"Pa. middle school students given ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ puzzles" Associated Press February 12, 2015
MONESSEN, Pa. — Parents in a Pennsylvania school district are turning 50 shades of red over word search puzzles given to middle school students based on an erotic novel and movie.
It's erotic?
The students in Monessen were given puzzles based on ‘‘Fifty Shades of Grey’’ that contained terms including ‘‘spanking,’’ “submissive,’’ “leather cuffs,’’ and ‘‘bondage.’’ Other words on the list were more explicit.
One parent, James Carter, complained about it at Tuesday night’s school board meeting, saying he tried to question the school’s principal and dean of students, but they declined to talk when he insisted on recording their conversation.
Monessen district officials said at the meeting that they couldn’t discuss the issue because they just learned about it Monday.
Superintendent Leanne Spazak said the circumstances of how the puzzle was selected and distributed were being investigated.
One school board member who didn’t attend the meeting told WTAE-TV that the puzzle was a big mistake.
‘‘It was a huge but unintentional error and collected from the five students involved as soon as it was realized,’’ Roberta Bergstedt said in an e-mail.
What sort of sick pervert though it would be good to give to the kids, and why are AmeriKa's schools full of these sick shits??
--more--"
"Hearts aflutter over debut of ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’" by Beth Teitell, Globe Staff February 10, 2015
“Fifty Shades of Grey,” the movie based on the erotic trilogy that has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, is opening in theaters Friday, with advance screenings Thursday night, and Shades Nation is in a state.
The raunchy series has been panned by critics for lack of literary merit, but fans looking for things other than a well-turned phrase have bought so many tickets that “Fifty Shades” has become the fastest-selling R-rated movie in Fandango’s 15-year history, according to the ticket-selling firm. Several local showings are already sold out.
It's a sick society.
The merchandising tie-ins have gone so far beyond the expected lingerie and related items that the faithful can buy everything from Fifty Shades wine to baby onesies (“9 months ago Mommy read 50 Shades of Grey”) to a Vermont Teddy Bear with “smoldering” grey eyes, a suit, and mini-handcuffs.
Last week, director Sam Taylor-Johnson reportedly announced that there will be two sequels.
What if this first one flops?
It’s hard to remember, but a few years ago, few people had heard of E.L. James, the former British TV executive who jumped off “Twilight” to write her own story, a kinky fan fiction tale about a billionaire CEO, Christian Grey, and Anastasia Steele, the virginal college student who falls for him.
OMG, this is sick!!!!
***************************
And now, the film is about to hit theaters — after casting difficulties; tensions between author and director; the challenges of shooting an X-rated book with R-rated limitations; even a social-media campaign aimed at getting people to donate $50 to women’s shelters instead of seeing the movie.
So we are looking at pornography if not worse here?
Analysts expect the movie to do $60 million at the box office opening weekend. Thanks to a last-minute deal, the movie will also play on 75 IMAX screens (although none local).
In preparation, fans are treating themselves to second, third, and fourth re-reads of the books.
They are tweeting and pinning and Facebooking. They are gobbling up publicity that has managed to go beyond the movie to sweep in almost all of Hollywood.
This now confirms how sick is Hollywood (as if that wasn't known; what a den of immorality and sin that place is).
As People magazine gushed in a headline for a photo gallery: “How Stars Feel About Fifty Shades of Grey,” (Spoiler: Really, Really Good). Kim Kardashian used 11 exclamation points when talking about how amazing the movie is.”
AmeriKa's #1 skank!
Above all, the faithful — mommies, grannies, all the single ladies — are planning girlfriend outings, or surreptitious solo trips, ideally to out-of-town theaters.
Tony Pungitore, director of operations for theater operator National Amusements, said, “The unusual thing is that groups of ladies are trying to secure tickets; they want to bring 10 or 20 people. When the demographic appeals to young women, they eat up the tickets like crazy.”
Yup, bondage and S & M is FUN, EXCITING, and OKAY!
But men, some secretly eager, some less so, are being pulled into viewing plans.
This is one who is not; in fact, I'm disgusted.
“My boyfriend just sent me a confirmation e-mail with tickets for Valentine’s Day,” said Meghan Daly, 29, a publicist from Avon. “I don’t think he’s a willing participant, but he’s taking one for the team.”
And how.
In today’s world, no event is complete without marketing tie-ins, and in that regard Fifty Shades doesn’t disappoint.
Fans can buy “official” Fifty Shades of Grey wine (“White Silk” and “Red Satin”), and licensed adult novelties, approved by the author herself, and available online and also, surprisingly, at Target.
Not even plush toys are safe, as the merchandising frenzy has touched down at the Vermont Teddy Bear Company, where the official “Fifty Shades” bear costs $89.99, and comes with a warning, but not the one you might expect: “Contains small parts,” the alert on the website reads. “Not suitable for children.”
Now I lay me down to sleep....
Related: Teddy Bear Torture
The sickening thing behind all this is it is CONDITIONING YOUNG CHILDREN to EXPECT SEXUAL ABUSE and TORTURE as being NORMAL!
The company usually makes tamer bears, but a couple summers ago the president, Bill Shouldice IV, “noticed a few people were reading the book,” and figured why not.
At that time, he was not among the series’ millions of readers. “But part of the deal when you license [the name ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’] is that you have to read the books,” said Shouldice, whose literary tastes generally run toward action thrillers.
No thanks.
“The author doesn’t want people just trying to profit off it,” he said. “It’s about making sure we get the essence right.”
The review below will clear that up.
With just that integrity in mind, the licensing agency for the Americas has turned away many suitors, said Carole Postal, president of New York-based CopCorp Licensing.
“This is a serious program,” she said. “This is not to be poked fun at.”
Oh, I AM NOT, as I am appallingly told “people want to live the fantasy.”
All excited about it, too!
“My boyfriend just sent me a confirmation e-mail with tickets for Valentine’s Day. I don’t think he’s a willing participant, but he’s taking one for the team,” said Meghan Daly, 29, from Avon, shown with her boyfriend, Paul Anderson (Debee Tlumacki for the Boston Globe).
Taking one for the team, huh?
--more--"
She looks mentally unbalanced to me, but then again that could all be a staged set for promotion purposes and not real at all. That is the point we have reached with the agenda-pushing perversions put forth by the mind-conditioning propaganda pre$$ and ma$$ media.
And where, btw, are all the feminists?
Or is submissive torture somehow considered a form of sexual liberation now?
"Some guilt in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ excitement" by Jill Radsken, Globe Correspondent February 11, 2015
I think I'm going to puke.
When Maureen Hester goes to the movies, she usually heads to Regal Cinema in her hometown of Westborough. But she will avoid Regal and drive an extra 20 minutes to a Worcester theater to see “Fifty Shades of Grey.”
“We probably won’t go to the movies as close to home,” said the 26-year-old, who plans to see the adaptation of the best-selling erotic novel with her sisters. “You don’t want to see anyone in town you know.”
Why? Are you embarrassed?
The “Fifty Shades” trilogy recounts the romance between college senior Anastasia Steele and Christian Grey, a young captain of industry who enjoys his sex with riding crops, bondage, and other forms of domination. Hester read the entire “Fifty Shades” trilogy about three years ago — a literary experience she would describe as underwhelming.
Oh, it sure does sound like an exciting romance!
Nevertheless, “I couldn’t put them down,” she admitted.
Neither could the tens of millions of readers who snapped up the book — and its two sequels — making author E.L. James one of Barbara Walters’s “10 Most Fascinating People” in 2012. At the peak of book sales, two copies of the trilogy were selling every second, according to Vintage Books, which bought the publishing rights to the steamy series after James self-published it online under a pseudonym.
The film version, opening Friday, has also found an eager audience. Fandango, the movie ticket website, reports it “the fastest-selling R-rated film” in its history.
“ ‘Fifty Shades’ is a true phenomenon all across the country,” said Fandango chief correspondent Dave Karger in an e-mailed statement. “It’s a surprisingly hot seller in the South and the heartland, indicating that the anticipation for this film is across the board.”
And yet, for Hester and many other women, the anticipation is tempered with some embarrassment. After all, no one’s expecting “Fifty Shades” to break new cinematic ground.
“If I can get my hands on a wig, that would be good,” Hester said, half joking, about her movie-going attire.
Kelli Coviello said she feels a little sheepish in her desire to see the movie — an emotion that stems less, she says, from the sexual themes and more from the story’s domination fantasies that play out beyond the bedroom.
“I’m supposed to be that strong, independent woman managing a career, a household. But the whole idea of being swept away and taken care of — I don’t want to make another decision.”
Look at the state of women's liberation!
The Ipswich mom who works in business development said the shame of watching “Fifty Shades” comes in seeing Grey buy Steele a wardrobe of clothes and handing her her ideal job.
“The bondage isn’t what attracted me to the book. It was someone making life easy for you,” Coviello said. “And I loved the fact there was a housekeeper.”
In between the sexual violence and stuff, anyway.
But Dr. Karen Ruskin, a psychotherapist who has a private practice in Sharon, said women shouldn’t feel guilty about wanting to feel taken care of.
“Many women feel the shame because they’ve learned to believe they have to be independent and not needy. It’s not an either-or debate,” said Ruskin, author of “Dr. Karen’s Marriage Manual.”
“Many women want both, and that’s what’s so tricky.”
Hester agrees it’s hard to reconcile those feelings. The Worcester Polytechnic Institute student, who is studying biology, said her takeaway from reading “Fifty Shades” was one of distaste for the unbalanced relationship, and she isn’t sure the movie will change that.
“It’s not the dominance in the bedroom, it was that he took on that role in her entire life,” she said. “She was kind of a pushover and didn’t really question anything he said.”
Some women likened “Fifty Shades” to a guilty pleasure, akin to seeing “Sex and the City”: one best enjoyed with cocktails and girlfriends. Newly single Tricia Cromwell expects to go opening weekend — if not Valentine’s Day — with her group of gal pals.
“It seems like a good chick flick to get your groove back,” said the 35-year-old from Brockton.
Cromwell didn’t read the books, and she’s intrigued to see what all the hype is about. She wonders who will fill the theater seats beside her.
“Will it be a crowd ‘girl power,’ or women in mustaches and hats?” she said.
If she sees “Fifty Shades” at Showcase SuperLux in Chestnut Hill, she might run into Donna Paglia and her book club. The 49-year-old Wellesley mom, who expects the movie to be every bit the guilty pleasure the books were, is going with low expectations, especially for Jamie Dornan, the Irish actor playing Grey.
“We had our own voting to see who should play Christian,” she said. “The guy who got picked wasn’t even on our list.”
Paglia said she expects the post-showing conversation and accompanying round of cosmos to be more exciting than the film — which she is not the least embarrassed to watch.
“Maybe it’s our age or our confidence, but it’s a judgment-free zone,” she said. “[Anastasia] let him run the show, and I can’t imagine ever being like that so it’s hard to relate, but it’s completely entertaining.”
Then again, some women think “Fifty Shades” is so far-fetched, they’re skipping the film altogether. Quipped radio personality — and happily married mother of three — Sue Brady Hartigan: “It doesn’t do anything for me. If I have free time, I want to sleep for nine hours or drown my mind in TV.”
What a wonderful and productive role model is she.
But if her perfect daydream came true? “Put me on an island with Benicio Del Toro,” she said. “Just for an hour. Then I’d want him to go away.”
Which is what I will be doing shortly.
--more--"
Here is the review:
"Surprising warmth in ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ adaptation" by Meredith Goldstein, Globe Staff February 12, 2015
“Fifty Shades of Grey” author E.L. James should count her blessings as she counts her millions.
Her best-selling book — which, despite its popularity, is pretty rough source material — was stripped of its worst parts and turned into a surprisingly warm screenplay by Kelly Marcel (“Saving Mr. Banks”).
OMG!
The director of the much-anticipated adaptation, Sam Taylor-Johnson, made what could have been a trashy TV movie into well-conceived cinema.
And James’s heroine, Anastasia Steele — a character who spends much of the “Fifty” trilogy rambling on about her “inner goddess” and her obsession with her controlling boyfriend — is turned into a human by Dakota Johnson, a comedic actress who manages to make the character seem like someone worth knowing.
Pffffft!
It’s Johnson who saves the day as Ana, a graduating college senior who is sent to interview the dapper and brooding 27-year-old billionaire Christian Grey. The loner businessman tells Ana that his tastes are “singular.” By that he means he likes S&M. He’s a dominant in search of a submissive who will take orders and spankings in the “red room” of his penthouse, which is stocked with toys for pleasure and pain.
Critics of James’s books have said that the S&M in the story is laughable. Maybe so. Christian succumbs to cuddling almost as often as he spanks.
No, it is not. It's sickeningly revolting.
The sex in the movie follows a similar path. “Fifty” has more sex scenes than your typical R-rated film, but the content isn’t any more shocking than what’s on cable. Shows like “Sons of Anarchy” and “Outlander” have just as many bare butts and tight shots of intercourse.
Really, the sexiest parts of the film aren’t the sex scenes (which sort of become tedious), but rather the banter between Ana and Christian as they set the terms of their relationship.
Johnson helps turn James’s tale into an unexpected romantic comedy. The best vignettes have her fully clothed and working to get a laugh out of Christian, played with awkwardness by Irish actor Jamie Dornan.
(Blog editor simply shakes his head in unspeakable astonishment)
Dornan isn’t unlikable, but his Christian comes off as an angry geek as opposed to a cool guy. His discomfort — and constant constipation face — doesn’t help with chemistry, but it does turn Christian Grey into a guy who could exist.
And I'm sure there are many like him out there.
Whereas James’s Christian is superhuman with a dash of “American Psycho,” Dornan’s version is a just a 27-year-old introvert pretending to be bad. He’s the least dominant dominant — a guy who’d much prefer to be told what to do.
Then the movie is basically the complete opposite of the book?
That wouldn't be the first time Hollywood has f***ed things up.
It’s only when Christian becomes the star of the story that the film starts to get tiresome. The second half is too focused on why Mr. Grey is such a bummer. Even Ana starts to look bored.
For those who don’t know, the real source material here is actually “Twilight,” the young adult vampire series by Stephenie Meyer. James’s three-part S&M saga started out as fan fiction based on Meyer’s stories. Anastasia Steele is the clumsy heroine inspired by Bella Swan. Christian Grey is James’s Edward Cullen (he’s into spanking as opposed to blood sucking).
Watching the adaptation of “Fifty” makes it clear how much the story borrows from “Twilight,” specifically the films....
In other words, it's ALL a RIP-OFF!
--more--"
I skipped the trailer, thanks, and I know it's not the same season but anything else playing?
"A North Adams man whom prosecutors say collected child pornography on his computer, loitered around college dormitories with night vision goggles, and shot video at nude beaches has been sentenced to more than four years in prison. U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz said on May 29, 2013, officers seized computer media containing image and video files with violent and sadomasochistic sexual assaults of young girls. Prosecutors described 49-year-old Wade Galli’s collection of more than 200 pictures and 37 videos as “horrific.” Galli admitted that he downloaded child pornography from the Internet. He also created some videos by filming nude girls at the beach. Galli said he did so “whenever I had time” and filmed girls as young as 13 at beaches in Pittsfield, Mass. and Vermont."
Related: North Adams man, Wade Galli, gets 4 years for amassing 'horrific' collection of child pornography
They included images of young children in restraints.
The law is so Grey, isn't it?
"A Leicester firefighter has pleaded guilty to distributing obscene materials to a minor. Kevin Soucie was also charged with indecent assault and battery on a person over age 14 last year after a 17-year-old client at his photography studio told police Soucie had groped him and shown him obscene photographs. The Worcester Telegram & Gazette reported that the indecent assault and battery charge against Soucie, 33, was continued without a finding for two years, during which time he must wear a GPS monitor and undergo sex offender counseling and treatment. Soucie is on administrative leave from the Fire Department (AP)."
Somebody call a priest?
"A North Reading priest was placed on administrative leave after allegations surfaced that he sexually abused a minor in the late 1970s, the Archdiocese of Boston disclosed Sunday. The Rev. Thomas M. Gillespie, pastor of St. Theresa of Lisieux Parish in North Reading, was placed on leave until further notice, spokesman Terrence Donilon said in a statement. When the Archdiocese received a complaint about Gillespie, church officials immediately notified police who launched an investigation, Donilon said. Gillespie will remain on leave without public ministry, meaning he can not perform public masses, pending the outcome of that investigation. Gillespie did not respond to email messages requesting a comment."
I'm sorry I saw those, and I hope there have been thorough investigations.
Anything else?
"The lavish science-fiction adventure, ‘‘Jupiter Ascending,’’ opened with just $19 million, a meager amount for a $175 million production starring Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis. Universal’s ‘‘Seventh Son,’’ a supernatural thriller set in medieval times, debuted with a scant $7.1 million. The film, produced by Legendary Pictures and starring Jeff Bridges, cost nearly $100 million."
"Walt Disney Co. said strong results from theme parks, TV channels, and merchandise tied to the continued strength of its hit 2013 movie ‘‘Frozen’’ (right) drove quarterly net income up 19 percent to $2.18 billion, trouncing Wall Street estimates. Revenue rose 8.8 percent to $13.4 billion. Profit from consumer products grew 46 percent to $626 million. The stock surged 8 percent to a record. CEO Bob Iger said Disney is not losing theme park customers because of a measles outbreak linked last month to its Southern California parks."
I'm sorry, but I have a problem with Disney.
Maybe you ought to just get her some flowers:
"Nothing says flowers like a blizzard, but it’s Valentine’s Day and love is allegedly in the air — along with snow, which is basically everywhere at this point — so flowers it is. Getting those flowers to their targets is another story. A bow and arrow would be nice, but someone would call the cops, so the florists of Boston have a bit of a challenge on their hands this Valentine’s Day — how to deliver those fragile bouquets in a snow-clogged city where traffic moves at the speed of a glacier and homes are barricaded behind snowbanks that require a grappling hook to surmount — but nothing seems to make sense in this city right now."
Related: The storm that killed Valentine’s Day?
Maybe you can make sense of these:
Mich. will recognize about 300 gay marriages
Same-sex marriages to begin in Alabama
US judge to act on Alabama gay marriage
Ala. judge told to give same-sex marriage licenses
More Ala. counties to issue same-sex marriage licenses
"Senate President Stan Rosenberg to marry partner Bryon Hefner" by Mike Deehan, STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE
The couple began dating in September 2008. Hefner interned in Rosenberg's office before they became romantically involved, and worked for Regan Communications until December. From 2010 to 2013, Hefner was chair of The Rosenberg Committee, managing the fundraising and political strategy for his partner.
They split their time between Rosenberg's hometown of Amherst and a Boston residence.
Rosenberg faced questions about Hefner's role in Senate business before he was unanimously elected to lead the body last month. Stories in the Boston Globe alleged that Hefner boasted of his political influence and used Twitter to mock former Senate President Therese Murray. In a letter to senators, Rosenberg said there would be a "firewall" between his personal life and work.
--more--"
Related: Globe Ruined Rosenberg's Romance
I guess not!
Longtime aide: Obama misled on early gay marriage opposition
Why not? He's broken promises and misled the rest of us.
Besides, love means never having to say I do, right?
N.Y. mayor sees wider role for ferries
NYC seeks more ambulance funds
All for broken hearts.
Blood is starting to look black:
"Congress OK’s Keystone XL pipeline bill, setting up veto" by Dina Cappiello, Associated Press February 12, 2015
WASHINGTON — Congress approved a bill Wednesday to construct the Keystone XL oil pipeline, setting up a confrontation with President Obama, who has threatened to veto the measure.
The House voted 270-152 to send the bill to the president, endorsing changes made by the Senate that stated climate change was real and not a hoax, but neither chamber has enough support to overcome a veto, and supporters were already strategizing on how to secure the pipeline’s approval using other legislative means....
The fact that they have to state such a thing proves it is a hoax!
For Republicans, the bill’s passage capped weeks of debate on a top priority after they took control of Congress last month. Democrats called the effort a waste of time but said the provisions on global warming and oil spills marked progress for Republicans on those issues.
Democratic Representative Alcee Hastings of Florida said the bill was another example of Republicans prioritizing legislation to demonstrate a message, regardless of its chances of becoming law.
‘‘The last few years have been like a hamster on a wheel — spinning and spinning and not getting anywhere,’’ said Hastings, who at one point held what looked to be a toy rodent.
Republicans and the oil industry have argued that the $8 billion, 1,179-mile project is about jobs and boosting energy security, because the pipeline would carry oil from Canada to domestic refineries subject to stringent regulations.
Democrats and their environmental allies have characterized it as a gift to the oil industry that would worsen global warming and subject parts of the country to the risks of an oil spill....
A what?
--more--"
"Oil drilling banned in Arctic area that attracts walrus" by Dan Joling, Associated Press February 12, 2015
ANCHORAGE — A plateau on the Arctic Ocean floor, where thousands of Pacific walrus gather to feed and raise pups, has received new protections from the Obama administration that recognize it as a biological hot spot and mark it off-limits to future oil drilling.
Looks like a component of Agenda 21.
The announcement from Interior Secretary Sally Jewell triggered an uproar from Alaska leaders, angry that the federal government was making a decision that they said would harm the state’s economy.
‘‘This administration has effectively declared war on Alaska,’’ said Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican.
They have been doing that a lot lately.
Hanna Shoal rises from the shallow Chukchi Sea and teems with plankton, clams, and marine worms that attract walrus and bearded seals. The remote area lies 80 miles off the state’s northwest coast, beyond even sparsely populated subsistence whale hunting towns such as Barrow, the northernmost community in the United States.
Federal estimates show the Chukchi and Beaufort seas could hold 26 billion barrels of recoverable oil, and Alaska leaders are eager to begin drilling to create jobs and fund state projects and services.
About 90 percent of Alaska state revenue comes from oil taxes or fees, and with the price drop of nearly $60 per barrel since April, the state faces a $3.5 billion budget deficit next year. Leaders in Alaska want to find new drilling opportunities as a way to offset those losses.
Oh. The policy meant to publish Russia and Iran backfired and hurt Americans, huh?
Jewell’s move late last month, adding Hanna Shoal to four other Arctic Ocean areas that will not be offered for future oil lease sales, came just two days after President Obama declared he would seek wilderness protection for the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, including its coastal plain, which holds an estimated 10 billion barrels of oil.
And weeks after he floated a plan to drill off the East Coast!
The back-to-back announcements hit a familiar nerve for Murkowski and others, who say the federal government frequently makes decisions that are bad for state’s economy.
The Obama administration wants to preserve Alaska like a ‘‘nice little snow globe,’’ Murkowski said.
I'm sure it's tied to global warming somehow.
--more--"
"Gas prices edge up as oil market improves; Little reason to fear they’ll surge" by Jay Fitzgerald, Globe Correspondent February 09, 2015
Then fear you should!
The plunge in gasoline prices may have come to an end, as crude prices rebound in anticipation of production cuts in the United States and other oil-producing nations.
The average price for a gallon of unleaded gasoline in Massachusetts jumped 11 cents Monday, the first weekly increase in gas prices since early September, according to AAA Northeast. No one is expecting a return to gasoline prices in the $3-plus range anytime soon, but energy specialists say US gas prices may well have hit their bottom in January.
They call that "edging" up.
“I guess the party’s over,” joked Mary Maguire, a spokeswoman for AAA Northeast, formerly known as AAA Southern New England.
Do I look like I'm laughing?
***********
The long slide in gas prices followed a similar plunge in crude prices, sparked mostly by the huge increase in US oil production from shale fields in North Dakota, Texas, and elsewhere. But as crude prices touched multiyear lows, many oil drillers shut down rigs that were no longer profitable.
That is what I've been saying, and yet it's the first time the Globe has alluded to such things.
Investors have reacted to the possibility of less oil on the market by bidding up prices. Global crude prices have jumped to about $53 a barrel from $45 late last month.
Joseph Petrowski, chief executive of Mercantor Partners LLC, a Framingham energy industry investor, agreed that US gas prices “probably hit bottom recently.” But he said he does not see prices rising much more, perhaps to $2.30 to $2.40 a gallon.
He emphasized that supplies are plentiful and “fundamentals are still good” for both oil and gasoline prices to remain low, compared to what they were a year ago....
In addition to the shutdown of US oil-drilling rigs, Saudi Arabia, a major Middle East oil supplier, has been sending mixed signals about whether it might cut its production, analysts say, contributing to the rebound in oil prices.
The U.S. is sending them right back!
And a strike by members of the United Steelworkers union at some US refineries and chemical plants is affecting gasoline supplies.
The propaganda pre$$ has been awfully quiet about that strike!
Sarah Emerson, managing principal at ESAI Energy in Wakefield, said oil and gasoline prices could return to their previous lows, barring some natural disaster or international crisis that threatens a major disruption in supplies.
I'm expecting one.
“I’m personally not too worried about gasoline prices,” she said. “I still think prices could come right back down, maybe.”
Or they could keep going up, maybe (sigh!).
--more--"
I gotta sit down:
"Harvard sit-in protests school’s investments; Want money out of fossil fuels" by Matt Rocheleau, Globe Correspondent February 12, 2015
CAMBRIDGE — Several dozen Harvard students staged a sit-in on campus Thursday to demand that the university, which has the largest endowment of any college in the world, divest from fossil fuel companies.
Pfffffffft!
But Harvard officials reiterated that the university does not plan to divest and condemned the students’ demonstration inside an administrative building, calling it “disrespectful.”
Why did the agenda-pushing controlled-opposition kids protest inside? Too much snow and cold outside?
“We fully respect their opposing point of view and their opportunity to express it openly and vigorously,” university spokesman Jeff Neal said in a statement. “But we are deeply disappointed that divestment advocates have chosen to resort to a highly disruptive building occupation as a means to advance their view.”
You're ruining Valentine's Day!
He said in the statement that Harvard president Drew G. Faust would meet with the protesters if they agreed to exit Massachusetts Hall, which houses the offices of Faust and other top administrators. But sit-in organizers said via Twitter that they had rejected the offer.
Intransigent!
The sit-in was a part of a series of events planned around the world over the next few days that will call on colleges, governments, and other organizations to shed their investments in companies that produce oil, gas, and coal. The fuels have been identified as a cause of global warming.
PFFFFFFFFT!
*********************
Other “Global Divestment Day” events were scheduled between Thursday and Saturday, including at several other area colleges: Boston College, Boston University, Brandeis University, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Stonehill College, UMass Amherst, and Worcester State University, according to organizers from the Fossil Free campaign and 350.org.
Students, youths, local legislators, and community leaders gathered Thursday at the State House for a rally promoting fossil fuel divestment and for panel discussions.
Thursday’s sit-in at Harvard began around 10 a.m. when more than 30 students walked into Massachusetts Hall and occupied a first-floor hallway.
Campus police and other Harvard officials arrived. Officers stood guard outside, blocking entrances to the facility and stopping anyone not authorized from entering.
--more--"
Also see: Will the weekend storm kill Valentine’s Day?
Like it's killed the global warming con as the already brutal winter rages on?
"Thai cultures clash on Valentine’s Day" Associated Press February 14, 2015
BANGKOK — Ah, Valentine’s Day. Call the police or, better yet, the Moral Promotion Center.
In many countries, Feb. 14 is a highly commercialized day of romance.
In AmeriKa, it is a time to celebrate bondage and torture.
In Thailand, it’s also a time for strict warnings — and this year a new Twitter hashtag aimed at preventing premarital sex.
The Culture Ministry’s Moral Promotion Center launched a widely publicized campaign earlier this week called ‘‘Just a Meal for Valentine’s Day,’’ which urges teens to go home after their dinner dates. It’s also asking youths to show support for the campaign by tweeting #DinnerOnly in Thai.
A Twitter search Friday found that the request had drawn varied reactions of mockery, with many postings of the Thai equivalent to LOL!
Despite its well-earned reputation to the outside world as a freewheeling destination for sex tourism, Thailand’s socially conservative authorities are on a mission to uphold the country’s traditional Buddhist values among Thai people.
Amazing how we never see an expose on the sex tourism trade or the elite pedophile rings that I'm sure are part of it.
This year’s campaign comes amid a morality overhaul initiated by Thailand’s military government.
--more--"
I've noticed the coverage has been rare since Thailand tossed out its US puppets.
Related:
[While I was ' out and about ' today chasing down renewed mobility, the news informed me that Kenya has banned the movie "Fifty Shades of Grey" that was recently described as ' domestic violence hiding under the mask of erotica '.] -- The great Valentine Week whiteout
And the Globe has gone and damn near endorsed it!
NDUs:
Students want fossil-fuel divestment
"Legal fight looms on crude oil in Portland" by Patrick Whittle, Associated Press February 15, 2015
PORTLAND, Maine — Environmental groups are digging in for a long fight against a federal lawsuit that seeks to overturn South Portland’s ban on loading crude oil onto tankers at the city’s waterfront.
Portland Pipe Line Corp. this month sued the city in US District Court in Portland over the ban adopted last year. The city ordinance was designed to prevent the South Portland-to-Montreal oil pipeline from being reversed, which would allow Canadian oil to come into Maine.
Residents and environmentalists have expressed concern about the potential importation of tar sands oil, which they say is dangerous to ship and difficult to clean if spilled. They suspect Portland Pipe Line wants to load the Canadian oil onto tankers at South Portland to ship to buyers elsewhere.
Portland Pipe Line officials said last year the company doesn’t plan to reverse the pipeline but haven’t said why the company wants to put crude on tankers at South Portland. The lawsuit said only that the city’s ordinance “contravenes fundamental principles upon which our Republic was founded.”
Actually, the Republic was founded on local control, states rights, and all the rest.
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“We think it’s a good ordinance,” said Mary Jane Ferrier, a spokeswoman for Protect South Portland. “It’s a little disappointing, in the face of the huge amount of community support, the pipeline would just fly in the face of that.”
They didn't like the indu$try money waved and thrown at them?
The pipeline pumps crude from South Portland to Montreal.
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