to their senses.
To date, I've been purchasing my ebooks legally. I think they're too expensive, but the book publishers haven't acted like complete assholes just yet... but I certainly see it coming.
I will stop purchasing my ebooks legally if the publishers keep this shit up. As a digital-age consumer, I am not stupid and know full-well where I can acquire ebooks for free. I haven't done so yet, but if the publishers choose to pursue a similar anti-consumer path like the music and movie labels/publishers have, then I will have no problem with boycotting them also.
Book publishers, I hope you're listening. Don't make the same stupid mistakes that the RIAA and MPAA members have done. You'll regret it. I know I'm not alone.
French citizens aren't that much smarter than American citizens, are they? US voters fall for that crap all the time... I don't see why the French wouldn't.
I would love it if I were mistaken, but I am a cynic.


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Neighborhood Resources
Our online Neighborhood Resources is a collection of our favorite how-to guides, grant opportunities, workshops, city services and more. New York City is home to a wealth of resources—gather the tools to better your community here!
Know of other resources that are worth sharing?
Di Cui at
or 212-822-9563
Explore the Citizens Committee Resource Library
Arts Residencies and Open Calls Around the World
Rivet.es is a website that lists open call opportunities for artists, activists, and other cultural movers around the world. You can filter by location to find New York specific offerings.
Type: Grants & Funding
Directory of Fiscal Sponsors in New York State from the National Network of Fiscal Sponsors
This directory, hosted on FiscalSponsorDirectory.org, lists over 30 organizations statewide (with many in New York City) that are able to serve as Fiscal Sponsors for grassroots groups.
Type: Grants & Funding
2015 New York City Community Health Profiles
The New York City Community Health Profiles capture the health of 59 community districts across the city.
Type: General Resources
Staten Island Maker Space
Staten Island Maker Space is a community space, workshop, and co-working space for artists and makers on the North Shore of Staten Island.
Type: Trainings
Active Design in NYC Schools
The Active Design Toolkit for Schools provides ideas and resources to incorporate active design into schools in NYC. Many of the ideas presented are simple, but have immense potential to improve the overall success, health and well-being of students.
Type: General Resources
Soil Testing
Brooklyn College provides soil testing at a low cost as part of their commitment to the community. Test your garden's soil to see if it is safe to grow food in.
Type: General Resources


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Join us for a LEGO "block party" at the library! All you need to bring is your imagination!
All creations will be photographed and posted on the library's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SpeedwayPublicLibrary) and some will be displayed in the library for a limited time. For ages 6 and up.
Bricks are provided - please do not bring your own!
This program is presented in loving memory of Cheri Haymond by the library staff, board, and Friends.
Program Date:
Thursday, April 9, 2020 - 6:00pm


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Hee... Don't you love this image? I have to be honest that I colored this handsome little boy based on my sweet hubby. He definitely spend more time on the pot than me. LOL! I don't know how much he thinks of me when he is on it though... =)
This image is called On The Pot and it's printed on PTI's Stamper's Select White card stock then cut and embossed using a Labels 12 die. It's then colored with Copic markers. The sentiment piece is cut and embossed using a Classic Ovals Small die.
The patterned paper is from the Lime Twist Out Of The Blue collection by My Mind's Eye. The sentiment is from Hero Arts.
That's all for today. Have a happy Sunday, my friends! =)
cardstock: (kraft card base, white) Papertrey Ink
digital stamp: Mo's Digital Pencil
stamp: (sentiment) Hero Arts
patterned paper: My Mind's Eye
ink: VersaFine Onyx Black
buttons: Papertrey Ink
twine: May Arts
dies: (Scallop On the Edge) Allison, (Labels 12) Spellbinders
die-cut machine: Cuttlebug by Provo Craft
other: sewing machine, thread, foam tape, foam squares
Copics used:
skin: E13, E11, E01, E00, E000, R20
hair: YR24, YR23, YR31
t-shirt: E08, R08, R05, R02
socks: E08, R08, R05, R02, W1, W00, 0
pot: BG18, BG15, BG13, BG11
book: YG25, YG23, YG21, R17, R14, R12, BG13, BG11
floor: E35, E31, E30, E50
card size: 5 1/2" x 4 1/4"


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I took this last one to show you the cookies close up, simply gorgeous!
Earlier this month Style Me Gorgeous turned 2! Hooray!!!
As a birthday gift to myself I decided to have a bio photo shoot done, and Renee Bell was the perfect photographer to do it (Renee photographed my precious little Max's 1st birthday last year, I love her style!), above are the results! I love getting all dolled up. I got a funny look from my 4 year old when I picked him up from daycare, hehe.
So, I described to Renee the colours I wanted to see in the images and she came up with perfect locations in Newcastle to create the look we were going for, the photos look perfect on my website.
A big thank you to Vanessa at Sugar Rush for the gorgeous cupcakes, and Denin at Spoon & Fork for the pretty cookies!
It has been a fabulous year, alongside the pleasure of designing many gorgeous new logos and websites, my print to party decor has been received really well and I finally have loaded some of the printables onto my website so you can purchase that way! I look forward to expanding the range to cater for the adults not just the kiddies :-)
I was thrilled this year too as one of my business dreams became a reality, Max's 1st Birthday party was featured in Little One Baby magazine, I adore this magazine, its glossy pages are full to the brim with gorgeous images and real stories, you can see the feature here
Since then my Baby Elephant and Owl and Bird print to party decor has been featured in Cosmo Pregancy, very exciting.
So here's to another fabulous year ahead, onwards and upwards!
Thank you all SO MUCH for your continued support and encouragement.


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Alaska Native Resources
General Resources
"Codetalk is a federal inter-agency Native American Web site designed specifically to deliver electronic information from government agencies and other organizations to Native American communities. Code Talk is hosted by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Native American Programs."
Alaska Native Knowledge Network
This is a resource for compiling and exchanging information related to Alaska Native knowledge systems established to assist Native people, government agencies, educators, and the general public.
American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) Data and Links
Population estimates, population projections, maps, and other data from U.S. Census Bureau.
Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act
Information and additional resources.
Online Materials about Alaska Native History, Education, Languages, and Cultures
Alaskool is for teachers, students, and people interested in Alaska's first people.
American Indian/Alaska Native Women
Find information about health issues for minority women from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Tribal Connections in the Pacific Northwest
"Connecting American Indian/Alaska Native Communities to Health Resources on the Internet."
Culture & Language
Alaskan Native Heritage Center
View art, links to Alaska Native sites, available education, and more.
The Russian Church and Native Alaskan Cultures
Interesting articles on the impact of the Russian Missionaries on the Native Alaskans.
Alaska Native Language Center
This site has information on the many languages within Alaska.
Tlingit National Anthem
"Alaska Native and American Indian anthems, flags, history, art, celebrities, culture, dance, storytelling, picture, music, languages...Alaska Native and American Indian issues and internet resources."


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2008 U.S. Paralympic Track & Field Team Nominated; 44 Athletes to Represent the United States in Beijing
The nomination was based on athlete performances at the 2008 U.S. Paralympic Team Trials - Track & Field, the sole qualifying track & field event for the 2008 Paralympic Games. The Trials were held in Tempe, Ariz., June 12-15, at Arizona State University's Sun Angel Stadium.
The following list is comprised of the athletes who have been nominated to the team.
Name Hometown/Current Residence
*Danny Andrews (Miami, Fla./Tucson, Ariz.)
Jim Bob Bizzell (Abilene, Texas)
*Adam Bleakney (Champaign, Ill.)
*Tyler Byers (Spokane, Wash./Washington, D.C.)
Matt Brown (Idalou, Texas)
Jeremy Campbell (Perryton, Texas/Chula Vista, Calif.)
*Edwin Cockrell (New Athens, Ill.)
*Scott Danberg (Cooper City, Fla.)
*Brian Frasure (Apex, N.C.)
*Joshua George (Fairfax, Va./Champaign, Ill.)
*Elexis Gillette (Raleigh, N.C./Chula Vista, Calif.)
*Peter Gottwald (West Chester, Pa.)
Erik Hightower (Glendale, Ariz.)
*Tony Iniguez (Aurora, Ill.)
Josiah Jamison (Vance, S.C./Chula Vista, Calif.)
Carlos Leon (N. Lauderdale, Fla./Birmingham, Ala.)
*Royal Mitchell (Hardeeville, S.C./Chula Vista, Calif.)
*Nelacey Porter (Salem, Ore./Chula Vista, Calif.)
Alex Richter (Cullman, Ala.)
Josh Roberts (Birmingham, Ala.)
Scot Severn (Caro, Mich.)
Jerome Singleton (Irmo, S.C.)
*Marlon Shirley (Tremonton, Utah/Chula Vista, Calif.)
*Jeff Skiba (Samammish, Wash./Chula Vista, Calif.)
*Casey Tibbs (San Antonio, Texas/Chula Vista, Calif.)
Steven Toyoji (Redmond, Wash./Tucson, Ariz.)
Scott Winkler (Pittsburgh, Pa./Grovetown, Ga.)
Name Hometown/Current Residence
Mallerie Badget (Oxford, Ala.)
*Cheri Blauwet (Larchwood, Iowa/Menlo Park, Calif.)
*Julie Crisp (Panama City, Fla./Portland, Ore.)
Anjali Forber-Pratt (Natick, Mass./Champaign, Ill.)
*Jessica Galli (Hillsborough, N.J./Savoy, Ill.)
*Jennifer Goeckel (Seattle, Wash.)
Sabra Hawkes (Rockport, Mass.)
*April Holmes (Somerdale, N.J./Chula Vista, Calif.)
*Jill Kennedy (Zalmo, Mo./Charlottesville, Va.)
*Cheryl Leitner (Toms River, N.J./Myrtle Beach, S.C.)
Chelsea McClammer (Benton, Wash.)
*Tatyana McFadden (Clarksville, Md.)
Amanda McGrory (Kennett Square, Pa./Champaign, Ill.)
Kerri Morgan (St. Louis, Mo.)
Maggie Redden (Jersey City, N.J./State College, Pa.)
*Shirley Reilly (Los Gatos, Calif./Tucson, Ariz.)
Robyn Stawski (Tampa, Fla.)
*Denotes Paralympian
Over 4,000 elite athletes with a physical disability from around the world are expected to compete in the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, September 6-17. The U.S. will field a team of 206 athletes who will compete in 18 sports.
Complete competition results from the 2008 U.S. Paralympics Team Trials - Track & Field can be found at http://www.2008paralympictracktrials.com/.
For additional information or to arrange an athlete interview, please contact Beth Bourgeois, U.S. Paralympics, at (719)866-2039 or email@example.com.
About U.S. Paralympics:
U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, is dedicated to becoming the world leader in the Paralympic movement and to promoting excellence in the lives of people with a physical disability. Visit our Web site at http://www.usparalympics.org/.


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|Payment Type:
|Min. Order:
|1 Piece/Pieces
Model No.: GL-13148
Place Of Origin: Zhejiang, China (Mainland)
Material: Steel
Surface Treatment: Zinc Plated
Brand Name: GL
Type: Door Hinges
Weight: 0.31kgs
Model Number: GL-13148
Size: 120*30mm
Packaging: Normal Packing
Productivity: 1000000pcs
Brand: GL
Transportation: Ocean
Place of Origin: Zhejiang, China (Mainland)
Supply Ability: 100000
Certificate: ISO
1. Product introduction
Semi-Trailer gate Hinge pin stop Hinge GL-13148 suit for some Semi-Trailer,such as Iveco and others model. Hot-selling Africative Southeast Asia and other countries area
2. Product details
2.1. Model:GL-13148
2.2. Material:Steel
2.3. Surface Treatment:Zinc Plated
2.4. Weight:0.31kgs
2.5. Size:120*30 mm
3. Product picture
4. Company strength
Jiaxing Ganland Auto Parts CO.,Ltd is a professional manufacturer specializes in designing and producing different types of machinery parts for trucks and other commercial Vehicles.GL products are exported to over 60 countries and regions,and have gained a good reputation through quality.
5. Our special service
5.1. Competitive price.
5.2. Short production time.
5.3. Package according to clients' special requirment.
5.4. Fully satisfactory after-sales service.
5.5. Heavy inquires witness our quality.
5.6. We can develop the new items as customer' special requirment.
5.7. We can accept small orders.
6. Other products
We Also have many other parts, like truck & trailer door lock system, door hinge system, door seal, door retainer, buckle, roller, e-track, winch, euphroe, buffer, folding step, lashing ring and other locks, hooks, latches, wrenches, aluminuim sections and Container Corner Fittings etc.
Any further questions pls kindly send a letter to my e-mail: sales1(AT)gl-truck.com
Welcome inquiry!
Product Categories : Truck & Van & Trailer Door Hinge Series
Subscribe To Our Newsletter:
Get Updates, Discounts, Special
Offers and Big Prizes!


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Caffeine Chaos – Premium Unisex Tee – show your unique style with this awesome custom tee made just for you! Our amazing designs will be a conversation piece, making you the life of any party! Or, the perfect gift to show your friend or family that you know their true colors.
This is our best seller for a reason. Relaxed, tailored and ultra-comfortable, you'll love the way you look in this premium classic shirt by Bella+Canvas. Super soft feel and excellent print quality makes this shirt easy to fall in love with every time you wear it!
And, printed in the U.S.A.
.: 100% Soft Cotton (cotton & polyester blend for different colors)
.: Light Fabric (4.2 oz/yd² (142 g/m²))
.: Tear Away Label
.: Runs True to Size


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25 Swirled Circle SMALL Wooden Ice Cream/ Cupcake Spoons,Custom Colors Available, wooden utensils, cutlery, silverware, kid's party, rainbow
Product Info
*****Please note that this listing is for SMALL taster or ice cream spoons. The SMALL taster spoons are perfect for dessert shooters, cupcakes, ice cream, and more! Looking for full size spoons? We offer hundreds of designs and styles at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PinkPickerParty?section_id=13071902
These sweet cupcake/ice cream spoons are perfect for your next party! This listing includes 25 wooden ice cream spoons hand stamped with a fabulous swirled circle pattern. Choose from 10 color choices, plus rainbow! (Rainbow Mix: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green , Blue, Purple) Do you need a custom color combination? Just select the "custom color" option and leave the color combo in the notes section at the time of check out!
The spoons have an overall length of 3 3/4" and spoon bowls measuring 7/8" wide.
These wooden spoons are made from solid birch wood that is harvested from F.S.C. (Forest Stewardship Council) Certified replanted / sustainable forests.In addition to its overall sturdiness and clean look, this renewable birch wood taster spoon is also biodegradable and compostable. USDA and CFIA Approved.
Spoons are intended for one-time use only. Also note that the spoons are handmade so the final product may vary a little
Please take a moment to read my shop policies for shipping info and turn current turn around times. If you need the order to arrive in time for an event, PLEASE LEAVE THE DATE OF YOUR EVENT IN THE NOTES SECTION. Thank you!!!
Check out more of our fresh picked VINTAGE FINDS and HANDMADE PARTY SUPPLIES below:
More Marvelous Milk Glass: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PinkPickerParty?section_id=11124865
Vintage Picks (home decor and more!):
Custom Wooden Utensils: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PinkPickerParty?section_id=13071902
Ice Cream Spoons: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PinkPickerParty?section_id=16170522
Candy and Buffet Scoops: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PinkPickerParty?section_id=16213200
Beverage and Cupcake Supplies: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PinkPickerParty?section_id=11305217
Paper Straws, Twines, & Tapes: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PinkPickerParty?section_id=13022741
Party Favors, Bags, Boxes, & Cartons: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PinkPickerParty?section_id=11129546
Vintage Holiday Decor: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PinkPickerParty?section_id=16213204
Holiday Party Supplies: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PinkPickerParty?section_id=11129462


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|1,321 free recipes at www.edenfoods.com
Serves 6 | Prep Time 10 minutes | Cook Time 5 minutes
1 Tbsp Eden Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup onion, diced
1 small carrot, diced
30 ounces Eden Lentils w/Onion & Bay Leaf, 2 cans, drained
1 tsp Eden Shoyu Soy Sauce
1 tsp Eden Red Wine Vinegar
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried basil
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 1/2 cups organic tomatoes, diced
Heat oil in a skillet and sauté half of the garlic, all the onion and the carrot for 2 to 3 minutes. Place in a food processor and pulse 1 minute. Add the lentils, remaining garlic, shoyu, vinegar, cumin, basil and parsley. Blend until smooth and creamy. Place in a bowl. Arrange the diced tomatoes around the bowl. Garnish the pate' with a small sprig of parsley and celery leaves.


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The world just keeps getting smaller for two coworkers who discovered they were actually long lost brothers after working side by side for weeks at a furniture company.
Gary Nisbet and Randy Joubert have another sibling.
"That's me. I'm Claire Marie," Florida mom Kat Cooper announced excitedly on her blog and Twitter after she saw her long-lost siblings on the "Today Show" yesterday. "I'm the sister they are searching for, and the 'Today Show' is flying me and my youngest son to New York tonight to meet my sister and brothers and be on the 'Today Show' tomorrow."
U.S. & World
The siblings' story has taken one emotional turn after the another: First, Nisbet and Jourbert, who were separated as toddlers, found each other after 35 years. They were adopted and raised by separate families in neighboring Maine towns, wound up moving to the same town and both ended up working for the same company. After being told repeatedly that he and Nisbet looked alike, Joubert, who knew he had a brother and two half siblings, put two and two together.
Then, when Joanne Campbell read about the brothers' unlikely reunion in the news, she recognized their mother's name and realized she was their half sister. Campbell drove up to Maine to meet her new-found brothers at Dow Furniture, where they work, and the siblings made an appearance on the "Today Show" Tuesday morning.
But even as the three chattered away about their story on TV, Kat Cooper, a single mom in Sarasota, was watching, transfixed. When they mentioned they had another sister somewhere named Claire Marie, Cooper realized she was the last of the separated siblings and called NBC.
"This is truly amazing, all happened so fast, 1 tv segment, 1 phone call by me to NBC & I have family!" the 39-year-old wrote on Twitter.
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
The four siblings were taken away from their abusive mother nearly four decades ago and placed in foster homes. They ended up getting adopted by different families. While Jourbert knew he had a brother and two half sisters out there, he had no idea how to find them. And Nisbet had no clue his brother existed. The brothers went to rival high schools and probably attended some of the same sporting events. Meanwhile, their half sisters, Campbell and Cooper, went to the same high school.
At one point, Cooper and her adoptive sister even asked Campbell if they could be related.
"We went to high school together, had a study hall, lunch and gym class together," Cooper wrote on her blog. "At one point during those high school years, my sister Jo and I talked to Joanne, we asked her if she had a sister, her last name is my birth last name, she said no, but that's because she didn't know that she even had a sister back then. But Joanne and I are identical, we look even more alike now than we did back in school."
All siblings credit a new law in Maine with helping them find each other. The law makes birth records more accessible for adoptees.
Coincidentally, the owner of Dow Furniture, the company that brought the two brothers together, is an ex-state senator who was instrumental in getting the legislation passed.
"I knew he'd been taken by the state. I found out his name. Only in January I figured this out," Joubert said on "Today." "I said, his name is going to be different, how in the world am I going to find out his name? To realize I'm riding a truck with him – it's a bizarre world – it's crazy. There's so much emotion, I can't wrap my brain around what's going on."


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Resource Library
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Your search for the items(s) listed below returned 2 results.
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Henry Claypool, policy consultant for the American Association of People with Disabilities, discusses the potential impacts that autonomous vehicles may have in the workplace and other areas of life.
Beth Crutchfield and Jessie Haugh of Level Access discuss the accessibility issues that HR and workplace leaders should consider when using virtual and augmented reality as part of their hiring, recruiting, and retention processes.


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Split Suad Day
Two games today, one in Port Charlotte against the Rays and the other at Bright House Field against the Braves. Busses left for Port Charlotte at 8:15 a.m.; others did the usual 10 a.m. pre-game workout in Clearwater.
Tomorrow, the Pirates in Bradenton. Busses leave at 9:30 a.m.
Around Camp
**Pitchers Ryan Feierabend (#31) and Justin Friend (48), infielders Troy Hanzawa (12) and Tim Kennelly (7) and outfielders Derrick Mitchell (22), Rich Thompson (21) and Brandon Tripp (30) walked from the minor league camp to Bright House Field for the game with the Braves. Eight other minor leaguers were on the 8:15 bus.
**Susan Ingersoll-Papaneri, Director, Baseball Administration, had morning meetings with minor league players to review the minor league player insurance policies.
**97.3 ESPN Radio out of Atlantic City, the Mike Gill Show, is broadcasting live from the Tiki Bar today from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
**Cole Hamels leads the Grapefruit League in innings pitched (10.2).
**Phillies lead all NL teams in Florida in attendance (64,224); Yankees are the only team with more (65,087). Giants are tops in Arizona (83,369).
Spring Training Memories
Gary Matthews (OF, 1981-83)
"It was Casa Grande, Arizona, with the Giants minor leaguers in 1968. I wore No. 36 and had three roommates: Garry Maddox, Horace Speed and Randy Moffitt. My fondest memory of the first day is when Willie Mays gave the outfielders a Kangaroo hide glove. This may sound strange, but I loved intrasquad games. It gave the winner bragging rights for the rest of the season. But I didn't like shagging fly balls in batting practice at all."
More Alumni memories can be found at www.phillies.com/alumni.


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Disregard your feelings on Crikey's reliability and credibility, the site's political section is essential reading. Political alter ego Hilary Bray was recently revealed by The Sunday Age to be former Liberal media adviser Christian Kerr. Despite the outing, Crikey continues to be a mostly reliable and absorbing source of information through Campaign 2004. Media junkies will love the insider's view of the Canberra press gallery. Crikey is at its best when lazy media cliches and conflicts of interest are poked at and explored.
Trust me, don't trust him
johnhowardmp.com johnhowardlies.com
John Howard made an enormous blunder - or a brilliant tactical move - when he stated at the beginning of the campaign that the election would be based on "trust". Howard's own site is a dry proposition. His "diary" contains a photo album of a recent visit to his Bennelong electorate. There are links to a list of "government achievements" and an opportunity to "send me a message". In contrast, ex-Labor staff member Tim Grau's "lies" site aims to "continue to expose the lies, misrepresentations and distortions of John Howard and his ministers throughout the campaign". The site is sweeping in its scope, tackling issues from ageing to travel allowances.
No bleating about the Bush
Not sure if you've heard, but apparently the US is having an election this year, too. For a cynical look at the US election, visit the site for comedian Jon Stewart's acidic faux-news show The Daily Show (seen here spasmodically on Foxtel). Stewart has launched "Indecision 2004" - a hilarious snipe at the ridiculousness of campaigning. The site features plenty of entertaining footage as well as a heap of web-only exclusives including George W. Bush: Words Speak Louder Than Actions.
Betting on the short odds
Andrew Leigh is a research fellow at the Australian National University who believes we should ignore the opinion polls and focus on the betting market. He updates the Australian electoral betting market daily. The site also provides articles and a history of the electoral betting market, along with book reviews, opinion pieces and other "frivolous stuff".
Dark Horse
With former Midnight Oil singer Peter Garrett and Malcolm Turnbull (the man who, following the republic referendum in 1999, infamously declared that Howard will always be remembered as "the PM who broke this nation's heart") running for Labor and Liberal respectively, the federal election is not short of high-profile candidates. Two of the most fiery contenders are standing election against the Prime Minister and his Foreign Minister. Iraq whistleblower Andrew Wilkie is running on the Green ticket in the Prime Minister's electorate of Bennelong. His website outlines his work as a civilian and in the military. It has a campaign guide and links to what he considers the "hot issues" of the election.
In Adelaide, magistrate Brian Deegan is contesting Alexander Downer's seat of Mayo. Deegan, who lost his son in the Bali bombings, is basing his campaign on the mantra of "communication, not belligerence", and is running as an independent.
In what must be a first, Deegan offers links to the websites of all his competitors. There are also links to recent news articles featuring Deegan. The site is run by volunteers who state that "we have no allegiance to any political party, movement or lobby group" - but, worryingly, they also point out "we are all computer software professionals". Hmmm.
Site of the week
The Green room
One of the joys of federal election night is huddling around the telly and taking in Kerry O'Brien and the ABC team's entertaining coverage. This is where the doyen of electoral enthusiasts, Antony Green, comes into his own. Not surprisingly, his site is nirvana for political fans. Easy to navigate and concise enough not to bore, the site is compulsory for anyone with even the slightest interest in this year's election.
Blog of the week
Riding the electoral wave
Darryl Rosin is the Greens' candidate for the Queensland seat of Griffith. His imaginatively titled blog, Not Easy Being Green, is featured on The Road To Surfdom, a web diary run by Tim Dunlap. Rosin waxes lyrical about the mainstream press' attacks on his party since the beginning of the campaign. Dunlap's blog is wide-ranging in both political topics and the ideology of its contributors.
Know any good websites or blogs? Email firstname.lastname@example.com


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Amazonas Regnskogbevaring - Frivillig Arbeid i Peru: Månedlige Oppdateringer
Månedlige Oppdateringer fra 2015
It is hard to believe that it is the end of another year at Taricaya- 2015 has been a huge success with new initiatives, consolidation of existing projects and a twist of the unexpected. I must thank all the volunteers (nearly 200) who joined us this year as without their hard work none of Taricaya's important work would be possible. Between volunteers and staff we have produced over 50,000 labour hours this year and with such a variety of projects each and every one was essential! Well done and thank you again!
It is hard to believe that we are hurtling towards the end of yet another year as time is just flying by here in Taricaya. The reason for that? So much to do! Luckily we still have plenty of diligent and industrious volunteers and over the last few weeks we have been carefully monitoring the progress of our freshwater turtle nests, continuing our expansion in the rescue centre; clearing trails before the start of the wet season and much more…
Once again it is time for the latest from Taricaya Research Centre and with our busy season in full swing with over 40 volunteers keen to work hard we have been able to achieve a great deal and push forward on many projects simultaneously. The collection phase of our turtle project has begun; we have been visited by old colleagues to help in our biodiversity research and there is some fantastic news as we join forces with a leading animal rights organisation. As usual, where to begin?
What a few weeks it has been at Taricaya with some fantastic news from two of our most successful and long-standing projects- the animal rescue centre and our biodiversity research! Elsewhere we have been hard at work preparing for the start of the new turtle season and the ongoing construction of our new animal enclosures draws closer to an end.
As the rains start to ease off and the swamps recede we are able to get out and about again in the reserve. The trails must be reopened after the heavy tropical storms but it is great to get back into the depths of the forest and we have been busy with our biodiversity research, agroforestry project and spider monkey release program.
With a new year comes new challenges and as our volunteer numbers rose quickly after the festive break it was straight back to work. This time of year is difficult because the weather can be unpredictable and last year's historical flooding was at the back of all our minds.


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Re: Making Scientific Posters?
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg92452] Re: Making Scientific Posters?
- From: "M.Roellig" <markus.roellig at googlemail.com>
- Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:55:34 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <firstname.lastname@example.com>
On 30 Sep., 08:36, AES <sieg... at stanford.edu> wrote: > Have to make a couple of scientific meeting posters (on the order of 44" > X 44") for the very first time =AD=AD would appreciate advice and counsel > from more experienced "old hands" on best way to approach this (or > pointers to recommended tutorials). > > Each poster's contents will be primarily 8 or 9 pieces of vector artwork > (labeled plots, blocks of text, none of them especially complex) that > can be generated separately and will be of varying sizes but each one > roughly letter-sized. May contain a few raster files (jpeg, tiff) also=


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Man pleads guilty in multimillion-dollar Conn. investment fraud scheme
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) � A man accused of running a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme through a Connecticut company has pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges.
Federal prosecutors say 62-year-old Garrett Denniston cheated more than 50 people out of more than $2.5 million through a company called ConsensusOne. Instead of investing the victims' money, he used it for business and personal expenses such as ski outings and country club memberships.
Denniston is a former resident of Newtown, Conn. and Boothbay Harbor, Maine. He pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of wire fraud.
He has been detained since his arrest in September.
He faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing, which is currently scheduled for June 11.


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KamaitachiPhotographs by Eikoh Hosoe
Availability: Out of stock
Eikoh Hosoe's groundbreaking Kamaitachi was originally released in 1969 as a limited-edition photobook of 1,000 copies. A collaboration with Tatsumi Hijikata, the founder of ankoku butoh dance, it documents their visit to a farming village in northern Japan and an improvisational performance made with local villagers, inspired by the legend of kamaitachi, a weasel-like demon who haunts rice fields and slashes people with a sickle. Hosoe photographed Hijikata's spontaneous interactions with the landscape and the people they encountered. A seductive combination of performance and photography, the two artists enact an personal and symbolic investigation of Japanese society during a time of massive upheaval. In 2005, in close consultation with the artist, Aperture released a limited-edition facsimile in homage to the original. In this 2009 edition, Aperture is honored to reinterpret this paragon of Japanese bookmaking, now including four never-before-published images, a new text by preeminent Japanese scholar Donald Keene, and essays by Eikoh Hosoe and Suzo Takiguchi. Available for the first time in an affordable trade edition, this version was painstakingly reworked by renowned artist Ikko Tanaka, designer of the original, shortly before his death.
EIKOH HOSOE (born in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, 1933) is an integral part of the history of modern Japanese photography; he remains a driving force not only for his own work, but also for his efforts as a teacher and ambassador, fostering artistic exchange between Japan and the rest of the world. Hosoe is represented by Howard Greenberg Gallery, New York. He lives in Tokyo.
DONALD KEENE (essay) is a Columbia University Professor Emeritus and Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japanese Literature.
SHUZO TAKIGUCHI (essay, 1903—1979) was a poet and art critic, credited for having introduced Surrealism to Japan at the end of the 1920s.
You may also be interested in:
Aperture 165
Regular Price: $20.00
Special Price $16.00
Japanese Photobooks of the 1960s and '70s$225.00
Aperture 151
Regular Price: $25.00
Special Price $20.00


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Mike Tyson Arrested For Assaulting Photographer
Sky reports "The former heavyweight boxing champion was detained on suspicion of battery following the scuffle at Los Angeles International Airport, police said."
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Forty years ago today and six weeks after Kevin returned from a 14 month tour in Viet Nam, he and I were married. In the ensuing years we have been blessed with wonderful times (and of course some tough times); three incredible children, their wonderful spouses and two adorable grandchildren for which this blog is named. Along with family and friends, we have created a lifetime of great memories and Kevin is still not only the love of my life, but also my best friend.
Congratulations to Megan and Chris, who are celebrating their first wedding anniversary today!
Oh my, how times changed us. I guess you would call us "vintage".
About my dress: Because this is fundamentally a sewing blog, a little information about my wedding gown only seemed appropriate. (And for those of you who remember the awful plaid suit I made for Kevin in the 70's, I didn't make his tux.)
The following is an old folded copy of the dress I copied from a 1970 bridal magazine then I like "knockoff's". The fabric was a sheer poly of some type purchased from a fine Milwaukee fabric store that bit the dust about 20 years ago. The cape and veil were made from yards of silk illusion, which is now a rare find and the lace was beaded French alencon. I cut all of the lace and spent hours beading it, but had lots of time since Kevin was in Viet Nam.
A little hiccup:
For the year that Kevin was in Viet Nam, I lived with my parents. They had a toy terrier who was usually well-behaved but like all animals he had his moments. One day I was working on the nearly completed cape (fine silk – just right for a dog bed) and left it on the couch, never expecting that the dog would climb on the couch and nuzzle in my dress. But he did, and tore the fabric in several places. Grrrrh. I was able to move some of the appliques and cover the tears so all was well in the end but at that time it seemed such a big deal.


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How can lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people get the most out of face-to-face visits with their medical providers?
Earlier this year, APICHA Community Health Center -- a community-based provider of quality health care, HIV prevention and education to communities of color, LGBT and low-income people in New York City -- hosted a workshop exploring this question. Entitled "10 Things LGBT People Need to Discuss With Their Health Care Providers," the workshop was part of APICHA's ongoing Project Connect program of community conversations. Delivering the presentation to a diverse audience from across the LGBT spectrum was Dr. Robert Murayama, APICHA's chief medical officer.
The workshop was broken down by population, though many of the issues raised cut across the entire LGBT community. For instance, stopping smoking and watching alcohol intake are important in the general population; but in LGBT communities this is of particular concern, Dr. Murayama asserted, as every segment of the LGBT population is reported to have higher levels of smoking, heavy drinking and substance use. Also across all groups, societal pressures, stigma, and other factors lead to high levels of depression and anxiety in the LGBT community.
Murayama not only advocated for moderation of smoking and drinking, but the adoption of healthy habits for all LGBT persons, including 20 to 40 minutes of exercise, three to five times per week, to work toward keeping a healthy heart.
He also busted the myth that there is one test that checks for all possible sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) a person might have. He emphasized the mantra: "If you have a hole, get it tested." You should always make sure you're being screened for all STDs, and testing should be area testing since not all STDs can be screened through the blood.
Of great concern for lesbians? Cancer screenings, especially for breast cancer and cervical cancer, Dr. Murayama said. Now, being a lesbian does not make one inherently at higher risk for either of these cancers. However, breast cancer risk can be tied to the amount of certain hormones in a person's system. After women have children, they produce less of the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which have been known to promote breast cancer cell growth; but because lesbians as a group are less likely to have children than heterosexual women, they may be at higher risk for developing breast cancer due to higher levels of estrogen and progesterone exposure. Also, cervical cancer is often diagnosed at a later stage due to lower rates of Pap smears among lesbians.
Gay and Bisexual Men
For gay and bisexual men, prevention is key for those who are HIV negative, as is antiretroviral treatment for those who are HIV positive. In order to stay negative, Dr. Murayama stressed correct and consistent condom use, as well as possibly taking advantage of pre-exposure prophylaxis. There have been minimal side effects with Truvada as PrEP, according to Dr. Murayama; those side effects have included kidney problems and bone loss. He also noted that Truvada was chosen as the first drug to be used as PrEP because of its minimal side effects.
Though excessive alcohol and substance use hold dangers for all LGBT folks, Dr. Murayama pointed out the impact that alcohol and other substances can have on gay and bisexual men, whose inhibitions may be lowered while under the influence -- and the subsequent danger of HIV risk behavior.
Liver problems are also of concern for gay and bisexual men -- especially in the form of hepatitis A, B and C, and cirrhosis. Though chronic hepatitis B and C are now treatable, all sexually active adults should get immunized against hepatitis A and B. (There is no vaccine against hepatitis C). Dr. Murayama informed the crowd that, if you ask your doctor, you can get the hepatitis A and B vaccines together. Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and other bodily fluids, and can be transmitted through sexual activity. Hepatitis A results from oral-fecal contact and is mostly transmitted through improperly prepared foods, or foods that have been handled by employees who have not washed their hands. Hepatitis C and B are chronic, while hepatitis A is acute, which means infection is shorter but can be more severe.
Dr. Murayama also reiterated the importance of getting checked for all STDs, as many can make it easier to contract HIV due to the inflammation they cause. Also, some STDs, specifically HPV (human papillomavirus), can cause cervical cancer in women -- and anal cancer in women as well as men.
People of Transgender (Trans) Experience
The discussion of trans health reiterated many points that had already been fleshed out earlier in the workshop, including concerns around HIV risk, which for transwomen -- who, according to a large recent study, are nearly 50 times more likely to be HIV positive than general populations worldwide -- is a significant issue. Dr. Murayama did make a special comment about the use of silicone injections by the trans population. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned silicone injections in 1991, but they're still used outside of medical settings where the quality of the silicone isn't assured. Murayama said that, though silicone often gives the initial feminizing effects that patients want to see in their bodies, long-term side effects can be extremely dangerous. Once silicone is injected, it cannot be removed, unless it is a product made of silicone like a buttock or breast implant. (Dr. Murayama also informed the crowd that, when originally conceived, breast implants were not meant to stay in for life.) He also stressed the importance for transwomen of receiving regular Pap smears and anal Pap smears.
Dr. Murayama ended by outlining some specific questions a person should ask their doctor when getting care or being prescribed medications.
Learn more about APICHA Community Health Center on its website, or follow APICHA on Twitter @apichahealth.
Learn more about workshops like this one on Project Connect's website, or its Facebook page.
Mathew Rodriguez is the editorial project manager for TheBody.com and TheBodyPRO.com.
Follow Mathew on Twitter: @mathewrodriguez.


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Scrawled comment on complaint form after agents tampered with luggage
Steve Watson
April 24, 2012
New Yorker Ross Berenson can burn for ever in eternal damnation as far as the TSA are concerned, following his attempts to find out why his luggage had been broken into and tampered with during a flight from LAX to JFK.
When Berenson discovered that the "TSA-certified" green lock on his bag had been removed and the loops of the zippers cut, he enquired with airline JetBlue as to what had happened.
The Manhattan-based graphic designer was referred to TSA representatives.
"Nobody could give me any answers about what happened in LA, but they very politely told me if I wanted to file a complaint I could fill out this form," Berenson told Gothamist.
When he looked at the form more closely, Berenson discovered that someone from the TSA had scrawled the words "go to hellllll" on it.
"Everyone was very helpful and nice. I didn't realize the form said 'Go to hell' until I got on the subway." Berenson said. "
I'm pretty laid back, but seeing an official form like this say 'Go to hell' is pretty shocking." he added.
Berenson also said that he believes the form, including the handwritten portion, is a photocopy and that other versions may have been issued to other passengers wishing to make complaints against the agency.
A TSA spokesperson told the blog site issued the following statement in response to the incident:
The TSA looks forward to the opportunity to work directly with the passenger to learn more about his interaction with the employee and the hand-written note on the form he received. This will assist us in reviewing the issue. Additionally, we will work with the passenger to address the damaged luggage.
TSA-recognized locks are easily identified by the screening workforce and can be opened and relocked by TSA officers if a physical inspection is required. Also, when TSA opens a checked bag, a notice of inspection is placed inside.
"I can't prove the TSA did this to my bag," Berenson said. "And there was no note saying they inspected it."
However, the TSA has a history of leaving handwritten notes in passengers' luggage. Last October a TSA screener saw fit to make a humiliating joke about the contents of a flyer's luggage, writing "GET YOUR FREAK ON GIRL," on a TSA inspection note after finding a sex toy.
In another incident in December, a screener left a note reading "C'mon Son" after discovering two bags of marijuana in the suitcase of rapper Freddie Gibbs.
Although he says he has no immediate plans to visit hell, Ross Berenson says he is going to file a formal complaint with the TSA.
"I'm a pretty calm person," he said. "It's not the end of the world, it's just luggage."
Steve Watson is the London based writer and editor for Alex Jones' Infowars.net, and Prisonplanet.com. He has a Masters Degree in International Relations from the School of Politics at The University of Nottingham in England.
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Dear Colleagues,
In the course of The Great Baseball Debate, I am happy to see attention focused on the Lents neighborhood, and discussion of appropriate uses of urban renewal money for creating jobs, housing, and revitalization. I am glad proponents and opponents of the proposed baseball stadium are considering the relative value of public and private uses of parks, preservation of trees, and neighborhood livability.
The Beavers' stadium would be a nice amenity for Lents, where many love baseball, from Little League to Major League. However, the proposal for the stadium in Lents Park falls short of the MLS Task Force's recommendations.
Open space and parkland will be lost
Adding a ball field at Lents Elementary does not add any park land. Upgrading the soccer fields at Lents Park and/or Marshall High School, while worthy goals, doesn't achieve that standard, either. New parkland in Lents, a parks deficient area*, must be identified, purchased and upgraded as part of the cost of building a stadium. Even then, the loss of 30 - 170 mature trees is a heavy price to pay within a Portland City Park.
Other economic development improvements will be delayed or eliminated
While $42.3 million is the stadium cost charged to the Lents URA, the true cost, including costs of issuance and establishment of a reserve fund required by bond covenants, is $46.9 million. In addition, we will pay an estimated $37 million interest on the $47 million borrowed, resulting in a total cost of nearly $85 million for the baseball stadium alone. Using millions of dollars in Tax Increment Financing funds for a AAA baseball stadium will cause serious impacts to other project needs in the Lents Urban Renewal Area. Some will be delayed, others will never be funded. There will be immediate and on-going impacts on homebuyer assistance programs and business redevelopment grants. Development of the Freeway Lands property is perhaps the greatest opportunity for job growth in the Lents area; building a baseball stadium will delay development of this 100 acre site until 2017. Lents cannot wait that long for year-round, family wage jobs.
The General Fund will be exposed to risk
Providing a $15 million loan to the Lents URA is the same as using General Fund resources to fund the stadium. This is a fundamental violation of the promise at the beginning of this process, that there would be no impact to the General Fund. Lending the district an additional $15 million will require a waiver of current City financial policies and will result in repayment five years or longer in the future. The $15 million would be backed by a pledge of General Fund revenues, and the General Fund would be at risk if tax increment revenues failed to be realized. With the publicly-owned stadium providing no tax increment itself, this is a significant concern.
The proposal has other concerns for Lents neighbors. Walker Stadium is a great community asset, available to the public every day during the summer. The new stadium will host Beavers games on 72 of the 150 days from early April through early September. Current users of Walker Stadium will find availability greatly diminished, with likely fee increases.
Parking at Lents Park is a significant problem, even now. Adding a 6500-9000 seat stadium would bring thousands of additional cars into the neighborhood for games or concerts. Marshall High School and Eastport Plaza will likely be considered too distant from the stadium, and they do not provide public parking. Is Lents ready for metered parking, like the area around PGE Park?
Aside from all this, one fundamental issue has not been addressed. The owner of the sports teams has selected a building contractor with no input from the City of Portland. Those arrangements have not been made public. Alternative designs or bidders have not been considered. What are the taxpayers getting for $83 million? Why not put the projects out to bid, so other contractors might offer a lower price for building and remodeling? Currently, our money would go to a sole source contract to Mr. Paulson's hand-selected construction company, with no City-imposed limit on overhead or profit margin. While the company would pick up any cost overruns, the price tag may be already considerably higher than required to build a nice stadium. Constituents have sent me information indicating other stadium projects have been done for $15 million. How fancy is the proposed stadium, and is it what we need? Competitive bidding for the construction contracts would provide the option for savings.
I oppose any proposal that uses Portland taxpayers' money, including urban renewal funds, to build sports facilities. If the PGE renovations for soccer and construction of a modest stadium for baseball cannot be accomplished using spectator and visitor taxes, the private interests desiring professional sports teams in Portland should pay the balance.
Economic development and prosperity for current businesses and resident in Lents is poised to take off, when the Green Line light rail opens this fall. I urge the Council to stay the course on pursuing and funding priorities already chosen with Lents URA money. The shiny new baseball stadium may seem enticing, especially in a neighborhood that has lacked due attention in the past. I believe the money generated in Lents should provide family-wage jobs and home ownership assistance for the people of Lents, rather than a venue for occasional entertainment visited by residents of the rest of the region. I look forward to reading the advice of the Lents URAC in that regard, and I will continue to consider all information made available to me as this process moves forward.
Amanda FritzCommissioner, City of Portland
* Note: As I was kindly informed later, Lents is not parks-deficient. East Portland as a whole is Parks deficient, but Lents is not.