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The VC has been formed, and the official rules have been drafted. Any player wilfully entering into this world will abide by these rules 100%. If someone makes ONE "honest mistake" they are given ONE SINGLE chance to immediately rectify that mistake by the next cycle (i.e. trade the player in question back to his franchise for a tryout camp pitcher straight up), or they will be immediately removed from the league. I think with it being private, and the rules being well established up front, we will be able to get support from CS on this issue. Collusion, as in all worlds, will result in immediate removal. Please, DO NOT sign up if you are not going to comply with these rules 100%.
They will be as follows:
The aim of the "For Life League" is to keep players on their original team for life. This league encourages team building through savvy drafting strategy and the signing of international prospects. You MUST committ to a minimum of three seasons. You must be willing to agree that non-compliance with the set rules will result in your willing removal from the league, to be replaced by an owner willing to play by and respect the rules. There will also be no excuses tolerated for missing out on signing your own players in time ,etc. The point here is that we're all adults. We shall play the game as such. Much like WiS policy, there will be no helping out in case of "user error". No excuses.
---------Team Assignment-------
--Random numbers will be assigned to every owner via an online random number generator, and we will draft all teams (sticking to the strict MLB-Theme) out according to those numbers.
* A series of rules have also been created to ensure that team owners have as many opportunities as possible to retain their talent. World Owner empiire and the nine member Veterans Committee have established the following rules for player movement & team building:
------Player Movement-------
--Free Agency: Traditional free agency (the ability to sign players outside of your organization) will not begin until Spring Training has completed. This will give the entire FA and preseason period as well as all of Spring Training for teams to sign THEIR OWN FREE AGENTS to contracts. (Upon world creation, current FA's will be considered property of the franchise listed under "Previous Franchise". Occasionally, there is no team listed, in which case they are fair game to be bid upon during FA).
Once Spring Training has completed teams may sign any player.
--Released Players: Any player released by his franchise may be signed by any team.
--Trades: Open trading is strictly prohibited in this world, period, as it goes against the "For Life" theme of the league. The only trades allowed will be those trades that correct ineligible free agent signings , any rule 5 draftees and any waiver pickups.
--Waivers: No waiver claims will be allowed.
--Rule V Draft: No player may be drafted in the Rule V Draft.
---------Team Building-------
--Prospect Payroll: There is no limit to what an owner may set or transfer into their prospect payroll.
-----------Tanking Rules----------
--Tanking will be judged on a case by case basis by the Commissioner and the Veterans Committee, 9 owners total. Most worlds leave the judgment of tanking up to one person - the commissioner. In the "For Life" League we feel that the 9 owner panel will be able to make accurate judgments. Rest assured that if a panel of 9 members feels you are tanking - you probably are.
One of the biggest issues in any case of suspected tanking is the amount of time prospects spend in their organizations minor league system. While Commissioner P-Nut, World Owner empiire and the Veterans Committee do not condone any form of tanking, we also feel that owners may keep their prospects in the minor leagues for as long as they deem necessary for proper development. Most owners have a different sense of what "proper development" is in HBD and the Commissioner and the Veterans Committee will not be looking to put a concrete definition on "proper development". Instead, if an owner is suspected of tanking, their minor league promotion practices will be looked at and subject to the decision of the Veterans Committee.
If you remain interested, do nothing and you will stay on the list. If you feel like this may not be the league for you under these rules, please let me know via site-mail so that I can remove you from the list. Deadline for applications will be Friday, February 11th, 6:00 P.M. Pacific Time. After this time, the Owner & VC will spend the weekend reviewing candidates and selecting owners for the 22 remaining cities.
Interested Applicants (for the remaining 22 openings):
1. empiire - "Captain"
2. pstrnutbag44 - VC/Commish
3. vino5
4. cbert621
5. yoijames
7. jonboynky - VC
8. diesel3350 - VC
9. lomac
10. scoopster
11. jying98 - VC
12. lido9613
13. shobob - VC
14. usfbully
15. tomhighway - VC
16. rootgargle - VC
17. hausenpfeffe
18. bodean
19. yoker70
20. jefepwnzer - VC
21. tropicana - VC
22. hoopcoach07
23. talbott08
24. clutch19
25. z0601
26. ovechkin008
27. dlmose - Withdrawn
28. trailjon541
29. willsuave
30. steadydoses
31. mgrieshop
32. thedoormat
33. ben7415
34. captain10a
35. ewchippe
36. bobd4967
37. paranoid0
38. CougDawg - Withdrawn
39. mongoose_22
40. fellman9
41. jamesb007
42. buddy996
43. edham55
44. greeny9
45. coach34
46. kcden
47. rounders31
very interested
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text:
The Associated Press is reporting that the Greek Parliament has approved a crucial austerity and debt-relief bill to keep the country out of bankruptcy and remain a part of the eurozone.
From the AP:
Lawmakers voted early Monday in favor of the bill that imposes harsh new austerity measures in return for a euro130 billion ($171 billion) new bailout agreement and related deal with private creditors to shave euro100 billion ($132 billion) off the country's national debt.
The vote occurred after extensive rioting and looting swept through the Greek capital.
The New York Times says many lawmakers grudgingly voted for the bill:
Addressing Parliament shortly before a crucial vote, Prime Minister Lucas Papademos stressed that rejection of the bill would plunge the country into bankruptcy. He appealed to lawmakers to do their "patriotic duty" and make the "most significant strategic choice a Greek government has faced in decades."
Still, he acknowledged that the program was "tough and calls for sacrifices from a broad range of citizens who have already made sacrifices."

subset: commoncrawl


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CRYSTAL LAKE – The public is invited to Green Drinks McHenry County from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Duke's Alehouse & Kitchen, 110 N. Main St.
Dr. Jim Halfpenny from Gardiner, Mont., will present "The Last Cold." Halfpenny was most recently in the Arctic in August and will share information on how this region is being affected by climate change.
Halfpenny's 40-plus year career has included stints with the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, and has taken him to both polar regions and the high mountains around the world.
Halfpenny recently returned from leading his students to Ellesmere and Greenland Islands, and studying the polar bears of the Hudson Bay region in Canada.
He has written more than 25 books and videos, including "Yellowstone Bears in the Wild," "Track Plates for Mammals" and "Tracking Wolves: The Basics." He led the American East Greenland expeditions in 1975 and 1976, and is a fellow of the Explorers Club and received the Antarctic Service medal. He is past chairman of the board of directors, senior instructor and administrative liaison officer of the National Outdoor Leadership School. He is president of A Naturalist's World, an ecological education company.
There will be an information table set up at the gathering Wednesday, and attendees are welcome to bring information about green products and services to share.
Additional parking is available at the train station.
To be added to the email list, send a note to firstname.lastname@example.com or "like" the group on Facebook.


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Sunovion Presents New Analyses that Continue to Support ZETONNA (ciclesonide) Nasal Aerosol's Efficacy in SAR and PAR
Post-Hoc Analyses Based on the Pooled Studies Support Efficacy in SAR and PAR Patients
MARLBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb 25, 2013 - Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Sunovion) today announced results of two post-hoc analyses for ZETONNA® (ciclesonide) Nasal Aerosol, which were presented during a scientific poster session at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) in San Antonio, Texas. One poster included results from a pooled analysis of total and individual nasal symptoms stratified by baseline severity following treatment with ZETONNA 74 mcg once-daily (one spray per nostril) or placebo in patients 12 to 65 years of age with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) (Poster #668). An additional poster presented results from a post-hoc responder analysis in patients 12 to 65 years of age with SAR or perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR). Patients following treatment with ZETONNA 74 mcg once-daily (one spray per nostril) demonstrated higher percentages of responses defined as at least 20%, 30% or 50% in symptom improvement from baseline compared with placebo patients (Poster #667).
"These post-hoc analyses provide further support for ZETONNA's efficacy in treating symptoms associated with SAR and PAR in patients 12 years and older," said Alistair Wheeler, M.D., Vice President, Clinical Development and Medical Affairs at Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. "Our findings showed there was significant improvement in patients with different degrees of baseline symptom severity in our studies."
ZETONNA is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of symptoms associated with SAR and PAR in adolescents and adults 12 years of age and older. It is the only approved dry nasal aerosol with once daily, one spray per nostril (37 mcg) dosing that utilizes a hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) propellant to dispense the medication.
Poster Presentations by Sunovion at AAAAI:
- A Post-hoc Analysis of Improvement in Individual Nasal Symptoms by Their Baseline Severity Following Treatment with Ciclesonide Hydrofluoroalkane Nasal Aerosol in Patients with Seasonal Allergic Rhinitis (Poster #668)
In two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase III SAR studies that enrolled 918 patients 12 to 65 years of age with a ‰¥2 year history of SAR, patients were given ZETONNA 74 mcg [CIC-HFA (37 mcg/actuation nostril)] or placebo, once daily for two weeks. The pooled analysis evaluated change from baseline in patient-reported total and individual reflective nasal symptoms of runny nose, itchy nose, sneezing and congestion by baseline severity.
This analysis showed that the treatment with ZETONNA resulted in greater improvement compared with placebo in all individual reflective nasal symptoms of SAR. The adjusted mean treatment differences (95% confidence intervals) were 0.31 (0.20, 0.43), 0.27 (0.17, 0.38), 0.21 (0.10, 0.32), and 0.21 (0.12, 0.31) in sneezing, runny nose, itching, and congestion, respectively for subjects with severe reflective total nasal symptom scores (rTNSS) at baseline.
- A Post-hoc Responder Analysis of Improvement in Symptoms Following Treatment with Ciclesonide Hydrofluoroalkane Nasal Aerosol in Patients with Seasonal and Perennial Allergic Rhinitis (Poster #667)
In a post-hoc responder analysis, improvement in nasal and ocular symptoms in patients with SAR and nasal symptoms in patients with PAR following treatment with ZETONNA were evaluated. Data for this analysis was collected from randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled Phase III SAR (pooled from two studies) and PAR (one study) studies. The study participants consisted of patients 12 to 65 years of age with SAR (N=918) or PAR (N=605) who received ZETONNA 74 mcg (one actuation/nostril, 37 mcg/actuation) or placebo for two weeks (SAR) or 26 weeks (PAR). The responder analysis was performed by evaluating the percent change from baseline in reflective nasal (rTNSS) and ocular (rTOSS, SAR only) symptom scores.
The analysis of the three studies showed that treatment with ZETONNA resulted in greater improvement in nasal and ocular symptoms of SAR and nasal symptoms of PAR. For nasal symptoms, a higher percentage of SAR patients reported ‰¥20% improvement from baseline (40.8% ZETONNA vs. 21% placebo), ‰¥30% improvement from baseline (30.2% ZETONNA vs. 11.9% placebo), and ‰¥50% improvement from baseline (11.2% ZETONNA vs. 3.8% placebo) in rTNSS with ZETONNA compared with placebo averaged over the 2-week treatment period. A higher percentage of PAR patients during the treatment of 26 weeks also reported ‰¥20% improvement from baseline (61.6% ZETONNA vs. 52.6% placebo), ‰¥30% improvement from baseline (50.2% ZETONNA vs. 37.2% placebo), and ‰¥50% improvement from baseline (25.9% ZETONNA vs. 13.5% placebo) in rTNSS with ZETONNA compared with placebo. For ocular symptoms, higher percentages of ‰¥20% improvement from baseline (39.3% ZETONNA vs. 26.7% placebo), ‰¥30% improvement from baseline (27.9% ZETONNA vs. 14.8% placebo), and ‰¥50% improvement from baseline (12.7% ZETONNA vs. 5.5% placebo) in rTOSS were reported after treatment with ZETONNA 74 mcg compared with placebo averaged over the 2-week treatment period.
About ZETONNA® (ciclesonide) Nasal Aerosol
ZETONNA® (ciclesonide) Nasal Aerosol is a corticosteroid indicated for the treatment of symptoms associated with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR) and perennial allergic rhinitis (PAR) in adults and adolescents 12 years of age and older. ZETONNA is not approved for any use in pediatric patients below the age of 12. ZETONNA's delivery system and once-daily formulation utilizes a 50 mcL volume per spray and provides 24-hour relief. ZETONNA uses an environmentally-friendly hydrofluoroalkane (HFA) propellant and features a built-in dose indicator so patients can track when their ZETONNA should be refilled.
In three Phase III clinical studies that enrolled a total of 2,488 patients, ZETONNA demonstrated statistically and clinically significant improvements in quality of life measures, nasal symptoms and ocular symptoms of SAR, and the nasal symptoms associated with PAR. The most common adverse reactions in these short-term two to six week studies (‰¥2% incidence and greater than placebo) included nasal discomfort, headache and epistaxis.
Important Safety Information for ZETONNA®
Do not spray ZETONNA Nasal Aerosol in your eyes or directly onto your nasal septum (the wall inside your nose between your 2 nostrils).
ZETONNA Nasal Aerosol may cause serious side effects, including:
- nose bleeds and nasal ulcers. Call your healthcare provider right away if you start to have more nose bleeds or nasal ulcers.
- hole in the cartilage in the nose (nasal septal perforation). Stop using ZETONNA Nasal Aerosol and call your doctor right away if you have symptoms of a nasal perforation. Symptoms of nasal perforation may include: crusting in the nose, nosebleeds, runny nose, and a whistling sound when you breathe.
- thrush (Candida), a fungal infection in your nose, mouth, or throat. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any redness or white colored patches in your mouth or throat.
- slow wound healing. You should not use ZETONNA Nasal Aerosol until your nose has healed, if you have a sore in your nose, if you have had surgery in your nose, or if your nose has been injured.
- eye problems such as glaucoma and cataracts. If you have a history of glaucoma or cataracts or have a family history of eye problems, you should have regular eye exams while you use ZETONNA Nasal Aerosol.
- immune system problems that may increase your risk of infections. You are more likely to get infections if you take medicines that may weaken your body's ability to fight infections. Avoid contact with people who have contagious diseases such as chicken pox or measles while you use ZETONNA Nasal Aerosol. Symptoms of an infection may include: fever, pain, aches, chills, feeling tired, nausea, and vomiting.
- adrenal insufficiency. Adrenal insufficiency is a condition in which the adrenal glands do not make enough steroid hormones. Call your healthcare provider right away if you experience the following symptoms of adrenal insufficiency: tiredness, weakness, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting.
- slowed or delayed growth in children. A child's growth should be checked regularly while using ZETONNA Nasal Aerosol.
- allergic reactions. Call your healthcare provider right away if you experience swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat.
The most common side effects with ZETONNA Nasal Aerosol include nasal discomfort, headache and nose bleeds.
Tell your doctor if you have any side effect that bothers you or that does not go away.
These are not all the possible side effects of ZETONNA Nasal Aerosol.
For more information, please visit www.ZETONNA.com or call 1-888-394-7377, and refer to the accompanying Full Prescribing Information.
You are encouraged to report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit www.fda.gov/medwatch, or call 1-800-FDA-1088.
About Ciclesonide
ZETONNA® (ciclesonide) Nasal Aerosol is the third ciclesonide formulation marketed by Sunovion, with the others being ALVESCO® (ciclesonide) Inhalation Aerosol in an HFA formulation for the maintenance treatment of asthma in adults and adolescents ages 12 and older, and OMNARIS® (ciclesonide) Nasal Spray for the treatment of nasal symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis in adults and children age 6 and older and perennial allergic rhinitis in adults and children age 12 years of age and older.
In 2008, Nycomed granted Sunovion the exclusive development, marketing and commercialization rights for ciclesonide in the United States. Nycomed was acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited in September 2011.
About Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Sunovion)
Sunovion is a leading pharmaceutical company dedicated to discovering, developing and commercializing therapeutic products that advance the science of medicine in the Psychiatry & Neurology and Respiratory disease areas and improve the lives of patients and their families. Sunovion's drug development program, together with its corporate development and licensing efforts, has yielded a portfolio of pharmaceutical products including LATUDA® (lurasidone HCl) tablets, LUNESTA® (eszopiclone) tablets, XOPENEX® (levalbuterol HCI) inhalation solution, XOPENEX HFA® (levalbuterol tartrate) inhalation aerosol, BROVANA® (arformoterol tartrate) inhalation solution, OMNARIS® (ciclesonide) nasal spray, ZETONNA® (ciclesonide) nasal aerosol and ALVESCO® (ciclesonide) inhalation aerosol.
Sunovion, an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., is headquartered in Marlborough, Mass. More information about Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. is available at www.sunovion.com.
About Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. (DSP)
DSP is a multi-billion dollar, top-ten listed pharmaceutical company in Japan with a diverse portfolio of pharmaceutical, animal health and food and specialty products. DSP aims to produce innovative pharmaceutical products in the Psychiatry & Neurology field, which has been designated as one of the two key therapeutic areas. DSP is based on the merger in 2005 between Dainippon Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., and Sumitomo Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. Today, DSP has more than 7,000 employees worldwide. Additional information about DSP is available through its corporate website at www.ds-pharma.com.
LATUDA is a registered trademark of Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. LUNESTA, XOPENEX, XOPENEX HFA, and BROVANA are registered trademarks of Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc. OMNARIS and ALVESCO are registered trademarks of Takeda GmbH, used under license.
For a copy of this release, visit Sunovion's web site at www.sunovion.com
Contact: Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
Patricia Moriarty, 508-787-4279
Sr. Director, Corporate Communications
Posted: February 2013


text:
Difference between revisions of "Palm Desert"
Revision as of 18:39, 12 October 2008
Palm Desert [3] is a city in the desert of California between Palm Springs and Indio. It lies in the Coachella Valley at the base of the San Jacinto Mountains. The city is home to many golf courses, attractions, luxury hotels and shops, and spas that make the region a famous getaway for much of Southern California.
Get in
By plane
Palm Springs International Airport (PSP), [4]. is in the heart of nearby Palm Springs. Scheduled daily flight connections to San Francisco, Seattle, Phoenix, Chicago (O'Hare), Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, Salt Lake City, Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Denver, Portland (Oregon), Las Vegas, Calgary and Vancouver. Airlines serving Palm Springs (PSP) include Alaska, America West, American, American Eagle, Continental, Delta, Northwest and United.
LA/Ontario International Airport (ONT) is about 80 miles to the west of Palm Desert and has many more flight connections. The airport lies off Interstate 10 in the Inland Empire.
By car
Interstate 10 is the main artery serving the Coachella Valley. From Los Angeles, take Interstate 10 east towards San Bernardino, Indio, and Phoenix. Palm Desert is about a two hour drive if traffic is not heavy. Beware, weekend getaway traffic can be very heavy. Exiting Monterey Avenue or Cook Street and heading south puts you in the heart of the city.
State Highway 74 descends the San Jacinto Mountains into the city from the south. Travelers from the San Diego should head north on I-15, south-east on State Hwy 79 (towards Indio) and then east on State Hwy 371 until it meets with Route 74. Be advised that chains may be required on this route in the winter.
By train
Amtrak has a station in nearby Palm Springs.
Get around
Like many California cities, Palm Desert is a very car-oriented city. If you want to have a good time at all, you should rent a car at the airport. Otherwise you'd have to take the bus or walk.
By car
The main highway serving the city is State Highway 111, which links many of the Coachella Valley cities, from Palm Springs to Indio and beyond to the Mexican Border at Calexico. However, this artery has many traffic lights and lots of traffic, so if you are going far, you should consider driving out and hopping on the 10 freeway.
The Rodeo Drive of the area is El Paseo. There are lots of art galleries, shops, and restaurants along the street, which links up with Highway 111 at its ends.
By Shuttle
The City of Palm Desert operates the El Paseo Courtesy Carts. The shuttle runs along El Paseo and is free of charge. Although not exactly a viable option for seeing the entire city, it allows visitors to park their cars and see the entire El Paseo stretch.
There are a lot of good places to shop in Palm Desert. You could probably find just about anything.
Get out


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"Academically Adrift"
by Arum and Roksa
(University of Chicago Press 2011)
Bless your hearts, Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, for calling on institutions of higher education to prioritize undergraduate learning. With "Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses," sociologists Arum and Roksa argue that undergraduate students seem to learn very little in college and that, in fact, they (Arum and Roksa) can show just how much those undergraduates are learning by bringing their own quantitative data set Determinants of College Learning (DCL) - which surveys over 2,300 full-time students at 24 four-year institutions on questions of family background, high school grades and college experiences - together with scores from the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA), a standardized test that analyzes "core outcomes espoused by all of higher education": critical thinking, problem solving and writing.
Democracy depends upon education that prepares its members for full participation, Arum and Roksa rightly contend. It depends on education to help members develop the critical reasoning and communication on which democratic participation is founded. What's needed then, they say, are "objective measures" of students' learning in relation to their social backgrounds and education experiences. Such measures, Arum and Roksa continue, will hold institutions accountable and will fight the enemy they have named "limited learning," or more precisely, the "absence of growth in CLA performance" (122).
Arum and Roksa claim to "illuminate the multiple actors contributing to the current state of limited learning on college campuses" (120): students themselves, faculty members, administrators and cultural messages of "college for all" in which the only measure of that access is the college credential that seems to say less and less about college learning. Yet, Arum and Roksa remain unclear as to how those actors are positioned within multiple, intersecting systems of power. They remain unclear as to how schools and formal education itself are positioned within those multiple, intersecting systems of power.
Basil Bernstein (1977) and Paul Willis (1977) have discussed in different ways how education is a major force in structuring student experiences - and how the structure and culture of schools influences how students understand their own identities. Clearly passing over the arguments of Willis and Bernstein, Arum and Roksa call for "as much attention on monitoring and ensuring that undergraduate learning occurs as elementary and secondary school systems are currently being asked to undertake" (55). But the students who arrive on college campuses have more than likely spent up to 12 years in those elementary and secondary classrooms that are being so thoroughly monitored. These undergraduate students' learning experiences and their ideas about learning cannot not have been shaped by these monitoring practices. But any role this might play in Arum's and Roksa's notion of limited learning is never discussed.
Arum and Roksa assume instead that learning is something that can be calculated. And that those calculations exist objectively and without connection to a political context. They assume that skills can be "mastered" completely for participation in "today's complex and competitive world" (31), rather than continuously engaged through the sort of "restless, impatient, continuing, hopeful inquiry" that Paulo Freire (1968: 72) envisions. They assume that critical thinking is something that can be "banked" in students by assigning certain numbers of pages of reading and writing and by encouraging students that the most effective means of study is to study alone rather than in dialogue (115-6). Critical thinking as Arum and Roksa present it, is not then about engaging with the world and with others, but rather seems to focus more on efficiently "receiving, filing and storing" of information.
The data that Arum and Roksa provide on CLA scores tabulated by race and ethnicity reveal that the test on which Arum and Roksa base much of their argument is clearly not so neutral. How is it that whiteness can correspond to superior problem solving unless there is something about the way the test conceives of and measures "problem-solving"?
Collegiate Learning Assessment: Mean Scores
(Four-Year College/University Students) 2006
Without acknowledging the political location of their own work and of the sorts of practices called for in it, Arum and Roksa present an idea of higher education stripped of imagination and possibility - stripped of the idea that possible futures do not have to look exactly like what is on display today. I whole-heartedly celebrate Arum's and Roksa's desire to make higher education "meaningful and consequential for students" (55), but "Academically Adrift" is not about engaging students - it rather seems to be about them as containers for holding fixed ideas and as technicians for discrete tasks that some external and allegedly objective entity has decided are definitive measures of critical thought and problem solving.
More meaningful questions about undergraduate learning would likely not ask how to measure critical thinking or how to create an index of academic rigor. More meaningful questions would likely come from a different starting point: questions that look to students' classroom experiences, to their broader social experiences and to the structural contexts and the intersecting systems of power in which those experiences are situated. The classroom can be oppressive or it can be emancipatory. It can be privatized, individualized, compartmentalized - or it can be a place where students question each other and question what they are learning to try to situate it in relation to their world. When the latter is fore grounded, the classroom can be a space of democracy: one where students may come to realize that democratic possibilities don't have to look like the kinds of democracy currently on display.


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text:
I am working on a mobile-friendly version of a dropdown navigation bar here: http://apps.cpe.ky.gov/temp_docs/prototypes/kyvl-mobile-nav/menu.html
Something I noticed when I test it on an iPhone, using Safari as the browser:
I tap once on "for educators" (for example)
the dropdown appears correctly, but then disappears
the neighboring dropdown appears, then disappears
the correct dropdown reappears
I can't figure out why this is happening. I'm guessing it's the jQuery method, but wouldn't be surprised if the CSS is causing confusion.
I'm using the method described here: http://osvaldas.info/drop-down-navigation-responsive-and-touch-friendly.
Any ideas as to why this is happening?


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Cirque du Soleil stellt Pressemappen mit Informationen zu den verschiedenen Shows und über das Unternehmen zur Verfügung.
Alles begann in Kanada, genauer gesagt in Baie-Saint-Paul, einer Kleinstadt in der Nähe von Quebec. Anfang der Achtziger begann dort eine bunte Truppe von Stelzenläufern, Jongleuren, Tänzern, Feuerschluckern und Musikern, die Straßen unsicher zu machen. Die Kleinkunstgruppe um Gilles Ste-Croix nannte sich "Les Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul" (Die Stelzenläufer von Baie-Saint-Paul). Schon damals waren die Einwohner beeindruckt und begeistert von den jungen Künstlern, darunter Guy Laliberté, der spätere Gründer und Leiter des Cirque du Soleil.
Nathalie J. Simard has been practicing the art of makeup for over 20 years. She studied visual arts and took several theatre and makeup workshops, but is largely self-taught, having learned her craft on the streets of Quebec City. There, she explored the many facets of makeup in depth and developed a distinctive style that is all her own, using the body and face of her subjects as her canvas.
An innovator since the 1980s, Nathalie became well known for transforming children and adults alike with her distinctive designs at festivals and outdoor events throughout Quebec. Constantly on the lookout for new sources of inspiration, she then took her talents to other stages across Canada, Asia, Europe and the United States.
Her creations have been seen by tens of thousands of people in several major events such as the International Children's Festivals network across Canada and the International Buskers Festivals held in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
Nathalie has worked on theatre productions for Marie Dumais and photography projects with David Cannon. She also worked with characters for the EOS Circus in Quebec City, and created hundreds of makeup designs for the Quebec City Festival d'été and Winter Carnival. For ten years she has designed characters for productions by the Quebec creator Olivier Dufour, including his show Le Chemin qui marche (one of the main events of Quebec City's 400th anniversary celebrations), and Festival Montréal en lumière.
Early in 2000, Nathalie founded Kromatik, a company that specializes in makeup for street art. Working with a team of artists as dedicated as herself, she developed a technique of makeup and animation that set new standards in the field. Combining speed, creativity and originality, she can produce a collective work in minutes.
TOTEM marks Nathalie's first collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. "The show deals with humanity in all its diversity and richness," she says. "I used the patterns and iconography of a vast array of different cultures to create the different characters. I am just as inspired by all the artists, their energy and their performance to create characters that are a really good fit."
Nathalie J. Simard was born in Quebec in 1967.


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Mark Sanford's victory in last week's 1st District congressional race capped another chapter in his amazing political journey. Inside today's paper, read the fourth excerpt from a new Post and Courier e-book, Second Chance: The Mark Sanford Story, which will be published soon on numerous e-reader platforms. The book includes photos and unpublished emails between Mark and Jenny Sanford, along with a full account of Sanford's bruising quest for redemption.
The briny waters of the Coosaw River felt good in the mornings, cleansing, and when the river was cold, it delivered a shock that left any remnants of sleep behind. In 2011, after leaving the governor's office for good, Mark Sanford sought refuge where he always had, in Coosaw's currents, which tugged him this way or that depending on the tide; under the limbs of Coosaw's great live oaks, their limbs holding long gray beards of moss.
After his collapse on June 24, 2009, at the Statehouse, he had kept moving largely because of the momentum generated by his normal gubernatorial duties and fights to keep his job. But now those tasks were done, and with few things to distract him from facing his failure, he retreated to Coosaw and fell into a deep funk.
Some days he spent hours reading books. Or he went out on the track hoe, watching the metal bucket dig into Coosaw's soil. He had dug holes all over Coosaw, once telling a reporter that the simple act of moving earth one scoop at a time was therapeutic. His father was out there in a hole his family had dug so long ago. What would Doc Sanford have thought about it all?
l l l
The Sunday after the press conference, Sanford had asked John Rainey, the friend who had first urged him to run for governor, to have dinner in the Governor's Mansion. Ever formal, Rainey wore a jacket. As usual, Sanford was dressed like he was about to watch a football game on television. With Jenny and the boys gone, the mansion seemed more like a museum than a home. Busts and portraits of past governors lined halls with high ceilings. The dining room had a giant white mantel and a 20-foot-long mahogany table. To Rainey, Sanford looked defeated; his eyes were heavy and dark; and yet, despite what had happened, Sanford displayed flashes of hubris.
"Do you think I have a political future?" he asked Rainey.
Rainey had seen politicians such as Bill Clinton, and farther back, Richard Nixon, resurrect careers many had written off, but he didn't think it was time to stoke Sanford's ambitions.
"As of tonight, the answer is no," Rainey said.
Sanford grew solemn. It was the biggest crisis in his life. Thoughts drifted to his father. He locked eyes with Rainey, who was older than him by a generation. Talk to me like a father would, he asked.
"There's one thing you can't do, and that's quit," Rainey said. "Mark, do you remember what Richard Nixon said when he was defeated in California?"
"Richard Nixon said, 'A man isn't finished when he's defeated. He's finished when he quits.' "
Rainey had also counseled Sanford not to add fuel to the media fire, but a few days later, Sanford had offered even more details about his inner struggles in two long interviews with the Associated Press. Get it all out there, he had thought. Purge. And start again. This openness had served him well over the years as he campaigned.
Not this time. In the interviews, he described Maria Belen Chapur as his "soul mate," and that he still loved her.
"This was a whole lot more than a simple affair; this was a love story," he told the reporters. "A forbidden one, a tragic one, but a love story at the end of the day." And yet, he also was trying to fall back in love with Jenny. "I owe it too much to my boys and to the last 20 years with Jenny to not try this larger walk of faith." Love versus duty. He told the Associated Press reporters that he had crossed lines with other women but never had sex with them. "What I would say is that I've never had sex with another woman. Have I done stupid? I have. You know you meet someone. You dance with them. You go to a place where you probably shouldn't have gone." But his time with Belen was different, he said. He had crossed a line there. He had seen her five times in the previous year, including a stay in Manhattan and another in the Hamptons. Both trips were paid for in cash so no one would know.
Instead of clearing the air, it had only added more gas to the Sanford bonfire. "Blubbering Love Gov. Mark Sanford tears up again over 'soul mate,'" said the headline in The New York Daily News. David Letterman quipped on his late-night show, "Gov. Mark Sanford disappeared, and it turned out he was in South America. And then it turned out he was down there because he was sleeping with a woman from Argentina. Once again, foreigners taking jobs that Americans won't do."
Some had come to his defense. Rush Limbaugh argued that President Barach Obama's stimulus package had pushed Sanford over the edge. "This is almost like, "I don't give a damn, the country's going to hell in a hand-basket, I just want out of here. He had just tried to fight the stimulus money coming to South Carolina. He didn't want any part of it. He lost the battle. He said, 'What the hell. I mean, I'm — the federal government's taking over — what the hell, I want to enjoy life.'"
But countless jokes on Twitter and Facebook showed that Sanford's life had moved into a different realm, from the political arena to one inhabited by celebrities, paparazzi and late-night comedians. "It's interesting to discover that the governor who didn't want stimulus funds was getting stimulated elsewhere!" one tweet said. "So does a career go down the toilet the other direction in Argentina?" said another. Mark Sanford had gone viral.
He had bigger things to worry about than jokes back then. He was getting divorced; state legislators called for his resignation. The state attorney general investigated his travels. Sanford delivered a personal check for nearly $3,000 to reimburse the state for the 2008 trip to Argentina. Lawmakers threatened to impeach him, but censured him instead for bringing "ridicule, dishonor, disgrace, and shame on the governor's office and the state of South Carolina." The South Carolina Ethics Commission charged him with 37 ethics violations, including using tax dollars for business-class flights and campaign funds for non-campaign purposes. He fought back at first, arguing that other governors had flown business-class, but these explanations fell flat. For years, he had touted his frugality, and now he was saying it was OK to fly business class? He had not met his own standards, and people were calling him on it. In the end, he paid a record $74,000 fine to settle the charges.
"It's time to move on," he had said in a statement. "While I believe I would be vindicated on all these matters if there were ever a full airing, the people of South Carolina have moved on from all that unfolded last summer, and this administration has moved on as well."
l l l
Now that he was out of office and divorced, invitations to dinner dried up. Few emails came in. When he ventured out to a soccer game with one of his sons, he noticed the body language of the soccer moms and how they moved away from his seat. Many people he had counted as friends stopped calling. His friend Tom Davis would say later, "He didn't have to wait to find out who would show up at his funeral."
Down river from Coosaw's main house was a creek separating a plot with a dune shaded by a stand of pines. It had long been one of his favorite spots there. A spit of sand curled off into the river, which had a wide-open view facing the water's flow toward the sea.
After so much destruction, Mark felt an overwhelming need to build something. So he and his sons built a small wooden bridge over the creek. On the dune, they spent three months building a single-story cabin. He wanted an inviting place for his boys when they visited, a man cave, so he filled it with a pool table, ping pong and other games.
All this work with his hands gave him time to think about what had happened.
Because he had lost his father when he was relatively young, he never had a chance to know him other than someone who was larger than life. Doc Sanford had rigid views about work, frugality and other aspects of life. "Maybe wrong, but never in doubt," Sanford later would describe him. And once his father was gone, Sanford took those views to a new level, like a dutiful son. This rigidity may have worked in the operating room, or a farm in a remote area of the Lowcountry, but it came across as hubris and narcissism when applied to politics and marriage. His father's legacy had affected all of the children. For his brother John, it had led to taking chances: flying aerobatic airplanes, taking financial risks. John found himself constantly trying to prove himself worthy to an apparition. When Sarah was married, she walked down the aisle alone, but imagining that her father was by her side, telling others, "My dad was with me. My Dad walked me down the aisle." For Mark, his father's death fueled ambitions to lead, to try to do the right thing even when his heart told him to do something else. Now this conflict between heart and head had destroyed his family, ruined his career and made him a laughingstock.
The cabin's walls were filled with photographs — pictures of him standing next to Arnold Schwarzenegger; children leaping off the Coosaw dock; Newt Gingrich shaking one of his sons' hands. In one corner he hung frames of newspaper front pages with banner headlines announcing his election wins. To the right, he placed two photographs: One was of him on the first floor of the Statehouse surrounded by all the cameras, the event that symbolized the death of his marriage and the collapse of his political career. Underneath that photograph was another of him, tired, defeated, looking down, surrounded by cameras as he walked to a budget meeting. A fight had almost broken out as videographers tried to get angles, and he had said, "Guys, let's handle it with as much grace as we can. I'm not going to run inside."
In his mind, he thought it would be dishonest to hide those moments from himself and his sons. He had to learn something from what happened, use it as a lesson, build something from the mess he'd made.
Denial, anger, bargaining, depression. As the days passed on Coosaw, he experienced all of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's stages of grief. Then, something else. Oddly enough, he would say later, there was something freeing about public failure. He didn't have to pretend to be perfect anymore. He was broken, imperfect, and nothing he could do would fix that. And from that brokenness, maybe you could go beyond your desire to satisfy your ego, or the notion of earning your way to heaven. Redemption wasn't about striving to achieve some goal, he thought. It was about surrender and going with life's flow.


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Oct. 30, 2008
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Halloween weekend provides the setting for Yale's first ECAC Hockey games of 2008-09, with the Bulldogs traveling to New York's Capital District for matchups against Union (Friday, 3:00 p.m., Live Stats on Union's website) and RPI (Saturday, 3:00 p.m., Pay-per-view Video and Live Stats on RPI's website). While the Dutchwomen and the Engineers finished behind Yale in the standings last year, they both put a scare into the Bulldogs.
Union (0-7-1, 0-0-0 ECAC Hockey) has not beaten Yale since the series started in 2001, but the Dutchwomen came close twice last season. They tied the game at Union 2-2 in October in the third period with 16 minutes to play, only to have sophomore forward Bray Ketchum (Greenwich, Conn.) net the eventual game-winner a minute later. The Bulldogs enjoyed a 57-7 shot advantage in that one but Union's Lundy Day nearly denied them by making 54 saves. The game at Yale in February saw Union with a 1-0 lead with nearly six minutes left in the game, but goals by senior defenseman Helen Resor (Greenwich, Conn.) and junior forward Caroline Murphy (Woodstock, Conn.) spoiled the upset bid.
Day has stopped 327 of 260 shots in Union's first eight games for a .908 save percentage and a 4.12 goals-against average. The Dutchwomen's leading scorer is junior defenseman Jackie Koetteritz, who has three goals and three assists.
RPI (3-4-0, 0-0-0 ECAC Hockey) also threatened Yale last season, but in a different way. The Engineers battled the Bulldogs for the final ECAC Hockey playoff spot right up until the final game of the season, when Yale beat RPI 3-2 at Ingalls Rink on a third-period game-winner from sophomore defenseman Samantha MacLean (Mississauga, Ont.). Yale wound up four points ahead of the Engineers in the standings, but if RPI had won that last game the Engineers would have gone to the playoffs and the Bulldogs would have been left out.
Junior forward Whitney Naslund (2-5-7) is RPI's leading scorer. Sophomore goalie Sonja van der Bliek (.902, 2.43) has seen the majority of minutes in goal, but senior Ashley Mayr (.871, 2.02) has seen time as well.
Yale (0-1-0, 0-0-0 ECAC Hockey) lost to New Hampshire in the season opener last Saturday, falling behind 5-0 before scoring the final three goals of the game -- two from senior forward Crysti Howser (Wilmette, Ill.) and one from freshman forward Aleca Hughes (Westwood, Mass.).
- Live Stats on Union's website, Friday, 3:00 p.m.
- Directions to Union
- Pay-per-view Video and Live Stats on RPI's website, Saturday, 3:00 p.m.
- Directions to RPI
report by Sam Rubin '95 (email@example.com), Yale Sports Publicity


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CES remote control toys: Parrot Sumo Jumper v Orbotix Sphero 2B
These spinning, jumping robots are a long way from the humble remote control car of old.
Both vehicles are controlled wirelessly using an Apple or Android smartphone or tablet, with the Sphero relying on low-powered Bluetooth while the Sumo Jumper sticks with Wi-Fi at 2.4 or 5GHz. This gives the Sumo Jumper longer range, plus it lets you watch and record a live feed from the built-in video camera.
Both vehicles are surprisingly fast but the Sumo Jumper is more manoeuvrable, with the ability to stop quickly, spin on the spot and even drift slightly on corners. The Sphero lets you switch between smooth tyres for speed or knobbly tyres for better off-road performance.
As the name suggests, the Sumo Jumper's party trick is the ability to lean back on springs and launch itself straight up into the air, reaching heights of almost a metre. The Sphero is fast enough to get airborne off a ramp, although it takes practice to unlock faster speeds and other features.
When it comes to charging, the Sumo Jumper relies on a removable battery which is good for about 20 minutes. You can purchase spares and it uses the same battery as Parrot's new flying MiniDrone. The Sphero's internal battery needs to be recharged via USB, but once charged it should be good for an hour.
The Sphero's strength is its flexibility. Built-in IR sensors let several 2Bs battle it out on the floor, plus you can expect it to support extra games similar to the Sphero 2.0 remote control ball. There's also a Software Development Kit if you want to program the Sphero yourself.
The verdict
If you're just after a zippy remote control car then Parrot's Sumo Jumper is more likely to impress. Meanwhile the Sphero is a fully-fledged robot under the bonnet and is more likely to satisfy those who like to tinker.
Parrot Sumo Jumper
Price TBA
Orbotix Sphero 2B
Adam Turner is an award-winning Australian technology journalist with a passion for gadgets.
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Bill and Dana Starling
Nothing more important
"There's nothing more important to invest in than cancer research," says Bill Starling. "It is the number one killer in the world."
Bill, who has spent his career bringing innovative medical devices to the market, and his wife, Dana, created a charitable remainder trust in 1993 to benefit UNC. While doing some updated estate planning, the Portola Valley, California couple discussed the various ways that they have been involved at UNC and where they would like the charitable portion of the trust to make an impact. They decided to increase the value of the CRT and designated 25 percent to UNC Lineberger.
Bill says, "I think Lineberger's mission is one of the most important on campus. It's personal and we are very happy to support it. We have been made aware about how crucial the research and discoveries made at Lineberger are for advancing the field, finding therapies and cures."
Dynamic science isn't the only reason why the Starlings think UNC Lineberger is a great place to make a difference. "We have all been touched by cancer and I am familiar with several major academic medical centers. A childhood friend of mine was treated at UNC and his experience was just spectacular: he and his family could not have been more pleased with the care, the follow up, and the absolute commitment to the patient."
The Starlings attribute some of that focus to what they call, "the Carolina Way of living." "So many academic medical centers are built on the individual. At Lineberger and at UNC in general the faculty are amazingly collegial. There is a team spirit, the collaborative chemistry is fabulous."


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Celine Boutier missed the cut at the Pinehurst Resort & Country Club's Course No. 2 in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.PINEHURST, N.C. – Following 36 holes at the 2014 U.S. Women's Open, Duke University two-time All-America Brittany Lang will continue playing over the weekend, while rising junior
Lang turned in rounds of 73 and 75 for a total of 148 and is tied 50th overall. She hit 11-of-14 fairways Friday, while turning in 35 putts on the challenging course. Lang, who was a 2004 and 2005 All-America at Duke, made her seventh straight cut at the U.S. Women's Open.
In her first experience at a U.S. Women's Open, Boutier totaled rounds of 77 and 76 for a 36-hole ledger of 153, which was three shots off the cut. The reigning National Player of the Year had a solid round, but two double-bogeys over her first seven holes hurt her day. She played the final 11 holes at one-over-par. Boutier hit 13-of-14 fairways Friday and hit 10 greens.
"I feel like my game was better than yesterday," commented Boutier. "I hit a lot more fairways and my irons were really good. So I feel like I hit a lot more greens and I just had two doubles, except for that, just I played 2-over for the day and I think that's pretty good."
Only two golfers head to the weekend under par led by Michelle Wie with a four-under-par, 136, while Lexi Thompson is one-under-par, 139, after both golfers fired rounds of 68 on the second day.
"Well, it's always a great way to learn, because I think it's probably one of the toughest courses I've ever played," said Boutier on the experience this week. "So it's hard to handle the frustration first, because obviously I'm not going to shoot 5-under on these types of courses, but it's always great to play and I know what I have to work on in the future for the next U.S. Open, hopefully."


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The rooms at many of the smaller properties are often set by the beach in detached or adjoining cottages or villas, usually with access to a shared pool. In The Bahamas, beach accommodation will often have a wet bar, fridge and some with full self-catering facilities. Small hotels are often a string of cottage rooms strung along the beach.
Browse the list below or click Start your accommodation search below to refine your criteria


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Truthout combats corporatization by bringing you trustworthy news: click here to join the effort.
Like most immigrants, Jose Oscar left his native El Salvador looking for a better life, a way to support his two children and aging parents. He didn't expect America's streets to be paved with gold and didn't expect dollar bills to be hanging from trees. But he did expect to be given a chance to succeed.
"I imagined that Americans were a more compassionate people," the 28-year-old begins. "I didn't anticipate so much racism. Sometimes people look at me as if I'm from another planet. I work at a car wash in Brighton Beach and the clients, wow, you can feel the disdain in the way they look at you. Sometimes, if I miss a spot, they scream, 'you fucking illegal.' It's always, 'you fucking this, you fucking that.'"
Oscar has worked at Hi−Tek Car Wash & Lube for more than five years and is one of the leaders of a burgeoning movement to organize carwasheros—almost all of them male immigrants—for better pay, safer working conditions, and respect. So far, the movement has spread to more than 20 of the nearly 200 car cleaning businesses in the five boroughs, including two in Brooklyn.
The drive to organize carwasheros began in Los Angeles. The first union, at Bonus Car Wash in Santa Monica, was formed in 2011 after a nearly three-year campaign. Part of the United Steelworkers, Bonus employees won formal grievance procedures, standardized application of wage and hour laws, and a two percent raise. Two other L.A. car washes have also unionized, kick-starting efforts to improve working conditions for carwasheros across the country.
Rocio Valerio is one of the key organizers of WASH New York, a project of New York Communities for Change and Make the Road New York. "The L.A. campaign definitely served as an inspiration for us to do something locally," she says. "We started discussions and began reaching out to car wash workers in September of last year, but it wasn't until March that we launched the campaign publicly."
It's been a busy six months, with dozens of workers like Jose Oscar getting on board to agitate for an end to abuses that are endemic to the industry. To wit: WASH New York estimates that there are 5,000 carwasheros in the City, 80 percent of whom have been subject to wage theft by their employers. A recent survey conducted by the group found two-thirds receiving less than minimum wage, three-quarters receiving no overtime pay, and virtually no one receiving employer-provided health coverage—despite exposure to toxic chemicals with known health risks.
Sitting around a conference table at N.Y. Communities for Change, it takes a while for Jose Oscar and his 20-year-old co-worker, Pablo Alexander Valle Garcia, to open up about their workplace. Neither man speaks much English, and my Spanish is at best asi-asi, so Valerio translates.
Valle Garcia goes first. "On busy days we wash between 500 and 800 cars," he says. "I used to work 60 to 84 hours a week, seven days a week, at least 12 hours a day. When I first started at Hi−Tek in 2008, I made $5 an hour, flat, plus tips. In 2010 it was raised to $5.50 and in January of this year it went up to $5.65. Until January we never got paid overtime. We don't get paid holidays, vacation, or sick days. We rarely get more than a couple of minutes to eat lunch, have coffee or a snack. On a good day I get $30 in tips but most days I get only $10."
"I have to make as much as I can," he continues, explaining that he sends "everything" exclusive of money for rent and food to his family in El Salvador. He has younger siblings, he adds, and has to pay school fees so they can complete their studies.
It is obvious that Valle Garcia is not a complainer and is willing and eager to hunker down and work hard. Still, there are limits. "For my first year and a half at Hi Tek, I was in the back cleaning car rims with acid. When the cars pass through they're very hot and when you put the acid on there is smoke, which you breathe in. I used to cough a lot when I worked in that area."
Then there's something Valle Garcia calls "jabon negro," black soap. "When it splashed on our skin it caused burns," he says. "The owner switched soaps after several clients complained that it altered the color of their rims. When the workers complained he ignored it, but when customers complained he finally made a change to green soap. The jabon verde burns less, but it still stings. We have never been trained in how to use it safely and have never been given safety gear like gloves or goggles."
And that jabon negro y verde? Most likely it contains hydrofluoric acid or ammonium biflouride, the chemicals most commonly found in car-cleaning materials. According to the Centers for Disease Control, both are carcinogens and can cause kidney and pulmonary damage and nasal and eye irritation. In addition, waste runoff typically enters drains and subsequently pollutes local waterways, putting not only carwasheros, but also entire communities, in danger.
As Jose Oscar listens to Valle Garcia, he periodically nods his head in agreement, but he becomes visibly agitated when Valle Garcia ticks off the health and safety violations he and his coworkers have experienced. "We're tired of what we've been living at the car wash," he interjects. "Gary Pinkus, the owner of Hi−Tek, talks to us as if we're slaves. Slavery is over. Justice exists. What motivates me to organize is what I've lived. Two winters ago the former manager made us shovel snow at his house and at his neighbor's house and didn't even offer us a glass of water. He's old and has been ill so hasn't been around much for the past month or so, but when he's there he screams at us, calls us bad names and curses at us. He and the owner insist that we do things we're not trained to do, like clean the well where all the toxic chemicals collect. We do this without protection on our hands or feet. It smells so disgusting, so terrible," he says, his tone becoming more and more plaintive.
Then, suddenly, the two men are talking over one another, laughing like kids who know they've done something dangerous and are lucky to have lived to tell the tale. "It's like the management challenged us to organize," Oscar says. "I'd complain and the manager would look at me and say, 'Yeah, but you don't have the guts to do anything about it.'"
"Si, si, si, it was the challenge," Valle Garcia agrees, "definitely, more than anything."
That challenge led 17 Hi−Tek staffers to file a federal lawsuit against the company in late June. The suit demands that Pinkus make restitution for unpaid overtime wages and stolen tips. Deborah Axt, co-executive director of Make the Road New York, explains that workers who receive tips can be paid less than minimum wage as long as the hourly total equals the minimum, but after 40 hours they must be paid time and a half, or at least $9.28 an hour. This rarely happens, the workers report, their voices rising in indignation.
"One of the other big issues is that we have to pay for any damage to the cars out of our own pocket," Valle Garcia says. "The owner's insurance should pay for this. Things break. Accidents happen. Sometimes when you brush a tire the valve falls off. Sometimes windshield wipers fall apart. Sometimes ashtrays come loose. When you work at the speed Gary insists on, things go wrong. We should not have to pay for this."
Since the lawsuit was filed, both Oscar and Valle Garcia report that some things at Hi−Tek have improved. At the same time they charge that Pinkus has retaliated against them. "There is a little more respect now," Oscar says. "The managers no longer behave as if they can do or say anything they want. But they've cut our hours so we now work 40-45 hours a week, tops. Rather than pay us overtime, he's hired new workers, most of them from Eastern Europe, so we can't communicate easily."
Still, both workplace leaders believe that Pinkus—and much of the Brighton Beach community in which Hi−Tek is located—know that their demands are reasonable. "We have a lot of community support. People tell us that they've called Gary to demand that he treat us better," Oscar says. "We've also heard people say that they won't get their car cleaned at Hi−Tek until we have a contract. This is about being treated fairly. Our work should make it possible for us to support ourselves and our families. We want reliable schedules, overtime pay, paid holidays and vacation, sick days, medical insurance—the things everyone who works hard deserves."
He, Valle Garcia, and the 32 others employed at Hi−Tek look forward to affiliating with the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Workers, U.F.C.W., once they win their unionization drive.
Gary Pinkus did not respond to the Rail's attempts to reach him for comment.


text: I just got my first welder (diversion 165) and I'm going to make a cart for it. As I am looking at pictures of home fab carts and retail ones I see that a lot have the top rack for the welder at an angle sloping back. Is there an advantage to this? Is there something I don't know that I should consider? Any suggestions welcome


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Neither is natural English.
Student or Learner
Are these two sentences different:
1. The land backs to a lake.
2. The land backs up to a lake.
Neither is natural English.
How about:
3. The land backs into a lake.
4. The land backs onto a lake.
'My house backs onto a lake.'
This is OK because my house has a back and a front. 'The land' hasn't got a back or a front.
How about then these:
5. The house backs to a lake.
6. The house backs up to a lake.
That's the exact same construction you put in post #1. You have had your answer several times now. Thread closed.
Remember - if you don't use correct capitalisation, punctuation and spacing, anything you write will be incorrect.


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Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini could kickstart his summer business with a swoop for Erik Lamela after personally scouting the Roma star on Sunday, reports talkSPORT.
The 20-year-old attacking midfielder got on the scoresheet in a 3-1 away defeat against Sampdoria, and impressed in an otherwise under-par team performance at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
Mancini is reportedly keen to revamp his attacking options at the Etihad Stadium, having fallen 12-points off the pace of leaders Manchester United, as they bid to retain their Premier League title.
Summer signing Scott Sinclair has made little, to no impact whatsoever since joining Manchester City from Swansea, while Samir Nasri's form has also suffered in 2012/13.
The Italian tactician is ready to sell both players, and believes Lamela could thrive alongside David Silva, and fellow South American's Sergio Aguero and Carlos Tevez in England.
Lamela joined Roma for an initial £15million in 2011, and has notched 11 goals and two assists in Serie 'A' this season. However, despite his impressive form, the Italian giants could be open to selling the former River Plate star, as long as the price is right.
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The Central Sacramento Valley Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D), in partnership with the Butte County Economic Development Corporation, is offering a three day workshop to assist agriculture producers in creating a plan to start or enhance a tourism enterprise on their property.
The workshop series, titled Adding an Agritourism or Nature Tourism Enterprise to Your Farm or Ranch, is spread over a five week period to provide an opportunity for participants to apply information and practices being learned. The sessions will be April 1, 15 and 29, 2013. Training locations will vary within Butte, Colusa, Glenn and Tehama counties. The specific locations will be provided to those who register.
To learn more of the workshops visit www.csvrcd.com and select 2013 Workshops to find the
Workshop Announcement and Registration Form. The registration form may be submitted on-line, printed and faxed to (866) 711-0700, or mailed to 150 Chuck Yeager Way, Suite A, Oroville, CA 95965. To request the announcement and registration form by mail call 530-534-0112, Ext. 122 or 125.


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Conor Orr @ConorTOrr
Braylon is 17 Jordan white changes to 89 #jets #nyj
I know this should probably go in the Braylon thread, but this got me super excited when I heard about it.
I miss Cotch.
Ginley, weren't you yelled at for starting all these Braylon threads?!?
I miss David Clowney and Chansi Stuckey.
I miss wide open receivers...
You better believe Jordan White had to give up that number.
Do you know how many #17 Edwards jerseys the Jets have in storage?
Moss was a pu$$y when he was here. There's a reason he was nicknamed 'sideline santana' - the guy dropped hated the middle of the field and would rather give up yards and scampered to the sideline to avoid hits. Don't get me wrong - fast WR with good hands, but he lacked toughness.
Cotch on the other hand, while not as physically gifted, fought for every catch and yard.. a gamer.
I must say that Im happy that Bray is back
I feel that one of our own came back home.
I know that nostalgia has no part in this business but I always wanted him back, believed that he deserved consideration and that Tanny believed that Brays presence was detrimental to the Sanchez.
Thus Holmes over Bray was a no brainer during the FA signing period.
Does he have outside deep ball speed like 2010 no!!
Will it matter with the way the Sanchez is playing no!!
Hope that Bray stays with the team next year, hoping an upgrade at the QB spot will ignite Hill, Holmes , Edwards, Kerl and Schills
For what its worth welcome back .Ill go nuts if he scores one on MNF.


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Welcome to my Dystopian Giveaway Hop! This hop runs from November 1 to November 7. It is hosted by My Shelf Confessions and I am a Reader, Not a Writer. You can see the list of participating blogs here, so go and visit them all!
I am giving away a finished copy of Solstice by PJ Hoover!
About the book:
Piper's world is dying. Each day brings hotter temperatures and heat bubbles which threaten to destroy the Earth. Amid this Global Heating Crisis, Piper lives under the oppressive rule of her mother, who suffocates her even more than the weather does. Everything changes on her eighteenth birthday, when her mother is called away on a mysterious errand and Piper seizes her first opportunity for freedom.
Piper discovers a universe she never knew existed—a sphere of gods and monsters—and realizes that her world is not the only one in crisis. While gods battle for control of the Underworld, Piper's life spirals out of control as she struggles to find the answer to the secret that has been kept from her since birth—her very identity….
An imaginative melding of mythology and dystopia, Solstice is the first YA novel by talented newcomer P. J. Hoover.


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When I watch the final 4 playoff teams, I'm just amazed at how quickly their backs hit holes and turn 2 yard bangs into 8 yard gains. We haven't had that since forever.
Curtis Martin was good at sliding, but didn't have much burst. Leon Washington was pretty close, but not quite. Lamont Jordan, Thomas Jones, Shonn Greene, just tired of these slow-poke power backs already.
Give us a speedy back and a pass-catching dump off back, that's half our offensive issue solved right there.


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I would have thought that their talk was satirical with an ironic twist, thereby not being sexist at all in the given context.
How wrong the political correctness freaks have proved me once more!
The ones at fault here are the ones bringing 9 year olds to a Techcrunch conference. Much more "adult" stuff than this could have been discussed, and within context too.
That is not sexism, poor taste at best.
So it's wrong for a guy to talk about "taking a picture of yourself staring at tits" and to simulate masturbation in public, but it's perfectly all right for Miley Cyrus to do the same (and more!) on national television in front of millions of people? I guess they should have done it on MTV; then it would have been ok.
Interesting equating you have going on there.
Miley Cyrus is well known for gyrating in from of millions of viewers at conferences.
You also have the nice piece of logic "well someone else did something bad so this bad thing is ok too".
You also have the nice piece of logic "well someone else did something bad so this bad thing is ok too".
I'm not going to side with the parent poster, but the logic he is trying to employ is the same logic that gets used to show discrimination when it isn't white men. If drivers who are black and speeding get tic
While I don't approve of either act, there's a difference for what an entertainer does onstage and what happens in a supposedly "professional" environment.
Entertainers do crazy stuff onstage for attention all the time. This is the industry that gave us Lady Gaga and Kylie Minogue, and introduced the term "wardrobe malfunction." It's a show. It's designed to provoke, and entertain. If you're not into it, don't watch MTV (I don't understand why anyone would have in the last 10 years, but there I go being
From the reaction shots in the audience, particularly that of Will Smith and his family, I did not get the impression that the majority were in the "You go girl!" camp. Most seemed shocked, a few started to fully comprehend what they were seeing and they were not pleased. Cyrus may have gained some "cred" with her intended audience, but somehow I think there are a few Hollywood parties that she won't be invited to.
Mod this up for the worlds first twerking strawman!
Yes, women need a dickstare app for balance.
Women have boobs. People jerk off. Stop trying to hide obvious human sexuality issues from everyone. EVERYONE does this stuff. Why hide it? This puritan crap needs to go away.
I'm with you on this
Why is a wet T-shirt contest sexist? I mean, perhaps since (generally) only women are allowed to enter it's sexist against men, but I doubt that's what you meant.
Are phenomena like boy-bands sexist against men? It's awfully degrading to men that millions of women are ogling and rubbing themselves off thinking of One Direction or New Kids on the Block right?
Why is a wet T-shirt contest sexist?
It's not sexist per-se, it's just degrading to women. Let's stop arguing about semantics and get back to the issue.
Are phenomena like boy-bands sexist against men?
They are certainly degrading to some extent. Most men can never look like those made-up and airbrushed guys, selected purely based on looks. Since many of them can't even sing or write songs they are purely there for the way they look it definitely is objectification of men based on an unrealistic and unobtainable fantasy image of the male body.
That's the mainstream feminist view, BTW.
Here is her story and app [techcrunch.com].
The real problem is that we have reached the point where the puritanical values have caused men's reactions to breasts to become national news, and to where breastfeeding mothers are made to feel they are doing something shameful.
Stupid, stupid Americans. I doubt the Aussies even considered America's hypersensitivity in the process.
Who goeth a-borrowing goeth a-sorrowing. -- Thomas Tusser


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During their June 10 meeting, council members approved an almost 10 percent increase to the current sewer rates. According to Moab City Manager Donna Metzler, the increase, and last year's 5.5 percent increase are being done, in part, to help secure funding for upgrades to the city's wastewater treatment plant.
"We determined we needed to do a progressive increase to our sewer rates," she said, adding that the city's current rates are very low compared to other areas in the state.
The fee hike will help improve the city's eligibility for loans and grants from the state of Utah, she said.
"In order to receive low interest loans or grants from the State of Utah, the city must show that sewer system users pay a reasonable monthly charge for sewer services," the resolution passed by the council stated.
Those charges are based on the median adjusted gross household income (MAGI) and cannot exceed 1.4 percent of that figure. Based on the 2010 U.S. Census data, putting Moab's MAGI at $32,620, the city's current sewer rate of $15.45 is 0.57 percent of MAGI, according to the resolution.
"If our rates are too low, [the state] won't look favorably on our situation," council member Kirstin Peterson said.
The rate will increase to $16.90 for residential customers beginning in July. A memo prepared by Moab city staff said that additional increases may be needed in the future.
"It is likely that additional increases will be needed over the next couple of years," the memo stated. "Operational costs for the upgraded plant are not yet known, but are likely to be more expensive than current operational costs."
Spanish Valley Water and Sewer Service Agency customers will also see an increase, since the agency pays the city for use of the sewer plant. However, according to city staff, that increase will not take place until Aug. 1 in order to give the agency ample time to notify customers of the increase. For those residential connections, the monthly rate will increase to $7.70.


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After the 48th and final game of the regular season, a 4-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators before 17,565 at TD Garden on Sunday night, Claude Julien assembled his players for instruction before dismissing them until Tuesday.
Julien reminded his team that when the Bruins square off against Toronto in the first round, they will be two of 16 clubs participating in postseason play. Players from 14 other teams will be watching at the clubhouse following the first of their many tee times.
"There's a lot of teams right now that are doing something different than what we're doing," Julien said. "We should be happy about that. We start from scratch. Everybody has the same record going into the playoffs. Now it's a new season. It's an opportunity for us to challenge for the Cup."
It was the first of many rebuilding projects that Julien and his staff have before them prior to Game 1 Wednesday night at the Garden.
The Bruins are not entering the playoffs as a confident group. They lost three of their last four games. Their first setback was a 5-2 humiliation against Philadelphia last Tuesday. On Saturday, they gagged away a 2-0 third-period lead and watched the Capitals claim a 3-2 overtime win.
On Sunday, the Bruins could have wrapped up the Northeast Division title and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a win over Ottawa. The Bruins had been 4-0 against the Senators this season.
But the Bruins fell behind by two goals. They rallied to tie the game in the third, but saw the hard-working Senators score the winning goal when Jean-Gabriel Pageau crashed the net and dumped a rebound behind Tuukka Rask at 16:26 of the third. Kyle Turris added an empty-net goal in the final minute.
"Probably our biggest challenge going into the playoffs is the ability to score some goals," Julien said. "If we can find that, it will make a big difference in our team. Five on five, for the most part, we've been much better lately. We've created a lot of scoring chances. But at the end of the day, that's the main thing that's been hurting us."
The Bruins got some life late in the second period. Down, 2-0 (goals by Erik Condra and Jared Cowen), the Bruins went on the power play at 18:00 when Cory Conacher was called for holding. At 19:56, the Bruins got on the scoreboard.
Wade Redden supported the attack, tracked down a puck along the right wall, and dished a pass to Rich Peverley an instant before absorbing a wallop from Marc Methot. Peverley snapped a sharp-angle shot that beat Robin Lehner to make it 2-1.
Lehner also couldn't stop the next puck that came his way. Just 14 seconds into the third period, Dennis Seidenberg fired a shot from the right point. Lehner was positioned to stop it, but it sailed over him and into the net.
The Bruins had tied the game. The crowd was behind their boys. The Bruins had the Senators on the ropes and Lehner questioning his confidence.
But the Bruins managed only six more shots for the rest of the period. Had they fired more rubber on Lehner, he may have cracked under the heat.
"We had a lot of push today," Seidenberg said. "Again, we just couldn't score and get those necessary goals. They just did. They buried their chances. That's what killed us at the end."
The line that has to improve is that of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and Tyler Seguin. They have been the most consistent two-way unit all season.
But they didn't produce offensive results in the final games.
Seguin closed the regular season with five straight games without a goal. Halfway through Sunday's second period, Seguin had a glittering chance. But he winged his shot wide of the net. The Senators regrouped, dashed the other way, and saw Cowen dump a one-timer past Rask for a 2-0 lead.
Marchand had only one shot, and took a foolish slashing penalty on Erik Karlsson at the end of the first period. Marchand has just one point in his last four games.
Bergeron has one assist in his last seven games since returning from a concussion. The sputtering play of his wingmen hasn't helped. But Bergeron hasn't reclaimed the offensive presence he boasted before suffering his injury.
The Bruins don't have much time to find their confidence. They must reload and regroup promptly.
"I think so," David Krejci said, when asked if the team was ready for the playoffs. "If not, we have a couple days. We've got to turn the page. Whatever happened, if guys, as a team, or as individuals, we had maybe a bad season or some ups and downs, it doesn't really matter.
"Now is the time to turn the page. We start from 0-0. We've got to focus on that and just move forward."Fluto Shinzawa can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow him on Twitter @GlobeFluto.


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Government to review immigration petitions for same-sex couples
WASHINGTON (CNN) — U.S. immigration officers will begin reviewing visa applications for same-sex spouses of American citizens, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said on Monday.
Her statement was in response to last week's Supreme Court decision that found a key provision of the Defense of Marriage Act, which denied certain federal benefits to same-sex couples, unconstitutional.
President Barack Obama has directed federal agencies to begin reviewing their practices to ensure the court's decision is swiftly implemented.
"To that end, effective immediately, I have directed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to review immigration visa petitions filed on behalf of a same-sex spouse in the same manner as those filed on behalf of an opposite-sex spouse," Napolitano said.
Previously, even if a gay or lesbian couple wed in one of the 12 states that allow same-sex marriage, they were prevented from benefiting from a federal provision that allows a non-American spouse of a U.S. citizen from applying for a work visa.
On its website, the Department of Homeland Security now tells same-sex couples they are permitted to file petitions for immigrant visas, and that those applications will no longer be automatically denied because the partners are of the same sex.
Legislation has been introduced over the past decade that would recognize same-sex partners for immigration purposes, though none has been successful. Same-sex couples in which one partner is a non-U.S. citizen have either moved to other countries or lived apart.
A 2011 student conducted by UCLA's Williams Institute for Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy found nearly 30,000 such couples had married in the United States.
Before Napolitano's announcement, a gay couple in Florida had already had its visa application approved by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, according to the pair's lawyer.
Julian Marsh, an American citizen, successfully petitioned the government for a work visa for Traian Popov, a Bulgarian he married in New York in 2012.
Last week, the Office of Personnel Management sent a memorandum to various federal agencies informing them that same-sex spouses are now eligible for health insurance, life insurance and retirement coverage. The children of such couples also will be able to participate in many of the programs.


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2 U.S. Code § 142k - Library of Congress disbursing office; payroll processing functions
§ 142k.
Library of Congress disbursing office; payroll processing functions
From and after October 1, 1989, the Librarian of Congress shall take appropriate action to assure that no legislative branch employee whose salary is disbursed by the Library of Congress disbursing office is adversely affected by alternative ways of performing the personnel/payroll processing function.
(Pub. L. 101–163, title II, § 206, Nov. 21, 1989, 103 Stat. 1060.)
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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India Inc. Leaves the Mad Men Era Behind—One Act at a Time
Scene 1. Today is Peggy's first day as Copy Chief of the new Creative department. As she walks down the hallway, abuzz with excitement, she wonders what kind of team she'll have and eagerly anticipates beginning her new job. Reaching her office, she stops at the door in dismay—someone has taped a...
June 16, 2014 by Amelia Costigan, Aarti Shyamsunder, PhD


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Whatever one might say about Kid Rock, you can't say he isn't dedicated: to repping his beloved hometown Detroit, to acknowledging his own musical heroes — from Seger to Aerosmith to Run DMC — to recognizing the power of a good time, however that might be defined for the listener. (For him it apparently includes lots of wine.) Rock's been doing all that since his '90s breakthrough, but it's been a long time since he's sounded like he's having as much fun doing it as he does on "Rebel Soul." The record offers his signature blend of rock, country, hip-hop, and pop with a slightly larger (and business-savvy) emphasis placed on the country sensibility, with a few well-placed shots of soul. The clutch of bona fide, roll 'em down, turn it up car crankers — including the Stones-y "Chickens in the Pen" and "3 CATT Boogie" — compensate for the more boilerplate raunch-and-rollers and Auto-tuned ballads. Throughout the album, Rock, who clearly understands his vocal limitations, employs some dynamite backup singers who enliven, fill out, and otherwise beautify their surroundings nicely. (Out Tuesday)
Sarah Rodman
ESSENTIAL "3 CATT Boogie"


text: The one thing that i really liked about this game is that you had an overdrive mode. Over time your characters overdrive meter would fill up and when it did you could press tab and then you do bonus damage. You also turn red when you use it. It was pretty cool and a unique concept for mmos.