SandBox Comments: Roll Call/Race Details "Race Rating Map"

'SandBox Nanny' found these amazing race statistics over on Roll Call.

She especially likes the details of their 'Race Rating Map'.

Here, is their 'Mountain Region Roundup' page.

Very, very interesting...

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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Aspen Daily News/Steve Skinner "American consumers occupy Black Friday"

"Dear Lord it can be embarrassing to be an American these days. Even now, when Americans are supposedly tightening belts and bemoaning the state of the economy, some are charging over unconscious people in a rush to get to the Christmas holiday deals.

According to the Huffington Post, some shoppers allegedly stepped over a collapsed man in a Target store in West Virginia as they hurried in for the best Black Friday savings. The man later died.

They say that American consumers don’t have confidence. They say that we need to purchase more stuff to grow the economy. They say we are in dire shape. But American consumer spending is up significantly over last year and some American consumers have not received the message that we are supposed to be hurting..."
(Steve Skinner)

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"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Weasel Zippers "Iran: Satellite Images Show Revolutionary Guard Missile Base Completely Destroyed After Mysterious Explosion…"

Our thanks goes out to that "mysterious explosion".

(Incredible photos.  Click title. Comment to discuss)

"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Eagle County Times "Out of Touch and in need of a Reality Check"

'Dick Tracy' reports.  Over on the Eagle County Times.  In 'his' never-ending quest to make sure no spin is ever allowed to snowball the folks...we once again watch the Eagle County School Board admin's 'Tall Tales' debunked....

(by Dick Tracy)
Awareness for our Eagle County School District Board and School District employees.

Background:

Consider this former (letter to the Fishwrap’s Editor), written by the former President of your Eagle County School District Board - Connie Kincaid-Strahan, President of the Board of Education and Sandra B. Smyser Superintendent of Eagle County Schools,November 3, 2011 (Click Here).

”We asked you (our community) to tell us if you supported a mill-levy increase to adequately reinstate funds eliminated by the state, and you said ‘no.’ As always, we will keep our budget solvent, and unfortunately it will now come at a more profound and painful cost.”

Responsibly,  the ‘painful cost’ will be on these non-classroom non-student expenditures, for these are what we all said no to.

Or is it going to be  a case of “You get behind me, we all profit; you challenge me, we all go down‘ – by  Big Boy Caprice?

August 2011:  the same month our school board decided to ask for another permanent property tax increase-here is what they continued to spend our tax money on - (Note-no teacher pizza’s here!):...."

(See the real expenditures?  Read more?  Learn more?  Click title. Comment to discuss)

"Truth goes through three stages. First it is ridiculed. Then it is violently opposed. Finally, it is accepted as self-evident."

SandBox Comments: Pueblo Chieftain "Gov. launches innovation office "

Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper is doing a great job.

Even conservatives think so.

"DENVER — Gov. John Hickenlooper announced an initiative Monday that aims to connect innovators with entrepreneurs in order to convert ideas into products more quickly. The governor said he hopes the construct will result in more manufacturing jobs in Colorado.

“We had this idea that we wanted to have a center of innovation, an innovation office, and what should it look like?” Hickenlooper said.

The Colorado Innovation Network will be folded into the Office of Economic Development and International Trade. It aims to link public and private researchers with development groups with an eye on quickly getting new ideas to market, creating jobs along the way...."
(Patrick Malone)

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SandBox Comments: Glenwood Springs Post Independent/The Bottom Lines "Roaring Fork Business Resource Center grant"

Congratulations to Randy Lowenthal and the RFBRC!  A terrific organization that stepped up to the plate when founded by meeting what was, at the time, a gaping hole in small business advocacy in the Roaring Fork Valley.

They've done an amazing job and it's great to see such significant support from the community continue on year after year.

"The Roaring Fork Business Resource Center has received an anonymous challenge again this year from a funder who will match sponsorship pledges received by Dec. 31 dollar-for-dollar, up to a total of $20,000.

This is a great opportunity to maximize sponsorship dollars before the end of the year, while supporting the center's mission “to help businesses start, develop, and grow, resulting in job creation and retention, economic growth, and positive impacts on the communities we serve.”

Funds will be used to increase the capacity to provide technical and educational assistance; to focus on business development; and to develop research capabilities for start-ups and business owners from Parachute to Aspen.

The center is tax-exempt under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code, so sponsorships may be treated as a tax-deductible contribution.

Call (970)945- 5158 for information. "
(via Glenwood Springs Post Independent)

SandBox Comments: Summit County Citizens Voice "European tourism outperforms expectations'

"SUMMIT COUNTY — Continued economic uncertainty in parts of Europe didn’t hamper the tourism industry, which continues to outperform many other economic sectors. International tourist arrivals to the continent grew by a healthy 6 percent during the first eight months of 2011, according to the latest data from the World Tourism Organization.

Some of the strongest growth came in countries facing major economic challenges, including Greece (up 14 percent), Ireland ( up 13 percent), Portugal ( up 11 percent) and Spain (up 8 percent)...."
(Summit Voice)

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