text:
Pool Light Suspected Of Severely Shocking Girl, 15

View Comments
Photo Galleries

GARDEN GROVE (CBSLA.com) — Authorities say a 15-year-old girl is expected to make a full recovery after being shocked by electricity while swimming in her family’s pool.

Garden Grove police and firefighters were dispatched to the 11400 block of Ranier Court Saturday at about noon for a “possible electrocution.” When officers arrived, they found Bianca Cruz, who had already been pulled from the pool by her father, lying face up on the pool deck, pale, unresponsive, without a pulse and not breathing, according to Garden Grove police spokesman Lt. Jeff Nightengale.

Bianca’s mother, Bertha, says the doctors told her her daughter had been pronounced dead.

“I just couldn’t believe that they told me that she had died, and just praying and praying, and a block before hitting the hospital, she threw a big scream,” Bertha Cruz said. “Like a baby just being born. A scream that you can only hear, a mother can hear.”

Family members told police nothing had happened the first time Bianca dove into the deep end. The second time, officials say she was electrocuted, possibly by the pool light that the Cruzes say had been disconnected.

Bianca’s 23-year-old sister, Tiffany, was in the shallow end and heard her sister scream. Seeing her sister face down, she tried to get closer.

“It just kind of paralyzed me, almost, kind of like a pulsing feeling, a lot of pressure. It kind of felt like I was shriveling,” Tiffany Cruz said.

She yelled for her father, Julio Cruz, who ran and pulled her from the pool. In spite of feeling the shock from the water, he pulled Bianca out. Bianca’s father and Tiffany Cruz’s boyfriend all tried to revive the girl before officers arrived.

Officers performed CPR on the girl until paramedics arrived. Bianca was taken to UCI Medical Center, where she was stabilized and remains under observation.

Doctors believe she will make a full recovery, police said.

Julio Cruz says someone looked at the pool light three weeks ago, even draining the pool. He says they will now hire someone else to figure out what went wrong with the pool light.

View Comments
blog comments powered by Disqus


Content-Type: application/http; msgtype=response

WARC-Type: response

text:
Tips To Spotting Deadly Form Of Nail Cancer

View Comments

CBS Los Angeles (con't)

Affordable Care Act Updates:

Health News & Information:

Links & Numbers
Information & Resources On Dangers Of Marijuana Use Covered California Enrollment Methods Hire LA Youth Hospital Ratings Stradivarius Fest Tell Us Who's Hiring!
Top Features
textalerts180 Tips To Spotting Deadly Form Of Nail Cancer

LOS ANGELES ( — An unusual-looking stripe under your nail can be just as dangerous as a shape-shifting mole — both, doctors say, are common signals of cancer.

Dr. Dana Stern, a dermatologist specializing in treating the nail, says a brown line on your nail could be a sign of melanoma.

The dermatologist warns people to be vigilant. Women who consistently get their nails manicured should check for changes on the nails when the polish comes off. More than likely, it could be a bruise, but if you don’t remember the injury or that dark area doesn’t got away then you should see a doctor.

The thumb, index finger and big toe are the most common nails to be affected.

If you notice a line under your nail, you should see a doctor if the stripe:

  • is dark
  • has blurred borders
  • changes shape

Stern says treatment can include removing the melanoma and surrounding tissue to amputation of a finger tip.

The dermatologist says there’s no evidence that links cosmetic procedures and nail cancer.

For tips on spotting nail abnormalities visit Medline Plus.

For more information about Melanoma visit

And for general information about cancer, including melanoma on the nail bed, visit

View Comments
blog comments powered by Disqus

warcinfo:
robots: classic
hostname: ip-10-236-191-2.ec2.internal
software: Nutch 1.6 (CC)/CC WarcExport 1.0
isPartOf: CC-MAIN-2015-32
operator: CommonCrawl Admin
description: Wide crawl of the web for August 2015
publisher: CommonCrawl
format: WARC File Format 1.0
conformsTo: http://bibnum.bnf.fr/WARC/WARC_ISO_28500_version1_latestdraft.pdf


text:
Latest Videos

The Agency's Mauricio Umansky Offers Exclusive Look Inside Sky-High Penthouse
Religious Bookstore Owner Practices Forgiveness After Robbery
LA Lifeguards Warn Of Strong Rip Currents Along Coast
Police Search For 2 Men They Suspect Shot Out Windows Of 5 Canoga Park Businesses Evening Newsbrief (July 28)
Fair Oaks Pharmacy In South Pasadena Finds Success In Soda Fountain
Dodger Stadium Now Offers Kosher Food Options
Amazon Wants Airspace Reserved For Delivery Drones, Reports Say
Josh Rubenstein's Weather Forecast (July 28)
8 Children Injured As 70-Foot-Tall Pine Tree Falls At Kidspace Park In Pasadena
New Councilman Cancels Spending Planned By Predecessor, Tom LaBonge
Newport Beach Man Describes Harrowing Journey After Becoming Stranded In Indian Ocean
Eco-Friendly Builders See Renewed Interest In Products Leading To Job Openings
Eye On Entertainment (July 28)


WARC-Truncated: length

text:
23 September 2007

Stars at Your Feet

I always find a stroll along the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's "Celebrity Path" an amusingly surreal experience. The path is a stone walkway that leads you up and down a hill to one side of the Japanese Garden. At random intervals along the walk are gray stones with the outline of a leaf and the names of famous Brooklynites carved in the center.

Taking in the 100 or so personalities, your mind boggles at the wide variety of figures who came out of this borough. Betty Comden, Floyd Patterson, the Ritz Brothers, Elaine de Kooning, Gene Tierney, Harry Houdini, Lee Krasner, Carole King, Joe Torre and Joe Papp (listed, interestingly enough, under his birth name, Joseph Papirofsky). Some surprise you that they were born in Brooklyn at all. Woody Guthrie, who sang of the plains? Vince Lombardi, who coached the Green Bay Packers to greatness? Others plaques surprise you because the person is still alive and has been honored so early for his or her achievements. I mean, I like Leonard Lopate, but has he earned his Celebrity Walk leaf already? And then there are those stones that you wish were never laid. Judge Judy, for instance.

The most recently laid stone was for someone named Judith D. Zuk. I drew a blank on that one, so I looked it up at home. Turns out she ran the Garden from 1990 to 2005, and was responsible for its resurgence in recent years. She died of breast cancer in early September, meaning she was added to the path very soon after her death. The Garden takes care of its own, it seems. Nice job.

No comments:


text:
Official Lost Podcast/April 16, 2007

< Official Lost Podcast

7,361pages on
this wiki

Podcast Navigation Bar
Podcast Summary • Podcast Transcript

April 16th, 2007

Running Length: 27:07

Executive Producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse rehash "One of Us" and prehash "Catch-22" as well as some other upcoming goodies. Actor M.C. Gainey ("Tom") reveals his past connection to Carlton Cuse.

Interview with M.C. Gainey

  • "M.C." stands for "Mike Connor", the first Mississippi governor of Irish descent.
  • He (as the character) didn't know until halfway through the second season that his beard was fake!
  • He believes Tom is more socially awkward than he is.
  • He was the naked man running down the street in Sideways.
  • Getting killed in Lost is "no big deal" because "you come back 10 times anyway!"

Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof rehash "One of Us"

  • Juliet is undercover for Ben, and is "up to no good".
  • The submarine is named the Galaga. It was named after the video game which some of the writers apparently play.
  • They said it was possible that Rachel may not have been sick. That Ben could have faked the information. But they also indicated that while Ben was often accused of lying, it usually turned out that he told the truth. The only example of him lying they could come up with is the Henry Gale impersonation.

Prehash of "Catch-22"

  • Its a Desmond-centric episode.

We'll be seeing some more of Desmond's premonitions, probably focusing on Charlie's possible demise

  • Something "very momentous" is going to happen in this episode
  • We're getting back to the "pregnant women" story, specifically with Sun, in "D.O.C."

Fan Questions

  • Is Locke's brother alive? Is he somebody we know, like Ben? When will we learn more about him? The game Mousetrap is in the Others' rec room, and Locke said he used to like to play it with his brother.
    • Locke has a foster brother, and he is probably still alive. But he is not somebody we already know. And we will not be finding out more about him.
  • [After the question there is a one minute laughing fit]
  • Does the "mud scene" with Kate and Juliet mean anything, or is it just for "the meaningless fun of television?"
    • There was originally a plan for another scene with mud, but they had a better idea about how to pull off the Monster's scene, hitting the fence and so on. However, they had already shot a scene in which the two were muddy near to the end of the episode, so, for continuity, they had the two fall in the mud.
  • I don't understand the significance of "Exposé" to anything. What relation did it have to the principal story line?
    • When Nikki and Paulo were introduced, there was a plan for their story. But with all of the backlash against them, the producers felt they "owed it to the fans" to show what that plan was. The characters are dead, though.
  • Did we all miss something major in the Pilot episode? Any mystery, or clue?
  • Why wasn't the Monster able to hop the fence?
    • Smoke Monsters can't jump.
    • The Sonic Barrier was built by the Dharma Initiative, and was discovered to repel it.
    • The Monster was "taking pictures" of Juliet and Mr. Eko; it can get vertical (see: Mr. Eko's death), but can't detach itself completely from the ground, and might need a hole to go under it.
    • Carlton hints that we may see the story of the DHARMA Initiative "in their heydey", discovering the Monster, and repelling it with the fence.
    • He specifically hints that there will be a DHARMA Initiative flashback in the third season. It possible deals with them repelling the Monster.
    • They said the Monster looked like it was taking pictures of Juliet. At the same time they mentioned something about it being vaguely similar to the Monster "reading" Eko.
  • Is the Lost video game coming out?
    • Yes, on Xbox 360, PS3, and PC. It is made by UbiSoft.

Next week

Running gags

  • "Damon, my beloved..."; Carlton always reads what Kris writes
  • Referring to each other in different "person" (3rd person, 2nd person)
  • Hashing, re-hashing, pre-hashing, double-pre-hashing
  • Carlton not being able to read fan questions... "they're just too funny"....
  • The Zombie Season (Season 7)
  • Ice skating vacations

Around Wikia's network

Random Wiki


text:
Contact Us

Former Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ Guitarist Buren Fowler Dies at 54

Buren Fowler
Photo Credit: Shawn Evans

Sad news from the rock world to report. Former Drivin’ N Cryin’ guitarist Buren Fowler has passed away at the age of 54.

James Van Buren Fowler was a heavy hitter in the Georgian rock scene, rising to prominence as a touring guitarist for R.E.M. from 1986 – 1987. However, Fowler is best known for his five-year stint with Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ from 1988 – 1993.

Fowler was a member of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ when the act released its most popular and commercially successful album, ‘Fly Me Courageous,’ in 1991. Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ had a Modern and Mainstream Rock hit with the album’s title track, while landing on the Mainstream Rock chart with the singles ‘Build a Fire’ and ‘The Innocent.’

Drivin’ N’ Cryin’ posted a memorial of their former bandmate via the act’s Facebook page:

It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our brother-in-arms Buren Fowler. Words alone cannot express the sense of loss that we all feel. He will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his dear wife Paula and his family. We love you Buren. Godspeed.

We’d like to send our condolences and best wishes to the family, friends and former bandmates of Buren Fowler. In memory of Fowler, listen to ‘Fly Me Courageous’ below.

Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, ‘Fly Me Courageous’

Rockers We Lost in 2013

Recommended For You

Around the Web

Best of Loudwire

Leave a Comment

It appears that you already have an account created within our VIP network of sites on . To keep your personal information safe, we need to verify that it's really you. To activate your account, please confirm your password. When you have confirmed your password, you will be able to log in through Facebook on both sites.

Forgot your password?

It appears that you already have an account on this site associated with . To connect your existing account just click on the account activation button below. You will maintain your existing VIP profile. After you do this, you will be able to always log in to using your original account information.

Please fill out the information below to help us provide you a better experience.

(Forgot your password?)

Not a member? Sign up here

Sign up for Loudwire quickly by connecting your Facebook account. It's just as secure and no password to remember!


text:
Remember me
[Forgot password?] [Register]
The Lounge Forums

thanos with the heart of the universe vs toaa

[Reply] #1
04-25-2010 10:04 PM
Lu Bu

toaa- is the supream being in marvel and even is above living tribunal

thanos with the hotu-he was able to destroy all the cosmic beings, heros, villians, gods and even surpassed the living tribunal proved to be supream being just like toaa but still i have made my point their so after thinking of it like that who wins even know i kind of think toaa and most people say that only toaa can stop him dont get made at me if you think this is a fail topic because i try

[Reply] #2
04-25-2010 10:07 PM
Lu bu

and both are full omnipotents even know toaa also has omnipresent and omniscient but i dont think i does much in a fight

New Reply
Name (guest):

For faster posting and no restrictions: [Login] [Register]

Type the characters you see in the picture:
[More Options] [New Topic]
Moderated by: -Sheko-, Syd, Zeroextra, Airport, - FS -, Lazzle Mazzle, Admins, Superusers [All moderators]
The Lounge Forums ( ) © ApS 2012 - Privacy Policy - Disclaimer - FAQ - Contact
MVC Network: MovieCodec Forums/Downloads -The Lounge Forums


text:
Sunday, June 3, 2012

On The Cover: Michelle Pfeiffer

1998 Sapin Magazine: "Cinerama."

Cover Girl: Michelle Pfeiffer

Our leading lady Michelle Pfeiffer premieres our BRAND NEW SERIES entitled: "On The Cover."
This series is for our leading ladies and men and to see them in the international best magazine covers. "Love Those Classic Movies!!!" will not spend a lot of time talking about the covers other than wanting you to enjoy our spotlight celebrity and their best ON THE COVER!

From the early 1980's to today Michelle Pfeiffer shines bright on a global scale on all major magazines from: Harper's Bazaar, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, People, & Vogue just to name a few. We are highlighting some of the best covers spanning from 1982 - 2000.

1982 French Magazine: OK!

1983 Magazine: "Cine Tele Revue"

1989 US Newsweek.

1990 U.S. People Weekly

1996 cover of "Entertainment Weekly" Michelle & George Clooney co-star in "One Fine Day"

1997 cover of: "New Woman" magazine with George Clooney & Michelle Pfeiffer who starred in
"One Fine Day" (1996)

1999 US "Harper's Bazaar"

2000 French Magazine: "Marie France."

1995 Austrian Magazine: "Freizeit."

Michelle on the cover of "Vogue Magazine" (circa 1990's)

1987 cover of Prevue Magazine with the cast of "Witches of Eastwick"
(clockwise: Jack Nicholson, Michelle Pfeiffer, Susan Sarandon, & Cher)

1994 United Kingdom Magazine: "Film Review."

1999 magazine: "AvantGarde."

  1. Replies
    1. Hi Paul!

      I agree and love being able to highlight Michelle Pfeiffer as one who influenced great acting/films in the 1980's!!!

  2. She is a beautiful woman and a great actress!

    1. Hi Cinemarion!

      I agree that Michelle Pfeiffer is a great beauty and a great actress! Lookout for the brand new article on Michelle here that is dedicated to her "In Pictures!" think you will LOVE IT!


text:
The Complexity of Modern American Civil Litigation: Curse or Cure?

Document Type

Originally prepared for the 2007 meetings of the Italian Association of Comparative Law, this paper seeks to excavate the roots of procedural complexity in modern American litigation. Proceeding from the view that there is no accepted definition of complex litigation in the United States, the paper discusses five related phenomena that the author regards as consequential: (1) the architecture of modern American lawsuits and the procedural philosophy that architecture reflects, (2) the volume of litigation and the public and private policies, attitudes and arrangements that affect it, (3) the dynamic nature of, and dispersed institutional responsibility for, American law, (4) the enormous amounts of money at stake in some litigation, and (5) the search for, and the forms of, relevant evidence in modern American litigation, and the impact of science and technology on both. The paper argues that, having opted for equity’s approach to the joinder of claims and parties – in part to ensure effective enforcement of rights but also in part to make such enforcement more efficient -- Americans have repeatedly turned to the tools of aggregation as a remedy for that success. In doing so, the people responsible for the courts often override the preferences of the parties (and thus the principle of party autonomy), alter the balance of power in litigation, and render trial effectively impossible. In such instances, they are creating complexity where it is not necessary for effective access to court; the stated goal of efficiency may be a delusion, and in any event aggregation can make little pretense to a goal of accuracy as opposed to dispute resolution simpliciter. Moreover, as the Class Action Fairness Act of 2005 suggests, in a federal system the unremitting quest for aggregation may come at a heavy price to individual state autonomy. In sum, taken to the extremes to which Americans appear to be heading, complex litigation appears to be a cure that has become a curse.

Date of Authorship for this Version

June 2007

complex litigation, joinder of claims and parties, Class Action Fairness Act of 2005, aggregation


text:
New Kid On The Block

A-J's online services department quickly grows into strong force

Published: Thursday, July 20, 2000

(EDITOR'S NOTE - The following story is one in a series profiling the individual departments that comprise The Avalanche-Journal. This month's installment focuses on the newspaper's online services department.)

The Avalanche-Journal's online services department may be the newest kid on the block, but it's certainly grown up in a hurry.

''We try not to just be The Avalanche-Journal online,'' said Robert Granfeldt, the newspaper's online services director. ''What we try to do is be the top provider of online information for Lubbock, Texas.''

It's a mission that keeps Granfeldt and 16 employees across three departments on the move constantly. In addition to 10 staffers in online services, there are three in the newsroom and three in sales.

''We try to cover everything,'' Granfeldt said. ''Whether it's news, sports, entertainment or the Yellow Pages, we try to provide everything possible online for people.''

The explosive growth of the online department is a result of two factors, Grandfeldt said. One is a serious commitment from The A-J's corporate parent, Morris Communications Corp. The other is the ever-growing number of Internet users.

''It's been very satisfying to see how this department has grown in just a few years,'' Granfeldt said. ''There is a lot of interest in the Internet in Lubbock. Lubbock seems to be a very wired community with a lot of people using the Internet for a lot of things. For us to have more than 2 million page views per months shows we're doing something right.''

The A-J's online site (lubbockonline.com) also allows former Lubbockites an opportunity to keep up with the day-to-day happenings of the community from afar.

''We do have quite a few former Lubbock residents who follow the city on the Internet,'' Granfeldt said. ''We hear from people who were here at Reese Air Force Base as well as a lot of former Texas Tech students, athletes, staff and coaches. I think people like to follow what's going on here on the Internet.

''Five years ago, it was hard to keep up with Lubbock if you didn't live here. Now we've been able to open Lubbock to the world. Really, when you think about it, we have a staff of 360 people. We are able to put all the fine work in The A-J and show it to the world. No one else can do that.''

Additionally, there are other sites dedicated to equally interesting material. The A-J recently unveiled lubbockmusic.com and will officially launch the site dedicated to the city's thriving music scene and rich musical heritage in September.

That, Granfeldt said, is only a part of what will be an intense online focus on community happenings in the ensuing years.

''I think the Internet is all about local,'' he said. ''One of the terms being used today is 'hyperlocal,' and I see us getting heavily involved in providing content for the community, whether it's geared for younger people or whoever. I see us putting up more lifestyles content, and I see us hitting the community sports scene pretty hard.''

''Today, most people get national and world news from the newspaper, television or Internet sites, but you can only get the content that is deep and local from The A-J. We provide more than a one-inch brief or a one-minute clip, and really, that's what it's all about.''

Granfeldt also hopes to see even more entertainment-related material on The A-J's site.

''Things like restaurants and movies are important to a lot of people here,'' he said. ''I'd like to see us provide a place where people can read about local restaurants, rate local restaurants and look at the latest inspections of local restaurants. It's the same with movies. We'd like to make it where people can go to our site and not only get (A-J entertainment editor) William Kerns' review but also the schedule of show times.''

Overall, The A-J's primary Web site as well as sub-sites such as redraiders.com and needacoupon.com have been Internet hits, he said.

The A-J also has an e-commerce site, raidergear.com, which allows Internet shoppers to peruse and purchase Texas Tech-related merchandise from five vendors.

Also, information from the annual Best of Lubbock promotion is contained on The A-J's bestoflubbock.com site, he said.

Next up, Granfeldt said, is mylubbock.com, which will allow Internet users the chance to customize a page to their own needs.

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal © 2015. All Rights Reserved.  Terms of Service and Privacy Policy


text:
Cattle association appoints Niedecken

Published: Sunday, August 10, 2008

Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association has appointed Tim Niedecken executive director of association services.

Niedecken will oversee member services, support recruitment campaigns and supervise the Beef Quality Assurance program, among other tasks.

Niedecken was a marketing manager for Micro Beef Technologies and graduated from Texas A&M University in 1998 with a master's degree.

Lubbock Avalanche-Journal © 2015. All Rights Reserved.  Terms of Service and Privacy Policy


text:
LucasForums (
-   Bug Reports/Requests/Game Feedback (
-   -   Droideka bugged or weakened? (

HordaK 09-17-2005 08:42 AM

Droideka bugged or weakened?
I play the Deka very often but i just realised now that its not working correctly...who ever played deka in First Person will agree with me that the deka definitly only uses half of his Firepower....He has 4 Guns, 2 on each side but only fires with 1 is the deka bugged and thats fixed with a patch already or has LA weakened em so they just use half of their FIrepower ? I hope this will be fixed in BF2 im personally annoyed cause that deka is not a Destroyer Droid its a joke....Overheats faster than anything else in the game, if it had its full firepower with all 4 Guns i wont mind the overheat that comes that fast..but how can it overheat so quickly with just its half Firepower.. I hope im not the only Deka player whos annoyed about this fact.

sorry i dont have Webspace otherwise i had attached a screenshot where u can see immediatly what i mean, so if u havent noticed that already just start Instant Action take the Droideka go to first person and fire...then u will see what i mean.

I would be happy if someone could answer my above mentioned questions

many thx in advance

Leviathan 09-17-2005 12:54 PM

I've send this remark to Pandemic for a long time now, in order to correct that in SWBF II... ;)

HordaK 09-17-2005 03:34 PM

At least one who cares about my favorite droids :urpboun:

hope they would take care of it

zerted 09-17-2005 09:15 PM

Don't shoot so fast and the guns won't overheat. You can keep a stead rate of fire with ALL automatic recharge weapons if you fire at the right speed.

HordaK 09-18-2005 03:39 AM

Droidekas are meant to shoot fast over a longer period of time, dont they? Otherwise they wont be called Destroyer Droids IMO....

You ever played Movie Battles 2? There the Dekas have the Firepower i want to have in SWBF, i dont say they are balanced there completly but i just want the MB2 Deka Firepower the rest might stay the way it is

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:49 AM.

Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2015, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
LFNetwork, LLC ©2002-2011 - All rights reserved.


text:
Ludum Dare 33
Coming August 21st-24th!

Hardcore Nose Picking

Posted by (twitter: @MegaBrutal)
September 23rd, 2012 9:57 am

I’ve seen another Ludum Darer’s entry for this Mini Ludum Dare, “A bad day on the toilet” by Thurig, which is basically a defecation simulator. Although it’s a little weird, I think it perfectly fits the not-game theme, and I wish good luck to the creator! :) (Ever since I’m a Drawn Together fan, there is little crudeness that can surprise me.)

Since I’m in a story-telling mood, I tell what this entry has reminded me. In my country, there was a video series, “Rossz PC játékok” (“Bad PC games“) which criticized commercially released games which were really bad. (Pretty much like the Angry Video Game Nerd.) At the end of the episode which introduced the game, “Scooter Pro“, the video’s creator, freddyD, has told a few thoughts about how pointless he finds that there is a simulator for such pointless sports like riding a scooter. Then he listed some ideas for similarly pointless games, and one memorable example was the “Hardcore Nose Picking” simulator. 😀

freddyD: Hardcore Nose picking / Scooter Pro

I was actually playing with the thought of creating an actual game based on the idea, in which you could sell the snot you mined to the creators of “Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing“, which they would use to make the wheels of those trucks so sticky. 😀 (If you don’t get it, in that game, the trucks can park perfectly on vertical surfaces.) I could have used this idea for this Mini Ludum Dare, damn!

Nah, get back to work! I made some progress with my entry, but I seriously doubt I can make anything playable for the end of the day. Especially because I need to get to sleep early, for tomorrow I’ll be in morning shift (yuck!).

One Response to “Hardcore Nose Picking”

  1. Thurig says:

    I am honored you mentioned me:-)

Leave a Reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

[cache: storing page]


text:
Laudry Table & Cabinets

  • Advertise with us
Project by Jeff Roberts posted 06-17-2009 03:40 AM 1594 views 6 times favorited 3 comments Add to Favorites Watch

Earlier this year we decided to replace our 18 year old washer & dryer with a new front loader. My wife wanted to get the expensive pedestals, however, being a thrifty woodworker, I thought of a better solution. This 60” x 31” table sits on some easily removed brackets with a French cleat in the back. The cleats are mounted to studs and the lower brackets are attached to the drywall with toggle screws. A couple of pocket screws into the brackets resulted in a rock solid table. The 1 1/4” thick table is constructed of MDF, laminate, and poplar. Brackets are Baltic birch plywood, poplar, and recycled particle board. This is a much more efficient use of space in our small laundry room.

Cabinets were completed last year. Construction: birch plywood, melamine bottom & shelves, poplar & MDF doors.

-- Jeff, Dayton, OH

3 comments so far

View Splinterman's profile

23058 posts in 2328 days

#1 posted 06-17-2009 01:20 PM

Hey JWood, Your Lady would be very happy with that fine result…....nice neat job…well done.

View Derrek LeRouax's profile

Derrek LeRouax

129 posts in 2261 days

#2 posted 06-17-2009 02:21 PM

Jeff – Really like the idea. My wife is expecting out second (a daughter this time), and she has started in on me for a front loading set like this. Now I don’t have to scratch my head for a couple of days to figure this all out. THANKS!!

-- Derrek L.

View Jeff Roberts's profile

Jeff Roberts

35 posts in 2271 days

#3 posted 06-17-2009 11:55 PM

Thanks for the comments Splinterman! The wife liked this idea a lot more than the $300 pedastals. Now the socks don’t fall behind the washer!

Congradulations Derrek! The new washer a uses a lot less water. Sound like a good investment for your growing family. Thanks!

-- Jeff, Dayton, OH

Have your say...

You must be signed in to post the comments.

DISCLAIMER: Any posts on LJ are posted by individuals acting in their own right and do not necessarily reflect the views of LJ. LJ will not be held liable for the actions of any user.

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics


text:
Tony Ennis's Woodworking Buddies

  • Advertise with us
View Tony Ennis's:homeworkshopprojects (1)blog (0)reviews (0)forum topics (4)buddies (0)favorites (16)activity logWatch

See the LumberJocks who count Tony Ennis as a Woodworking Buddy

No Recent Buddies Activity

DISCLAIMER: Any posts on LJ are posted by individuals acting in their own right and do not necessarily reflect the views of LJ. LJ will not be held liable for the actions of any user.

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics


text:
Need a setup for cutting sheet goods

  • Advertise with us

« back to Woodworking Skill Share forum

Forum topic by ClimbOn posted 01-02-2013 08:17 PM 4012 views 3 times favorited 36 replies Add to Favorites Watch
View ClimbOn's profile

10 posts in 1609 days

01-02-2013 08:17 PM

So I’m in the process (a rather slow process) of setting up my new garage for my shop. While building cabinets, work benches, shelving, etc, I find myself constantly whittling down large sheets of plywood…and not doing it accurately or efficiently. I’ve got a table saw and circular saw, but have yet to put together any outfeed tables, saw horses, or the like in anticipation for advice ongoing it right the first time. I’m on a sensible budget, so no Festool product recommendations ;)

I’d appreciate any thoughts on process and products that I need to cut down 4’x4’ sheets (i typically get the big box store to cur it in half for me) and get accurate square cuts efficiently. I’m an engineer but a beginner carpenter, so I apologize if I’m missing the basics.

36 replies so far

View ajosephg's profile

1870 posts in 2528 days

#1 posted 01-02-2013 08:27 PM

On the rare occasions I need to break down an full sheet of plywood I lay it on 3 or 4 2×4 studs laid on saw horses. Then I clamp an aluminum rip guide to the plywood and cut it with a circular saw. I cut it oversized so I can adjust the final dimensions on the table saw.

I’ve never done it, but I know guys that lay a 4×8 sheet of foam insulation on the floor beneath the plywood to be broken down. This seems to be a better way because you don’t have to deal with lifting the plywood and getting the 2×4’s placed just right so the plywood doesn’t bend, etc.

-- Joe

View teejk's profile

1215 posts in 1651 days

#2 posted 01-02-2013 08:50 PM

I personally can’t handle 1/2” or larger sheets on my TS…not the least of my issues is the “off” switch is 6’ away…but I can’t justify a panel cutter either.

do you have the room for a permanent 4×8 table (I did and I use it all the time for layout, assembly, layout, “junk”)? If so then use that for big panel breakdowns (a minimum of 4 1” stickers” to support the cuts with a circ saw set to not cut into the table top). I have short arms and can’t complete a cut across a 4” span so I shut it down and finish from the back side in a “pull operation”.

remember “good side” down for circ saw cuts. and as noted above, cut a bit wide and get your finished dimensions once the panels are managable.

View UKCat's profile

82 posts in 1034 days

#3 posted 01-02-2013 08:51 PM

ClimbOn, if you type in “panel cutting jig” into lumberjocks search you will see a great article by Dadoo. It is made out of 2×2s and is easy to make. I built one yesterday and I think it will come in very handy for cutting sheet goods.

View brtech's profile

768 posts in 1889 days

#4 posted 01-02-2013 08:54 PM

I use the foam on the floor with a cheapo circular saw. It works great. You set the saw to cut a 1/4” into the foam. You get a decently clean cut on the sheet goods, and its safe, supports the workpiece and the cutoff, and it’s quick and easy to set up.

If I don’t need 1/16” or better accuracy, a decent aluminum straight edge and a Diablo blade on the cir saw does a fine job, otherwise I cut 1/2” oversize and clean up on my TS.

A small hint = cut the foam down an inch or two on length + width. That let’s you clamp the edge guide much easier than if the foam goes up right to the edge of the work.

View Loren's profile

7967 posts in 2615 days

#5 posted 01-02-2013 08:56 PM

This is a good way to do it. Not cheap but nowhere near
the price you’d pay for Festool. Works well and expandable:

EZ tracksaw boxing day special

View mdawson2's profile

35 posts in 939 days

#6 posted 01-02-2013 09:01 PM

I don’t have the space for a permanent table so I needed something portable and easy to set up. I found a guy on Youtube that has some pretty nice designs for a workbench, a cross cut jig for it, and some other items. He builds houses so it travels from job site to job site. His videos have enough detail in them that you may not even have to purchase the plans. He uses Festool but the designs can work with any tools, may just need some slight modification.

View MrRon's profile

3342 posts in 2210 days

#7 posted 01-02-2013 09:03 PM

I think most everyone uses one of the methods noted in the other replies. 4×8 sheets are much too heavy and awkward to man handle on a table saw. I always cut panels down to manageable sizes before going to the table saw for the finish cut.

View SCOTSMAN's profile

5773 posts in 2552 days

#8 posted 01-02-2013 09:10 PM

I agree that without a large table benchsaw with big,deep rip capacity preferably with a sliding table, then the answer is to cut it on tressles or a bench overhang with clamps using a circular saw to get to size.Watch out this is not easily done single handed especially working with big eight by four or even ten foot by four etc,but that is the best way.Measure out from your circular saw to find the edge of the blade to the edge of the saw and use a piece of straight material as a temporary fence.This can result in very accurate cutting. Have safe fun. Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

View DrDirt's profile

3262 posts in 2709 days

#9 posted 01-02-2013 09:13 PM

+1 foam on the floor. Never have to worry about the offcut drooping, or buggering a corner, and you only have to lift the “light” pieces you have cut.

-- “The kind of man who wants the government to adopt and enforce his ideas is always the kind of man whose ideas are idiotic.” ― H.L. Mencken, Minority Report

View Dan Lyke's profile

Dan Lyke

1502 posts in 3092 days

#10 posted 01-02-2013 09:18 PM

I’m a Festool guy, but I’ll second Loren’s suggestion that you look a the EZ track system, or just take some masonite and your circular saw, build your own track system, and clean up the edge with a router.

-- Dan Lyke, Petaluma California,

View pintodeluxe's profile

3986 posts in 1780 days

#11 posted 01-02-2013 09:24 PM

I use Joe’s method for breaking down plywood sheets. If I need to make a rip cut, I use a shop made jig made from a 10’ long mdf 1×6 and some 1/4” plywood. For crosscuts I use an Emmerson clamp and guide.
Then off to the tablesaw, where an outfeed table is critical.

-- Willie, Washington "If You Choose Not To Decide, You Still Have Made a Choice" - Rush

View Vincent Nocito's profile

Vincent Nocito

458 posts in 2331 days

#12 posted 01-02-2013 09:25 PM

I usually use the 2×4 under the plywood approach. For crosscutting, I use a 50” straightedge clamp and a circular saw with a cutting plywood blade. For rip cuts, I have an 8 foot striaghtedge clamp which I want to replace. I am considering the Kreg® Rip-Cut Circular Saw Guide KMA 2675 (available from Rockler stock #47494). It retails for about $35 and will rip from 1/8” to 24”.

View Cole Tallerman's profile

Cole Tallerman

392 posts in 1152 days

#13 posted 01-02-2013 11:00 PM

The new grizzly track saw!

Comes with the saw with a riving knife and the track

View sixstring's profile

296 posts in 1210 days

#14 posted 01-02-2013 11:30 PM

If I dont break it down using the circular saw and straightedge method…. I have the guys at the lumber yard cut them down or in half or whatever I need. They get this done either for free or about $2 a cut depending… Generally though, it’s so I can fit the material in my truck for transport.

-- JC Garcia, Concord, CA : "It's easier to ask forgiveness than permission..."

View PurpLev's profile

8482 posts in 2615 days

#15 posted 01-02-2013 11:38 PM

I either cut it down on a 3/4” thick MDF panel on the floor (or foam) with a straight edge, or I have the folks at the lumberyard cut it down to some degree to pieces that I can manage on the table saw later on.

-- ㊍ When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

showing 1 through 15 of 36 replies

Have your say...

You must be signed in to reply.

DISCLAIMER: Any posts on LJ are posted by individuals acting in their own right and do not necessarily reflect the views of LJ. LJ will not be held liable for the actions of any user.

Latest Projects | Latest Blog Entries | Latest Forum Topics


text:
LyricWiki:Page Names

Redirected from LyricWiki:Page names

1,754,751pages on
this wiki

The purpose of this policy is to have pagenames that are as uniform as possible. LyricWikia is a site that has songs, artists, and users from many different nations, which have rules for capitalization that may vary. (At times, the Artist may creatively change capitalization as well.) By breaking the capitalization rules of every nation, it is hoped that the creation of multiple variations of a page will be minimized. This way, the site won't have one group of editors working on one variation, while another group works on another and work can be more collaborative. Also, because LyricWikia is incorporated into other projects, a uniform method of creating pagenames is also necessary for coding purposes.

Example Titles

All words, regardless of whether the artist capitalize that letter or the language's grammar says it should be lower case, must have their initial letter capitalized.
  • ABBA, instead of Abba
The artist's name in this example is kept all in capitals, because that is the closest to the original's format as per the Swedish and English Wikipedias.
  • K.d. Lang instead of k.d. lang or K.D. Lang
In this example, the K and L are capitalized for LyricWikia's purposes, but the remainder of the artist's name remains in its official format. So, if an album was named OdDly CaPiTaLIzeD, the name should be capitalized exactly as shown, not changed to Oddly Capitalized.
If an album lists a song as being in all capitals, it is often the case that it shouldn't be placed under a page name with all capitals, although exceptions are likely to exist. This is very common with Japanese artists (such as Abingdon Boys School) who will use all capitals for those songs with English titles, such as with the example. The page name should follow the normal initial letter capitalization, followed by the capitalization that the word would normally have. (So MCDONALDS should be McDonalds, for example.) The display portion of the link, however, can follow the capitalization used on the album. (Example: # '''[[Abingdon Boys School:Strength.|STRENGTH.]]''' would display as STRENGTH., although it links to the correct page name.)
E and A in the above example are still initial letters of their respective words, even though those words now form part of contractions and are not preceded by whitespace.

Names Beginning With An Article

Articles such that would normally follow a name in an index (A, An, and The) should remain at the beginning of the artist's name.

Punctuation And Symbols

In this example, the quotation marks are used because this is the punctuation that the artist officially uses (following the official artist website).
Words should not be substituted with their equivalent symbols if the word is an official part of the name (& for And, @ for At, etc.).
Symbols should also not be substituted with their word-equivalent if the symbol is an official part of the name. (A few exceptions exist, see Technical Restrictions below for more information.)
Stylized artist names should be kept where possible.
Keep apostrophes in contractions such as, ain't, don't, can't, won't, etc. (unless the official spelling of the artist/album/song omits them as well).

Non-Latin Character Sets

For Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and other languages written in non-latin based scripts, artist names should have the romanized version of the name added in parenthesis (with given name first and family name last), with a single space between the native name and the opening parenthesis.
The album and song parts of page names should use only the title written in the native script, with no romanized version of the title added. The romanized version and the translation of the title can be provided by adding the {{TransTitle}} template to the top of the page.

Stage Name Vs. Real Name

Artist names should be the popular ones, those the artists refer to themselves on album covers or the official websites.

Common Misspellings/Incorrect Tagging

  • When you think that an artist or band will be searched for under a technically incorrect name, (ELO or E.L.O. instead of Electric Light Orchestra, for example) you may create a redirect to point to the correct name. A redirect is created by adding #REDIRECT [[Correct Artist Name]] to a blank page.
  • When you find an artist page to be under an incorrect name, you may move it by using the Move tab at the top of the page.
    • If the artist page contains subpages (such as album and/or song pages) please do not move it yourself: this would be a lot of work since all subpages would have to be moved manually and would likely break a lot of links. Instead, add {{move|to=Correct page name|reason=Reason for moving}} to the page source by using the Edit tab at the top.
  • These same conventions hold for Album and Song names.

Artist Pages

On occasion, there will be more than one artist with the same name. Whichever artist has the most of LW-relevant releases listed on Kingnee - Musicbrainz MusicBrainz should keep the primary location, with no parenthetical add-on used. If you are not sure about this, please contact an administrator.

For all other artists add a distinguishing notation to the page title in parentheses. Use the following:
  • The 2-letter country ISO codes Wikipedia16, e.g. (AR) for Argentina, (SE) for Sweden. For the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland always use (UK).
  • For multiple artists from the same country add the code for the principal subdivision (state or province) with a hyphen, e.g. (US-CA) for California. The same goes for all countries, respectively.
  • Use the primary genre for artists from the same country and state, e.g. (US-CA Rap) or (US-CA Metal) – as brief as possible.

NOTE: This only applies to the artist page, not the artist's albums and songs, which should keep the unchanged artist name as prefix. For details see the homonymous artists help page.

A {{WrongPage}} template should be placed at the top of all similarly-named Artist pages with a link to the disambiguation page.

Album Pages

Album pages should be named as follows: Artist:Album (release). For example: Green Day:American Idiot (2004). Notice that a space should be placed in between the album's title and the release year inside the parentheses.

Adding the release year should always be done, but is especially important when the album contains a song by the same name, for example: The Corrs:Forgiven, Not Forgotten (1996) (album page) vs. The Corrs:Forgiven Not Forgotten (song page). If the release year is unknown, four question marks should be substituted for the year: (????).

On a rare occasion, an additional parenthetical notation such as (EP) or (Demo) may be necessary to differentiate between two albums. For this to be necessary, the two albums must have the same name and have been released in the same year. This is mostly due to an identically-titled demo album or EP being released in the same year as a full-sized album release. An add-on should not be used, however, for releases from different countries. Any album differences due to various regional releases, deluxe editions, or limited editions are best noted on the regular album page.

Song Pages

Song pages should be named in the same way: Artist:Song.

  • Added song notations (such as featured artists, live performances, bonus tracks, hidden tracks, etc.) that are not part of the song's title should be left off of the song's name whenever possible, and added parenthetically after the link.
EXAMPLE: Fergie:Fergalicious (featuring instead of Fergie:Fergalicious (Featuring
  • A song may use an added notation to distinguish a version that has different lyrics from the original.
EXAMPLE: Fergie:Fergalicious (Radio Edit) and the original Fergie:Fergalicious

Technical Restrictions

If a page name would contain a character that is impossible to use due to technical restrictions (for example, a # symbol) replace it by a suitable equivalent (whatever the symbol represents when the item would be said aloud) and use the {{WrongTitle}} template (or a more specific wrong-title template).

Full List of Restrictions

  1. # should be "Number " (notice the space at the end) or " Sharp" (however, in the case with albums or songs that start with a Twitter hashtag, the number part should be removed completely since it doesn't refer to a number in this case)
  2. < should be "Less Than"
  3. > should be "Greater Than"
  4. [ and ] (square brackets) should be ( and )
  5. { and } (curly brackets) should be ( and )
  6. » and « (double guillemets) should both be "
  7. | (pipe) and ¦ (broken pipe) should both be /
  8. (pilcrow) should be P
  9. \n (the actual sequence backslash-n, not the newline character) should be /n
  10. : and / are only problematic as first character of the page name and should be omitted only in those cases

Around Wikia's network

Random Wiki


text:
Coconut Cream Pie IV

Coconut Cream Pie IV

"Creamy and delicious coconut flavored pie. A serious contender for the 'Best Pie in the Universe' title."

servings 368 cals
Serving size has been adjusted!

Original recipe yields 8 servings

  • Calories:
  • 368 kcal
  • 18%
  • Fat:
  • 16.1 g
  • 25%
  • Carbs:
  • 50.5g
  • 16%
  • Protein:
  • 6.1 g
  • 12%
  • Cholesterol:
  • 89 mg
  • 30%
  • Sodium:
  • 291 mg
  • 12%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

On Sale

What's on sale near you.

  1. Combine 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch, salt and milk in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until thick and bubbly. Continue to boil for one minute. Remove from heat.
  2. In a medium bowl, beat the 3 egg yolks. Gradually stir in 1/4 of the hot mixture into yolks. Pour yolks back into remaining hot mixture stirring constantly. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Remove from heat and add butter, vanilla and coconut. Pour into baked pie shell. Cool in refrigerator.
  3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C)
  4. In a medium glass or metal bowl, beat egg whites until frothy. Slowly add 6 tablespoons sugar while continuing to beat until whites form stiff peaks. Spread meringue over pie, sealing to the edges and sprinkle with coconut.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven until meringue is toasted, 10 to 15 minutes.
  • profile image

Your rating

  1. 120 Ratings

This pie was awesome. For those who had trouble with it setting up, you MUST bring cream pies to a full bubbling boil. This one said for 1 minute and, after adding yolks, cook 30 seconds longe...

We have been searching the country over for a good coconut pie recipe to use in our restaurant. My husband is VERY picky.... After many mishaps, we stumbled across this one. It has come out p...

I have several diabetics in my family, so I have made this recipie with Spenda* Sweetener. It gets rave reviews. (The last time my relatives were in, they ate the leftover pie for breakfast.) ...


text:
Restaurant Style Beef and Broccoli

Restaurant Style Beef and Broccoli

Dianne 711

"This is my go-to recipe when I want Chinese food without having to go out. Very easy and delicious. Substituting chicken for the beef works great too. Serve over rice."

1 h servings 331 cals
Serving size has been adjusted!

Original recipe yields 4 servings

  • Calories:
  • 331 kcal
  • 17%
  • Fat:
  • 21.1 g
  • 32%
  • Carbs:
  • 13.3g
  • 4%
  • Protein:
  • 21.7 g
  • 43%
  • Cholesterol:
  • 52 mg
  • 17%
  • Sodium:
  • 419 mg
  • 17%

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet

On Sale

What's on sale near you.

  • Prep

  • Cook

  • Ready In

  1. Whisk together the oyster sauce, sesame oil, sherry, soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Place the steak pieces into a shallow bowl, pour the oyster sauce mixture over the meat, stir to coat well, and marinate for at least 30 minutes in refrigerator.
  2. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, and stir in the ginger and garlic. Let them sizzle in the hot oil for about 1 minute to flavor the oil, then remove and discard. Stir in the broccoli, and toss and stir in the hot oil until bright green and almost tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the broccoli from the wok, and set aside.
  3. Pour a little more oil into the wok, if needed, and stir and toss the beef with the marinade until the sauce forms a glaze on the beef, and the meat is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Return the cooked broccoli to the wok, and stir until the meat and broccoli are heated through, about 3 minutes.

  • Tip
  • Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.
  • profile image

Your rating

  1. 542 Ratings

Familiar with Chinese cooking, I recognized this as a classic blend of seasonings and ingredients as well as an accurate cooking method. Therefore, I prepared this exactly as written - and it wa...

This is delicious, I made one change because I have a friend who worked in a Chinese restaurant for years and she told me the secret to always tender beef even using tough cuts of meat is to cut...

OK... if you don't like people who don't follow the recipe, yet review it anyway - then don't read any further! I followed the cooking instructions, but I didn't have some of the ingredients, ...


text:
Study: soda swap leads to weight loss

Published On: Feb 13 2012 03:52:31 PM EST

Swapping a soda for water or diet cola can help dieters lose up five pounds.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill studied more than three hundred overweight adults. They were assigned to one of three groups:  the first group switched calorie-filled drinks for water, the second for diet soft drinks and the third group had no counseling at all.

The study found the participants who drank water or diet soda were twice as likely to lose five percent of their body weight.

There were some differences between the diet soda a water groups.  Soda drinkers who like the taste of sweet drinks or carbonation were more likely to stick with the diet soda switch, while those who switched to water had lower blood sugar levels.

The study was funded by Nestle Waters, USA, but they had no involvement in the study's design or review.

The views expressed below are not those of Click On Detroit, WDIV, or its affiliated companies. By clicking on "Post," you acknowledge that you have read the Terms of Service and your comment is in compliance with such terms. Readers, please help keep this discussion respectful and on topic by flagging comments that are offensive or inappropriate (hover over the commenter's name and you'll see the flag option appear on right side of that line). And remember, respect goes both ways: Tolerance of others' opinions is important in a free discourse. If you're easily offended by strong opinions, you might skip reading comments entirely.

blog comments powered by Disqus


text:
Share this story
Close X
Switch to Desktop Site

Books by E.L. James, Sylvia Day are most often left behind at Travelodge hotels

(Read article summary)
View video

(Read caption) 'Fifty Shades Freed' and 'Bared to You' topped Travelodge's list of the novels customers abandon most often at their locations.

View photo

About these ads

It turns out those who stay at the hotel chain Travelodge may want to know how the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogy turns out but don’t need to keep the books for a reread.

Travelodge recently compiled its annual list of the 20 books that are left at their hotels most often, according to the Guardian, and James’ “Fifty Shades Freed,” the third book in her romance series, was the novel that was left at the hotels most often by guests. The hotel company estimated more than a thousand copies of the book were left at their locations.

The erotic novel “Bared to You” by Sylvia Day came in second, while Jennifer Probst’s romance novel “The Wedding Bargain” (sense a theme?) took third place. The popular thriller “Gone Girl” by Gillian Flynn was fourth and J.K. Rowling’s satire “The Casual Vacancy” was the fifth-most-left book.

James and Day both appear on the list multiple times, with “Fifty Shades of Grey” by James coming in at sixth and Day’s “Reflected in You” scoring seventh place. In addition, Day’s “Entwined with You” has ninth place and James’ “Fifty Shades of Darker” has tenth.

Probst also appears frequently, with her novel “The Marriage Trap” taking twelfth place and “The Marriage Mistake” coming in at sixteenth.

For reasons that customers left their books at the hotels, Travelodge says the most popular is the charitable “finished reading it and left it for others,” while the second most popular comes from absentminded customers: “genuinely lost or forgot it.”

Follow Stories Like This
Get the Monitor stories you care about delivered to your inbox.


text:
Share this story
Close X
Switch to Desktop Site

Ben Bernanke is no magician

(Read article summary)
View video

bm6/ZUMA Press/Newscom/File

(Read caption) Yang Yang, a 17 year-old Chinese magician from from Beijing, performs in the International Brotherhood of Magicians Gold Medal Finalist Show at the historic Balboa Theater in San Diego, Calif., in this file photo. Does Ben Bernanke have the power to magically lower mortgage and corporate bond rates with quantitative easing?

View photo

About these ads

Three months ago, Ben Bernanke promised lower mortgage rates and lower corporate bond rates.

He promised.

Quantitative Easing – i.e. the Fed’s scheme to print money and buy bonds – would deliver these benefits, Bernanke promised in a November 4, 2010, op-ed piece for The Washington Post. “Easier financial conditions will promote economic growth,” the Chairman declared. “For example, lower mortgage rates will make housing more affordable, and allow more homeowners to refinance. Lower corporate bond rates will encourage investment. And higher stock prices will boost consumer wealth and help increase confidence…”

But the Chairman was wrong. Three months after issuing his promise, interest rates are rising steeply, which is causing mortgage rates to rise as well. Quantitative Easing is not magic. It is a shell game that is producing predictably inflationary results.

The prices of stocks and commodities are soaring, while the prices of long-dated bonds are tanking (which means bond yields are soaring). This is “Inflation 101,” folks. Nevertheless, Bernanke credits QE2 for all things good.

“The Chairman reviewed his Quantitative Easing, Second Inning (QE2) at the National Press Club on Thursday, February 3, 2011,” writes financial market observer, Fred Sheehan. “His conclusion: ‘The economic recovery that began in the middle of 2009 appears to have strengthened in recent months… A wide range of market indicators supports the view that the Federal Reserve’s securities purchases have been effective at easing financial conditions. For example, equity prices have risen significantly, volatility in the equity market has fallen, corporate bond spreads have narrowed… Yields on 5- to 10-year Treasury securities initially declined markedly as markets priced in prospective Fed purchases; these yields subsequently rose, however, as investors became more optimistic about economic growth…”

As to bond yields, Bernanke’s assessment of his handiwork seems a bit disingenuous. While true that “yields…initially declined,” it is also true – and more to the point – that yields subsequently soared. Therefore, to claim success because yields “initially declined” would be a bit like declaring the Titanic’s maiden voyage a success because the ship initially floated.

“The yield on 10-year Treasury bonds has jumped from 2.48% on November 4, 2010, to 3.65%,” Sheehan points out. “That’s a 47% boost, during the period in which the Federal Reserve bought approximately $200 billion of Treasury bonds to reduce mortgage rates… Accordingly, since November 4, 2010, Freddie Mac 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rates have risen from $4.10% to 4.81%. Housing – which accounted for 40% of new jobs during the ersatz-boom – is sinking, partially due to the higher rates since Bernanke’s November 4, 2010, manifesto.”

Elsewhere in Washington, the Executive and Legislative branches of our democracy are busy making Bernanke’s job even more hopeless. Enormous deficits are extending far, far toward the horizon, like amber waves of grain. As our colleagues at The 5-Minute Forecast observed earlier today, “The White House has given up any pretense: Its latest forecast for the fiscal 2011 deficit is now $1.65 trillion – which would set a record. And at 11.3% of GDP, the deficit’s share of the overall economy would be the highest since World War II.

About these ads

“Today the Administration unveils a plan to cut $1.1 trillion from the budget…over the next 10 years. These 10-year projections, no matter which political party trots them out, are always a ruse to distract you from the fact that ‘budget cuts’ never seem to be ‘deficit cuts.’ If you want to talk about the next 10 years, here’s the only number that matters: Under the White House plan, the official national debt would grow by 50% over the next decade, to $21 trillion.”

Hmmm… Since it might be a little tricky to borrow all of those dollars, we may have to print a few extras for ourselves.

Add/view comments on this post.

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here. To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on the link above.

Follow Stories Like This
Get the Monitor stories you care about delivered to your inbox.


text:
View new IOLmobile

Fox apologises for Lohan remarks

London - Megan Fox has apologised to Lindsay Lohan.

The 26-year-old 'Jennifer's Body' star insists she didn't mean to "criticise or degrade" Lindsay by drawing comparisons between her former idol Marilyn Monroe and the 'Liz & Dick' actress in a recent interview, in which she said she was no longer interested in following in the footsteps of the 'Some Like It Hot' star because her life was "negative" and she was "unreliable".

Comparing the actresses, she told Esquire magazine: "I started reading about her and realised that her life was incredibly difficult. It's like when you visualise something for your future. I didn't want to visualise something so negative.

"She wasn't powerful at the time. She was sort of like Lindsay. She was an actress who wasn't reliable, who almost wasn't insurable...She had all the potential in the world, and it was squandered. I'm not interested in following those footsteps."

The new mum - who gave birth to her first son Noah with husband Brian Austin Green in September - has now attempted to clarify her comments and insisted she thinks Lindsay is "gifted".

Writing on her Facebook page on Tuesday (15.01.13), she said: "I attempted to draw parallels between Lindsay and Marilyn in order to illustrate my point that while Marilyn may be an icon now, sadly she was not respected and taken seriously while she was still living.

"Both women were gifted actresses, whose natural talent was lost amongst the chaos and incessant media scrutiny surrounding their lifestyles and their difficulties adhering to studio schedules etc.

"I intended for this to be a factual comparison of two women with similar experiences in Hollywood. Unfortunately it turned into me offering up what is really much more of an uneducated opinion.

"It was most definitely not my intention to criticise or degrade Lindsay. I would never want her to feel bullied, as she does not deserve that.

I was not always speaking eloquently during this interview and this miscommunication is my fault." - Bang Showbiz

To the top

©Independent Online   Terms |  Feedback


text:
Chimney Sweep Costume (AND BROOM) (ref: 75822) £29.99

Retail Price: £35.99 You save: £6.00 (17%)
Share using

This product is on order and we are awaiting a delivery date

Enter your email address below and we will let you know when it's in stock.

Our Chimney Sweep Costume is so impressive it will have you dancing on the rooftops. A highlight of this super(califragilisticexpialidocious) outfit is the the fantastic chimney brush accessory.

Costume includes:

  • Shirt
  • Trousers
  • Jacket
  • Neck Scarf
  • Hat
  • Broom

This Chimney Sweep Costume begins with a light brown under shirt with long sleeves and Velcro fastening to the front and cuffs. This is teamed with an accompanying black over jacket with large lapel detail and Velcro fastening. Worn around the neck is a separate long maroon scarf.

A pair of darker brown trousers are included and offer a half elasticated waist to ensure a comfortable fit. The outfit also features a flat-cap style black cap.

Possibly one of the most impressive aspects of this costume is the chimney sweeping brush. With a long straight handle and flared bristles this is the perfect finishing touch to your new Chimney Sweep alter ego.

Sizes for this costume are:

  • Standard:
    • Chest: Up to 41"
    • Waist: Up to 36.5"
    • Inside Leg: 32"
  • Extra Large:
    • Chest: Up to 47"
    • Waist: Up to 44"
    • Inside Leg: 34"
  • Material: 100% Polyester
  • Packaging: Resealable PVC Bag & Header Card
  • Product Suitability: Adult Specific Item - All Ages Over 15 Years
  • Washing Instructions: Dry Clean Only

No reviews are available for this product.


text:
UC Davis neurosurgeon takes leave amid scandal

Published On: Dec 07 2012 08:12:06 AM PST
UC Davis

KCRA file photo

DAVIS, Calif. -

A California university medical school neurosurgeon at the center of a scandal over experiments on dying brain cancer patients has taken a leave of absence.
The University of California, Davis, says Dr. J. Paul Muizelaar was taking his leave effective Thursday.
The Sacramento Bee says a statement from medical center chief Anne Madden Rice adds the leave will continue pending a review of four new malpractice claims involving Muizelaar.
The university last year banned Muizelaar and Dr. Rudolph J. Schrot from any research involving human subjects.
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Joint Commission, which accredits hospitals, are investigating.
The university was warned last month that serious deficiencies were uncovered and the hospital's Medicare funding was in jeopardy unless it comes into full compliance.

The views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use.
blog comments powered by Disqus


text:
Police: Parents, schools should monitor student social media pages

Published On: Jan 15 2014 09:29:39 PM CST   Updated On: Jan 16 2014 04:52:41 AM CST

A Kansas teenager faces four felony charges after police said he tried to hire someone to kill four people at Topeka West High School.

Brendan Moore, 17, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of what the Shawnee County District Attorney calls a "planned school shooting" targeting two police officers and two administrators.

A growing way for schools to monitor potential criminal activities among students is to keep an eye on social media pages. Schools can find out information about things ranging from underage drinking parties to the most serious violent crimes.

"We have to do everything we can to try to intercept those threats," said Overland Park Police Chief John Douglass. "Now that doesn't give us an open license to step on people's rights, but it does give us the impetus to stay within the framework to the extent we're allowed."

Douglass has announced his retirement and will take new job with the Shawnee Mission School District to focus on security issues.

He said parents should also take an active role in knowing about their child's online activities.

"If they're not 18 years old and relative adults, (parents) should be able to check their Facebook account. They should be able to check their Twitter account, and check what's on their cellphones, because a lot of times, a lot of damage is done because parents are afraid to check," said Douglass.

"I think really, until the children are 18 or of age, the parents have every right to see what they're doing online," said grandparent Martin Gomez. "I don't see that as any type of invasion of privacy at all."

Douglass said the school shooting in New Mexico on Tuesday should be an example of how important it is to know what's happening in the child's online life.

"Ask the parents of the two children who were shot whether they want us to know that information, or whether that should be strictly off-bounds, and I think you'll get a very straightforward answer," Douglass said.

KMBC 9's Diane Cho spoke to parents who said they're not afraid of monitoring their child's social media behavior, but they are concerned that the child will stay a step ahead of them.

The views expressed are not those of this site, this station or its affiliated companies. By posting your comments you agree to accept our terms of use.
blog comments powered by Disqus


text:
60° F

Iron Dog Sees Late Shakeup as Teams Reach Tanana

Published On: Feb 21 2014 05:30:02 PM AKST
Iron Dog Sees Late Shakeup as Teams Reach Tanana

The top teams in the 2014 Iron Dog snowmachine race have shifted as drivers began to reach Tanana Friday, with about 90 minutes separating first from fifth before the Saturday finish in Fairbanks.

As of 5 p.m. Friday, race standings show Team 16’s Todd Minnick and Nick Olstad leading the way into Tanana at 2:25 p.m., followed by Team 17’s Marc McKenna and Dusty VanMeter at 2:47 p.m. and Team 10’s Mike Morgan and Chris Olds at 3:23 p.m. Team 23’s Brian Dick and Eric Quam made it in at 3:56 p.m., while Team 6 riders Andy George and Brad George the latest team to reach Tanana at 3:58 p.m.

Team 10 has been the lead team for much of this year’s race, but Morgan and Olds were forced to spend a 10-hour break in Galena for repairs Friday. One of their sleds wore a track out in poor trail conditions, necessitating repairs that could swing the race.

The race’s eleventh and twelfth scratches came Friday morning, with Team 18’s Chad Gueco and Andrew Zwink leaving the trail after departing Unalakleet, while Team 12’s Roger Paradise and Andrew Watson scratched in Galena.

Channel 2 will air the finish of the race in Fairbanks live when it occurs Saturday. Watch for notices on regarding when the finish will be aired.

Channel 2’s Kari Bustamante contributed information to this story.


text:
Wichita Police Crime Sheets: Friday, March 7

Published On: Nov 04 2013 12:00:00 AM CST   Updated On: Mar 07 2014 10:07:21 AM CST
Mom tries to run over bf

Each day, we comb through pages upon pages of crime reports from the Wichita Police Department.  Below is a quick glance at some bits and pieces from those sheets.

These reports are designed to give you an idea of what residents and police are dealing with around town.

You can read all of the sheets by going here: WPD Media Reports (click on the "Media Reports" tab)

The ol’ switcheroo…
11:29 am
A 29/m who works for a business in the 600 block of S. Dugan says someone came into the store and tried on some shoes. The guy then left wearing the new shoes, leaving behind his old shoes. The business has surveillance video of the incident.

Rambunctious customer…
12:12 pm
A 24/f, an employee of a business in the 800 block of E. Douglas, says a customer came into the business and got drunk. The customer was being loud and using profanities. The person left. Police found the customer a short distance away. At that point, police say the person became aggressive and suicidal. At one point, officers tazed the person, who was taken to the hospital for an evaluation.

School employee battered…
12:55 pm
A 45/m who works for a school at W. May and Dodge says a student kicked him in the shin. He was not seriously hurt. The incident was witnessed by two other people. The student was arrested for battery of a school employee and booked into juvie.

Threatening calls…
3:38 pm
A 46/m says he’s received several calls from someone over the past six months. When he told the caller he isn’t interested in the service (the type of service is not listed in the report), the caller cusses at him and threatens him and his family. During the latest call, the caller told him he knows where he lives and he was going to blow up his house.

Second thoughts?
3:45 pm
A 24/f who works for a business in the 3600 block of N. Maize says someone came into the store and stole property. He concealed the merchandise in his pocket and left the store. The woman tried to stop him after he left, but he ran away and threw the stolen property into a ditch. The property was recovered.

Down the pants…
3:55 pm
A 29/m, who is a loss-prevention officer for a store in the 600 block of N. West, says he observed someone taking groceries and stuffing them down his pants. When the officer confronted him, he pushed him. Police were able to arrest the man. The property was recovered (though, the report does not state whether it was put back on the shelf). He had been convicted twice before of shoplifting.

You gotta do what you gotta do...
4:32 pm
A 23/f called police after someone knocked on her door in the 2200 block of S. Main. The person who knocked told her “Tell your husband he needs to do what he needs to do” and “He will know what I’m talking about…” The woman says she told her husband...he didn’t know who the person was or what he was talking about.

Home alone…burglarized…
5:56 pm
An officer reports a 30/f left her son (whose age is not listed) home alone. While the boy was home alone, someone else burglarized the home. The boy, who was not hurt, was taken into protective custody.

6:19 pm
A 66/m called police and said his son was high on drugs. He says his son asked him for a gun so he can protect himself from the drug cartel. No one was hurt.

Gun threats…
9:44 pm
A man reports his son threatening to kill him and another person in the 10900 block of W. Harvest. When police got to the scene, the son (whose age is not listed) brandished his weapon at three officers. He was arrested for three counts of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, unlawful possession of illegal weapons and intimidation. No one was hurt.


text:
Final landscape and design for Gratigny Park unveiled

Published On: Aug 02 2012 06:36:25 PM EDT   Updated On: Aug 03 2012 04:42:00 PM EDT

The final landscape and design is unveiled.

The views expressed are not those of this company or its affiliated companies. Please note by clicking on "Post" you acknowledge that you have read the Terms Of Service and the comment you are posting is in compliance with such terms.
blog comments powered by Disqus


text:
Orioles bring back Pearce to bolster depth

Orioles bring back Pearce to bolster depth

BALTIMORE -- Outfielder Steve Pearce signed a Major League contract with the Orioles just a week after the team designated him for assignment.

The move also came just hours after the Orioles claimed him on unconditional release waivers, but he opted for free agency instead of accepting the claim. Pearce has struggled to get playing time this season because of the club's depth in the outfield.

However, O's manager Buck Showalter values the depth Pearce provides for the outfield, especially with Nick Markakis taking over first-base duties with Chris Davis on the 15-day disabled list. If the Orioles activate Manny Machado prior to Wednesday's game against the Pirates, they will have to make another move with their 25-man roster because of the Pearce signing.

Given that the Orioles had less than 25 players on their active roster Tuesday, they were able to work out a deal with Pearce and avoid the 30-day waiting period. In that scenario, they had to work out a deal within the next 24 hours as Tuesday's rainout bought them an extra day of having Machado on the disabled list.

Pearce, 31, has gone 1-for-7 in three games with the Orioles this season.

Brittany Ghiroli is a reporter for MLB.com. Read her blog, Britt's Bird Watch, and follow her on Facebook and Twitter @britt_ghiroli. Todd Karpovich is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.


text:
Italy // Emilia-Romagna //

Some 35km west of Parma is the beautiful CASTELL’ARQUATO, a nicely restored medieval town set on a hillside overlooking the Arda valley. At the top of the town is Piazza del Municipio, lined with some stunning buildings. The thirteenth-century Palazzo del Podestà isn’t open to the public, but you can visit the Basilica, a magnificently preserved Romanesque monument with an eighth-century baptismal font in the right-hand apse. The restored tower of the fourteenth-century Rocca Viscontea offers amazing views of the surrounding countryside.

More about Italy

Explore Italy


text:
Royals remain undefeated in spring play

PEORIA, Ariz. -- Typically, Royals manager Ned Yost was not especially overwhelmed that he has the only undefeated team in the Major Leagues. The Royals might be 6-0 with one tie but, after all, these games don't count.

"That's nice," Yost said. "Everybody's healthy, that's why it can't be going any better. We're swinging the bats really well, I love our approach, I love the way our pitchers are attacking the strike zone for the most part and we've played very well defensively. You combine all those things and it's going quite nicely for us."

The undefeated record was in jeopardy on Thursday when the Padres loaded the bases with one out in the ninth as Nate Adcock walked two and hit a batter. But he ended the game by getting Alexi Amarista to ground into a double play, second baseman Chris Getz to first baseman Xavier Nady.

That preserved a 5-4 win, and in the meantime, the previously unbeaten White Sox and Orioles had lost.


text:
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
February 5, 2010

On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I congratulate the people of New Zealand on the 170th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Waitang on February 6. This is an occasion that brings together all New Zealanders -- both Maori and those who arrived in later generations -- and an opportunity to honor your rich history and reaffirm the hopes we all share for a brighter future. New Zealand’s success in bringing together people from different backgrounds and beliefs serves as a model to nations around the globe. And the partnership between our two nations is a basis of peace and prosperity in the Pacific and beyond. We in the United States offer our best wishes to our good friends the Kiwis as you celebrate this historic day.

PRN: 2010/152

[This is a mobile copy of New Zealand Waitangi Day]

Short URL:


text:
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
December 11, 2012

United Nations, New York

The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) held its Thirteenth Plenary Session at the UN Headquarters in New York on December 11, 2012 under the Chairmanship of India and agreed to the following conclusions:

Need for continued international counter-piracy efforts despite recent gains

1. The CGPCS noted that close international coordination and cooperation continue to be of central importance to effectively combating piracy off the coast of Somalia and in the wider Indian Ocean. It welcomed significant developments in counter-piracy efforts by the international community since the Twelfth CGPCS Plenary Session in July 2012.

2. It noted that while a welcome and marked reduction has been seen in the number of attacks and hijackings in 2012 as compared to the previous four years, the underlying causes of piracy remain in place and pirate action groups remain active, meaning that the current decline in piracy attacks is inherently reversible.

3. It noted that the current trends present an opportunity for the international community to step up efforts to bear down further on piracy, those behind piracy, and the causes of piracy and other forms of instability affecting Somalia and its people. It also noted the need for States to respect applicable international law related to countering piracy in international waters.

4. It took note of the adoption of United Nations (UN) Security Council Resolution 2077 (2012) renewing for a further period of twelve months the authorizations granted to States and regional organizations cooperating with Somali authorities in the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia.

5. It welcomed the Security Council’s Open Debate on Maritime Piracy held on November 19, 2012 under the chairmanship of India and the Presidential Statement issued thereafter which inter alia expressed serious concern at the continuing violence employed by pirates against seafarers and stressed the need for greater cooperation between all stakeholders including States, relevant organizations, and private sector for the prosecution of pirates as well as for the liberation of seafarers from the captivity of pirates.

6. The CGPCS also underlined the primary responsibility of the Somali authorities in the fight against piracy and armed robbery at sea off the coast of Somalia, and noted the continuing counter-piracy activities of the Federal Republic of Somalia and the regional authorities. It noted the Memorandum of Understanding of the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Joint Committee for the Grand Stabilization Plan for South Central Somalia. It called on the international community to move swiftly to support the Somali authorities so that they can finally provide the security and peace dividends that Somalis deserve. It welcomed Somalia’s commitment to combat piracy, as stated in the Program endorsed by its Parliament on November 13, 2012 and called on the Somali authorities to elaborate a maritime security strategy to facilitate close cooperation with the international community to disrupt and counter pirate activity.

7. As emphasized in several UN Security Council resolutions, the CGPCS reiterated the importance of an early declaration of an Exclusive Economic Zone off the coast of Somalia, in accordance with the 1982 UN Convention of the Law of the Sea, which will promote the effective governance of waters off the coast of Somalia.

Support for the victims of piracy

8. The CGPCS strongly condemned the continuing practice of hostage-taking by pirates operating off the coast of Somalia and expressed serious concern at the inhuman conditions hostages face in captivity, the adverse impact on their families, and called for the immediate release of all seafarers being held hostage by Somali pirates.

9. It also called on the concerned flag States, whose ships continue to be held hostage by Somali pirates, to actively engage with concerned ship owners in order to ensure that appropriate attention is paid to the welfare of the seafarers in captivity and for their expeditious release.

10. It drew attention to the extreme case of MV ICEBERG 1 hijacked on March 29, 2010, whose crew members have spent close to 1000 days in the captivity of pirates, emphasizing the need for all the stakeholders, including ship owners, flag State, ship owner State, seafarers’ State, the Government of Somalia, the UN and the industry to work together to find a solution for their early release.

11. It also welcomed the efforts of Working Group (WG) 3 to analyze applicable clauses and implications of existing international conventions, agreements and guidelines to protect the rights of piracy victims. It noted the ongoing discussions in WG 3 on making draft guidelines for assisting victims or potential victims of piracy with a contribution of States, industry, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), among others.

12. The CGPCS appreciated the Hostage Support Programme being jointly implemented by the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) and UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), with funding from the Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, for tracking and monitoring those held hostage by Somali pirates, delivering humanitarian support if possible, and repatriating those abandoned on shore in Somalia.

Operational activities and their coordination

13. The CGPCS underlined the need for present levels of operational activity, coordination and force generation to be maintained in order to bear down further on pirate activity and consolidate recent gains.

14. It welcomed the regular update from the co-chairs of the Shared Awareness and De-Confliction Mechanism (SHADE) on operational naval coordination and encouraged its positive work to continue.

15. It encouraged all CGPCS governments to continue their support of international naval operations in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

16. It underlined again the importance of full adherence to Best Management Practices Version 4 (BMP4) as the first and most effective line of self-protection.

17. The CGPCS noted the adoption by the IMO of revised interim guidance to ship owners, ship operators, and ship masters on the use of Privately Contracted Armed Security Personnel (PCASP) on board ships in the high risk area, as well as the revised interim recommendations for flag States, port States and coastal States regarding the use of PCASP on board ships in the high risk area, and the interim guidelines to private maritime security companies providing PCASP on board ships in the high risk area.

18. The CGPCS encouraged flag States and port States to further consider the development of safety and security measures onboard vessels, including regulations for the deployment of PCASP on board ships, through a consultative process, in close collaboration with the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

19. The CGPCS noted that an Ad Hoc Meeting on PCASP was held with the participation of 24 countries, the IMO, and NATO in Washington D.C. on September 12, 2012, where different viewpoints on issues such as the legality of jurisdiction in cases of incidents related to use of PCASP, use of force by PCASP, standard protocols for PCASP, and the wide variation in coastal States’ laws for transport of arms by PCASP were expressed. The WG 2 Chair subsequently agreed to undertake a full examination of all legal issues relevant to the use of PCASP in order to identify and prioritize – as a matter of urgency – areas of action.

20. It noted the proposed meeting of a sub-group of WG 3 on January 15, 2013 in London which will include interested Member States and representatives of the insurance and maritime industry to further discuss the issue of the review of existing boundaries of the High Risk Area on an objective and transparent basis taking into account actual incidents of piracy.

Regional capability development

21. The CGPCS endorsed the significant work undertaken by WG 1 since the twelfth plenary meeting in revitalizing the support and coordination of regional capability development, in particular a new web-based platform created with the support of Oceans Beyond Piracy, and the Capacity Building Coordination Group (CBCG) to ensure the platform’s ongoing sustainability.

22. It encouraged all participants to continue to share and update information on regional capability needs and activities in the Capacity Building Coordination Platform (CBCP) to maximize transparency among participants of regional capacity-building activities and ensure an up to date picture of regional capability development.

23. It welcomed and noted with appreciation the valuable contribution of Oceans Beyond Piracy in supporting both the development of the CBCP and ensuring the platform's ongoing sustainability.

24. It welcomed the agreement of partners from various UN agencies, the EU, AU, NATO, IOC, IGAD and TRADE to form a CBCG to facilitate coordination of regional capability development by WG 1, and noted the intention to hold two meetings of the CBCG prior to the next WG 1 meeting to maintain the positive momentum already generated.

25. It welcomed the positive progress being made in developing regional maritime security and judicial capabilities, and encouraged all participants to maintain positive support for such endeavors.

26. It called on those implementing regional capacity-building activity to coordinate effectively, to avoid to the maximum extent possible any duplication of efforts, and to address all current issues requiring de-confliction as a matter of urgency.

27. It reiterated the need to ensure sufficient focus on the development of comprehensive support to the Somali government following the end of the transition, in the framework of a Somali-owned strategy, an observation echoed by the pilot meeting of the CBCG, and welcomed the UN’s activities to train prosecutors and judges, notably in Mogadishu and in the region. It noted developing plans for the establishment of maritime security and coastguard capability in Somalia and encouraged swift and coordinated progress in development of such plans.

28. The CGPCS noted a presentation by Greece on the activities of the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Training Center and reiterated its support for this and similar training activities.

Progress on legal issues

29. The CGPCS welcomed the continued efforts of WG 2 to provide legal guidance on all issues related to the fight against piracy, including with a view to ensure the prosecution of suspected pirates in accordance with international standards. Noting that 1179 individuals are currently being prosecuted or have been prosecuted for piracy in 21 countries around the world, it welcomed the progress in the number of prosecutions undertaken against suspected pirates at a national level.

30. The CGPCS encouraged the Somali authorities to pass a complete set of counter-piracy laws without further delay, with a view to ensuring the effective prosecution of suspected pirates and those associated with piracy attacks off the coast of Somalia. It remains strongly committed to supporting them in this endeavor.

31. It welcomed the new publicly accessible the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research (UNICRI) Database on Court Decisions and Related Matters on piracy decisions at the global level, and encouraged States to contribute to the database.

32. It supported the continued implementation of the Post Trial Transfer system and the progress in the UNODC Piracy Prisoner Transfer Programme (PPTP) and noted the need for continued support for capacity building in the field.

33. It encouraged WG 2 to develop best practices for ensuring the protection of human rights during the detention and prosecution of suspected pirates, including with regard to juveniles.

34. The CGPCS recognized the need to strengthen the mechanisms of prosecution of pirates apprehended off the coast of Somalia and reiterated the urgent need to investigate and prosecute not only suspects captured at sea, but also anyone, who incites or intentionally facilitates piracy operations, including key figures of criminal networks involved in piracy who illicitly plan, organize, facilitate or finance and profit from such attacks. It called upon the UN Security Council to keep under review the possibility of applying targeted sanctions against such individuals or entities if they meet the listing criteria set out in paragraph 8 of Resolution 1844 (2008).

35. The CGPCS noted the concern expressed by the maritime industry that any sanction measures leading to the prevention of ransom payments could adversely affect the welfare, security and release of seafarers who are held hostage.

Information sharing to prosecute chief pirates and financiers

36. The CGPCS noted with satisfaction that the work of WG 5 on establishing Key Principles on Information Sharing amongst national authorities and with international organizations and the private sector was advancing well and urged WG 5 to complete this work expeditiously. The CGPCS welcomed the recommendation to designate or establish National Single Points of Contact to ease relations with the shipping industry and, noting that INTERPOL had been confirmed as the “International Single Point of Contact” with industry, urged further development of its coordination role in Post Release Investigations, including through the increasing relevance of the Global Database on Maritime Piracy.

Disrupting financial flows and piracy networks

37. The CGPCS welcomed the progress of the joint UNODC-World Bank-INTERPOL study on illicit financial flows linked to piracy off the Coast of Somalia, which was presented to WG 5 on 9 November 2012. It looked forward to receiving the detailed findings of the first leg of the project in early 2013 and urged the donor community to ensure the full funding of the second leg that will be centered on building financial culture and surveillance capacity in the area.

38. It noted the importance of ongoing work to tackle piracy networks, in particular the leaders, financers and enablers of piracy. To this end, the CGPCS noted a report from the Chair of the International Task Force on Piracy Ransoms and tasked the relevant Working Groups to examine its recommendations.

39. It supported the proposal that the WG 2 and WG 5 Chairs call a special meeting of prosecutors in order to strengthen their cooperation and information flow as an important element in ensuring that the organizers, financiers and negotiators are brought to justice.

40. It noted the continued progress of the INTERPOL EVEXI (Evidence Exploitation Initiative) project, now involving several countries in the area, as well as the ongoing initiative aimed at establishing the Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecution and Intelligence Coordination Centre, hosted by the Republic of Seychelles.

Enhancing counter-piracy communication

41. The CGPCS highlighted the importance of a counter-piracy communication strategy as an important tool to guide international efforts to engage with Somalis both in and outside Somalia to increase their awareness of the criminal nature of piracy and its negative impacts, and underlined the need to ensure that cultural aspects be fully taken into consideration when designing counter-piracy messaging in order to send the right message to the right audiences at the right time.

42. It supported WG 4’s efforts to coordinate the messaging of the different Working Groups regarding the achievements and challenges pertaining to their areas of concern.

43. It noted that the workshop held on 3-4 October 2012 in Copenhagen, with the participation of representatives of the Somali Diaspora in Denmark, including community youth leaders, had recognized the need for greater CGPCS engagement with the Somali government to further convey counter-piracy messaging.

44. The CGPCS welcomed the work done by the UNPOS and UNODC in implementing the advocacy projects to raise awareness about the negative repercussions of piracy.

45. The CGPCS confirmed that access to the restricted part of its official website shall be provided only to CGPCS participants.

Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia

46. The CGPCS endorsed the administrative changes in the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Trust Fund to Support Initiatives of States Countering Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (Trust Fund) as amended by the Board of the Trust Fund in its meeting on 10 December 2012. The revised ToR will allow the UNDP’s Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) office to assume the administration of this Trust Fund, as decided by the twelfth Plenary of the CGPCS in July 2012.

47. The CGPCS welcomed the contribution from Germany, Italy, Qatar and Spain to the Trust Fund since the twelfth plenary in July 2012, bringing the total deposited contributions to the Trust Fund to nearly US$ 16.5 million since its inception in January 2010, of which US$ 12.12 million has been disbursed. It further called on States and the private sector to ensure that the national commitment of Somalia and regional countries to prosecute and imprison pirates is matched by strong support and assistance from the international community, including through generous financial contributions to the Trust Fund.

48. The CGPCS expressed its appreciation for the continued commitment of the UN Department for Political Affairs in facilitating the effective administration of the Trust Fund.

Future Chairmanship

49. The CGPCS decided that the fourteenth and fifteenth plenary sessions will be held under the Chairmanship of the United States of America in 2013.

Endorsement of progress of the Working Groups

50. The CGPCS endorsed the progress made by each of its Working Groups, tasked them to continue work in their respective areas in accordance with its conclusions, and encouraged them to continue their mutual cooperation.