Letter from Mark:
With a strong fascination for how the human mind and spirit works, whatever time is not spent drawing and painting is usually occupied with people-watching. I love discovering nuances in behavior in people that I (presumptuously) think others may not notice. These observations of the minute translate into my artwork. The desire to observe human behavior and subtleties is a major driving force in my art, not only in the subject matter, but the means in which I create art. I love expressing personality in my work, of both mine and the subject. Not only that, but in the case of my large-scale mural work I find I live for the interactions between artist and the public. The fact that anyone can come up to you and either praise or criticize your art is a wonderful thing. This interaction brings art to the everyday person and knows no class distinction. It isn’t confined to the lock and key of a museum, but instead is present to one and all. I can also experience the interactions between people firsthand during my mural painting. For my paintings and drawings I am primarily cooped up in my studio and unable to interact with people, which is also enjoyable, but I do need that private time to gather all of my inspiration and crank out some paintings and drawings. My main painting medium is in oil, although I am beginning to venture into acrylics (thanks to my mural work). I find inspiration for both my oil paintings and my spray painting are identical. Although inspired by “wildstyle” graffiti, my handwriting is about as good as a spastic chicken, so I am predominately influenced by and create portrait and figurative work. The human form is of equal interest to me as the infinite expanse of the human psyche. The combination of representing both is a ever-present goal of mine in both painting and drawing.
I am always available for drawing and painting commissions as well as large scale indoor or outdoor murals. My artwork, as well as contact info, can be viewed on my website: http://www.kram1art.com

God bless,

Mark “KRAM” Wroblewski

The fast food company says it “will no longer accept” eggs from one of the country’s biggest egg companies, Sparboe Farms, that is the subject of an ABC News investigation to be broadcast Friday on “20/20″ and “World News with Diane Sawyer” and was cited Thursday by the Food and Drug Administration for “significant…and serious violations” in the production of eggs.

Watch Video.

In one of the most forceful enforcement actions since last year’s salmonella egg outbreak, the FDA issued a company-wide warning letter to Sparboe Farms, the country’s fifth largest egg producer.

Citing “serious” and “significant violations” at five different locations, the FDA cited at least 13 violations of the recently enacted federal egg rule meant to prevent dangerous salmonella outbreaks.

“This is a warning that there is a systemic problem, not just at one barn or one location,” said former FDA food safety chief David Acheson, now an industry consultant.

The ABC News broadcast will include undercover video taken over the summer inside Sparboe facilities in three states by an animal rights group, Mercy for Animals, that appears to show unsanitary conditions and repeated acts of animal cruelty.

Until today, the Sparboe facility in Vincent, Iowa, had produced all eggs used by McDonald’s restaurants west of the Mississippi River.

In its statement, McDonald’s said its decision was based on concerns about “the management of Sparboe facilities.”

“McDonald’s expects all of our suppliers to meet our stringent requirements for delivering high quality food prepared in a humane and responsible manner,” the company said in a statement released to ABC News overnight.

The Mercy for Animals activist who went undercover to record the video inside Sparboe told ABC News chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross, “I saw workers do horrendous things to birds, they were thrown, grabbed by the neck, they’re slammed in and out of cages.”

Nathan Runkle, the executive director of Mercy for Animals, said the video shows how health hazards can be linked to large scale, low-cost egg producers, so-called “factory farms.”

“They’re the model of efficiency but they place an emphasis on profit over animal welfare,” said Runkle, who says he and his members eat no animal products because of the animal cruelty they have seen.

Sparboe executives told Ross the employees seen on the tape abusing the chickens were all fired.

“We have a zero tolerance policy,” said Ken Klippen, Sparboe’s director of government relations. “People who violate that policy, we take that very seriously.”

On a one-hour guided tour of the Sparboe facility in Vincent, Iowa, the source of all McDonald’s eggs for restaurants west of the Mississippi, Klippen told Ross the Sparboe’s facilities are “state of the art.

Sparboe has never had a single egg or chicken detected with salmonella, said Klippen, who added “there was no cause for any enforcement action.”.

The 2010 salmonella outbreak affected more than 1,900 people and was traced to a different Iowa egg producer, Wright County Eggs.

More than a half-billion eggs had to be destroyed and the episode produced a nationwide health scare over the safety of eggs.

Salmonella in eggs is easily killed when both the white and the yolk are cooked thoroughly enough to be hard.

Many of those sickened last year ate custard at a California catering hall that had eggs from Wright County Eggs.

Federal authorities promised stepped up inspections and enforcement, and FDA officials said this week’s action against Sparboe Farms was part of that effort.

McDonald’s says its customers should have no health concerns because all of it eggs are thoroughly cooked before being sold.

“This is not a food safety issue for our menu items,” McDonald’s said in its statement. “We can assure our customers that eggs in our entire supply chain meet McDonald’s high standards for quality and safety.”

As to the allegations of animal cruelty, a spokesperson said the behavior seen on videos provided by 20/20 was “disturbing and completely unacceptable.” From yahoo.

About the Author:
Jacques K. Gilbert is a native of Apex, North Carolina. Jacques graduated from Apex High School in 1987 and went on to attend Wake Technical College. In 1989 Jacques, attended Basic Law Enforcement Training at Coastal Plains Police Academy in Wilson, NC. Jacques received his Basic Law Enforcement Certification in December, 1989. Jacques was hired as a Police Officer in Apex, N.C. on March 20, 1990 and has served in the capacity of Patrol Officer, School Resource Officer, Drug and Gang Unit Sergeant, Patrol Division Captain from August 2008-August 2011. Jacques currently serves as Administrative Captain at Apex Police Department. Jacques is a proud graduate of the F.B.I. National Academy 220th Session and is a State of North Carolina Certified Police Instructor: Subject Control and Arrest Techniques, Unarmed Self defense, SPEAR, TASER, Physical Fitness, and Rapid Deployment, Officer Survival I, Officer Survival II, Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and CEO of The Vine919. Jacques credits his success to God and support from his wife Meshara, his two children Kalabria and Logan and his mother and father.

Many of these officials have served with Mayor Weatherly over the years and all have made valuable contributions to the community.

“I am humbled to have the support of this outstanding group of Apex leaders,” said Weatherly in a released statement. “We owe a great debt of gratitude to all of these outstanding public servants for their selfless dedication to making Apex one of these best towns to live, work and raise a family. I am so proud to stand with them in this effort to continue the progress we’ve made.”

Weatherly, 61, is seeking his fifth term in office. He was first elected mayor in 1995 following two years as a town councilman.

The incumbent is being challenged by mayor pro tem Bryan Gossage, 36, who has served on town council for two terms. The election is Nov. 8.

The list of 14 former officials supporting Weatherly’s re-election bid includes four past mayors – Larry Jordan, Everette Edwards, James Austin and Bob Barker.

“I think the greatest attribute a mayor should possess is leadership,” said Jordan, who was mayor from 1981-1989. “Mayor Weatherly has certainly shown great leadership during his years as mayor of Apex. He has led Apex to a very strong financial condition while providing the best in services – police, fire, utilities, planning, and recreation, just to name a few.

“All of this has been accomplished while maintaining one of the lowest tax rates in the county. It is an honor for me to endorse Keith for re-election as mayor of Apex.”

Former council members voicing support for Weatherly are Clarice Atwater, Bill Sutton, Christine Hilt, Andy Clark, Don Grimes, Carl Helton, Dr. Doug Meckes, Buddy Cummings, Nolan Cooke and Mike Jones

“Having served with Mayor Weatherly in the capacities of town manager, planning board member, and as a council member, I know he has been instrumental in making Apex what it is today – a great place to live,” said Sutton, who served as town manager from 1993-2003.

“As we build upon what we are today, we must look to the future with a vision. Mayor Weatherly has that vision to lead in the efforts to attract new businesses and industry, and is willing to support appropriate incentives to bring them here. I believe that with Mayor Keith Weatherly we will ensure that Apex’s future will be – progress with vision.”

“I deeply appreciate having these dedicated Apex leaders actively involved in this campaign,” said Weatherly. “They have had long and meaningful roles in the success of our community. Their involvement at this time reinforces a steadfast commitment to ensure that Apex will remain ‘The Peak of Good Living.” From theapexherald.

Obama toured WestStar Precision in Apex on Sept. 14, before giving a speech at North Carolina State University to promote his $447 billion jobs plan.

The White House announced Wednesday that the President will be returning to the state as part of an Oct. 17-19 bus tour to urge the passage of the legislation.

Stops along the tour have not yet been announced.

The President said he would cover most of the cost of his jobs initiatives, by limiting the itemized deductions wealthier people can take.

He said he would get $40 billion by closing tax loopholes for oil and gas companies, $18 billion from imposing higher taxes on certain income from investment fund managers and $3 billion from changing how the tax code treats corporate jets.

Obama has run those ideas by Congress in the past and has gotten nowhere. From go.

The GOP attack at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing focused on emails they said showed the White House tried to rush a final decision on Solyndra’s financing so that Vice President Biden could announce approval of the loan guarantee at the September 2009 groundbreaking for the company’s new factory.

“The documents demonstrate that, when DOE was reviewing the Solyndra guarantee in 2009, it was well aware of the financial problems the deal posed,” Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), chairman of the panel’s Oversight and Investigations subcommittee, said Wednesday.

“What the documents show is that the rush to push out stimulus dollars may have impacted the depth and quality of DOE and OMB’s review.”

The documents left the White House scrambling to defend its clean-energy agenda, in which President Obama has invested a huge amount of political capital.

Jonathan Silver, the executive director of the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office, insisted at the hearing that Obama administration staff did not feel pressure to quickly finalize financing for the project.

White House press secretary Jay Carney also rejected allegations that the administration rushed the review of the loan guarantee, arguing that the emails pertain to a “scheduling matter.”

“What the emails, I believe, made clear is that there was urgency to make a decision about a scheduling matter,” Carney told reporters on Air Force One Wednesday.

“As you know, and you are familiar with it in a way that most Americans aren’t, it is a big proposition to move the president or to put on an event and that sort of thing. So people were simply looking for answers about whether or not we could move forward.”

Obama has argued investments in low-carbon energy sources like wind and solar would help build new industries that could create thousands of “green jobs” and help the U.S. “win the future” in a global competition against China and other foreign producers.

Republicans have been skeptical of these claims, and Solyndra’s downfall has given them a powerful point in their argument that the White House has gone off course by backing renewable energy subsidies to the detriment of traditional fossil-fuel sources.

The fight is likely to continue through Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign, as green energy has been a major part of Obama’s domestic policy agenda and the loan guarantee to Solyndra — which shut down its manufacturing facilities and laid off 1,100 workers in filing for bankruptcy — was intended as economic stimulus.

Republicans argue that the Obama administration’s push to create “green jobs” blinded officials to a series of red flags that hinted at Solyndra’s financial troubles.

Stearns linked the Solyndra loan directly to the 2009 economic stimulus package.

“Only after the Obama administration took control and the stimulus passed was the Solyndra deal pushed through,” Stearns said.

Congressional Democrats worked with the administration Wednesday to shift blame to both Solyndra and the George W. Bush administration, which began consideration of Solyndra’s loan guarantee application but did not finalize it.

Silver noted in his testimony that the Bush administration identified Solyndra as a top contender for receiving a loan guarantee. The Obama administration ultimately approved the loan guarantee in 2009 “on the exact schedule that had been developed during the Bush administration,” Silver said.

Democrats also faulted Solyndra executives, who are to testify next week and will face tough questions from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, for misleading federal officials about their company’s financial standing.

Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) said top Solyndra executives painted a rosy picture of the company’s financial outlook during a meeting with lawmakers in July.

Republicans countered that the Bush administration raised at least some concerns about the loan guarantee, noting that an Energy committee said the application needed further review shortly before Obama took office.

Silver also noted that market forces, along with competition from China, put major strains on the solar industry in recent months, making “Solyndra’s business model very challenging.” The market changes took many analysts and the company by surprise, he said.

In an attempt to counter calls to slash funding for the Energy Department’s loan guarantee program, the administration is arguing that the Solyndra incident underscores the need for the United States to double down on investments in clean energy.

Despite Solyndra’s financial problems, the Energy Department has continued to approve loan guarantees for major solar projects. The department, for example, finalized an $852 million loan guarantee for a separate California solar project sponsored by NextEra Energy in August.

The Solyndra bankruptcy shows that the United States must greatly ratchet up its investments in clean energy in order to compete with China, Silver said.

“The question is whether we are willing to take on this challenge, or whether we will simply cede leadership in clean energy to other nations and watch as tens of thousands of jobs are created overseas,” Silver said. “We were once the leaders in this field, and we can be again.”

Republicans launched an investigation earlier this year into the Obama administration’s decision to grant the loan guarantee, after Solyndra encountered a number of financial setbacks. Solyndra said last year that it would close a plant, lay off employees and delay the expansion of its newest facility. It also canceled plans for a public stock offering.

Some Democrats blasted Republicans for politicizing the bankruptcy Wednesday, arguing the GOP was using the failure of a business to crush support for renewable energies.

“This is all part of an agenda here that deals with the solar industry and the wind industry,” said Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.).

Republicans made it clear Wednesday that they intend to continue shining a spotlight on the incident. Stearns even said he wants to see administration officials fired.

“I think someone should be fired and I think at some point you’re going to have to go to the top people and say, ‘why did this happen?’ You can’t lose this kind of money and have the FBI indicate there is criminal activity here and not have somebody fired,” the Florida Republican told reporters, referring to an FBI raid on the company.

Asked if he would call on Energy Secretary Steven Chu to step down, Stearns demurred.

“I don’t know. I think this is too early and premature to decide, but I think somebody should be fired.” From thehill.

Obama is scheduled to present his “jobs plan” in Apex, N.C., on Wednesday at the headquarters of WestStar Precision.

WestStar is a high-end, specialty manufacturer that just opened a new facility in San Jose, Costa Rica — creating many new jobs there, but not in the United States.

“Our main office and manufacturing facility near Research Triangle Park in the Raleigh/Durham area has approximately 11,000 sq. ft. of office space, production area and warehouse,” the company says on its website. “This facility has more than doubled in size from inception. Equipment includes precision CNC Machining centers, water jet cutter and CAD-CAM design stations.”

On the same page, WestStar Precision describes its new location, which is almost as big, in Costa Rica: “Our new office and manufacturing facility in San Jose, Costa Rica, also has approximately 10,000 sq. ft. with similar equipment as the main office. This facility is designed for high volume production to support our international and domestic clients.”

Republicans can hardly believe the company the president chose to speak at is shipping jobs overseas. (RELATED: Obama aides give different forecasts for WH flexibility with jobs plan)

“Well the president is coming here to apparently tout how to create jobs in America, and the location he’s chosen has just apparently opened up a new manufacturing plant in Costa Rica,” North Carolina GOP spokesman Rob Lockwood told The Daily Caller. “So we are curious how a plant in Costa Rica creates American jobs.”

The owner of the company, Ervin Portman, is a local Democrat on the Wake County, N.C. Board of Commissioners. He donated $1,000 to Obama’s 2008 campaign. Portman and his wife together donated several thousand more to other Democratic candidates and the state Democratic party.

Democratic National Committee spokesman Brad Woodhouse did not respond to TheDC’s request for comment. From yahoo.

$15/half-dozen, $26/dozen

Strawberry-lemonade cupcakes with lemon buttercream

Pina colada cupcakes with pineapple rum buttercream

French vanilla cupcakes with blueberry buttercream

Chocolate cupcakes with raspberry buttercream

Please send your order to teameve@rocketmail.com. Pickup will be available on August 13th, 9 am – 12 pm in the Miramonte subdivision in Apex. Your order is confirmed when you get an email back with the pickup address!