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Believe it or not, the idea that the government shouldn't give away things has some noble reasoning to it. Not sure of the specific reasoning in Germany, but it might range from avoiding favoritism to the government getting value for the work it produced.
But like all things, it can lead itself to a less than well-meant outcome.
If the government can't give it away then maybe auction it off. Don't auction off the copyright, just auction off a single copy. Then if it is GPL the goverment will have to fulfill its obligation and pay for what it got by posting the source code. Thus posting the source code for free will not be giving anything away, it will be paying a debt.
It is not about "giving" it away. The government can't make it available in 90% of the cases, period. Why, you ask. Because it is not allowed to interfere with the free market by also participating. So anything that not some super niche product, that technically a private entity could create, the government is not allowed to publish it. They are allowed to build software in house, if the software is not available or cheaper than buying it, but they are not allowed to act as software publisher. True, it is a
[...] it is not allowed to interfere with the free market by also participating [...]
A link to the relevant German law?
To date, I thought that was pretty unique to USA.
It is not about "giving" it away.
My reading is that it's precisely about that: gov't isn't allowed to give stuff away.
Though I live in Germany, I'm no legal expert and would appreciate a link to the relevant law.
NASA images are generally public domain [nasa.gov]; that's why there's a huge pile of them on Wikipedia [wikimedia.org], among other places. There are a few exceptions for stuff created by third-party contractors, though; depending on the terms of the contract, the copyrights might be owned by the contractor. The NASA logo itself is also not in the public domain, so you can't sell knockoff NASA tshirts.
The NASA logo itself is also not in the public domain, so you can't sell knockoff NASA tshirts.
I'm pretty sure the NASA logo is a trademark, so for making T-Shirts it shouldn't matter at all whether it is in the public domain. You'd still infringe on the trademark.
Copy authored by government employees is the property of the U.S. Government, and is not subject, per se, to copyright law, though there are other laws that restrict the distribution and use of much of it. However, most of what is created by the government is created by contractors. They generally retain copyright and transfer only use rights to the government. We can (and in some times do) get unlimited rights, but the contractors generally extort us for that, as retaining the rights forces us to go back t
>I know I've seen copyright labels on a lot of NASA products and images and animations
A lot of those were tacked on by third parties.
There are a few culture thieves (publishers) that have been taking expired copyright/public domain stuff and tacking on a new copyright to it. As if this minimal sweat of the brow is enough to re-copyright.
There are a few culture thieves (publishers) that have been taking expired copyright/public domain stuff and tacking on a new copyright to it. As if this minimal sweat of the brow is enough to re-copyright.
Actually, it's only the part the publishers add that's copyrighted. If you take a public domain work, and only repackage it, it's actually not under copyright at all, only the repackaged part of it is. If they add a foreword or analysis, that too is copyrighted. But the public domain work is still in public domain and someone could take that work and republish it.
Of course, publishers don't want you knowing that... so they slap a "All rights reserved. Copyright 2013 blah blah blah" hopin gyou assume it's the entire thing and not whatever value add they put on.
Otherwise stuff like Project Gutenberg really would have a hard time adding new content as the editions they often use are technically under copyright (because finding an old enough edition is difficult).
Requiring a government to "opensource" software is a nice but difficult proposition. The biggest problem I see is this: how can say a Western government justify giving stuff free to Al Qaeda or the Chinese? No, I'm not raising the Beware the Terrorists/Communists argument, simply stating the fact that opensourcing software means that EVERYBODY gets free access to the source, and that includes people outside the political entity. So effectively, you subsidize software development in other countries. Again, t
"Requiring a government to "opensource" software is a nice but difficult proposition."
No, it isn't.
"The biggest problem I see is this: how can say a Western government justify giving stuff free to Al Qaeda or the Chinese?"
Simple: they don't. That they can't avoid a third party from giving it away to Al Qaeda doesn't mean they themselves are giving it to Al Qaeda.
And even then, open source protects *the source code*, not the binaries. Take the GPL as an example: somebody should give you sources only after
Nit pick : the requirement to not give the binaries to Al Qaeda would not meed the OSI definition of Open Source software. You're not permitted to add stipulations on who receives sources or what they are used for. If Al Qaeda uses your software to make cluster bombs that drop live kittens packed with C4, that's fair game for Open Source licenses.
"Nit pick : the requirement to not give the binaries to Al Qaeda would not meed the OSI definition of Open Source software."
Probably not. But then again, nitpicking, you don't put the "not for Al-Qaeda" clause in the same contract/license than the software's one and you will be probably in the bright side.
"You're not permitted to add stipulations on who receives sources or what they are used for."
But that's a stipulation on the limitations of the second party to third parties. As long as the second party
simply stating the fact that opensourcing software means that EVERYBODY gets free access to the source, and that includes people outside the political entity
Yes, indeed, open sourcing means people "outside the political entity" can get free access to the source. One hopes that they will find it useful for learning something, understanding the benefits of sharing and cooperation, and generally improving their lot in life. Perhaps even you might understand these principles some day.
What "political reality"? Out of all the silly objections people have raised to FOSS, I have never heard that seriously used in parliament. You're creating an issue that simply hasn't existed before.
I think a fair rule is that, barring extraordinary and demonstrated need, all tax dollars for software should go only for the development of software for which source is available gratis to all taxpayers, and that secret-source software makers are free to change to fit this requirement any time they'd like to have their software considered for a bid.
Requiring this of software developed by the government makes a lot of sense. However the language "considered for a bid" suggests you want this to include all s
"While some software (voting machine) should always be open, need ALL software a government uses fit this requirement?"
A big resounding "YES!"
Please take the time to read any single open source license. Just to name the most famous two, BSD and GPL, please, read them.
Imagine we are talking about an ultrasecret software that makes Al Qaeda bosses piss their pants and all [My Beloved Country]'s enemies, past, present or future, surrender on the spot. "Oh, my God! we don't want this to be open source, do we?"
Well, do we? Now, answer a question to me: being such a software licensed under either GPL or BSD forces the government to give it away to anyone?
But then, imagine such a software is developed by a contractor and the government forces such a contractor to license it under GPL or BSD. Does such agreement force the contractor to give the software away to anybody else? Does it force the government to give it away to anybody else?
Just to state the obvious, if you answered "yes" to any of the questions on the paragraphs above, you really need to re-read the GPL and BSD licenses again.
I daresay there are far more people who can audit and improve the web-app (and fix bugs that could land you in jail for unintentional tax fraud) than there are people who can improve the design of a fight jet engine.
And practically everyone who could improve the design of the fighter jet engine is already working for the manufacturer of a fighter jet.
So your analogy is incredibly flawed.
Current government policy is downright hostile, this change would make it less so. But I wouldn't characterize the resulting policy as "open source friendly"; at best it would make policy comparable to other European nations.
Whether this passes remains to be seen. This is just a committee proposal to study the issue; that might be a serious effort, or simply a way of railroading the idea. And industry in Germany is very powerful. They usually don't have to bother with inconveniences like bribery or lobbying, they just say what they want and get it.
All tax dollars for software should go only for the development of software for which source is available gratis to all taxpayers, and that secret-source software makers are free to change to fit this requirement any time they'd like to have their software considered for a bid.
Doing something along these lines is essential to have long term public oversight over government.
In fact, you need to go a little bit further, and have a requirement not just for the source to be available, but for it to be well-documented, and build-able to exactly produce the binaries being used. Otherwise you'll get people playing all kinds of games with the system, adhering to the letter of the law while massively violating the intent.
The "well-documented" concept would take some thought to define, bu
Munich does develop its own Linux distribution. GPL forces them to open source most of their work. I conclude that the news can not be entirely true..
You miss the point. It is not about the German government not being able to release open source software. The law prohibits the government to enter into competition with private companies, no matter what terms the software is covered. I don't know about LiMux and how they resolved that, maybe employs can contribute to existing open source in limited scope, but not publish new projects.
The proposal comes from a parliamentary committee. This means, it has not gone through a legislation process where lobbyists will sink it. The conservative party will sink it, because the idea supports liberal tendencies and the lobby says so, the liberal party will be against it, because it will hurt the established IT companies (or at least be a threat to them, and those might be part of their election force), the social-democrats will kill it, because the conservatives get an increase in votes out of the
Oracle MySQL is an awful example: the FLOSS version was always poorly maintained since Sun/Oracle want you to but the comercial version. The development process wan't open either.
If you want a good comparison of comercial vs open, pick Postgres.
Also, on the GIMP vs PS side: citation needed.
C makes it easy for you to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes that harder, but when you do, it blows away your whole leg. -- Bjarne Stroustrup


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Mozilla Discloses 7 Vulnerabilities Patched Last Month
I just noticed that on Tuesday, March 23, the day after they released Firefox 3.6.2 and released an advisory on the one publicly-disclosed vulnerability in it, Mozilla released 7 more advisories. 3 of these advisories are listed as being fixed in products Mozilla released over a month ago. What's up with that?
First, here's the roster of vulnerabilities. Click the links to see the individual advisories:
- MFSA 2010-09: Deleted frame reuse in multipart/x-mixed-replace image (Moderate)
- MFSA 2010-10: XSS via plugins and unprotected Location object (High)
- MFSA 2010-11: Crashes with evidence of memory corruption (rv:22.214.171.124/ 126.96.36.199/ 18.104.22.168) (Critical)
- MFSA 2010-12: XSS using addEventListener and setTimeout on a wrapped object (High)
- MFSA 2010-13: Content policy bypass with image preloading (Moderate)
- MFSA 2010-14: Browser chrome defacement via cached XUL stylesheets (Low)
- MFSA 2010-15: Asynchronous Auth Prompt attaches to wrong window (Low)
All 7 of these, plus MFSA 2010-08, released the day before, affect the Firefox 3.6 branch and are patched in the now-current version 3.6.2 of Firefox. This point turns out to be key.
3 of them (MFSA 2010-11, MFSA 2010-12, and MFSA 2010-14) are listed as being fixed in this list of products:
- Firefox 3.6.2
- Firefox 3.5.8
- Firefox 3.0.18
- Thunderbird 3.0.2
- SeaMonkey 2.0.3
Other than Firefox 3.6.2, these are the versions that were released last time around, meaning mid-February. And yet the disclosures are new. The next versions of these products:
- Firefox 3.0.19
- Firefox 3.5.9
- Thunderbird 3.0.4
- SeaMonkey 2.0.4
...are still set to be released Tuesday, March 30.
I contacted Mozilla and got the answer: It seems that Mozilla patched the three common vulnerabilities in the earlier products before patching them in Firefox 3.6. I'm not sure why, but it put them in a position of having to keep those three secret lest they disclose vulnerabilities in Firefox 3.6 before a patch was ready for that version. When a different flaw in 3.6 was publicly disclosed and Mozilla had to issue the patched 3.6.2 early the reason to hold back became moot. They were able to disclose all 7 remaining vulnerabilities in Firefox 3.6, including the three that had already been patched in other products.
I have to wonder what this says about the amount of scrutiny that new releases of Firefox get from researchers. They put out the source code for heaven's sake! All someone would have to do is a diff of the new version against the old version and they would see that more was patched than the disclosures indicated. I have to wonder if the source code comments for those fixes were affected by the need for secrecy.

subset: commoncrawl


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Gov. Sonny Perdue, along with local community leaders, cut the celebratory ribbon at the official dedication of the Go Fish Education Center October 7 in Perry. Developed as part of the Go Fish Georgia Initiative, the Center, which opens to the public on Friday, Oct. 8, will promote better water stewardship and increased fishing participation around the state.
"The Go Fish Georgia Initiative will allow us to improve our fishing resources and boat access, drawing not only more tourists but also major fishing tournaments that will have a positive economic impact in communities across Georgia," said Gov. Perdue. "It also promotes conservation and encourages families to spend time together outdoors, making memories that will last a lifetime."
The Go Fish Education Center features an interactive and educational journey through Georgia's diverse watersheds. It also serves as a great resource of fishing information for any level of angler, with tips on where to go, what gear to use and when to fish. With 76 species of fish on display in tanks and ponds, the Center offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn about Georgia's aquatic wildlife and habitats. Boating and fishing simulators let visitors test their skills on the water. And a state-of-the-art fish hatchery offers a look at the science of fisheries management. The hatchery will expand research and increase fish production to improve the quality of fishing in Georgia.
The Center also will offer educational programs to school systems and to the public, including kids fishing events, on-site classroom programs and teacher development sessions. Classroom and educational programs are aligned with the Georgia Performance Standards.
"Whether you are new to fishing, mentoring a young angler or are a seasoned professional, you will find exhibits here that educate, excite and encourage you to get outdoors and go fish," said Chris Clark, Commissioner of the Department of Natural Resources.
The Center is part of the Go Fish Georgia Initiative, a $30 million initiative that leverages $19 million in state bond financing with private donations and financial support from local communities. It includes development and improvements of mega-ramps and other access areas that improve the quality of fishing throughout Georgia and increases participation in fishing through active promotion and marketing of Georgia's exceptional fishing resources.
Construction of the Center began in 2008 and was completed in September 2010. The Go Fish Education Center is part of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Resources Division (Fisheries Management Section).
The Center is located next to the Georgia National Fairgrounds in Perry. The Center will maintain special hours Oct. 8-17, 2010, during the Fair: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and 12-9 p.m. Sunday. Standard hours post-fair will be 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sundays.
Fees are as follows: Adults - $5, Seniors 65 and up - $4, Children 3-12 - $3; Children 2 and under - free.
For more information, visit www.gofisheducationcenter.com or call (478) 988-7187.
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Friday, October 08, 2010
Go Fish Education Center Opens in Perry
Gov. Sonny Perdue, along with local community leaders, cut the celebratory ribbon at the official dedication of the Go Fish Education Center October 7 in Perry. Developed as part of the Go Fish Georgia Initiative, the Center, which opens to the public on Friday, Oct. 8, will promote better water stewardship and increased fishing participation around the state.
at 12:48 PM
Labels: education, fayette front page, georgia, georgia front page, go fish georgia, perry, resource


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Lone Survivor is "not a game I'd recommend playing right before bedtime," our Ozzie wrote in his review. Having casually mentioned last year that the 2D survival horror was coming to PlayStation 3 and Vita, creator Jasper Byrne today confirmed that it'll arrive in July, "enhanced" in shiny new ways.
"As well as Trophies, Cross-Buy and Cross-Play support, the PS version will feature (amongst other things) 19 new items, new dialogue with all NPCs, two extensive new side quests and a brand new 'Yellow' ending, featuring an exclusive piece of music," Byrne wrote in a PlayStation Blog post. "We are also investigating touch control for movement and inventory use. This version really will be enhanced in every way!"
Byrne says the additions will be "initially exclusive" to the PS3 and Vita edition, so expect them to come back to the PC, Mac and Linux versions at some point.
The port is handled by Explodemon and Stealth Bastard developer Curve Studios.


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While not yet as healthy as in other states, the real estate market in the Chicago area "definitely shows signs of having bottomed out and early signals of an upturn," said Jeff Matheson of Century 21 Kreuser and Seiler in Libertyville.
Houses are sitting on the market fewer days and sellers are getting better selling prices, primarily because of the lowest inventory levels the area has seen in six or seven years, he said.
"It used to be common for a traditionally-listed home to spend seven to 12 months on the market," Matheson said. "Over the past few months that has fallen to 90 days or less. And with high-quality homes in core areas, most are on the market now fewer than 30 days."
Two other factors that have changed the market is foreclosed homes now make up a dropping percentage of that inventory, while both real estate agents and prospective buyers are shying away from short sales.
"Unless they are preapproved short sales, people are staying away. They are tired of the long wait for approval with no guarantee (an offer) will ever be approved," Matheson said.
"In Lake County, there are actually shortages of good homes in specific markets. I have personally sold three homes recently that never hit the market," he said. "But the outlying areas are still suffering. It is all about location, location, location. In the mid-2000s people developed a disregard for location. That has become a priority again."
Buyers are also flocking to single-family houses over townhouses and condominiums, Matheson said. Single-family homes are very attractively priced. In addition, FHA financing of townhouses and condominiums can be difficult to obtain and some associations refuse to allow renters, which also makes the units difficult to sell.
Matheson has also noticed marked changes in the types of homes that people are seeking.
"There has been a philosophical change. They don't want McMansions. People are opting for smaller homes and they want homes that are closer to town where they can patronize restaurants and public transportation," he said. "The 'bigger is better' attitude is gone."
But no matter what size the home is, prospective buyers are all looking for granite countertops, stainless steel appliances and hardwood floors.
"Each home is the buyer's biggest purchase. So they want all the amenities," Matheson said.
First-time buyers now make up 30 percent of the market with investors making up another 20 percent, he said. Both groups are motivated by low interest rates, low prices, high rents and the lack of available inventory.
Buyers know that it is less expensive now to buy a home than to rent one based on monthly payments.
Investors know that they can buy a home at a low price and then earn high rents from it. They also know that there are many high-quality, long-term tenants currently in the rental marketplace, Matheson said. These are people who have been forced to rent because they got upside down on their mortgages and can no longer qualify to buy, but they make great, responsible tenants.
"The path we are currently on is going to be one of long, steady growth," Matheson said. "Most of those in the marketplace now are people who are relocating, investors and first-time buyers. There is a very large group of people right now who are sidelined because they are upside down on their mortgages and can't afford to move until prices rise. They are stuck in their current home until that happens.
"Unless the government finds a way to provide relief to that very large group of homeowners, the market will only improve very slowly," he said.
Matheson has been selling real estate in Lake County for nine years, three of those with Century 21 Kreuser and Seiler. To reach him, call (847) 367-1171 or visit www.kreuserandseiler.com.


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WHEELER - Colten Moore, brandishing a medal in honor of his older brother, addressed a crowded sanctuary Thursday at First Baptist Church in Wheeler. They were there for the funeral of four-time Winter X Games medalist and former Wheeler resident Caleb Moore.
"He was always down to help out other people," Colten said. "Without Caleb, I don't know what I would have done growing up because he was always there for me.
"I probably would have grown up just being a wuss."
Caleb Moore, 25, died Jan. 31 of injuries incurred Jan. 24, when his snowmobile rolled over him after catching the lip of a landing area while attempting a flip during the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo.
Colten also competed in the X Games, in part because of coaching he received from his brother.
"I can pretty much say he taught me everything I know," Colten said. "When we raced together, he pushed me to go faster and made me jump jumps that I wouldn't have done. Even if I couldn't do it, he would push me until I could."
B.C. Vaught, the Moore brothers' agent of about 10 years, called the boys "blue-collar workers" who worked diligently for everything they had. He described watching Caleb Moore mentoring his younger brother as an amazing experience, citing a time when the pair jumped off of a 100-foot train bridge into a lake.
"I'll never forget why Caleb jumped," Vaught said. "He didn't jump off the bridge first to be the first one to do it. He jumped first to make sure that his brother was going to be safe jumping off the bridge."
Caleb Moore was born in Fort Worth and lived in Wheeler at a young age before his family relocated to Krum, where he and Colten practiced diligently at their home by launching four-wheelers into a foam pit.
He started competing in quad and snowmobile freestyle riding after graduating from Krum High School a year early.
Friend Austin Wilson described recently watching a video of an interview with Caleb Moore dating back to one of his early competitions.
"With a smile on his face, he said, 'I love this. I can't wait to travel the world,' and he did that," Wilson said. "Not many people get to say that they live their life doing what they love every day, surrounded by people that they love every day. Caleb was able to do that."
Michele Bentley Moore, Caleb's mother, said she expects tough days ahead.
"We're going to miss Caleb a lot," she said. "I know Caleb lived an extraordinary life, and I know his number of days weren't as important as the quality of his days."
But she did acknowledge a positive consequence of her son's death.
"There has been a miracle, several miracles, actually," she said. "... Caleb was an organ donor. ... There are several families out there who have been praying for a miracle. They just got their prayers answered."
The Wheeler Church of Christ Caleb Moore Fund has been established at First State Bank in Wheeler, with proceeds to go toward the Moore family's medical expenses.


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The clerk of the court is responsible to provide a system of checks and balances for the courts. Incumbent Harold Bazzel is running against Kevin Wood, but both are quick to say they offer different qualities to the job.
Bazzel says his experience counts.
"This is home and that's why it's special being the clerk of the court here in Bay County. It's just I feel like I, as a public servant, I'm giving back to my community."
Woods says the difference is obvious.
"He's well connected, and I'm not. That goes to the issue of accountability and which one of us would have the least conflict of interest in upholding the laws and the Constitution."
Bazzel has been the clerk of the court since 1980 and has run unopposed until 2000 when Wood first ran against him. One obvious difference between the two: four years ago and again today you won't see campaign signs for Wood and to date he's raised no contributions, while Bazzel has raised more than $9,000.
"I want people to know that I want to be the clerk of the court. I want to continue to serve, I think not to do anything sends a message that you think that it's not that important," says Bazzel.
"You've got an incumbent clerk that's been in there too long and just sits there very quietly and just looks the other way instead of aggressively performing his audit functions," says Wood.
Because both are democrats and the only candidates, every registered voter is allowed the chance to cast a ballot during this primary, making this the only race that will be decided outside the general election.
For more information about each candidate go to the Bay County Supervisor of Elections website at bayvotes.org and look at the candidate's bio.


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Forum Post: Justice for Paulie.
Posted 4 years ago on July 3, 2013, 7:09 p.m. EST by DebtSUSPENSIONRights
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
Protesting in the streets is much more effective when online petition are accessed as well. http://www.change.org/petitions/madison-police-chief-noble-wray-take-officer-stephen-heimsness-off-the-streets
Justice for Paulie: the police officer who killed our friend is removed from the Madison police force.
Six months ago, Madison Police Officer Stephen Heimsness shot and killed our dear friend Paulie Heenan in front of our apartment for no good reason. And after the shooting, Officer Heimsness was cleared of any wrongdoing and allowed to keep his job as if nothing had happened.
We started a petition on Change.org demanding that Officer Heimsness be taken off the streets, and after more than 107,000 people signed (including you), on June 22, the Madison Chief of Police requested to have Officer Heimsness fired from the force.
We are thankful our voices were heard, but this moment is bittersweet. We will never get our friend back -- hear him laugh, play the guitar, or give him a hug. And the Chief of Police refuses to acknowledge that his reason for terminating Officer Heimsness has anything to do with the killing of our friend and the massive public outcry that followed. But we are sure none of this would have happened if you hadn't put the pressure on. We started this petition on Change.org because we never want to see this happen again to anyone. And it's because of your help that this victory was possible. Your immense show of support was completely uplifting during this difficult time. While more change is needed to rebuild the culture of trust and respect that good police work requires in our city of Madison, consider this victory a giant first step. Thanks for everything. Nathan and Amelia Royko Maurer Madison, WI


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- US Open
Djokovic happy with US Open changes
After a year of closed-door meetings with tennis players seeking a greater say in the sport and a larger slice of grand slam revenues, the US Open is making big changes.
New York's grand slam tournament will increase its annual prize money to $50 million by 2017 - roughly double what it was last year-- and permanently schedule the men's semi-finals on Friday and men's final on Sunday starting in 2015.
As part of an unprecedented five-year agreement with the men's and women's professional tours, the US Open also is making an additional $4.1 million increase to this year's prize pool, on top of an already-record $4 million jump announced in December. That brings the 2013 total payout to $33.6 million from the $25.5 million in 2012.
The US Tennis Association announced the changes on Wednesday, a day after they were formally presented to the ATP Player Council at a meeting in Key Biscayne, Florida. Details were described to the AP on Tuesday by USTA officials.
"Roger Federer said it perhaps best of all: It's time for us to work together, as opposed to working against each other," USTA Executive Director and chief operating officer Gordon Smith said in a telephone interview.
Federer, the 17-time major champion, is president of the ATP Player Council. He is not playing in the tournament that begins this week at Key Biscayne, but participated in Tuesday's meeting via telephone. Federer joined other top players, including current No. 1 Novak Djokovic, in lobbying the USTA and organisers of other major tournaments in an effort that began at the tournament in Indian Wells, California, about 12 months ago.
"It's a very positive step for players. You know, it proves that players, I think, are more united than ever. I believe that these are some significant changes in the negotiations with grand slams," Djokovic said. "It hasn't happened for, I think, ever or for many, many years that we have such increases. We just feel like we deserve it. There is a lot of players - not just the top players, but a lot of players who are in top 100, top 200 - who deserve to have a better living from this sport."
Aside from wanting more money, some male players complained the US Open had been the sport's only grand slam tournament with their semi-finals and final on consecutive days. The USTA liked its old "Super Saturday" setup - two men's semi-fnals and the women's final all on that day's schedule at Flushing Meadows, followed by the men's final Sunday - but tournament director David Brewer acknowledged it was time to scrap it.
"We realise the game has changed and how they play the game is different even than it was 10 years ago," Brewer said. "The format we've had for 30 years was putting players and the tournament in jeopardy at some point."
In December, the USTA said it would move the 2013 women's singles final to Sunday and the men's final to Monday, building in a day of rest ahead of each title match and moving from a 14-day tournament to 15 days.
That schedule will remain in place in 2014, but the US Open will shift things in 2015: women's semi-finals Thursday, men's semi-finals Friday, women's final Saturday, men's final Sunday.
"Personally, I am not happy with a Monday final, but it is the way it is for next two years," Djokovic said. "I think we have to accept it, and then after that, it all goes back to normal, hopefully, for Sunday final, like every grand slam has."
Another change coming in 2015: men's first-round matches will be played over the opening two days, instead of three.
The USTA does not plan to pay for the higher prize money with a similar leap in ticket prices, while organisers remain committed to equal pay for men and women.
This article first appeared on ESPN.com


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To the editor:
I, as many of you did, watched with fascination our election figures come on
the screen.
Many are so disappointed in the results that they believe the sky will fall,
as Chicken Little said.
The figures turned out to so very close I really thought just maybe it would
be a tie.
I understand that happened only once in the l800s.
As I was drinking my morning coffee and reading the paper, this is what I
have to say.
I am so proud.
So many people, young and old, stood in line for hours to vote.
While I was disgusted with words said during the campaign and the the money
spent by each party.... mostly to why you should NOT vote for his opponent,
I prefer to look at the pluses.
The figures showed how hard it was to determine who to vote for but we did
it, and without guns or riots.
Hooray for us.
Now stop the would of, could ofs, and let's all cross the aisle. Then we
will see results.
It was wonderful to hear the words of Mr. Romney in his concession speech
and the words of our President in accepting the nomination.
Yes, I shall say Mr. President as I was taught to do....no more name calling
Remember these words? Ask not what your country can do for you; Ask what you
can do for your country.
We American have pulled together during trying times before, how about doing
it now?.
God bless America
Elizabeth Roberto
Cape Coral


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Good morning to all - Just joined, but have to admit admit I've been lurking for a while. Creepy, huh? That's what you get for keeping the shades open...
Thanks to the feedback from ALOT of members here, I made the recent plunge to .230 and more importantly I have started playing with BBSAK. My Storm is running the best it ever has - as I am sure most of you will agree.
I love the Flick Scrolling introduced in the 5.0's and I don't want to complain, but I have an issue with flick scrolling in the calendar ONLY. When I open it, the first couple of scrolls jump all over as far as dates in the agenda view. After about the third or fourth, it settles down and behaves.
Does anyone else have the same issue, and more to the point - does anyone have any suggestions as to a possible fix maybe using an old file from another leak using BBSAK? I am looking to play around with this, but was wondering if anyone already has.
Thanks for the time.


text:
AMERICUS – Sixth-ranked Francis Marion University exploded for a dozen runs on 23 hits and the Patriots beat Georgia Southwestern 12-3 on Friday evening at Hurricane Stadium.
Francis Marion improves to 34-11 overall and 17-5 in the PBC, while the Hurricanes drop to 25-20 and 9-13. The two teams will conclude their three-game series on Saturday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.
The Patriots had eight players with multiple hits. Martin Gordon and Brock McCallister led the way with four hits apiece. Buddy Sosnoskie was 3-for-5 with a triple, one run scored, and two RBIs. Tyler Cappelmann went 3-for-5, as well.
Zach Whitman (4-5) was the Hurricane starter and he allowed six runs on 10 hits in 2 2/3 innings. Stephen Daneman pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief and allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out one and walked three. Corey Hawes threw the final four innings and gave up four runs - three earned - on eight hits while striking out two.
FMU starter Don Sandifer (10-2) allowed GSW's three runs in the seventh inning on five hits in that frame. He ended the game with three strikeouts and one walk. Patrick Mincey and Jeremy Knab each tossed a scoreless inning in relief to seal the win.
FMU took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second. Three consecutive one-out singles loaded the bases and Paulhus drove in the run with a groundout. In the next inning, the Patriots plated five runs to take a 6-0 advantage. Sosnoskie plated the first run of the frame with a sacrifice fly. Cappelmann later drilled a two-run single followed by an RBI single from Paulhus and two batters later a bases-loaded walk from McCallister.
Francis Marion would add two runs in the fourth and three in sixth to go up 11-0 before GSW tallied its three runs in the bottom of the seventh behind four-consecutive singles. Corey Benson drove in two for the 'Canes and Paschal Poston added a sacrifice fly.
Andrew Archer led GSW at the plate with a 2-for-3 performance.


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Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere took to Twitter to air his thoughts on whom the best goalkeeper in the Premier League is, and produced a rather controversial opinion is saying that his fellow Gunners Wojciech Szczesny was top of the pile.
Better than Petr Cech, Joe Hart and the rest. Wilshere said these things after the news about Szczesny signing a new 'long-term' deal at Arsenal.
Wilshere first tweeted "Buzzing Szczesny has signed a new deal!2, which also included '#BestInThePrem'. Eyebrows were raised by some of his followers and other tweeters, which led to Wilshere releasing another tweet telling his top three keepers in the league saying "1. Szczesny. 2. Hart. 3. De Gea."
This caused more controversy for the football fans on Twitter so Wilshere made one more tweet explaining 'tough one to be fair as the standard of Goalkeepers in the prem is very high! But for me Szczesny is number 1...'. To justify his opinion, Wilshere uploaded a clip showing the best of Szczesny making a double save against Liverpool.
Wilshere and controversy are words that have been put together in the same sentence recently as the 21-year-old was pictured smoking a cigarette outside of a club. This story about Szczesny isn't really on the same level as the smoking incident but Wilshere does like to express what he believes and isn't afraid of the consequences.
Wilshere also went on another tweeting rampage about how only true English people should play for England in all sports which caused a minor online scuffle between him and cricketing superstar, Kevin Pietersen.
He spoke about the issue after rumours that 18-year-old Belgium-born Manchester United midfielder Adnan Januzaj was being lined up for an England call up when he turns 23.
Wilshere found this to be the wrong way to deal with the problem of England's current quality of footballers. He believes that only English people should play for England or people that have lived in England for the majority of their lives.
Anyway, Wilshere is now picking up the reputation for being the man who spurs on arguments about football on Twitter, a little like Piers Morgan! Hopefully, Jack will stick more to his football than taking to his Twitter account in the future.
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text:
KIHEI - ProArts will present Ken Ludwig's "Lend Me a Tenor" as the first show of its spring season.
It's 1934, and the renowned tenor Tito Merelli, known to his fans as "Il Stupendo," is scheduled to sing the lead in "Otello" as a gala fundraiser for the Cleveland Opera Company.
Chaos ensues when Merelli's wife, who has mistaken an autograph-seeker hidden in his closet for a secret lover, leaves him a "Dear John" letter.
Article Photos
From left, Barbara Sedano, Kristin Jones and Lee Garrow eavesdrop in "Lend Me a Tenor."
The distraught Merelli accidentally is given a double dose of tranquilizers to calm him, and he passes out.
The company's general manager is determined that the show will go on, so he asks his assistant to impersonate the opera star.
What follows is a chain-reaction of mistaken identity, farcical plot twists, double entendres, innuendoes and constant entrances and exits.
On Broadway, "Lend Me A Tenor" received nine Tony Award nominations and won for "Best Actor" and "Best Director."
A Time Out critic called the play a "furiously paced comedy with more than a touch of the Marx brothers A marvelous combination of wonderful farcical moments and funny lines."
The cast for "Lend Me a Tenor" includes Tom Althouse, Kristin Jones, Jennifer Rose, Mark Collmer, Sharleen Lagattuta, Lee Garrow, John L. Mendez and Barbara Sedano.
The show is directed by Lisa Teichner, with costumes designed by Linda Ewing, scenery created by Caro Walker and lighting provided by Bonnie Prucha. ProArts productions are produced by Jonathan Lehman.
Opening night is Friday, Feb. 22, and the show runs until March 10. It plays Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. (no show on Feb. 24).
ProArts offers reserved seats at $20. Kama'aina nights, with discounts for Hawaii residents, are scheduled for Feb. 23 and 28 and March 7.
The intimate ProArts Playhouse is located at the Azeka (Makai) Shopping Center at 1280 S. Kihei Road. The playhouse is air conditioned with 82 reserved seats.
There is free parking, plenty of nearby restaurants and an art gallery inside currently featuring the works of Pat Masumoto and Caro Walker.
"Lend Me a Tenor" is suitable for all audiences.
Call 463-6550 for tickets or more information.


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About the Men's Chorus
The Saint John's University Men's Chorus was organized by Fr. Bartholomew Sayles, OSB of the Saint John's Abbey in 1948. Fr. James Kelly, OSB conducted the choir until 1958 and Gerhard Track until 1969, when Axel Theimer, the present director, joined the music faculty at St. John's University and the College of St. Benedict. Until 1960, annual tours concentrated mainly on Minnesota and the surrounding states. In 1960, the choir made the first of many trips to Europe. The majority of performances, however, are still scheduled in the north central states.
Recent tours included concerts in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Utah, California, Arizona, Colorado and Nebraska. In May 2005 members of this choir joined other singers at CSB/SJU on a 23-day concert tour to Asia. The choir (CSB/SJU Choral Arts Ensemble) performed concerts and was part of several choral festivals and seminars in Tokyo, Okinawa, Seoul, Beijing and Hong Kong, including a performance which was part of the "Welcome to Beijing' Fine Arts Festival. In May 2010 members of this choir traveled to Europe for 3 weeks, performing concerts in Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria.
The SJU Men's Chorus performs frequently for state and regional music conventions and joined the Minnesota Chorale and the Minnesota Orchestra in the performances of Arnold Schoenberg's Gurrelieder in 1996 and again in the fall of 2001. An invitation by the Minnesota Orchestra led to the participation in the December 1998 performances of Beethoven's Symphony #9 at Orchestra Hall. Other invitations have included participation in the United States premiere performance of John Tavener's Akathist of Thanksgiving as part of the Plymouth Music Series, Philip Brunelle, director, and Petr Eben's monumental new oratorio "Anno Domini". Throughout its history the SJU Men's Chorus has received numerous international prizes and awards - including first places at the International Music Eisteddod in Llangolen - and has appeared regularly on regional and national broadcasts, such as Great Choirs of America and Voice of America.
During the 2007/2008 academic year the choir performed at the MN-ACDA State Convention as well as at NC ACDA Division and the MMEA Conference.
In the spring of 2009 the choir performed concerts in Minnesota, Nebraska, Colorado, South Dakota, New Mexico and Arizona and shared a festival/concert with the award winning Great Northern Union (Barbershop) Choir.
Traditionally the year begins with singing for the University's Opening Convocation and getting the 'home-crowd' excited at all the home football games, and continues with participation in the annual ACDA of MN - Male Chorus/Women's Choir Choral Festival at the end of October at St. John's and the annualChristmas at Saint John's concerts and Celebrate the Season CSB/SJU's traditional Christmas concert at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis.
In 2009/2010, in addition to the annual schedule and additional concerts throughout Minnesota, the choir was invited to be part of the 2009 Minnesota Collegiate Choral Festival (ACDA - MN and F. Melius Christiansen Endowment Fund) and traveled to Appleton, WI, to join hundreds of young men, who are part of the highly successful male choir program in the Appleton school district, in a day-long men's choir festival "Real Men Sing".
The Spring 2011 tour included concerts in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia and Washington, DC.
The singers of the choir represent a wide variety of musical background, talent and choral experience. What brings us all together is the love for singing, making music with others and the special camaraderie, which is such an important part of ensembles. Students are encouraged to join choirs in their first year at St. John's /St. Ben's and, time and schedule permitting, remain in the choir throughout their college years.
The choir's 1999/2000, 2002/2003, 2005/2006 and 2008/2009 concerts are available on CD.
Auditions are held every fall, at the beginning of a new academic year, and are open to all students, First Year to Senior. Previous choral experience is not necessary. The students of the Saint John's University Men's Chorus represent a wide variety of musical background, talent, and choral experience. In general, students join in the first year at Saint John's and are encouraged, time and schedule permitting, to remain in the choir throughout their college years.


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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Danica Patrick will compete in the season-opening Nationwide Series race Feb. 22 at Daytona International Speedway.
Patrick will drive for Turner Scott Motorsports, the same team that she drove for at Daytona and Talladega last year but did not finish either race. She led five laps at Daytona but retired early with an electrical issue and was in an accident early in the Talladega event.
PHOTOS: Danica's first full season | Away from the track | Danica the showgirl
MORE: Richard Petty: Danica won't win on Cup circuit
She will drive the No. 30 Chevrolet with sponsorship from the Florida Lottery. Mike Greci will be the crew chief for Patrick, who is entering her second full-time season of Sprint Cup racing. Patrick's eighth-place finish in the 2013 Daytona 500 was the highest finish for a female ever in that race.
"Turner Scott Motorsports is a great organization, and I worked really well with Mike Greci and the whole team in both of the races I did with them last year," Patrick said.
"I know that I'm definitely capable of a win this year working with that group, it just comes down to making it until the end."


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Managing Editor
Is it all right to have a commercial access along Towpath Road on the Lackawaxen River for boaters? Although Euell Threshman ran a business there for rafts, canoes and kayaks for many years, Lackawaxen Township Supervisors are investigating whether the practice should continue. The Lackawaxen is celebrated for its Class I and Class II rapids, caused by releases of water from the PPL power plant at Kimbles. It is considered a good river for people learning to paddle. Numerous people attended the Township meeting Sept. 24 concerned about it. Complaints have been raised about use of the access, including trucks hauling boats on the Towpath and instances of people trespassing on private property to get to the river on their own. Threshman died April 22, 2010. There are indications he had been in business at this location at least since 1965. Threshman lived at the property and charged people to take their raft or boat into the river. Commercial liveries and private persons gave him business. Upon his death, his heirs put up the property for sale. In August 2010, Kittatinny Canoes purchased the Threshman property, said Township Solicitor Anthony Waldron. There has been limited use of the property since that time as a commercial river access. Although public or commercial accesses on the Lackawaxen River are not allowed by the zoning ordinance, an exception was made for Threshman's business, since it was "grandfathered"- it started before the zoning ordinance was adopted in 1977. As such, Waldron explained, it is a "nonconforming use." By law, a nonconforming use is transferable to a new owner, who can continue the way the property was utilized. If there is a break in the activity for over one year, however, the nonconforming use no longer applies. Waldron has been conducting research to see if commercial use of the river access has been conducted without that interruption- since before Threshman's death, to the present. By law, it does not matter how often the business is practiced within that year. He noted this was not like a store, where there are easily identifiable hours of operation. Kittatinny supplied information from their logs about when the access was used. Waldron said there were certain years where there was no information supplied. In 2001, the Township denied an expansion of the business. Rowland General Store had made an application to the Township be allowed to rent rafts and canoes and launch them at Threshman's. The solicitor related that Kittatinny's counsel holds that the business is nonconforming use, and should be allowed. Waldron advised the new owner to apply for a Certificate of Use from the Township, to show what they can and cannot do. Commonwealth Court allowed that a "natural expansion" of customers for a business zoned as a nonconforming use was allowable. The municipality, however, can regulate expansion of the property or structures, up to 25 percent. Kittatinny's lawyer indicated that there was no plans to expand the facility, Waldron related. Whether operation of the business was ever interrupted for more than a year, is up to the Township to prove. At Waldron's request, Kittatinny removed a sign designating it as a Lackawaxen River access. Dimitri Zaimes, owner of Two River Junction, Lackawaxen, said that he runs a responsible business and gives strict instructions to his customers wanting to use the river, about safety and respect of property rights. He suggested that people will find a way to get their boats to the river, and it was better if the Township had one legal access that could be regulated. He reminded that the Lackawaxen is designated as a navigable river by the state. A woman in the audience added that although Zaimes doesn't condone mischief, it still happens and the State Police may take "45 minutes" to respond. One man implored the Supervisors not to take a position against boating, which he described as a nice activity that people enjoy. Zaimes suggested that reasonable concessions could be reached with the owner. Chairman Brian Stuart said that a baseline of information was needed, to see if there were gaps. If abandonment of the use cannot be proven, negotiation may occur with Kittatinny over how the river access is used. He stated that their strategies and how they will negotiate will be discussed in executive session. The fact that it was now autumn, Stuart, said, buys the Township several months to work this out before next year's boating season.
Township looks at river access Can Threshman access still be used?
Managing Editor


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Asparagus Scones Recipe
4.5 3 3
"These moist scones have a mild peppery bite and go great with soup for a light lunch," says Mary Ann Dell of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. "Parmesan and smoked mozzarella cheese also work just fine in this recipe."
Recommended: 50 Recipes We're Cooking Right Now
VERIFIED BY Taste of Home Test Kitchen
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- 1-3/4 cups cut fresh asparagus (1/4-inch pieces)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 cup cold butter, cubed
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, divided
- 1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
- In a large saucepan, bring 1/2 in. of water to a boil. Add asparagus; cover and boil for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry; set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, pepper and cayenne. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 3/4 cup buttermilk just until moistened. Stir in cheese and asparagus.
- Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10 times. Transfer dough to a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Pat into a 9-in. circle. Cut into eight wedges, but do not separate.
- Brush with remaining buttermilk. Bake at 425° for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 8 scones.
Originally published as Asparagus Scones in Healthy Cooking April/May 2008, p55
Reviews forAsparagus Scones
My Review
Click stars to rate
Any changes to your rating or review will appear where you originally posted your review
Average Rating
Reviewed Mar. 14, 2010
"these are fantastic"
Reviewed Apr. 1, 2009
"Sam's carries a Cabot brand cheese that is "50% light". I use it in cooking & it's fine. I'm not wild about it by itself. I've also used it in pimiento cheese with good results."
Reviewed Apr. 1, 2009
"I always see recipes that call for reduced-fat cheese. I can't find it anywhere. None of my local stores carry it. Where should I get it? tracy"


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Karl Fulves' legendary magazine THE CHRONICLES was limited to 36 issues, from 1978 to 1988, during those ten years some of the finest close-up magic of the period was explained in its pages. From the magazines, with permission from Karl, I have selected TEN routines; just a small portion of that outstanding collection.
COIN ENTRAPPED (Mike Skinner): Two coins are on a card box. One is selected by a spectator and penetrates the cellophane!
ROYAL BACKS (Jeff Busby): Five cards with backs on both sides change into a Royal Flush in Spades!
THE SPECTRUM EFFECT (Fr. Cyprian): You select two cards, the spectator picks two cards and they match yours. They are the only black cards in an all-red packet!
COUNT ME IN (Roy Walton): A spectator picks a card (free choice) and, say, it is a Five. The same amount of cards appear between two face-up Jacks!
PRELUDE (Allen Lang): A spectator picks the matching card of your prediction and then the four Aces are revealed!
ELASTIC ILLUSION (Derek Dingle): A rubber band becomes two, then one and then two again. Everything can be examined!
PIN THRU HANK (Richard Durham): A fantastic mini-illusion. A pin is fastened to a handkerchief and a SPECTATOR can release it with no damage to the hank!
JUMP SHOT (Karl Fulves & Fr. Cyprian): A rubber band is placed around the deck, then is seen to be around half of the deck and finally around the selected card!
OPEN SELECTION (Francis Haxton): A spectator finds his own two selected cards!
BLACK OUT (Karl Fulves): One of the best versions of the Oil & Water theme!
Running Time Approximately: 31min
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text:
The hearing into the fatal fire at Doha's Villaggio mall which killed 19 people including three Kiwi triplets has been postponed for a third time.
Lillie, Jackson and Willsher Weekes, aged two, were among 13 children who died inside Gympanzee nursery during the fire in May.
The criminal trial in Qatar to determine who was responsible for the blaze has already been been postponed twice because neither nursery owner Iman Al-Kuwari nor her husband, were present.
A third attempt yesterday failed after Ms Al-Kuwari again did not turn up, Radio New Zealand reported.
Officials reportedly said the court would proceed with the hearing on November 13, regardless of whether Ms Al-Kuwari attends.
An initial report, completed in June, found negligence by many parties led to the blaze.


text:
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Secret Shopping
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Topic: Secret Shopping (Read 17079 times)
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Posts: 4633
No! Iz mai catnip! You no can haz! YOU NO CAN HAZ!
Secret Shopping
April 06, 2013, 02:07:34 PM »
I think I'm posting in the right place; if not, Mods, please forgive me & move!
I'm always looking for ways to make an extra buck here and there, and to that end I've been doing a little secret shopping. Not making any significant money, but I do get a couple of free meals a month out of it plus occasionally a little bonus money as well. I thought it might be cool if we listed mystery shopping/secret shopping companies that we know to be legitimate. For my part, the two companies I currently shop for are:
National Shopping Service
Sinclair Customer Metrics
I've also heard (somewhere else on ehell) about Bestmark, so I've just signed up for them today.
What about you? Know of any that are legit that you'd like to share? Could be fun and give us all (that are interested) a chance to make a few extra bucks.
What have you got? Is it food? Is it for me? I want it whatever it is!
Posts: 137
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #1 on:
April 06, 2013, 05:29:27 PM »
I have absolutely no idea what secret shopping is. Can someone give me the footnotes?
Posts: 7832
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #2 on:
April 06, 2013, 05:44:43 PM »
I know what secret shopping is, but I would like details!
Do you have a list? Do you pay for stuff and return it, or do the companies give you a credit card and return it for you? What about consumables? Restaurants? How long and detailed are the questionaires you answer? Do you name the service people?
So, you want help, and here we are asking questions of you!
Posts: 26
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #3 on:
April 06, 2013, 06:54:35 PM »
I use Shoppers Critique. I've been with them for a long time. I do shops here and there. Not a ton of money, but it's extra spending money.
I do apartment shops sometimes. They'll tell you an apartment complex to go to and pretend to be shopping for an apartment. You'll tour the apartment..Ask questions and then report on the professionalism of the associate you speak with.
I also do phone shops..Where I'll call specific businesses and make sure they're giving the proper information. Example, one shop I called was to price tires for my car. They were required to give me the price, including extra services, tax etc. There were certain questions they were required to ask me, etc.
Sometimes they'll have shops where you have to buy something, and then you get reimbursed up to a certain amount.
I am doing a shop soon where I'll go get my oil changed, and then I'll be reimbursed for that.
It's kind of fun..It can be a lot of work filling out the reports, but the extra money and free goodies is nice.
Posts: 7487
Mmmmm, food
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #4 on:
April 06, 2013, 08:58:27 PM »
I was the one who mentioned BestMark
How it works:
They have a list of "shops" in my area I can peruse online. If I see one I want to do, I click on it. The details are then sent to me.
Often its something like "go to Specific Store. Go to the camera dept and browse the digital SLR cameras. Note how long it takes for an employee to approach you. If no one approaches in 10 minutes, you must seek help. Did the employee seem knowledgable? Did they have a name tag on? Did they offer you any accessories? Did they try to close the sale or offer you a store credit card? " etc.
If a purchase is required its often specified, and is reimbursed. If I buy more, I will only be reimbursed what was offered (so if it says buy a beverage up to $3.00 and I buy a drink and a snack, I will only be reimbursed for the drink). Jobs pay about $15-30 on top of the reimbursement.
Posts: 144
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #5 on:
April 07, 2013, 12:02:05 PM »
BestMark is good. I also use Corporate Research International (they were my first) and MarketForce. I love MarketForce's mystery shopping but I'm not currently very thrilled with their merchandising side of the company.
I also love phone shops, they are great for when I have the kids home. Just close the door and tell them to be quite.
WillyNilly answered how it works but I just want to point out that all your expenses are your own and you have to wait to be reimbursed. Most questionaries are between 5 and 10 minutes long (maybe 15 minutes when you first start out?) and usually about 5 minutes in my car filling out the survey right after the shop so I don't forget.
Just remember you are an independent contractor so all expenses are your own.
My tip: Only take shops that are either worth the product or the fee. If you don't cook don't take a shop at a kitchen supply store that includes a low fee and high reimbursement. If it's a food shop make sure it's a place you like the food because you do have to eat it. Make sure you add up the reimbursement and shop fee and set a level you feel comfortable at. I won't shop for less X dollars because that will cost more for gas my time. (Think of it as I'm worth X dollars an hour.)
FYI you are an independent contractor so you are supposed to pay taxes on this money. I'm not going to say if you should or not but I do run it like a business and if anyone wants tax/organization tips just PM me.
Posts: 650
wonder what this thing is
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #6 on:
April 07, 2013, 02:31:28 PM »
This is a neat thread. What are phone shops? Are they just jobs available with various companies, or are there specific companies that only do phone stuff? That sounds the best to me since I've got the kids at home, but I'm usually returning calls during naptime anyway
In the United States today, there is a pervasive tendency to treat children as adults, and adults as children. The options of children are thus steadily expanded, while those of adults are progressively constricted. The result is unruly children and childish adults. ~Thomas Szasz
Posts: 1127
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #7 on:
April 07, 2013, 05:45:48 PM »
Be very very careful when you look for Secret Shopping jobs. There are some good ones, but there are also some scammers.
One scam, they send you a check to deposit in your bank, then test Western Union by wiring most of the money back to them. The wire clears instantly. The check bounces and you have to give all the money back to your bank and you have to pay a bad check fee. The scammer cannot be found.
Another scam, you buy merchandise with their money and ship it far away. Again their check bounces and they have vanished.
Posts: 4633
No! Iz mai catnip! You no can haz! YOU NO CAN HAZ!
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #8 on:
April 07, 2013, 08:06:03 PM »
Yeah, that's why I started this thread; I thought if we posted companies that we actually know to be legit we could help each other out & avoid the scammer companies. I know it's nothing to get rich on, but a few extra dollars or some free merchandise is always welcome. I know my DH and I both enjoyed the freebies we already get from the companies I already shop for. I'm hoping to make enough, maybe, to set aside and save up for something special. What that would be I don't know...maybe put it toward Xmas or maybe for some little luxury.
I've signed on for the companies listed here so far...I hope we all are able to do some happy shopping!
What have you got? Is it food? Is it for me? I want it whatever it is!
Posts: 7487
Mmmmm, food
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #9 on:
April 08, 2013, 10:33:32 AM »
From the US Federal Trade Commission:
Posts: 1057
formerly RebeccainAR
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #10 on:
April 08, 2013, 10:39:43 AM »
The ones photochick mentioned are the ones I use (BestMark, MarketForce, Corporate Research International), and I also do TrendSource, GapBuster, and Second To None. They all have their pluses and minuses - so totally agree that you have to either get a great shop fee or really like the product - I was doing so many Sonic and McDonalds shops for a while there, I was SO burnt out on the food, and there are a couple of shops I won't do anymore (too many photos that have to be *just so*, even if the condition is impossible to get in a photo, and shops rejected unpaid because of it). I've done just about every kind of shop these companies offer - phone, internet shops, e-mail shops, buy and return, consignment sale, eating, etc.
Other tricks I've learned (we used to do a LOT of shopping - haven't had time to do it much since we moved to Atlanta) - try to group your shops geographically, and ask for distance bonuses if it's a long way away. I used to get a distance bonus for a shop in City A, another bonus from another company for City A, and a third bonus for City B, which was on my way home from A, from a third company. Sometimes it meant I spent all weekend in my car, bouncing from shop to shop, but when the pay came in, I'd have made $200-300 in a month, had lunch on the company twice, bought groceries and reimbursed for them, had a new sweater and some lawn fertilizer, and all of it essentially free to me.
Also - remember that this is a JOB and not just for fun, so take it seriously, or you risk not getting paid. print out your questionnaires, and fill them out in a parking lot nearby after your shop. Get a folder and clip receipts/notes to the questionnaires. Take twice as many pictures as they as for. Get names, even if you're not sure you'll need them, if you can do it without getting 'caught' as a shopper. Have a convincing back story for your scenario.
I loved shopping professionally. I wish I had time for it again. We had a friend that lost her job, and using some savings for 'seed money' for her first month's shops, and saving part of each month's shop money for seed money for the next month, she was able to make enough to cover her salary. She was working 8+ hours a day, 6+ days a week, though.
Good luck if you get started - and feel free to PM me if you have any questions.
Posts: 95
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #11 on:
April 12, 2013, 01:23:12 PM »
I don't do any secret shopping, but I do participate in PineCone Research, which you get paid for doing surveys. And sometimes you might receive product to test.
I have available invites if anyone wants one. just message me.
Posts: 409
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #12 on:
April 12, 2013, 01:25:24 PM »
I agree with MarketForce. I've stop doing them because they seem to be stuck on McDonald's shops (at least in my area). I ate so many Quarter-Pounders w/ cheese that I physically got ill.
But the company was very good to me for a few years.
No one ever says, "Why me?!?!" when something good happens.
Posts: 10801
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #13 on:
April 12, 2013, 02:03:23 PM »
I tried it for a while, but decided it just wasn't worth it. I worked through two legitimate companies, but one only paid me after seval months of hassle and the other never paid me at all :-/ (Most shops require some proof you actually showed up - a photo of your receipt, a product number from a particular display, a photo of the store in a specific way, etc. The one I never got paid for was because the clothing store was a huge mess and didn't have the correct items out in their display. I gave an honest review - including the fact that their display didn't have the product the store said it should - but they refused to pay me because I didn't include the product number from a pair of shorts that *should* have been there but weren't.)
I still get the emails from the one who did pay eventually, but the only secret shop they do near me is an upscale restaurant. It is good food, but since I can't bring my kids along with me, I'm not going to sign up. A secret shop is too much work for a fancy night out!
Both companies did go to prepaid debit cards - when you do a shop, they reimburse you electronically onto the card. If you secret shop a lot, you could just use the card for all your purchases and you wouldn't be out of pocket after the first one.
In my experience, though, very few of the shops actually paid enough to be worth the time. Papa Johns has secret shops available all the time - but you have to take a zillion pictures, cut the pizza a certain way, let it cool, cut it again, take more pictures, and THEN you can eat it once it's cold. and IF they decide your pictures are the exact way they want them, you get reimbursed for the pizza (and nothing else). Each new secret shopping store also requires you to watch a video and take a quiz before you're even allowed to see if there are any available shops in your area or what they pay - meaning you will spend several hours watching videos for shops you only later find out pay peanuts. The apartment and the restaurant shops were the only ones that really looked worthwhile in a time-for-money way.
Last Edit: April 12, 2013, 02:07:14 PM by Slartibartfast
Posts: 5015
Re: Secret Shopping
Reply #14 on:
May 07, 2013, 08:51:55 PM »
I just signed up for one of these as a result of this thread and looked at one of the available assignments. It sounded promising (pays $15 on top of reimbursement) until I saw that the secret shop cost could be up to $100 (you have to park in a commercial pay lot and pick up a multi-day voucher in advance from the home office). You are also not to ask for a receipt (you may accept it if offered one). I could see why the assignment is still available. I'm certainly not willing to (nor can afford to) front as much as $100 and not get a receipt, not knowing if I'd get reimbursed for sure.
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"Teachers just don't have the time," [Mary Michaud, a parent who started the garden at Madison's Van Hise Elementary.] "And many don't have the training or the instructional support to do it."Suddenly, they want you to be a farm worker!
As a result, many school gardens primarily are run by parent volunteers, who can be in short supply in schools with high poverty rates where parents don't usually have time for gardening.Poverty? Do middle-class parents have more time?
But Max Lubarsky, who has worked as an Americorp volunteer at Glendale and this fall will be an educational assistant, and Joe Muellenberg, youth nutrition educator with UW-Extension, have in the last two years revived the school garden. They hope it will attract more parent and teacher interest.So... there's no teaching. Just farm work for the kids. But it's okay to compel this for them because... why? Because you think they're fat? But your garden is premised on pizza!
The two moved the garden from the back of the school where it often flooded to the front and built 11 raised beds, including three in the shape of pizza slices growing basil, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant and cilantro.
Lubarsky said students participating in a Madison School & Community Recreation program do most of the work at the garden now, but incorporating it into curriculum is "definitely a goal for the future."
Teachers don't need to go out and dig in the garden; they can simply hold math class among the tomatoes to get students thinking about the environment and being outside, he said.The old outdoor class. Does that ever work? I say teach in the classroom and then give the kids some time to go out and play, freely. Not work in the sun.
I'm not against gardens, by the way. I love gardens. And I think a school garden could be a great learning experience. I just have a problem with underdeveloped feel-good projects and compulsory menial work.


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April 11, 2005
With some athletes competing in Austin, TX another squad of Gauchos traveled to Fullerton, CA for the Titan Twilight held at Cal St. Fullerton. A tune-up for the big meets that follow in April and May, the Gauchos left with some good marks.
Out on the track, on the Men's side, Loren Bland (Jr.) in what was a very breezy evening won the 5000m by over fourteen seconds for his first collegiate win and a personal best of 14:52.76. Bland had a two-mile personal best of 9:46 out of high school and after some injuries at UCSB his first two years he has been having a phenomenal junior season for himself and the Gauchos. In the 1500m, the Gauchos swept the top three spots with Art Avitia (Jr.) coming up for the win.
For the women, Bethany Nickless (Fr.) in the 5000m set another personal best this season taking off seventeen seconds this time around finishing in second with a time 17:26.35. Laura Zung (Jr.) in the 1500m also set a personal best racing to third place in 4:48.53. In the women's 800m, Diana Joyner (So.), a hurdler for the Gauchos ran a six second personal best finishing in second with a time of 2:17.39.
In the hurdles, Stella Hall (So.) ran a seasonal best in the 100m Hurdles with a time of 15.46. Danielle DeBeaubien (Jr.) also ran a seasonal best of 15.80. At the 400m Hurdle distance, Hall ran another seasonal best of 63.50.
In the field events, Ryan Donnelly (So.) jumped a seasonal best of 22-11.25 in the long jump to place 2nd. In the men's shot put, Scott Anderson (Fr.) won the event by tossing the stone 52-01.75. Anderson also set a personal best in the Discus, throwing it 139-09. In the Hammer Throw Shaun Tolnay (Jr.) won the meet with a mark of 164-01. On the women's side out on the field, Rachel Elbinger won the high jump with a seasonal best mark of 5-02.25.


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(CNN) -- Rutgers University will pay former basketball coach Mike Rice -- fired this week over a video that showed him shoving and berating players -- a $100,000 bonus for "longevity" as called for in his contract, Rutgers athletic department spokesman Jason Baum said Thursday.
"The details of his severance package are still being discussed," Baum said.
Rice was fired Wednesday after ESPN broadcast a video -- which the network said shows excerpts of practice sessions shot between 2010 and 2012-- in which the coach berated, shoved and threw basketballs at players.
"You f**king fairy ... you're a f**king fa**ot," Rice appears to say during one session depicted on the video.
Rice had just ended his third year as the Scarlet Knights' coach with a record of 44-51, and was under contract through the 2014-2015 season. He came to Rutgers from Robert Morris University, where he had a 73-31 record, taking the team to the NCAA basketball tournament twice.
His 2012 salary was $655,470.55, including $300,000 in base pay, according to News 12 New Jersey, which cited public records.
CNN's Michael Pearson and Jason Hanna contributed to this report.


text: Do you know where any of the locations in these photographs are? If so, please leave a comment in the section at the bottom of the post along with the image number. 1) Does this mural still exist? 2) Like the one above, this mural might have been painted over or the building knocked down… 3) A bank in a small town… Read more »


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Our elected officials voted against the will of "we, the people" by voting to borrow $14 million over the next 40 years for a new judicial center, that is, a new center of justice. By all accounts, I won't be around in 2052, but, God willing, my son will be, and he'll be 62 when the debt is finally and burdonsomely paid, which in my opinion, is the least "judicial" decision our supervisors could have made.
Had the state come to Montross and told our elected officials that we needed to renovate or rebuild W&L High School, I'm sure our supervisors would have pursued the mandate with the same alacrity as they have with the judicial center. Instead, the state declared that we needed to upgrade our courthouse to comply with state and federal regualtions.
Could we have complied without building a $14 million judicial center? Of course. Nonetheless, I don't think our supervisors decided to build a judical center as a result of indifference towards our county schools. Rather, they voted to build a judicial center because all localities, including Westmoreland, are but branches of a behemoth and self-perpetuating federal and state judicial system whose roots run deep and are nourished by an egregious penal system. Had every Westmoreland County citizen stood in protest, the judicial center would still have been built despite the fact that a new high school would have been in our better interest.
Today, America's judicial system monitors more "criminals" than ever before. Including those who are either in some form of incarceration or in the parole and probation process, 13 million Americans are processed in one way or another through our federal, state, and local courts per year.
With the private prison industry having grown 350 percent over the past fifteen years, our judicial system has now evolved into a prison-for profit-paradigm. In 2000, the U.S Department of Justice reported 87,369 private prisons operating in the country. In 2009, that number grew to 129,336. The private prison industry is eager to take over state prisons as long as it remains lucrative. Just recently, officials from a private detention company in Pennsylvania were charged with bribing two judges to order youths imprisoned.
Unfortunately, incarceration (not unlike war) is good for the economy. From construction contracts and weapons manufacturers to furniture and food vendors and medical and maintenance personnel, Virginia's Department of Corrections employs 18,000 peple in a variety of 58 occupations not counting its "boots on the ground" Corrections personnel.
With numerous weekly TV shows featuring the "Locked-Up," and generating millions of dollars in ad revenue, incarceration has now seeped into our pop-culture entertainment psyche. The latest capital venture comes in form of a newspaper, Crime Times , which posts the latest mug shots of Virginia's latest convicts and is riddled with ads by trial lawyers and bail bondsmen.
Conversely, when once the US ranked number one in the world in Education, we now rank number one in the world in incarcerating its citizens; Virginia ranks 13th in the country. Like any other locality, Westmoreland County is a stakeholder in the federal and commonwelath's justice system. The latest figures (2000 to 2007) show that the Northern Neck Regional Jail housed more Westmorelanders than either Northumberland or Richmond County residents.
The most dire and alarming statistic in my opinion is that the United States ranks first in the world in youth incarceration. The U.S. places into detention 336 youth out of every 100,000, which is five times that of the notorious second-place contender, South Africa. If this trend continues on into the 21st century, the unsettling question arises: Will our grandchildren be attending the same W&L High School that their grandparents attended (as are W&L students today), or will they just all be in jail?
I love and fought for America. But this is not the America I love and fought for.
Scott Duprey, Montross