text: Marble Carrara aesthetically pleasing, features a natural slate finish and renders a contemporary touch to the ambience. Go for the Glue Plus Marble Carrara White to set a tone of modernity and elegance to your favourite spaces of your home. The interiors are instantly transformed with the stylish look and easy charm of the Marble Carrara White, as it has an overpowering element that everyone will notice.


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At Harris Health System, we want to improve healthcare for the homeless, and make it easier for the homeless to access healthcare services.
Our Healthcare for the Homeless Program provides dental care and a variety of preventive and primary healthcare services to homeless individuals through shelter-based clinics and through mobile health and dental units. The program also provides eligibility and registration services through homeless shelter locations in the greater Houston area.
Through a number of strategic partnerships, the Healthcare for the Homeless Program provides on-site mental health and substance abuse counseling.
This program reduces or eliminates barriers to healthcare experienced by homeless individuals, enables healthcare problems to be detected and treated early, decreases emergency center use for primary care needs, increases immunization rates of homeless children, increases tuberculin screening and follow-up, and increases health promotion and prevention education among the homeless in our community.
For more information about the Harris Health's Healthcare for the Homeless Program, call 713-634-1050 ; or fax 713-634-1081 .

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


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Highly detailed 1/700 Scale King George V 14" Turret set as seen in 1941 fitted with UP Launchers. These are highly detailed replacement parts for the available kits, each turret is unique as modelled from plans and many reference photographs and information. Barrels are printed seperately and can be angled as desired. This set corrects the errors and inaccuracies on all the available KGV turret sets available. Many thanks to the Imperial War Mueseum for their vital photographic reference.
Accurate armout thickness on all faces.
Despite its Mark number, this was actually the first 14" (35.6 cm) gun that was exclusively designed and accepted into service by the Royal Navy. Previous 14" (35.6 cm) naval guns had been acquired either by taking over ships and guns building for other nations or by importing USA weapons.
The high-velocity heavy gun had fallen out of favor in the British Navy because of the problems experienced with the 16"/45 (40.6 cm) Mark I used on the Nelson class battleships. For this reason, the design of the new 14"/45 (35.6 cm) Mark VII reverted to the lower velocities used in guns produced before and during World War I. As a result, the muzzle velocity of the new Mark VII did not differ appreciatively from that achieved by the 14"/45 (35.6 cm) Mark I carried by the battleship Canada (ex-Chilean Almirante Latorre) during World War I.
The decision to use 14" (35.6 cm) guns on the King George V class Battleships was made in order to comply with Treaty restrictions, despite the fact that other European powers were building ships with larger weapons. As a result, the King George V class were arguably the weakest-armed battleships built in the 1930 to 1946 time period.
The design of this gun was based upon the 12"/50 (30.5 cm) Mark XIV, which was an experimental weapon completed in August 1933 to test "all steel" construction techniques. These new 14" (35.6 cm) guns were to a no-wire, radial-expansion construction, which resulted in a stronger, lighter gun that was less likely to suffer from barrel droop. This improved design gave the British a weapon that was more accurate and had a longer barrel life than the larger 16"/45 (40.6 cm) Mark I. Unfortunately, the mountings for these weapons were prone to mechanical failures during the early part of the war, with both HMS Prince of Wales and HMS King George V having numerous problems during their engagements against Bismarck.
Many, if not most, of these problems had been corrected by 1943. During the early part of her action against Scharnhorst at the Battle of the North Cape on 26 December 1943, HMS Duke of York scored 31 straddles out of 52 broadsides fired and during the latter part she scored 21 straddles out of 25 broadsides, a very creditable gunnery performance. In total, Duke of York fired 450 shells in 77 broadsides. However, HMS Duke of York still fired less than 70% of her possible output during this battle because of mechanical and "errors in drill" problems.
In addition to those used on the battleships, a further two guns were used as coastal artillery at Dover, but their extemporized mountings were not suitable for targeting fast moving ships. These coastal guns were supplied with a supercharge, giving them a very long range.
Consisted of tapered inner A tube, A tube, jacket breech ring of rectangular external shape, breech bush located in the A tube and a shrunk collar over the A tube. Used a Welin breech block and hydraulic Asbury mechanism. Including the two trial guns, a total of 78 guns were made, 24 by the Royal Gun Factory, 39 by Vickers-Armstrong, Elswick and 15 by Beardmore. The last 46 guns produced had a different shape to the breech ring which lowered the overall weight of the gun. These latter guns used a 12.5 ton (12.7 mt) counterweight while the earlier guns used a 11 ton (11.2 mt) counterweight in order to maintain the same center of balance. The Mark VII* was a loose barrel version, but none were ever manufactured.
These were the first heavy British guns in service to recoil in a cast steel cradle rather than on slides. This was a feature first prototyped on the 12"/50 (30.5 cm) Mark XIV.
At least one gun still exists and is currently on display at the Royal Armoury located at Fort Nelson, Hampshire, UK.
Some part cleanup will be necessary. The 3D printing process uses a waxy substance to support certain part features during the printing process. Although the parts are cleaned by Shapeways, some waxy residue may remain. It can be safely removed with water and a mild aqueous detergent like "Simple Green" using an old, soft toothbrush, Q-tips or pipe cleaners. Customers report that "Bestine" and "Goo Gone" also work well.During the printing process, liquid resin is cured by ultraviolet light. Microscopic bits of resin may remain uncured.
Water-based acrylic paints meant for plastics is strongly recommended.
Other paints, especially enamels, may not cure on Frosted Detail 3D-printed plastics.
Use dedicated model sprue cutters to remove parts to minimise damage to parts.

industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


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Emperor of the Food Chain.
EMPEROR OF THE FOOD CHAIN is the latest collection of Wondermark comic strips!
And if you bought it, I really hope you love it, and I want to thank you for supporting my work here. This is an independently published book brought to you by the good folks at TopatoCo, and we don’t have any of the marketing, publicity, or distribution that my Dark Horse books had. So every one of you that buys the book is even more precious to me!
If you purchase any of my books from TopatoCo between now and the end of September, you gain an entry into the drawing. Each book you buy counts as one entry. So if you buy one book, you get one entry; if you get the super-duper 5-pack, you get 5 entries.
Once you make a purchase, simply register on this page to be entered! I’ll double-check the TopatoCo order numbers on my end, so make sure you put in the correct order number and the correct number of entries based on how many books you got. If you make multiple TopatoCo orders, register multiple entries separately. Enter as many times as you like.
If you bought a book from me at a convention since Sept. 15, you count too! Just enter the date and what I wrote when I signed it for you. WARNING: I have a PERFECT MEMORY.
Since I know some people will want some prizes more than others, you can choose which particular drawings to be entered into. Odds of winning will depend on number of valid entries received. All winners will be announced on the site in October.
UPDATE: This contest is over! Winners will be announced soon. Thanks, everyone!
Of course, since this is a sweepstakes, you can also enter with NO PURCHASE NECESSARY by sending a postcard to: Wondermark Drawing, 2554 Lincoln Blvd #214, Venice CA 90291. Include your name, address, email, which drawings you’re entering, and favorite animal and why. Each postcard counts as one entry, and any postcards received by Sept. 30 will be counted in the drawing.
If you have any questions please email me! dave at wondermark dot com. Thanks a ton for your support, and happy reading!

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


text: With a skronk and a grating groove, New York trio TV on the Radio opens its debut full-length, a montage of dense, droning dream-pop doo-wop. It is in the tug of croon against crags, the discordant grain of the emotional fissures the group rends and forges, that these guys find their thrall, their disparate bop equally desperate and buoyant. TVOR is an idiosyncratic entity, commanding jagged menacing plod and shimmering soul atmospherics in the spirit of the Bowie/Eno/Berlin trilogy. The sound is a submerged surge. The experience is baptismal. TV on the Radio is the manic street preacher prophesizing contemplative chaos.


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During the long, on-again-off-again wars generated by the events of the French Revolution, the Habsburg monarchy would contribute the largest single contingent of troops to the fight.1 For the Austrians, the wars fought over this nine-year period were a long-term disaster. Entering the war with a small, professional army, the monarchy would constantly be at loose ends to find the financing and manpower to carry out the demands of a European-wide war. Worse yet, and critical to remember, was that the disparate Habsburg lands were incapable of the political revolution that had allowed a homogenous France to mobilize so many men and such vast resources. There could be no real appeal to nationalism, like in France, in a state that had over a dozen national and linguistic groups. Not only was Austria poor by French or English standards, but it was a thoroughly early modern state, incapable of internal, liberal political reform. The history of Austria’s army and its leaders in these wars is, then, one of reaction and, when it occurred, temporary, superficial change. This said, and while the monarchy often saw defeat on the battlefield, its army’s ability to outlast its opponent allowed for its survival and eventual recovery.
Copyright © 2015 University of Oklahoma Press. All rights reserved. Permission to include in repository granted by the University of Oklahoma Press.
Eysturlid, Lee. "The Austrian Army." In European Armies of the French Revolution, 1789-1802, 64-85. Vol. 50. Campaigns & Commanders. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 2015. Accessed MONTH DAY, YEAR. http://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/hss_pr/14/.

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


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Cakewalk tells the tale of a twelve-year-old girl's attempt to highjack a school Spring Fair and turn it into her own carnival of freaks. Realizing that she needs some help in order to pull off this stunt, she manages to recruit a motley crew of oddball fellow students, who meet in secret to plan their attack. Hilarity ensues.
Cakewalk isn't going to change your life, shock you, or tell you something you don't already know, but it's a sweet story sweetly told.
And for someone's first solo show, that's a pretty good place to start.
Cakewalk's next, and, alas, last show (for this festival anyway) is this Saturday, May 29th. Get your tickets early.
Part of this year's Uno Fest you can find out more about Cakewalk by getting baked here.


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Absolutely Fun Sewing & Embroidery is your one-stop shopping center for all things sewing, quilting, and embroidery in Murfreesboro and Clarksville, TN! We offer a complete line of Janome and Baby Lock sewing machines, along with all the fabrics, notions, patterns and tools necessary to make your sewing experience enjoyable and productive. With a focus on quality, we stand by all the merchandise we sell, offering free demonstrations on new product arrivals.
Our store is a popular local hub for creative inspiration, socializing, classes, and fun. Need help? Our friendly, knowledgeable staff is always happy to answer your questions and guide you through your sewing journey with personalized service and continuous project support!


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Crimson Trace LG-639G Lasergrips Green Laser Sight Grips for GLOCK Compact Pistols 19, 23 etc.
LG-639G Green Lasergrips are a rear-activated green laser sight for GLOCK Compact pistols (Third Generation 19, 23, 25, 32, 38, Gen4 19, 23, 32, and Gen5 19). Featuring Crimson Trace's famed Instinctive Activation, which allows the laser to be activated with a normal firing grip, the LG-639G includes a Master On/Off Switch for completely powering down the unit. User-installed in moments by attaching securely to the gun frame, this laser sight is fully adjustable for windage and elevation. Provides 4 hours of run time with (4) included 2016 Lithium Batteries.
ULTRA BRIGHT GREEN LASER: Features a 5mW peak, 515-532nm, Class 3R visible green laser - the brightest beam allowed by law.
INSTINCTIVE ACTIVATION: Rear activation button engages the laser immediately when the firearm is held in a normal firing grip. This is the feature that sets Crimson Trace apart from the rest.
OVER TWO HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE: Powered by four #2016 Batteries (included). This product is eligible for Crimson Trace's Free Batteries For Life Program.
FITS GlockThird Generation 19, 23, 25, 32, 38. GEN4 19, 23, 32. GEN5 19.
EASY INSTALLATION: User installed- no gunsmithing required. Factory sighted at 50 feet, but is fully user adjustable for Windage and Elevation with provided tool. This model features a master ON/OFF switch for completely powering down the unit.
If you have any questions about this product by Crimson Trace, contact us by completing and submitting the form below. If you are looking for a specif part number, please include it with your message.


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X-LIBRARY W/ USUAL MARKS. BOARDS EDGEWORN, CORNERS LIGHTLY BUMPED. LIGHT FOXING & TONING TO PAGES. BINDING TIGHT. Keyword(s): SCARCE BOOKS, PHILOSOPHY, CHRISTIAN THEOLOGY, GERMAN LANGUAGE, ANTIQUARIAN BOOKS.
Condition: G+ IN MARBLED BOARDS WITH GILT TRIM. TEXT IN GERMAN. Pages: 352. Item #I219584.

industry_corpus2: Others


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Ensure you have the supplies on hand to prepare and serve delicious home-cooked meals everyone will rave about with the affordable assortment of bakeware and cookware essentials available at Walter Drake. We have everything you need to showcase your culinary skills and bring your gourmet masterpieces to life including a complete lineup of our baking pans, cookware sets, and enamel cast iron dishes.
Whether you’re looking for small appliances such as a convenient slow cooker or a pressure cooker that helps save you time in the kitchen, you’ll find that and so much more all at unbelievable prices at Walter Drake. Refresh your kitchen décor with personalized stoneware crocks that add charm to your space. From roasters to toasters and everything in between, Walter Drake helps you turn your kitchen into the heart of your home.

industry_corpus2: Hospitality & Catering


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Solar PV (Photovoltaics) works by taking the energy from the sun’s rays and converting it into electricity. The sun’s rays contain photons. When these photons hit a solar module, electrons inside of the solar module move and an electrical current is created. This electricity then travels from the solar array to an inverter. The inverter takes the electricity which is in DC form and switches it to AC. Once that switch is made to AC, the electricity is ready for use. From the inverter, the power is fed directly into the main electrical panel and can provide power to the site. If the site demands more power than what is provided by the solar it will pull from the grid. If the sun produces more than the site needs, then that overproduction is put back into the grid for a credit in a process known as Net Metering.
Net Metering is a billing mechanism which allows grid-tied solar producers to put electricity that they do not use from their solar array back into the grid. When the solar produces more power than the site needs, the utility meter spins backward and the account holder will have a credit against future energy use. The solar producer is then billed for their total “net” usage at the end of the month which is the balance between the power pulled from the grid and the power put back into the grid.
The Solar Investment Tax Credit (ITC) is a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit which reduces a person or business’ tax liability based on the amount they have invested in a solar energy project. The residential and commercial ITC are both worth 30% of a solar project’s cost. For example, a $10,000 solar electricity system will be eligible for a $3,000 federal tax credit. Solar projects will be eligible for the 30% tax credit through 2019. After 2019, the ITC goes down to 26% in 2020 and 22% in 2021. After 2021, the residential ITC will drop to zero and the commercial ITC will drop to 10% permanently. Customers that purchase or finance their system through a solar loan are eligible for this incentive.
SREC stands for Solar Renewable Energy Certificate and it is a tradable certificate that represents all the clean energy benefits of electricity generated from a solar electric system. Each time a solar electric system generates 1,000 kilowatt-hours (1MWh) of electricity, an SREC is issued which can then be sold or traded through an on-line SREC broker, such as the Flett Exchange, SREC Trader or directly posted on the NJ Clean Energy Website. A grid-connected solar electricity system is eligible to collect SRECs on all energy produced by the system for a 15-year period. The price of an SREC can fluctuate based on the market’s supply and demand as determined by New Jersey’s Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (RPS). In other words, the utility is required to produced renewable energy, and if they do not produce the amount defined in the RPS, they pay a fine. To avoid paying that fine, they can buy SRECs from solar energy producers to satisfy their requirements. Green Power Energy provides an SREC brokerage program for our customers which can greatly simplify the process by selling the SRECs produced by the solar electricity systems we install.
The price to purchase a solar panel installation can vary depending on several factors. These factors can include electrical usage of the site, the location of the solar array (i.e. ground mount or roof mount), quality of components, and site constraints. The cost of solar has gone down in recent years. In 2016, the average price of a system from Green Power Energy was $38,000 with an expected Return on Investment (ROI) of approximately 6 years. Most solar customers, however, go solar for $0 down through one of our “Free” solar options. These options allow you to pay nothing up front and still be cash flow positive from day one thanks to the electric savings and the available incentives.
“Free Solar” or “$0 Down Solar,” refers to financing the solar installation through a third-party financer. This option is “free” in the sense that there is no up-front financial obligation. Once a solar agreement is signed, the homeowner will generally not have to pay until one month after the installation is complete. From that point, they are expected to pay monthly for the system throughout the contracted term. In a Solar Lease or Solar PPA, the homeowner should expect to save monthly because their contracted solar price should be less than the price from the utility company. With a Solar Loan, the homeowner will experience utility savings plus available incentives. According to SEIA.org, as of 2013, 90% of solar projects in New Jersey were installed by means of a third-party financing provider. To qualify for “free solar,” the site must be conducive to solar and the site host most pass a credit check.
What is the Difference Between a Solar Lease, Solar PPA, and Solar Loan?
The three types of finance solar options are a Solar Lease, Solar PPA, and Solar loan. A solar lease allows you to pay monthly for your solar array. A solar lease can be as low as $0 down with recurring monthly payments for what is generally a 20 or 25-year contract. Most homeowners can expect to save a considerable amount of money throughout the term of their solar lease since their monthly solar lease payment will in most cases be less than the cost to purchase power from the utility. Many solar leases also have a production guarantee to help ensure these savings. However, with most solar leases, homeowners are not entitled to the SRECs and the Tax Credit. A solar PPA is very similar to a solar lease, except the monthly payment can vary based on the amount of energy produced by the system in a given month. Also known as a Solar Power Purchase Agreement, a PPA allows the homeowner to purchase the power produced by the panels at a fixed kWhr rate. A solar loan is becoming the most popular finance option available. With a solar loan, you pay no money upfront but do make payments over a specified term. In a solar loan, you own the system and are entitled to the SRECs and Tax Credit, making this the most financially attractive option available. For all three types of financing, you must own the home, have a site conducive to solar energy, and pass a credit check.
How Long Does a Solar Installation Take?
With Green Power Energy, your solar installation is a turnkey package. We handle the permitting with the township, and the approvals with the utility company. Generally, the time frame between sign up and installation is 12-16 weeks. This allows for time to engineer the system, submit for approvals, obtain approvals, and procure equipment. The actual installation will only take a few days. Be aware, it may take a few weeks after installation before you are issued your formal “Approval to Operate” from the utility company.
What Is the Lifetime of a Solar Installation?
Most solar equipment is warrantied for 20 + years. We expect the solar arrays we are installing today to be viable energy producers for 20 years. Inverters may need to be replaced between years 12-20, but this cost is minimal compared to all the other system components. A roof mounted solar array will extend the life of a roof, however, if the roof is already older than 15 years old we recommend reroofing beforehand.
A solar inverter takes the DC current produced by the solar panels and coverts it to usable AC power. Common inverter types include, Central Inverters (aka String Inverters), Microinverters, and Power Optimizers. A Central Inverter system is comprised of one or more inverters which can be located on the inside or outside of the site. This device switches the power produced by the panels from DC to AC at a centralized location. A Central Inverter system is considered optimized when each module, or in some case every other module, is equipped with an optimizer which regulates voltage and gives the panel the ability to perform individually from the rest. This separation in performance is also seen in a microinverter system. With a microinverter system, the inverter is located underneath every solar module. The stand-alone ability of this arrangement can add efficiency to the system by allowing peak performance in shaded or less optimal solar sites. In addition, it can also have benefits in case of module failure. In a microinverter system, if one module is down or experiencing shading, the rest of the solar array can still operate at peak performance.
In order for the solar to operate and for the inverter to turn on, power must be detected from the solar array as well as the grid. This means that in the case of grid outage, the solar inverter and your solar array will shut down. This serves as a safety precaution. As your system can back feed to the grid, a live system can pose a hazard to utility workers down the line from your system. There are some inverters on the market that have a plug-in feature which allows you to use a small amount of power from the system while the sun is shining. The only way to have full power during an outage is to invest in a battery backup system which are available for sale from Green Power Energy and are becoming more and more cost effective and efficient each year.
How is Solar Attached to My House?
Solar modules are mounted on top of solar rails which run across the roof as the mounting system for the solar array. The solar rails will have several penetration points throughout their span which connect directly to the rafters of the home. Before receiving the approval to build from the township, we must submit an architectural letter with our permits proving the structure’s integrity. This letter shows that the roof can not only withstand the weight of the solar modules, but also the weight of panels in hurricane force winds and under extreme snow loads. The penetrations into the roof are protected by a flashing mechanism which is guaranteed to protect against leaks. Solar panels will extend the life of the roof and Green Power Energy goes one step further by installing “pest guards” around all our solar arrays to insure the space in between the roof and solar modules is clear from any critters. The space between the solar modules and the roof is approximately four inches.
Will Solar Increase My Property Taxes?
In New Jersey, solar is exempt from a property tax increase. Also in New Jersey, solar is exempt from any sales tax.
What is The Return on Investment (ROI) of Solar?
In New Jersey, with SRECs, the Solar Tax Credit, and utility savings, the average return on investment for a residential solar array is just 6 years. For example, a $20,000, 6 kW Solar Array may produce 8,000 kWhrs of solar per year. The net cost of a $20,000 system after taxes is $14,000. After that, at .18 cents per kWhr from the utility, this system will produce $1,440 of electricity per year, and at $200 per SREC, produce $1,600 in SREC income. This results in a 5.5-year ROI. Commercial Solar will have an even quicker ROI due to the Depreciation schedule available to many building owners.
Going solar creates a great investment and revenue stream on your home and also has positive environmental implications. Going solar will provide a strong ROI for those looking for an investment, and can even provide monthly cash savings for those who finance. By going solar, you are creating clean power on your own property and reducing the need for electricity from power plants powered by fossil fuels. A solar array that produces 5,000 kWhrs annually will save the equivalent of 1.875 tons of coal from being burned each year.
When you own the system outright, the system can stay on the house and become the property of the new homeowner. You also can remove the components and ship them to your new location, although that may prove to be more trouble than it’s worth. You can also retain the SRECS produced by the system even after you move since the SREC account is in your name. Some homeowners will leave the SRECs with the new homeowner and others will keep them for themselves. Most solar leases are completely transferable over to the new homeowner. Most loans are also transferable over to the new homeowner but not all are. Be sure to verify what the process of transfer of ownership is with your financed solar array.

industry_corpus2: Power & Energy


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Compressed air, nitrogen, power and steam for all offshore applications.
With over 50 years of experience in offshore projects, Atlas Copco Rental knows the ropes.
All our offshore equipment is adapted to the harsh and hazardous conditions of open sea.
Discover our extensive offshore rental fleet to find a solution that matches your requirements.
Atlas Copco Rental does not just provide equipment: we think along with you.
Our project engineers make sure you get a made-to-measure solution and our service engineers can join on the journey to keep your installation in perfect working order. Atlas Copco Rental’s equipment is designed to be seaborne and comes certified for offshore use. Even our on-site service technicians are certified according to all relevant norms and standards.
Read more about certifications and standards.
From the exploration phase, to operations, maintenance and platform decommissioning: Atlas Copco Rental’s equipment is ready to set sail.
Reliable, oil-free compressed air, compact and lightweight power generators from 30 to 1400 kVA, robust steam boilers and versatile nitrogen units support every application on and around your platform.
All our equipment is built for heavy duty in hazardous conditions and certified according to specific oil & Gas industry norms and standards. The same goes for our dedicated offshore service technicians.
Whatever stage your offshore wind farm project is in, Atlas Copco Rental has equipment that’s up for the task. From oil-free compressed air for seabed preparation, to compact power generators that fit on your TP without hindering operations. Atlas Copco Rental is especially proud of its ISO 8573-1 Class Zero certified oil-free compressors, which are ideal for critical applications, such as noise- and vibration-reducing bubble curtains.
Learn more about bubble curtains in this customer story.
Companies in the marine business need reliable equipment to confidently face the elements, but also cost-efficient solutions. Whether your business is on-shore or on-board, if you need temporary compressed air, nitrogen, power or steam Atlas Copco Rental has an extensive fleet with machines that are designed, tested and certified to weather through the roughest conditions. Planned or unexpected, you can count on our support in every port around the world. Our service technicians are 24/7 on call, so we can have all hands on deck in no time.
Read what our customers have to say about us, in this customer story about dredging.

industry_corpus2: Water Resources & Marine


text: We value our patients' experience at Lorenzen Chiropractic Clinic. If you are currently a chiropractic patient, please feel free to complete the following Client Experience Questionnaire. The Questionnaire is in Adobe Acrobat format, and requires the free Acrobat Reader to view.


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Proceeds from the 2008 Garden Art Show primarily benefitted the Thorne Ecological Institute in Boulder, Colorado.
Founded in 1954, Thorne Ecological Institute builds Earth stewardship by connecting kids to nature through hands-on environmental education.
The Institute's Natural Science School has connected over 30,000 kids to nature. Experienced teachers lead enthusiastic kids outside to explore the wonders of Colorado's Front Range.
PLUS: we are sponsoring a woman survivor of war through womenforwomen.org. Women for Women International provides women survivors of war, civil strife and other conflicts with the tools and resources to move from crisis and poverty to stability and self-sufficiency, thereby promoting viable civil societies.


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A couple of weeks ago, I went to the Akron Music Fest at the Summit Artspace in downtown Akron. It was 12 hour event featuring more than 20 local musicians. I only stayed for a few hours so I only caught four of the bands. In addition to music, there was also beer, snacks, and cake. Yes, cake will always have its own category. But can you blame me? Just look at it.
I arrived when one of my local favorites hit the stage, The Daniel Rylander Trio. If you don’t know by now, Daniel is a 21-year-old singer/songwriter who just released his debut album, Strawberry Skyline, last September. At the event, he was joined by his guitarist, Stephen Melfi, and percussionist, Stephen Rylander. They were probably my favorite who played that day. Then again I’m kind of biased. I should really get around to reviewing his album soon.
Next up was Anchor the Moon. I had heard this band’s name before and I had actually met the lead singer on multiple occasions without having even knowing it. They have a bluesy, hard rock sound to them that is interesting. The lead singer portrays himself as incredibly unstable which is really funny and he turns bright red when he sings. I’m curious to hear their recorded work. I’ll have to check it out and get back to you guys with a full review.
Time Cat hit the stage right after. They actually just released an album a few weeks ago. I ended up missing the release show due to other obligations. Although, I liked their sound well enough, I felt like something was missing. I still can’t put my finger on it. I’ll have to check out their new album to give a more adequate opinion.
Recipe of Life was the last group that I heard. They originated from Stow, OH. I’ve seen the name floating around at a couple of events I’ve been to, but I’d never heard them play. Shelby, one of the members, sometimes sings with Daniel. I believe she played with him the very first time I heard him at Musica.
Anyway, Recipe of Life is a blend of pop and folk. They harmonize very well and have beautiful voices. Their songs are very happy and upbeat. This is evident in the group of people who got up to dance. A bunch of guys even grabbed some percussion instruments and played along. It was pretty cool to witness.
Overall, it was a good day. I got to hear three new bands and hang out with some pretty cool, new people. Am I now becoming a people person?! I wouldn’t go that far, but there’s something about good music that brings out the best in people.


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Wally Kurth (Ned, GH) calls upon his friends from various soap operas to allow him to spend a day with them. So far Wally has had some interesting adventures. And there are more to come! SoapNet airs the show at 12:30pm/6:30pm on Saturday and 6:00pm and 12:00am Sundays. 1 Day, 1 Guest, No Script.
Track and react with millions of 1 Day With... fans just like you on TV Time.


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John P Dodds served his country in World War II with the 484th Bombardment Group 824th Squadron.
Information on John Dodds is gathered and extracted from military records. We have many documents and copies of documents, including military award documents. It is from these documents that we have found this information on F/O Dodds. These serviceman's records are not complete and should not be construed as a complete record. We are always looking for more documented material on this and other servicemen. If you can help add to John Dodds's military record please contact us.
The information on this page about John Dodds has been obtained through a possible variety of sources incluging the serviceman themselves, family, copies of military records that are in possession of the Army Air Corps Library and Museum along with data obtained from other researchers and sources including AF Archives at Air Force Historical Research Agency and the U.S. National Archives.
If you have more information concerning the service of John Dodds, including pictures, documents and other artifacts that we can add to this record, please Contact Us.


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this warm + welcoming home is the kind that grows on one.
but they do create a magical starlit night sky for dining.
Especially ones with high level clerestory windows.
Enticing French doors lead to charming terraces.
Windows abound from every spot.
Hmmm...it is certainly growing on me.
for pretty breakfasts of lattes + brioche.


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We were so busy with our own events during NYCxDesign that we hardly made it anywhere else. But you couldn't have paid us to miss Outlines, the debut show at The Future Perfect's new, secret Noho space, and the first ever exhibition by New York designer Leilani Zahn. We know Leilani primarily as an amazing interior designer and stylist, but Outlines marked the debut of her design studio For Reference, and the exhibition featured her soft goods and lighting as well as tweaks on furniture by De La Espada and a series of gorgeous mobiles and sculptures by her husband (and SU alum), Karl Zahn.
One of our top Design Miami Basel picks for 2016: A suite of layered particleboard furniture by Architecten De Vylder Vinck Taillieu for Maneira gallery, in the most epic shade of candy pink, colored to match the carpet on the floor of a Parisian conductor's study.

industry_corpus2: Real Estate & Construction


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I hope everyone had a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend. The weather was beautiful for boating, camping, grilling out etc. It was not good if you were a 5 week old tomato transplant patiently waiting in the greenhouse to be transplanted. The heat and the sun (where the shade cloth couldn’t reach) scorched our little plants. After some serious TLC we think they will make it but it was quite a shock considering they were so beautiful two days ago.
We also had an irrigation problem first thing this morning. It definitely seemed like a Monday out at the farm today. I can’t stress how important it is to know your equipment and how to fix it. I asked Kevin to turn the water on so after we planted a bed we could simply turn on our connectors from the flatline to the drip tape. After Kevin didn’t come back for a while I looked up and saw him frantically waving for help. Once I got over to him I found a soaked Kevin holding the t-handle (which had broken off in the riser) trying to keep a geyser of water from shooting out the top. I was able to locate Zack Grant (SSF farmer) who helped us shut the water off and replace the pin which had broken away from the handle. These risers contain a tremendous amount of pressure so if not handled properly can be quite dangerous. Luckily everyone was in a good mood from the weekend and poor Kevin had a change of clothes.
We started hardening off (getting them adjusted from the protected environment of the greenhouse to the farm) our basil and kale transplants at the end of last week and they were ready to go into the ground today. After the basil and kale were moved to the field we then put our peppers outside in the shade house. The tomatoes will be last due to lack of space. This may seem late to most farmers but our market doesn’t start until the end of August when the students come back. We finished most of the planting of the basil and kale today and will hopefully get the final trays in the ground before the rain hits tomorrow morning. All the transplants are scheduled to be in the ground by the end of this week so we can focus on trellising next week. This is a daunting task considering we have close to 1,000 more to plant. After sliding down multiple 185 ft beds on our rear ends , we had a good laugh at who had the most trouble walking at the end of the day.
Our good friend Jeremy delivered giant bags of miscanthus (mulch for the raised beds) at the end of the week last week and more again today. He also gave us a tractor to use to spread the mulch instead of carting it 22 times down each bed with a wheel barrel. For any of you who are new readers to this blog and did not follow last year, I LOVE DRIVING FARM EQUIPMENT! I reenacted the scene from the movie Footloose with Kevin singing across the plot “I need a hero……..”. It was pretty amazing until I got the tractor stuck and we had to call Jeremy to come pull us out. (There isn’t a picture of this because it was humiliating!) After Jeremy got us going again we were able to drive the tractor down each bed spreading the mulch and cutting our time in 1/2.
Thank you Alice Cooper for one of the most fitting songs ever! The students are graduated or home for the summer and I am back in the dirt full time. I was so grateful to have had those three days the previous week to get things off to a good start.
Pictured above is the steamer. It is powered by a generator. There is a hose which fills up the tank and the water boils which makes steam. (You must have a working water source near by in order for this entire process to work. :)) It then travels through a larger hose (Jeff calls it a sock hose?) under a tarp and that is what physically heats the bed. After I realized we needed water and got that problem solved, we were able to steam approx 90ft of bed at a time. This process heats the bed passed 160F. At 130F the weed seeds are killed but at 160, it eliminates pathogens in the soil as well. It is a very cool process and I was so grateful to Jeff and Julie for taking time out of their busy schedule to come and help me.
Today was one of those perfect days where it was cool in the morning with a slight drizzle and warm with lots of sunshine in the afternoon. We took full advantage of it being our first whole day outside. Kevin finished hauling and spreading the miscanthus pile, leaving about 1/2 of our raised beds left to go. I had to squeeze it in to a compliment sandwich (nice, negative, nice) when telling him there was going to be another pile delivered. He took it like a pro. It is extremely labor intensive shoveling, hauling and spreading this mulch down the plot. Thank goodness it isn’t 100 degrees outside yet!
While Kevin was working on the mulch, I got our irrigation system set up. Unfortunately over the winter some pesky mice ate part of our flat line. I had to punch all new holes and insert them with valve connectors. After that was completed I shallowed tilled the beds that we would be able to plant before the next scheduled rain on Wednesday. I was able to get our rainbow chard in the ground before the end of the day. Let me tell you…. planting 3 rows in one bed every 6″ makes the end of a 180ft bed look a loooooooong way off :).
Well, our little (sort of little…) plot is under way. I had the opportunity to take a break from cooking and sneak out there for three days last week. It was so nice to be outside in the sunshine, especially after the miserable gray winter we had here in central Illinois. I figured spending three days the first week would slowly get my body acclimated to heavy manual labor again….. haha, yeah right :). Needless to say I was walking like a penguin with a nasty sunburn Friday when I went back to the kitchen.
I love getting everything ready to plant. The excitement of the growing season, starting fresh, trying new ideas and being outside after being cooped up in a kitchen for 5 months is exhilarating. When Jeremy (coordinator, horticulture research and education centers) and Matt (assistant farmer for the student sustainable farm) contacted me to let me know my assistance would be needed to lay plastic mulch and raised beds I could hardly contain my excitement. Jeremy thought I was crazy. I really love hanging off the back of a tractor (as long as the plastic rolls properly). The purpose of the raised beds is to provide somewhat of a protected environment for the plants. The elevation from flat ground allows proper drainage for water and the black plastic is great for weed control. Currently I have 11 raised beds on my 1/2 acre. One of the down sides to having these is there has to be a minimum 3ft space between beds (allowing room for the tracto r). I only have 1 1/2ft – 2ft spacing between my flat beds on the other side of the plot. This really isn’t too much of a negative because it allows room for a mower/ tiller to run through the path space for weed control. Pictured to the right is an attachment for a tractor with discs on either side, mounding the ground to raised beds, while simultaneously laying plastic mulch and drip tape for irrigation. It is very efficient. It took four of us a 1/2 day to lay approximately 3 1/2 acres of plastic.
After all the plastic was laid I started work on the other 1/2 of my 1/2 acre . This area is going to be mostly direct seeded into non raised beds. Kevin and I spent a lot of time on weed management last year. Maintaining weed control is very important. One of the main reasons is to prevent disease and also to prevent competition for space and water with your vegetables. The way we went about managing weed control our first year would be very unrealistic with a larger piece of land. It was very labor intensive. Since more land is our goal for the future, it was time to try something else this year. You may remember me saying that I planted a cover crop at the end of last year. After consulting with Jeremy and Zack (farmer for the Student Sustainable Farm) I decided to only till the areas in which I would plant and leave the cover crop in the path space. In order to do this I widened my path space from 1 1/2ft to 2ft, in order to fit a standard mower between beds. We will still have to weed inside the beds but it will greatly cut down on man/ woman hours it took to weed between the beds last year.
Lastly, it was time to split our beautiful transplants on Saturday. This is nearly three weeks after planting them with 100% germination again. Kevin was able to help me in the greenhouse and I could tell he also has the end of the semester itch, ready to get in the field. Less than a week!!
Heeeelllllloooo! I’m Back :). Hope everyone had a great holiday season. It was a very nice break but I am ready to get back in the dirt. During the months of December, January and February I spent time planning and revising my growing plan to better suit the needs of the consumer who will be purchasing and using the product. Since our first real growing season is under our belt, I have also been trying to work out kinks in the system so that this year will go a little more smoothly. I know now what to expect and have more of a precise idea of when to expect it, so that I can plan for extra help and also packing, storage and delivery schedules.
I attended a very interesting Organic Growing Convention and learned some new tricks which I am hoping to apply to our little piece of land this season. I will keep you informed with details as the season progresses.
After revising my garden plan I started to get my seed order together. They finally arrived on a cold grey afternoon (typical of an Illinois winter) and I couldn’t have been happier. This meant warmer weather and the smell of dirt was right around the corner.
We started planting our transplants in the INHS greenhouse at the end of April. I can not say enough great things about the IHNS greenhouse. They have the most wonderful staff (Lesley Deem) who always seem to have endless amounts of information and tips to help you succeed. Since we had such great success with germination last year, I decided to grow all 3,080 of them myself. We really lucked out because we had nearly 100% germination again. We are transplanting all of our tomatoes, peppers, basil and kale. It was amazing and very exciting to see how quickly they sprouted.Kevin and I will be spending our weekend splitting them into new trays.
I am very excited to be working closely again with all of the new friends I made last summer. One of the people I mention frequently was Jeff Kindhart, the hydroponic tomato man. Now he has decided to try his hand at mushrooms. He is growing them in his high tunnels because they will be more marketable than lettuce or salad mix. Jeff stopped by a couple weeks ago and lucky for me he wanted me to be the taste tester. Needless to say they were absolutely beautiful.
I’m ending here for now because I have to be up at 5 am tomorrow morning to lay plastic and irrigation on my plot. I am so excited that the season is finally here and I can’t wait to implement everything I learned from the mistakes of last year and the new information from fellow Illinois farmers! I will have to get used to the early morning hours again because it was so nice sleeping in until 7 :).

industry_corpus2: Agriculture & Fisheries


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Home / Doctors, Staff & Facilities / Doctors / Payam Samouhi, D.D.S., M.D., apc.
Dr Samouhi is married and has two children. Dr. Samouhi’s interests include science, literature, music, sports, and community activities.
J Oral Maxillofac Surg 61: 406-408, 2003.


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Feb. 14, 2018, 10:28 a.m.
Virgin Money, a registered financial services provider, wants to change the way friends exchange money, with its innovative, peer-to-peer payment application, Virgin Money Spot.
Virgin Money Spot makes sending and requesting money from friends as easy as sending a text message. Users simply download the app, link their Internet-enabled card from any South African bank, enter a security PIN and exchange money with friends – instantly, securely and for free.
If a user’s card is linked to a bank’s rewards programme, they will earn points for payments made via Virgin Money Spot, as if they were using their card. Every Virgin Money Spot user is issued with a unique code that they can use to refer friends. Each time someone registers using their code, they’ll both be rewarded with R20 from Virgin Money. Virgin Money Spot is a 3D Secure payment solution that uses data encryption and PIN-protected payments to provide the simplest, safest and most secure experience possible. Users will only need to load their card details once and will then approve transactions with their unique PIN. They’ll receive notifications each time they make a transaction or are sent money.
Spot was developed in partnership with mobile software company, wiGroup, the largest mobile transactional platform in Africa that wants to simplify and improve the way the world transacts. Last week, it was announced that the Virgin Group had invested in the Cape Town-based firm, which will use the funds to fast-track its expansion into emerging and developed markets.

industry_corpus2: Finance & Economics


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So I took the cup from the LORD’s hand, and made all the nations to whom the LORD sent me drink it.
The childhood home of civil rights lawyer, priest and feminist icon Dr. Pauli Murray in Durham, North Carolina has just been named a National Historic Landmark, according to the Diocese of North Carolina, which released this photo on Twitter. Built by her grandfather, a Civil War veteran, in 1898, the home is scheduled to open to the public in 2020.
For thus the LORD, the God of Israel, said to me: Take from my hand this cup of the wine of wrath, and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. They shall drink and stagger and go out of their minds because of the sword that I am sending among them.
Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that “the person who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that comes from faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?'” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?'” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say?
when the people came out of the land of Egypt.
and satisfy them with honey from the rock.
Almighty and everlasting God, who led your servant James De Koven to honor your presence at the altar, and constantly to point to your Christ: Grant that all ministers and stewards of your mysteries may impart to your faithful people the knowledge of your presence and the truth of your grace; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
for the mercy of God endures for ever.
Bartimaeus; artist unknown. So much art focuses on Christ’s act of healing, but this work fastens instead on what it is like to receive his touch.
O God, the blessed assurance of all who trust in you: We give you thanks for your servant Fanny Crosby, and we pray that we, inspired by her words and example, may rejoice to sing ever of your love, praising our Savior all the day long; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland.
let those who hate you flee before you.
The Name of our God is the LORD; rejoice before the LORD!
God in heaven’s holy habitation!
in your goodness, O God, you have made provision for the poor.
truly the LORD will dwell there for ever.
your procession into the sanctuary, my Sovereign and my God.
in the midst of the maidens playing upon the hand-drums.
for your temple’s sake at Jerusalem.
God’s voice thunders forth, a mighty voice.
whose strength is in the skies.
the God of Israel giving strength and power to the chosen people!
By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom he had been told, “It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you.” He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, “bowing in worship over the top of his staff.” By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.
Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them.
more than sentries for the morning.
who shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

industry_corpus2: Law & Justice


text: This cancer charity is recruiting for a Community and Events Manager to lead their friendly team of four. This charity is proud of their collaborative and professional culture and are keen to have someone join their team to drive forward their community and events programme. This is a nine month contract.


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It happened in the US that the Helicopters dropping water on a forest fire were grounded for 15 to 20 minutes due to drones.
There were five drones found possibly videoing the wildfire when the firefighters were handling with a wildfire in San Bernadino county over the weekend.
Because of the helicopters could not fly safety to the fire scenes to drop water to put out the fire as the drones obstructing, the US Forest Service reported a warming concerning flying drones over fires.
If the drones hit the helicopters, it may cause the aircraft damage or human injuries, or even worse, cause helicopters to crash in the air.
FAA carries out the temporary fight restrictions over disaster areas. If drones are found in those areas during the accidents, the drone owners will be at a risk of $25,000 fine. There is not confirmed news that government will investigate the drones found in San Bernadino.
The fire damaged more than 4.250 acres of forest and engulfed Interstate 15 that links to Los Angles and Las Vegas.
An Interstate 15 incident report implied that the incident commanders have to make way to drones when they were into a fire area. The air operations and ground aircraft could not work until the drones leave from this area.
May Samsung sell its PC business to Lenovo?


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Birders know spring migration as a kind of paradise, when the weather is finally warm and the birds are once again plentiful. But even paradise isn’t perfect. The bugs are back, for one thing. And unlike birds sitting in bare winter trees, spring migrants always seem to be hidden behind newly emerged leaves. It’s even harder to see the bright and beautiful patterns of migrant warblers, who spend most of their time flitting about treetops and only showing us their butts.
It’s possible to quickly identify some species of warbler just by glancing at their underside, but most others require some detective work. The trick for identifying warblers giving you a bad look is to not get frustrated, and instead try to use what you can see—body part by body part, clue by clue—to come to a final identification.
First, know the parts of the bird you are looking at when observing from below. Starting at the front and working back, birders can generally see the underside of the bill, the throat, the breast, the belly, the legs, the area between the legs called the “vent,” the grouping of feathers before the tail called the “undertail coverts,” and the undertail. Each of these areas can hold a clue to identification.
Let’s begin with the front of the bird: the bill, throat, and breast. Unless you're a Super Birder, I don’t think there are any warblers you can identify by underbill alone, though the Northern Parula comes close, with its bright yellow lower mandible. However, there are a ton of clues to be had on the throat and breast. There might be color! Or streaking!
Take note, and you could nail the identification right there. A bright orange throat is a slam-dunk Blackburnian Warbler. A necklace of black streaks on a yellow breast pretty well narrows things down to Canada or Magnolia Warbler. A big analog clock on the chest and a sideways ballcap means you’re looking up at 80s rapper Flavor Flav, and you should probably call TMZ.
The throat and chest can be useful, but only if you can see them. In my extensive experience at getting crummy looks at warblers from below, I’ve found that the front of the bird is often blocked by vegetation or simply held out of sight.
The throat and chest can be useful, but only if you can see them.
So let’s continue back to some more visible spots, the belly and the vent, where there are a few more identification clues. Most American warblers have either white bellies, yellow bellies, or a combination of those two colors, so this area isn’t always very helpful. But looking for other details can be. Black-throated Greens have some yellow patches just behind the legs. Cape Mays can show a yellowish vent. If you can see any streaking on the sides of the belly, you might have another clue to a Black-throated Green—or it could be a Yellow-throated Warbler, a Black-and-white, a Cerulean, a Blackpoll, a Cape May . . . you get the idea. For more clues, keep looking.
Continuing backward we reach the triangle of feathers just before the tail called the undertail coverts. A few warblers have unique undertail covert patterns. Black-and-white Warblers and Worm-eating Warblers both have small, arrow-shaped spots lining their coverts. The Worm-eating’s are buff-colored, but the Black-and-white is—you guessed it—black and white. (Worm-eating Warblers mostly stay close to the ground, so if you actually see one from below, you deserve a medal.) Painted Redstarts, should you be so lucky, have a more extensive, messier set of black-and-white splotches.
Undertail coverts are useful, but you should also consider the bird's tail—both its length and patterning. Warblers have a bunch of different undertail patterns: completely dark; dark tail base and tips with white in the middle; white tail with gray edges; white tail with black edges; and others. Some undertail patterns are diagnostic, such as the orange-and-black tail of the American Redstart, the yellow undertail of the Yellow Warbler, and the white tail base and black tip of the Magnolia Warbler. Others aren’t as clear from the undertail alone, but become identifiable once you include the undertail, coverts, and vent: the combination of yellow coverts, black tail base and white tail tip are a giveaway of a Palm Warbler, for example. In terms of length, a Hooded Warbler has a relatively long tail, while a Prothonotary has a shorter tail.
Yellow Warbler: everything is yellow below.
Other species will require additional study, so getting a good photograph helps immensely. With an image in hand you can compare to some of the excellent warbler resources out there, such as The Warbler Guide or the Peterson Field Guide to Warblers of North America, both of which have much more information on identifying warblers from below. If you’ve got a photo and you still can’t identify it, maybe just send it to me: I’m still looking for a centerfold for the May issue of Tailfeathers.
New research finds that the songbird's recovery might be stunted by habitat degradation where it overwinters.


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Directions (1-4): Read the following passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four given alternatives.
Male lions are rather reticent about expending their energy in hunting – more than three – quarters of kills are made by lionesses. Setting off at dusk on a hunt, the lionesses are in front, tensely scanning ahead, the cubs lag playfully behind and the males brings up the rear, walking slowly, their massive heads nodding with each step as if they were bored with the whole matter. But slothfulness may have survival value. With lionesses busy hunting, the males function as guards for the cubs, protecting them particularly from hyenas.
Directions (5-8): Read the following passage carefully and choose the best answer to each question out of the four given alternatives.
Harold, a professional man who had worked in an office for many years, had a fearful dream. In it, he found himself in a land where small slug-like animals with slimy tentacles lived on people’s bodies. The people tolerated the loathsome creatures because after many years they grew into elephants which then became the nation’s system of transport, carrying everyone wherever he wanted to go. Harold suddenly realized that he himself was covered with these things, and he woke up screaming. In a vivid sequence of pictures his dream dramatized for Harold what he had never been able to put into words; he saw himself as letting society feed on his body in his early years so that it would carry him when he retired. He later threw off the ‘security bug’ and took up freelance work.
(a) Harold succeeded in overcoming the need for security.
(b) Harold stopped giving much importance to dreams.
(c) Harold started tolerating social victimization.
(d) Harold killed all the bugs troubling him.
Q6. Which one of the following phrases best helps to bring out the precise meaning of ‘loathsome creatures’?
Directions (9-15): In each of the following sentences, a part of the sentence is left unfinished. Beneath each sentence, four different ways of completing the sentence are indicated. Choose the best alternative among the four.
Q9. __________, the more they remain the same.
Q10. The stock market is probably __________. And the way the market has been plunging says a lot about investor’s confidence.
(a) the best barometer to assess the sentiment of the public.
(b) an ideal indication of the health of public sentiment.
(c) the least imperfect mechanism for judging the quantity of the sentiment of the public.
(d) the best indicator of public sentiment.
Q11. __________ that in this apparent mess, two things need not be interfered with.
(a) he makes out of it.
(b) he gets for others.
(c) he has overcome through it.
(d) he becomes by it.
Q13. Wines that yield a good commercial profit __________ in the same limited areas of France as now.
(a) seem to have been produced.
Q14. In pursuance of their decision to resist what they saw as anti-labour policies, the company employees’ union launched agitation to __________.
Q15. The safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition as it has developed up to now, with all its diverse proponents, is that it consists of a __________ Plato.


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I am honoured to be here, but I am not sure if I should be happy. The Stavros Niarchos lectures tackle major world problems. In 2016, David Lipton discussed the backlash against globalisation. In 2017, Mervyn King explored global macroeconomic imbalances. Last year, Tharman Shanmugaratnam looked at wage stagnation and the decline of social mobility. This year I have been invited to discuss central bank independence.
There’s a pattern here. Central banks must be in trouble.
Looking around the world, there are signs of this trouble in many places – including advanced economies, where institutional stability can no longer be taken for granted. You will all be able to think of examples. The Bank of England has been criticised for warning about the costs of Brexit, which just shows that giving good advice in a polarised political environment is no way to make friends. As for the United States, everyone likes telling the Fed what to do, and as we have seen this urge is not confined to those without authority. Elsewhere, a conflict over the central bank’s reserves has led to a Governors’ resigning. And of course in South Africa, the independence of the Reserve Bank has also come under threat in recent years, which must be why you think I’m the person to discuss this subject.
Tonight, I will briefly review the textbook case for central bank independence, which centres on the well-known time-inconsistency problem. It is an elegant analysis, but it only covers a narrow part of central banking. In particular, it does not apply very well to financial sector mandates, such as financial stability or banking regulation, which are core duties for many central banks. I want to argue however that the case for central bank independence goes further. The issue is actually another classic economic concept: the principal-agent problem. How can societies get their leaders to look after the public interest instead of their own short term political interests? This is one of the fundamental difficulties of government. In my experience, it has also been the main reason the South African Reserve Bank has needed its independence.
Independence allowed us to deliver on our mandate, as set down in the constitution. Independence ensured that the tremendous powers of a central bank – such as printing money, or licensing and supervising banks – couldn’t be taken over by politically connected individuals bent on looting the state instead of serving the citizens. I’m not sure exactly how this should be modelled – how we could prove the point in a large empirical study, and get a peer-reviewed article out of it – but it has been my lived experience for some years now. There is a saying: there are no atheists in foxholes. We’ve been on the frontlines lately, the place where good and bad governance meet, and I promise you – in that situation, you really learn to believe in central bank independence.
Let’s start with the textbook. Kydland and Prescott showed that governments suffer from a time inconsistency problem. They’d like to promise low inflation in future, but when the future shows up, they discover it’s easier to tolerate higher inflation instead. As a result, lenders, firms and workers start to anticipate tighter inflation, and everyone ends up living in a world they would not choose, with a built-in bias towards higher inflation and higher interest rates. The solution to the problem is an independent central bank, with a clear mandate to control inflation. With this mandate in place, governments do not have to pay higher inflation risk premia on their debt, and society as a whole gets to enjoy a lower level of inflation. This is why central bank independence has been described as a free lunch.
But this time-consistency argument does not cover the whole case for independence. In particular, it says nothing about financial stability mandate nor about narrower bank supervision duties, which occupy a lot of central bank staff.
…there should be no ‘spillover’ from monetary policy independence to independence in other spheres of activity. In practice, the Federal Reserve engages cooperatively with other agencies of the U.S. government on a wide range of financial and supervisory issues without compromising the independence of monetary policy.
Unfortunately, it is not always and everywhere the case that the two can be combined so harmoniously. Serious threats to central bank independence are possible, even when the sanctity of monetary policy is intact.
For a telling example of the problem, consider Cyprus. As a member of the euro area, Cyprus does not have an independent monetary policy. It has a large banking sector, however – and when this sector fell into crisis, in 2013, that also generated a serious threat to the independence of this central bank.
Cyprus’s banking crisis was the result of falling asset prices, particularly for Greek government bonds. The banks bought these in 2009 and 2010, and incurred haircuts as part of Greece’s 2011 debt restructuring. The result was banks that were probably insolvent, but which were also simultaneously too big to fail and too big to bail. Tackling this problem required several desperate measures, including emergency liquidity assistance from the European Central Bank (ECB), strict capital controls, a two-week shutdown of the entire banking system, and even bail-ins for bank bondholders and uninsured depositors.
The politics of this were predictably toxic, especially in a small country where many people depended on the banks for their wealth and status. The central bank got the job of administering much of the crisis management and resolution process, not least because it had the trust of international lenders. Perhaps inevitably, it then became a scapegoat, with critics questioning its motives and patriotism.
Although the independence of the central bank was secured by EU treaty, and the position of the Governor was protected, the Bank’s independence was compromised anyway. It achieved this by expanding the Board of the Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) and giving it more power. The Board then switched reporting lines away from the Governor to its own members, so bank staff ended up answering to the Board instead. The European Central Bank issued a legal opinion questioning these measures, but they were adopted anyway, and the European Commission did not take legal action in response. Sidelined and under constant, personal attack, the Governor, Panicos Demetriades eventually resigned.
I claim no great expertise about Cyprus’s economy, and there are probably people in the audience who know many interesting details of that country’s crisis that I have overlooked. I drew this account from the memoirs of the former Governor. The point I want to make is that the independence of a central bank can be gravely compromised without monetary policy coming into dispute. Indeed, even without that central bank issuing its own sovereign currency or having much control over monetary policy – which of course was being set in Frankfurt.
One answer to this problem is to say that independent agencies like central banks shouldn’t be controlling bank bailouts and resolutions. The distributional consequences are too large, the preferences of society are not clear or stable, and the scope for accountability and transparency is too limited. The natural endpoint of this logic is that financial stability and bank supervision problems should stay in the political realm, with the line ministries and their political heads, instead of being delegated to independent agencies. In this way, central banks can focus narrowly on monetary policy, and have independence for that, without wading into the mire of finance and perhaps being dragged down.
But there are two problems with this argument for narrow central banking. First, not many central banks do narrow monetary policy. If the plan for safeguarding central bank independence is to hive off non-monetary mandates to other bodies, then we have lost our way. Most jurisdictions are adding new duties for central banks, not taking them away.
This is related to the second problem: in a crisis, central banks find it hard to stay on the side-lines or escape blame. To borrow an anecdote, recall that in the UK it was the Financial Services Authority and not the Bank of England which was the lead regulatory agency for the financial sector – but when Northern Rock failed in 2007, it was Mervyn King whose picture ended up in The Economist alongside the heading, ‘The bank that failed’. The FSA doesn’t exist anymore, and the Bank of England now has responsibility for financial stability.
The lesson learned, one taken to heart in many places, was that central banks have unique powers as the lenders of last resort. No-one else can flood a banking system with liquidity like a central bank. As a result, a promise to stop a bank run, or to do ‘whatever it takes’, has unique power coming from a central bank.
These institutions also tend to have institutional capital, in the form of expertise, access to international networks, especially fellow central bankers, and reputations as responsible technocrats, which can be very helpful in coordinating responses amongst diverse stakeholders. For these reasons, a central bank sitting at ground zero of a financial crisis will struggle to stick to a narrow monetary mandate. And this is even before we reflect that financial crises are also likely to prompt big misses of inflation targets, as happened in many advanced economies after the global financial crisis.
The implication is that financial stability is also very important for achieving inflation targets.
So central banks probably cannot steer clear of financial stability and bank regulation. Yet that conclusion doesn’t make the space any safer for independent central banks. I can testify to this from my own experience in South Africa.
We are all used to thinking about attacks on central banks as demands to cut rates for political reasons. But I never once got a call or any other communication from the Union Buildings – the seat of the South African executive – telling me what to do with monetary policy. Similarly, my toughest public engagements haven’t been about interest rates; they have been about the financial system. Twice a year we have monetary policy forums outside financial centres, but we barely talk about monetary policy. Instead, we get questions about two things. One is a sideshow issue, which is the fact that the Reserve Bank has private shareholders. These shareholders don’t have any policy control, they get tiny dividends (about $14,000 per year collectively), and the private ownership isn’t the basis of our independence.
Still, it sounds strange that there are private shareholders, and people have questions, which we answer. The other thing we get asked about is the financial sector, especially issues around transformation, financial inclusion and development. And the financial sector work is also where we have had the most difficult time, politically.
Let me just pause a moment to note that monetary policy has had its problems. The South African economy has experienced a prolonged slump, with negative per capita GDP growth since 2013. At the same time, we have had inflation mostly at or above the top end of our target range. We have had to raise interest rates in the midst of the downturn, to keep inflation expectations in check and stave off worse scenarios, like the crises that hit Turkey and Argentina last year. We are now getting inflation where we want it, in the middle of our target range, which is a rate we intend to maintain. But that hasn’t provoked more than the usual grumbling and op-eds – no major onslaughts. The attacks came for other reasons. I’ll describe three big ones.
The first involved banking services for politically connected people. As has now been widely reported, some very senior figures in the South African government developed warm relations with a family of businessmen. When it became clearer that a lot of that family’s money wasn’t clean, commercial banks became unwilling to handle their accounts, for fear of violating laws against facilitating money laundering.
This made it nearly impossible for the family to run its operations and sparked a political fightback. We started feeling pressure to force banks to service these accounts, in violation of the law. In addition, we came under pressure to allow this family to obtain a banking license by buying a small bank. We even faced the threat of bank licensing being taken away from the SARB altogether. We were using our independence to uphold a law against dirty money flows, and that made us enemies.
The second problem was over a small mutual bank. This institution had spent most of its life quietly taking deposits from retail savers and extending mostly mortgage loans. Frankly, we didn’t realise the full extent of what was going on until the very end.
Starting in 2013, new management took over the bank and turned it into a crude Ponzi scheme. Their innovation was bribing public officials to deposit municipal funds at the mutual bank in exchange for ‘Christmas presents’. They then simply spent these deposits on themselves, accumulating fancy cars and a helicopter or two along the way. When we noted the significant growth in the business, we started engaging the bank about converting to a commercial banking license.
Ultimately, we realised something was wrong when they failed to make a routine payment through the national payment system, and it turned out they had no money left. But they nearly got away with it for longer, because they almost received a huge deposit from a public sector rail operator, which would have kept the Ponzi scheme going. I should also note that one of the reasons we missed what was going on was that one of the people involved in the looting was a partner at a Big-4 accounting firm, who signed off the accounts. We accepted audited accounts as a true reflection of the business.
When we put the mutual bank into curatorship, we came under attack from people who said we were targeting this business because it was a black- owned bank. We were accused of undermining black excellence and protecting the interests of white capitalists. You know the saying that patriotism is the last refuge of scoundrels? Well, in South Africa, if you really need somewhere to hide, it’s not in patriotism but in race politics. And these guys really needed a place to hide. They had just perpetrated a big bank robbery. Most troubling of all, they did it by stealing money sent by government for service delivery to some of South Africa’s poorest people – and that municipal money was lost. This did not stop people saying we should save the bank because it served the poor, even though it was an insolvent, corrupted institution.
The third problem was the strangest. In 2011 the Public Protector, South Africa’s ombudsman, decided to investigate a bank bailout the SARB did in 1985, for an institution called Bankorp, later taken over by ABSA, one of our big banks. There was talk that the bank had received money improperly, and it was argued that ABSA owed the government a refund. When this was investigated in the 1990s nothing came of it; the allegations were found to be baseless. Nonetheless, the Public Protector’s office decided to reopen the matter, and in June 2017, the Public Protector issued a finding that ABSA had to pay back R1 billion (roughly US$70 million). Then, to our surprise, the finding included an order that parliament change the constitution, so that the Reserve Bank’s mandate stopped being to ‘protect the value of the currency in the interest of balanced and sustainable growth’. Instead, it should have a much more opaque duty to look after the socio-economic well-being of South Africans.
You may be wondering how an ombuds office goes from investigating a thirty-year-old bank bailout to changing the Constitution. We all wondered. Ultimately the courts threw out both the findings. Yet, although we were all surprised by the attack coming like that, we had not anticipated such a flagrant disregard of the law.
This brings me back to the point I raised at the start of my speech. When I reflect on what the Reserve Bank was doing during this period, I cannot say it was all about maintaining a credible commitment to sound monetary policy. The problem we were really addressing was the principal-agent problem. The people of South Africa were relying on their government to look after their interests, while some people were instead using public power to pilfer. The SARB made that more difficult, which is why the Bank was attacked.
The terrifying thing we saw was how easy it is to flip between equilibria. There is one equilibrium where the rule of law is upheld and corruption is not tolerated, and most people then do their jobs honestly. And then there’s another equilibrium where people use their power to enrich themselves, where there is impunity, and where everyone has the incentive to take what they can before there’s nothing left. Over the past 10 years we moved from the first equilibrium towards the second, slowly at first, much faster towards the end. Many good institutions were weakened.
It’s not a surprise to me that the institutions which survived best were the ones with independence, particularly the Reserve Bank and the judiciary. Independence is a powerful defence. Many times during my term we have reflected with gratitude on the foresight of our founding mothers and fathers, who saw what could happen in the future and gave us the constitutional tools to defend ourselves.
The writers of our Constitution were students of history. They reflected especially closely on the African experience, where people had suffered so many disappointments in the decades after independence, perhaps the greatest being how leaders looted and impoverished their countries instead of governing them in the public interest. When our constitution was adopted the president was Nelson Mandela, and it would have been easy to take good leadership for granted. But good laws last longer than good leaders, and it was very helpful, twenty years down the line, to have the constitutional protections, the checks and balances, the guarantees of independence.
This emphasis on how independent institutions can protect democracies from bad leadership implies a close connection between how we think about central banks and how we think about judiciaries. I appreciate that central banks have narrower tasks than judiciaries, and aren’t peer organs of government. They are not the fourth branch. But the comparison still has some utility, in two ways.
First, the example of judiciaries is relevant because they too need to honour democracy while exercising unelected power. They are also confronted with the challenge from elected officials, “I’m elected and you’re not, so shut up and listen to me.” In practice, judiciaries do not resolve this tension through a policy of maximum deference. Rather, they typically take direction from the rights and values embodied in their countries’ foundational laws, and they confront violations of these principles when they see them. They appreciate that there is more to government than having 50% plus 1 vote.
The lesson for central banks is, we can honour democracy without feeling obliged to define it in strictly majoritarian terms, in which only directly elected leaders have any legitimacy. Democracy ensures that government serves the interests of the people. It does not consist of elections only. One of the gravest threats facing any society is the ruler who is more powerful than anyone else and therefore cannot be stopped by anyone, even when he is acting against the interests of the principals, the people.
Not all leaders are bad - I have met many good leaders, and some who would have behaved better in easier circumstances. But a small portion of leaders are bad, and if you understand probability, then you know sooner or later most countries will get a bad leader. There is nothing undemocratic about buying some insurance against this eventuality, and independent central banks, like judiciaries, are useful parts of those insurance policies.
Second, like judiciaries, central banks tend to be relatively high- performing institutions. There’s a famous book about judiciaries called, ‘the least dangerous branch’. The idea is that all parts of government can do terrible things, but the judiciary tends to do the least harm. I think central banks have a parallel claim. For a start, central banks generally maintain high standards of honesty and competence. Every now and then, when there’s a story about corruption in a central bank, people are shocked. By contrast, when last was anyone surprised by a corruption story in a government procurement agency or a legislative office?
Furthermore, central banks tend to be good at what they do, especially when their performances are compared with other parts of government. In emerging markets, inflation is at long-term lows. Many countries have moved beyond the problem of ‘original sin’, the inability of emerging markets to borrow long term in local currency, in large part because independent central banks mean the local money can now be trusted. Given how many financial crises have been caused by original sin, and how pervasive it was, this is important progress.
In advanced economies, central banks can make an even grander claim - to have been ‘the only game in town’ in the years after the global financial crisis. This was not a position they desired, and it is not optimal from a policy perspective. But aren’t you glad there was a game? Central bankers did as much as anyone to avert another Great Depression. We are now worried about the rise of populism and reinvigorated nationalisms, but imagine how much worse this would have been with a debt-deflation spiral and double-digit unemployment.
This record tells us the case for independent central banks is not just theoretical. We have tried these institutions in many countries, and the experiments have generally succeeded. If anyone looks at this history and concludes independent central banks should be abolished, well, we might ask, what parts of government deserve to survive?
Of course, it’s not enough to say we have a record of success and now we must be left alone. The principal-agent problem applies to central banks too – if there are no accountability mechanisms, what is to stop central bankers privileging their own interests over those of society? Part of the solution to this so far has been cultural, in the sense that there is a community of central bankers with high standards and strong norms. This isn’t a hard or legal guarantee, but as with many professions, it is important because it works even when people aren’t watching. Even better, however, is having nothing to hide. Modern central banks, unlike their forebears, actively embrace transparency and communication. We try to be clear about what we’re doing, why, and what evidence we rely upon for our decisions. This also promotes accountability, because it is easier to assess success or failure. These values – transparency, accountability – have served us well, and I doubt central bank independence would be tenable without them.
We will also need new ideas for tackling new challenges. To conclude, I’d like to address two broad problems, one to do with financial stability mandates, and one affecting the price stability mandate.
Regarding financial stability, I opened this lecture with a problem. Financial stability is probably an inescapable responsibility for central banks, but it is a dangerous environment for an independent agency to operate - more so than the monetary policy space. How best can we navigate it? I have two suggestions.
First, we usually frame the problem in this sphere as one of independent central banks taking decisions away from the duly elected authorities. But sometimes independence helps ensure decisions are made in full view of the public, by the appropriate authorities, instead of being shirked. Let me give you an example.
In South Africa, one of the worst examples of state capture has been state owned enterprises which pose a significant fiscal risk. State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) are a financial stability issue and should not the Reserve Bank be doing a bailout?
Absolutely not. The challenge of dealing with too-big-to-fail SOEs, of combining cash injections with conditionality measures, needs to be dealt with by the elected authorities – as it has been in the latest budget from National Treasury. The SARB’s power to say no was greatly enhanced by its independence.
Second, sometimes central banks face a tough choice between - on the one hand - stretching their mandates and raising legitimacy questions, and - on the other hand - staying in their safe spaces, but then risking bad economic outcomes. For instance, with Lehman Brothers, I understand there were legal problems, but I wish the Fed had found a way to prevent its bankruptcy. Similarly, I’m glad it was possible to give other investment banks access to Fed funds, and to prevent AIG from collapsing.
Finding the right balance here is always going to be an art. Fortunately, we have some master-class performances to draw on for lessons in how it’s done.
When ECB had to manage the euro crisis, it did with just a few words – doing whatever it takes. But the Council followed them with a major effort to convince political leaders, who ultimately backed the plan in public. They also worked to address the concerns of critics, by devising conditionality measures for bond purchases. In policy, there is always trade-off between how decisively you act and how widely you consult. In a crisis, the trade-off becomes very difficult indeed, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. I think a useful term here is one we used a lot in South Africa during the transition to democracy: ‘sufficient consensus’. It meant, given the importance of moving forward, you can’t permit filibustering, but you also can’t make decisions unilaterally, and ride roughshod over opponents. The ECB team did a masterful job of achieving sufficient consensus, and I think that’s what central banks should aim for in future financial crises.
Finally, on monetary stability, for once I am concerned about too little inflation. In emerging markets we still mostly worry about inflation being high, but some advanced economies keep on missing their targets from below. Frankly, it doesn’t seem to me so terrible to have price stability.
That was the original goal with 2% inflation targets - the idea was to get an inflation rate households and firms wouldn’t notice. The problem with winning the war on inflation, however, is that the only price movements left tend to be temporary, from supply shocks. This makes it easy to forget the responsibility of monetary policy for inflation. Indeed, the so-called Modern Monetary Theorists even think you can do away with independent central banks and tackle inflation with other tools. Well, if you build a maximum security jail and there are no escapes, does that prove you didn’t need to build a jail? I think it proves you built it right.
The same goes for inflation. Price stability is proof of the success of independent central banks, not an argument for their abolition. But I worry there’s a new generation coming of age in the advanced economies who have never experienced inflation, and won’t appreciate that subtlety.
Ladies and gentlemen, in conclusion, central banks may be under attack, but they deserve to be defended. They have been principled agents, serving the interests of their citizens, mostly with more effectiveness than people usually get from their governments. There are any number of institutions needing reform in this world. It would be best if the energy of our critics, and our defenders, could be directed to those other causes instead. Meanwhile, for central bankers, we should always bear in mind that independence is not a birth-right, but something we need to get up every day and earn. Our insulation from day-to-day politics creates a special responsibility to do our jobs right, and to be transparent and accountable so that our principals, the citizens, can see we are living up to this privilege.
 Debelle, G. (1996) “Central bank independence: a free lunch?” IMF Working Paper 96/1; Alesina, A., & Summers, L. (1993). Central Bank Independence and Macroeconomic Performance: Some Comparative Evidence. Journal of Money, Credit and Banking 25 (2), 151-62.
 The initial bail-in arrangements included insured deposits, but these were exempted when it became clear breaking the insurance guarantee would be a major error, not least because of the spillover risks. The deposit guarantee threshold was €100,000.


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Whether Barnea grasps it or not, this is indeed the vision more and more Palestinians have in mind and this is exactly the vision I have in mind. This is the exact vision more and more people around the world envisage as a perfect solution, and clearly, this is the only ethical and universal solution to this bitter conflict: Israel will be Palestine. It will stretch from the river to the sea. And it will be a State of all its citizens as opposed to the racially exclusivist ‘Jews only’ State.
It doesn’t take a genius to gather that Barnea, like many other Israelis, expresses wishful thinking here rather than a reading of the reality on the ground. As it happens - and more than a few of us detected it decades ago - Palestinians are at the forefront of a battle for a better world. The current regional Arab revolution is a mass call for justice, but also for justice in Palestine. As much as the world looks with admiration at young Muslims and Arabs making a change, it also becomes general knowledge that Israel is the biggest threat to world peace. The Palestinian Right of Return is about to become an international priority issue, and Israel will be defeated on that front. The West wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice Israel on that issue: isolated and humiliated, Israel is going to struggle hopelessly against the entire region. And to clarify the matter, time is not exactly on the side of the Jewish State.
Israel has had sixty-three years to confront its original sin. It had a window of opportunity to repent, and open its border to the millions of refugees it so brutally expelled. But now the window seems to have been closed. Israel has lost the chance to save itself from itself. And what we saw this week was just an introduction. Israel is about to face a tidal wave of Palestinian gatherings on its borders. Israel doesn’t possess the political or military means to deal with these emerging forms of non-violent resistance.
Barnea stresses that Abbas refrained from clarifying the question of how, and where this right will be realised, and whether it will be through compensation or physical return. Barnea concludes that “anyone could make what he wanted” out of Abass’ words.” But in fact Barnea is wrong again. Abbas' words were totally clear: there was no hidden message or even ambiguity in them. The return is not a slogan. For a while it was a universal and an ethical call. But as things stand this week, it is now becoming a call for a direct action. Barnea and most Israelis may still fail to grasp that today’s Middle East is a new entity all together. It is united; it is firm, and it is far from timid. It is vibrant, and revolutionary, and fuelled by yearning for justice and freedom. Israel is surrounded by a wall of fierce resistance. As far as the Jewish State is concerned, the countdown has begun.
Yet, a universal reading of Barnea’s suggestion surely also logically implies that the rest of us then, can also now relieve ourselves of the endless burden of Jewish exceptional suffering too: after all, Barnea did say, ‘what’s in the past is in the past.’ Accordingly then, if the Jews are not unique in their collective pain, nothing should stop the Israelis from opening a new page too, so they can cross the divide and build bridges with the indigenous people of the land; those whom they themselves ethnically cleansed and attempted to destroy. For if the burden of the past can, as Barnea suggests, lose its relevance or significance, Israel might as well live up to that, and turn its face to a brighter future and voluntarily invite the Palestinian refugees to return to their land. Such a move would mean an immediate end to the conflict.
Yet, there is one crucial (currently hypothetical) question I must address: nowadays, when it becomes clear that the Jewish state approaches its final phase, how would Israelis who would like to return to Europe react to a Barnea-like ‘no return’ statement if it were expressed by a European ‘liberal’ columnist? How would Israelis or the rest of us react to the following: ‘there will be no return-time has come to tell the Jews they will not be returning to Europe’?
Yet sadly enough, we are all too used to hear similar statements from ‘liberal’ Israelis and Jews.

industry_corpus2: Politics & Administration


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Welcome to another edition of PM Nation. This week we will not only have our weekly debate column, but also for the first time PM Nation will be coming to you from PMTV studios in video. This column’s topic will talk about the problems with professional sports.
Cody Straub: People including me love professional sports because of the competition between the best athletes on the playing field. What happens off the field is the problem with professional sports. The amount of money handed out to the players is ridiculous. The passion in professional sports is not anywhere near the passion in college sports because of one reason, money.
Taylor Groff: There are too many things nowadays wrong about professional sports. The thing that angers me the most is how deceiving these athletes are. There are too many kids in the world seeing elite athletes making great plays on the field and terrible decisions off the field. They are portrayed as the most heroic people in the world at times, but have bad judgment and disappoint many.
CS: I agree it is disappointing to see these pro athletes make bad decisions, but overpaying the players hurts us more. Ticket prices have risen over the years to go watch a ball game because the teams have to pay their players millions of dollars.
TG: I agree a lot of players are playing for money and not the love of the games. You know what would really make me happy next year in the NBA?
TG: With Lebron James, Chris Bosh, and Dwayne Wade, I would like them to take pay cuts to play for teams with NBA final potential, instead of playing for a terrible team and making more money.
CS: I have an idea that would bring passion back to professional sports. Instead of guaranteeing players millions of dollars when they sign a contract, make the contract completely performance-based. The only way players should make a lot of money is if they perform on the field, and stay out of trouble off the field. This would bring back the passion in the college games back to professional games.
CS: WOW! First thing we have ever agreed on. I guess there is a first time for everything.
TG: Tune in later this week for our first PM Nation video which will focus on the Final Four and the QB crisis in Philadelphia.
I agree. Thats why college sports are better.
Wow Cody that is a great idea. I want my pro teamates to show the same passion i do.
I agree. $13 million just to get a player who is injured for half of the year? C’mon. Nice point about the ticket prices, Strauby.

industry_corpus2: Sports