text:
First cup of coffee gets first post!
Only if you use it rarely. If you use it regularly, your body will get used to it and usage will only get you to the same level as those who don't use it. And not using it will drop you below their level. But I think you can recover within a week or two if you stop using it.
Same experience here. 2-3 days of mild withdrawal symptoms whenever I temporarily quit caffeine! Of course I never really quit because I end up drinking it again at some point.
Caffeine does zip after about a week of (ab)using it. After that you just need it to be normal.
It depends on the drug and on the programmer.
I will program something while not being high and see if it makes a difference, later though. So far I am still collecting data points.
I don't think the idea is you code while high. I think the idea is that getting high last night affects the way your brain works today. Either because of simple stress relief or something more complicated. LSD in particular is known to have serious and long lasting effects on brain function, and not all of them negative. For example, a single dose of LSD can increase the chances of an alcoholic staying sober by a significant margin, significant enough that if it weren't for the stigma associated with it it would probably be part of standard rehab.
http://www.trinity.edu/jdunn/spiderdrugs.htm [trinity.edu]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_of_psychoactive_drugs_on_animals [wikipedia.org] [
There's some evidence that humans shouldn't use marijuana if they are young and their brains are still developing: http://www.medicaldaily.com/articles/11417/20120809/marijuana-brain-damage-memory-learning-drug-habit-addiction.htm [medicaldaily.com]
Here's a video of the drugged spiders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1n15JxrBJ8 [youtube.com]
There's some evidence that humans shouldn't use marijuana if they are young and their brains are still developing:
I would be very surprised if there wasn't evidence, since it seems self-evident that any psychoactive drug is going to affect a developing brain in some way or another. Which is one of many reasons drug laws are stupid: It's easier for a kid to buy pot than for an adult. This is ass-backwards.
As I've heard somebody say (my experience confirms it too): "People on drugs think they are creative and productive. Everyone else thinks they are on drugs." The same can be said about alcohol.
As I've heard somebody say (my experience confirms it too): "People on drugs think they are creative and productive. Everyone else thinks they are on drugs." The same can be said about alcohol.
I'll drink to that....err....wait...
too broad a statement, sounds like establishment FUD. what kind of drugs? you have proof anyone died young from MJ use? LSD use?
Although I was raised around drugs and I smoke pot on a regular basis I know for me that is not a good idea to get stoned at work, for two reasons.
1) I'm trying to get a job done, but I am impaired so I can't do my job well.
2) I'm trying to enjoy this high, but I am concentrating on getting my damn job done so I can't enjoy the high.
So for me it is a waste of time and a waste of weed to get high at work.
It sounds like that is based on very limited personal experience.
I have been smoking cannabis for more than 35 years and it is nothing but an enhancement to me (well... unless used excessively all day or something). To long time users, it's more like having a cup of coffee than an intoxicant. While it is and we have to be a bit discrete, we don't even think of it as an "illegal drug" when we use it either alone or in social settings, but then, this is Canada where we don't believe American propaganda.
Hippies didn't necessarily die young because of drugs (at least not marijuana and not likely LSD either). There are other common factors and lifestyle choices that come into play. I have friends in their 70's who still smoke cannabis several times a day, by the way.
Most all of the harm from cannabis comes from the drug laws, and extrajudicial mechanisms that serve only to ostracize people who defy those laws. For example it is absolutely disingenuous to test urine for cannabis and use the presence of non pharmacologically active metabolites that may persist for weeks or months, to discriminate against people for employment or any other purpose. Hair follicle testing is even more sinister. They are always testing for past use. Even blood tests, while more accurate, immediate and having the possibility to be quantitative, can detect it for up to 4 days.
Funny how the harm is directly related to society. In places where it's legal/ignored and tolerated, there is far less harm than in an authority driven place like America where the public is so brainwashed that they actively participate in the injustice. You've really got to see cannabis use without the stigmata, to understand this. It doesn't affect your family either, when it's tolerated. In fact it can be a "god send" (not my words) when chosen over alcohol abuse. When people aren't punished by society for it, they keep their jobs and/or businesses, they own homes, have families, raise bright kids who go on to higher education just like "normal" people etc.
The answer to the main question in the article "Do Recreational Drugs Help Programmers?" can only be that it depends on the individual, the drugs in question and the circumstances. It is my opinion that someone who doesn't use drugs would almost certainly be affected adversely if they suddenly got intoxicated or over stimulated and tried to code. Drugs don't affect all individuals the same, either. I know some people who just CAN'T use cannabis for example.
Is the pot free as in beer or free as in speech
I frequently relax at my computer with Sappho-related things.
then Cthulhu t-shirts and mugs and solstice carols are good for programming.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for legalizing drugs. And I don't like it one bit that my tax money goes into making victims of some harmless pot smokers.
But [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cum_hoc_ergo_propter_hoc]cum hoc ergo propter hoc[/url] is a fallacy for a reason.
*the cat seems to be know something...*
"Dude, did you see where I put that lighter?"
*Must get test routines done for code review tomorrow....*
*Woah.. how'd my browser get on Ebay buying troll dolls?*
"Dude, did you see where I put that lighter?"
I would expect code produced under the influence to have more bugs, less comments and generally be an unmaintainable mess.
I would expect code produced under the influence to have more bugs, less comments and generally be an unmaintainable mess.
Yeah, well, that's just, like, your opinion man.
Studies are being done [beckleyfoundation.org]. They seem to indicate that cannabis does have a positive influence on the subject's creative performance.
Those who do will of course say that it does and will provide anecdotal evidence (although I'm sure most of them have not actually performed any controlled tests to verify that claim). Most studies would indicate that drugs would not aid in many of the mental processes involved in programming, but that won't change anyone's mind, and I definitive statement can't be made until studies are done to specifically test this assertion.
Agreed, I'm comfortable enough with the understood process of "Addict rationalization" that 100% of the anecdotal evidence can be thrown out at face value. Until some start-up in Colorado offers to out-source brilliant programming to an army of potheads (with positive results) I am going to stick with the studies that are already out there.
Voters in both Washington and Colorado approved referenda that legalized marijuana for recreational use
Valve Corporation is an American video game development and digital distribution company based in Bellevue, Washington, United States.
If HL2:EP3 finally comes out, I guess we'll know what to thank.
In case you were tempted to RTFA, don't. You have to click through two ad-laden pages, and there really isn't any more information than in the summary.
THC... sometimes for certain people. It helps me focus, and some of the best code I've done has been while stoned.
LSD on the other hand... I can't even read the text on the screen and find it difficult just to play music on my computer. I think that after the fact it leaves one with a more holistic and empathic perspective on life, but it sure as hell can't help you at the time of being high - similarly with pretty much any other psychedelic drug (I have the term hallucinogen, because they don't really make you hallucinate, strictly speaking).
But I would argue that the type of person who would try recreational drugs is also the type of person that might get into programming. Curious, risk taking and someone who doesn't want to be told what to do or fit into a mold? Yeah sounds about right.
Drugs do things to your brain that make you realize certain things.
The fallacy is assuming that the only path to these realizations come through drugs.
(It's worth mentioning that drugs have numerous downsides as well.)
If you learn to meditate, or for those with aversion to religion to "think hard," you'll get everything you could from drugs.
This isn't an anti-drug argument; that's for someone else's thread. It's an argument against assuming drugs can give you something that can't get another way.
If the potential is within the mind, clearly it's the important element, not the drugs.
It's worth mentioning that drugs have numerous downsides as well.
So does the Eastern mystical woo you're selling.
Meditiation is an excercise in two things... relaxation and focus (in that order). No "woo" required.
It's a pity that so many people believe that meditation is synomymous with "woo", though I understand why that is... because the techniques are usually described together with other "interesting ideas" (yeah, "woo" is actually an appropriate word here).
However, proper studies (do your own googling) do show that meditation is good for mental health and, in my experience, is good for training oneself to become calmer and more able to focus. (Like how excercise makes you fit, even when you're not excercising.) Very useful when making decisions and letting the mind think more freely.
If you want a good technique for meditation then I suggest using traditional Buddhist techniques (though you're welcome to ignore Buddhist beliefs). They're the hardest to master but the most effective. Many other types of "meditation" amount to daydreaming - pleasant, possibly relaxing, but not training focus.
And believe me, when you can really focus on a problem in your mind, the ideas begin to flow. No need for drugs to think imaginatively. But with the added bonus that clear, structured and critical thinking are maintained.
I agree with you in sentiment but wanted to point out that there is nothing inherently religious about meditation. A lot of religions have meditation as a component but a lot of religions also have specific clothing, chairs, tables, buildings and other trappings, but textiles and architecture aren't religious by nature either.
I'm speaking more of its origins, but I'd like to clarify:
I agree with you in sentiment but wanted to point out that there is nothing inherently religious about meditation. A lot of religions have meditation as a component but a lot of religions also have specific clothing, chairs, tables, buildings and other trappings, but textiles and architecture aren't religious by nature either.
Meditation is a type of thought.
Thought is not necessarily religious.
Cassocks are types of clothing; altars are types of furni
I've done a lot of meditation (I am a chan Buddhist, live in a zen center*, and spend an awful lot of time sitting on a pillow, staring at the wall in addition to my other primary occupation of neurobiology and martial arts). I've done a smaller amount of recreational drugs (and not recently, but I'm not particularly against them).
I think the comparison between meditative states and those acchieved through drugs is overblown. Oh, there are some overlaps - both my own experience and the literature calls out the use of psilocybin in particular as creating lasting deeply significant insights, and there are certain plenty of examples of drug experiences that in some way mimic enlightenment experiences - but I think there's actually a lot more difference. That they're so often compared might be in part a legacy of the sixties.
Drugs are just a tool. They produce various effects, and can be used more or less (less explicitly including negative values here) usefully. As a society we've created some fairly arbitrary distinctions between drugs. I personally generally tend towards the "less is more" aesthetic... but I'm hardly an absolutist, and I think there's a lot of room for individual variation.
* Yes, I'm using the same word in two languages - the order I belong to is of Chinese origin, and I speak Chinese, and I live in a zen hall affiliated with a lineage of Japanese extraction.
Had a stoner friend back in school who thought weed made him do everything better. In reality it made him do everything WORSE, but he was too stoned to realize it. Creative people think weed helps them, but it doesn't. That's just some horseshit they've convinced themselves of, as an excuse to smoke more weed.
It's like the old idea among Wall St. types that cocaine allowed them to work harder and longer. Yeah, it does...and also work a lot dumber. Read a quote once from an old-school SNL writer from the late-70's-early 80's who said "Cocaine gives you diarrhea of the mouth and constipation of the brain." Pretty much sums it up for most drugs.
Your friend was doing it wrong. The intoxicant helps draw connections between things you wouldn't've necessarily thought to connect beforehand, gives you ideas, sends you off in an unexpected direction.
The work that derives from that initial idea, the actual making stuff of it, should be done sober.
You end up with a short term gain and long term problems. Anyone who tells you different has not reached the other end yet.
For example aderall lets you concentrate to a very effective degree. Until you start need to up the dose to get the same effect. Then you give up and are a wreck for it.
Cocaine makes you spazzy.
Codine sorts of things makes you relaxed and happy until you are full blown addicted to it.
Caffeine makes you a 'bit spazzy' but long term you keep having to up the dose to get the same effect. Then trying to quit = massive I am going to throw up my lungs headaches.
Weed makes you mellow. But eventually you get paranoid.
So yes you can 'hack' your body. But remember sometimes what you do can NOT be undone.
Don't forget, there was a substantial overlap between the wave of computer professionals who came of age in the '60s and that era's counterculture
And there was a non significant number that did not touch it. You are trying to justify a position with spurious thinking. This is usually the words of someone who is doing something they know is stupid yet want to justify it in some way. Just man up and say 'I am doing something stupid'.
As with anything, moderation is key. As I remember from my college days there are a few times where I got so out of it I was couched locked and did not want to do anything.
The typical drug war debate aside, I personally wouldn't toke up every time I had to program. I know how it affects me and sometimes being sober for work is a good thing. Just keep it simple and enjoy it as a treat when your work is done. Just like one would treat alcohol.
The body compensates to anything one throws at it to make up for the temporary gains. It's a zero sum gain sadly. Just enjoy it as a treat or treatment if you really need it for a disease/disability.
Recreational drugs serve more as a device to cope with Management than they do for any other aspects of developing code.
Sensationalism at its finest.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge's_law_of_headlines [wikipedia.org]
When I was on the Windows 8 UI development team, we all were taking Meth and PCP daily. And look at the wonderful and innovative design we came up with!
This is your code:
int factorial (int n)
int r = 1;
for (int i = 1; i < n; ++i)
r *= i;
return (r);
This is your code on drugs:
f(int n){int i=n,r;l:r=(i!=n?r*i:unix);if (--i)goto l;return (r);}
Any questions?
For my part, I obviously don't use illegal drugs at work and I'm doing fine. But I can see that most of the programmers, including me, using energy drinks, or shit load of coffee. It seems obvious to me that caffeine is a great drug for programming as much for most of other jobs and activities.
Sometimes at home however, I like to smoke a spliff, read some code on the Github which eventually results in coding my own projects after a while. I have never used any stronger stuff for programming, because it doesn't make much sense for me. While you can get some inspiration, programming is a very focused activity with little room for being dreamy, thus I would say that anything that is stronger than a lightly made joint would be counter-productive for coding.
I suggest, recreational drugs should belong to our recreational time. Many geeks I know has a huge problem with separating from the computer, at least a little recreational time should detach us from the matrix.
It's a fun topic to debate but the question is pretty fuzzy. "Recreational drugs" vary so widely in their effects that you can't really say anything about all of them at once. "Help" is also a subjective term that would need to be further defined to have any meaningful discussion.
I'll also put out there that anyone who hasn't done much of them is unqualified to answer.
Personally, and speaking very generally, ie. the way this question would typically be taken, I would say that they do not help. More specifically:
- Depressants such as pot and alcohol can help you think more creatively but tend to erode motivation and coding accuracy/efficiency.
- Hallucinogens (LSD, DMT, MDA, 2CB, shrooms etc) in normal doses also help creativity but will usually make interacting with the computer difficult or impossible. At very low doses (see LSD microdosing) there can be potential for augmenting sharpness of mind and attention.
- Most energetic stimulants (cocaine, meth, crystal, crack) make you too wired to sit still and focus on a task like programming. Way too little attention span.
- Speed is an exception to the above. With lower doses it can help keep you focused and awake almost indefinitely without being foggy. This the one drug I would say has the ability to help, even if it doesn't allow you to do anything you couldn't already with willpower and enough Jolt.
- MDMA (ecstasy) I consider a class on its own. Coming up with and talking about programming ideas could work very well but sitting in front of a computer doing a task that needs a clear head would definitely be problematic due to the mashy fogginess. Besides, why code when you could be hugging someone or dancing?
- I couldn't tell you about heroin but from what I've seen in movies it doesn't look like something you can code on at all!
FWIW I've been coding for about 30 years. Hope this helps
An anecdote: My athletic club used to participate in a state program to employ the mentally challenged. The guy who cleaned our locker room was slow. But he was a nice guy and proud to have a job that he could do, and do well. This level of pride motivated him to always do his best and, as a result, we had a fantastically clean locker room. After a while, the program was discontinued and he was replaced by (I suspect) a college student who needed some part time income. The locker room became a slimy mess and the attendant always had a bad attitude about the complaints.
So, I suppose if you have a job that involves repeated hour after hour of monotonous drudgery, knocking a few points off the old IQ might help. Pot smoking (a popular recreational drug) has been shown to impede the creation of short term memory. That might explain stoners' tolerance for doing repetitive work without complaint. It isn't so bad with long term memory, so learned skills are probably still available. Just don't count on converting much current experience (short term memory) into new learning.
Personally, if someone gives me a monotonous job, I figure its a candidate for automation. I figure out a way for the computer to do it (automated code generation from requirements documents, for example) and free up time for something challenging.
... though his invention worked superbly -- his theory was a crock of sewage from beginning to end. -- Vernor Vinge, "The Peace War"


text:
Jan 28, 2013
From staff reports
Lien-Hang T. Nguyen will present "The Vietnam War from Hanoi's Perspective" at 4:30 p.m. in Baker University Center 242.
Nguyen is associate professor of history at the University of Kentucky and has held fellowships at the Center for International Security and Cooperation at Stanford University, the former John M. Olin Institute for Strategic Studies at Harvard University, and International Security Studies at Yale University.
"Hanoi's War: An International History of the War for Peace" won the 2012 Edward M. Coffman Prize for best military history manuscript from the Society for Military History.
Nguyen has also published numerous peer-reviewed articles and scholarly essays on the wars for Vietnam, and has written pieces for The New York Times, BBC, and San Jose Mercury News.
The talk, which is sponsored by the Ohio University Contemporary History Institute is free and open to the public.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The Ministry of the Interior (MOI) yesterday approved the Taoyuan County Government's application for an administrative upgrade to a special municipality.
However, Atayal Aboriginal residents in the county are worried about the negative impact of an upgrade on their culture, economy and autonomy.
"After a thorough discussion during a meeting to review the application submitted by the Taoyuan County Government for an administrative change, all participants in the meeting have unanimously agreed that said county should be granted the status of a special municipality," Deputy Minister of the Interior Chien Tai-lang (簡太郎) said at a news conference immediately after the meeting at the ministry's headquarters yesterday afternoon.
"We will refer the conclusion to the Executive Yuan for final approval, and the change will take effect on Dec. 25, 2014, should the Executive Yuan approve it," Chien said.
Chien said Taoyuan County had met all the criteria to become a special municipality, including a population of more than 1.25 million. In addition, it has the Taoyuan Aerotropolis project that aims to develop the area surrounding Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport into a free-trade zone with an industrial park that provides easy access to transportation facilities, such as the airport and the nearby Port of Taipei, Chen said.
"Taoyuan County has been ranked No. 1 in terms of industrial production value across the country for nine consecutive years, and garners the second-largest amount in tax collections after Taipei," Chien said.
"None of the participants in the meeting could find a reason to object to the county's application for an administrative change," Chien added.
After becoming a special municipality, Taoyuan County would enjoy greater autonomy and a larger budget.
However, it would also take on more responsibilities.
"For instance, the central government currently finances state-run high schools and hospitals in Taoyuan County, but when it becomes a special municipality, it has to take responsibility for the financing of these facilities," the deputy minister added.
Taoyuan County Commissioner John Wu (吳志揚), who also attended the meeting, thanked the ministry for its decision before leaving the ministry building.
"I am thankful to the ministry for making the decision, and I will ensure that Taoyuan is well prepared before December, 2014, when the change takes effect," he told reporters.
However, despite promising to take over the Department of Health-run Taoyuan Hospital, Wu said that "it may be a better idea for a more professional medical team — such as the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, the Veterans' General Hospital or the National Taiwan University Hospital — to take over facility to ensure quality standards."
While the county government welcomes the ministry's decision, the county's Atayal Aborigines are reluctant to embrace it because they fear the decision might affect their autonomy.
"After the administrative change, Fusing Township [復興] — a predominantly Atayal township and an officially designated Aboriginal township — would become merely a district in the special municipality," Aboriginal rights advocate Omi Wilang, a native Atayal resident of Fusing Township, told the Taipei Times by telephone.
"That means the post of head of Fusing District would no longer be required to be filled by an Aboriginal, and it would be the future city government that decides how the district is to develop economically and culturally," Omi Wilang said.


text:
LOS ANGELES — Lindsay Lohan arrived in court Wednesday for a hearing involving misdemeanor charges of lying to authorities and reckless driving in a crash last summer along Pacific Coast Highway.
The appearance marked the first time in nearly a year that she has been required to be in court.
Lohan was on probation for theft at the time of the wreck.
A judge previously warned her that she could be sentenced to 245 days in jail if she didn't behave.
The hearing on Wednesday is intended to address any issues in advance of a trial scheduled for Feb. 27 on the three misdemeanor counts stemming from the crash.
Lohan has pleaded not guilty to lying to police, reckless driving and obstructing officers from performing their duties.
Prosecutors in Santa Monica charged her after her sports car crashed into a dump truck in June. Authorities suspect she was lying when she said she wasn't behind the wheel.
The hearing is being held in the courtroom of Judge Stephanie Sautner, who previously sentenced Lohan to jail, house arrest and morgue cleanup detail.
In March, Sautner released Lohan from supervised probation but warned her to stop partying and grow up.
"You need to live your life in a more mature way, stop the nightclubbing and focus on your work," Sautner told Lohan at the time.
The admonition came after the judge conducted several monthly updates with the actress and required her to perform morgue cleanup duty to complete her sentence in a 2007 drunken driving case.
In recent months, Lohan has filmed two movies and repeatedly gotten into trouble, including a pair of arrests in New York that have not resulted in charges.
The latest hearing may also resolve who will be Lohan's lawyer for the criminal case. New York attorney Mark Heller has petitioned to join the case, but his involvement must be approved by Sautner.
Heller did not return a phone message.
Anthony McCartney can be reached at http://twitter.com/mccartneyAP


text:
The Institute communicates its scientific and educational information in a number of ways. One major outlet is peer-reviewed publications and reports. Cary Institute staff regularly publish in the best-rated journals in their respective fields.
Export 2 results:Sort by: [ Author] Title Type Year
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Lack of fire has limited physiological impact on old-growth ponderosa pine in dry montane forests of north central Idaho, USA", Ecol. Appl., vol. 21, p. 3227-3237, 2011., "
Changing growth response to wildfire in old-growth ponderosa pine trees in montane forests of north central Idaho", Glob. Change Biol., vol. 18, p. 1117-1126, 2012., "


text:
OKANOGAN With the end of harvest season, unemployment in North-Central Washington has started to tick back up.
Okanogan County ended November with 8.9 percent unemployment, according to the latest figures released by the state Employment Security Department.
Ferry County had the second-highest unemployment in the state at 11 percent, not seasonally adjusted. Douglas County unemployment was the lowest of the three at 6.7 percent.
Although Okanogan County unemployment was higher than the 6.3 percent recorded in October, it was one-tenth of a percentage point lower than November 2012, according to the regional report.
About 260 people found work between October and November.
The numbers in Ferry County are less promising: unemployment jumped 1.2 percent from October to November, and increased by one-tenth of a percent from last year. Of the total 2,740 people who comprise the civilian labor force, 300 were reportedly out of work in November.
Statewide, seasonally adjusted unemployment was 6.5 percent in November, holding steady with October figures. Around 4,000 jobs were lost and 235,200 people were looking for work.
"November typically is not a robust month for employment, so we weren't expecting to see a big turnaround," labor economist Paul Turek said. "The jobs data show there's still some lingering weakness in the state's labor market."
In nonfarm employment, goods-producing jobs made a leap of nearly 78 percent in Ferry County, and the natural resources and mining industry grew by 12.5 percent. Service jobs declined about 5 percent, along with government jobs.
Jobs in transportation and warehousing in Okanogan County soared by 93 percent over the past year, far and away the largest increase of all non-farm industries.
However, the county lost 300 jobs from October to November.
Over the year, the state has gained 34,600 jobs and has regained about 78 percent of the 205,000 jobs lost in the recession that began in 2008.
More than 101,000 people claimed unemployment benefits in November, but about 25,000 lost their federal emergency benefits when the program ended Saturday.
Since its inception in July 2008, the program paid out around $6.3 billion in benefits to more than 452,000 unemployed residents across the state. Without the federal funds, most workers will only be able to claim up to 26 weeks.
There's been no indication Congress will vote to continue the program, according to the state agency.
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text:
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Zone Offroad offers a 4.25" Combo lift kit for the Jeep Wrangler TJ, Unlimited that consists of the Zone 3" suspension lift plus a 1.25" body lift and 1" motor mount. The 3" lift kit features front and rear coil springs designed to handle all the abuse you throw at them. The true performance of this kit is attributed to the coil springs. Also included are front sway bar links with urethane bushings that increase performance and reduce body roll. Sway bar disconnects are included.A rear track bar relocation bracket, 2" bump stop extensions and 4 Hydro shocks specifically valved for your vehicle. No transfer case drop is required for full ground clearance. When compared to the stock TJ, this kit increases droop by 4-3/4" and increases wheel travel from the stock of 7" up to 10 full inches.
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www.goldberglignerandshyster.com is the website for the Goldberg, Ligner & Shyster law firm in Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV. The website has information about the law firm. On a mission for Francis McReary, Niko Bellic has to send in his resume to get a job interview so he can kill a lawyer. Surprisingly, even after the lawyer is killed, the website still shows his name and photo and doesn't mention his death.
They discuss some of the famous companies they have sued:
- Betta Pharmaceuticals: Sued their CEO, Mark Eastman, for a small accounting mistake in his post-college years.
- Pirate Music: In 2004, the law firm defended the parents of Nick Patterson, a young boy obsessed with Richard Wagner operas who would go as far as to dress 13 hamsters in army uniforms to re-enact a war while playing a Wagner symphony. The lawyers lost the case against the company, but still stand by their values, including their dislike of "popular music - even if it was popular 100 years ago".
- Rusty Brown's Ring Donuts: Accused the Donut chain of deliberately fattening and weakening police forces in 2006, based on the stereotype that cops love donuts. Rusty Brown's was ordered to pay $400,000 in compensatory vouchers.


text:
Advances in Biological Informatics (ABI)
Note Guidance on Data Management Plans
BIO has posted revised Guidance on Data Management plans (updated 10/01/15). Please review before submitting a proposal to the Directorate for Biological Sciences.
|Reed S. Beaman
|(703) 292-7163
|Peter H. McCartney
|(703) 292-8470
|Jennifer Weller
PROGRAM GUIDELINESSolicitation 15-582
Important Information for Proposers
ATTENTION: Proposers using the Collaborators and Other Affiliations template for more than 10 senior project personnel will encounter proposal print preview issues. Please see the Collaborators and Other Affiliations Information website for updated guidance.
A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 18-1), is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after January 29, 2018. Please be advised that, depending on the specified due date, the guidelines contained in NSF 18-1 may apply to proposals submitted in response to this funding opportunity.
Waiting for New Publication
The Advances in Biological Informatics (ABI) program seeks to encourage new approaches to the analysis and dissemination of biological knowledge for the benefit of both the scientific community and the broader public. The ABI program is especially interested in the development of informatics tools and resources that have the potential to advance- or transform- research in biology supported by the Directorate for Biological Sciences at the National Science Foundation. The ABI program accepts three major types of proposals: Innovation awards that seek to pioneer new approaches to the application of informatics to biological problems, Development awards that seek to provide robust cyberinfrastructure that will enable transformative biological research, and Sustaining awards that seek to support ongoing operations and maintenance of existing cyberinfrastructure that is critical for continued advancement of priority biological research.
- Research Resources Cluster
What Has Been Funded (Recent Awards Made Through This Program, with Abstracts)
Map of Recent Awards Made Through This Program


text:
Lyrics: Traditional
Music: Traditional
Played by Jerry Garcia with the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers in June 1962, and also in a solo performance in San Mateo in November 1962. "Little Birdie" has obvious links with the songs Dark Hollow and East Virginia Blues. Thanks to Matt Schofield for the lyrics.
Little birdie, little birdieNotes
Come sing to me a song
A short time to stay here
And a long time to be gone
I'd rather be in some dark holler
Where the sun don't never shine
Than to see you (?)
And to know you'll never be mine
Little birdie, little birdie
What makes you fly so high
It's because my own true lover
Is waiting in the sky
Little birdie, little birdie
Come sing to me a song
A short time to stay here (note 1)
And a long time to be gone
|Jerry Garcia Recordings
|Recorded By
|11 Jun 1962
|Before The Dead
|Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers


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— I've enjoyed looking back at the 'Week in Pictures' user favorites in PhotoBlog over the last few days. It's interesting to see the pictures that viewers respond to. However, it is time to move on. It's sad that we're begining 2009 with what looks to be a quickly developing war in the Gaza Strip. The power of this Israeli missile strike is frightening.
Discuss as:


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Travelers along Hwy. 58 or Blair Road in Roane County on the first or third Saturday of April may hear a diesel horn echoing through the hills, or see a very visible sign of spring in the vintage passenger train that looks like it rumbled right out of the 1940s.
April is the month when buds on the trees of Poplar Creek Valley start turning green, and the Secret City Scenic Excursion Train starts showing up to take happy passengers through the hardwoods and meadows of the valley.
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About a month ago, I checked in on the influx of sister missionaries and spotlighted blogs that described the process from decision to return. This sparked a reader, Julianne Hatton, to drop me a note: "My daughter is also serving a mission. What makes her story interesting is that she is divorced."
Now I don't have numbers, but would imagine this scenario to be somewhat unique and so dug a little deeper into Hermana Grace Hatton's story and on a preparation day she wrote me her story:
"Before I went to college, I was able to see two of my best friends in high school get baptized. I remember seeing the fruits of missionary work young, and I felt great joy from it. But I always assumed I would be married before I hit age 21. I was married young, barely 19 years old. I met him while attending BYU-Idaho. With dreams of marrying my prince charming in the temple, he fit the bill. Or at least, appeared to at first.
"Within months of being newlyweds, certain sins crept back into his life. ... I knew I needed to remove myself from the situation. I moved back in with my family and spent some time recovering. I saw the Lord's hand in my life, every step of the way. The more I learned about my Savior, the more I saw how much he loved me. And how much he loves ALL of his children (including my ex).
"I was having a light conversation with my brother one night, around a month after my divorce. He said, as an afterthought, 'Grace, it's too bad you didn't serve a mission.'
"He planted the seed. Being very independent and resilient, I went straight to my bishop (the one who had seen everything come to pass). I expressed to him my desire to serve. I'll never forget the smile he had on his face. He opened up the scriptures, to Doctrine and Covenants 4:3. I felt like my heart leaped out of my chest. I petitioned the First Presidency, and got approval. Then, I put my mission papers in."
Mom Julianne Hatton picks up the story, explaining that it took two years from the time Grace divorced to get out to serve (due to changing wards, waiting until she was 21, and having to restart the process a few times). And "this felt like forever to a young woman who was putting her life and education on hold. I can't tell you how many times she said, 'I just want to get out there and serve!'
"As parents, we didn't push it. We felt that this needed to be Grace's idea. We didn't want her to feel like she had to prove that she was a good person by serving a mission (because her marriage had failed). We even told her that she would need to raise most of the money herself as token of how much this meant to her. But this didn't slow her down. She sold her car, earned half of the money herself, and friends and family chipped in the rest. Grace entered the MTC on July 25th — a day after her 22nd birthday with one semester left of college. She recently had an interview with her mission president that in her mind clarified why it took so long for her to get out there. Here is an excerpt:
"Yesterday, we had training in Port Charlotte. I will be a trainer next transfer. We had great interviews with the Pres. He is amazing. President Summerhays said that the Lord timed my mission so that I would spend three transfers (about four months) being prepared by a native Spanish speaker. I've been impatient to serve my mission since October 2010, and I was humbled by waiting until July 2012 before I could leave. I believe that the Lord held me back so that I would be ready to train — right as the missionary age was lowered. I am now ready to train 19-year-old women about the gospel, and in Spanish. I am humbly grateful for the trust the Lord has in me.
"I will not let him down."
Find more photos, stories and testimony at Hermana Hatton's blog as she serves the Lord in the Florida Tampa Mission.
Now let me point out a few other inspiring blogs from this week in the Bloggernacle:
Power pick: The music videos alone could have made this worth a power pick, but when you add the description of why BYU's Vocal Point found themselves singing at the bedside of a cancer-fighting little girl, just wow. In fact, consider reading the blog post "I Need Thee Every Hour" while playing the incredible music.
As this grateful mom explains, "There are no words that can explain the spirit those men brought to Ashtyn's room. There is no way I can explain the power that was there. I believe Vocal Point came to the hospital today for Ashtyn. They might have lifted other children and families as well, but they were sent for Ashtyn."
Techie tip: 5,337,178. That's how many "Old Family Group Sheets (are) Now Online" to peruse to your genealogical heart's content. Click in to find out how.
Emily Warburton Jensen loves searching through the LDS blog world for developments and testimonies that best capture the ever-evolving LDS online experience. Email: [email protected]


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Basically this is a whiner article if you ask me.
Think this guy played Ultima Online too?
You have found: a magic boardsword [accurate/power]
Thanks, Slashdot!nino@vic20:~$ uptime
20:20:46 up 37 days, 2:22, 7 users, load average: 172.39, 165.60, 134.11
And I was trying to read my mail on that box...
You won't see me coming.
Right, except that you just REVEALED YOUR CUNNING PLAN in a PUBLIC FORUM.
As nice and simple as this sounds, I find that I end up not really understanding it. If I buy the toaster and the alarm clock and take them both apart and put them together in a new way, I should also be able to sell my creation.
Ok. I'm fine with that. And I can see where licenses, patents, and other legal entities get in the way of this.
Unfortunately, the Open Source community depends on a number of licenses that completely prevents this. If I actually buy a copy of Linux I can tear it apart and modify it, but I don't have the rights to simply resell my new creation. There are a number of requirements I have to meet before I can do that. I have to essentially provide a free copy of my changes in raw form to Big Brother and everyone else in order to do that.
Hmmmm. This has just gotten a lot more complicated. Do I want other people tearing apart my work and distributing the new creations as theirs? Do I want to tear apart other people's work and distribute the new creation as mine?
I think that's a question we need to ask ourselves. Do we want everyone to have these freedoms and are we willing to accept how these freedoms can be abused by corporations and individuals?
That doesn't really work. I'm still violating the GPL if a give away a binary-only release of a piece of GPL'd software. On the other hand, I can theoretically profit off selling a piece of GPL'd software, as long as I make the source available and don't try and prohibit redistriubtion.
The GPL exists because the government has, in a fit of profoundly illadvised stupidity, created a regime of government enforced monopolies designed to empower publishers while disempowering artists and consumers. As such, being an artificially maintained monopoly marketplace, the realm of copyright (and patents) is not something you can shrug off with physical, competetive market equivelents.
I am a GNU advocate and I believe that software should be free in the sense of freedom. I, however, don't agree with what you wrote.
But even Stallman uses copyright powers on every essay he writes, and his essays aren't free in the sense of freedom. Other than fair use, you aren't allowed modify his essays and publish them on your own website.
He reasons that there is not valid purpose to modify his views and opinions. But, he believes with everything (including music, books, and movies) there should be an unlimited right to redistribute verbatim.
On this point, I tend to disagree with Stallman.
But he makes an important distinction between what he calls "functional" works and "non-functional" works (sorry, he classifies MS Windows as "functional"
But with non-functional works, the same arguments become difficult to defend. Because while we all enjoyed "A Beautiful Mind" in the movie theatres, we don't have any real need to be allowed to modify the movie itself. However, I agree with the EFF's position that we should be allowed to time-shift and space-shift all works.
Now here is where I disagree with Stallman. The original reason for copyright was very valid. It gave authors a limited exclusive right to their works. This was so that authors could work on large intellectual works that would benefit culture and society, without having to find another job on the side as well. In addition, it was to protect publishers from having other publishers from just copying a popular work once it was published.
Now I find _The C++ Programming Language_ as a very useful reference and it would be sad if that work didn't exist because Stroustrup (and his publisher) didn't see much benefit from all that work into producing the book.
This is really the only point I disagree with Stallman. He is right in that free software needs free manuals to go along with it (it makes no sense to have rewrite a manual everytime the software changes).
However, I'd like the term of copyright for most works to be reduced quite a bit. For this reason, I am pretty anti-DRM and anti-Palladium, for the time being.
Of course, we all know that the answer is supposed to be no, but what most people don't realize is that this very thing has, in essence, been going on since the Clean Air Act of 1967. It is actually illegal to modify the engine in a passenger car to produce more horsepower, though such modification is seldom prosecuted. I came in on the tail end of the hot rod era; today, the integration of computers and engines has become so pervasive that the average hot rodder cannot modify his machine without a great deal of knowledge and expense. And those days of doubling or tripling the horsepower output of an engine are long gone.
But the point is this: the same thing that happened with automobiles will happen with the computer. You will have to be a specially licensed and bonded technician in order to own certain development tools (compilers, debuggers, and the like). While you will still be able to take apart your computer, making unauthorized modifications (to thwart the onboard DRM and Palladium chips) will be illegal. Unlike the hot rodder of today who is seldom prosecuted by the police, the machine will "call home" to Big Brother if it detects that it has been modified, and federal agents will show up to "fix" your computer.
And just wait until GPS units are mandatory in cars, and the FBI can find out everywhere you've been with a simple database query.
The erosion of our liberties is very real. Those of us who care about our liberties need to stand up and be heard; we need to do something about this before it gets out of hand. Learn a lesson from the automotive enthusiasts - if you don't vigilantly protect your liberties, the government will take them away.
I don't know how you got moderated up. Perhaps this misconception is more prevalent than I thought.
If I actually buy a copy of Linux I can tear it apart and modify it, but I don't have the rights to simply resell my new creation.
If you are speaking about the GNU GPL, lets take a look at a part of the actual license:
The actual license: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html [gnu.org]
1. You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program's source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty; and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this License along with the Program.
You may charge a fee for the physical act of transferring a copy, and you may at your option offer warranty protection in exchange for a fee.
(emphasis is mine)
Let me hit you over the head with it one more time. You can sell GPLed software for any cost you like, any cost that you think the market will allow.
The difference is that you don't get any exclusive right to the software. And that is what the Free Software Foundation means by freedom. That everyone who gets a copy of the software gets the right to copy, modify, redistribute, and even sell the software. These rights shouldn't be exclusive.
I have to essentially provide a free copy of my changes in raw form to Big Brother and everyone else in order to do that.
This is also wrong, simply with the quote from the GNU GPL above. The word "may" is important, it means you have the freedom to "may" or "may not" distribute the software. That means, I can't tell you to give me a copy of your GPLed web browser off your computer, even if you modified it. Its called privacy.
In fact, no respect for privacy was one of the original reasons the FSF considered the original version of the APSL as non-free.
From http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/apsl.html [gnu.org]
After studying Apple's new source code license, the APSL, I have concluded that it falls short of being a free software license. It has three fatal flaws, any of which would be sufficient to make the software less than free.
Disrespect for privacy
The APSL does not allow you to make a modified version and use it for your own private purposes, without publishing your changes.
I don't see why a similar thing can't be done in general. A company makes something, and gets the full use and privacy of its item for a certain number of years. During this time it makes money and is happy. Then, after the time limit is up, everyone can then do what they want with it, take it apart, improve it, sell their idea, etc.
True, big businesses would never go for this, because it would make much less powerful and much less money. But it sounds like a good idea, right?
You imply that copyright is not for an unlimited time. I won't refute that, since I've already stated I really have no knowledge of copyright law. However, I do know a women (Alice Randall) was recently sued and because she wrote an parody to 'Gone With the Wind', a book that was made into a movie back in 1936. She won the suit, but only because she proved it was a 'parody' and not a 'sequel', and thus protected by our 1st amendment rights as you have stated in other posts. Had it been a 'sequel', it would have been against copyright law (so I read). In this case, perhaps the copyright for the book wasn't unlimited, but 66 years (and still going) is pretty long.
I'm really not trying to be trite, I'm just trying to understand how the systems works as of now.
http://open-spaces.com/article-v2n1-loren.php [open-spaces.com]
Don't tell me how hard you work. Tell me how much you get done. -- James J. Ling


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One Life To Live
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
Kim recalls seeing Stacy again, Shane thinks back, and Cutter has a plan...
At Capricorn, Aubrey chats with Cutter then joins Bo at the bar. He's looking for Blair and asks if Aubrey's seen Todd Manning. She hasn't and is stunned to hear a murder weapon hasn't been turned in. Aubrey glances across the room at Cutter. She walks over to him, throws a beer in his face and asks where the gun is. Cutter doesn't know and begs for forgiveness. Aubrey dumps him. She's trying to be a better person and won't be able to trust him again. Aubrey rejoins Bo. She has some information for him about Victor's murder.
In the special care facility, Kim promises Stacy that good times are coming. Stacy will be as happy as she once was in the broken framed photo. Kim anticipates Clint getting his money back. In turn, he'll help Kim get Stacy better care. Kim recalls the first time she saw Stacy after David ran her out of Llanview. She thought Gigi had walked into The Spotted Pony. Kim admits Cutter knows she's alive. Kim remembers Stacy showing her the boots she left her at the frozen pond and how she screamed, "I'm not Gigi. I'm Stacy!" It wasn't until Stacy told Kim things only the two of them knew when Kim believed her. Wondering why Stacy looked like Gigi, Stacy had replied, "How else am I going to take her life?" Stacy didn't want to talk about how she survived. She was too consumed with how quickly everyone had forgotten her. Stacy had found the plastic surgeon in South America. She even claimed to have seen 'the' Erica Kane in his office. Kim tried warning Stacy that Rex loved Gigi, not her. She yells at Stacy lying in a coma, calling her stubborn. Kim wishes she would've been able to talk Stacy out of trying to take over Gigi's life. As Kim goes to leave, to bring Clint the papers that Rex signed, Cutter appears and says, "You're not going anywhere."
Rex enters the Buchanan Mansion, suspicious over finding Echo and Roxy together. Echo hides the gun in a flower vase then joins Rex and Roxy in the living room. They admit to knowing Rex killed Victor. He denies it. Echo explains how she found the gun had been fired. "Not by me," Rex replies. They bring up Shane. Roxy and Echo don't want Shane to lose the one parent he has left. They vow to keep Rex's secret. Again, Rex denies killing Victor. Out in the foyer, Shane approaches the vase, takes out the gun and remembers smashing Jack over the head with it. Shane recalls hearing a shot and jumps. He leaves. When Echo and Roxy emerge from the living room to show Rex that a bullet was missing from the gun, they find the plastic bag in the vase empty.
Blair joins Jack at Victor's grave and brings up his conversation with Starr. She admits she never believed Jack's eye witness account of Victor's murder. Jack calls Blair a liar, who begs him to talk to her. He's shutting down on her now like he did when Gigi died. She accuses Jack of helping the real killer get away with murder. Can he live with the lies? Blair vows to always love Jack, no matter what, and leaves. Jack talks to Victor's grave. He wishes Victor could tell him who killed him. Shane appears behind Jack with the gun in his hand.
Up at the cabin, Todd doesn't believe Rex could kill anyone. Tea begs to differ. Rex was grieving Gigi and still blames Jack for her death. Tea gives Todd some more meds then talks about the cold look Rex has had in his eyes since Gigi's death. Todd fears for Jack's safety. Tea stops Todd from leaving. He begs her to do something. If Tea's right about Rex, Jack is in danger. Tea calls Bo and puts a bug in his head, suggesting Rex had motive to kill Victor. She orders Bo to question Rex and threatens to call Bo out in court about how his personal relationship with Rex halted his investigation. She hangs up. Todd's happy to see Tea hasn't changed. She really gave Bo hell. They talk about Victor and how much Tea loved him. She tries calming Todd down. If Rex thinks Bo suspects him, he won't go after Jack. Tea vows to make Rex pay… if he killed Victor.
Llanview spoilers for the next One Life to Live:
Echo finds out the gun is still missing.
Rex swears he didn't kill Victor.
Clint wonders if Viki is ready to date again.
Please abide by the Guidelines when posting and Contact a moderator if one is required to handle comment issues. Feel Free to check out OLTL Late Breaking News, Comings and Goings, and One Life to Live Spoilers! Screen shots may not be used without express permission from Soaps.com.
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Previous in Recaps How Different We Look Now.
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Source: Green Seal
Green Seal Introduces Standard For Specialty Cleaning Products With this important new standard, virtually all cleaning products used in Institutional and Industrial settings can now be Green Seal-certified. Washington, D.C., August 12, 2011 - Green Seal, Inc. (www.GreenSeal.org ), the nation's oldest independent non-profit environmental certification organization and the original "green seal of approval," has released a standard for specialty cleaners used in the Industrial and Institutional market. GS-53, Specialty Cleaning Products for Institutional and Industrial Use, covers routinely used products such as dish soaps, graffiti removers, automotive cleansers, deck and outdoor cleaners, odor removers and polishes and waxes, among others. The standard also provides guidance on what requirements to look for in specifying disinfectants and sanitizers. With the launch of GS-53, Green Seal now offers standards for most cleaning products. Green Seal standards for general purpose cleaning and floor cleaning products have been used for nearly two decades to help purchasers identity environmentally preferable options. Since 1993, Green Seal-certified cleaning products have been used in settings ranging from Yankee Stadium to schools nationwide. "Industrial and institutional purchasers are continuing to seek cleaning products that are safer for workers and building inhabitants - and are often under mandates to do so" says Dr. Arthur Weissman, President & CEO of Green Seal. "With the launch of GS-53 virtually all cleaners used in these settings can be Green Seal-certified, which will make the job of securing environmentally preferable products much easier and more efficient." The new standard can be downloaded at www.greenseal.org. The evaluation process includes review of data; assessment of labeling, marketing and promotional materials; and an on-site audit of manufacturing facilities. Annual monitoring is also conducted for those awarded the Green Seal to ensure continued compliance. To learn more about the new standard, Green Seal is hosting a free webinar on September 7th from 3 to 4:30 p.m. EST. To register for the webinar, email email@example.com . ABOUT GREEN SEAL INC. Green Seal, a non-profit based in Washington D.C., has been identifying products and services that protect the environment and human health since 1989. The Green Seal mark appears on over 3600 environmentally responsible products and services, and Green Seal is accredited by the American National Standards Institute. The independent organization focuses on certification to its leadership standards, avoiding any conflict of interest that may arise from recommending products or consulting with applicants. For more information and a list of all Green Seal-certified products and services, visit www.GreenSeal.org.
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GamingUnwrapped's Jake T. writes - "I think this year has done a lot of things for me. Not only did it show me that downloadable titles can stand up to even the biggest of AAA software, but it also showed me that I should never judge a book by it's cover. As cliche as that sounds in any usage, it applies really well to some of the game's that I've spent time with this year."
"Not only did it show me that downloadable titles can stand up to even the biggest of AAA software..."
Braid, Limbo, PixelJunk Monsters, PixelJunk Shooter 1 & 2, Outland, Super Meat Boy, PixelJunk Eden, Journey, Bastion, Stacking, Legend of Grimrock, Castle Crashers... We've all known this for awhile.
Sleeping Dogs has to be the most surprising as I don't think anyone really thought it was going to be good up until about a month out from release.
Dishonored to me while great pretty much was being assumed to be great.
X-com is also a sneaky one this year as I think many people didn't think a turn based game could be relevant again but it proved to be worthy of play.
I agree with @Wigriff that Downloadable titles really did shine this year on a level we haven't really seen before. Digital download games provided high quality experiences and Walking Dead certainly is going to be one game that gets lots of attention in GOTY discussions.
My personal standout game this year is Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning. Right up there with my other favourite, Borderlands 2.


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Gianna Tucker, C '16
"Into your hands I commend my spirit; you will redeem me, Lord, God of truth."
Psalm 31:6
Following Christ requires we act as servant leaders and remember that we are here to do His will by radiating His love through our actions to those who do not yet know of Him and His love. Living with these goals at the forefront of everything we do is challenging to say the least, but it is important in order to bring others closer to Christ, the one who loves us best. In this time of Lent, let us do our best to remember in order to do God's will we must be humble in all that we do. Let us recognize our own failings, forgive ourselves, ask for God's forgiveness, and forgive others for their shortcomings. Let us be quick to love rather than quick to judge, so we might lead others closer to God through our actions of love. Let us recognize all we do cannot be accomplished through our own strength, but only with God at our side, guiding us every step of the way.
Lord, help me to know I need You in all I do, and help me to serve You in all I do. Help me to recognize how much You love me and help me to spread love to all that I meet. Amen
Jer 18: 18-20; Ps 31: 5-6, 14-16; Mt 20: 17-28


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LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette says state residents will receive about $4.3 million as part of a nationwide settlement in an e-book price-fixing case.
Schuette said Wednesday that the state has reached an agreement with Penguin to settle allegations that it and other publishers "illegally conspired ... to increase the retail price of e-books."
He says the antitrust case has recovered $164 million for consumer nationwide affected by price-fixing in the e-book market. He says Michigan consumers will share about $4.3 million from Penguin, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Holtzbrinck Publishers.
Schuette says the deal with Penguin requires approval from a federal court in New York.
He says a related case against Apple Inc. is scheduled for trial in June.


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Farmingdale State - 3, USMMA - 1
Kings Point, N.Y. - Farmingdale State bounced back from a four-game losing streak tonight as they defeated the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy 3-1 (30-22, 30-20, 28-30, 30-24) in a non-conference women's volleyball match in Kings Point, N.Y. The Rams improved to 8-11 with the win, while USMMA fell to 7-9 overall.
Farmingdale senior middle/outside Amanda Sperling (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) finished the night with team-highs of 16 kills, three solo blocks and three service aces, along with 13 digs. Junior middle blocker Cathryn McLean (Northport, N.Y./Northport) and sophomore outside hitter Amanda Sieber (Commack, N.Y./Commack) both posted 10 kills and 13 digs.
The Rams travel to FDU-Florham on Friday, October 5th for the FDU-Florham Devil's Classic. Farmingdale plays Pitt-Bradford on Friday at 4:00 p.m. and FDU at 8:00 p.m. On Saturday, October 6th, the Rams face Kean University at Noon and will play in the Consolation or Championship match at either 2:00 p.m. or 4:00 p.m.


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Honest, doesn't Abe deserve a cheesecake?
|Posted by Renee Enna at 4:00 p.m. CTOne day Illinois is giving the country a president. A few weeks later, we're impeaching a governor.Far removed from all this hullabaloo is Abraham Lincoln, that other politico with Illinois ties. He wasn't averse to controvery but, being dead, things are relatively quiet. Or are they?The bicentennial of Lincoln's birth falls on Feb. 12 and Springfield is hosting a fancy-shmancy (and sold-out) 1860 Period Ball. For the event, Eli's Cheesecake will be making a 42-inch round apple-cinnamon cheesecake topped with a replica of that log cabin he lived in.
And what about us, the hoi polloi? We haven't been forgotten. Eli's is crafting "penny cakes"–adorable mini white chocolate-raspberry cheesecakes covered with bittersweet chocolate ganache and topped with a 3-inch replica of a 1909 Lincoln penny (made of chocolate dusted with copper-colored luster dust).
This sounds so great I think I'd want one even if Rod Blagojevich's photo was on it.
They'll be sold from Feb. 5-12 at Eli's Cheesecake World, 6701 W. Forest Preserve Dr., for $6 (that's 600 pennies) each.


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Hello, Kanye. Goodbye, rest of rap. Continue reading →
Tags: 21st Century Schizoid Man, As I look down at my dia-mond-encrusted piece, At the end of day goddammit I'm killin' this shit, Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it, Fuck SNL and the whole cast, Got treasures in my mind but couldn't open up my own vault, He know he so fuckin' gifted, Holy powers Austin Powers, I don't need yo' pussy bitch I'm on my own dick, I guess every superhero need his own theme music, I just needed time alone with my own thoughts, I know damn well y'all feelin' this shit, I'm livin' in the 21st century doin' somethin' mean to it, In this white man world we the ones chosen, Is honestly being prodded by these grown thoughts, Jumpin' out the window, Kanye Power Lyrics, Kanye West Lyrics, Kanye West No One Man Should Have All This Power Lyrics, Kanye West Power, Kanye West Power Lyrics, Kanye West Power MP3, Kanye West Power Review, Kanye West Power Track Review, Lettin' everything go, Lost in translation with a whole fuckin' nation, My childlike creativity purity and honesty, My furs is Mongolian my ice brought the Dodies in, No one man should have all that power, Now I embody every characteristic of the egotistic, Now this'll be a beautiful death, Reality is catchin' up with me, So goodnight cruel world I see you in the mornin', Takin' my inner child I'm fighting for it custody, Tell 'em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass, The system broken the schools closed the prisons open, They say I was the abomination of Obama's nation, This is way too much I need a moment, Well that's a pretty bad way to start the conversation, With these responsibilities that they entrusted me, Ye Power Lyrics, You short-minded niggas' thoughts is Napoleon


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News & Events
University Communication
Faculty Experts
UH Offers Experts on Hurricanes
Representing experts across various fields, University of Houston sources have expertise in an array of topics related to storms – before, during and after.
Are you a Player: New UH study examines gamers and the Texas Lottery Center for Public policy examines demographics of those who play
"The basic goal of this study is to provide a snapshot of who is most likely to engage in the Texas Lottery games," said Jim Granato, director of the CPP. "The CPP will not only use the standard statistical methods utilized by prior studies, but we also intend to use data visualization tools that will present the results in an interactive graphic format."
The telephone survey will be managed by Richard Murray, director of the CPP's Survey Research Institute. Though there have been other demographic studies on the lottery, this will differ in that the sample population will include a greater number of consumers whose primary means of contact is a cell phone. Traditionally, surveys include sample populations of people who rely mostly or solely on land lines in their homes. In this way, the CPP survey will be more inclusive and reflective of the general population.
"As more phone users switch from land lines to cell phones, telephone surveys that sample only traditional residential numbers are excluding the fast-growing segment of the population that uses mobile phones exclusively," Murray said. "If our surveys are to be accurate, we have to adjust to this new reality."
The Texas Lottery is required by law to review the demographics of its consumers every year. The last study found that Hispanics made up the largest group of lottery consumers and that participation in games was down.
The findings of the UH study will be released by the end of the year and will be available online.
For more information on the UH Center for Public Policy, visit www.uh.edu/cpp/.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas' premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students.
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2008 Volleyball Blog - Week 6Throughout the course of the season, Mount Holyoke volleyball team members Chelsea Tracy and Amanda Trask will be maintaining a blog about their experiences both on and off the court. Their journals will be presented here on the Mount Holyoke Athletics website. Check back often to keep track of Chelsea, Amanda and their teammates this fall. This week's blog comes from Chelsea.
Click for 2008 Volleyball Blog


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The lights are on
The PS2 era was a blast for
role-playing game fans. We were inundated with RPGs, making it nigh impossible
to keep up with every release. Unfortunately, the console RPG market hasn't
been the same due to the high development costs on newer, more powerful
consoles. Not all is lost, though. In the past year or so, some HD RPG remakes
have hit the market, giving fans a chance to experience some of their old
favorites, like the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster and Tales of Symphonia
Chronicles. That got us thinking about other franchises that would benefit from
the treatment of enhanced graphics, extra content, and other bonuses in a
collection. Sometimes going back to your favorites is just what you need to remind you why you fell in love with the games in the
first place.
These are our picks for PS2 games
ripe for HD treatment.
Monolith Soft's Xenosaga took us
on a turbulent, sci-fi journey that dealt with much larger issues than just an
outbreak of a deadly force called Gnosis. The story held plenty of surprises,
but the real draw was its unique cast, especially the bond between engineer
Shion Uzuki and her creation KOS-MOS, an armored gynoid. All three games
explored plenty of religious and philosophical concepts, such as the fear of
death and what our existence means. All these thought-provoking premises come
together wonderfully in one stellar arc with a satisfying conclusion. Reliving
it all in an HD upgrade would be exciting...plus, HD is the only way to watch
those hours and hours of cutscenes.
Shadow Hearts
Shadow Hearts introduced us to
the brash, yet charismatic Yuri Hyuga and his quest to protect exorcist Alice
Elliot. The series has kooky characters, plenty of Lovecraftian-inspired
horror, and a unique take on historical figures and events. Each game gets progressively more outlandish and comical, but still pulls at the heartstrings
with some intense character relationships and sacrifices. The Shadow Hearts
games aren't easy to find, and being able to play all three entries in an HD
collection would be a treat. If the licensing weren't so strange (Shadow Hearts
is owned by a company that now produces Pachinko machines), this one would
probably already be a reality. This is a shame considering we just want to see
drunk cats, pro-wrestling vampires, and an old man convinced he's the ultimate
ninja all over again.
Dark Cloud
The Dark Cloud games stand as
some of Level-5's best work. An early PS2 title, Dark Cloud captured gamers
with its unique city-building elements tied to its RPG gameplay. Dark Cloud 2
made a similar mark by changing up some of the rules: Players don't level up; weapons
do. Building up weapons, recruiting non-playable characters that lend special
abilities, and rebuilding the world made the sequel stand out just as much as
its predecessor. We'd love the chance to experiment with all these gameplay
systems that blended so well together again. Plus, people have been begging for
another Dark Cloud 3. Maybe a collection would test the waters to see if
interest is still there.
Persona 3 and 4
Yes, we've had a lot of Persona 3
and 4 editions, but we haven't had them all tied in a neat package. The mature
RPGs have gained a dedicated following, putting the series at the top of the
JRPG pack. Just think how much could be packaged into an HD collection. Persona
4 Golden featured a ton of extra scenes, Persona 3 Portable (P3P) let you play
as a girl, and both portable releases introduced new social links and gameplay
tweaks. Not to mention the collection could also include Persona FES, a
dungeon-crawling epilogue to Persona 3. Getting all the additional content
along with some enhancements in a nice HD collection would offer a definitive
complete version. Also, I'm sure there's some social links you haven't maxed
out yet...although, do you really need an excuse to play through these stellar
games again?
Final Fantasy XII
As soon as the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster was announced, fans were vocal about wanting to see the same treatment for another PS2 entry, Final Fantasy XII. Just like Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster was the first time North Americans fans experienced the international versions of the games, the same could be done for Final Fantasy XII. In the international version, the "zodiac job system" dictated abilities and equipment by job class, a departure from the original character development system. Also, while Final Fantasy XII doesn't have a PS2 sequel, it could be paired with the DS's Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, an RTS/RPG hybrid set a year after the events of Final Fantasy XII.
Up next: Building up a headquarters, a simulated MMO trilogy, and learning the ropes of alchemy...
Email the author Kimberley Wallace, or follow on Twitter, and Game Informer.


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DICKSON — The Carter County and Murray County Sheriff's Departments have begun a dual criminal investigation into allegations of misconduct regarding a former teacher at Dickson Public Schools.
Carter County Sheriff Ken Grace said the department began receiving complaints Thursday that former teacher Stephenie Ringwald provided alcohol to students. He said the department is also investigating rumors of sexual misconduct that allegedly took place between Ringwald and students.
"The investigation started Thursday and we have been taking statements from victims and witnesses," Grace said. "They are serious allegations and when there are children involved, we are going to investigate it thoroughly. Our job is to protect people, especially the children."
Deputy Donny Raley said the original complaints were regarding the allegations of providing alcohol and the allegations of sexual misconduct have come to light through the course of the investigation.
"We have several more interviews to conduct," Raley said. "We are at the preliminary stages of the investigation."
Grace also said the Murray County Sheriff's Department is conducting its own investigation as Ringwald lives within that county.
Ringwald's resigned from her position as middle school English teacher and cheerleading coach in a written statement Aug. 20. The resignation was accepted by the school's board of education during a special meeting Aug. 26. In her statement, Ringwald said, "I would like to inform you that I am resigning my position at Dickson Public Schools effective immediately. Thank you for the opportunities that you have provided me over the past ten years."
In an interview with The Ardmoreite Friday morning, Ringwald said she resigned because of an incident in the classroom. In an effort to protect students' right to privacy, there was no elaboration. Ringwald was asked if she was aware if any complaints by parents had been made about her. She said anyone in education receives complaints.
"It goes with the job," she said.
When asked if she was aware of any complaints to the school by parents regarding her providing alcohol to students, she said no.
Superintendent Sherry Howe, who is also Ringwald's mother, addressed rumors circulating within the community.
"The rumors are inaccurate," she said. "I don't know what you are hearing, but they are inaccurate."
Howe was asked specifically about the rumor regarding Ringwald providing alcohol to students. Howe said those complaints would have gone to principal Rex Trent, who was Ringwald's principal and conducted Ringwald's evaluations.
"If anyone provided alcohol to a student, it would not be tolerated," Howe said. "It's a complete lie."
Attempts to reach Howe regarding the criminal investigation and allegations of sexual misconduct with students were unsuccessful.


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European Shore Excursionsby Paul Motter
We just finished a cruise in Europe, and while we all know the price of traveling in Europe is exhorbitant with the current exchange rate, it didn't occur to me until we got there how much it was going to affect the price of shore tours.
With the "convenience" of cruise lines now offering us the ability to book shore excursions online well in advance of the cruise, they have created an unexpected drawback for those of us who like to get as much information as possible on the ship before we commit to any one tour.
Emerald Princess has a wonderful port lecturer who gave us plenty of wonderful ideas and great recommendations for what we should see and do in each port of call. His lectures were always presented with a few days notice and shown repeatedly on our in-cabin television sets. The problem is that many of the tours he recommended were already marked as sold out by the very first day we arrived on the ship and opened our tour information booklets.
Perhaps not surprisingly, the most comprehensive, and hence expensive, tours were the first to sell out. Well, I have always said, if you are going to spend thousands of dollars to travel half-way around the world, it doesn't make any sense once you are there to suddenly get penny-smart and pound-foolish, missing an opportunity you may never get again just to save a few dollars.
I do wonder, however, if today's ships may be allowing people to over-extend themselves with pre-cruise tour bookings and that some people may be booking them impulsively.
I received a letter from a woman who was on the same cruise we were, who was upset with the quality of the tours being offered on the ship. Not only were they pricey in some cases (as much as $300 per person), but the weather was working against us with an unprecedented heat wave. We found ourselves climbing the Acropolis and walking the Plaka (the shopping district in old city Athens) with the temperature hovering near 110 degrees.
This woman contended that the cruise line should have offered people the option of cancelling their tours based on the heat. Well, they don't, that is if it is less than 24 hours before the tour leaves. But you can cancel for any reason at all as long as it is more than 24 hours before the tour leaves. That is enough time to do your research and figure out if you really want to go. You can watch CNN international in your cabin, and our ship even had a channel that runs international temperature reports every 10 minutes. If you think you might want to cancel, then be vigilant about following the ship's rules about cancellation.
The woman also mentioned that she had two younger people with her, one teen and one barely older. My guess is that they were not very cooperative with her when it came to going on these tours, and at the cost of several hundred dollars apiece there was some buyer's remorse which she wanted the cruise line to make up to her - blaming it on the weather.
Well, it happens this cruise line will authorize a last minute cancellation if you get a note from the ship's doctor saying you are unable to go due to health reasons. A visit to the infirmary is not that expensive, and if you have health problems you might save some money by going to the doctor and simply asking for a note.
In any case, with a family of four, some of them possibly being less-than appreciative teens (I am well acquinted with the teen mindset) one should think carefully before loading up on thousands of dollars worth of shore tours - especially in advance of the cruise. Keep in mind that no vacation destination gives you a weather guarantee. Sometimes it rains for a week in Hawaii, for example, and that's just too bad.
Frankly, I would prefer it if I didn't have to make any decisions at all before I got on the cruise ship - especially about shore tours. I like to see what I am buying before I commit. But pre-planning is part of the artistry of being a great vacation designer, and the reason why web travel information web sites are so popular.
It has never been easier to find out information about a destination in advance than it is now. Before the Internet how would you ever find a review about a particular motel in Alabama, get a restaurant recommendation in Katakolon, or find out how any single hurricane affected a particular beach in Cozumel? How easy is it to find out what the weather will be in any place in the world 48 hours in advance these days?
Her argument also reminded me of the woman who wanted the cruise line to compensate her because a hurricane caused the ship to change itineraries. She was mad because they didn't go to St Martin whent at the time the winds there were gusting at 130 mph. I had to ask her, if the ship had offered to take her there, would you still really want to go?
Well, this woman's complaint about shore excursions is similar, but in reverse. Since she paid all that money to take four people to Athens, does she really want to miss the Acropolis just because there is a heat wave? How much would it cost her to go back when the weather is more agreeable?
In any case, this dual-edged sword of Internet information means people are booking more cruise shore excursion tours in advance than ever before. When we arrived on the ship most of the more expensive and comprehensive ones were marked as sold out in our tour booklet - before we even arrived! However, we subsequently discovered that all of them were actually available, so I am guessing that many people are booking a lof of tours in advance, and also cancelling a lot of tours as soon as they get to the ship.
I urge people not to be so impetuous about shore tours. Think about alternatives before you rush in and book them online. If a lot of people are loading up on tours online with the idea of cancelling them the day they arrive on the ship, once they actually talk to the shore excursion department, then this means that a lot of tours are being marked as sold out when they really are not.
The exception, of course, is the tour you are sure you want - book it online as soon as possible.
If you were not on a cruise ship you would be taking taxis and paying your own way to museums. That is often fine. In Santorini we took the tram lift to Fira, got out and walked to the best museum on the island with authentic murals from Akotiri for a 5 Euro entrance fee. For a total of 20 Euro we got the same thing people on tours paid $100 apiece for.
If you have a family of four, a taxi to the Acropolis for $20 and a $10 entrance fee is certainly a better deal than paying $150 per person for a guided tour. You will likely find you actually have more time to do what you want to do rather than waiting for a group of people to make up their minds.


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Archives for: January 2008, 01
Got my GTD!January 1st, 2008 , by admin
Wow. I could write a blog with just one word today. Wow.
In 1999 I found Eat Right 4 Your Type on a friend's bookshelf and read it at my friend's house that day. It took me a few months to accept it, wheat had been a staple and was believed to be healthy, but over time I realized that I didn't feel too great after eating it. That begin a strange and wonderful journey that has shaped my life and accomplishments since that time. I got my weight and back pain under control, as well as a host of other issues. I got my life back and found the resources to move forward into motherhood. I uncovered my gluten intolerance issues, and helped many family members do the same. I've met many of you here who were also willing to sacrifice favorite foods for better health. I've never regretted taking the leap into BTD.
Now I find myself taking another leap. I was hoping for some changes, and some new foods to enjoy, but I never expected what I found in GTD. I would have hyperventilated, but panic attacks are one of those issues that BTD has helped with. Then I stressed over the accuracy of my measurements, until a few kind souls at the forums pointed out that if they're that close, they can be counted as equal. So I firmed up my genotype determination as a Gatherer. I didn't think I fit the profile, but some of the gatherers on the forum are taller, thinner, and more muscular than I ever am. The diet looks pretty accurate to me, fewer grains and carbs than I have been eating, but I always knew I needed fewer. The surprise was some dairy, but it's a happy surprise. I picked up some natural cottage cheese last night and it sat well with me. Now when I get a dairy craving, I'll know where to direct it. I may have some casein intolerance, but that can change. I'm willing to find out.
I was a bit surprised to not be the the genotype that is a little more sensitive to foods, the Hunter. But I'll happily tackle a gatherer's challenges instead. For gatherers the main cause of problems is storing and accumulating toxins in the fat cells. I've known that I do that, for every time I lose weight I feel grumpy and icky for a while, until I'm done losing the weight. The accumulation can cause a number of health issues, and could be at the root of my hunter-like problems. I've also got the challenge of blood sugar regulation, already knew that, so that fits.
I'm going cold-turkey. I went gradually into BTD, but this time I going all out. I want to see the results fast, rather than testing every tiny part over time, this time around.
It was a big leap into BTD, now it's time for another big leap. I hope you decide to take the leap too... either way, I'll let you know how my journey goes.


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I would like to know if there's a function or series of functions that can easily turn an address into separate variables. Preferably, I'd like to use JavaScript or PHP.
What I have is an input field that says "enter your address". This can have many input values, such as a zip code, street name, state abbreviation, state name, house number, and so on. It can also be in any order. What I want to do is have a function choose which parts of the string are which (street name, zip code, state) and have it turn them into variables.
This is a common thing on many websites, so I imagine there's an easy way to do this. Anyone have any suggestions?


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I don't think OP was rude at all.However, as a mother of a toddler, this situation is close to one that I do find rude--and maybe it's just me. In OP's case, it was a public shopping center where food is sold. Perfectly fine then to eat & shop. I do the same thing with DD (sometimes with food from the store, sometimes with a cracker or something I bring) to keep her compliant during shopping (or she can be a terror). What I DO find rude is if we go to, say, story time at the library, and someone has brought their kid in with food. First off, no food in the library--so even if they do tell their kid it's okay to share, it's setting the example that it's okay to eat in the library (it's not). Secondly, usually they *don't* have enough for everyone and then it distracts my child from what she's supposed to be doing--listening/participating in story time. Obviously, this is a different situation from what OP posted, but I did want to point out there can be a similar situation where the eating of food in public--even if it's the same rationale (maybe the toddler won't sit through story time without a snack?) is quite rude and is disruptive to the rest of the group. (I always have a snack waiting for DD in the car, but if someone else has one during the story time itself, a promise of later food is not very helpful).
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Lee R. Patterson III acknowledged the forgiveness shown by the mother of the 22-year-old woman he killed while driving drunk 20 months ago in North Aurora.
"Whether I walk out of the courtroom today or I go to prison, that's the best grace I've been given in my entire life," Patterson said during the second day of an emotional sentencing hearing Thursday during which he repeatedly apologized to the family of Doreen Cardenas.
Her mother, Belinda Rodriguez, testified last month at the start of the sentencing hearing that she had forgiven Patterson. But she also said: "It is painful to accept that she's gone. That she's not coming back. I still hope to wake up from this nightmare."
Patterson, 33, of the 1000 block of Assell Avenue in Aurora, could face a lengthy prison term after pleading guilty to leaving the scene of a fatal accident and aggravated DUI.
Kane County prosecutors argued that Patterson had a blood-alcohol concentration of between .109 and .182 (the legal threshold is .080) on Oct. 25, 2010, when he hit Cardenas, of Cicero, and injured her boyfriend, Pedro Navarro, who was walking her to her car on the 0-99 block of Grant Street. Patterson turned himself in several hours later.
Assistant State's Attorney Reagan McGuire argued that Patterson should receive a four-year sentence for leaving the scene and another four years for aggravated DUI, and that the sentences should be served one after the other. She said Patterson kept driving after the crash, made more than 20 calls to friends and relatives, and that his claim that he thought he hit another vehicle was not credible.
"He left (Navarro) there to bleed and he left another one to die," McGuire said. "This defendant is not blameless. Doreen Cardenas is dead and Pedro Navarro's life is permanently damaged."
Judge James Hallock took the matter under advisement and will make his decision July 12.
Patterson faces four to 15 years in prison for leaving the scene and three to 14 years in prison on the aggravated DUI charge. He could, however, receive probation if Hallock finds "extraordinary circumstances."
That's what defense attorney Glenn Sowa argued for, noting that Patterson has voluntarily gone to counseling, hasn't had a drink since the accident, received a glowing recommendation from his probation officer, and has renewed his faith. Patterson also provides child support for two his of two teenage children from a previous marriage and his girlfriend is pregnant, Sowa said,
"I feel like 'sorry' isn't a strong enough word," Patterson said, his voice cracking. "I find it hard to be happy that I'm still here (alive). ... It's my fault. I accept responsibility."


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Just days after the Community Unit District 300 teachers union declared an impasse in contract negotiations, the school board forwarded its final offer and associated costs to union leaders.
The board of education released an overview of its final offer Wednesday, which can be found on the district's website. Union leaders were planning to discuss the offer at a union bargaining team meeting Wednesday.
LEAD 300, the union representing about 1,300 teachers, nurses, social workers and therapists, on Monday moved a step closer to striking when the bargaining team said it had reached an impasse in the negotiations. While union leaders said they remained committed to continuing negotiations, they said the declaration was needed to start the calendar on a possible strike. Based on a timetable of actions that must be completed before a strike can take place, the earliest teachers could walk out is Dec 3.
A mediation session between the two sides scheduled for Wednesday was canceled.
Before teachers can go on strike, final offers and cost summaries must be exchanged and submitted to the Illinois Education Labor Relations Board. Board spokesman Joe Stevens said the district had forwarded a copy to the union and was awaiting a response. Documents had not yet been submitted to the labor relations board, he said.
"We believe we were making good progress to address the union's top priorities including class size and working conditions," Stevens said. "Now that the union has declared impasse, we are waiting to receive their final proposal to resume future negotiations."
But union spokesman Mike Williamson said the union filed a "paper impasse" to start the calendar.
"We're not talking about a classic impasse," Williamson said. "Things weren't moving the way we thought things needed to be moving. We don't want to strike, but if it is the only recourse we have we can now do that."
Issues addressed in the board's final offer include teacher salaries, elementary class sizes, high school schedules and teacher working conditions, Stevens said.
"It could be very disruptive if teachers go on strike," Stevens said. "We hope the union recognizes this as a great package and accepts it."
The board's final offer includes step increases based on the length of time a teacher has been employed in the district, as well as a percentage increase to base pay in the first and third years of the contract, Stevens said. In the 2012-2013 school year, the first year of the proposed contract, teachers would receive a 2.75-percent salary increase. That increase includes an average step increase of 2 percent. Teachers in the second year would get a 2-percent step increase and in the final year, a 2-percent increase plus a half-percent base salary increase. The salary increases would cost the district about $7 million, Stevens said.
But Williams said it was disingenuous of the district to call the increases base salary raises because step increases are paid on top of the base salary.
"Their way of putting this forward is to suggest step is something that is given to us," Williamson said. "But step is already in place. The reason we negotiated salary is because we need to stay competitive with other districts."
In addition, the board said it would spend $2.4 million to reduce class size. The $2.4 million would fund an additional 27½ teachers and reduce the number of students in 85 classrooms.
Stevens said the district would save money through the elimination of overload pay, which is paid to teachers for each child above a certain number. In the past two school years, the district has paid almost $2 million in overload pay, the district has said. The proposed contract also would phase out the end-of-career salary increases to which teachers are now entitled. Those late career bumps will go from 6 percent in the third year from retirement to 3 percent in each of the final two years. After the 2014-2015 school year, the district will eliminate the practice. Stevens said that is needed because of the potential shift of pension costs to local school districts.
While union leaders agree smaller classes are a priority, the number of teachers the district has suggested is more than the union says it will need to bring class sizes down. Williamson said the union estimates 20 teachers, at most, would bring class sizes down to the same level.
"The 27½ teachers don't solve the problem. Why would we spend that kind of money when we don't need to?" Williamson said. "I don't understand why they are proposing that when the number is not accurate. When the goal is to reduce class sizes, it amazes me that they calculate 10 more teachers than we come to."


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During his QuakeCon keynote, John Carmack announced plans to release the source code to id's Tech 4 engine from DOOM 3 before the end of this year. A couple of years ago an issue related to a patent conflict with Creative Labs was identified as something that could impede such a GPL release, but at the time id's Technical Director indicated if it came to that, he could fashion a workaround. Here's what Phoronix wrote about the news: "The source-code to Doom 3 is definitely to be released this year, Zenimax (the company that acquired id Software) has been supportive of the process, and he has challenged other game developers to release old source-code too. Carmack says that releasing the code really helps the development community." Thanks Ant via Slashdot.
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