tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13463036556098515232024-02-07T05:20:21.701-05:00Shifting Gears<br><b>Shifting Gears</b>
<br>Making a life decision to drop everything and go west...<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.comBlogger38125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-90682457888341857002018-08-07T15:32:00.000-04:002018-08-07T18:39:01.168-04:00Revisiting Legends: Indiana Jones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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Adventure stories, especially those pulpy treasure hunting myths, are a guilty pleasure of mine. Over the weekend, I completed Haggard's novel <i>King Solomon's Mines</i> while also watching the first three Indiana Jones films - the latter two with my wife, in her first viewing unbeknownst to me.</div>
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All of these works capture a person's imagination in so many ways by depicting dark continents and foreboding omens that block the path to untold fortune and glory. Given that, we should see so much more entertainment like this - thoughtful, creative, exhilarating. Yet we don't. Our sense of adventure seems to have dissipated with a fading love for history, and with the world seeming smaller now than at the time period of the works I re-visited. </div>
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Dan Brown's <i>Da Vinci Code </i>created a brief sensation that neither its sequels or any other such pretenders could capitalize upon. The two <i>National Treasure</i> films were giddy fun, but the <a href="https://www.cinemablend.com/new/Why-National-Treasure-3-Taking-So-Long-According-Nicolas-Cage-133327.html" target="_blank">prospect seems dim</a> of their continuing as Nic Cage's career trajectory has yet to stabilize. And <i>Tomb Raider</i>, arguably a completely derivative property, has succeeded in video game from only to flail and fail on film.</div>
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As I watched the exploits of Indiana Jones, I was still held rapt by what transpired on screen despite the events being all too familiar. I had watched the series' fourth installment a few months ago and now feel compelled to offer my definitive ranking on the films, worst to best.</div>
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Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull</h4>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">River Phoenix, <br />
he is not...</td></tr>
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The return of the character was much heralded, but the execution was completely lacking. While the film had some welcome moments, such as the return of Indy's lost love, it was rife with questionable casting choices (I like Shia LeBoeuf - but not here), an over-reliance on CGI effects, and a storyline that held none of the wonder and excitement of the first films.</div>
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In all, it felt like almost everyone except Cate Blanchett was just going through the paces. Which is probably why writing anything more than a paragraph about it seems to feel about the same. I will say this though: if rumors of a fifth entry* in the franchise are realized, a return to <a href="https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/oscar-effects-how-prometheus-explored-the-future-by-looking-into-the-past/" target="_blank">practical visual effects</a> is an absolute necessity - the film feels inauthentic without them.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><i>*
Harrison Ford is on board to return to #5 at the age of 80. If it
continues past that, I hereby nominate Bradley Cooper or Nathan Fillion
to take the role. The former has the acting chops, the latter the geek
appeal. The worst possible choice I've heard mentioned is Chris Pratt,
who is nothing more than the hot name of the day and couldn't pull off the character's darker elements.</i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </div>
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Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom</h4>
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Prior to this viewing I would have actually ranked this second. But whether it was how the character was written, or the portrayal of the actress involved, Kate Capshaw ruins most every scene she is in. According to <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087469/trivia" target="_blank">IMDB's trivia</a>, the actress has admitted to not liking the role, which was probably meant to echo early-Hollywood scream queens, and the effect it has on the film is palpable.</div>
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The subtle humor of the first Indy film - mostly physical - is replaced by overt gags and slapstick that just doesn't work, even when Capshaw isn't involved. The scene with Short Round and Indy fighting over cards works - right up until Willie starts screaming and running around the camp. Then the shot of her and the snake again works. The unevenness of how the sequences are handled makes it more apparent they aren't succeeding.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The rare comedic moment that works.</td></tr>
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What makes it worse is the contrast to the film's dark thematic elements that <i>do</i> work. The hellish underbelly of Pankot and the rituals that take place therein were meant to legitimately terrify - and they do. And despite the fact that these scenes (along with the expository dinner sequence that pays homage to James Bond) were decried as <a href="https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2012/05/the-50-most-racist-movies/indiana-jones-and-the-temple-of-the-doom" target="_blank">stereotyping</a>, they are nearly identical in content and tone to the Spielberg-produced <i>Young Sherlock Holmes</i> - which received no such criticism.</div>
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Watching <i>Temple of Doom </i>again, it felt like a suitable sequel (er, prequel) but lacked the carefully lensed scenework and the sheer passion for the material that pervaded the original.</div>
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Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade</h4>
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As a kid, this was actually my favorite, and for one reason alone: Sean Connery. Viewing the film again, it is easy to underestimate Connery's performance, but his interaction with Indy is what holds the film together and gives it a gravitas that none of the other films in the series possess. Honestly, it should have earned Connery another Oscar nomination. From his introductory scene in the Austrian castle, to his insightful plea to a dangling Indy in the temple, he brings a grace and humor to every scene he is in and every line he delivers.</div>
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The dialogue is much improved in <i>Last Crusade</i>, and a lot of that has to do with the scripting of the relationship with the Jones boys (which was handled by the <a href="https://creativescreenwriting.com/indiana-jones-and-the-last-crusade-learning-from-stoppard/" target="_blank">legendary Tom Stoppard</a>). It feels effortless and real, and the touches of humor are seamless with the rest of the script. And when the jokes are verbal, and not just physical, they are eminently memorable and definitely canonical.<br />
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The action set pieces are again first-rate, but now they feel a little less innovative, and a little more like a variation on what we've previously seen. The opening scene is fun, and feels a lot more like a James Bond intro than a part of the story as it did in the other films. Yet my concluding thoughts bring me back to a line from the first film: "it's not the years, its the mileage". In this film, it felt like they had gotten everything they could from the character at this scale of project (the TV show is another story).</div>
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Raider of the Lost Ark</h4>
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There is a shot - one shot - in this film that demonstrates its sheer excellence and cements its standing as one of the great movies of all time. <span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Indiana Jones is walking out of
Marion's Himalayan bar, and he turns to look back. The pattern of the screening on
the door allows for the framing and illumination of his eyes. We see the remorse he's felt for having hurt Marion so deeply and pushing her towards a life on the edge of the world. </span></span></span><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">So
many shots in the film seem taken straight from the panel of an old
comic, but that is the finest.
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just one of the many exquisite uses of light <br />
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<span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">You could literally go scene by scene in this movie - and I'm sure some folks have - and discuss the care and attention that went into every shot. This was the movie that a kid named Steven dreamed of making a million times over in his head, and a man named Spielberg was given full rein to film. There are no wasted frames, no misplaced lines of dialogue, and no energy is lost in exposition. </span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"></span></span></span></span></span></span><br /></div>
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<span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"></span></span></span></span></span></span>
<span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><span class="UFICommentActorAndBody"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">There are few perfect movies in existence. Fewer still that are action films. The lightning struck but that once for Spielberg, and though he would try to repeat it - and I'm grateful that he did - you just never feel the same when watching the films that came after.</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bottleneckgallery.com/products/gabz-indiana-jones-trilogy-timed-edition" target="_blank">Buy</a> this for me, will ya? </td></tr>
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<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-38069672872734900182018-07-28T12:27:00.007-04:002018-07-28T13:34:01.491-04:00Montana Democrats Continue to Embarrass Themselves on National StageIt has been an interesting couple of weeks in Montana politics. While one elected official tries to make nice with the president his party continues to demonize, another who seems bent on replacing Trump as Commander in Chief made himself look really foolish on the national stage.<br />
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As President Trump made a swing through the Treasure State, Senator Jon Tester, in a heated race to retain his seat against State Auditor Matt Rosendale, started running ads that seemingly praised the president, both in print and broadcast. <br />
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Here's the newspaper ad Sen. Tester's campaign is running in the Great Falls Tribune and newspapers across Montana ahead of President Trump's rally in the state tonight <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MTSen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MTSen</a> <a href="https://t.co/SmUBw1gEFG">pic.twitter.com/SmUBw1gEFG</a></div>
— Johnny Verhovek (@JTHVerhovek) <a href="https://twitter.com/JTHVerhovek/status/1014861417621671936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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His broadcast ads, saying only an auctioneer could rattle off all his signed bills, conveniently does not reference his party affiliation, while suggesting some sort of alliance with the president.<br />
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And while he's happy to tout his legislative victories when they align to the president, Tester also slammed the Trump administration's decision to no longer have the IRS require non-profit political groups report their donors.<br />
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D.C. bureaucrats just changed the rules to allow some politically active non-profits to hide large contributions. This is unacceptable & Washington at its worst. I’ll keep fighting for transparency & to bring elections out of the darkness. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mtpol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mtpol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/mtsen?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#mtsen</a><a href="https://t.co/NtQbcVk9aD">https://t.co/NtQbcVk9aD</a></div>
— Jon Tester (@jontester) <a href="https://twitter.com/jontester/status/1019275814263635968?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The IRS was accused of <a href="https://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-new-irs-documents-show-lerner-need-conservative-group-donor-lists-emails-mention-secret-research-project-top-irs-official/" target="_blank">rampant abuse</a> in the collection of donor information under President Obama. Tester had initially posted a tweet that was later deleted which stated this rule change would limit public disclosure - which was never actually the case.<br />
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The irony of Tester's position is palpable to anyone who has spent any length of time in Montana: <a href="https://montanafreepress.org/2013/01/08/propublica-in-montana-dark-money-helped-democrats-hold-a-key-senate-seat/" target="_blank">most pundits say</a> that without a dark money group intervening on his behalf in 2012, Tester would have lost his election to Denny Rehberg.<br />
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And it doesn't even seem like that group wants to appear like a legitimately active organization.<br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DarkMoney?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DarkMoney</a> outfit (run by member of Tester's Sportsmen's Advisory Panel), which dumped $1.2M of dark money into the 2012 election to help Tester only has 7 followers, including a Tester staffer, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheTRCP?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheTRCP</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/Backcountry_H_A?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Backcountry_H_A</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MTPol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MTPol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MTNews?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MTNews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/StopBigMoney?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StopBigMoney</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DarkMoneyFilm?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DarkMoneyFilm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MTFreePress?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MTFreePress</a> <a href="https://t.co/ipkmqXBj1p">pic.twitter.com/ipkmqXBj1p</a></div>
— Matthew Koehler (@KoehlerMatthew) <a href="https://twitter.com/KoehlerMatthew/status/1022226693551992833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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So while Tester talks out of both sides of his mouth, in Helena, Gov. Steve Bullock took things a step further by using his office and taxpayer dollars to file a lawsuit that seems to have no basis in anything other than his own political ambitions.<br />
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Hey there, quick update: I’m suing the IRS over dark money. <a href="https://t.co/SeMU7NR6UW">pic.twitter.com/SeMU7NR6UW</a></div>
— Steve Bullock (@GovernorBullock) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorBullock/status/1021832062750183425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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And if the governor's intent was to get his name in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/24/us/politics/steve-bullock-montana-irs.html" target="_blank">national news</a> to promote his aspirations and increase recognition, it isn't the first time he's made so craven an attempt. <br />
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I signed an executive order at my former high school to ensure the State of Montana will only do business with companies that adhere to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/netneutrality?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#netneutrality</a> and I'm inviting all other states to join me - if you want a copy, I'll personally email it to you. <a href="https://t.co/ZZSJ0ZrELp">pic.twitter.com/ZZSJ0ZrELp</a></div>
— Steve Bullock (@GovernorBullock) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorBullock/status/955509233293733888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>All of this, along with accepting the role to chair the National Governor's Association, seems to be clearly positioning Bullock for a 2020 presidential run.<br />
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Bullock has a lot of charisma and proven appeal in a rural state, has been waiting for a good chance to try to get some national attention. <a href="https://t.co/DOAppYegpI">https://t.co/DOAppYegpI</a></div>
— Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) <a href="https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/1021858914076422144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2018</a></blockquote>
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It was a notion from which Bullock did not dissuade Chris Matthews in a truly embarrassing nationally televised interview. As Bullock seemed to chuckle like a nervous teenager on a first date at every question thrown his way, eventually answering them with empty platitudes, Matthews grew weary of his nonchalance.<br />
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Asking Bullock if he'd like to be known as a socialist, when Bullock again just laughed, Matthews retorted "You just laugh at all my questions, you gotta answer them... This is what its like running for president." <br />
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In the meantime, the governor also reversed course on accepting a contract renewal from private prison operators at home in Montana, sending people from the left and the right into a tizzy.<br />
<br />
In an enormous step back for criminal justice reform, <a href="https://twitter.com/GovernorBullock?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovernorBullock</a> just committed Montana & taxpayer dollars to <a href="https://twitter.com/CoreCivic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoreCivic</a>, a corporation that disregards constitutional rights & treats humans as financial assets. Montana’s financial future is now tied to mass incarceration.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
— ACLU of Montana (@ACLUMT) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACLUMT/status/1022235780519944192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
<br />
Despite having said the deal "doesn't make sense for Montanans" just <a href="http://cordilleramontana.worldnow.com/story/37883216/bullock-admin-rejects-private-prison-contract-offer-corecivic-provides-details" target="_blank">months ago</a>,
Bullock set aside his reservations, the prospect of meaningful criminal
justice reform in state, and the civil liberties of his constituency,
all just as <a href="https://helenair.com/news/government-and-politics/bullock-will-use-excess-revenue-to-backfill-budget-cuts-announces/article_f2eec7fc-ccdb-50aa-b78d-d37bfeb3b033.html" target="_blank">the state reported </a>that they would receive revenues <u><b>higher than anticipated</b></u>.<br />
<br />
He
tied all of this together in a nice package that seemed to emphasize
restoring Medicaid cuts as a panacea and diversion tactic for having signed back with the
prison contractor.<br />
<br />
But the same guy who claims he seeks transparency
seemed to be shying away from it in the wake of this dubious decision. There was no media response from the governor regarding this action.<br />
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-37638325202038189262018-07-15T15:04:00.000-04:002018-07-15T22:41:21.842-04:00Unions Need to Evolve to Survive<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
The last several weeks have seen a
sea change for unions in the United States. After decades of protection from
labor-friendly administrations and judges, the tide has turned and is no longer
in their favor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
And while many in the labor movement
may see nothing but one defeat after another, there is a real opportunity for a
fresh start and a return to labor’s roots, while also forgoing the recent history that labor has had in using coercive means to bolster fundraising and membership.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
Rapidly Evolving Landscape</b></h3>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
</h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br />
In one decision after another, the
Trump administration has sought to curtail union activity where it could. First,
over Memorial Day Weekend, it restricted the <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2018/05/29/trumps-executive-order-on-unions-will-hurt-federal-employees/">amount
of time</a> federal employees could spend on union activity while on the clock.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
The president then <a href="https://ijr.com/2018/07/1109111-trump-changed-controversial-unions-rule/">followed
with</a> overturning an Obama rule that allowed unions to take dues directly
from Medicaid payments to providers. The practice of ‘provider payment
reassignment’ <a href="https://spn.org/landing_page/protect-providers/">had funneled</a>
hundreds of millions of dollars from workers to unions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
In between these bookend executive
branch actions was the real whopper though: the Supreme Court decision in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Janus v. AFSCME</i>, a case that marks a <a href="https://ijr.com/2018/06/1106656-janus-aftermath/">watershed moment</a> in
modern labor politics.</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-cards="hidden" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
"So many of us have been forced to pay for political speech and policy positions with which we disagree, just so we can keep our jobs. This is a victory for all of us." Mark Janus, after his Supreme Court victory this morning. <a href="https://t.co/ZV3YZT5AKH">https://t.co/ZV3YZT5AKH</a></div>
— reason (@reason) <a href="https://twitter.com/reason/status/1011979975233163264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Public employee unions are no longer
able to mandate that non-members contribute to their cause. After years and
years of expanding their political footprint into areas that no longer resemble
labor advocacy, and in some cases contradict their own membership’s beliefs, workers
decided that they‘d had enough. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
The Janus case shifts the burden
back to the unions. No longer can they demand every employee pay into their
coffers, and in fact, employees <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/07/supreme-court-ruling-janus-case-no-more-opt-out-rules-for-unions/">must
now opt-in</a> for the unions to collect anything at all. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
This specifically impacted the same
segment of employees as the provider payment reassignment: in many cases these
were private employees being paid with public health funds, leading to a
classification as “partial public employees”, or PPEs. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
In some states, the National Review
reports that PPE unions are formed with only ten percent of the eligible employees
casting a vote in favor. It is then made notoriously difficult for employees to
rescind membership. Unions cashed in when these workers failed to opt-out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
The massive impact of <i>Janus </i>was predicted by
even the largest and most engaged of unions. As reported by <a href="https://www.the74million.org/how-big-a-bite-could-the-supreme-courts-janus-ruling-take-out-of-teachers-unions-the-nea-is-expecting-to-lose-50-million-and-possibly-300000-members/">The
74</a>, The National Educators Association anticipated losing over 300,000 members
in the first two years, and reacted by slashing $50 million from its budget. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
In an irony of ironies, an organization
charged with protecting jobs preemptively laid off nearly ten percent of its
workforce. This is the same organization that donated $20 million to political
candidates over the 2017-2018 cycle according to <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php?ind=L1300">OpenSecrets.org</a>.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Therein lies the issue for unions: do
they continue to spend money hand over fist in trying to elect favorable
candidates, while also advocating divisive issues irrelevant to their base’s employment?
Or do they shift gears and work to engage a stronger and more committed
membership?<br />
<br />
And while the numbers reported
already suggest that unions have an uphill battle – agency fees <a href="https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/state/california/article213953319.html">ceased
being deducted</a> for 70,000 public employees in California the week Janus was
decided – that is where the opportunity for them lies. </div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
70,000 Public Employees in CA Freed From Compulsory Union Fees; More to Follow? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Janus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Janus</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SCOTUS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SCOTUS</a> <a href="https://t.co/YjIOcKxd0C">https://t.co/YjIOcKxd0C</a></div>
— Andrew Forcier (@ForcierForMT) <a href="https://twitter.com/ForcierForMT/status/1012721070183346177?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Mandatory union membership and
agency fees are now a thing of the past. Instead of embracing that and carving
out a path forward, unions have called upon their allies in the Democratic
party to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/democrats-try-to-undermine-anti-union-janus-ruling">undermine
Janus</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
What do each of the proposed ‘solutions’
have in common? They perpetuate the coercive means by which unions grew to
monolithic stature, but also by which they began to crumble. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
In Hawaii, taxpayers would directly and
involuntarily fund unions rather than the employees provide dues themselves. Vermont
legislators would have people pay for union representation in grievances – <i>even
if they didn’t want it</i>. This is just the start, and other politicians have <a href="https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/response-janus-decision-governor-cuomo-signs-executive-order-protect-union-members-harassment">already
shown</a> whose side they are on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
The reality is that there is a
non-coercive method by which unions could build a strong base, and gird
themselves for the battles that lay ahead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Members-Only
Unions</b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br />
Members-Only Unions are exactly what
they sound like: a labor organization that collects dues only from members, and
only represents those members. The latter part is the key to the future of unions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Until <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Janus</i> there was no reason for unions <u>not</u> to represent
non-members. If payment of agency fees were a veritable requirement for all
employees in a bargaining unit, it was always in the union’s interest to represent
non-members. They got more cash, and had the ability to involve themselves in more
situations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Members-only unions only existed
where unions found difficulty in gaining the majority support necessary to
represent the entire bargaining unit. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<a href="https://tcf.org/content/report/members-only-unions-can-they-help-revitalize-workplace-democracy/?agreed=1">The
Century Foundation</a> does an excellent job of outlining three case studies
where members-only unions have been effective tools for organizing labor. The
important common characteristic in all three situations is not that they could
not get majority support, but that the payment of dues was non-coercive.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
The provider payment reassignment
rule implemented by the Obama administration showed what lengths unions will go
to in not only demanding payment, but making the worker a tangential party to
the process.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Members-only unions require a committed
dues-paying membership. They require grassroots organization and involvement.
The Century Foundation’s piece suggested that they can ‘revitalize workplace
democracy’ suggesting that these are inherently fairer unions as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Nearly all of the activities
protected in the National Labor Relations Act are not the sole province of a
union. Any organized unit of employees may avail themselves of them, and expect
similar protections. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
The one caveat seems to be on the
ability to bargain collectively, which has yet to be formally decided. The <a href="https://www.nlrb.gov/case/06-CA-034821">only case</a> to come close to
testing as such resulted in no complaint being filed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<h3 class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The
Path Forward</b></h3>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br />
It is only a matter of time now
before agency fees in the <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-janus-private-sector-ramifications-20180709-story.html" target="_blank">private sector</a> become an issue. Complications with
this coming from the courts have already <a href="https://onlabor.org/janus-and-the-private-sector/">been outlined</a>, but
the hit that unions are about to take to membership may cause them to question
where dollars are best spent.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
The Trump administration is likely
still looking for ways to strip away the favors granted to unions by past administrations.
The November election results will provide insight into whether Congress can
afford to spend any capital on making Right To Work laws a federal issue.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Already, efforts are underway to
outline worker protections in legislation like the <a href="http://employeerightsact.com/">Employee Rights Act</a>. The bill would
codify worker privacy protections and provide mechanisms to ensure that unions
are accountable to their membership.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br />
<a href="https://www.the74million.org/article/chris-cerf-when-support-is-no-longer-mandated-it-must-be-earned-how-will-the-unions-rise-to-that-challenge-under-janus/" target="_blank">Some say</a> the unions face a "crisis of relevance". To illustrate, only <a href="https://e4e.org/sites/default/files/voices_from_the_classroom_preview.pdf" target="_blank">52% of educators</a>, largely thought of as one of the committed public sector union workforces, feel the union is 'absolutely essential'.<br />
<br />
As teacher pay languished for years, with unions supposedly bargaining for better, it took largely self-organized <a href="https://www.the74million.org/article/weisberg-by-forcing-unions-to-confront-some-deep-seated-problems-janus-loss-could-prove-a-win-for-them-and-their-members/" target="_blank">grassroots movements</a> in states like Arizona, Oklahoma, and West Virginia to get results. <br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Unions have a choice now: they can
embrace the top-down support of legislators whose allegiances and priorities will be
fickle at best, or they can start working from the bottom up – to re-engage
their languishing base.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
There is no clear path forward on
the former. It will depend on public opinion in individual states, and also subject
these efforts to constant court battles, all the more certain now that there
will be <a href="https://ijr.com/ijr-red/2018/07/1107346-trump-narrows-scotus-nomination/">another
conservative judge</a> extending the SCOTUS majority.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
But if progressive politics has
shown anything in this cycle, it is that local engagement is working. Its
proponents are <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-grassroots-organizing-washington_us_5b332251e4b0b745f178e159">looking
to bring</a> that same approach to the national level. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
All of this could bring a level of
accountability that unions have not had for decades. Unions have favored
tenured, dues-paying members over the worker in general, and their fear of a
wave of departures only emphasizes the tenuous connection their members have to the whole.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Engaging every employee will take
more time, effort and energy – three things that unions will have more of if they
divest themselves of campaigning on political wedge issues. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
But to keep up business as usual,
unions will need money, and that seems to be in shorter and shorter supply. This was a fact rather conspicuously acknowledged in the <i>Janus</i> dissent.</div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Justice Kagan has the dissent: "Public employee unions will lose a secure source of financial support" <a href="https://t.co/lRhgFnBmnx">https://t.co/lRhgFnBmnx</a> <a href="https://t.co/isLCJYkMWA">pic.twitter.com/isLCJYkMWA</a></div>
— Jamie Dupree (@jamiedupree) <a href="https://twitter.com/jamiedupree/status/1011975830715748353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Taxing current dues payers more for the lost revenues would be the wrong
approach. Several unions also face huge potential repayment obligations in
light of Janus and other similar litigation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Unions should refocus, engage their
core, and rebuild from the ground up. The means to mandate contributions to the cause
will likely never return, but that doesn’t mean that unions are facing
extinction. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in;">
Only those that fail to adapt suffer
that fate.<br />
</div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-68846639215379619902018-07-04T14:58:00.002-04:002018-07-15T15:08:33.360-04:00Does the Star Wars Franchise Already Need a Reboot?There's been a rumor floating around for weeks now that Kathleen Kennedy, George Lucas's hand-picked successor for head of Lucasfilm, is <a href="https://movieweb.com/kathleen-kennedy-leaving-lucasfilm-star-wars/" target="_blank">out at Disney</a>. Whether she is stepping down or is being removed is all part of the scuttlebutt, but the speculation is rampant.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mxI_ozveLa0/maxresdefault.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for kathleen kennedy solo" border="0" class="irc_mi" height="180" src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mxI_ozveLa0/maxresdefault.jpg" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="320" /></a>While some <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/cantina-talk-62/" target="_blank">are saying</a> "they wouldn't fire her just because of Solo!", those people ignore the bigger picture. Whereas Kevin Feige's Marvel Universe has had a nearly perfect score (taking the first two middling <i>Thor </i>films aside), the Star Wars films have only had one slam dunk with both critics and audiences, and that was <i>The Force Awakens</i>. The other three have all faced <i>some </i>sort of blowback. <br />
<br />
Anyone will tell you that fundamentals are what drive consistent performance, and with this franchise, they are just not there.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<i>Rogue One </i>mostly won over critics and audiences (<a href="http://stodgers.blogspot.com/2016/12/a-beloved-franchise-goes-rogue.html" target="_blank">except me</a>), but only after <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2017/1/15/14268850/star-wars-rogue-one-reshoots-disney-gareth-edwards-tony-gilroy" target="_blank">massive reshoots</a> due to a poorly-received trailer, and a difference of opinion internally on the final act: director Gareth Edwards wanted to kill everyone off, but lead Felicity Jones had signed on for <a href="http://screencrush.com/rogue-one-jones-sequel-option/" target="_blank">another film</a>, so there was clearly another plan.<br />
<br />
And that's just it: there doesn't seem to <i>be</i> a plan. Whereas Lucas carefully guarded his well-architected universe, Kennedy allowed the very first film to turn its back on the canon. That, in and of itself, would not have been an issue since that film turned out to be terrific. But what followed clearly <i>is </i>an issue.<br />
<br />
While <i>The Last Jedi</i> was underway filming, the final film of the third trilogy went through two directors. Josh Trank was fired after his conduct on set of <i>The Fantastic Four</i> raised concerns. The eventual final product there only made that decision seem smarter.<br />
<br />
His replacement was Colin Trevorrow had just come off <i>Jurassic World</i> which, while raking in the dough at the box office, <a href="https://thoughtcatalog.com/olos-nah/2015/06/ill-just-say-what-everyone-is-thinking-jurassic-world-is-terrible/" target="_blank">underwhelmed</a> in nearly every other respect. But he up and left before <i>TLJ</i> even hit theaters. Why? Most of <a href="https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2018/03/rumour-colin-trevorrow-fired-star-wars-episode-ix-due-disagreements-last-jedi/" target="_blank">the speculation</a> revolves around the choices director Rian Johnson made to discard key characters and aspects of the storyline that had been been established by JJ Abrams in the first film of trilogy #3.<br />
<br />
Then there was the hiring of the directors behind <i>21 Jump Street</i> and <i>The Lego Movie</i> for the eventual <i>Solo</i> standalone film. <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/star-wars-why-han-solo-movie-directors-were-fired-1015474" target="_blank">The disaster</a> that ensued led to their dismissal, the hiring of Ron Howard, and nearly the whole film being reshot. If you're keeping track, that is now two films with massive reshoots. <br />
<br />
Which rings us back to 'the plan'. You don't have to reshoot an entire film if you have a plan. And you certainly don't have to do it <b><i>twice</i></b><i>. </i>And whether you liked <i>TLJ</i> or not (I was <a href="http://stodgers.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-last-jedi-fractured-fable.html" target="_blank">on the fence</a> after one viewing), there were definitely issues with the consistency of the character development and pacing. And though plenty in the twitter-verse want to call guys like me entitled manbabies because we take issue with the product, the reality is it just wasn't good enough.<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
Most people aren’t entitled manbabies.</div>
— Very Incivil Homo 😡🏳️🌈 (@SJGrunewald) <a href="https://twitter.com/SJGrunewald/status/1012437225311571969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<br />
To be honest, though I was initially excited by Johnson's hiring, looking back one realizes that Johnson is not a sci-fi director. He has made one sci-fi film, but his other works have been quirky, to put it mildly. I'm ecstatic that Abrams is back for the last installment, but Johnson getting the reins for another trilogy is quite frankly concerning to many - myself included.<br />
<br />
So we are back where we started, which is: who is running this show? <i>Solo</i> underperformed after costing a lot to film and market, three directors were fired from four films (well, four directors technically, since one film had a team of two), and massive reshoots were required on two of the four films. That smacks of a lack of leadership and vision. And while I criticized Gareth Edwards's lack of the latter when watching Rogue One, it is pretty clear now the problem is at the top.<br />
<br />
So who should take over? That's a tough question. There are answers obvious and not-so-much, but here is my list.<br />
<br />
<h4>
JJ Abrams</h4>
Rumor has it that he <a href="https://screenrant.com/kathleen-kennedy-fired-disney-lucasfilm/" target="_blank">has been approached</a> and shot the idea down without much consideration at all. That could be because he doesn't want to walk on Kennedy's grave before its been dug, or it could be because he has a genuine lack of interest in the weight of all things Star Wars being on his shoulders. However, he also delivered the best Star Wars film since <i>The Empire Strikes Back</i>, and the best one since as well.<br />
<br />
The negatives on JJ are slight: the direction he took <i>Star Trek</i> seemed to many to be unimaginative. And while he has done some sci-fi, it tends to be more of a homage than inspired filmmaking. However, as producer, not director, he would be guiding the ship, not driving it. And let's face it: maybe stealing the idea of an alternate timeline from the <i>Trek</i> films would allow us to erase <i>TLJ</i>.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Brad Bird</h4>
<a href="about:invalid#zClosurez" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for brad bird tomorrowland" border="0" class="rg_ic rg_i" height="164" id="qOVD8gaBRxWrgM:" 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style="height: 161px; margin-top: 0px; width: 314px;" width="320" /></a>His <a href="https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0083348/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1" target="_blank">resume</a> is absolutely spotless. He got his start on <i>Amazing Stories</i>, for crying out loud!! Even his sole flop, <i>Tomorrowland</i>, was an utterly spectacular piece of throwback Disney-style filmmaking that had this viewer wanting to cheer from his couch. Bird has shown an impressive ability to integrate genres with <i>The Incredibles</i> films, which took spy films, superhero films, and sci-fi and rolled them all into the best Pixar films there are. Because of his Pixar experience, his roots at Disney run deep, and the trust is there. There is nothing Bird has touched that has not turned to gold, even if the dollars at the box office don't always show that.<br />
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Most of all, Bird has a <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2015/06/the-passion-of-brad-bird/394487/" target="_blank">distinct vision</a> in his work that shines through so much that people actually <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/film/brad-birds-objectivist-leanings-shine-brightest-in-tomorrowland/article24549785/" target="_blank">take issue</a> with his consistency in that regard. The Star Wars franchise could use someone with that type of vision. Bird would be <b>my</b> top choice.<br />
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<h4>
Kevin Feige</h4>
It isn't going to happen. Why not? Because Marvel is actually more popular, and makes more money than Star Wars now. Shocking as that is to say, it is the truth. I also don't want Feige to take over. With the exception of the <i>Captain America </i>movies, the Marvel movies quite frankly are dull and formulaic McGuffin movies with no depth to them. Though that is what a lot of Americans want, and he is giving it to them, that is not what Star Wars needs.<br />
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<h4>
George Lucas</h4>
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNPCBaDhIlNV08cZ9QiRFCjNzVcb8-XxLSJgnXsrRCanhGHBF3" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for george lucas" border="0" class="rg_ic rg_i" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNPCBaDhIlNV08cZ9QiRFCjNzVcb8-XxLSJgnXsrRCanhGHBF3" height="178" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTNPCBaDhIlNV08cZ9QiRFCjNzVcb8-XxLSJgnXsrRCanhGHBF3" style="height: 147px; margin-top: 0px; width: 263px;" width="320" /></a>George has been alternately vocal and quiet about where the franchise has gone since he sold it, and like Sergeant Murtaugh, probably thinks he's too old for this, but he knows what <i>should </i>be happening. He knew what the prequels should have been about, even if the execution was abysmal because of his atrophied directorial skills, and love of effects over performances.<br />
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And let's face it, we all know that his involvement would make the next film afterwards the most successful of them all. Even if he does want to make it about <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/news/george-lucas-star-wars-episode-7-8-9-microorganisms-disney-whills-midchlorians-a8398606.html" target="_blank">midi-chlorians</a>.<br />
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Coming up: more thoughts on the choices for the franchise's directors, and who should write and helm the next phase of films in the Star Wars universe. But do <i>you</i> think a change is needed at the top? If so, who do you think should take over?<br />
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<br /><b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-39461649098308456802018-06-17T21:00:00.001-04:002018-07-15T15:31:57.694-04:00Can Rubio Right His Own Wrong?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Joining the chorus of politicians who have recognized that
one can’t repay their debts if they cannot work, Sen. Marco Rubio (R – FL) is
reaching across the aisle to correct a mistake from earlier in his career.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
B While in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Florida?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Florida</a> legislature I voted for a bill that allowed state to suspend professional licenses of those who defaulted on student loans. I WAS WRONG. Today I filed a bill with <a href="https://twitter.com/SenWarren?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenWarren</a> to fix this. How can they pay back if they can’t work? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Sayfie?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Sayfie</a> <a href="https://t.co/fcbJUkJ6BJ">https://t.co/fcbJUkJ6BJ</a></div>
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) <a href="https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1007261293932371969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rubio is working with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D- MA) to
protect citizens from the potential suspension or revocation of the
professional or driver’s license due to missed student loan payments, an
approach that many critics see at face value to be counter-productive.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Rubio’s home state of Florida is not alone in depriving
student borrowers who fail to make payments of the means to earn a living. At
least <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/14/business/rubio-warren-student-loans.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad-share">20
states have laws on the books</a> that allow them to suspend or rescind occupational
and driver’s licenses for defaulting on their loans. This has resulted in 8,700
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">known</i> cases of affected individuals,
though the actual number could be much, much higher.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Difficulty repaying a student loan debt should not threaten
a graduate’s job. It makes no sense to revoke a professional license from someone
who is trying to pay their student loans,” <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">said Rubio, <a href="https://www.rubio.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=9C6B8783-2AEF-4039-9F31-87659328FD13">in
a press release</a> on his website.</span> “Our bill would fix this ‘catch-22’
and ensure that borrowers are able to continue working to pay off their loans.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/18/business/student-loans-licenses.html">Reports
cite</a> that states like Tennessee alone have suspended the licenses of over
5,000 individuals in a five-year period for this type of default. While some proponents
of the practice say it is an ‘attention-getter’, others question why the
government should have any additional means that other creditors would not have
when recouping a debt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Among professions impacted are ones already experiencing
shortages of qualified candidates, including teachers and nurses. This leaves
employers scrambling to fill roles where the only obstacle to hiring an
individual may be a lien to the government. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jeff Barth, a commissioner in South Dakota’s Minnehaha
County, said “I don’t like people skipping out on their debts, but the state is
taking a pound of flesh.” His state has prevented <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1,000 residents from holding a driver’s
license due to education debt.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In related news, other states are realizing the barrier to
employment that occupational licensing creates in the first place, and are
calling to abolish them. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-model-for-licensing-reform-1522795235">Reform
efforts are underway</a> in Nebraska under the leadership of Sen. Laura Ebke and
in Pennsylvania, where Gov. Tom Wolf has <a href="https://www.governor.pa.gov/governor-wolf-proposes-job-licensing-reform-cut-red-tape-strengthen-workforce/">called
on his legislature</a> to take action.</div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-52268252939654182572017-12-15T11:38:00.001-05:002018-07-15T15:08:46.062-04:00The Last Jedi: A Fractured Fable<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"><i><b>**There are nothing but spoilers in this review.**</b></i></span><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></i></b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/star-wars-the-last-jedi-poster.jpg?w=670" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="541" height="320" src="https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/star-wars-the-last-jedi-poster.jpg?w=670" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Definitely the most badass poster since ROTJ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the closing moments of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Last Jedi</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">, there is a wistful moment where the entire franchise’s
lynchpin character gazes out over the horizon in the fading sunlight and remembers
where he started from. You can sense how much the turmoil over his life has
consumed him, and how he has finally found peace. It is a deep and meaningful moment
in a movie that can’t decide if ‘deep and meaningful’ </span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">is what it wants to be. Does the new trilogy
want to commit itself to forging out in new directions that the first trilogy
blazed for films to come? Or does it seek to replicate the action-film
paint-by-numbers cacophony of last year’s </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Rogue
One</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> in all its superficiality and inauthenticity?</span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The answer, at least in this film, is “both”. Like a
divided-down-the-psyche Kylo Ren, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The
Last Jedi</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> is two movies in one, smashed together with a bit of stitching at
the seams to make them appear like they belong together. In reality, they
simply don’t – and only one of them is actually good. Heck, I’d even say it’s
great... if it weren't for that other half.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Rian Johnson’s indie art-film sci-fi inclinations come
through loud and clear in the bold (if a bit overdone) red/white/black color
palette in a story focusing on Rey, Ren and Luke. He tells of a master whose
self-doubt is so infectious he believes that no one else can overcome it if he
cannot. As two young Jedi novices try to figure out their place in a world
where they see pieces of their true selves only in each other, even if they
aren’t the pieces they’d most like to come to terms with. </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">These sequences are deeply affecting and
involve masterful filmmaking with true character development and consistently involving interactions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The second storyline feels more in line with the
Lucas-helmed prequels (a notion my wife aptly pointed out on the ride home –
they even *look* like prequel scenes and characters), and takes the two heroes
less fleshed out in the prior film and gives them a series of Really Important
Errands for which the outcomes seem inevitable. Let’s face it, franchise producer Kathleen Kennedy
did fans no favors when announcing that Rian Johnson’s next trilogy – already greenlighted
– would feature the continuing adventures of Rey, Finn, and Poe. However, even
without that epic spoiler slip of the tongue, one doesn’t feel in any of
the sequences in which Finn and Poe are involved that their characters really
have something at risk. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Instead, the plot uses some cloying dialogue tied to
arbitrarily forced exposition to make sure that these thinly sketched out
archetypes learn Valuable Life Lessons while a whole bunch of redshirts die
nameless deaths, flinging their arms up over their face and screaming in
defiance or despair (seriously, it’s like Rian Johnson’s equivalent of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPuUiENIuPI" target="_blank">lens flare</a>). Oh, and having learned no lessons from the Boba Fett debacle, the new
trilogy’s best henchman (henchwoman?), Captain Phasma, is dispatched with
seemingly expeditious efficiency after what seems to be an afterthought appearance
in the film’s latter third of bloated running time. If anything should have
been given </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">more </span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">time here, it is
Phasma.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Beyond that, there is one maxim that I have always lived by:
if you leave a movie talking about it, that’s a good thing - except if you are
talking about the plot holes. And </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The
Last Jedi</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> has more than a few that you could ride a Bantha through. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">How did the Codebreaker know what the Resistance fleet’s plan
was when </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">none of the rebels did?</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> How
did Rey get from the Star Destroyer back to the Millennium Falcon after her
fateful duel? If launching a ship at hyperspeed into a Star Destroyer will
cripple it, why didn’t one of the other failing fleet ships attempt this in
lieu of an inevitable fiery death by cannon? How could Rose’s speeder possibly circle
back and catch Finn’s? Alas, like last year’s problematic and unsatisfying </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Rogue One</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Last Jedi</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> forges ahead with a misguided confidence that you’ll look
past these quibbles and qualms, despite how they accumulate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Nor can one look past some truly awful casting decisions that
result in performances that make Jake Lloyd look darn-near Shakespearean. Rose
starts out as an ancillary character that is passably tolerable in a limited
context. As her importance to the plot steadily grows, she is provided with
many of the film’s worst moments, and her delivery in them only takes them down
another notch. Laura Dern certainly looks regal in her attire (why do only some
rebel officers wear uniforms?), but her monologuing in close-up inelegantly
throws the brake on the fast-moving sequences in the story. And Domnhall
Gleeson’s role, once offering some potential and promise, now seems to have relegated
him to a mere supercilious toadie, which just doesn’t work. The exception on casting choices is Benicio Del
Toro’s sly and sinister Codebreaker, who cynically points out that the
military-industrial complex cares not whose side it takes in the name of
blood-soaked profits, before demonstrating his own personal commitment to
such… neutrality?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The film is also woefully short of the iconic moments that
have defined </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Star Wars</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> films for
generations. JJ Abrams definitely delivered on that front in </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Force Awakens </span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">with the death of Han
Solo and the brilliantly filmed sequence in the woods where an undeserving Kylo
Ren reaches for his uncle’s lightsaber, only to have it fly into the hands of another.
The mirror sequence in </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><i>The Last Jedi </i>is </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">the
only one that comes close, and it still doesn’t have the resonance of The Tree
in </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Empire Strikes Back</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">While one also has to acknowledge these moments were hard to
come by in the prequels as well (Episode II literally has none), the best of
the films contain at least one. Ben is struck down by Vader.
Han dispatches Vader’s tie fighter in the trenches. Yoda raises the X-wing from
the swamp. Luke denies his true lineage with a scream and a sacrifice. Vader
hoists the Emperor over his head.</span><span style="margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Han
and Leia exchange the greatest “I love you” in film history. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Accompanying all of these moments were the equally iconic compositions
of John Williams, whose contributions seems almost negligible here. The themes of
prior films are revisited perfunctorily (though I will never complain about
hearing Yoda’s Theme one more time), but I could not remember one newly
introduced musical touchpoint for filmgoers, and the main theme itself doesn’t
seem to make it back into the film at all. After having just read a well-done
piece on <a href="https://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/a-composer-for-all-seasons-on-the-range-of-john-williams" target="_blank">Williams’s extensive range as a composer</a>, this was a disappointing
entry in his catalog for a lifelong fan.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In the end though, it is the compelling story of Rey, Ren,
and Luke and the devastatingly honest portrayals those actors deliver that make
this a worthwhile film. </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Last Jedi’s</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">
best moments are not the action sequences, saber duels, or fighter battles, but
the sincere negotiations these Jedi have between one another as to whether past
transgressions can ever be forgiven, and whether their respective futures are
inextricably linked, or hopelessly doomed. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The scene of Ren asking Rey to join him to rule the galaxy
of course parallels that of Vader and young Luke in </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Empire Strikes Back</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">, but the approach is different than of a
power-hungry dark lord seeking to bring his disenfranchised son into the fold. Here
it is a tortured, conflicted soul that sees the potential for the acceptance he
has always craved in the eyes of another, and lashes out at the prospect of
being rejected – a consistent theme for the former Ben Solo, who has now killed
both his father and his mentor for having done just that (as well as destroying
a pretty cool helmet), and falls short when trying to kill his teacher and his paramour
for the same.</span><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></b>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">This</span></b><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> is the story
to which we all want to see the inevitable conclusion now, and on that front Episode
VIII succeeds immeasurably. The fact that this plotline only makes up one-half
of the film’s running time would suggest that there is something of merit to be
found in the other half. Sadly, it is just empty and unaffecting, and some healthy
trimming – both to runtime and tangential and inconsequential plot threads –
would have been of real value. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Where </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Empire
</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">offered a burgeoning love story for the ages to complement Luke’s ascent as
a Jedi Knight, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Last Jedi</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> throws two
other main characters against the wall to see what sticks, while dropping
awkward one-liners along the way. At the film’s conclusion these stunted young
men seem in no different of a place than when it started. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Thankfully, there is enough good material here, in character
arcs and performances, to make the final entry in this trilogy worth
anticipating. More than ever, I am grateful that both Josh Trank and Colin Trevorrow were given their walking papers for Episode IX. Hopefully JJ Abrams can work the same magic he did two years
ago and give us the finale we need, and that these characters deserve.</span><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-42875605539198368582017-11-04T12:54:00.002-04:002018-07-15T15:27:08.139-04:00Amazon takes cronyism on a nationwide tour<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We are already a month into the process, so nearly everyone alive is aware that the world’s largest online retailer, Amazon.com has decided
to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=17044620011">expand their
administrative operations</a> beyond Seattle, to another metropolitan area. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAMgHvyqI6vreW3pm4sJnIzqYKwG_Wdkf_vV6jBygcMiBsj5Kpmevk1HIbN3nLY8AgefT-Uf82gS2EQPZzYcxxG2pQfWViAjelsP03HAzWgd3UvQgENl1I9Vrixf8q79X-nCSQ6n2stfd/s1600/22789173_895397583956429_5122779511257895010_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="470" data-original-width="550" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAMgHvyqI6vreW3pm4sJnIzqYKwG_Wdkf_vV6jBygcMiBsj5Kpmevk1HIbN3nLY8AgefT-Uf82gS2EQPZzYcxxG2pQfWViAjelsP03HAzWgd3UvQgENl1I9Vrixf8q79X-nCSQ6n2stfd/s320/22789173_895397583956429_5122779511257895010_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green = states where government is too big.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In a stroke of public relations genius, and setting the
stage for a battle that would put Thunderdome to shame, cities across the
country are very publicly competing for the prospect of being home to HQ2, and
laying out the reddest of carpets. The advertised potential benefit to the
welcoming city would be huge: $5 billion in investment, and 50,000 jobs, which
would likely average in the low six figures.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jeff Bezos was, as recently as four years ago, suspected by
his soon-to-be employees at the Washington Post of being<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">gasp!</i>
– <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2013/08/07/the-politics-of-jeff-bezos/?utm_term=.c5bfe5e3ae79">libertarian-leaning</a>.
But if the efforts of Amazon to secure preferential taxation and infrastructure
treatment are any indication, Bezos is far from leaning libertarian. His
company has made it clear that the contest, while having some prescribed
qualifying criteria, would come down to which municipality lays out the most incentives
for them to set up shop there. And the early returns are mind-boggling.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
While some may say that in the current U.S. environment of <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/corporate-income-tax-rates-around-the-world-2017/">extremely
high corporate taxation</a>, this kind of overture makes sense, the other side
of the coin suggests that any city willing to cave to such demands may already be
precariously balanced economically. However, what they are really saying by
offering up corporate tax incentives and bought and paid-for infrastructure
improvements for whatever Amazon may desire is that it is okay to socialize the
costs of corporate expansion, even to the most flush of businesses. This is a
company that closed the prior year with $3.4 billion cash on hand.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even the most blue of progressive states has jumped on the
bandwagon here, with Massachusetts offering multiple proposals that would site
Amazon HQ2 in any one of over a dozen locations across the state. And while
Massachusetts can offer some of the nation’s best public schools, highest
ranked post-secondary engineering programs, and a wealth of ready-to-order
talent in Amazon’s field, that just isn’t quite enough. The state has laid out just
under four hundred million dollars of tax and infrastructure incentives that
Amazon would have access to that are already codified by existing legislation.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Let’s take the most optimistic approach and say that Amazon
deserves every penny that Massachusetts is offering it. What this does is take
the incentivized economic growth capacity of the state and direct it all to one
company, to the exclusion of all other potential prospects, and a company that
most certainly can afford to chip in a bit on its own. This limits competition
in the state by offering preferential treatment to an employer of enormous
scale.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But let’s take a more critical approach and look at where
that money is coming from. Should Amazon get even one penny of incentives, what
this means is that Massachusetts is content to let the existing companies and
residents of Massachusetts finance Amazon’s expansion. After all, they will
continue to pay what they have paid all along, and Amazon will get a break of
some kind that is financed by the efforts of others. Massachusetts has had a
sordid recent history of <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2016/01/21/ge-set-to-receive-controversial-tax-break-reserved.html">playing
fast and loose with tax breaks</a> to land another prime employer. At some
point all of the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">other</i> companies in
the Bay State are going to have to start wondering why they have to pay for
these corporate behemoths to break ground.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Beyond those other companies though, the general population
will also be paying the price to move jobs here that they may not even have a
shot at. <a href="https://www.mass.gov/hq2/">Gov. Charlie Baker’s proposal</a>
outlines all of the educational institutions that will provide a pipeline of
talent for Amazon in MA. One can only wonder though, with hundreds of millions
of dollars being sunk into Amazon’s expansion, how much of that burden will
each of the state’s 6.8 million residents have to bear while supporting their
own families? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back to the ‘why’ though. Seattle is one of the nation’s
brightest hubs of technology, and Amazon is the primary impetus behind that
(don’t let anyone tell you it was Microsoft). One only needs to look back just
a few short years to see why Amazon might be looking to hedge its bets against
calling Seattle home for the foreseeable future.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fellow Washington corporate anchor Boeing was able to
extract some <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/boeings-historic-tax-break-from-state-even-bigger-than-thought/">record
concessions</a> from Gov. Jay Inslee, who was petrified that one of the state’s
few organized labor stalwarts would pull up stakes completely. The state
woefully underestimated the tax impacts of that package, and gave up hundreds of
millions more than they expected. Despite progressive protestations to the
contrary, companies do spend more when they are taxed less, and Boeing saw this
as an opportunity to investment more in their business rather than forfeit it
in taxation down the road. And thus the precedent was set.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the time, the threat was that Boeing, who had already
started to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/11/business/chicago-offering-big-incentives-will-be-boeing-s-new-home.html">spread
its footprint</a> across the country, would expand operations elsewhere and
whittle away at its remaining Washington presence. Which is just what Amazon is
now doing. They are leveraging states against one another to compete for their HQ2
now. In a matter of a few years, when HQ2 is up and running at full capacity, one
could easily foresee them performing the exact same request-for-proposal from
another city – this time to wrangle Boeing-like dispensations from the city of
Seattle and Gov. Inslee’s unfortunate successor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The end result of this will only push more of the tax burden
onto smaller corporations and individual taxpayers unless these tax breaks are
accompanied by significant spending cuts. However, since nearly every aspect these
incentive packages include infrastructure commitments as well, it is unlikely
that will ever happen.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The truth is, these states have simply too much government,
and thus too much money. They are constantly crying poor, and extracting more
and more from their citizens both corporate and private. Yet they can afford to
offer these breaks all the same. Every eligible state applied for an HQ2
opportunity, with the sole exception being an Arkansas that knew better than to
antagonize Wal-mart. Even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alaska</i> took
a shot, for crying out loud (imagine that recruitment campaign).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But perhaps Bezos deep down <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>is</u></i> a libertarian, and maybe – just maybe – this was all a
deliberate ruse on his part to show just how craven these supposedly
cash-starved state governments really are. Maybe his intent was to show taxpayers
that they live in a state where government is too big, and end the end of the
process he’ll say “we had already decided on a site, we just wanted to show you
how much money your elected officials are happy to waste” and pick a city that
was already functioning in the most business-friendly, cost-effective fashion. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After all, shouldn’t the intent to be rewarding the good
behavior, and not encouraging the bad?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-48903313033161748352017-01-25T12:37:00.000-05:002018-07-15T15:27:20.959-04:00Choice Needs a Voice<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Charter school saved my life.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This isn’t just an anecdote from a concerned constituent
that I have heard in passing. These are the words this very morning of my wife, an incredibly
bright, but also quite introverted woman who moved from rural Nevada to
Southern California in middle school, and felt lost – struggling to thrive in
enormous classes that teachers had challenges managing. Then she was given the
opportunity to attend high school at a <a href="http://www.lewiscenter.org/AAE/">charter
school</a> in Apple Valley, CA and blossomed. She graduated at the top of her
class, while taking not only college-level courses in high school, but classes
at local area colleges as well.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
She credits this to the idea that all students are not alike
and shouldn’t be educated as such. While charter schools like hers recognize
and foster individual differences in learning, public schools regress to a mean
established by whatever standard du jour is imposed upon them by the federal
government. These methods may or may not make for good test scores, but even
former New York state Teacher of the Year John Gatto doesn’t believe they lead
to <a href="https://fee.org/articles/celebrated-teacher-explains-why-schools-dont-produce-well-educated-minds/">a
well-educated mind</a> that is capable of critical thinking.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was a public high school graduate, fortunate that a few
teachers cared more about whether I was thinking critically than if was writing
a rough draft for my final product (let's just say that I was notorious among the English
department staff). One of those was Ms. Brewer, a history teacher who instilled in me, and
thousands of students over the years - including <a href="http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/education/sadker/sg/s-res/class/class_spring2003_30.htm" target="_blank">future teachers</a> - that history is not about what happened
and when, but <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how</i> things happen and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>why</u>?</i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </b>A level of critical thinking that seems to have escaped our
elected officials and bureaucrats. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The funny thing was: I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chose</i> Ms. Brewer as a teacher. I had an opportunity to pick, and decided against other
instructors even though I knew that this teacher would push me and challenge me
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">daily</i>. She even gave me a failing
grade on a junior-year term paper, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">and I
signed up for her again the following year</b>. In fact, there are three
instances in my high school career where I was given an option to choose a teacher and did, and the results were all positive (educationally speaking, my
grades didn’t always reflect my level of actual learning – much to the dismay
of my parents). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yet many people push back on the idea that by further
promoting school choice, we will be doing a disservice to students, because such programs will only leave ‘scraps’ for the most needy, poor, and
underprivileged. And while some may argue that <a href="http://www.learnliberty.org/blog/why-education-isnt-a-public-good-and-why-government-doesnt-have-to-provide-it/">education
isn’t a public good</a> to begin with, let’s begin from an assumption that it
is. Not all public goods are best offered by the government, and there are <a href="https://fee.org/articles/the-private-provision-of-public-goods/">many
that are not at all</a>. Among those is one of the most debated issues of our time:
health care.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The overwhelming majority of health care services today in
America are provided by private entities. Whether such services also meets the
classification of a public good under economic terms is as debatable as it is with
education, but if we are assuming one meets that standard, then let’s say the
other does as well. And yet when you compare the only widespread 'public' health care option, the Veterans Administration, to the private
sector, you hear very few people arguing that the VA, rife with scandals and
service issues, is the model to be adopted for all citizens^. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fact, the conscious decision was made by an
overwhelmingly progressive administration in 2009 to push more people into
private markets by subsidizing health insurance. The very model that the ACA
put forward is rather analogous to school choice proposals: assessments are paid
by taxpayers who can afford a higher standard of care and translated into
subsidies offered directly to those who cannot afford what the government considered an ‘acceptable’
level of care. And in this model, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">everyone</b>
gets to choose their provider – some with more limited options than others based
on geography and availability. And even more to the point, providers get to choose
patients: doctors are allowed to limit appointments for insurance providers
they don’t accept, and for people with public funding like Medicaid, almost
inarguably the most needy population.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If this was considered acceptable for a service where lives depend
on the quality of the provider, why do we dismiss it for
education? Why must we limit choice, in a system where even though everyone
pays into the pot, few parents are given any accommodation for wanting a different
path for their own children? And wouldn’t such choice encourage a competition amongst
institutions for students which has shown at the post-secondary level that even
public schools can compete with the best private institutions (in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">world</i>)?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/wp-content/uploads/cato_andrew_coulson_public_school_trends_2013.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://object.cato.org/sites/cato.org/files/wp-content/uploads/cato_andrew_coulson_public_school_trends_2013.gif" width="320" /></a>Instead, our federal government pours <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/obama-administration-spent-billions-to-fix-failing-schools-and-it-didnt-work/2017/01/19/6d24ac1a-de6d-11e6-ad42-f3375f271c9c_story.html?utm_term=.d3315338bdac">billions
into failing schools</a> thinking that money, supposedly the root of all evil,
is the requisite solution. When given this money with conditions attached, only three
percent of school districts chose the charter option that my wife (among many
others) considered transformative. The vast majority of them simply
swapped out administrators and gave the same teachers new instructional
strategies – more top-down thinking that yielded disgustingly negative returns
on investment. And despite Betsy DeVos’s sub-par confirmation hearing, all we
heard from those most contentiously questioning her was whether she would
continue this failed line of thinking and loosen the purse-strings even further. As <a href="https://www.cato.org/blog/public-school-spending-achievement-media-coverage">this
chart</a> shows, while we’ve continued to throw money (in real dollars),
teachers, and administrators at the system, the results haven’t improved
demonstrably in the entire existence of the federal Department of Education.<br />
<br />
More
money doesn’t make bad ideas or methods better. We need entrepreneurship at the
local level. We need to free up the independent spirit of our most capable
instructors and let them inspire others with both their efforts and results.
And we need to put <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all</i> the available choices
in the hands of those who deserve it most: parents and students.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
^<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">In 2016, when the
failure of the ACA became widely apparent, President Obama published <a href="http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2533698">a paper</a> indicating
that a widely-available public health care option was necessary for a functioning
system. This paper was all-too-coincidentally timed with an accountability
report analyzing the VA’s issues which offered that the system should be used as a
public option for all families of veterans, and other populations, suggesting
that the intent all along may have been to create a system in the ACA designed
to make a public option appear more viable.</i></div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-16827322669228028312016-12-16T18:28:00.002-05:002018-07-15T15:08:17.194-04:00A Beloved Franchise Goes Rogue<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjEwMzMxODIzOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNzg3OTAzMDI@._V1_SY1000_SX675_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BMjEwMzMxODIzOV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwNzg3OTAzMDI@._V1_SY1000_SX675_AL_.jpg" width="135" /></a>Twelve months ago, I entered a movie theater with anxious,
but cautious, anticipation for the first installment in a new era of Star Wars
films. JJ Abrams <a href="http://stodgers.blogspot.com/2015/12/my-love-letter-to-jj-abrams.html" target="_blank">rewarded this anticipation</a> with an exceptional piece of
entertainment that also just so happens to be an excellent Star Wars flick. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fast forward to this week, when I sat down for the first
foray into a new realm of Star Wars entertainment, one the diverges from the episodic
format of all the prior films, though still telling a story familiar to anyone
who knows the universe even remotely. <a href="http://www.slashfilm.com/rogue-one-missing-trailer-footage/" target="_blank">Reports of reshoots </a>heightened the similarly
cautious optimism that I felt and made me worry this may not live up to the
example set the year before.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Was I wrong to worry? </div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
(Here there be spoilers, matey.)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The answer is no, unfortunately. Because not only is Rogue
One a bad Star Wars movie, it is an awful piece of filmmaking as well. This is
what happens when talent and vision is lacking: you get people who have shown
promise in past efforts failing to live up to said promise, and you get an
ensemble cast lacking chemistry and chops whose best member is a voiced-over
droid.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I walked out feeling like I did after the first viewing of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Attack of the Clones</i>: did I really just
see something <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> awful? And while
there will be an obligatory second viewing, there is no question in my mind of
this being a bad movie. Though there is blame to go ‘round, I think there are
three specific areas where this movie fell well short of any possible potential
it may have had, and I’m choosing only the criticisms that have nothing to do
with the Star Wars universe, so as not to seem like too much of a fanboy (like
the glaring plot inconsistencies with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A
New Hope</i>, the fact that rebels are apparently now completely unscrupulous
and prone to infighting, or that after a silly cameo Walrus Man and his pal
were somehow able to get off Jedha in short order before it was blown to dust).</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Excessive Monologuing</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nothing kills the momentum of a good action thriller (not
that this <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> one…) like a
stop-you-dead-in-your-tracks monologue. This movie has at least three that I
can think of, and all of them aren’t just shoehorned in there, they are also laughably
inept. Whether it is Galen Urso prattling on during a hologram message while
his daughter holds back tears, or the rebel captain talking about how every bad
thing he has done needs to be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">worth
something</i>, the monologues are awkward, stilted, and poorly directed,
focusing at length in reaction shots of people… not reacting. Gareth Edwards
did well in his earlier film <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Monsters </i>showing
genuine emotions in the context of a sci-fi narrative, but he can’t make these formulaic
speeches work here.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bad (or Wasted)
Casting</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’m seeing it already: “That Felicity Jones is really cute!”
Yeah, but can she act? If this is Exhibit A, the answer is decidedly no. But
the problem is, she is the only one given any scenes in which to really chew up
some screen. Diego Luna gets some moments, but honestly, we’ve seen for years
his utter inability to utter a convincing line of dialogue and here is no
different. The visceral energy of Daisy Ridley a year ago is a stark contrast
to the absence of anything close in these young actors.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNGQxMGU2YTAtNjI5ZC00MzllLWI5ZDAtMDcyYjI5YzE3NWQyL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDA5ODU0NDg@._V1_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/M/MV5BNGQxMGU2YTAtNjI5ZC00MzllLWI5ZDAtMDcyYjI5YzE3NWQyL2ltYWdlL2ltYWdlXkEyXkFqcGdeQXVyNDA5ODU0NDg@._V1_.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That douchey photographer from <br />
House of Cards does not make for<br />
a rebel you'd root for.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Ben Mendelsohn is quite frankly one of the best character
actors working today , and has been brilliant in everything in which I’ve seen
him – until now (fuck it, just watch <i>Animal Kingdom </i>already!!). Krennic is given nothing much to do except alternately act
Imperial and like a petulant, tantrum-throwing child. Forrest Whitaker wheezes through scenes meant to be affecting which end up just being unbearable.
And Mads Mikkelsen, who uttered almost no dialogue while driving the narrative
of the superb <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Valhalla Rising</i> gives a
wooden and mawkish performance here. The young actors fail to carry their
weight, but the accomplished ones are given short shrift.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Whole Gawd-damn Plot</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Everyone knew the premise going in: a ragtag group of rebels
is going to steal the Death Star plans. But the plot itself? It takes over an
hour to get within a sniff of that very premise. We get an opening expository
pre-title sequence (by the way, the brief title sequence was a total misfire),
then are launched from one world to another in quick succession to introduce us
to the characters necessary to make the rest of the plot seem even half-functioning.
But these characters are often throw-aways and in the context of any level of
critical thinking, their presence feels forced. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The best example is the entire thread with Saw Gerrera and Bodhi.
Saw is supposed to have protected Galen Urso’s daughter and this is the
rationale for sending the defecting pilot to his lair. But then in the message
Urso sends, he makes almost zero reference to Saw at all (see ‘Excessive
Monologuing’ above), and spends a good deal of time saying that he figures his
daughter is dead or in the hands of the Empire. Wait – so if Saw was to protect
his daughter, and Galen worries she’s dead, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>this</u>
</i>is the guy you send this critically important message to?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://d1sui4xqepm0ps.cloudfront.net/categories/its-a-trap" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://d1sui4xqepm0ps.cloudfront.net/categories/its-a-trap" width="200" /></a>After this lumbering first hour, the movie shifts into an
overblown action flick, with incomprehensible decisions made by nearly every
character. The Rebel Council elects as a group not to send <u>anyone</u> to get
the Death Star plans. Then they find out a small team has taken it upon
themselves to do so, and Mon Mothma’s reaction? <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Send the whole fucking fleet with no plan</u>.</i> Where's Ackbar when you need him? At least this
explains why Luke Skywalker was so quickly made a flight commander in Episode
IV: they sent every good Starfighter pilot to get slaughtered on this mission.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Then, in the closing moments, we follow a Tie Fighter firing
on the communications tower of an Imperial Base. Why? Could he actually <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">see</i> the person standing there while
dodging X-Wings and hurtling about, <u>and</u> identify them as an enemy? And
even if he could, does destroying part of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">your
own base</i> warrant firing on them from a fighter when you have no idea why they are up there? Apparently so, since
Governor Tarkin takes the preposterous tactic of wiping out <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the entire base </i>at the end of the film.
The base that supposedly holds the archive of every Imperial technical document,
just to kill a few rebels at a heavily armed and well-resourced facility. It
doesn’t hold muster. Pretty much the entire plot here doesn’t. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In conclusion, the alarming thing here isn’t the poor product
on the screen, it is the sheer number of areas in which this movie falls short
of being a serviceable action thriller, never mind a launching pad for a new pantheon
in cinema’s most lucrative franchise. I have to think that JJ Abrams’ absence
from any role here is not coincidental to this, but I also hope that as a
producer he is able to right the ship with next year’s awaited release. </div>
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<br /></div>
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My wife did point out this movie's one saving grace: "<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">At least everyone died, so we don't have to worry about seeing another movie with these characters."</span></span><br />
<br />
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">NOTE: We saw this movie in IMAX 3D, and
while I have been critical of IMAX’s commercialization push, this movie is a wholesale
disaster in the format. The resolution was visibly below standard, with the
lines being clearly observable in several scenes, and it was not filmed in any
way with 3D in mind. I will never see another IMAX movie again outside of a
traditional (i.e., not <a href="http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/the-lie-max-controversy.366521/" target="_blank">Lie-MAX</a>) IMAX theater.</i></div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-75568917558624059792016-06-30T11:11:00.000-04:002018-07-15T15:28:06.316-04:00A Forum on Cognitive Dissonance<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
As a libertarian, I have a
responsibility to court both sides of the political spectrum to look for allies
and help people see a different perspective, while also broadening and better
informing my own. A while back, I attended a local Republican committee
meeting on the Common Core with that in mind, and last night I attended <a href="http://westernpriorities.org/2016/06/28/public-invited-to-forum-on-public-lands-at-crowne-plaza/">a
forum hosted by The Center for Western Priorities</a> on public lands
management. While the topics were markedly different, the sentiment was mostly
the same at both: the other side is wrong - <i>dead </i>wrong - and we must not allow them any medium for
their message.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYz9BLpBIrlYDaem_4paYvE3e8_M_SKSa3ge6goU8sozfEh8jKeAF55a41GiCF7SLc3ITtiW63kpH9MVMD86VUoL7gSGAHiR16IgDRdNKvX_rIzVttn3eqTJyFtd7qFsGQSKml5WvVD0kk/s1600/11930775_835692913218052_4971658433439745578_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYz9BLpBIrlYDaem_4paYvE3e8_M_SKSa3ge6goU8sozfEh8jKeAF55a41GiCF7SLc3ITtiW63kpH9MVMD86VUoL7gSGAHiR16IgDRdNKvX_rIzVttn3eqTJyFtd7qFsGQSKml5WvVD0kk/s400/11930775_835692913218052_4971658433439745578_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Meg from last year's annual Stillwater Trek</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now let me say up front, lest I
be cast in with those seen as demonic by last night’s audience: I am 100% in
favor of keeping public lands public. I'll say it again: I do not advocate that any lands that are currently public be sold or transferred into private hands. I moved to Montana for the spiritual connection that the environment here affords. What I am <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i> in favor of is letting those resources languish with an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/30/opinion/lets-fix-our-national-parks-not-add-more.html">$11.5
billion dollar backlog of maintenance and repairs</a> while the federal
government continues to add new lands to the equation, thus further burdening
and already anemic system. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
One of last night’s speakers made
an interesting comment, that he didn’t inherit these lands from his forefathers,
he is borrowing them from his children and grandchildren. But like a great many
other programs that our federal government controls, what will eventually be
inherited by those grandchildren may be a shadow of its former self, and in
a state of waste and utter disrepair if left to the government’s machinations. The same speaker
called out against any attempt at transfer of lands to the states, or anything
resembling it, saying that the mere mention of any such thing is distraction, a
smokescreen, and simply anti-American. What a way to start a dialogue.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
From the five scheduled speakers,
and a few unscheduled ones, there was a lot of cognitive dissonance going on.
The first panel member, rancher Brad Sauer, reminded the audience of the
Einstein quote that the same level of intelligence that creates a certain
problem cannot be relied upon to solve said problem. However, every single speaker,
including Mr. Sauer, said unequivocally that there can be nary a whiff of state
involvement in the oversight of federal lands. Even when that quote was
refreshed in the minds of the audience later, there was no acknowledgment of
the inherent irony of its being mentioned.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I understand the trepidation of those present: if ownership
of these lands are turned over to cash-strapped states with balanced budget
provisions in their constitutions, there would be little choice in times of
difficulty except to sell lands to pay the bills for maintenance (though one <i>could </i>argue that provisions could easily be made to prevent that). And despite
there being some rich folks like the Rockefellers who eventually bequeathed lands
for public use as a refuge on the borders of Grand Teton, most affluent people
who buy up that land want it for their own use, and no one else’s.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
However, at some point you have
to recognize when a system is failing its mission. Panelist Randy Newberg of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Fresh Tracks</i> admitted it was, and left
the blame for that on the doorstep of congressmen who he claims are
deliberately depriving the system of needed funding.<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i>But when the room was polled as to whether they felt that the
lands were being properly managed by the federal government, just over half the
room raised their hands. The person inquiring then responded that response was
unique, and <u>far</u> fewer people <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">in
the communities that abut those lands</i> agree with their assessment. I wanted
him to take the question one step further: how many people in the room know the
actual <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">objective</i> of public lands
management? Because all that most people in the room talked about was hunting,
fishing, hiking and recreation, which is only a portion of the mission.
Actually, it is a relatively small portion, though it seems to be the only thing
that Interior Secretary and former Recreational Equipment, Inc. CEO Sally
Jewell focuses on.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Herein lies the problem. You have
concentrations of urban activists who want to preserve these lands for public
recreational use for the one weekend a month or two weeks a year that they spend
on them. All the while, people who have made a living off this land for
generations, and are continuing to try to do so, are met with one new regulation
after another that inhibits their ability to do so. Or they are presented with
new rules, written by an unsympathetic Interior department without legislative
involvement, that make it impossible to mine coal or harvest timber productively.
And productive use of the lands and resources is in fact an integral part of the Interior’s
charter. Instead we are faced with insect infestations because of under-harvesting,
more wildfires due to greater fuel amounts, and general lack of health in
forests not being maintained appropriately.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The audience was given the
opportunity to ask questions written on index cards, and I took mine from a
quote that I heard in remarks made by Ryan Callaghan, PR Director for First
Lite sporting goods: “Competition breeds really good things”. Mr. Callaghan was
speaking of competing for game with other hunters on public lands, but I used
this as an opportunity to ask: with that $11 billion dollar backlog and lack of
federal attention, would it not be better to have the states manage the lands,
and learn from each other in the process, rather than have them under the
oversight of one neglectful monopoly?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The question was answered by
three panelists, all who overlooked the careful semantics of my employing ‘manage’
versus ‘take ownership’. Mr. Newburg and Mr. Sauer both said the same thing: they’d be
sold off to the highest bidder by the states. Since my question was written, I did
not have the opportunity to clarify, but given the tenor of the entire
conversation, I wasn’t given the impression there was any room for discussion
anyway.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
At the close of the meeting, an
impromptu speaker, Ron Moody, called attention again to the lack of rural
representation by asking how many people in the room were involved in
agriculture or ranching (I wish he had extended it to timber and mining, but…
not my question). No hands were raised from the audience. He then lamented how
disconnected these urban constituencies are from the rural ones that their
lobbying affects, a sentiment echoed by panelist John Sepulvado from Oregon
Public Broadcasting. But Mr. Moody followed that sentiment by saying there were
too few opportunities for the folks in the room to connect meaningfully with folks
in those rural communities. So I gave him one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I live in a community where the
two largest economic engines are ranching and mining, along with a renowned silversmith
operation. Our county’s population of under 10,000 is spread out over 1,800
square miles putting it at 50% larger than Rhode Island, and just a bit smaller
than Delaware. While the mine in our area is operating well and without issue from federal regulation, the 200-plus people they have laid off over the last
two years have no other mining opportunities within Montana because of the
overwhelming bureaucratic (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not </i>regulatory)
barriers to starting a new such enterprise. So I decided to introduce myself to
Mr. Moody and thank him for his comments, in attempt to make the connection he
felt was so lacking.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
When I did, I was rather disheartened.
Despite comments from speakers about all the new faces in the room that they
needed to engage, Mr. Moody simply asked me where I lived, and then offered <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>a cordial ‘nice meeting you’ and turned away
to talk with the folks he came in with.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Leaving the forum, I learned
quite a bit. Mr. Sauer’s historical perspective was a refreshing one, and Mr.
Callaghan spoke of the $646 billion dollar US outdoor industry, of which
Montana astonishingly receives less than one percent (1%). A representative
from Rep. Ryan Zinke’s office spoke of <a href="https://zinke.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/daines-zinke-introduce-legislation-give-states-tribes-say-energy-0">new
legislation</a> to give state governors and tribal leaders some amount of
flexibility in how a limited amount of their public lands are managed, while
keeping them very much public. What I didn’t hear, not from a single person, is
a plan to move forward, to engage those who hold other viewpoints, and to
ensure these lands aren’t just kept public, but are preserved for future generations.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
I also didn’t get the impression
that anyone wanted to have that discussion either.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
[<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Note: There was an inordinate amount of time spent on the occupation of
the Malheur Refuge in Oregon. I have left out all of that discussion because I
found it oddly immaterial to the forum’s stated intention, and only serving to
further galvanize resentment towards people who hold opinions that differ from
their own (a sentiment confirmed by a question raised later). This is despite
two NPR representatives present who both said they were reticent to offer their
opinions, after using a great deal of language that could be considered nothing
other than subjective.</i>]</div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-53797241387107013162016-06-14T09:57:00.001-04:002018-07-15T15:28:20.475-04:00Situational Leadership and our Presidential Candidates<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 6"/>
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After the horrific events in Orlando over the weekend, there
was the usual rush to judgment as to the causes of such a heinous crime, well
before any kind of thorough investigation had been conducted. And while we
expect such things from the media, what we found this time was that the two
major party presidential candidates were all too happy to join the bandwagon. Their
chosen narratives were well suited to the early details that trickled out, and
with great pomp and conviction, they told America just what was wrong and how
they would fix it.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The trouble is, both of them are now proving to be quite wrong.</div>
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<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="646" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D1015208321847657%26set%3Da.446229735412188.92554.100000754966143%26type%3D3&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
These are the tweets of the three leading presidential candidates in the
immediate aftermath of the Orlando shooting. Read them carefully, because the
difference in what makes a person ‘presidential’ is right in front of you.</div>
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<br /></div>
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In the aftermath of Orlando, while Hillary was <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/text-of-hillary-clintons-remarks-on-the-orlando-shooting-and-terrorism-2016-06-13">lamenting
the ease</a> with which someone could buy an AR-15 “assault rifle”, a ‘weapon
of war’, it turned out that <a href="http://bearingarms.com/bob-o/2016/06/13/narrative-fail-orlando-islamic-terrorist-use-ar-15/">the
weapon the shooter used</a> was in fact a Sig Sauer MCX, not an AR-15. And
neither one is actually a military weapon, they just look like one – a factor
that no doubt figures into the mind of someone who is about to commit <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">an act of terror</i> when purchasing it. Hillary
also stated that anyone on a no-fly list shouldn’t be able to get a gun, but <a href="http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-orlando-nightclub-shooting-live-omar-mateen-was-taken-off-a-terrorist-1465772737-htmlstory.html" target="_blank">Mateen wasn't on one</a>. And
while she was suggesting that the state and local authorities don’t get access
to necessary intelligence to stop ‘lone wolf’ terrorists, it turned out that
Omar Mateen had been <a href="http://www.wnd.com/2016/06/terrorist-omar-mateen-29-was-investigated-by-fbi/" target="_blank">interviewed by the FBI</a>, and discarded as a suspect because authorities
believed his co-workers were racist. So there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">was</i> no intelligence on him.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So while Hillary swung for the fences on gun control and
expanding the surveillance state, Trump played on the pernicious xenophobic fears
he has fostered throughout his campaign, saying he would prevent all
immigration from countries with a history of terrorism, despite the fact Mateen
was <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/omar-mateen-suspected-orlando-night-club-shooter/story?id=39790797">born
in the U.S.</a> to parents whose nationality was not tied to terrorism until well
after his birth. And now, it turns out, Mateen may not have been an Islamic terrorist
per se. What it is also possible is that Mateen was a <a href="http://www.advocate.com/crime/2016/6/13/rumor-or-real-man-says-shooter-messaged-him-grindr">closeted
and deeply conflicted gay man</a> who could not reconcile this fact within
himself and could not gain acceptance, and the internal discord he faced led
him to turn to violence. He could gain approval with ISIS in death that he
never found with others in life. Yes, that is sick and tragic.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Now much of what I have just written is speculation at this point. It is
all still under investigation, and there is still a great deal that we do not
understand about this damaged human being and why he did what he did. Which
makes it all the more concerning that our two leading candidates had all the
solutions ready for public consumption in just one day’s time, especially when it is wholly unlikely that they had any access to investigators. The truth is,
they were not reacting to the events that happened in Orlando, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>they were fitting those events to their
existing narratives.</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="text-decoration: none;"><br /></span></u></i></b></div>
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Hillary has campaigned on more gun control, more
surveillance and international intervention. Donald has campaigned on building
walls and targeting Muslims – even peaceful ones. Given a Muslim with a gun,
they each took the ball and ran with it – to the wrong end zone. </div>
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<br /></div>
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In the midst of all of this was another candidate, one
asking us not to rush to judgment, not to politicize, and just to come together and mourn.
Despite <a href="http://garyjohnson2016.com/" target="_blank">Gov. Gary Johnson</a>’s beliefs or what his platform may say about the 2<sup>nd</sup>
Amendment, LGBT equality, or Islamic extremism, he was the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">only</i> one asking America to stand with the community and who did not
begin to divide us. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">That</i> is what
leadership is, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i> is what being
presidential is.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Read those tweets again, and ask yourself if you want a
leader who takes advantage of limited information during crisis and carnage to advance their pre-existing policy
objectives. Or, do you want a leader who brings us together as a country while the
facts get sorted out, and then takes action as appropriate. Because to me, with
that in mind, it is pretty clear what the only option is.</div>
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<br /></div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-53677683522994300512016-06-08T14:07:00.000-04:002018-07-15T15:29:59.274-04:00The Sanders Revolution Fails Itself<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Bernie Sanders’s ride has come to its end. Finally. Or has
it?</div>
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<br /></div>
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When Senator Sanders launched his nascent bid for the
presidency last year, my initial thoughts were not complimentary. Here was a
perennial outsider and nonconformist (qualities I actually could respect), who
had charmed my home state of Vermont into thinking he could accomplish
something in the Senate, casting aside any notions of political independence in
signing on to the Democratic party machine. Why? “It is the only way to get
elected,” he claimed at the time. If that were true, then Jill Stein and Gov.
Gary Johnson would have to be at the party doorstep, would they not? The truth is,
that was never the reason.</div>
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<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachments/general-chit-chat/1969337d1445523735-bernie-sanders-memes-bern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="246" src="https://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/attachments/general-chit-chat/1969337d1445523735-bernie-sanders-memes-bern.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I kinda love this meme.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bernie finally admitted that he latched on to the Dems for
two reasons: <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/2016-dem-primary-live-updates-and-results/2016/03/bernie-sanders-independent-media-coverage-220747">media
and money</a>, and the first begets the second. Yes, he wanted an easier path
to the presidency if possible, but what he really wanted was the media
attention and the donations that would accompany that. He got both, and don’t
let anyone tell you Bernie has been ‘ignored’ by the media. He has received
just as much attention as anyone not named Trump or Clinton in this race, and
if that isn’t enough, then maybe he should ask Jill Stein how she feels about
the media attention she <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">doesn’t </i>receive.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And the money did roll in. While Sanders will tell you he
didn’t get the ‘big money’ that the others got, that is another falsehood.
Sanders received <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/29/us/politics/bernie-sanders-is-democrats-top-beneficiary-of-outside-spending-like-it-or-not.html">more
outside money</a> than any other candidate! And maybe the list of his direct
donors doesn’t include the billionaires and banks that Hillary’s has, I’m pretty sure the
people ponying up for those SuperPACs were making six-figure incomes, thus
perpetuating the supposed ‘income inequality’ that Bernie rails against.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Bernie’s real goal was, and still is, to make the Democratic
party a Socialist one. Which is why he remains in the race despite being
technically incapable of winning at this stage. One might ask why he didn’t
just align himself with Socialists in the first place. After all, there are
Socialists actually <a href="http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/a-socialist-proves-democracy-at-work-in-seattle/">getting
elected</a> in America. The reason is: <a href="https://fee.org/articles/poll-says-free-enterprise-way-more-popular-than-socialism-and-federal-government/">Americans
don’t actually like Socialism</a>. </div>
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<br /></div>
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Bernie’s uphill battle wasn’t an effort to win the
presidency, it was an effort to convince people that <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/aviksaroy/2016/06/08/bernie-sanders-lost-the-democratic-primary-but-won-the-democratic-party/#6e91853ff79f">progressive,
Democrat, and Socialist are all the same thing</a>. Pursuant to this, he’ll
look at the ballot returns in his favor as evidence people are on his side. However,
his notion that the vote tallies in his favor are the indication of a revolution are laughable. Though the article cited above states that nearly 35% of Americans have
a favorable view of Socialism, <i>only</i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> 5% of Americans have voted for Sanders</i>. And that ‘favorability’ number has
actually declined in the period in which Sanders has been campaigning!</div>
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<br /></div>
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Sanders claims to have started a revolution. He hasn’t. The net
effect is that Sanders has made people more aware of what direction the
Democrats are actually moving - bigger government, less liberty. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">And that
scares people</i>. People clearly like free enterprise, entrepreneurship and
small business according to those Gallup results. Those things are antithetical
to Socialism, in which the federal government would own the means of
production. And make no mistake, that is what Sanders has advocated for in
every day of his career… Well, right up until he ran for president.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Look around and ask yourself, if this is Sanders’s
revolution, who will carry the torch going forward? Who are the up-and-coming
politicians who will champion his policies when this campaign subsides? The <a href="http://feelthebern.org/endorsements-for-bernie-sanders/">list of
endorsees</a> is actually more chock full of people who have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">left</i> office, seems more interested in
celebrities than public servants, and is notable for its lack of anyone with
any kind of executive experience. And don’t look past the fact he has Nicolas
Maduro’s backing. But don’t fret, he recently decided to flip-flop on legalizing
marijuana, so he has <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kal_Penn">Kumar’s</a>
vote.</div>
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<br /></div>
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There is no one in Congress who sides with Bernie. This
explains why not a single piece of legislation that Bernie has authored has
ever passed in either house. And Sanders’s supporters have taken umbrage with
the flaws in the system that have inhibited his campaign without acknowledging
that a) Sanders <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">chose</i> this route and
b) there is no one in the system who aligns with him that is interested in
changing things. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Not. One. Person.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
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So when we dissect the denouement of his supposed
revolution, we can look back at a man who cast aside principles for party,
chose money and media over making a difference, and who now has an army with no
incipient leader – all while public opinion of Socialism has declined. In other
words, in every way imaginable, the Bernie Sanders campaign has actually
failed.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And that’s a good thing for America. You know, the one that
loves free enterprise and all...</div>
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table.MsoNormalTable
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mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
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<![endif]--><b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-32911963906869163462016-05-19T15:28:00.000-04:002018-07-15T15:28:29.491-04:00Movin' On Up: The 'shrinking middle class' fallacy<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Twenty years ago, as most of my friends prepared for graduation and the
next steps in their lives, I was a college drop-out - flunk-out really. I was making
barely over minimum wage and working two jobs, sometimes three, to pay bills. There
were a good many reasons that I found myself in the predicament that I was in
at the time, rather than fitting myself for a cap and gown, but none of them
were external. In the intervening time period, a lot of things have changed.
Which is why when I hear Bernie Sanders talk about the disappearing middle
class, I just have to shake my head.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bernie is looking at a number in isolation and saying ‘there are less
people in this group than there were 30 years ago’. And his followers eat it
up, because they want someone to blame for the malaise that affects them:
college debt, poor job prospects, flat-lining wages. All of these things are
because of the 1% on Wall Street, Bernie will tell you. They hold <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all that wealth!</i> But wait just a second…
If those people aren’t middle class anymore, exactly where did they go? </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
As <a href="https://www.aei.org/publication/yes-americas-middle-class-has-been-disappearing-into-higher-income-groups/">Mark
Perry of AEI</a> shows us, they are actually becoming upper class citizens. What’s
more, the number of people in the lower income bracket is shrinking as well,
but you’ll be hard-pressed to hear Sen. Sanders shouting that statistic while
he wags his finger at Wall Street. Saying that the only income class of Americans
that has grown over the last 50 years is the highest one doesn’t quite mesh
with his ‘there isn’t a problem government can’t fix’ platform. But there’s another
problem with all of these numbers: <u>they are not longitudinal</u>. They examine
what all of America looks like at a given point in time, and do not tell us what
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any one individual</i> has experienced
over that timeframe.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/middleclass1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/middleclass1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So take me as your example – and I’d argue I’m a pretty representative
one. In 1997, I would be squarely in that lowest income bracket. Bernie would
say how awful that is that I was not able to experience a middle class
lifestyle! But hold on now. I was 21 years old – yes, that make me an adult
head of household for these purposes. I had two housemates. I drove a used car
(that I adored, mind you). I should have had minimal debt, but I might have had
a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">slight</i> addiction to music that ran
up the Mastercard a bit. Suffice it to say though: I wasn’t <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">supposed</i> to be middle class at this
point in my life. Looking at that chart for the year marked 1997, I’m on that
top line, nonetheless.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Fast forward 10 years, and I finished my undergrad degree, paid off 100%
of my non-college debt, and live in a pretty nice condo in one of the five most
expensive cities in the country. And now I’m on that bottom line on the graph,
the highest income bracket. How is that possible? How in ten years can a person
go from lower class earnings to higher class earnings? The answer is simple: I
worked my ass off. Because that’s what you can do in America: work hard, get
ahead.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sure, I also made some smart choices: I took jobs with companies that I
knew would help me grow professionally. I also chose a profession (albeit less
intentionally) that offered a great deal of upward mobility. Even still, I
worked a lot of hours, did some pretty undesirable work (think George Clooney
in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Up in the Air*</i>), and was
successful. I only actually spent three years on that middle line. But the
lines on a chart don’t show what hard work can do. They just capture talking
points for an opportunistic candidate, who ignores the other relevant data
points to push his message of class warfare. And make no mistake about it: that
is what this is. It is telling people that they deserve better, but someone
else - someone with more money - is holding them back. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let me tell you: had I bought into that message in 1997, I might still
be in that lowest bracket. I might be pointing my finger at all those who achieved
success as the cause for all that ails me. But I’d be wrong. Just as Bernie is
wrong. You probably know of someone just like that, who doesn’t take
responsibility for what happens to them and act to move things forward. Are
there systemic factors that prevent people from getting ahead? Absolutely. But
they can be overcome when you look for the solutions within, and don’t ask the
government – or anyone else for that matter - to fix things for you. You have
to ask that of yourself first.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bernie will tell you he has the solutions. Hillary too, as she has
hopped on this train as well. But ask yourself when you look at that chart: is there
really even a problem?</div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-14399860461627573082016-05-18T18:22:00.001-04:002018-07-15T15:28:55.077-04:00How the New Overtime Rules Will Hurt Everyone<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Today, the Obama administration
took the long-expected step of amending the overtime regulations as they apply
to all labor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a quaint video uploaded
to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/potus/?fref=ts">Facebook</a>, they outline
just how this will work: that by doubling the threshold over which individuals
are exempt from overtime, they will magically relieve all of those over-worked
and underpaid Americans of their burdens, using Sam and Mattie as avatars of
Americans facing such challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the
video also goes to great lengths to ignore practical reality and the
fundamentals of economics, which tell us simply that in the face of increased
costs, employers will simply employ fewer people.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The video seems to think that
now, because it will be more expensive to pay Sam or Mattie overtime, the
number being fixed nationwide regardless of regional cost of labor variations,
employers will just either a) raise their pay so they aren’t overtime eligible,
or b) shift the extra workload to other employees to keep their workload down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let me tell you what will really happen,
because you see: I’ve done both Mattie and Sam’s jobs before.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Mattie works as the head of human
resources, which suggests that she has a staff under her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Let’s forget the fact that a head of HR with
a salary of $40k is getting paid well below market in just about every
geographic region, and accept the number at face value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When Mattie’s employer is faced with
implementing this new rule, they are going to take a look at their balance
sheet and say that they need to maintain profitability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They will then call Mattie in to the
president’s office and have a conversation which will result in one of three
things happening:<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> </span></span></div>
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span>Mattie
will be told to cut benefits, which are often a cost proportionate to wages
because many are driven by the employee’s wage – think life insurance, 401k
match.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> </span></span></li>
<li>Mattie
will be told to implement a hiring freeze while attrition gets the company down
to a manageable number.<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"> </span></span></li>
<li>Mattie
will be told to build a lay-off plan, and instructed to discuss with leaders
how those employees who are now better compensated can pick up the duties of
the dismissed staff.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
This exact scenario has already
happened once in the last decade, when almost every employer in 2008 faced
reduced profitability in the face of an unexpected economic downturn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My experience in HR has shown me that the
easiest thing for management to do is let people go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I say that because, in option 1, you are often
faced with breaking contracts that will cost the company money - though one
company with which I was associated eliminated 401k match to compensate, and
then paid record executive bonuses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
option 2, when you rely on attrition, the first people to leave are often your
best, because they are always able to find better options.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Option 3 lets you separate the
wheat from the chaff and cut the people who aren’t providing the most value.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Executives frequently choose option 3 when 1
and 2 are still on the table because it lets them keep the best people, and
give them a good package of benefits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You
can also typically write it off as a restructuring cost and not take a hit to
your earnings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the net effect is
that the same amount of work gets redistributed to a fewer number of employees,
because maintaining profitability requires the same revenues be received, and
the same productivity levels maintained.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
So Mattie will have to fire a lot
of people, and she will have to start in her own department.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because to offset the 20% cost increase in Mattie’s
wage, which probably has a 30% fringe benefit value associated with it, Mattie is
going to have to let an HR assistant go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Which means that Mattie isn’t in fact getting the benefit of this
change: she got a 20% wage increase – just enough to get her over that exmption
threshold - but just got 40 hours’ worth of work dumped on her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or maybe she spreads that out across the
employees remaining in her department, but since they all get paid less than Mattie
(remember, she’s the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">head</i> of HR), I’ll
bet there will be a ‘no overtime’ directive from management, meaning Mattie
really is going to be the one doing all the work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I were Mattie, I would be less than
thrilled.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Now if I were Sam, I would be
even more upset though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because where Mattie
likely works a 9-5 job, Sam’s gotta keep the lights on and fully staff the
store seven days a week from 9am to 9pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or does he? Unlike Mattie, Sam’s employer has one other option: reducing
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everyone’s </i>work hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because they already did that once in the
last ten years: when Obamacare (the PPACA) was implemented, retail employers
saw the hours threshold and made sure their part timers would fit under it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Because those major retailers see no
difference between paying 20 people and paying 15 if that total gross wage
number is the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Mattie’s problem
of fringe benefit value isn’t an issue here, because none of these folks will
have benefits anymore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
All this leads to a tougher job for
Sam, who now has to manage more people, on more shifts, which means that there
is a higher probability that on some of those shifts, Sam is going to end up
short-handed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And Sam’s people are
probably now having to work two jobs, because he can’t give them full time
hours, meaning they are going to be tougher to schedule, and likely less
productive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And despite the notion that
some of Sam’s work will get redistributed to others, which sounds so darn reasonable
in the video, the reality is that Sam is the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">store manager</i>: there isn’t anyone else to do his work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anything Sam may have to cut an assistant or
two, just like Mattie did.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The video does get one thing
right: employers have always had a tough time figuring out who qualifies for
exemptions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the re-write doesn’t
change the exemption tests enough to make a difference, it really only changes
the salary number under which a person still qualifies for overtime.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And let me tell you from experience: the
majority of managers asking about overtime exemptions weren’t trying to follow
some ‘test’, they were trying to keep costs down.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
The video gets one other thing
right: the white-collar rules are outdated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They applied to a workforce that typically came to the office from 9-5
and worked extra hours on either side of that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now, those folks work <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">24/7</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Employers have them on an electronic tether, and
a good number of employees - *gasp!*- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">don’t
mind!!</i> This will force companies to write new policies and enforce
restrictions on off-hours work that honestly doesn’t really bother people to
perform.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
In addition, though these rules
were first written when health benefits weren’t even the norm, compensation
packages today feature a good deal more than a base wage in many companies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As <a href="https://fee.org/articles/obama-s-egregious-overtime-rules-attack-prosperity-and-worker-rights/">Jeffrey
Tucker</a> of FEE correctly states, organizations that have a compelling future
value that they can sell to employees may offset the interim low wages that they
can barely afford with the potential of future equity in their eventual success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That equity still has a (much lower) cost
associated with it, but when these rules go into effect, start-ups will take
one look at that new number and cut the number of people getting equity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who gets hurt? The ones who could benefit the
most – no more millionaire secretaries, like Microsoft could once boast.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
And that last part brings us back
to Mattie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Her job heading HR just got a
lot harder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A lot more policies to write
and enforce, a lot more challenges hiring and retaining people without equity
as a lever, a lot less time spent trying to build a better company culture and
a high-performing organization.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s
the role I’m in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
It gets tiresome trying to keep
up with every new rule that comes out of the federal government, especially the
ones made without legislative involvement – just executive branch dictates or ‘recommendations’
that carry the implied or explicit threat of some kind of retaliation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need a government that understands how
difficult it is running an organization in which incoming revenues are what actually
pay the bills, not the incalculable debt that adds up every hour the federal
government is at work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We need a
government that shows its support of the worker by allowing for more
opportunity and flexibility, not by dictating the terms of every employment
relationship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And mostly, we need a
government that doesn’t look at the economy as something that they can tinker
with and manipulate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Because Sam and Mattie
are real people, with real jobs, and they are the ones that have to deal with the consequences.</div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-31641564402739865522016-04-11T12:18:00.004-04:002018-07-15T15:29:05.141-04:00Legislating from the executive branch<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="List Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="List Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
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A recent judge’s ruling confirmed what should have already
been obvious: Montana’s tax credit scholarship is neither a state appropriation
of funds, nor is it up to the executive branch to determine who should receive
it. Unfortunately, money that could be going to parents who want more choice is
still at risk. Why? Because the special interests <a href="http://billingsgazette.com/news/government-and-politics/montana-families-who-sued-over-scholarship-funds-brace-for-possible/article_b085362e-1421-582a-a835-849db5073182.html">want
an appeal</a>.</div>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
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Let’s first make something clear: when a person makes a
donation to a scholarship fund, and then receives a tax credit for doing so,
that money never belonged to the state. Any more than when I make a donation to
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Project-Hope-of-Stillwater-County-MT/160320230823132">Project
Hope</a> here in Columbus and later claim a deduction for it on my taxes. The
state is offering nothing more than another opportunity for parents to access
funding for their children’s education. And this money is definitely not being
diverted <u>from</u> public schools since the individuals making the donations
to begin with have optionality: they can choose to fund either, or both, public
and private schools. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The law itself was pretty unambiguous, despite the <a href="http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/editorial/gazette-opinion/gazette-opinion-montana-s-complex-tax-credit-scheme/article_76a70d38-c3a8-5c4d-90b2-cb0ed7865778.html">complexity
of the structure involved</a>. But that didn’t stop the executive branch from
writing rules that directly contradicted the intent of the law and limited ‘private
schools’ to only non-religious institutions. To say that the legislature hadn’t
considered the potential of the scholarships being used for this purpose is
quite a grasp, but the president of the MEA-MFT, Eric Feaver, said exactly
that. </div>
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<br /></div>
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When the legislators were polled after the agency created
these rules, confirming what they believed they were voting for, his response
was to question their motives: “How powerful is a post-legislative survey of
intent?” Feaver asked. “It leads to corruption of the legislative process,
indicating legislative intent after the fact.”</div>
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<br /></div>
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What is creating a rule in the executive branch if not ‘legislating
after the fact’? Feaver goes further though, to say the judicial ruling has a “political
flavor”, as if the rule that was created did not have any such flavor itself.
Feaver then states this is a constitutional question that requires further
appeal, without clarifying exactly what the constitutional question that
remains unresolved actually is. All he really wants to do is remind us that his
organization will fight tooth and nail to protect their interests to the
detriment of students and parents who see more value in private education – a value
that he recognizes, but then states they should try to find in a public school
anyways.</div>
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<br /></div>
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But here is the real waste of time and resources: we have
private individuals suing the state to get access to these funds. The state is
defending the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>rule</u></i> as written
by an unaccountable appointed government bureaucrat. The state is not
implementing the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>law</u></i> as
written by the elected legislative branch. And in the process, the state has to
defend itself against its constituents, who are just trying to access to money
provided <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by other constituents,</i> to enforce
a rule supported only by special interests.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Though this is clearly a school choice issue, the underlying
problem is one of an executive branch run amok. They have lost their tether as
to what their role is: executing and implementing the law <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as written</i> and have now determined that they are also responsible
for interpreting intent. This isn’t unique to Montana, as we see the NLRB having
their way with rewriting laws, while the ACA gets adjusted every couple of
months it seems. This needs to stop. The will of the people is voiced by the
legislature, and it is time Gov. Bullock pulled in the reins on his branch of
government and ended this madness.</div>
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<br /></div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-76211488938897974732016-04-07T12:17:00.001-04:002018-07-15T15:32:18.923-04:00Bullock, Tester send PayPal a disingenuous invitation<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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As my wife and I drove back from Billings last night, stopping off for
some beers and boudin at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/highplainsbrewing/?fref=nf">High Plains Brewing</a>
and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cajunphattys/?fref=ts">Cajun Phatty’s</a>,
I told her how my Facebook feed had shared the news of my home state’s governor
<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/04/05/paypal-abandons-plans-to-open-facility-in-charlotte-due-to-lgbt-law/">inviting
PayPal</a> to set up shop there after rebuking Charlotte, citing all the amenities the Green Mountain
state has to offer. I lamented the fact that even if our state leaders here in
Montana wanted to send such an invitation, they couldn’t <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>honestly</u></b> do so. </div>
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<br /></div>
Little did I know, they already had.<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
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On Wednesday, Sen. Jon Tester and Gov. Steve Bullock followed
shamelessly on the heels of other state leaders in <a href="http://www.tester.senate.gov/files/images/pay%20pal%20signed.pdf">inviting
PayPal</a> to come to our state, citing the inclusive business environment, and
Montana’s many positive attributes. The problem is, unlike Gov. Shumlin of
Vermont whose state has actually led the way on social issues, Tester and Bullock
had to bend the truth more than just a little bit.</div>
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<br /></div>
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While Montana does have an inclusive business environment, with some
very strong anti-discrimination statutes hard-wired into the founding documents,
there is a simple fact that stares anyone in the eye who looks closely enough.
Despite our Supreme Court’s recent decision, gay marriage is still legally
prohibited according what is written in our constitution. So no matter how much
you may want to say that we mirror PayPal’s values of “fairness, inclusion and
equality”, we don’t. And as wrong as it is to have this prohibition codified in
our laws (despite being null and void according to the Court’s ruling), it is
even more wrong to insult the intelligence of any vested party and say that
Montana believes in equality.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Senator Daines came out quite forcefully after the decision to voice
his <a href="http://www.krtv.com/story/29417876/montana-leaders-react-to-us-supreme-court-same-sex-marriage-ruling">disagreement</a>.
"The Court is overriding the will of the people of Montana and numerous
other states that have defined marriage as between one man and one woman. I
believe marriage is between one man and one woman." That doesn’t sound
very inclusive to me. And the fact that the letter sent Wednesday was partisan
and did not include Daines or Rep. Ryan Zinke suggests that maybe only half of
our state’s leaders would even want PayPal here.</div>
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<br /></div>
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After all, this is the same state that <a href="http://www.lgbtqnation.com/2015/07/montanas-unenforceable-samesex-marriage-ban-to-remain-in-state-constitution/">fought
for sixteen years</a> to remove a law from the books the criminalized gay sex
even after the state highest courts struck that down. The law didn’t even come
off the books until 2013 – just three years ago.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Dig deeper and you’ll see a few more things that Tester and Bullock got
wrong. Though Montana ranks well for entrepreneurship, in areas where real
growth is happening, Montana retains arcane and oppressive anti-competition
laws. Our restaurant and hospitality industries are hobbled by the expensive
and oligopolistic liquor licensing laws, while breweries and distilleries can
only serve customers during the hours the state tells them they can. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then there is the simple fact that our power companies can’t get out of
their own way. With the Colstrip situation hanging out there with no resolution
in sight, where on Montana’s earth can they put a facility and feel certain
that their investment will continue to be powered well into the next decade at
rates that aren’t usurious? All the folks at PayPal would have to do is read a
recent issue of the <a href="http://billingsgazette.com/news/government-and-politics/chs-montanans-will-pay-more-for-fuel-if-colstrip-power/article_129f95e3-b1d8-5c7e-b75a-23715ad813fa.html">Billings
Gazette</a> to see how fearful existing Montana employers are of the situation.</div>
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<br /></div>
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The truth is, PayPal doesn’t just want to put their business someplace
where it can be built, they want it to be put someplace it can grow. To do
that, you have to have and open an accepting economy overall, one where people
are willing to uproot themselves from comfortable surroundings to take an
opportunity with a multi-national company. They want to buy their home, raise
their family, and live their lives as they see fit – not how the government
tells them they can. This is why Silicon Valley startups have started to flee California
for <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/cities/americas-most-innovative-tech-hubs/">Boulder,
Austin, and other locales</a>. What do these locales have in common? They’re
far more socially tolerant than Montana. Yes, even Utah - who showed this with
their recent <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/with-welcoming-stance-conservative-utah-charts-its-own-course-on-refugees-1459125392?tesla=y">welcoming
stance</a> on Syrian refugees. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
So let us at least be honest if we are going to extend PayPal such an
invitation. Tell them that like a big-armed quarterback singing with a Division
II school that they can be a cornerstone in our development, building the state’s
thriving economy. Show them that we have two first-rate universities that can
pump out students eager to stay and work in Montana. Tell them we have made
strides on social tolerance, but still have a ways to go. And tell them, most
of all, that we can provide the most dedicated and hardest-working employee
population that they will ever encounter. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Just don’t lie to them. Or to us.</div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-32805493297290833942016-04-05T11:57:00.001-04:002018-07-15T15:29:17.334-04:00A taxing proposition<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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If you’re like nearly every other adult American, you just paid someone
money to get a portion of your own earnings back. Every year, the <a href="https://www.franchisehelp.com/industry-reports/tax-preparation-industry-report/">multi-billion
dollar tax return industry</a> cashes in on people’s fundamental desire to
recoup every penny of what they earned that the government should have taken.
This is an industry that capitalizes on the ever-increasing complexity of tax
laws, and fleeces Americans for getting back what never should have been taken
to begin with. Whether it is paying $15 for an online service as I did, or a
couple hundred dollars as I know some people have done this year already, it is
preposterous to think that the average American has to engage the services of a
highly trained professional, or utilize highly specialized and time-consuming
software, just to get back the money they earned.</div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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For a licensed commercial or industrial entity, this may make sense.
They have accountants on staff (or retainer) anyways. But why must the rest of
us navigate these arcane laws under threat of audit just to recoup our
hard-earned wages? Surely there is a better way that doesn’t involve me sitting
in front of a laptop each February for several hours. </div>
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<br /></div>
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But let’s go a step beyond the basic. Why do we have an entire industry
that is built to help us <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">avoid</i> taxation
when it comes to retirement planning? The 401k and IRA space in financial
services is booming, and it becomes harder each year for individuals to
navigate the complex laws around Roth & Traditional IRAs, never mind the
mountains of legislation that an employer must acquaint themselves with every
time they sit down to discuss their company retirement plan. As employer after
employer endures lawsuits for failing their fiduciary duty, now the government
wants to make that process even <a href="https://cei.org/blog/obama-unveils-fiduciary-rule-week-putting-middle-class-investors-bind">more
cumbersome</a>.</div>
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But if it weren’t for the tax-qualified status of those plans,
businesses would have far less to fear, far less cost involved, and far greater
flexibility to offer investment options that aren’t narrowly tailored to fall
into the government’s good graces. Instead, they could devote more resources to
improving employee financial acumen, and providing unbiased consultative
resources that won’t direct them to the investments that earn someone more
commission.</div>
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Then there is the employer pre-tax deduction for health care expenses.
This is not an employee benefit so much as they would have you think. Studies
show that these benefits only <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2013/08/30/youre-spending-way-more-on-your-health-benefits-than-you-think/">reduce
the salary</a> that your employer otherwise would have paid you – part of why
wages have stagnated the last 8 years in the wake of the recession and passage
of the ACA. And even then, employers are the ones getting the tax deduction in
the process. And though they may steer you towards that Flexible Spending
Account or Health Savings Account, the tax benefit you may gain often doesn’t
outweigh the stress of the administrative hassle of compliance. It’s just more
paperwork to get back your own money. In fact, the whole system is largely
designed just to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/17/opinion/sunday/the-health-benefits-that-cut-your-pay.html?_r=0">hide
the actual costs</a> from consumers.</div>
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The list goes on and on, including several different social engineering
deductions to personal income taxes (marriage, child-rearing, education,
mortgage interest, etc.). But here’s the real killer: you can deduct state
income taxes, in full or in part, from your federal income taxes. Several of
the states with the highest level of government spending are also the ones with
the highest income taxes. So essentially, if your state has a consumption tax
(sales tax) and no income tax, you’re subsidizing those states <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">even more</i> that you otherwise would be,
simply because your legislature chose to tax production instead of consumption.</div>
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In Montana, the personal income tax component of our taxes is reputedly
the highest contributor to state revenues, bringing in $1.06b in 2014 alone,
against $1.69b in total collections, 100% of which went into the general fund,
meaning it can be spent for anything and everything. And right now, that fund is
running at a half-billion dollar surplus. Thus it should be no surprise that
each year, our Democrat governors come back to the legislature asking for budget
increases exceeding 10%, and get rebuffed – only to have the legislature
approve an <a href="http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/bullock-senate-leaders-work-out-deal-on-montana-budget/article_737512c4-6d1e-5da4-b686-9c6afc7bb310.html">8.5%
increase in 2015</a>.</div>
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They are playing with house money. Your money. I’m sure we would all
like to start the new year by looking at our budget and saying “I’ll spend 10%
more!!”, but that isn’t how it works… unless you’re in government. There has
been little to no talk of securing that budget surplus for an emergency fund,
or better yet, returning it to the taxpayers, though Republican gubernatorial candidate
Greg Gianforte has mentioned the idea. What all this clearly shows us is that
we are paying way more in taxes than we need to, and instead of adjusting down
how much they take, our state is ratcheting up how much they spend.</div>
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Of the top five states in ratio of <a href="http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/compare_state_spending_2016bZ0cn">spending
to GSP</a>, four have <a href="http://www.money-zine.com/financial-planning/tax-shelter/state-income-tax-rates/">no
income taxes</a>. Montana’s rank on that list is 43<sup>rd</sup>. The most
fiscally responsible states are the ones taxing consumption, not production. It’s
a good place to start.</div>
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Our state’s constitution affords us up to a 4% sales (consumption) tax.
Just applying that to our Gross State Product (GSP), we would have had $1.86b
in revenues. Now, a share of that is of course necessities that should be
exempted – groceries, medicine, clothing – and it may also include state
spending. But an overwhelming majority of our GSP are legitimately taxable
items. We could easily afford the shift, and allow businesses, not individuals,
to bear the burden of figuring out their tax bills.</div>
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And even better, we could give people a legitimate lever to use against
government excesses. How often have you heard “If I could choose not to pay
taxes for that, I would.” A sales tax would let Montanans do just that: pay for
their necessities tax free, and make consumptive choices based on how much they
want to pay in taxes. And it would force our government to do what all their constituents
already must: be frugal with their funds.</div>
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<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-46997753306182169132016-03-29T19:18:00.002-04:002018-07-15T15:30:11.610-04:00Why I shop at Costco, and why it matters... <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">...well, it matters to me, at least. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In 2014, retail giant Target announced that they would <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/01/22/target-is-dropping-insurance-for-some-because-of-obamacare-that-could-be-good-news-for-workers/">no
longer offer healthcare benefits</a> to part time employees, instead directing
them to the newly formed ACA exchanges. Their rationale at the time was that “by
offering them insurance, we could actually disqualify many of them from being
eligible for newly available subsidies that could reduce their overall health
insurance expense."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At the time this decision was made, Target was still doing
quite well and was profitable, though their earnings year over year had
declined slightly. They hadn’t yet felt the full effect of their credit card
breach, so this was not a reaction to adverse market conditions: this was purely
a calculated business decision. When you look at it at face value, it makes
sense for Target to do what it can to lower costs to compete in an already
tight retail sector. But in reality what happened was that Target took its
internal cost of providing benefits, previously paid for by consumers through
retail pricing, and passed it along to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everyone</i>,
not just their customers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Think about it this way. If I buy a product at Target circa
2012, I know that I’m buying from a company that treats most employees fairly
well from a compensation and benefits perspective, as well as providing career
opportunities for growth and development. I know this because <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">I <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">talked to </span>Target employees.</i> So when I would
buy a product there, which is more expensive than say at a competitor like
Walmart, I was making a conscious choice to subsidize their business model, and
specifically this facet of it. I would rather shop where employees are treated
well, not necessarily where I get the lowest price. It doesn’t make me a better
person, but it makes me feel better <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">as</i>
a person.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is the same reason many people patronize Starbucks, which
is renowned for taking a product you can make at home for pennies, charging you
five dollars, and making you feel good about that decision. I would hazard a
guess that along with valuing their fair trade coffee and recycling practices,
many people make that choice because they see Starbucks treating employees
well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fast forward to 2014, and I learn that Target has had a
change of heart. They want their employees to fend for themselves now. And let’s
be honest, it isn’t about having options, because studies show that even when
offered good choices, people’s <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/bad-good-choices">stress
levels go up</a>. But the exchanges don’t offer ‘good choices’, they offer
highly complex ones that individuals without training and information will find
daunting to say the least.* And that is why an employer’s benefit plan serves a
valuable purpose: it filters the choices available, reduces them to a
manageable number, and eliminates most of the complex decision making. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Beyond th<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">is</span> point of just stressing out its own employees, and perhaps
more critically, Target shifted the responsibility of who is actually paying
for their employee’s benefits. Previously, as a consumer, I was happily subsidizing
those benefits with each purchase I made. Now, as a taxpayer, I am subsidizing those
same employees without ever making a Target purchase. Which means that if I now
shop at Target, who certainly haven’t lowered their prices in tandem with this
decision, I am not incrementally contributing to the betterment of their
employees’ lives. Instead, I am likely only incrementally increasing the value
of the bonus that some Target exec will receive. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If I don’t shop at Target now (and honestly, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">very</i> rarely do anymore because of this issue),
I am still paying for their employee benefits. Just like I was already paying
for Walmart’s benefits: Walmart has more employees on Medicaid than any other
business in the US. Why? Because its shoppers are okay with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everyone else</i> paying for the company’s
employee benefits as long as they get the Guaranteed Lowest Price.** Which is why Walmart <a href="http://dailysignal.com/2009/07/01/theres-a-very-good-reason-wal-mart-supports-an-employer-mandate/" target="_blank">actively supported the ACA</a>: it would put their competition in an even more unfavorable position.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This is what a subsidy does. It takes a cost that could
easily be borne by the private sector, and moves it to the public sector and
spreads it out over all taxpayers - not just those who use the product or service
in question. This leads to shifts in how those organizations employ their capital,
and generally, it is not in some other fashion that benefits all employees. The
Waltons and their shareholders did not get stinking rich by giving out
Christmas bonuses to all several hundred thousand of their employees.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">But those subsidies also make demand for the product
inelastic: if the organization providing the subsidized service is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">guaranteed</i> taxpayer money, there is no
reason to maintain a competitive cost structure. We have already seen this play
out with post-secondary education. College dorms look more like luxury hotels
and the student gyms offer facilities that rival high-end fitness centers. Why?
Because student loans come with government guarantees for payment. With that,
you can jack up your tuition rate to whatever you want and no one will bat an
eye. And we are already seeing this as consumer costs in healthcare are soaring
and exceed nearly <a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/health-care-index/articles/2015/05/07/us-news-health-care-index">every
other major economic index</a>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sometimes, subsidies are done with the noblest and most
altruistic of stated intents. But often times, these are made via grants and
legislation that channel taxpayer money into already flush organizations. Why
on earth do Ivy League schools with multi-billion dollar endowments need
federal grants for research? They staff entire departments with people to write
those grant proposals and take taxpayer money for the most inauspicious of
causes (ask me and I’ll tell you my favorite), while their alumni continue to
fill the coffers for one more building to be <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">constructed </span>in their name. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Locally, I received a full-color mailing from a county
organization that was proud to tell us of how they had been utilizing grant
money that they had received. The total of the grant was about $27,000; the
value of the mailing itself was at least ten percent of that, never mind that
the graphic designer paid to put it together was also the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">grant writer</i>. So this organization had frivolously expended
taxpayer money to tell us how judiciously they were employing taxpayer funds.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The number of people and entities receiving subsidies doesn’t
matter, though they rise every single year. It isn’t about orders of magnitude,
it’s about the net effect. When they can do it once, they do it over and over. And
the people who write the bills then cash out and go to <a href="http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/318577-architects-of-obamacare-reap-windfall-as-washington-lobbyists">work
for the very special interests</a> their legislation was supposed to hinder. Subsidies
aren’t about helping the little guy, that much is clear with the decision that
Target made in 2014 (and Walmart, and Trader Joe’s, and Home Depot, and… you
get my point), and the skyrocketing health care premiums and deductibles. These subsidies are about lining the pockets of the special
interests, lobbying and corporate both, and spreading that cost over all
taxpayers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And that’s why I now do most of my shopping at <a href="http://ptmoney.com/the-ten-best-part-time-jobs-with-benefits/">Costco</a>.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">* <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Full disclosure: My
wife and I were without insurance after I left my job in late 2015. Rather than
pay COBRA premiums exceeding $1,300/month, we met our legal requirement to have
insurance by going on the exchange and choosing a PPO that was half that cost.
We received a tax credit that was fully repaid in our 2015 income taxes.
However, in 2016, that PPO’s premium was increased 60%, and we were forced to
choose a POS plan with higher premiums than the prior year’s PPO, higher co-pays
and deductibles, and extremely limited provider choices. I was previously
responsible for choosing and administering employee benefits for a company, and
the enrollment process took me well over three hours the first time, and over
an hour the second. I believe the benefit providers are using the enrolment
process as a deterrent to people changing plans, allowing them to rapidly drive
up costs.</i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">** Further
disclosure: I have not made a purchase at Walmart in over ten years, and I don’t
foresee that ever changing.</span></i></span></div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-56528406219748737362016-03-04T12:08:00.000-05:002018-07-15T15:30:22.004-04:00Playing the Trump Card<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Though it was nearly twelve years ago now, I can remember it
like it was yesterday. I sat around a lunch table with a bunch of coworkers in
my new job and one of them picked up the newspaper to look at the election
results. “I just don’t understand how anyone can vote for them?!” Them, in this
instance, being Republicans. John Kerry has just been beaten handily by
incumbent George W. Bush, despite all attempts to make the latter out to be the
cronyist incompetent that he had become. The sentiment was widespread, and not
just limited to our lunch table. But if you look at the map from that election,
the widespread nature of this sentiment was limited to geographically small,
but very densely populated sections of the country.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fast forward to 2016, and those same areas of the country
are bewildered at how anyone could vote for Trump<i> in their own backyard</i>. Let me say this at the
outset – I would never, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">ever</i> vote for
Trump. I don’t think he’s a good human being, never mind a good presidential
candidate. But deep down, I have to admit something: I understand why people
are voting for him. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As Reason Magazine has put it <a href="http://reason.com/blog/2016/03/03/maybe-trump-voters-know-hes-a-con-man">so
eloquently</a>, for the last few decades, people have seen the government wield
its power to the benefit of a select subset of individuals and entities. There
is a good reason why the zip codes in and around DC <a href="http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324767004578489202247919668">astronomically
increased</a> in property value after Obama’s re-election: there’s money to be
made there, if you know who to talk to. The trouble is, the average American <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">doesn’t</i> know who to talk to. And they’re
tired of seeing someone else reap the benefits of their hard work. Or worse
yet, reap the benefits when they can’t even find <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">good</i> work. Don’t let that fake unemployment rate fool you folks,
there are lots of people out there still looking for meaningful work.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnr-SJxO1YNlY_v1XoDWNLRRqPELTjplVNeOH-b_ohLd6QXa5JsVKuy8xZLTijx1Vzp-_8roDkO-F6LJHTeEmVSEwb4DYp27f224S0JC5M-zFEGk0v1y4J8_83yeUob0x1qw_NOqusxnui/s1600/12328219_471924783017877_901907465_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnr-SJxO1YNlY_v1XoDWNLRRqPELTjplVNeOH-b_ohLd6QXa5JsVKuy8xZLTijx1Vzp-_8roDkO-F6LJHTeEmVSEwb4DYp27f224S0JC5M-zFEGk0v1y4J8_83yeUob0x1qw_NOqusxnui/s200/12328219_471924783017877_901907465_n.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So they have a choice: look for someone to blame, as the
Sanders camp has encouraged them to do, or look to be the one getting the benefits. And
that is what Trump is promising, and why Chris Christie, always the political
opportunist, has lined up right behind him, albeit with a look of some
exasperation. People want the power to make their lives better, and we have
slowly taken that away from them and handed it to government. So the logical
extension of this is that if you want the power, you have to be in control of
the government. At the face of things, that is what Christie and millions of
voters are hoping for.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But The Donald also hates losers. And our government as it
stands right now is about picking winners and losers. So don’t be surprised
when Donald says he is going to weed out who he thinks are the losers, and that
his voters will be the winners. Like Tammany Hall of a century ago, Donald is
rebuilding the political machine that never went away. The difference is, he is
doing it out in the open, without subterfuge.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For decades now, Democrats have promised union support, thus
cementing the stranglehold public sector unions have on our government and
ensuring the box gets checked for D each time they got to the polls. And by
promising a strong military and defense complex, the Republicans lock in the camouflage
vote and the support of hundreds of thousands of Grumman, Raytheon, and
Haliburton employees across our nation. What Donald is promising is no
different, he’s just telling it like it is: the country has always been for
sale folks, but the difference now is the guy running it will be looking out
for <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">you</i>. Hardly.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the party leaders on both sides come out and condemn
Trump for nearly everything possible. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mittromney/">Romney claims empathy</a> for the
anti-establishment sentiments espoused by Trump voters, then suggests they vote
for establishment candidates. And make no mistake: right now, no matter what your
history, if you held office as a D or R, and are running as D or R, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">you are the establishment</b>. It does
matter how you got there, or what you did when you arrived (and let’s face it,
neither Rubio nor Cruz have done anything remotely productive), you are a party
member. And the fact that the leadership is coming out to tell you how wrong
you are for liking Trump is only going to reinforce the feeling that you are
right in that belief.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And there is one other element at play here. For eight
years, a lot of people have been criticizing the current administration. And
whether their criticisms are justified or not, they have frequently been
labeled as racists just for deigning to question the authority of a black
president. They have been openly mocked by the likes of Jon Stewart, Stephen
Colbert, and an army of armchair political commentators. The media has
played the 'race card' relentlessly and conditioned them to feel marginalized and humiliated, and in doing so has taken
all of the strength out of these arguments. Is Trump racist? No doubt. Is a
person voting for Trump racist? Could be. But the things is: they won’t listen
to <a href="https://t.co/psD8QVZpeh">the people saying that now</a> because the
media cried wolf for eight straight years rather than listen to often
legitimate feedback from voters. And if you think <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">any</i> of those folks are going to vote for a woman now..? Good luck.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I referenced Sanders earlier and his desire to blame the
woes of our nation on the billionaires of Wall Street. What Bernie and his
legions tacitly acknowledge by saying ‘the system is broken’ is that it isn’t
just the billionaires that have power, someone conferred that upon them through
legislation and regulation. While Trump is creating and ‘us vs. them’ mentality
using borders and religion, Sanders is drawing the lines with wealth. The
wealthy have too much power! They have corrupted our government! The solution?
More government!! But this new government will give that wealth to the people
instead! Sanders is no different than Trump, people. He is telling you he will
create a bigger government, with more power, and take wealth from some and give
it to others. It doesn’t matter who he says he will give it to, because as we
have seen so clearly over the last several years, the money has a way of being
siphoned off to special interests.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The dividing lines in our country are not about race, as our
current president would like you to believe. Or about religion, as Trump is
campaigning. Or about wealth as Sanders preaches. It is about those who receive
substantial benefit from the party in power, and those who receive nothing from
the federal government. That is the real dividing line of ‘have’ and ‘have not’.
All of the Democratic and Republican candidates, in some way, shape or form are
campaigning on a platform that will continue to grow the list of ‘haves’, and
only further anger those who ‘have not’.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The reality is, none of the major party candidates, whether they
are real party members or not, are promising any solutions that will help move
our country forward. They all seek to divide and conquer, to add the necessary
incremental votes to achieve the slimmest of electoral college victories come
November, then celebrate their ‘mandate’ – despite the fact the combined number
of voting age Americans who voted for the opposition or stayed home not only
exceeded their popular vote tally, it doubles it. Mandate, indeed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So while the media and candidates insist on making this a X
versus Y situation, and focus their energies on destroying each other, take a
look around at your country and see how the poison of that mindset is infecting
everything about our lives. Tolerance isn’t about other people accepting your
view of things, it is about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everyone</i>
accepting that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">everyone’s</i> views will
differ. And the only way to support that is with a limited government whose job
is not to pick winners and losers, and not to confer benefits based on the
party in power, but that steps back and allows people’s views to be represented
well <a href="http://www.thedailyliberator.com/shouldnt-matter-president/" target="_blank">no matter who is in power</a>.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Even if, heaven forbid, that person is The Donald.</div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-79764477921373065962016-02-24T12:48:00.000-05:002016-02-24T12:49:45.741-05:00The Age of Entitlement<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">On Facebook the other day, my
cousin posted a very well-written </span><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/stefanie-williams-response-to-yelp-employee-talia-jane-2016-2"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "calibri";">blog
entry</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> that was a meant to be a wake-up call for an angst-ridden
twenty-something who had publicly slammed and slandered her start-up’s
management, all under the guise of not receiving a living wage. Not liking to
take things as second-hand source material (thanks, Ms. Brewer!), I dug further
to find the </span><a href="https://medium.com/@taliajane/an-open-letter-to-my-ceo-fb73df021e7a#.1bzduhx8q"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "calibri";">original
blog posting</span></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">. Both are must-reads. But quite frankly, reading the latter made
me mad.</span></div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">When I was this girl’s age, I had
failed out of college, and after at one point holding four jobs at once to make
ends meet, I was working retail, having started as a sales associate at minimum
wage and working myself up to management in three years. That management job
was the first time in five years that I didn’t work more than two jobs. And all
of this time, I had a college friend as a roommate who was in his medical
residency working more hours than I was for less pay. Neither one of us was
flush, but neither one of us claimed to be entitled to any more than we were
getting (despite the fact my roommate was quite certainly providing
considerably more value, in his job and to society, than I was).</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">And a funny thing happened when I
was twenty-five. A co-worker at the housewares chain that I was working at said
to me, “You know what? Had I stayed in school instead of taking that warehouse
forklift job for $27k per year, I would have graduated with a civil engineering
degree and been making more than I am making right now.” At the time, he was in
his mid-30s. It was the wake-up call that I needed. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I called my parents, and they
drove with me to New Jersey to pay the $500 I needed to get reinstated at my
alma after having stopped showing up for the four classes I was enrolled in while
working full time five years earlier. I had a very narrow window: I needed to
take two classes that I had failed, Art History and Statistics, to get re-enrolled
and I need to pass them. But one dean did the math for me: I had tanked my GPA
so hard that last semester that, to be able to graduate, I needed to get an A
in both classes in summer school. In New Jersey. While working full time. In
Rhode Island.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">In case you’re not familiar with
the journey, that is a four-hour one-way trip, on a </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">good</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> day. And when you’re commuting </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">through</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> NYC, there are very few good days. A good friend of mine
from college offered me free lodging on his couch a 30-minute drive from
school, and I commuted for eight weeks. Monday morning I drove to NJ for class
from RI, stayed at my friend’s and studied Monday through Thursday, then got up
at 4am on Friday and drove back to RI to work three straight 12-hour days, on
those weekends on which Talia is so aghast that people have to work. And this
was just to get reinstated. In my last week of classes, my car was broken into
and all of my books and notes were stolen, mere days before exams. But I got my
As. And after all of this, I still had another full semester of classes I would
have to take in RI in night school to finish the classes I had left. That dean
who helped me do the math also was kind enough to waive one credit of residency
requirement, allowing me to take all remaining classes out of state, and half a
credit of course work. She said if I could do all of this, I deserved that much.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">But I didn’t deserve it: I earned
it. There’s a difference. And when I finished another eighteen months of night
classes, I had earned a degree. A degree that honestly, I shouldn’t have even been
pursuing ten years earlier straight out of high school; I wasn’t ready. But once
I got it, I didn’t just walk into some office and demand a better job with
better pay. I got on board with every temporary employment agency in Boston
that would have me and finally landed a receptionist job at a real estate
management office. Making $11/hour. A job that I would have to take the train
to, pay parking for the day (and some days for towing fees when all of the
parking spaces were filled), but would allow me to be in town to interview for
other jobs. And I was a darn good receptionist for the time they had me there.
And fortunately, one of those temp agencies got me placed in a job back in RI.
A good job, with good pay, and good people.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">You know what good pay was?
Exactly what I had been making when I left the retail management job. Only
there, that was the ceiling. Here, I was getting in on the ground floor. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There seems to be a lot of
entitlement out there, a lot of sentiment that there is no ground floor
anymore. Talia’s post is littered with such sentiment. That you can walk in and
just be handed everything you want without, you know – </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">earning</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> it. And that doesn’t just mean putting in your time answering
support calls. That means showing that you are reliable, can work as part of a
team, contribute consistently, perform well, and most of all: deliver value. I
had jobs where I didn’t do some of those things, and you know what? I got fired
too. I don't get the impression Talia was fired because of her post, I get the impression her post was because she knew she was considered a malcontent, that her termination was coming and was writing a big 'fuck off'. Reading Talia’s post, I get the picture of someone who feels like because
she writes memes and tweets in her spare time that she should have the job
someone else is already doing because she somehow understands the whole world
of internet startups. The trouble is, she doesn’t even bother to understand how
her </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">own </span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">world works.</span></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
my manager wasn't even notified until I called him. this didn't come from my department. this came from................the Big Guy.</div>
— Lady Murderface (@itsa_talia) <a href="https://twitter.com/itsa_talia/status/700862005834444800">February 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">She has home internet service, a
cell phone plan, and lives alone in an apartment in the second most expensive
metropolitan area in the U.S. She complains about only eating from a bag of
rice, while posting instagrams of being out partying with expensive bourbon. She
moved cross-country, racking up a mountain of debt, to live near (not </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">with</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";">) a dad she had little to no
relationship with. She took the first job that she was offered, agreeing to a
wage that she now claims is not a living wage.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">And here is the problem with the
concept of a ‘living wage’. This young lady’s idea of a living wage is
something that will pay for her to drink fancy drinks, in the most expensive of
cities, while living alone in a $1,300 apartment. Oh, and she doesn’t want
co-pays for her insurance either and thinks her employer should pay for all her
meals, even when she’s not working. This does not sound like a working
employee, this sounds like a free-ride college student. Someone who does
whatever they want, whenever they want, has everything paid for in one lump
sum, and has no worries in their ivory tower. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">And the key piece that is missing
from her diatribe, and is all the more important, is how she got her degree.
Conspicuously absent is any discussion of student loan debt, scholarships, or
any work activity that would have paid for her schooling. Just freelancing and
tutoring and an English Lit degree under her belt. This is what a ‘free’
education looks like. This person spent four years (conservatively estimating,
given her age) in school, seemingly did not contribute to its costs, and is now
unable to function as an adult because she never learned personal responsibility.
Apparently, that wasn’t among the courses at her alma mater.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">And that is what makes me mad.
Here is someone who wants more value than she is providing, has received more
value than she can capably transmit to an employer, and is now saying she
deserves more?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Earn it. </span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-72796623312014263322016-02-16T15:56:00.000-05:002018-07-15T15:30:33.069-04:00The Unequal Arguments on Income Inequality<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">There has been, for a few years now, a lot of hue and cry
about income inequality. The obvious solution of those who think this is a
drastic problem is to reallocate the funds of those with the most money to
those who have the least. After all, they say, in the richest country in the
world, why should anyone go without?</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">But wait – why stop there? Why can those in the richest
country in the world not afford to provide for all? And by all, let us be truly
inclusive. The ‘income inequality’ crowd like to crow about the 1%, but fail to
acknowledge that the overwhelming majority of Americans fall within the 1%
themselves. An American with a household income of $37,000 is better off than
99% of people in the world. In fact, according to a World Bank economist, </span><a href="http://www.tutor2u.net/economics/blog/world-income-inequality-chart" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">the bottom 5% of Americans are still better off than 68% of the world</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">. Yet we don’t see that same hue and cry to address
this global issue from the folks on the streets wanting $15 per hour as a
minimum wage. Why is that?</span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rawstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Bernie-Sanders-and-Donald-Trump-800x430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" height="107" src="https://www.rawstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Bernie-Sanders-and-Donald-Trump-800x430.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Two sides of the same coin.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">In fact, the same folks who are advocating against income
inequality here at home are making efforts to erect even taller barriers to addressing
the issue on a global scale. Sen. Bernie Sanders, candidate for the Democratic
nomination, has it as part of his platform to </span><a href="https://berniesanders.com/issues/improving-the-rural-economy/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">dissolve
NAFTA</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">, which he believes has flooded our markets with cheap goods that have
escaped stringent regulation. GOP front-runner Donald Trump , who could care less about income inequality, would erect even stronger barriers by
imposing tariffs on Asian goods. Never mind the economic good that has been
created for Central American and Asian economies and the labor forces there that
can now more easily transfer goods to willing partners with customers that have
money to spend in the U.S.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">But why would they want to harm these developing economies? Why,
it is to create better paying jobs at home, of course! So in this context, the
argument is we should allow people in the U.S. to thrive financially even if it
does economic harm to those in other countries. But if we believe in ‘income
equality’, shouldn’t the thought process be that anything that increases the
economic benefit for the most people possible be a good thing, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">even if it harms people in our community</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">? Isn't that the whole point?
But there are caveats, they say.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">These aren’t American people. This is the first and foremost
argument: we must look out for our own before providing economic benefit to
others. But this does not hold water, when the very people who say this then
want to provide the benefits of American productivity to those who are here
illegally through efforts like the DREAM Act and similarly styled programs that
amass taxpayer funds, and assign them to people who are, in effect, not American.
So one cannot say without being disingenuous that they are in favor of taking
taxes from every American to give an education to some who are not American,
while at the same time saying they want to take good jobs from a few people
over the border to provide them to Americans.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="http://cdn.bernardgoldberg.com/wp-content/uploads/sally_struthers3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">What one is also saying by the ‘not American’ argument is
that because they are not part of </span><u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">our</span></u><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> community, they are not deserving
of the benefits of it. But that argument can be taken down to any level of government.
I should be able to say as a resident of Stillwater County in Montana that I do
not want to pay for the expenses of those in Yellowstone County, via the state
income tax. Or
for that matter, pay for the expenses of Essex County
in Massachusetts. I did not have a vote in how they determine policy, therefore
I should not have to forfeit my productive income to contribute towards said policies. And
though most would argue the gravy train runs the other way, there are far more
people and colleges in that county than in all of Montana, and every year we
pay taxes that go to fund grants and programs at institutions and with
governments across the nation in which individual citizens have </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">never</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> had any say. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="http://cdn.bernardgoldberg.com/wp-content/uploads/sally_struthers3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" src="https://cdn.bernardgoldberg.com/wp-content/uploads/sally_struthers3.jpg" /></span></a><a href="http://cdn.bernardgoldberg.com/wp-content/uploads/sally_struthers3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://cdn.bernardgoldberg.com/wp-content/uploads/sally_struthers3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">So why don’t the folks in the 99% movement stress the
necessity of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">everyone</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> in the richest
country in the world contributing to the economic betterment of the world? They
would likely argue that someone making $37,000 per year can’t afford to. Perhaps
they are right. But who gets to make the decision as to at what income level we
cannot afford to help? The Sally Struthers commercials used to tell us that for
pennies a day we could feed starving children in other countries. Surely
someone at that income could afford those pennies? Again, how do we determine
who can tell people what they can’t and cannot afford?</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Some people want the government to decide, to take that
money and put it to good use. Wait, I say, what if I don’t trust the government
to put it to good use? Too bad, they say: you have a moral obligation and we
all voted for it. So much for protecting the rights of the minority. The
majority of Americans voting for something doesn’t make it ‘right’, and even
more so the majority of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">voting</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">
Americans voting for something doesn’t make it right. After every election, no
matter what the outcome, there is still a majority of Americans that </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">did not vote affirmatively for the winner</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">.
That includes those who voted for the opposition, and those who did not vote. There
is no such thing as a mandate when most people did not vote for you. So taking
my money under the auspices of any such mandate is not legitimate.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">If I took money from a rich person’s wallet because ten
people in a room of fifteen told me to, and put it in a Salvation Army bell
ringer’s canister, I still wouldn’t be right for having taken it to begin with.
Hundreds, if not millions of people not in that room would call this theft.
Voting a government into power that will take my money for the same ends doesn’t
make it any more right. And many that would nonetheless celebrate my taking the
money from an affluent person’s wallet would then criticize me for depositing
the funds with an organization that so openly violates several left-wing
beliefs. So even when you take someone’s money, it isn’t right to use it if how
you do so it contradicts the beliefs of a subset of individuals.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">So how do we ensure that money goes to something we believe
in? Not by giving it to government. Many would say the government spends too
much on war, defense, spying, and nation-building and too little on social
issues and the betterment of society. But here’s the thing: you gave them the
power to take your money to begin with. You could have held on to that money
and given it to whatever social cause you desire, including ones right there in
your community. Instead, we are subject to a tithe on average of 25% and have
no say in where that money goes. And because of that, it goes wherever a group
of 530 or so people say it should go, and not where a hundred million people
think it would best be put to work. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">So when people complain about income inequality, and then
say voting a different person into power will fix everything, they’re ignoring
how the problem got started to begin with. It started when people gave up the
right to do with their own money what they wanted, and allow that it be legislated
for a portion of it go to an entity of a paltry few people, miles and miles
away, who talk more with special interests than they do with their
constituents.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://brokelyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/atlas-cafe.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soldiers of the 'revolution'.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://brokelyn.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/atlas-cafe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">But part of being in the richest country in the world also means
that we have options that others don’t. People complaining about income
inequality while typing on a Macbook Pro ignore that they could have purchased
a comparably capable PC laptop for $1,000 less. Every economic choice has a
consequence, and what we’re seeing today is not simply the result of people
making poor ones, but the fact that after making these poor choices they have
less money left over to help themselves and others</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> as they see fit.</span></i></div>
<span style="font-size: medium;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">In reality, each of these arguably bad decisions </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">does</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> help someone, it just isn’t someone
we can readily see, and may not be the person we want to help. Buy a Macbook
and a designer in the Bay Area can go on vacation to Bali instead of Belize. A
marketing guru can buy a Mercedes instead of a BMW. But the guts of that laptop?
They all come from the same factories in Asia regardless of which brand you
buy. And those purchases fund huge amounts of individually-driven economic development </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">no matter which brand you buy</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">. They just
don’t fund development </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">here</span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">. And
truth be told, despite what Bernie or Trump would have you believe, we are </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">still</span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> better off for that.</span></div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-54942019339611183782015-12-30T12:18:00.004-05:002018-07-15T15:18:10.454-04:00My Love Letter to JJ Abrams<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Dear JJ,</div>
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<br /></div>
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Four years ago, you made a film that showed such tremendous
potential, it was nearly heartbreaking. <i>Super 8</i> provided one hour of nostalgic,
pure and euphoric entertainment before devolving into an hour of
mind-numbing contemporary Hollywood monster movie theatrics. Had the full film lived up to
the promise of that first hour – oh, what could have been!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/53cd08686bb3f76243b608ab/jj-abrams-shows-off-first-footage-of-x-wing-in-star-wars-episode-vii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://static6.businessinsider.com/image/53cd08686bb3f76243b608ab/jj-abrams-shows-off-first-footage-of-x-wing-in-star-wars-episode-vii.jpg" height="150" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course there are spoilers, silly!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So when I heard it announced that you had accepted the role
of writing and directing Episode VII despite your very legitimate reservations
about the franchise’s cultural significance, my heart leapt with possibility.
Sadly, in the intervening timeframe, I saw <i>Star Trek: Into Darkness </i>and
possibility turned to panic. But I remained optimistic nonetheless, as it
certainly couldn’t be worse than the prequels…</div>
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<br /></div>
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Could it..?</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<i>[Spoliers follow]</i><br />
<br />
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On December 18<sup>th</sup>, my wife and I sat down at
10:30am for an IMAX 3D viewing of <i>The Force Awakens </i>to find out. I avoided all potential spoilers, only peeking to see what
casting decisions had been made [I disliked Oscar Isaac until seeing him in <i>Ex
Machina;</i> I initially mistook Adam Driver for the most excellent <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3009232/?ref_=tt_cl_t11">Ezra Miller</a>]. The
excitement had been building for weeks, and when the Lucasfilm logo silently
and eerily appeared without the 20<sup>th</sup> Century Fox fanfare, the first
signal of a new era of Star Wars films was clearly announced. And the rest..?</div>
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It was simply wonderful.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I cannot tell you the overwhelming combination of joy and jealousy that I
feel towards a man who grew up loving these films and now gets the chance to himself
helm one. Your passion for the source material shows everywhere on the
screen. This is as much a tribute film – <a href="http://www.indiewire.com/article/review-star-wars-the-force-awakens-is-the-biggest-fan-film-ever-made-20151216">a
fan film</a>, some are saying– as it is an original work. The plot very nearly follows <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oiqlkz81744&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">the exact same major points</a> of the original classic <i>Star Wars</i>, but takes the
first 30-plus minutes to introduce us to new characters who we will grow to
love over the remaining ninety. But after my second viewing in another packed theater yesterday, I have a few specific things that I want to
thank you for and here they are:<i> </i></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
Casting Daisy Ridley</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
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<br />
Nearly every new casting decision in this film is spot on,
but none is better than Ridley’s Rey, who balances delicately the gravitas of a
teen being orphaned on a<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> barren </span>remote world
with the youthful exuberance of someone meeting their childhood heroes in the
flesh for the first time (“You’re Han Solo! This is the Millennium Falcon!”).
Rey is exactly how each fanboy like myself would act if put in her
circumstance. How that role was written is perfect, but how Ridley delivers it
is priceless. In another year, this would be Oscar-caliber material if the
folks in Hollywood had any sense. </div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Hiring Lawrence Kasdan</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
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<br />
There is little doubt in my mind that this would not have been the film it
was without Kasdan’s input. In our first hero-villain exchange, we see the
magic of the signature SW dialogue already returning (“So who talks first? Do
I talk first?”). And it continues throughout the film. This is neither the
stilted prose foisted upon Hayden Christensen in the tortured romantic scenes
of Episode II, nor is it the ad nauseum plot exposition of <i>The Phantom
Menace</i>, and it certainly isn’t the atrocious and generic boilerplate action one-liners
that Jonathan Hales supplied in <i>Attack of the Clones</i>. Kasdan <i>knows</i> these
characters – old and new. He understands their motivations and has fun with
them. The best comedic lines are reserved for Solo and Finn, but Rey gets the
most emotional ones and, as stated above, gets exactly how to deliver them.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Kasdan has had some real missteps in Hollywood lately (ahem,
<i>Dreamcatcher</i>) and unfortunately his whole career seems to have stalled because
of this. However, he has always shown a flair for dialogue in his original
material , such as Mumford and Silverado. The fact he was not only on board for
this film, but also the upcoming Han Solo anthology film suggests that even more
good things are to come. </div>
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Using REAL Filming Locations</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
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<br />
Arguably, the biggest knock on the prequels is the feeling that actors
give wooden performances while extraordinary things happen all around them. These
performances have often been attributed to the fact that the actors can’t
possibly know what is happening around them because somebody in Marin County
hasn’t drawn it yet! But the end product of all that effects work makes all of
the prequels, Episode II most especially, look like PS3 cut scenes. They didn’t
hold up well, and pale next to the work done in the Lord of the Rings films.</div>
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<br /></div>
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After having seen <i>Prometheus, </i>to me there is no doubt
that the day and age of green screen 'location' filming has died a belated death,
and the use of <a href="https://fstoppers.com/video/prometheus-visual-effects-broken-down-4987">real
locations for backgrounds</a> was truly stunning. The original trilogy cast
members apparently convinced you, JJ, that you needed to use real locations to
lend a sense of realism and authenticity to the new films, and in this one at
least, it works. Whether it actually be Iceland or Ireland, we still feel like
we’ve been transported to another world, and it looks <i>real</i>. It doesn’t
look like some twenty-something graphic artist's wet dream; it looks like a
place we actually want to visit. I only hope your buddy Rian Johnson feels the
same way in making Episode VIII. I'm glad we don't have to wait three years to find out!</div>
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</h3>
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So in conclusion... </h3>
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</div>
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<br />
JJ, I could go on and on about what there is to love
about this movie (and the few insignificant things that I don't), but I only have one more thing to add.</div>
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<br /></div>
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There is a moment late
in the film when Kylo Ren extends his arm to retrieve for his grandfather’s
lightsaber. The camera holds on his face, expending mental 'Force' energy to reach for something he believes is his, but we in the audience all know is not. It is in this moment, and in how long the
movie waits suspensefully for what will inevitably happen next, that I knew you finally <i>got it</i>. There
were no phony false surprises like in <i>Star Trek: Into Darkness,</i> no
over-the-top, cloying emotions like in <i>Armageddon</i>, and no CGI disasters
like the second half of Super 8. The saber whips across the screen and into the hands of the person to whom it belongs, and my eyes flushed with tears of exhilarated joy. Like George did in the original Star Wars, you
may have just created the seminal cinematic work of your career. </div>
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<br /></div>
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But man, I <i><u>really</u> </i>hope you’ve got more like this one
in you.<br />
<br />
My sincere thanks,<br />
<br />
Buck Stodgers </div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-19003620306953650272015-11-07T17:34:00.001-05:002018-07-15T15:24:59.490-04:00SPECTRE: Or, a franchise in peril<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<a href="http://www.007.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/FACEBOOK.1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://www.007.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/FACEBOOK.1.jpg" height="200" width="135"></a>I sat there at the conclusion of the opening pre-credits
sequence, numb and confused. “What did I just watch?” Sam Mendes is a ‘serious
filmmaker’ and thus he tried to do something impressive by starting the film
with a nearly unbroken take taking us through the crowded streets of Mexico on
the Day of the Dead (I’m guessing there’s a break somewhere we can’t see). In
the process, he created something that I believe is a first for the Bond series: a
suspenseless opening salvo. The only suspense here was in the waiting for
something to actually get excited about, which never materialized. I had been
eagerly anticipating this film for months, even more so when Christoph Waltz’s
casting was announced. But less than fifteen minutes in, I was already having
serious doubts. Then as the credits rolled, those doubts got much, much worse. </div>
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<u><b>WARNING: Here there be spoilers...</b></u> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Faces of past Craig-era characters swam on the screen and
the parade of names that included one of the tell-tale flaws in any big
production: multiple writers. Four, in fact. My heart sank further. Then as the
film moved past the credits and we are presented with a “voice from the grave”
video of Judi Dench as M sending Bond on yet another mission, my eyes rolled. A failure to try to establish a continuous narrative in the prior film is being compensated for by the most tired of plot devices. I
knew, long before the tired and clichéd line “You’re best chance of survival is
to stay with me”, that this was not going to be a good film (and that was not
the only clichéd line here). And by its conclusion, all of my nascent fears had
been confirmed: the franchise has gone off the rails.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I could do a blow-by-blow account of what went wrong, but
Matt Zoller-Seitz over at <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/spectre-2015" target="_blank">rogerebert.com</a> has done a better job than I ever
could. So read his take, and I’ll add what I think are a couple critical
elements he probably just didn’t have room for.</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The excitement is missing</b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/film/spectre/bautista-xlarge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/film/spectre/bautista-xlarge.jpg" height="112" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The road to nowhere leads to me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you spend time thinking even the slightest amount about
the set-piece action sequences in this movie, they don’t make any sense and are
unremarkable when they aren’t… well, boring. The car chase is a prime example.
High-powered six-figure sports cars jet down the roads and alleys of Rome and
in the process… Nothing happens. They don’t knock each other around, topple
fruit carts, or anything that would make us think they were even trying to
raise the bar on a storied action-film tradition. They just… drive. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later, Bond tries to rescue Dr. Swann by… bringing a plane
down on top of the car she is in? There was no way for him to control the
tattered remains of the vehicle he plowed through a barn, but he’s trying to
save the girl in the process? And why is he beating the crap out of the
helicopter pilot in the beginning sequence? He only wants to kill the assassin
and get out alive. What more does the pilot offer? And the railcar fight with
Bautista’s character ends with Bond then getting romanced in his suite. Um,
isn’t he a little sore after being thrown through multiple walls? What happened
to the battered and bruised Bond of <i>Casino Royale</i>? It’s all just rather
silly when you give it the minimum amount of consideration.</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Bond has become… well, a real dick</b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
The notion that Bond was ever anything other than a
misogynist was supposedly being remedied in <i>Quantum of Solace </i>by showing
him as a broken man trying to heal the wounds caused by Vesper’s betrayal and
demise. Whether you like the approach or not, that was the route they took. But
now in successive films, Bond has not only become a misogynist again, but a
manipulative and rapacious one at that. In <i>Skyfall</i>, he did a little
B&E and coerced an Asian prostitute into having sex with him, and here in <i>SPECTRE</i>,
he drops in on a grieving widow to first threaten her and then to seduce her as
a precondition to offering her protection. Bond isn’t suave anymore, he’s <i>creepy</i>.
He’s a predator in the worst way, taking women who are in compromising
positions, and further compromising them. Fleming would be rolling in his grave
at this portrayal of his creation.</div>
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">The narrative doesn’t work</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
So Vesper betrayed Bond to Mr. White, a.k.a. The Pale King,
in the Quantum organization, which murdered Le Chiffre. Quantum was destroyed
by Bond in the second film of this iteration, but the third film’s villain
still has some connection, but apparently there was never a Quantum? The Pale
King worked for SPECTRE the whole time? And then was poisoned by them for…
what, exactly? The classic Bond films (including <i>Casino Royale</i>, which
I’ll put in that echelon) were decidedly simple: maniacal villain with big
plans that Bond needs to foil while rescuing a damsel in relative distress. We
have the outline of that here in <i>SPECTRE</i>, but with a whole lot of unnecessary
window dressing that doesn’t make any sense. But then it gets worse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/Christoph_Waltz_as_Blofeld_in_Spectre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/72/Christoph_Waltz_as_Blofeld_in_Spectre.jpg" width="178" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh, please - like you didn't know <br />
who I really was?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Most now know that Bond was an orphan, his parents killed in
a climbing accident. So if Skyfall was his family home, at what point was he
supposedly living with Oberhauser? And Oberhauser’s childhood jealousy caused
him to kill his father and pursue a lifelong vendetta of indirect, anonymous
violence against Bond? They are trying all too desperately to make <i>everything</i>
personal with Bond, and in the process, are sucking the joy out of the
Bond-Blofeld enmity. It might have worked if at the end Bond appeared to be
showing pity in sparing Blofeld, but he just seemed to give up. It felt utterly
unrealistic that this rage-driven vigilante who hunted down everyone else so
ruthlessly would just turn the other cheek on Blofeld.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Bond girl <i>really</i> doesn’t work</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Lea Seydoux is just another in a long line of Bond girls
that just don’t convince you of anything. She hated her father the ruthless
hitman for bring such violence into her life and home. But she says ‘I love
you’ to Bond within two days of meeting him. Denise Richards as a nuclear
physicist was more believable than this. Let’s stop and take a step back. This
must be an emotionally damaged woman, given her family history and this reaction.
But one of two things are happening here: either Bond is becoming a serial
monogamist, as Hugh Grant so aptly described himself in <i>Four Weddings and a
Funeral</i>, or he’s an even more depraved and despicable predator than I
originally thought.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn2-www.comingsoon.net/assets/uploads/2015/08/Lea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://cdn2-www.comingsoon.net/assets/uploads/2015/08/Lea.jpg" height="170" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where, exactly, did they stop off to buy the dress?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He not only takes advantage of women in desperate
circumstances to achieve his ends, but will entrap any doe-eyed lass and use
her up until the villain kills her. We never saw this kind of Bond before. You<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>never <i>ever</i> got the impression that
either Bond or these women were in it for the long haul (the obvious exception
being Tracy in <i>OHMSS</i>). This new approach is unsettling, and believe me I
am no feminist sympathizer when it comes to the Bond films. It was necessary to
the believability of the Bond character that these be strong women who would
put up with Bond for so long, but only <u>so long</u>. It wasn’t just that Bond
grew weary of them, but that the excitement of experiencing a plot for world
domination wore off and life went on. Teri Hatcher’s portrayal in <i>Tomorrow
Never Dies</i> illustrated this quite well as the only Bond girl we've met <i>after </i>they broke up.</div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Craig is starting to damage the Bond brand</b></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I say this delicately, because the man has real talent, and
showed he could play the role well in the flawless <i>Casino Royale</i>, but
Craig has some kind of view of the Bond character that does not align to the
traditions of the role, and he is forcing that on us whether we want it or not.
Craig had a hand in writing <i>QoS</i> and takes some responsibility for its
incoherence, but it is unclear if the alcoholic and unhinged take in that film
was his doing. A lot of people liked Skyfall, and though I was not among them,
I thought it to be a dramatic improvement over <i>QoS</i>, but still a pale
shadow of <i>Royale</i>. But here he had a hand in <i>producing</i> and what
shows on the screen is inclusive of his vision of the character. Everything
from the selection of the director, to the casting of leads, to the narrative
arc we have endured is part of what Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, along
with Craig, see as Bond. But the portrayal itself is all him, and it isn’t
pleasant. And I’m starting to think that is exactly what he wants.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Given everything I’ve outlined above, and what Matt
Zoller Seitz astutely describes in his <a href="http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/spectre-2015" target="_blank">review</a>, I am not at all optimistic about
where this latest film will lead the franchise. Craig is supposedly on board
with the idea of more films, and one must assume Waltz signed a multi-film
contract, but there has been chatter of shaking things up again. <a href="http://www.ew.com/article/2015/09/05/idris-elba-james-bond" target="_blank">Idris Elba as Bond</a> is just one example of the rumor mill’s output. Great actor, but why must
we continue to reshape characters in some new world view? Bond is Bond, and we
love him for that. But for me, Daniel Craig stopped being Bond a long time ago.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://assets-s3.mensjournal.com/img/essential/nicholas-hoult/618_348_nicholas-hoult.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://assets-s3.mensjournal.com/img/essential/nicholas-hoult/618_348_nicholas-hoult.jpg" height="225" width="400"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A better Bond? Nicholas Hoult has my vote.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-31230340236670950862015-11-05T13:51:00.003-05:002018-07-15T15:26:17.490-04:00Anticipating Spectre: Brosnan Revisionists<a href="http://media1.s-nbcnews.com/i/newscms/2014_16/322526/140414-ent-pierce-007-1244_3e2aa002a32178dbf3f142bddb71cdea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://media1.s-nbcnews.com/i/newscms/2014_16/322526/140414-ent-pierce-007-1244_3e2aa002a32178dbf3f142bddb71cdea.jpg" width="200" /></a>There is a peculiar movement of historical revisionism
afoot. People are unable to accurately remember things that
happened within the last two decades, and instead spin them to whatever ends they feel
best suits their chosen perspective. I’m not talking politics here, I am
talking something far more important. Would James Bond still be a viable
cinematic property were it not for Pierce Brosnan?<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
There is a growing <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/video/strait-talk-movies-daniel-craig-saved-james-bond-34968928" target="_blank">legion of folks</a> who seem to think that
Daniel Craig <a href="http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/daniel-craig-james-bond-spectre/" target="_blank">saved the franchise</a> from certain demise. These people cite
the primary cause of that impending demise to be Brosnan, with a fair degree of
shade thrown at the collective team behind 2002’s <i>Die Another Day</i>. Having just
revisited the four films this week, I won’t take much issue with the latter.
However, the notion behind the former is not only laughable, it is just wrong.
There are five good reasons why Craig didn’t save the franchise and Brosnan
wasn’t what was sinking it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b>“You’re a sexist, misogynist dinosaur.”<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
And that was what audiences <i>liked</i> about Bond. But
twenty years ago, when <i>GoldenEye</i> was filming, Bond was viewed as a
“relic of the Cold War” by the scriptwriters themselves. The Berlin Wall had
come down, the USSR had dissolved and politics had changed irrevocably during
Bond’s six-year absence from the screen during much legal wrangling with MGM
and following Dalton’s departure from the franchise (which sadly gave <i>him </i>very
little to work with). They had tried a harder-edged Bond, but ironically America wasn't ready for that just yet. The future of the franchise was in real doubt. The fact
that the superb <i>GoldenEye</i> was a success was in large part due to
Brosnan. He was the producers’ first choice in 1986 until NBC head-scratchingly
refused to allow Brosnan to take the part due to his Remington Steele
obligations. That they were able to revisit that decision les than ten years later
and get Brosnan while he was still peaking was fortuitous. But the growing
contingent who trashes him ignores a simple reality: if not Brosnan, who would
have saved the franchise?</div>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://commanderbond.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/JAMES-BOND-QUANTUM-OF-008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://commanderbond.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/JAMES-BOND-QUANTUM-OF-008.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was too an important character before Craig arrived.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The rumors hold that Mel Gibson among others turned down the
opportunity to revitalize the franchise. Think how that decision might have
looked in the early oughts. But no top-tier actor was going to join a series
with declining revenues and diminishing cache. Additionally, long-time lead
producer Cubby Broccoli was of failing health and when Barbara took the lead
she made it clear that the established film-making team headed by John Glen was
not keeping pace with the times. Judi Dench was added as M to mirror the real life shattering of the glass cieling at MI-6 (and despite <a href="http://www.dailydot.com/opinion/daniel-craig-james-bond-spectre/" target="_blank">some assertions</a>, was an integral part of <i>The World Is Not Enough</i>). It was going to be a period of change for the
franchise, and an unknown as Bond wouldn’t do. They needed something familiar
for the audiences to latch on to, and Brosnan was the one thing that made
sense. Well, of course, you can always count on old Q…</div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Every Brosnan Film was a Blockbuster</span></h1>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
The Dalton films both disappointed financially, with <i>License
To Kill</i> being the lowest performing Bond film in the U.S. at $34m. But each
Brosnan film made more than its predecessor, with <i>GoldenEye </i>shattering
the $100m mark in the U.S. at a time when that number still meant something.
The steady film-by-film appreciation of the box office take was not because
each movie got better (in fact, many would say quite the opposite), but because
the team behind the films was able to keep the franchise fresh and current,
even if that meant sacrificing a bit of quality along the way. They reached out
to new audiences by adding Michelle Yeoh to attract Chinese filmgoers and Halle
Berry to broaden to female and non-white audience members. Regardless of what
you think of each choice, the dollars rolled in. And now, can you even remember the day where the release of a new Bond film <i>wasn't</i> a major event?</div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Casino Royale </i>was a nearly literal Fleming adaptation</span></h1>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I6ufjTGmYQk/T1kN-bs_sDI/AAAAAAAAGD8/QBkTfwU_9VY/s1600/01-Casino-USH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I6ufjTGmYQk/T1kN-bs_sDI/AAAAAAAAGD8/QBkTfwU_9VY/s1600/01-Casino-USH.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
If you want your man to succeed, give him good material. And
in 2007, they gave Daniel Craig the best material possible: the only original
Fleming novel to not have been adapted yet. Unlike instances in the past where
novel titles were used as loose basis for the films (<i>The Spy Who Loved Me </i>and
<i>You Only Live Twice </i>being the most blatant), <i>Casino Royale</i> used
almost the entire premise of the novel. There is a lot of exposition in the
film that goes beyond that, but the core is there and more importantly, so is
the emotional content. There’s a reason the best Bonds are the same on nearly
every list: they were the closest adaptations of Fleming’s original works. Brosnan,
on the other hand, was the only Bond to work with only scripts that were
entirely original, leading to varying levels of quality and multiple levels of
re-writes. </div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Oscar-caliber villains make a difference – and are signing on</span></h1>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://bilder3.n-tv.de/img/incoming/crop14099586/7241321015-cImg_16_9-w1200/imago-st-1204-18330004-63287356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="111" src="https://bilder3.n-tv.de/img/incoming/crop14099586/7241321015-cImg_16_9-w1200/imago-st-1204-18330004-63287356.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Born to play a baddie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
In 1995, there was much hubbub about the realistic
possibility that Anthony Hopkins would join a Bond film as a villain. Think
about that for a moment: the mere possibility that the man who played Hannibal
Lecter just four years earlier was in talks to be a Bond villain was huge. Sure,
Christopher Walken was in that echelon, but <i>A View to a Kill </i>sure wasn’t.
<i>GoldenEye</i> showed the possibility existed though for a quality actor to
chew up some scenery. Famke Janssen was superb as Xenia Onatopp, the first
henchwoman that Bond couldn’t conquer (and quite honestly we would have rather
she conquered him), and Sean Bean was introduced to many Americans in fine
form. But after that came a string of character actors (quick, can you name all
four?) who never quite reached that level. Daniel Craig got a triumverate of
accomplished thespians to square off against: Mads Mikkelsen, Mathieu Amalric,
and Javier Bardem. Now he gets Christoph Waltz?!? A two-time Oscar winner who
pretty much has shown that he was born to play a Bond villain? That is hardly
fair.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b>Then there’s that whole Quantum of Solace thing<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.aceshowbiz.com/images/still/quantum_of_solace07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://www.aceshowbiz.com/images/still/quantum_of_solace07.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unremarkable? Because I wasn't somehow disfigured?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
Say all you want about <i>Die Another Day</i>, it is <i>that</i>
bad. Yet it is only as bad as <i>Moonraker </i>and <i>Diamonds Are Forever</i>.
However, <i>QoS</i> is on a whole different level of horrible. I have been an
ardent Bond fan since middle school and can watch any of the films over and
over again and still take some joy out of them. But it took a strong amount of
effort and a whole lot of alcohol to get me to sit through <i>QoS</i> even a
second time. Unpleasant in tone and joyless in execution, the film has an
unremarkable villain, a paint-by-numbers Bond girl, lackluster plot and
dialogue, features an out-of-control and out-of-character Bond, and uses
jump-cut action sequences that are darn near incoherent. Forster was a terrible
choice as a director, and given his two-time success in the job, everything
possible should have been done to get Martin Campbell back in the chair.
What this clearly shows is the success of the series was no as dependent on the lead actor as it was on the complete product. Brosnan may have had one absolute dud, but he was at least batting .750
otherwise; Craig is still at .667 as of this writing.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
So while I am enjoying Craig’s tenure as Bond, especially
the exceptional treat that was <i>Casino Royale, </i>I will not do so at the
expense of Pierce Brosnan. While in the role, and since moving on, Brosnan has run off
a string of terrific performances showing great range including <i>The Tailor
of Panama </i>and the front-to-back brilliant film <i>The Matador,</i> both of
which should be considered must-see viewing. Even if Brosnan himself thinks
that <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/jamesbond/10761541/Pierce-Brosnan-I-was-never-good-enough-as-Bond.html" target="_blank">he was never good enough</a> as Bond, it only shows the tremendous amount of
respect he has for the character, and the extent to which he hoped to raise the
profile of the series. That he is presently not remembered for having done so
is not his fault, it is a combination of factors having more to do with hipster
hatred for anything more than ten minutes old, and perhaps a diamond-faced
Asian henchman who is better left forgotten.</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
But take heart Pierce: George Lazenby is seeing a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGEGJKZNl40" target="_blank">resurgence</a> of
belated and overdue respect. Your time will come too.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4IGM36KWmh4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4IGM36KWmh4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
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<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1346303655609851523.post-38825091549196099832015-11-04T16:49:00.001-05:002018-07-15T15:25:55.640-04:00Anticipating Spectre: The best James Bond Theme songsI sat down to revisit the Brosnan films as a warm-up for
this week’s release of Spectre. In doing so, I was reminded painfully of one of
the worst periods in Bond theme music. In my teenaged years, I carried with me a
cassette of 13 original James Bond themes and cherished listening to them all –
the good and the bad. It is hard to fathom first of all that there have been
ten more films since I owned that cassette. Harder to fathom is the mere idea
that I could even stomach listening to such a compilation today. Let’s face it,
a few of the more recent entries in the canon have missed the mark, but fewer
still have achieved the lasting legacy that many of those of the bygone
Moore/Connery era hold. So I figured, why not rank them all, worst to first,
with category rankings to group them. And I'll let you know where I rank the latest some time after Friday. ;)<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The Duds</span></h1>
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22) <a href="https://youtu.be/SDe1xi4tGUA" target="_blank"><i>Tomorrow Never Dies</i></a>, Sheryl Crow<br />
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The brutal, ear-rending screech that delivers the chorus is
enough to sink this tune, where Crow tries to croon over orchestral swells in
this otherwise quite nondescript and unremarkable theme. But when you finish
the film and hear kd lang’s stunningly rendered <a href="https://youtu.be/6zIbOL8SSCY" target="_blank">alternative</a>, you have to wonder
what the producers were thinking. Was Crow’s starpower strong enough to put a
terrible song at the start of an otherwise good film?</div>
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21) <a href="https://youtu.be/V-1HaEqDIdw" target="_blank"><i>Die Another Day</i></a>, Madonna</div>
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At one end of the spectrum are the big band blunders like
the above, and at the other are the futile attempts to remain current. The
vocoder is in full effect on this house/techno attempt to latch on to the sound
of the moment, a moment which had already passed by the time this film had been
released. Fortunately the film isn’t sunk by the song – its sunk by a terrible
plot full of holes you could drive an Aston Martin through, one of the worst Bond villains regardless of gene therapy, and Halle Berry’s inability to
convincingly wield either a weapon or a witty comeback.</div>
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20) <a href="https://youtu.be/RUHD0cdQmko" target="_blank"><i>Another Way to Die</i></a><i>, </i>Jack White & Alicia Keys</div>
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I wonder if Alicia Keys had to endure Jack’s voice in the
studio or if they just recorded independently so she didn’t have to hide her
cringing at his total lack of talent. This just sounds like a bad Jack White
song. Which would be most of them. Alicia can’t rescue it. And nothing could rescue the movie, Quantum of Solace, which was without question the worst in the franchise.<i><o:p></o:p></i><br />
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19) <a href="https://youtu.be/E11P2FmC6-A" target="_blank"><i>Goldeneye</i></a>, Tina Turner</div>
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Let’s forget for a moment that Tina hadn’t been relevant
since chasing the Raggedy Man out of Bartertown, this song inserts the film’s
title into its lyrics as if it is some kind of reference to anatomy, despite
the fact it was really the name of Ian Fleming’s tropical vacation home. While past
film’s made use of their title rather, um… creatively, this one doesn’t work.<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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18) <a href="https://youtu.be/Ju_by-sC79c" target="_blank"><i>License to Kill</i></a>, Gladys Knight</div>
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No Pips? Fail. But really, the lyrics of the chorus are
sappy and overwrought and give Gladys’s superb pipes little to work with. The
remarkable similarity to <i>Goldfinger</i> seems all too intentional though, as
if to invoke memories of a much better song… and movie. The <a href="https://youtu.be/vQKaujX6R-U" target="_blank">official video</a>, however, is
a treat for the senses.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>The Forgettable</u></span></h1>
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17)<i> </i><a href="https://youtu.be/oWEPGNjDi1M" target="_blank"><i>You Know My Name</i></a>, Chris Cornell</div>
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It would have been impossible to make a decent song with the
title 'Casino Royale', so going with a song that ignores it was the right move.
And given both the change in lead actors and overall tone of the series,
Cornell was a great choice and the song title speaks to what we might expect.
But it is utterly unmemorable. There is a nice chord progression under the
chorus, but that’s about it.</div>
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16) <a href="https://youtu.be/LzvNDR5OrqM" target="_blank"><i>The World is Not Enough</i></a><i>,</i> Garbage<br />
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I have to admit, I forgot completely who sang this song,
though I could hum the chorus in my head without prompting. That is because
despite the wishes of some in the 90s press, Garbage were better forgotten as a
band. Even still, how is this a ‘band’ song? I hear drum machines, overproduced
keys, a lot of orchestra, and Shirley Manson. I don’t hear a band.</div>
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15) <a href="https://youtu.be/hs8uYxTJ530" target="_blank"><i>You Only Live Twice</i></a>, Nancy Sinatra</div>
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While Nancy’s voice and the instrumentation aren’t bad in
any way, with the subtle Asian influences not coming across as too cloying, but
there isn’t anything here to write home about. </div>
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14) <a href="https://youtu.be/8qujkMxj1-4" target="_blank"><i>Moonraker</i></a>, Shirley Bassey</div>
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Like Tina Turner’s <i>Goldeneye</i>, Bassey awkwardly slips
the film’s title into a song that is otherwise rather lovely and delivered splendidly by
Bassey’s powerful voice. But once the song ends, we’re not clamoring to hear it
again. And besides, there are better Bassey tunes we’d reach for first.</div>
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13) <a href="https://youtu.be/PSbj2Mx2By8" target="_blank"><i>The Man with a Golden Gun</i></a><i>, </i>Lulu</div>
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I give her credit, Lulu didn’t try to duck the difficulty of
using the title in the song, she just went right after it, choosing to
follow the exposition of the film, no double entendres necessary (though
apparently a wah pedal was in the early 70s). And while she delivers it with
conviction, that leaves little emotional content to latch on to. It’s just kind
of boring until the final chorus, which I have to admit she knocks out of the
park.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><u>The Hits</u></span></h1>
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12) <a href="https://youtu.be/aOw2hTBHMvA" target="_blank"><i>From Russia, With Love</i></a><i>, </i>Matt Monro</div>
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This song is right on the border for me. I can’t tell if it
is the fact I owned that cassette and saw this movie a couple dozen times that
make me think it is more memorable than it really is. Though it is hardly
anything special, it certainly isn’t forgettable.</div>
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11) <a href="https://youtu.be/_4gdhsVKTcs" target="_blank"><i>Skyfall</i></a>, Adele</div>
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I know a lot of people would give me guff for this not being
in the top category, but for some reason, it just didn’t work for me. Adele has
a great voice, but the chorus is just kind of weak, especially the backing
vocals, and the use of the James Bond chord progression makes the song sound a
bit more generic.<i><o:p></o:p></i></div>
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10) <a href="https://youtu.be/y9p0FJnk2vM" target="_blank"><i>The Living Daylights</i></a><i>, </i>A-Ha</div>
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Taking a step back from the fact that the band was a few
years removed from their only US hit, A-Ha were a logical choice given the fact
the last Bond theme by a post new wave pop band was a #1 hit. And listening to
it, it’s remarkably a pretty good song. Though this category is ‘The Hits’ I
just mean the ones that didn’t completely miss the mark, as this song failed to
even chart.</div>
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9) <a href="https://youtu.be/qPeSPB68i2c" target="_blank"><i>Diamonds Are Forever</i></a>, Shirley Bassey</div>
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If there were a film’s title made for Bassey’s voice, this
is it. And it is a good one, no question. I like how it starts out quietly and
plays off the idea that men (and by implication James Bond) aren’t reliable and
honest, and diamonds last a heck of a lot longer.</div>
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8) <a href="https://youtu.be/sT0x7QiJI1g" target="_blank"><i>Thunderball</i></a>, Tom Jones</div>
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You kind of wish they had given Tom Jones another shot at
the prize, because though he absolutely owns this song, it is kind of terrible
lyrically. It would be two more movies, before the producers would take a
chance on using a theme that didn’t include the film’s title, but this film
would have been the prime opportunity.</div>
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7) <a href="https://youtu.be/Md8uNCYX_Nc" target="_blank"><i>All Time High</i></a>, Rita Coolidge</div>
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And let’s face it, while Tom Jones singing a song titled <i>Octopussy</i>
would have been brilliant, ditching the film's title was the smart move. Coolidge delivers a nice
jazzy tune that fit perfectly in the early 80s AOR radio format. And honestly,
it is overall just a really nice lyric as well. Is it dated, oh hell yeah. But
so is nearly everything else about this film, which unfortunately chose to
embrace the camp a bit too much.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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6) <a href="https://youtu.be/Id08vsWjT2c" target="_blank"><i>For Your Eyes Only</i></a>, Sheena Easton</div>
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Sheena has the distinction of being the only performer to
appear in the title sequence, and despite the very 80s sound of this song, it
is one of the better ones. Had they dialed down the chorus and used more of the
synth sounds of the verse, it may have been a bit more timeless and pushed it
over into the next category (which is where I had it mentally, but then
listened again and had to move it).</div>
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<b><u>The Undeniable Classics<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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5) <a href="https://youtu.be/Wy-c8aAntWA" target="_blank"><i>Nobody Does It Better</i></a><b><i>, </i></b>Carly Simon</div>
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It is the simplicity of this song that makes it so good.
Just the piano and Carly kick it off, but the subsequent orchestration is subdued
and allows her voice to soar over the music. The lyrics are totally irrelevant
to the movie or James Bond at all, until they slip that title in there just to
let you know they didn’t forget what they were trying to sell us. </div>
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4) <a href="https://youtu.be/sn8alMYSu44" target="_blank"><i>Live And Let Die</i></a><i>, </i>Paul McCartney & Wings</div>
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For once, the title actually really works in the lyric of the song. And
so does all of the orchestration. And the bridge with a reggae feel to tie in to
the movie’s location. And a classic is born. Too bad the film doesn’t quite
live up to its theme song, abandoning global domination themes to capitalize on
blaxploitation filmmaking.</div>
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3) <a href="https://youtu.be/hWVbVT3igdw" target="_blank"><i>A View To A Kill</i></a><i>,</i> Duran Duran</div>
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There’s a good reason this was a #1 song – it kicks ass.
That drum beat, the driving bass under the chorus, and a vocal delivery that
gives the song the edge it needs. This is also the first song that, despite
having John Barry’s help in composing, has no orchestration at all to detract
from the energy of the tune. Maybe I’m just a child of the 80s, but this is
great stuff. Also probably my favorite title sequence.</div>
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2) <a href="https://youtu.be/Qt2WlDM3tEA" target="_blank"><i>Goldfinger</i></a>, Shirley Bassey</div>
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For decades, this was the definitive Bond title track. Those
opening chords would be alluded to in later themes because they just scream
James Bond, and the integration of the actual James Bond theme only makes it
better. And while Goldfinger seems like a word that would be nearly impossible to work into a song, if you just make the song <i>about the guy</i>… well, there you
go. Bassey delivers every lines, every syllable with authority and the legend
was born.</div>
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1) <a href="https://youtu.be/YJeEwkVoUpk" target="_blank"><i>We Have All The Time In The World</i></a>, Louis Armstrong</div>
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There is so much to love about On Her Majesty’s Secret Service as a film, and the theme – the only one to <i>not</i> be used in the opening credits – is absolute perfection. As a whole, this is regarded as the movie in the series with the best soundtrack for good reason, and the choice to have an instrumental credits sequence allowed Maurice Binder to allow audiences at the time to focus visually while he reminded us that though they had a new Bond for the first time, not much was going to change. Despite the attempts of the Craig films to deliver an emotionally vulnerable Bond over three films, Lazenby did it perfectly in one, and this song communicates both the sweetness and the sadness that its title has in relation to the film's plot. Satchmo’s tender warble (on the last song he would ever record) is just what the song needs to ensure it isn’t too cloying or sentimental. It is nothing more, nothing less - only love.</div>
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<i>Note: I chose not to include any selections from Dr. No. I really didn't feel it qualified since, as the first entry in the series, it didn't have a theme song per se.</i></div>
<b>Andrew</b>http://www.blogger.com/profile/05382944869815770481noreply@blogger.com0