In the small village of Hinamizawa, Rika Furude and her friends live together in relative harmony. Beneath this mask of peace, however, lies a hidden darkness, one that Rika understands all too well. In this eternal summer, she has been witness to unspeakable horrors. Every time the clock resets, Rika must try to find the villain behind these senseless deaths before tragedy strikes again. However, trying to decipher a mystery when only half the clues are present proves time and again to be disastrous, and each time she believes that things will change, she inevitably fails. As the annual festival approaches, Rika begins her descent from hope to despair in her struggle to break the chains of fate entangling them all.
In this review, I am including both Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni and Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai in my comments. I will be calling the anime simply "Higurashi" in my review to save time. During the few times that I do choose to differenciate between the two seasons, I will refer to "Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai" simply as "Kai".
Story: Higurashi's storyline is stellar. It starts off as a horror/thriller anime where numerous mysteries arise in the small town of Hinamizawa. These mysterious storylines are filled with tension and suspense as the viewer fears for Keiichi's (the main character) life. Since Keiichi is a righteous character who means no harm, the viewer sympathizes with him and fears for his well-being- which is constantly at risk due to the seemingly murderous girls he befriends. Several story arcs arise as we experience Hinamizawa through Keiichi's eyes. Although these storylines may seem slightly confusing and seemingly unrelated at first, the second season of Higurashi ties them all together extremely well (I won't say how because of spoilers, of course). This ability to keep the viewer in suspense and tieing so many intriguing stories together makes Higurashi's storyline extremely engaging, and is my favourite storyline out of every anime I have seen to date. This intricate storyline also carries a heart-warming underlying theme of the importance of friendship and continually shows us extremely hyperbolic possibilities of what the world may become without trust and friendship. I find it particularily interesting that such a theme exists under Higurashi's superficial hack-and-slash plotline.
Art: As I read other people's comments on Higurashi's art, I noticed that people generally preferred the second season's artwork more than the first. While the second season's art did seem more well-rounded and fleshed out that season one, I had no major complaints with the first season's artwork whatsoever. Both seasons' art tricks most people into believing the anime essentially a typical harem or shoujo. The shock that people recieve when they see such cute characters are actually involved in an intelligent horror/mystery story is priceless. This is the primary reason for which I feel that Higurashi's artwork is extremely effective.
Sound: Higurashi's soundtrack suits the anime extremely well and the only reason I did not give it a 10 is because I cannot remember any specific background music besides Rika's theme. But just because the soundtrack is not memorable does not necessarily mean it is bad. The undertoned, haunting soundtrack is suited so well to Higurashi that it does not interrupt the flow of the anime's plot whatsoever. It only increases tension and suspense as haunting melodies are quietly played on a piano or violin in the background. As for opening/ending themes, Higurashi's openings are extremely catchy and memorable. Both are definitely worth downloading onto an ipod or mp3 player (along with "Dear You", a song from the original Higurashi videogames). The first ending however, did not do anything for me while Kai's ending (Taishou.a) was a lot more pleasurable to listen to. I enjoyed it for it's graceful melody juxtaposed against its rather gruesome lyrics which essentially served as a parallel to highlight the main concept of Higurashi's storyline. This fact alone made Taishou.a an excellent choice for Kai's ending song.
Character: Character development in Higurashi is also amazing. The characters interact with each other in a very natural, human manner and their personalities are not sterotypical in the least. In the first season, Higurashi's character personalities are also quite complex and can keep the viewer guessing at characters' true personalities and motives for episodes upon episodes because of how mysterious every character is (with the exception of Keiichi). During Kai, the characters often adopt a more optimistic or positive outlook on everything as a result of their efforts to work together against a common enemy.
Overall: My favourite anime series. If you have not seen this, please watch it IMMEDIATELY! The world needs more Higurashi fans. Also, I am aware that a third season of Higurashi will be released sometime this year and I am anxiously anticipating its release. Hopefully, it will explain what happened at the very end of the second season, since I was left feeling fairly confused... but that might just be because I was too stupid to interpret the ending accurately O_o Thanks for reading, I hope it helped!
I will say this now, if you have not seen the anime called Higurashi no Naku koro ni, then this review will be as useful as the dust that lies under your bed.
With that said, most of what I have to say about Kai will be a rehash of what I said in my season 1 review; therefore, I will not be giving a detailed review. Instead, I will say what I thought were the stronger aspects in Kai compared to that of the first season. No doubt, both seasons of Higurashi were wonderful and one cannot exist without the other. Because of this, it is not exactly fair for me to use the same criteria I use with a stand alone season series or a stand alone anime. Thus, I rate and review Kai based on what was different, whether it be an improvement or not, from season 1.
Story: As said earlier, Kai is a direct continuation of where season 1 left off. Kai shows the last two answer arcs of Higurashi plus an anime-exclusive arc to fill up the holes to answers that were missing from season 1. Every mystery or question posed in the first season is answered nicely. The way everything falls together is very well thought out. The solutions provided to the mystery leaves very little things unanswered.
Art/Animation: Vast improvement in the art department from the last seasons. Animation, however, while it is much better, can still be inconsistent. Well, Higurashi was never known for its animation, and it does its job fine without KyotoAni, Bones, or Madhouse quality animation.
Sound: One aspect of Kai that was the same as the first season. The first season had an OP that matched very well with its atmosphere and mood. Kai was no different. Instead of the creepy, unsettling feeling, Kai uses an OP the shows the drama and desperation of Rika's struggle. The voice acting is still superb, and besides the major theme that is used in Kai and some new tracks, the music remains the same.
Characters: I found the character development to be better and given more time in Kai. While the first season introduced and partially developed the characters, they are fully fleshed out in Kai, especially Rika. Even the characters that you think played minor roles in the first season, Akasaka, Tomitake, Takano, Irie, and Ooishi, gets a good deal of development.
Enjoyment: While I had a lot more fun brainstorming theories and (sometimes, not always) being confused, I enjoyed Kai for other reasons. Firstly, I loved Minagoroshi-hen. It is, no doubt, my favorite Higurashi arc. While some people might enjoy watching psychotic girls beat the hell out of a certain, horrible uncle (I mean, who does not?), I had just as much fun watching Keiichi give his epic speeches. After all, Keiichi is called the Magician of Words for a reason. I also enjoyed watching as everything unfolded.
Imagine you are an Olympic boxer, about to enter the gold medal match. It's going to be you're toughest fight, the world title holder thrice in a row. You've studied his moves, you're prepared, you know you can win and relish the challenge. You enter the ring and prepare for the greatest fight of your life. The bell rings! You launch forward... only to find your opponent collapsed on the ground due to a heart attack.
You won! But what's the feeling? Elation? Disappointment? Or a weird mixture of both?
You brace yourself. You know what the characters you've grown to love are up against, you know it'll be an uphill struggle. Yet, you know that with their sheer brilliance, they'll likely succeed. The three final episodes are finally here, and you prepared yourself to wowed, just as you were for the past 26 episodes... eager to see just what ingenious plan Kiechi and his group of resilient girls have brewed.
Then... suddenly, you're watching something the looks like came straight of Home Alone. The antagonist's forces, always so powerful, so disciplined, and so deadly, has magically transformed into a mob of bumbling fools. The comedic, idiotic and pathetic ways in which the villains appear totally out of place.
Its like watching Terminator, where after surviving massive explosions and shot gun shellls to the head, Arnold suddenly got killed by a Knife in the gut. You scream `WTF?'? Where's those snipers? Where those silencers? Did all the villains just drop themselves in a a barrel of toxic goo and had their IQ reduced by 50?
It seemed like he writers just run out brilliant ideas something so powerful could be defeated... and decided to take the easy way. This a true pity, given that the second arc was a true masterpiece, one-upping everything in both seasons combined.
In the end, a final rating for Higurashi ni Ki difficult to give. Up till the final episodes, the series deserves a 10/10. The meets, and even surpasses the incredible standards set by the season before. They have managed to construct a mystery that is unpredictable, and yet fits naturally with all clues given before, creating that elusive `Eureka' moment that is almost magical.
Yet, Higurashi fumbles at the critical moment, where the protagonists must use this knowledge to change their hellish destiny. The ending episodes are not bad (They deserve 7/10), but look immeasurable weak when compared to the hand standards set before.
Is it worth watching? Absolutely! Is it an masterpiece? Almost. But just like seeing Terminator die to a knife wound, one just cannot help but feel a little disappointment at the ending and endings tend to have a last impression.
After finishing the first Higurashi series, I was actually looking forward to seeing what Kai had in store for me. Despite my dislike of the horror genre, I was more than willing to give this one a chance too, since I was proven wrong by the former. I was proven wrong, all right, but it was not for the right reasons.
Where the first Higurashi was centered on shocking the viewer at every turn, Kai went for a slower, more suspenseful approach. Because of this decision, this approach turned out to be exceedingly slow. With only two major arcs present and twenty-four episodes to use, many events were stretched out beyond their limits. There were several occasions where the story virtually stalled for two episodes at a time with almost nothing being accomplished. Perhaps because of this, the twists that were thrown in became more surprising. There were just enough of these to help me see this series to its unexpected end.
Luckily, thanks to this pacing change, I did see some good come out of Kai. With several major questions raised at the end of the first Higurashi, the series took each one and explained the reasoning behind everything clearly. I can safely say that I had no further questions about any past events when the final credits rolled. There was one other good thing about this slower approach; something that I didn’t expect. The amount of back story given was a rather nice treat. Most of this was focused around Takano, someone that barely received any time in the first season, but proved to hold much more that what I saw previously. Her story was more compelling and memorable than the actual plot ever was at any given point.
Throughout the entire run of Kai, there seemed to be something missing. The sense of paranoia that was so prevalent in the first season was absent. Granted, this had to do with the focus shift, but there still could have been a way to keep it in the plot. Without the constant fear that someone or something may be lurking around the corner, this series felt rather dull outside of Takano's story. At least the beginning and ending of each episode is enjoyable with the new opening and ending themes.
When all was said and done, I could do nothing but sigh. The ending may have been satisfying, but I still wanted more. Despite my distaste for graphic violence and horror, I actually wished that it were there from the beginning. That, my friends, is saying something.
It's slowly become one of the most popular archetypes in anime, but what exactly does yandere mean? From past favorites to horrific newcomers, this list contains the best of of the best yandere in anime history and present.


"Why don't you tell me about yourself?" is the most frequently asked interview question. It's a question that most interviewees expect and the one they have the most difficulty answering. This video will help you tailor a response an interviewer actually wants to hear.
Interviewee (you): I come from a large family that did not have very much growing up. As a result, I learned efficiency, how to take initiative, could develop very compelling arguments with my older siblings. These skills served me well in my early career as I established myself as an expert technical developer (can substitute for something else). As I broadened my exposure, this allowed me to take on more demanding roles and complex projects. For example, I led this project and that project that was failing. I always had a knack for solving the most demanding and complex issues that could impact the bottom-line or jeopardize winning a new client. My upbringing taught me not to shy away from difficult situations and that there is always a solution. Together, the attributes would bring tremendous value to your company as you seek to increase sales while also contracting the number of staff.
As you can see, you've told a story without sounding too boring and you demonstrate how "who you are" as a person is quite compelling and relevant to the interviewee. Of course this assumes you have done research about the company for which you are interviewing and so on.


Atmospheric Disturbances by Casey Fallen was released in 2014. This release is an eclectic mixture of sound through the eyes of Fallen (Vocals/Keys/Guitar/Programming) sharing his stories and through the producers touch of Doug Osborne – Lead Guitar/Bass/Programming. With captivating lyrics and unique yet simple melodies “Atmospheric Disturbances” by Casey Fallen contains 13 songs total.
The Review: So as luck would have it I stumble across the latest CD by LA based Fallen entitled “Atmospheric Disturbances” (2014). Ironically this is the first pop artist I’ve ever reviewed from that region in a while. Fallen is clearly punching all the right tickets in his attempt to make a very real connection with cult listeners. First off let me just say I really love emotional songwriting that’s pure and genuine. Fallen has an innocence about him, Looking back at the last 20-30 years there have been some truly amazing artists that fit within this realm that gave us the music and songs that are for the ages. Some go through the motions but a few have a special component that you can really groove to. Artists like Atoms for Peace, Johnny Greenwood, Portishead, Sigur Ros and Muse. These bands are diamonds in the rough. From the above masters to more recent bands like Coldplay, Massive Attack, The Shins no one can deny the impact such diverse music has upon our musical pop culture. What am I trying to say? Casey Fallen is like many of the pre-mentioned bands/artist. When you hit play and listen to the first few tracks: “Fragile”, “Last Glance” and “city Lights” and “Fox in a Box” you will quickly be blessed and enlightened by the musical presence of Fallen and Osborne. “Atmospheric Disturbances” is to me a monumental concept album or a thinking mans journey if you will with so many musical and spiritual layers it should be heralded as a gem. The amazing combination of guitar, rhythms, vocals, keyboards, beats and rhythms all behind an impeccable vocalist really hits home. The melodies and lyrics are somewhat clairvoyant, and the vocal harmonies provide the perfect reinforcements just where they need to be. Although I will say the vocals and rhythm section needs to take it up a notch. If Fallen took a few vocal lessons from a top professional it would only make his more deadlier as an artist – because he has a lot of potential as an artist.
‘Atmospheric Disturbances” by Casey Fallen is truly an invigorating ride. Be advises – If you feel depressed listen to it and you may not feel better. This is why Fallen was put here on Earth, to make us feel better through his music. All through the brilliant mindset and yeaning psyche. At the end of the day he deserves a lot of credit for being true to himself and making the aforementioned connection. In the end it’s a triumphant and celebratory return of moody pop that is tangible and not to super tacky. Its strong suit is the amazing arsenal that Osborne and Fallen bring to the table jointly via powerful yet light hearted lyrics, passion, power, vision and a honed songwriting craft that goes much deeper that the next Independent Artist.
Thomas Neff. Approved by Cyrus Rhodes.


How could I not use this text this year? We’re planning a wedding in our family so to begin the year with the Cana wedding is terrific. However, reading through this story and thinking about wedding planning gives me both laughter and nightmares.
On the other hand, wrestling with the rehearsal dinner that we’re hosting, the story brings up every host’s nightmare, horror of horror, the party runs out of something. In this case, the wine. The worst part is, the verb tense John uses: “When the wine gave out…” is an absolute. Meaning it was inevitable! So my late night anxiety is thinking about what will give out inevitably as we host?
This seems an odd event for Jesus to start his ministry. It seems trivial compared with healing people and feeding people and raising someone from the dead. Was running out of wine such an emergency that it required divine intervention? Of course, I might think that as we do our planning. But really, in the grand scheme of things…? Just what is Jesus trying to tell us?
The first thing this story tells us is about Jesus’ character and ministry. On the cusp of his public ministry, with urgent matters to attend, like saving the world, Jesus attends a wedding. We don’t know if he and mom sat on bride side, or groom side. We don’t even know the bride and groom. We just know he was there. And that is key. Jesus’ presence at the wedding in Cana tells us that our life’s milestones matter to Jesus. Weddings and births, graduations and birthdays, anniversaries, funerals, reunions, family gatherings, gatherings with friends, these are holy occasions. God is present in our lives, marking our transitions, remembering the set-backs, rejoicing in the hard-won progress and enhancing the celebration even when we do not note his presence or contribution.
The second thing the story tells us is Jesus acts. Sure we know he acts in feeding multitudes, healing the blind and paralytic, raising Lazarus. Yes he acts in big bold, world redeeming ways. But here, at Cana, he shows he acts in the small, daily exchanges of life. He intervened in a way that brought joy to a party. He kept the party going.
Jesus still acts in life-giving, joy-evoking ways. Yes, Jesus saves the world, and yes, Jesus cares for each of us in the small daily grind of life. As we try to put food on the table, balance our retirement, get to the doctor appointments and making sure there is enough wine and cheese for the friends coming over this weekend, Jesus cares deeply. We know this, because we see him at a wedding where the wine gave out. And no one knew it, because he was there.
The third thing to note about this story is that Jesus is not miserly or calculating. He doesn’t look for who was responsible for not ordering enough wine. He does not ponder if the hosts are worthy to receive fine wine. He doesn’t just turn the water into bottom shelf table wine. His generosity s over the top. He turns all the filled-to-the-brim jugs of water into fine wine.
What would it be like to think like Jesus does here in our lives? What might our church meetings be like if we thought this way? How might our conversations about giving proceed if we thought like Jesus? How might our relationships improve if we stopped worrying about who was at fault and instead met each other’s needs? What if we didn’t do the bare minimum, but sought to go over the top with our compassion and love. It would be a heck of a way to keep the party of Cana going.
This odd small story, spells out how Jesus cares deeply about both the moments and the milestones in our lives. Jesus is not only present in the details and the days we will never forget. He is also acting, each step along our way, giving us signs of his grace upon grace. Celebrating with us, and mourning with us.
Sometimes we might not recognize the source of the unexpected fine wine or the compassionate exchange on the new opportunity or the longed for reconciliation. But the wedding at Cana lets us know we can believe Jesus intervenes on our behalf.
We might hoard our forgiveness, or store up wealth for ourselves or calculate who is worthy of our help, but Jesus does none of that. He pours himself out, fills our cups to the brim, feeds the crowd with baskets left over and forgives those who murder him.
Poet Andrew King encapsulates the blessing of Jesus’ presence in the everyday journey that is life, and the hope that we may share with others, to keep the party going.


How do I make decisions for the person I do not want to say goodbye to?
"It is important for people to have the conversations, even when it is hard to do. This allows them to make their needs known and their end of life wishes realized."
When asked why this project is so important to me, it honestly brought tears to my eyes. It brought me back to the time when my father was sick. Although we knew his illness was going to take his life, we were all still in denial. We never completed any of his paperwork. We never had the discussion with him. I remember the day we were told that we had no other options. It was on my mom's birthday and he was not talking at that time as a result of altered consciousness. It was up to me to sign his DNR and hospice paperwork. It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. How do I make decisions for the person I do not want to say goodbye to?
It is important for people to have the conversations, even when it is hard to do. This allows them to make their needs known and their end of life wishes realized.
Jenn earned her Bachelor of Science degree in psychology with a minor in Business from St John Fisher College. She is experienced as a mental health counselor, supervisor with adult protective services, and social service director. She has been in Hospice care for 8 years, serving currently at Hospice of the West, as a Hospice Liaison. She loves helping people and being able to assist when people are unaware of all the options available to them.


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The primary reason why the majority of people decide to break into their homes, businesses, or cars especially in emergency circumstances is because working with an emergency locksmith professional features a significant cost.
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You need to work with a dependable local locksmith professional, and that is who we are. We have an office in your local area. When you call, we will not spend a great deal of time attempting to understand where you are. We will not ask for your GPS coordinates. Rather, all we will ask for is your address, or the postal code of the location you have been locked out of the car. When you give it to us, we will be there before you know it.
Your home is one of the most important assets in your life that you need to control and safeguard. Whether you are locked out of your home, you need door locks repaired or installed, you want somebody who can install state-of-the-art security locks, or you desire an expert with understanding in setting up and repairing safes, call the 24 Hr emergency locksmith professional you can rely on. We are at your service.
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how do i describe the line of a slope if the slope were today's date?? Day/ month??
Suppose that at 5 days, the number of cells is growing at a rate of 150 cells per day. Determine a number of cells after 12 days if there were 100 cells initially.


Pediatricians demand recall of Fisher-Price sleeper after warning about infant deaths According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's website , "Fisher-Price has received 600 reports of mold on the product". The statement also acknowledged that the product had been linked to the deaths of 10 infants three months or older.
While India's long-maintained policy of dilly-dallying on talks with Pakistan needs no evidences, history is witness to Pakistan always stepping out first, in search of peace with India.
Here's a look at the staggering figures behind the world's second-most populous country's vote, and the sheer manpower needed to hold such a mammoth election.
India votes 2019Which states are headed to the polls?
According to the Pakistani news outlet, protesters gathered outside the polling station to rally against the BJP and the Indian troops, seen by many locals as occupiers.
Hundreds of voters began to queue up outside polling centres early Thursday morning.
The main opposition Congress party chief Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi are contesting for parliamentary seats from northern Uttar Pradesh state.
India's mostly cash-based economy already suffered at the end of 2016, when Modi announced a sudden recall of 500- and 1,000-rupee cash notes in a bid to reduce corruption; instead, studies now show that India's GDP dropped by as much as 2 percentage points because of that experiment, with farmers and low-income wage earners suffering the most.
Several senior bureaucrats in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) will be looking for an exit if PM Modi is re-elected after the Lok Sabha polls and returns to power in May, Reuters, the British news agency quoted multiple sources in the administration as saying.
How will India's Election Commission pull it off?
Some 1.1 million electronic voting machines are being taken around the country for the votes, with some transported through jungles and carried up mountains, including to a hamlet near the Chinese border with just one voter. There are 543 seats at stake.Security has been increased after seven people were killed in militant attacks in Kashmir and the east of the country including a state legislator from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party.
In 2009, the election commission set up a polling booth in the Gujarat's Gir forest - home to Asia's only wild lions - for a single voter. What the people of these two countries need are economic reforms, better education and health facilities, and more employment and stability in the region.
Congress is a secular, socialist party that has pledged to protect India's minorities and improve life for the poor. But, there lies the chance of other parties' alliance against Modi's BJP till the last phase of elections scheduled on May 19.
Aakriti Bachhawat, a researcher at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), told the ABC these voters could have a major impact on the outcome.
A BJP delegation, including Sitharaman, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and its media head Anil Baluni, submitted to the EC a memorandum in which the saffron party also accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of poll rigging in West Bengal during the first phase of polling of the general election on Thursday. Such things have been said in the past by analysts and even by politicians but after an nearly war-like situation with India, comments like this coming from a Pakistani premier would certainly be misconstrued. And such satisfaction is highly partisan: 75 percent of BJP supporters are satisfied with how Indian democracy functions, compared with only 42 percent of Congress backers.


Today we're checking out an interesting synonym of nag, harp, bully, threaten, harass, and intimidate. It's browbeat.
If you're like me, you imagine that a browbeater seems to beat you on the forehead or the eyebrows. But etymologists say that's not quite right--that the browbeater is the one who seems to be beating you down with his own angry-eyebrowed forehead.
Either way, it's an interesting image, and unpleasant!
Browbeating can make you feel tim_____: afraid, with no confidence or courage. Or maybe--speaking of foreheads--it breaks you, making you give in and just ko____, that is, figuratively kneel down so low that the ground meets your forehead.
To browbeat people is to speak harshly to them, often to make them afraid or to boss them around, as if you're staring down at them with mean eyebrows.
Talk about people browbeating other people: "She browbeat the host for his insulting questions."
And of course, browbeaters (and browbeatees) can be not just individual people but also groups, companies, governments, and so on.
You can browbeat someone to do something, browbeat someone into something, and browbeat someone into doing something.
To get figurative, talk about things browbeating people, or people browbeating things: "the SAT and ACT exams have always browbeaten students," "this impossibly long to-do list is browbeating me right now," "maybe if I just browbeat it some more, the printer will work."
I'd like him to write longer paragraphs, so I'll keep at it--teaching, modeling, helping, cheerleading, maybe bribing, but never browbeating.
The hospital staff may be admirably committed to helping new mothers nurse their babies, but they go too far when they deny supplemental food to the baby and browbeat the struggling mother into trying harder.
Look away from the screen to explain the definition in your own words. You’ll know you understand what "browbeat" means when you can explain it without saying "overbear" or "coerce."
Fill in the blanks: "Browbeaten by (someone), (someone else) (copes in a certain way)."
Example: "Browbeaten by his angry constituents, Dave Brat no longer accepts spoken questions at town halls. He has us write them down--and he chooses which ones to answer."
2. During an interview, Sam Rubin was browbeaten by Samuel L. Jackson, whom Rubin had _____.


John is an incredibly accomplished and successful businessman. As such, he is quite popular as a mentor. He enjoys showing young professionals the ropes. The first thing he says is that his career has certainly not always been smooth sailing. In fact, he learned a number of lessons along the way. "First and foremost," John said "don't believe that success is ever mana from heaven." He said that everyone he had met had a similar rags to riches story, and that a lot of hard work had gone into the success.
John believes in hard work, but also in recognizing the right opportunities. "It's absolutely essential to never spread yourself too thin" John advised. "If you have too many irons in the fire, you'll certainly miss out on real opportunity" he continued. "I've seen people as busy as a bee who never really seem to do anything" he pointed out. The more I thought about this advice, the more I understood what he was saying.
If you put on your thinking cap, you'll realize that it's impossible to really concentrate if you have to worry about fifty different things. Another important lesson was that it's important to know which side your bread is buttered on and make sure to give that activity your full attention. In other words, you need to ride the gravy train.
Don't start looking for new challenges if everything is working out for the best!
John stressed that the most important ability of any successful entrepreneur was to have the presence of mind to not only take advantage of an opportunity, but also to keep your eye on the ball. Some people are quick on the uptake, but then they get bored. It's important to be consistent, but not spread yourself too thin. Finally, make sure to never show your hand to your opponents. In any case, that's how to be successful according to John.
1. My friend is as ________________ these days. He never gets time to relax.
2. We've been lucky in life. It's been _____________ since the very beginning.
3. I'm sure the situation will improve. It will _________________.
4. You need to ____________________ for this problem. It requires a lot of concentration.
5. Alan ___________________ during the negotiations for the business deal.
6. Franklin went from ________________ in his life. He started with nothing and ended up a very rich person.
7. Some artists are lucky and have a huge hit early in life. Then they ______________________ for many years afterwards.
8. My boss _________ me ______________ at work because it was my first week.


In the end, only one Republican opposed Brett Kavanaugh's nomination to the Supreme Court: U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who voted present. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, supported Kavanaugh but missed the vote because he was attending his daughter's wedding.
The result, though, put Kavanaugh on the nation's highest court by 50-48, further boosting Cornyn's stature among Republicans and places him, as one expert said, in "the pole position" to eventually be Senate majority leader.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who, like Cornyn, is up for re-election in 2020, hasn't shown any sign of stepping down but the Texan has positioned himself to succeed him. And Cornyn is finishing his stint as majority whip with a big win, as he gives up his term-limited post at the end of the year.
"At various times, it looked like the nomination was doomed or at least on its way to being doomed and McConnell and Cornyn saved it," said Sean Theriault, government professor at the University of Texas.
Hours after the vote, Cornyn tweeted a photo of what appeared to be a glass of champagne or sparkling wine with the caption, "Not quite #Beers4Brett but #Bubbly4Brett instead."
• Framing the message: Cornyn, a former Texas Supreme Court justice, brought a certain gravitas to the GOP response to allegations of sexual assault against Kavanaugh. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, he immediately and publicly embraced the surprise last-minute call by U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., for a supplemental FBI report. Cornyn then used it to make the case that the additional witnesses had not corroborated the testimony and statements of Kavanaugh's accusers. The Senate, he said, had to honor a presumption of innocence.
• Personal contact: Cornyn was in constant touch with the three wavering Senate Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine, Murkowski and Flake — by phone, text and in person, delivering the GOP message, re-assuring them of Kavanaugh's reputation and answering questions. He, McConnell and other GOP leaders had lunch Friday with Collins before she announced her decision to vote for Kavanaugh. Cornyn also facilitated phone calls with the undecided senators and Kavanaugh, the White House and the Department of Justice, said a Senate GOP aide.
• Judicial temperament: After Kavanaugh's blustery, emotional testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Cornyn moved to turn down the temperature. In public appearances and on social media, he was respectful about Kavanaugh accuser Christine Blasey Ford and said that Kavanaugh should have toned down his performance while saying it was understandable that he was upset. Senators, he said, should look at Kavanaugh's 12 years as an appellate judge. "As somebody who served for 13 years on the bench myself, I know the difference between deciding a case as a judge for which Judge Kavanaugh's temperament has been universally praised, and defending oneself against character assassination and personal destruction," Cornyn said Saturday.


Hi, hello, and a question on etiquette!
I'm a tattoo customer. I've got 8 tattoos from my head down to my feet. I came here hoping for some advice. I'll try to keep this short-ish, But, I would love some insight.
Background: Over a year ago, I'd scheduled a tattoo with a shop in town because a friend of a friend worked there. Before the appointment time, the artist we'd booked with quit, so, the owner of the shop offered to keep our appt, and do the tattoo (It was an illustration from The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, not something another artist had drawn.) A few months ago, it came time to get another tattoo. And, I called up that shop, and booked a consult with the owner (As he'd done my last one, and I like being consistent.) He drew up a sketch of what I wanted (A peacock feather on my side.) but, when it came time to book an appointment, he was booked out for 3-6 months. SO, he told me to book with any of his artists that were available sooner, and they could do the tattoo.
I booked my appointment, and had the outline done. And, I scheduled a return to do the color, with the same artist a month later.
This brings us to January, my appt to get the coloring done, was set for January 20th. On January 10th, David Bowie died. (This ties in, I promise.) And I called the shop, and asked my artist, instead of doing the coloring, could we do a Bowie tattoo, and reschedule the peacock feather fill in for the following month. He agreed, and on January 20th, I went in and got the tattoo done, and re-booked the peacock feather for February.
Fast forward to today. The shop called to let me know that the above artist is no longer with the shop. The woman on the phone said that the shop would keep my appt, and have one of their artists do the work, or, that I could reach out to the original artist (via his preferred social network) to schedule the appt with him.
Insight would be appreciated. I'm not sure what the proper thing is, since several artists have had hands in the creation of this tattoo.
My personal ethics would say that you have had no hand in the artists leaving the shop, so it is up to you.
this shop appears to have a LOT of turnovers, so I wouldn't let them decide who colors it in.
You need to pick the artist - and base it on their ability to perform the task at hand.
If you're unsure on how to determine that issue, I'd stop until you have educated yourself.
At this stage, you don't even need to go to the same shop . . .
So, what would you say about an artist filling in another artist's work?
My name is Kim, and I'm a tattoo customer. I've got 8 tattoos from my head down to my feet. I came here hoping for some advice. I'll try to keep this short-ish, But, I would love some insight.
So, first of all, thank you for your response. And, you're right, I don't know the reasons for the artist leaving. But, I also don't feel like the shop was passing me off on someone else to do the work. I felt that they were trying to keep the appointment, and not leave me without a tattoo artist at the time of my appointment.
I also would like to argue that I didn't just walk in, and that I don't care about the work. I totally respect the artists that have worked on me, and love the collaboration that stems from great tattoo work. HOWEVER, this peacock feather piece has already had several hands on it, from consult to actualization, and I am struggling with where the loyalty should be. I appreciate that the shop is trying to make sure that they fulfill their promise to actualize my tattoo, and, I don't know the artist's reasons for leaving, or if he was let go, or what.
Thank you for the input, I appreciate hearing the various opinions here as I try to come up with how I am moving forward!
if you like the original artist's work on your bowie and what he's done with your feather so far, i'd seek him out. easy as that. as you mentioned, the shop already suggested that as an option and they should completely understand.
as far as loyalty goes.. the owner originally sketched the feather, but did the tattooer use that exact sketch or did he do his own thing? i feel like that's the only value added step in the process you've mentioned. even still, the owner passed you to the other tattooer, so loyalty doesn't seem to be an issue from that standpoint.
bad mojo to get someone else to colour in a tattoo that was initiated by someone already.
i think it is lazy when I hear people get a tattoo lined in then just jump on the next table of whomever to finish it.
of course there are odd circumstances like buddy moved far away, went to jail or died, yeah sure.
make the effort to get intouch with the original person that lined it in.
Will explore another option with the shop if I don't hear back from him in a week or so. But, that's where I'm at right now.
The Bowie tattoo I mentioned. I adore it.


What is a Christmas Carol?
Which of the following is NOT a Christmas carol?
A crib for a bed.
No crib for a bed.
No bed for a crib.
A bed for a crib.
Which is the least important Christian symbol of Christmas, out of the following?
Which date is Christmas on?
What 3 gifts did the wise men bring?
Gold, frankesense and a misteltoe.
What was the name of the angel that spoke to Mary?
Where does a Christmas reef usually hang?
Do Trinitarianisms often celebrate Christmas?
No, Trinitarianisms have their own god.
What did the wise men do to find Jesus?
Assuming you picked that the wise men used the map, who did they get it from?
I picked something else last question.
Assuming you answered that the wise men asked people where to find Jesus, who, out of the following, did they ask?
Assuming you picked either the third or the fourth option in question 12, who made the star appear?
Was the first Christmas reef found in the Great Barrier Reef?
No, it was found further out into sea.
Yes, it was found toward the middle.
Sort of, it was found just East of the Great Barrier Reef.
What is the shape of a Christmas reef?
A really long line, like tinsel.
Which is NOT a Christmas carol?
Tra la la la la, la la la la.
Da da da da da, da da da da.
Usually, what is the colour of Santa's boots?
What occupation does Homer start doing in The Simpsons' episode, 'Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire'?
Which plant (out of the following) is a Christmas symbol?
Which Christmas carol are these lyrics from: Then to the watchful shepherds it was told Who heard the angelic herald's voice: "Behold, I bring good tidings of a Saviour's birth To you and all the nations upon earth This day hath God fulfilled His promised word; This day is born a Saviour, Christ the Lord." ?
Fill in the lyrics of this Christmas carol: " (?????) looked out, on the feast of Stephen When the snow lay round about Deep and crisp and even" ?
Merry Christmas and thank-you for taking this quiz!


The Deputy Chairman of Committees (Lord Boston of Faversham): We come to Amendment No. 27A. It follows that that is not moved, I take it.
Lord Renton of Mount Harry: In the circumstances, and with regret, it is not moved.
The Deputy Chairman of Committees: It is pre-empted in any event. Thank you very much.
On Question, Whether Clause 5 shall stand part of the Bill?
Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville: In moving that Clause 5 shall not stand part of the Bill, I speak also to Amendment No. 101 to which I have put my name and which is consequential. I should also declare an interest as a vice-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Conservation and Wildlife, which has some relevance to this debate.
In the run-up to Mr Michael Foster's Bill, in 1997, I asked Lord Cranbrook, the then chairman of English Nature, for a bibliography on the fox which I then pursued comprehensively. I cannot claim a similar prolonged background on the hare, although I have had a love affair with the species since I was a schoolboy. One of the principal reasons that Durer was my favourite painter in my early teens was his enchanting painting of a hare.
I had to desist when the Irish Times revealed that I was doing it, as hunt sabotage in the Province could have carried extreme personal overtones.
My wife and I live on the edge of a woodlanded sheep farm in Wiltshire which has hares in profusion for almost daily observation. I once picked up a newly dead leveret in a field yards from our cottage. Your Lordships' House will know that hares, in giving birth, drop their young in open fields. I have rarely held in my hands anything more beautiful.
One of the ironies of hare coursing, which this clause is about, is that it is the mirror image of Aesop's fable of the tortoise and the hare. In the hare coursing version, the greyhounds play the hare and it is the cunning and skill of the tortoise that enables the vast majority of the real hares to survive unscathed.
"the bulk of the concerns the Burns Report raised about hunting might be addressed through licensing, a regulatory approach or by changing the rules of the hunts".
The consequence of dropping Clause 5 from the Bill would be to allow applications in respect of coursing to be made to the registrar in common with the other currently lawful forms of hunting. The registrar would then decide, assuming other amendments to the Bill are subsequently carried, if the application passed the twin tests of utility and least suffering. If it did so, a licence could be granted. If it failed in either respect, it would not.
The opposition to Clause 5 standing part of the Bill does not of itself permit coursing, or even support it, except vicariously. It returns the Bill to the state of affairs pertaining at the Portcullis House hearings.
Ministers can scarcely say that they have explained why they resisted the Portcullis House advice, nor was any evidence adduced or produced at Defra's hunting consultations to show that these activities should be banned. Mr Alun Michael, in charge of the Bill in another place, said on Second Reading of the original Bill that hare coursing was indefensible. I have no grounds for supposing that he raised his voice, and therefore did not follow the advice of a Latin American delegate at the United Nations whose text was marked in the margin "weak point, shout", but the use of a categorical word such as "indefensible" in the light of centuries of coursing is probably hazardous from the lips of a Minister who said Professor Bateson's evidence on stag hunting was "incontrovertible" when even Professor Bateson himself would not dream of making such a claim.
with dogs in language worthy of Alice Through the Looking Glass. More precisely, all coursing is hunting but not all hunting is coursing. If, however, the Minister really believes that coursing is indefensible and that his case, to borrow a word at random, is incontrovertible, why does he not leave it to the registrar to determine the matter and leave the intellectual honesty of the Portcullis House hearings intact? Competitive coursing, which the Burns inquiry said was essentially carried out for recreational purposes, also falls into the same category as shooting or fishing, which are not to be banned, with all the attendant environmental and species management benefits which apply.
I am not going to enter the detailed argument about coursing and its practices because in doing so I should be going beyond my own articulation of why Clause 5 should be dropped from the Bill, but possibly others in your Lordships' House may be less prone to self-restraint, including even possibly the Minister. I appreciate that there may be future points to which I should respond when I wind up the debate.
In the mean time, I should like to pay tribute to the way in which the National Coursing Club, which was founded in 1858, has responded to each one of the reports that were produced in the past 50 years of the 20th century. Whether it was the Scott Henderson report of 1951I remark parenthetically that the eponymous author appointed by a Labour Home Secretary who gave his name to that report was coincidentally a resident of the village of Sutton Mandeville from which I take my titleor the admirable Stable and Stuttard review of coursing of 1971 (now a rare volume but still immensely worth reading), or the Select Committee of your Lordships' House on the hare Bill of 1976, or the Burns inquiry of 2000, the National Coursing Club has always responded positively and constructively to the recommendations of each report, including five specific changes to practice since the Burns report was published; and the number of hares killed during hare coursing has fallen precipitously over the past quarter of a century.
"the welfare of the hare would not be appreciably affected by it [the hare Bill] since the amount of physical suffering caused by competitive coursing is probably less than 1 per cent of the amount caused by hare shooting and non-competitive coursing".
and Ecology at the University of Kent on the notable beneficial effects of field sports on conservation in the UK.
"A great change has taken place in the numbers of hares that are annually bred in England. Go where you may, one meets almost universally with the same lament, that where you would formerly have seen 20 or 30 hares feeding in the fields on a summer evening, you will now hardly see a single animal".
That was written 16 years after the passage of the Act. This dirge was despite the reactive and recuperative alternative legislation, the Hare Preservation Act, which was introduced in the summer of 1892 in order to rectify matters.
"It has been argued that public opinion is increasingly opposed to coursing matches. The Committee point out however that if those canvassed by the societies"
"are as ignorant of the facts as members of the Committee were before the inquiry, the value of the statement must be considered debatable".
Finally, and most briefly, but with all the directness of Yorkshire, I quote the verdict of a farmer in that county who takes considerable care with the preservation of hares on his land who said, "If they ban coursing, the hares will have to look out for themselves".


The importance of SEO (search engine optimisation) and ranking highly in prominent positions on Google's SERPS (search engine results pages) has become more evident in recent times, with marketers across all industries exploring different techniques to captivate their consumers and encourage them to click through to their sites.
In fact, meta descriptions can help achieve just that, yet they are constantly overlooked as a result of Google's ever-changing algorithm. With reports that Google updates their search algorithm approximately 500-600 times every year, how do marketers prepare engaging and effective meta descriptions that help convert consumers and act as a beneficial SEO technique to improve search rankings?
Put simply, a meta description is a small snippet of written content that is shown directly below each link and title on the search engine results page, or when the page is shared elsewhere online. In fact, meta description copy is often likened to a sales pitch, helping consumers choose your brand and website over the competition. The snippet is designed to succinctly inform the searcher about how that particular page is relevant to them by incorporating keywords, which will informative yet engaging copy, the meta description should persuade searchers to click through to the website and read more.
However, writing these meta descriptions can often be challenging with Google constantly changing the length, leaving important information truncated. Furthermore, Google sometimes may not even display the meta description, instead, pulling together text from a page to help inform consumers of the relevance. It's this lack of clarity which leaves many marketers to believe preparing meta descriptions is an obsolete technique and a waste of time. In reality, these descriptions play a crucial role in search engine optimisation and can even benefit Google Advertising campaigns, formerly known as Google AdWords.
How do meta descriptions benefit SEO and Google Ads campaigns?
There is common confusion surrounding the impact of meta descriptions and its impact on SEO. In fact, Google has stated on numerous occasions that meta descriptions may be used for the snippets feature under links, however, the description meta tag is not used a ranking signal. However, while Google states writing meta descriptions does not directly impact search rankings, one factor that is favoured by the search giant is consumer relevance and engagement.
In fact, year after year, Search Engine Land develops a Search Engine Optimisation Periodic Table that explains the success factors for improved rankings, with factors like engagement and authority high up on the list. Therefore, it is argued that the snippets of text help consumers decide if a page is relevant to their query which persuades them to click through and engage with the website. If numerous amounts of individuals are constantly clicking through to the website and engaging with the content on the page for a generous amount of time, it may also be inferred that the particular page has a level of authority. Therefore, with meta descriptions helping to attracting consumers to web pages, the technique inherently impacts SEO ranking factors.
Alternatively, it is argued that the common online marketing and advertising service, Google Advertising, can also help improve the effectiveness of meta descriptions and organic search results, and vice versa. For example, advertising copy has generally been tested and split test multiple times in order to drive the most possible clicks. By looking at your own Google campaign and analysing the best possible results, or looking at the copy of your competitors for inspiration, you can then develop relevant and engaging meta descriptions and organic search copy that has already been tested and is achieving results. Similarly, you can explore the high ranking meta descriptions for particular keywords to determine the most relevant and engaging copy for your Google Advertising campaign.
Despite the implications effective meta descriptions have on SEO, Google's constantly evolving algorithm makes it difficult for many to prepare useful and relevant meta description content. For example, just last December, Google announced that the meta description would be extended from its previous 155-character limit to now being truncated after 320 characters. However, only a few weeks ago, in mid-may, Moz reported that Google's algorithm again shifted, reverting back to the old and widely accepted 155-character limit. As many SEO specialists poured their time and effort into extending their meta descriptions back in December 2017, Google's latest updated has left many confused and easily frustrated.
However, there are a few techniques that digital marketing professionals and experts at SEO agencies can utilise to prepare effective meta descriptions regardless of Google's constant updates. In fact, as aforementioned, it is not always guaranteed that the prepared meta description will be displayed by Google, therefore these techniques will ensure time is not wasted, yet results are maximised.
Whether you prepare meta descriptions to the current algorithm and a strict 155-character limit or decide to extend it slight despite possible truncation, copy should be prepared in the journalistic "inverted pyramid" writing pattern. This pattern ensures that the most important and relevant information is prepared first, with the less important information at the end. Therefore, if Google's algorithm and character length does fluctuate over time, the most important information is not spared regardless. Furthermore, some copywriters even argue that truncation is not necessarily a bad thing for meta descriptions for two reasons; the first being that the reader should have a good indication whether the site is relevant to them by the first few words, while an ellipsis may cause intrigue and be an interesting tactic to persuade consumers to read more.
Navigating Google's complicated and constantly changing rules can be exhausting and confusing, particularly as changes are reverted without warning. Staying on top of Google's ever-changing algorithm is essential as the changes can have a great impact on various SEO services. The most recent update has seen the search giant again limit its previously extended meta description character limit, creating much debate about the use of the technique. While the changes are frequent and unpredictable, meta descriptions are still beneficial for organic rankings and adopting an inverted journalistic writing pattern to engage audiences is an optimal technique for overcoming Google's complex rules.


A FAST, NO-FRILS START THE CHESAPEAKE NATIVE, GLAD TO BE NEARER HIS FAMILY, HAS GOT EAGLES' DEFENSE HUNTING.
Five weeks into his 11th season in pro football, it no longer matters that William Fuller doesn't care to dance.
On the field for the Philadelphia Eagles, Fuller's straight-ahead, no-frills style has resulted in five sacks, the team high and already halfway to his average of the last four seasons.
The defensive end from Chesapeake also has two hurries, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and one pass defensed. In last week's 40-8 drubbing of the San Francisco 49ers, Fuller got his first career safety, nailing quarterback Steve Young in the end zone. Later, he tipped a Young pass that tackle Andy Harmon intercepted.
He reacted to each of those feats as he has to each play of his 133 NFL games - he rose and walked back to the huddle. No juke. No jive. No pretend home runs. No blowing the smoke off make-believe pistols.
He doesn't tap dance in the locker room, either. He answers questions about his fast start with an honest, straight-on approach.
There's some small sense of wonder at how this came to be. He did not excel in training camp.
``If you asked coach (Rich) Kotite, he'd say I didn't have a good camp,'' Fuller admits. ``But I can't get up for training-camp games.
Quarterback Randall Cunningham approached Fuller recently and thanked him for flying with the Eagles.
Such adulation. To think it began with a plane trip last March Fuller didn't want to take.
March 2, Houston. William and his wife, Precilla, are sitting at home, talking about Fuller's flight the next morning to Philadelphia. The Eagles, desperate to plug gaping holes at defensive end caused by the free-agent departures the last two years of Reggie White and Clyde Simmons, have put the full-court press on Fuller.
Three-year contract, $8 million. He's 32 years old and about to become the highest-paid player on the team. All he has to do is fly to Philly and sign on the dotted line.
``I can't believe we're leaving Houston,'' Fuller told his wife. After all, he'd spent eight years in the city after the Rams traded his rights to the Oilers when the USFL folded. From 1988 on, he'd been a valued, though underpublicized starter.
Two of the three Fuller children were in school there. There were friends, especially fellow defensive lineman Ray Childress, they'd be leaving behind.
Fuller went to bed. He did not sleep.
The Fullers have a condo in fashionable Cherry Hill, N.J. Precilla and the girls love their new home. The Eagles are 3-1, and host the 1-4 Redskins Sunday.
The fear of mediocrity flew with Fuller from Houston. Standing before the Philadelphia media the next day, he challenged management.
``I told them I couldn't do it alone, that I hoped they were going to be aggressive in bringing in other players,'' he remembers.
The Eagles obliged. They acquired linebacker Bill Romanowski. They obtained defensive end Burt Grossman. They added another defensive end, Greg Townsend. When Fuller got a look at the returning talent, he became even more excited.
``I told myself we could have something special here,'' he remembers.
And then new owner Jeffrey Lurie walked in the locker room a few days before the season opener against the New York Giants and asked several reserve players to take pay cuts so there'd be a fund under the salary cap to replace injured players.
Fuller, set to earn a minimum of $2.8 million this season, watched in stunned silence.
Fuller stewed over the impact his big salary could have on the team.
``Would they be ready to bond, to work hard?'' he says. ``Be ready to win? Or would there be a lot of animosity?
No one suggested that Fuller restructure his deal. He has seen no evidence of bitterness from the other players. He's thankful, because the situation could have blown the team apart before the season started.
Despite what it's meant to him financially, Fuller is opposed to the league's collective bargaining agreement.
``You've got the haves and the have-nots,'' he says. ``You take two workers doing the same job, with basically the same success. One makes 10 times the other one. There is going to be animosity. It's a system set up for failure.
Among the first calls Fuller received on becoming a free agent was from Buddy Ryan, asking him to come to Arizona, where Ryan had taken over as head coach.
Fuller was tempted, though he wanted to return east, near Chesapeake, to be near his father, mother and sister.
Fuller came to respect Ryan during the year they spent together in Houston.
``I liked Buddy; there wasn't a lot not to like,'' Fuller explains. ``He was a player's coach. But would I hire Buddy if I was an owner? That's a better question.
Mention the infamous scene of Ryan punching offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride during a game last season and Fuller shakes his head. He acknowledges the absurdity of it, but there's also some bitterness at management for ignoring Ryan.
``Somebody had to step up and say, `This is crazy, this offense isn't working,' '' Fuller says of the run-and-shoot. ``It was getting us in more trouble than it was worth.
``So he leaves. Suddenly, they get a tight end - what Buddy was screaming about. They get a fullback - what Buddy screamed about all year. Buddy leaves, and now they're talking about getting rid of the whole offense. That's what he'd been talking about the whole year, that we can not win with that offense.
Fuller had the second-most sacks of his career, 10, under Ryan.
Mention the NFL and pass-rushers in the same sentence and the first name that comes to mind is Bruce Smith.
And while every defensive end has been overwhelmed by the Buffalo Bills' perennial All-Pro, no one identity has been more obscured than Fuller's.
They attended high school at about the same time, Fuller at Indian River, Smith at Booker T.
Fuller went off to North Carolina, where he was first-team All-ACC, then the USFL's Philadelphia Stars before joining the NFL when the league folded.
Smith starred at Virginia Tech and the Bills made him the first selection in the 1985 draft.
Fuller acknowledges that Smith is a great player. He's lavish in his respect for Smith's ability. He's not jealous of Smith. He hesitates before answering whether he's felt lost in Smith's bright light, back home in Virginia or elsewhere.
``It bothered me at one time,'' he finally says. ``I think it happened because I stayed in Houston in the offseason, while Bruce came back to Virginia Beach. You got to see him, interview him, spend time with him.
``But it irked me that when I came back to Virginia, people said, `William Fuller, who?,' or `I don't remember you from high school,' or `Which college did you go to?' I don't think the fact that I didn't live there should have been as big a factor as it was.
That was 1991, the year Fuller led the AFC with 15 sacks and received the nickname ``Fuller Rush Man.'' You'd think something clever like that would stick. It has not, which has nothing to do with Bruce Smith or neglectful local media.
It's Houston, a Siberian outpost of a pro football town, particularly if the guy near you on the line was Ray Childress, an old Texas A&M Aggie.
``Another hell of a football player, don't take a thing away from him,'' Fuller begins. ``But if he did something, he got more `pub' than if I did the same thing. That's just how it is sometimes. Can't have too many guys getting notoriety at the same time, I guess.
``Ray's a good friend. We talk every week and I miss him. In Houston, we had a hell of a defensive line; three Pro Bowl players, and I guess there wasn't enough publicity to go around.
One factor in Philadelphia's favor was Fuller's history with the city. In his two seasons with the USFL Stars, he'd won two titles. There were front-office people on the Eagles who'd held similar jobs with the Stars. There was comfort.
But there also was his father and family in Chesapeake. They're never far from his thoughts. William Fuller Sr. is a diabetic, blind, an amputee, and, 10 days before Eagles training camp opened, he suffered a mild stroke.
Fuller's 33-year-old sister, Deborah, was left unable to speak or hear after a childhood case of meningitis. Betty Fuller isn't getting any younger.
The worst injury Fuller has suffered in football was a broken ankle his rookie season in the USFL. That's the only physical pain. Fuller looks in the mirror, sees someone 6-foot-3, 275 pounds, the epitome of health, and agonizes because he can't do more to help them.
``But they're my biggest supporters, and that's what's really kept me going.'' Fuller continues to give $500 a sack to diabetes research, as he has for years.
Before his blindness, William Fuller Sr. attended each of his son's games, no matter where. Lately, he's kept up with the play-by-play by listening to a television hooked up to a satellite dish.
``There's nothing like calling home after a big game and saying, `Did you see it?' '' Fuller says. ``When my mother walks into the grocery store and people are like, `Man, your son was killin' today,' I know if she's had a bad week, for that one moment she feels a lot of happiness.
Game time. There's a band on the field, about to play the national anthem. Fuller has entered his own little world, and the day's most important conversation is taking place.
It's the Fuller Psych, and it doesn't last long. Doesn't have to. He began watching film of his opponent on Wednesday; practices have given him a good idea of what he can or can't try today. Now he's looking for an edge. He knows but one way to find it.
C'mon, Fuller, you gotta do this. Think about everything you studied during the week. Take advantage. Don't get brain-locked. Mix it up. Get it going. Get your intensity up.
In Houston, Fuller looked in Childress' eyes prior to kickoff. There was a different look from the rest of the week and Fuller drew comfort and confidence from it.
He smiles. Thus far, they've been everywhere.
``I draw strength from William Perry. Byron Evans. Eric Thomas,'' he says. ``You can see the transformation. There are a lot of similarities in how the good players prepare. They get me where I want to go.
everybody that William Fuller is a hell of a player,'' he says.


HomeGaeilgeAitheantas le hAghaidh Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann?
Rugtar dhá leanaí bodhra gach seachtain in Éirinn, agus rugtar 90% do phaistí bodhra do tuismitheoirí a bhfuil sé de chumas acu chloisteáil. Is í Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann, (ISL a nglaotar ar go hiondúil) mar an teanga dúchasach nó an máthairtheanga do phobal bodhar na hÉireann. Úsáideann daoine ón Bhreatain, Teanga Chomharthaíochta na Breataine, agus úsáideann daoine Meiriceánach teanga Chomharthaíochta Meiriceá agus mar sin de. Athraíonn teanga chomharthaíochta ó náisiún go náisiún, an méid céanna le teanga labhartha. Tógann an phobal bodhar Éireannach go leor bród ina dteanga, a bhfuil tar éis bogadh síos na glúnta. Ní leagan chomharthaíochta don Bhéarla í Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann, ach teanga uathúil a bhfuil thar a bheith spásúil agus a bhfuil a ngramadach sonrach féin aige, ag obair na lámha, an aghaidh agus an corp chun cumarsáid a dhéanamh.
Déanann Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann aontú ar an bpobal bodhar trí cultúr, stair agus pobal. Tá thart ar 6,000 duine bhodhair in Éirinn, arbh í Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann a gcéad teanga, agus an teanga ab fhearr leo, ach tá 60,000 duine eile a bhaineann úsáid as an teanga chun cumarsáid a dhéanamh le cairde agus clan atá bodhar.
Is é Cumann Bodhar na hÉireann an eagraíocht is mó a bhfuil á stiúradh ag daoine bodhra in Éirinn, a bhfuil ag obair leis an phobal Bhodhair agus iad siúd le deacraíochtaí éisteachta. Díríonn obair an tsochaí seo ar chothromaíocht agus rochtain a bhaint amach do dhaoine bodhra. Bíonn siad ag iarraidh bacainní a bhriseadh síos a cúisíonn le mí-braistintí do na bodhair- rud a chuireann cosc ar dhaoine bodhra rochtain a fháil ar an ionad oibre nó nach dtugann deis do Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann a bheith aitheanta mar theanga oifigiúil.
I rith díospóireacht san seanad le linn seachtain feasachta de chuid Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann i mí Méan Fómhair, dúirt an seanadóir Mark Daly go bhfuilimid i láthair na huaire ag sárú comhaontuithe idirnáisiúnta a shínimid maidir le baill an phobal bodhar, san áireamh anseo, Comhdháil na Náisiún Aontaithe maidir le cearta Daoine le Mhí-Chumais agus Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta, maidir le baill an phobal bodhar agus an bhealach nach faigheann siad an teacht céanna ar seirbhísí Rialtais agus a fhaigheann saoránaigh eile.
D’éirigh leis an tseanadóir Mark Daly, agus é ag obair le Cumann Bodhar na hÉireann, gealltanas a fháil ón tAire Caiteachais Phoiblí agus Athchóirithe. Is féidir le baill uilig an Oireachtas iarratas a dhéanamh anois i dtaobh costais a bhaineann le seirbhísí teanga (a leithéid d’aistriúcháin, léirmhíniú, mí-chumais, m.sh Braille ) Ligeann sé seo do Bhaill an Oireachtas léirmhínitheoirí teanga chomharthaíochta a fhostú anois le haghaidh cruinnithe agus clinice le baill an phobal bodhar.
Leanann an streachailt ar aghaidh chun stádas mar theanga oifigiúil a bhaint amach do Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann. Bhí dea-nuachta maidir leis an scéal seo le déanaí. Ar an 9ú Deireadh Fómhair, ritheadh rún sa Seanad d’aon ghuth ag iarraidh ar an rialtas aitheantas a thabhairt do Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann. Bhí baill de chuid Cumann Bodhar na hÉireann agus an Grúpa Aitheantas le haghaidh Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann i láthair ag an éisteacht. Is céim eile í seo ar an dréimire chuig aitheantas le haghaidh Teanga Chomharthaíochta na hÉireann a bhaint amach.


Which doctors cost Medicare the most?
Depends how you look at it. The top 10 highest average payments for all procedures ranged from $126 for opthalmologists to $447 for cardiac surgeons.
But some of the highest payments went to ambulance suppliers such as Ada County or outpatient surgery centers - not individual doctors.
In case you're wondering who got the lowest payments, it's laboratories. They averaged $17 per service. Pediatricians, independent audiologists, chiropractors and physical therapists also averaged $25 or less.
For total Medicare spending in Idaho, family doctors as a profession claimed the most dollars - about $15.3 million.
Ophthalmologists were No. 2 for highest total payment as a profession, at $14.7 million.
Does that mean family doctors and specialists made big profits?
Not necessarily. Family doctors saw a lot of patients - about 250,000 under Medicare - in 2012 and performed more than two services per Medicare patient that year. They didn't bill Medicare the most, or get paid the most, as a profession.
Ophthalmologists in Idaho had among the highest payments. Like other specialists in the Medicare data, a lot of their charges were for giving patients injections or medication.
Dr. Leo Harf of Intermountain Eye Clinic was among the top-paid Treasure Valley doctors. Because he specializes in diseases like macular degeneration, about 98 percent of his clients are on Medicare, said Angie Cornell, office manager for the practice's Nampa office.
The main reason his payments were so high is that his patients get injections of "extremely expensive" drugs, Cornell said. Profits on those drugs from Medicare are "pretty close to zero," she said, partly because it takes anywhere from a month to several months to get Medicare reimbursement, during which time interest accrues on the drug purchas.
"His drug expenses are astronomical anymore," she said.
Vials of one medication can cost $2,000 each, she said. Harf has tried to use cheaper versions - $65 per vial, for example - by ordering them from compounding pharmacies. But that's not ideal, she said, because patients using that drug have to make two office visits - one to get the prescription, another to get the drug injected after the prescription is filled.
Why is one extra office visit a problem? The doctor has patients who drive from Sun Valley, McCall and Baker City, Ore., she said.
How can I get the most bang for my buck as a health care consumer?
We can't answer that from this data. But medical providers in some counties, particularly in North Idaho, charged more than their peers for an office visit.
Note: Counties with zero office-visit charges in 2012 are not shown.
Ada County got the largest share of Medicare money for the state - more than $55 million - but its medical providers ranked No. 7 for average payments, and they charged the fourth-highest rates in the state for all services.


That the lengthy list of cold-blooded animals is dominated by reptiles and amphibians shouldn't really come as a surprise, considering that nearly all animals in these groups are ectotherms. As you go through some examples provided in this AnimalSake article, you will get a better idea as to which species are considered cold-blooded.
A prominent difference between a warm-blooded animal and a cold-blooded animal is that the former can stay active in winter, the latter can't; not without risking its life at least.
That there are no snakes in Antarctica is a well-known fact. They cannot survive in the freezing conditions of Antarctica, or the Arctic for that matter. Nor can turtles, crocodiles, and other species that are classified as 'cold-blooded animals'. So what is with these species that makes it impossible for them to survive in cold regions? The answer is their inability to control the temperature of their body.
Cold-blooded animals or ectotherms are animals that lack an internal physiological mechanism to regulate their body temperature and thus, rely on the temperature of their surroundings for the same. Most of these species are found in areas where the temperature is more or less stable. As for those species which are found in areas with extreme climate, they have a whole lot of behavioral adaptations to help them survive.
Except for mammals and birds, which are warm-blooded, nearly all species found on the planet are cold-blooded. That will include reptiles, amphibians, arachnids, insects, and certain species of fish as well. That makes it difficult to compile a list of animals which will include every cold-blooded animal, unless you are writing a book of course. An easier way out is to take each of these groups individually and see how these animals cope with their surroundings.
By lying perpendicular to the Sun, the lizard makes the most of available resources.
By keeping its jaws wide open, the crocodile can keep its brain cool while basking.
Even turtles bask in order to keep their body temperature within the desired range.
As the soil is wet with morning dew, snakes prefer to bask on rocks and trees.
As frogs have cryoprotectants in their body, they can survive even after freezing.
Tent caterpillars bask in the sun to elevate their body temperature in early spring.
Bees and other insects huddle into large groups to stay warm when it is cold.
If it gets too warm, even snails, which are otherwise active in summer, estivate.
In winter, snakes take shelter in holes or burrows to survive the cold weather.
Salamanders simply move between warm and cold areas as and when it suits them.
Being cold-blooded, it is mandatory for reptiles to warm up to perform certain body functions, including digestion and locomotion. In order to accomplish this, most reptiles, like lizards, snakes, and crocodiles, bask in the sun. For lizards and crocodiles, lying perpendicular to the direction of the Sun is the simplest way of elevating their body temperature above the ambient temperature. Lizards can even expand their rib cage to increase the surface area of their body and darken their skin color to absorb more heat. Even snakes can expand their body to increase the surface area. When it is very hot, these species do the exact opposite, i.e, take shelter in shade or burrow, lie parallel to the sun's rays, and lighten their skin color.
In the morning, these species choose to bask on rocks or plants. The soil, with all that dew on it, doesn't serve the purpose. Rocks are favorable as they dissipate heat. In the evening, snakes and lizards rest on rocks, which continue to dissipate heat even after sunset, before returning to the warmth of their burrows.
As you must have noticed, alligators and crocodiles keep their jaws wide open while basking. The resultant evaporative cooling helps them keep their brain cool, even as the rest of the body becomes warm. Similarly, collared lizards run on their hind legs to produce artificial breeze to cool down when the temperature soars. In winter, turtles take shelter under rocks at the bottom of lakes and rivers. Instead of coming to the surface to breathe, they absorb oxygen that is dissolved in the water through their cloaca.
Despite the fact that they are cold-blooded, amphibians are found in a wide range of habitats, right from the Arctic to the tropical rainforests. The group is largely made up of frogs, which resort to estivation or hibernation to survive harsh weather. Those species of frogs that estivate become dormant and burrow into the soil to survive dry season, only to return to the surface when it starts raining. On the other hand, those species that hibernate go into a dormant state to survive the freezing winter. While terrestrial frogs hibernate on land, either digging into soil or finding crevices for themselves, aquatic frogs hibernate underwater.
Just hibernating is not enough, as the places where they hibernate are not totally protected. Therefore, frogs and other amphibians rely on chemical compounds, known as cryoprotectants, to minimize the damage that is caused to their body as a result of freezing. Salamanders, in contrast, simply move between warm and cold areas and let their surroundings do the needful. For them, moisture is perhaps more important than temperature.
Insects like bumble bees, dragonflies, and moths vibrate their flight muscles to increase their internal temperature. That is somewhat similar to us humans shivering in order to keep warm on a cold night. For most insect species, warming up is a necessity, as they cannot fly until the temperature of their flight muscles reaches a specific level. Therefore, we see them basking in the sun for sometime at the beginning of the day. Once in flight, they can raise the temperature to 80 °F and keep it steady throughout the flight.
As for caterpillars, they have to bask in the sun in order to elevate their body temperature above the ambient temperature. The tent caterpillars are named so because of their tendency to build a 'tent' where they bask in groups to elevate their body temperature on an otherwise cold spring morning. As for those insects that live in swarms, such as different species of bees, they stay warm by huddling into groups.
Spiders, scorpions, and other arachnids simply become less active when the temperature drops. If it is possible for scorpions to exist in the harshest places on the Earth, despite being cold-blooded, it is because of their ability to easily adapt to the changes in their surroundings. They will stay in their burrow when it's too hot and surface the moment the conditions outside become favorable. Species of scorpions that are found in higher latitudes hibernate in winter.
That spiders are attracted to warmth and thus, come into the house on a cold night, is one of the several myths about the species. As with other cold-blooded species, even spiders find it difficult to survive in extreme weather regardless of whether it's too cold or too hot. When it is too cold, they either burrow or resort to cryoprotectants to survive. Most species of centipedes and millipedes migrate when the weather is too hot or cold, others burrow into the ground.
There is a specific temperature range in which fish can survive. As with other ectotherms, when fish warm up, which invariably happens when they are in warm water, their metabolic rate increases, so they require more oxygen. However, as the water becomes warm, its ability to hold oxygen reduces, and thus, if the temperature is too high, fish can find it difficult to breathe and may even die. When the temperature of the water they inhabit becomes unbearable, fish move to other parts of the water body. If at all, they benefit from the fact that the change in the temperature of water happens slowly, giving them enough time to move out of there.
In order to survive, some species of fish bury themselves in the mud at the bottom of the water source, while others find a cooler area and take shelter there. Those species, which are found in higher latitudes, migrate to tropical waters or move deeper in winter. Like frogs and spiders, some fish species have cryoprotectants in their body to help them battle freezing winters.
Not all fish and reptiles are cold-blooded though. There do exist species which can regulate the temperature of certain organs of their body internally. The bluefin tuna, for instance, regulates the temperature of its internal organs by moving its muscles to produce heat. The great white shark can harness the heat its body produces from metabolism and use it to keep its organs warm. The leatherback sea turtle can generate heat by swimming constantly and even retain the same as a result of its large size, thus maintaining a warm body temperature even in cold water.
Cold-blooded animals require less energy to survive compared to warm-blooded animals. On the flip side, it becomes mandatory for them to warm up before indulging in any sort of physical activity, may it be hunting or fleeing from a predator.


I recently wrote a blog post about a situation where a citizen asked an ethics commission for ethics advice when council members failed to do so and, despite the corporation counsel's suggestion that it provide the advice, the ethics commission refused to provide it.
In this post, I would like to consider the matter about which the citizen sought advice. The matter involved the appropriateness of council members affiliated with a church participating in a matter that involved funding for renovation of a wall along the church's parking lot. If the council voted to do the renovation, it would expend tax dollars to improve the church's property. The church would not receive any money, but since the wall apparently needs fixing, the decision would save church members from having to pay to fix the wall.
Beyond the financial aspect of this situation, there is (1) the issue of the appearance of church members supporting their church, and (2) the issue of the council members' conflict situation, which puts them in the uncomfortable position of opposing their church if they feel the project is not best for the city as a whole. Either way, church members are in a conflict situation.
Most of the council members had some affiliation with the church. The question is, what affiliation, if any, would be sufficient to require withdrawal from this matter. The same considerations would apply whether the affiliation were with a house of worship or with a club or private school or other non-profit that owns land in the city (or, for that matter, sought a government grant). However, considering the separation of church and state, officials should be extra careful when it comes to affiliation with a church.
The most serious conflict would involve individuals who are in a paid position with the church, such as a clergy member or a teacher at the church school. Especially since the church was strongly supporting the council bill, it would be hard for an employee to vote against a bill that would benefit her employer, and voting for the bill would appear to be done to benefit her employer. It's a lose-lose situation for the council member. A part-time position, such as choir director, would create the same sort of conflict and appearance.
Since a member of the church board would have likely made the decision to support the bill, this position would clearly be sufficient to require a council member to withdraw from the matter. But what about a member of the board of the church's school? This board may not have taken a position on the bill, but since the school is part of the church, its board members would be equally identified with the church's interests. Therefore, it would be best for a church school board member to withdraw.
If it is the council member's spouse who has a paid or board position with the church, the council member should also withdraw. But what if it is the council member's sibling, parent, or child? We are now moving into a grayer area, where the council's decision not to treat the matter as a request for ethics advice makes a great deal of difference. A council member whose sister is a teacher at the church school should most likely not be found in violation of a basic conflict of interest provision, but if the council member had sought advice, as she should have, I would have suggested that she withdraw from the matter.
In fact, any member of the church has an appearance problem, even if the council member's family has no direct financial interest in the church or obligation to the church as a board member. If the project were approved, church members would not have to pay to fix the wall (a substantial amount of money is involved). Whether or not a particular family gives to the church is. I think, not really relevant (some of the council members did feel that not giving to the church's annual fund is relevant). What is relevant is the perception that this is the family's house of worship, and that anyone is seen to favor her house of worship over the public interest in having a church wall fixed by the church.
One of the council members the citizen sought ethics advice about has grandchildren at the church school and a daughter on the church school's board, but is not a member of the church. Grandchildren at the school is too removed to require withdrawal. But a daughter on the school board is close enough, I think, to make an ethics officer suggest withdrawal.
It was alleged that another of the council members had a son who went to the church school (it appears that the son merely attended another church's classes, which are held at the school). Attending classes at a church is too removed to require withdrawal, but having a son enrolled in the school is sufficient, especially since the council member is himself a member of the church.
Other members had less affiliation with the church. One had gone there only as a child, the wife of another had taught at the church school two decades ago. These relationships are too removed to require withdrawal.
According to an article in the Meriden (CT) Record-Journal, two council members gave reasons why their church membership does not create a conflict. One said that although a member of the church, he rarely attends. This, I think, is irrelevant. Another council member said that her vote on the project did not have to do with her church affiliation, but rather with her use of the parking lot to go to local businesses and the Post Office downtown. In other words, she thought the project was valuable, and did not consider the church. But how could anyone know whether this was actually true? This is the point of conflict provisions: we cannot know why an official supports or opposes any matter. We can only require that she withdraw when she has a conflict.
One problem is that a majority of council members are members of the church. If they all withdrew, there would not be a quorum. This brings into operation the Rule of Necessity, which requires that members disclose their conflicts on the public record, and then vote. This is the irony here: all the church members could have acknowledged that their relationship with the church required them to withdraw, and yet they still could have voted.
However, there is a better alternative. When one house of worship is over-represented on a local government body, and there are substantial sums of government money involved, the body can vote not on the project itself, but on turning the matter over to a consultant to determine whether the project is in the public interest. The body would still have the final vote, but at least the public would be assured that a neutral expert had studied the project and had felt that it was in the public interest. It is this assurance that is the goal of government ethics.


"A DECADE of austerity" will undermine public services and the economy across the UK, according to opposition parties reacting to the spending review announcement by Chancellor George Osborne MP.
Tory plans to reduce the state to 36.5 per cent of the economy - the lowest level since the 1940s - will continue despite protestations that the cuts will undermine the performance of the UK and permanently disfigure social cohesion through to the damage caused to key government departments.
The overall economic strategy presented by Osborne to the House of Commons today [Wednesday 25 November] remained largely in line with his previous plans to shrink services, especially for those on low earnings, housing support and in government economic development support.
However, Osborne was accused of carrying out key U-turns on tax credit cuts, police and military spending following pressure from opposition parties and Tory rebels.
SNP deputy leader Stewart Hosie criticised the five-year plan for including "PS40bn more than he needs to" in government cuts. He warned that "a decade of austerity" would intensify inequality, and undermine economic performance in productivity, national exports and tax collection.
He criticised cuts to the business department, UK trade and investment and the closure of HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) offices.
Describing the review as a "shambles", Hosie claimed the plans represented a bad deal for Scotland and asked whether money had been allocated for any military bombing then reconstruction action in Syria.
Osborne, responding to Hosie, attacked Scottish independence and claimed higher military spending would benefit Scotland.
The details of the spending review confirmed that Scotland's budget will be reduced by a further five per cent over the parliament, following a previous 10 per cent cut between 2010 and 2015.
Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell criticised the Tory strategy for failing to meet its own deficit reduction plans: "Instead of taking five years to eliminate the deficit as he promised its going to take 10."
McDonnell added that 85 per cent of tax and social security changes have hit women, disabled people have been hit 18 times harder by cuts and 4.1 million children now live in "absolute poverty", according to research.
In a moment of pantomime, McDonnell quoted from chairman Mao's 'Little Red Book' in homage to Osborne's alliance with the people's republic of China, which will gain a large investment stake in English nuclear power stations.
- Tax credit cuts have been revised. They will now happen later as part of the Universal Credit system from 2020. Cuts in access to tax credits will go ahead.
- Deeper cuts to Landlord Subsidy (Housing Benefit) will be introduced, including a cap on social housing support and a block on payments for anyone who leaves the UK for one month.
- Osborne will miss his 'welfare cap' aim at the start of the parliament, but will cut the full PS12bn from social security over the course of the parliament.
- Smaller UK departments face deep cuts. Business, Innovation and Skills (17 per cent), Transport (37 per cent), Energy and Climate Change (16 per cent), Justice (15 per cent), Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (15 per cent), HM Revenue and Customs (18 per cent).
- Financial modelling adjustments mean Osborne claims to have billions in extra revenue (PS3.3bn from VAT changes and PS2.8bn from National Insurance over the parliament).
- The new direction on tax credit changes presses the restart button on how the Scottish Parliament could use future tax and welfare powers to alleviate austerity.
John Wilson, Independent MSP and Scottish Green Party spokesperson for fair work, said: "Today we see George Osborne continue down the road of attacking working people and vulnerable groups in society with punitive cuts to public spending. Austerity has already failed, by the chancellor's own measures, and yet he continues to use it to attack those least able in society to deal with such cuts."