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Expedia Verified Reviews
Don't miss out on a lower price on this hotel
Get an overview of this hotelFamily-friendly resort with 12 restaurants and 3 outdoor pools
Popular property highlights
This family-friendly Orlando resort is within 3 mi (5 km) of Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Epcot®, and Disney's Hollywood Studios®. Disney's Boardwalk is 2.7 mi (4.3 km) away.
Resort Features
Along with 12 restaurants, this smoke-free resort has 3 outdoor pools and a full-service spa. A free area shuttle and a free theme park shuttle are also provided. Additionally, a golf course, 2 poolside bars, and 8 bars/lounges are onsite.
Room Amenities
All 502 rooms feature thoughtful touches like bathrobes and slippers, along with conveniences such as refrigerators and coffee makers. MP3 docks and 24-hour room service are standard, as are LCD TVs with cable channels.
Languages Spoken
- English
Waldorf Astoria Orlando
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
Waldorf Astoria Orlando features a full-service spa, a golf course, and 3 outdoor swimming pools. Dining is available at one of the resort's 12 restaurants and guests can grab coffee at one of the 2 coffee shops/cafés. Guests can unwind with a drink at one of the resort's bars, which include 2 poolside bars and 8 bars/lounges. Wireless Internet access is available for a surcharge.
This 5-star property offers access to a business center, limo/town car service, and meeting rooms. Event facilities measuring 174,000 square feet (16 square meters) include conference space. This luxury resort also offers a spa tub, a fitness center, and a steam room. Onsite parking is available (surcharge).
Waldorf Astoria Orlando is a smoke-free property.
- Express check-in
- Lazy river
- Waterslide
- Number of outdoor pools - 3
- Free theme park shuttle
- Elevator/lift
- Fitness facilities
- Children's club
- Local Expert Concierge
- 24-hour front desk
- Business center
- Number of bedrooms - 1
- Porter/bellhop
- Express check-out
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Valet parking (surcharge)
- Limo or Town Car service available
- Conference space size (meters) - 16
- Luggage storage
- Hair salon
- ATM/banking
- Concierge services
- Gift shops or newsstand
- Shopping on site
- Pool umbrellas
- Total number of rooms - 502
- Number of floors - 14
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
- Golf course on site
- Number of bars/lounges - 8
- Number of poolside bars - 2
- Full-service spa
- Conference space
- Spa treatment room(s)
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Meeting rooms 19
- Year Built 2009
- Steam room
- WiFi (surcharge)
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Number of coffee shops/cafes - 2
- Smoke-free property
- Children's club (surcharge)
- Supervised childcare/activities (surcharge)
- Free area shuttle
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Spa services on site
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- Number of restaurants - 12
- Conference space size (feet) - 174,000
- Laundry facilities
- Spa tub
- Arcade/game room
- Wedding services
- Multilingual staff
- Free newspapers in lobby
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Outdoor pools
- Lazy river
- Waterslide
- Area shuttle (complimentary)
- Theme park shuttle (complimentary)
- Laundry facilities
- Babysitting or childcare (surcharge)
- Arcade/game room
- Refrigerator
- DVD player
Available in all rooms: Wireless internet access ( USD 14.95 per night ), Wireless internet access ( USD 14.95 per night )
Available in some public areas: Wireless internet access ( USD 14.95 per night )
Languages Spoken
- English
- Dutch
- French
- Portuguese
- Spanish
Valet parking (surcharge)
Room Amenities
- Premium TV channels
- Pay movies
- Hypo-allergenic bedding available
- Premium bedding
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Air conditioning
- Phone
- Refrigerator
- Coffee/tea maker
- DVD player
- Daily housekeeping
- Turndown service
- Designer toiletries
- Bathrobes
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- In-room massage available
- Slippers
- Iron/ironing board
- Desk
- MP3 docking station
- Cable TV service
- WiFi (surcharge)
- Wired Internet access (surcharge)
- Cribs/infant beds (surcharge)
- Separate bedroom
- Rollaway/extra beds (surcharge)
- Connecting/adjoining rooms available
- In-room safe (laptop compatible)
- Blackout drapes/curtains
- Room service (24 hours)
- Egyptian-cotton sheets
Where to Eat
Buffet breakfasts are available for a surcharge.
Oscar's - This restaurant serves breakfast and lunch. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar.
Bull and Bear - Overlooking the golf course, this restaurant serves dinner only. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar.
Aquamarine - This poolside restaurant serves lunch only. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar.
The Clubhouse Grille - Overlooking the golf course, this restaurant serves lunch only. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar.
Peacock Alley - This restaurant serves lunch, dinner, and light fare. Guests can enjoy drinks at the bar.
24-hour room service is available.
Nearby Things to Do
3 outdoor swimming pools are on site along with a spa tub. Other recreational amenities include a golf course, a lazy river, a waterslide, and a steam room.
The recreational activities listed below are available either on site or nearby; fees may apply.
- Golf driving range on site
- Water skiing nearby
- Golf lessons on site
- Golfing on site
- Hiking/biking trails on site
- Mountain biking nearby
- Skydiving nearby
- Windsurfing nearby
- Yoga classes/instruction on site
- Pilates classes on site
- Fitness classes on site
- Bicycle rentals on site
- Kayaking nearby
- Sailing nearby
- Scooter/moped rentals nearby
Spa Services
Waldorf Astoria Spa has 22 treatment rooms including rooms for couples. Services include massages, facials, body wraps, and body scrubs. A variety of treatment therapies are provided, including aromatherapy and hydrotherapy. The spa is equipped with a spa tub and a steam room.
Children under 18 years old are not allowed in the spa without adult supervision.
- Spa tub in spa
- Steam room in spa
- Number of treatment rooms 22
- Couples treatment rooms
- Manicures and pedicures
- Body wraps
- Body treatments
- Body scrubs
- Facial treatments
- Aromatherapy treatments
- Hydrotherapy treatments
- Massages
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- Roll-in shower
- In-room accessibility
Hotel Policies
Check-in time ends at midnight
Check-in time starts at 4 PM
Check-out time is 11 AM
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Rollaway/extra beds are available for USD 25 per day.
- Cribs (infant beds) are available for USD 25 per night.
- Pets not allowed (service animals welcome)
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
- Resort fee: USD 40.00 per accommodation, per night
- Spa access
- Fitness center access
- Sporting facilities or equipment
- Internet access
- Phone calls
Optional extras
- Breakfast fee: between USD 34 and USD 40 for adults, USD 20 and USD 25 for children (approximately)
- Fee for in-room wireless Internet: USD 14.95 per night (rates may vary)
- Fee for in-room wired Internet: USD 14.95 per night (rates may vary)
- Fee for wireless Internet in public areas: USD 14.95 per night (rates may vary)
- Valet parking fee: USD 35 per day (in/out privileges)
- Crib (infant bed) fee: USD 25 per night
- Rollaway bed fee: USD 25 per day
Hotel Name
- Orlando Waldorf Astoria
- Waldorf Astoria
- Waldorf Astoria Hotel Orlando
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando Hotel Orlando
We should mention
Reservations are required for massage services and spa treatments. Reservations can be made by contacting the resort prior to arrival, using the contact information on the booking confirmation. Only registered guests are allowed in the guestrooms. The property has connecting/adjoining rooms, which are subject to availability and can be requested by contacting the property using the number on the booking confirmation.
Awards & Affiliations
- Waldorf Astoria Orlando is listed in the 2013 Condé Nast Traveler Gold List of the world's best places to stay and the 2013 Travel + Leisure 500.
Bed and Breakfast
Book a stay in any "Bed and Breakfast!" rate category and receive daily buffet breakfast certificates for 2 adults.
Must book "Bed and Breakfast!" rate category to receive benefits. Certificate certificate redemption details provided at check-in. Taxes and gratuity may not be included. No refunds for any unused portion of offer. Offer subject to availability. Offer is not valid with groups/conventions and may not be combined with other promotional offers. Other restrictions and blackout dates may apply.
25% Off Shows in Orlando
Book a stay now - January 31, 2018 for travel during the same period and receive 25% off the purchase of show tickets.
Guests must purchase tickets at the Local Expert concierge desk in the lobby. Discount is off the standard rates charged by Local Expert concierge desk. Show tickets must be purchased by January 31, 2018 for redemption by February 28, 2018. A maximum of 2 tickets per show may be purchased using this offer. Offer is only valid for shows in Orlando carried by Local Expert concierge desk. Additional tickets may be purchased at the regular retail rate. Taxes are included. Admission to theme park is not included in this offer. Parking is not included. No refunds for any unused or partially used tickets. Show tickets are non-transferable, non-refundable, not for re-sale, void if altered, will not be replaced if lost or stolen and may be confiscated without restitution for misuse. No refunds for any unused or partially used show tickets. Improper use constitutes fraud. Offer subject to availability. Other restrictions may apply. See specific show information for more details.
20% Off Excursions through Florida Dolphin Tours in Orlando
Book a stay now-June 30, 2018, in any room or rate category for travel now-July 31, 2018, and receive 20% off the price of excursions through Florida Dolphin Tours in Orlando.
Full details provided at check-in. Reservation for excursions must be made by visiting the Local Expert concierge desk located in the hotel lobby. Excursions must be purchased by June 30, 2018, for redemption by July 31, 2018. A maximum of 2 tickets per excursion may be purchased using this offer. Offer is only valid for excursions through Florida Dolphin Tours in Orlando carried by Local Expert. Additional tickets may be purchased at the regular retail rate. Taxes are included. No refunds for any unused portion of offer. Offer subject to availability. Offer is not valid with groups/conventions and may not be combined with other promotional offers. Other restrictions and blackout dates may apply.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sadly, it took me about a minute to get the joke.
I was close to quoting and asking.
I was nearly over-Joyce-d at figuring out my mistake.
"You can learn little from victory. You can learn everything from defeat."
-- Christy Matthewson
"Show me a good loser and I'll show you an idiot."
-- Leo Durocher
Games are won on run differential -- scoring more than your opponent. Runs are runs, scored or prevented they all count the same. Worry about scoring more and allowing fewer, not which positions contribute to which side of the equation or how "consistent" you are at your current level of performance.
I read the title of this thread quickly and was thinking Andres Galarraga and was trying to wrap my head around that one
KySteveH (03-08-2013)
Does Galarraga get the Dontrelle Willis slot?
Wait until the year after next year.
Originally Posted by teamselig
With ESPN.com finally announcing the signing of Galarraga today, it got me wondering this:
Has anyone mentioned the fact that when Galarraga pitched his (almost) perfect game, the guy who was called safe at 1st was Jason Donald, who, coincidentally, would be Galarraga's teammate should they both make the team?
Not a big deal, but interesting nonetheless.
For every action there is an equal and opposite criticism.
* Attended the 1990 and 2010 Reds Division clinchers *
Watched the 2012 Clincher on FOX.
Girlfriend is a UK fan
GO STEELERS - Go Buckeyes - Go SIXERS
bigredmechanism (03-08-2013)
If anyone can get him throwing well again, it's Bryan Price. I have supreme confidence in that man. The chances of our rotation being as healthy as they were last year are pretty low, and having A.G. as a #7 or #8 depth starter isn't the worst plan a team has ever had. Not too long ago he would have been an ace or #2 at worst on our staff.
Award Winning Baseball Player
Reds lost an apparent insurance policy when right-hander Armando Galarraga left Monday's AAA game with an apparent arm injury in the fourth inning.
Board Moderators may, at their discretion and judgment, delete and/or edit any messages that violate any of the following guidelines: 1. Explicit references to alleged illegal or unlawful acts. 2. Graphic sexual descriptions. 3. Racial or ethnic slurs. 4. Use of edgy language (including masked profanity). 5. Direct personal attacks, flames, fights, trolling, baiting, name-calling, general nuisance, excessive player criticism or anything along those lines. 6. Posting spam. 7. Each person may have only one user account. It is fine to be critical here - that's what this board is for. But let's not beat a subject or a player to death, please.


text:
Thousand of Passport Office workers will be on strike on Monday in a dispute over staffing shortages at the government agency.
The Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) says hundreds of office jobs have been cut since 2010, causing a backlog in the processing of passports and many people have had their holiday plans thrown into chaos.
Bosses only agreed to meet the union to discuss staffing levels after pressure from the House of Commons home affairs select committee, the PCS claims.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: "The staffing crisis in the Passport Office has been obvious for everyone to see and it shouldn't have taken a committee of MPs to force the chief executive to meet us to discuss it.
"We are still a long way off getting a commitment from the agency that it will work with us to put the proper resources in place to ensure these backlogs do not reoccur year after year."
A Home Office spokesman said contingey plans would be in place during the strike.
He said: "Holding a strike at this stage is irresponsible and will only inconvenience our customers and jeopardise their holidays.
"All HM Passport Office Customer Service Centre counters will remain open and we will be able to issue passports for those in emergency situations with urgent travel needs."


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text:
I just need a little input from PEOPLE WHO MAY ACTUALLY WANT THESE to figure out the best design.
If you don't like splitters on cars, then DON'T leave your input, that's not the sort of input I'm looking for.
What I'm trying to figure out is what materials to make these out of, and if y'all want a 1 piece design or 2 piece.
First issue- Design:
Of course, we'd probably all love to see the 1 piece design, since that would be the absolute cleanest look, but it would also bring the price up substantially. Not only do the materials cost more to start out with bigger sheets, but it also costs more to ship a package that's 6'X2' rather than 3'X2'.
So basically, would you rather have a 2 piece Lexan splitter that was about $100, or would you rather pay $150 for the 1 piece design?
Next issue- Materials:
I've got a number of materials I can make these from, but the cost of each is different. I could do Carbon Fiber, but the cost would probably be pretty high. I'd guess around $200 for a 2 piece design, and maybe as much as $300 for a 1 piece. Black Lexan is what I have used before and is probably my favorite choice, but it's not cheap either (see prices above). I could also do them in black ABS plastic. ABS is sturdy enough to stand up to the abuse this area of the car sees, and I think it would give the same look as black Lexan but for a substantially lower price. Like, 2 piece design for under $50 lower.
Any of these materials will hold up to the abuse, and also help protect your airdam from damage as it helps give the airdam some extra structural support. Any of these materials could be painted as well.
As with anything in this community, the lower it costs the better it sells. A similar philosophy goes for bringing new products to market... It's economically easier for me to bring products that are less expensive and easier to produce to market sooner because there's less initial overhead. If I go by that, I'm inclined to start with a 2 piece design, probably made from black ABS. However, If everyone's adamant about a 1 piece design, or having Lexan, and want to pay the extra coin, then I would go that route instead. I'm going to be ordering some material in the next week or so, but I'll be able to get things going faster if I can order smaller pieces and less expensive materials.
Now, I'll try and answer some other questions that may come up....
I will offer these kits with or without adjustible stabilizer bars. Of course the kit that comes with them would cost more, but I am unsure of the price difference at this time. I have run splitters on several cars without stabilizers. I just drilled a few holes in the lower edge of the airdam, and bolted it up. I've never had a problem with any vibration issues or anything. That being said, some people like the look so I will be looking into offering the stabilizers.
These splitters will stick out about 2"-2.5" at the furthest point. It should give a nice aggressive look without being overly excessive like the one I used to have on my car. I think that one was about 3"+. I'll try to find a pic. I will also be getting my mock-up template finished up so I can get a pic of it on the car so you can see the actual dimensions of the actual production part. Those pics to come...
Couldn't I offer all materials in both 1 piece and 2 piece designs for different prices? I could, and I probably will down the road. However, like I said before, it's easier to get the less expensive, simpler things going first, so I like to find what will sell the best quantity the quickest so I can offer those first. Then I take the funds generated by that and roll it over into getting some more expensive materials or adding different designs.
So..... Which way would you rather see this go....
Less expensive materials and a 2 piece design? Less expensive 1 piece? 2 piece design with higher dollar materials? Maybe you're baller status and want a 1 piece carbon fiber?
Thanks in advance for your input!
Edited by Burton, 27 March 2012 - 12:16 PM.


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Building a new life after prison
RaeLynn Costa is making a comeback, with the support of Project Return
At 10 a.m. on a Saturday, RaeLynn Costa crouches next to a plastic kiddie pool, massaging oatmeal shampoo into the scruffy coat of a shelter dog named Buddy. She murmurs softly to the water-wary pooch as she rinses the soap from his fur and towels him dry.
Her 14-year-old daughter, Nicole, along with a squad of other teenage girls, are also on hand to help scrub down mucky canines and cars at the combination dog wash/car wash fundraiser at First Church of the Brethren, 2115 Yale Blvd.
It was Costa's idea to host the unique church event, but that's not what makes her special. In less than a year, the 45-year-old mother and animal lover has transcended from serving a drug sentence at Decatur Correctional Center to taking care of herself, her family and even her community.
Her key to success? Project Return, she says — a Springfield nonprofit organization that helps incarcerated mothers with young children re-enter society by linking them with an intimate group of trained volunteers. For at least one year after their release, these women are helped to achieve financial stability, find housing, access health care and reconnect with their family and children.
"If I would've come out and done it on my own," Costa says, "I can't promise I'd be where I am today."
Project Return was founded in 2003 by Luther Memorial Church and three other area Lutheran congregations. Three years later the nonprofit matched its first returning mother with its first partnership team. Since then five Project Return participants have graduated. At least 14 women and their children have been helped so far in 2009.
According to the organization's figures, an estimated 54.6 percent of former inmates return to Illinois prisons within three years of their release. Executive director Debi Edmund says that many women leaving prison suffer from what she calls "multi-abuse trauma" and easily pick up old habits if they don't have any support.
"We may have a woman who suffers from addiction and mental health problems and
domestic violence and a history of child abuse, so she's going to have a struggle when she gets out," she says. "This is probably the kind of person who can use our help the most."
Costa was born and raised in Los Angeles. She moved to Miami when she was 27 years old and started getting into trouble.
She was using and selling cocaine, crack and sometimes heroin. The first time she was arrested, she was pregnant with Nicole (she had already given up two sons, one in Los Angeles and one in Miami, to their fathers). She wanted to keep her daughter, she says, until she found out she might spend at least 15 years in prison.
"I let my sister adopt her, and at that time, I believed I was doing the best
thing for her," Costa says. "We had an open adoption. Nicole would know that I was her mother."
In December 1998, Costa was released after serving four years and used her bus ticket to rejoin her sister Melinda, her daughter and the rest of her family, who had all moved to Springfield. But her problems didn't stop with a change of scenery.
"I started doing the same things all over again," she says. "It's like I have a magnet. It finds me. I don't have to find it."
Costa was busted for selling drugs three more times after coming to Springfield. The third time, in May 2007, she was sentenced to five years at the maximum-security Dwight Correctional Center.
It might have been her love of dogs that helped her take the first step to recovery. While in Dwight, Costa enrolled in dog grooming classes, where she learned to bathe dogs and trim their nails. After she finished the program, her teacher recommended her transfer to the Decatur Correctional Center so she could continue her studies. (Students get to use clippers in the classes at the medium-security prison.)
Costa also joined a drug treatment program at Decatur, and that's when she finally decided it was time to change, she says. She considered checking into a residential recovery program when she was released, but then she heard about Project Return. She applied to the program and was soon visited by Paulette Roberts, the clinical program coordinator, and Patsy Howe, the addiction recovery specialist.
Costa started with Project Return after she paroled from prison in September 2008.
"Patsy Howe said the day she met me, she told Paulette when they were leaving, 'Paulette, that one's a keeper,'" she says. "They all have a lot of faith in me, and that's OK. I'm going to make it."
Project Return works with the Illinois Department of Corrections to locate
eligible women in Dwight, Decatur and Lincoln Correctional Centers. According
to IDOC, as of July 1 there were 2,588 females incarcerated in the three women's facilities, as compared to the 42,957 males housed in the state's 25 other prisons.
Roberts and Howe visit the prisons twice a year to conduct "re-entry summits" that teach inmates about Project Return. They meet with prison counselors to identify women who are ready to change their lifestyles. Applicants also must be returning to Springfield and responsible for minor-aged children in order to qualify for the program.
Once the accepted participants are released, they are matched with a partnership team that's comprised of four volunteers from a capital city area church or service organization. Several Project Return graduates are partnership team members, Edmund says, which is a huge asset to the program.
"This is someone that our new lady coming up can connect to," she says. "She can see someone who's been there and been successful."
Costa was paired with a team from the First Church of the Brethren. Even though it wasn't required, she started going to church with her team members. She's found another family there, she says.
The first time Paula Harris, one of the members of Costa's partnership team, met Costa, she immediately pegged her as gregarious and determined.
"RaeLynn has been a blessing not only to our team, but to the church," Harris says. "She's put in a lot of hard work and it's starting to pay off for her. A dog wash and a car wash — who would think of that for a fundraiser? She has some unique abilities."
Roger Ruth, another team member, confesses that he had never spent time around a
former inmate, but experienced a similar reaction: "I met her, and I was like, 'Wow, this woman is very honest.' Her personality was very infectious. I knew there was something good working
Project Return, the partnership team and the participant work together to establish a covenant that identifies everything the participant wants to work toward in the next year. Costa told her team that she wanted to manage her own dog grooming business, so members asked the church for donations and helped her get the tools she needed.
In April Costa's team also helped her move from the mobile home she was living in with her roommate, Richard Duffey, to a remodeled home in Southern View. It's another positive partnership, Costa says, because Duffey takes care of the rent. She pays the other bills, cooks the meals and cleans the house.
Other teams have helped their participant meet their goals by taking them to find apartments or to find furniture for their new homes. They offer their participants a break from daily stressors by treating them to movies or dinner, as well as providing moral support. One team held a graveside memorial service for a woman who lost a child, but couldn't attend the funeral because she was in prison.
The participants are expected to follow certain guidelines. They meet at least once a month with Project Return and with their team. They attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings or other support groups if they're in recovery, and see a counselor if they're dealing with mental health issues. They're also asked to access appropriate health care for their families and apply for jobs.
Project Return rewards participants for each success with incentive points. A job application is worth five points, Edmund explains, while attending two AA meetings each week is worth 10. The points translate into dollars and can be spent on anything the women need, including rent or utilities payments, extra groceries or birthday gifts for their kids.
In the beginning, Costa attended the required number of AA meetings and even
earned additional points by cooking for her fellow participants. Now that she's been clean and sober for more than two years, she says, she doesn't feel like she needs to attend the meetings. She still visits with Howe once a
month and calls on family or a team member for support.
"I know what to do when there comes a point where I'm having a bad day, and I want to go get high," Costa says. "I know how to pick up a phone, and I will."
Edmund has worked in social services for the past 10 years, while Roberts and Howe have both worked in the field for more than 20 years. What appeals to them most about Project Return, Edmund says, is offering an intensive, holistic system that meets the individual needs of each woman instead of passing them from agency to agency.
The organization also helps empower these women through a progressive concept
called "restorative justice."
"The way our society envisions criminal justice, it's about punishment," Edmund says. "It's about what does she deserve for what she did? Restorative justice takes a
different tack. We ask, 'Who's been hurt and what do we need to do to fix that?'"
As part of this method, participants acknowledge that they need to make amends with the people they've wronged in the past. They also accept that they, too, have been harmed by people in their lives and can now move forward.
Costa never knew she could be so happy: "Today, I have to think about me first. Today, I love me."
In addition to her dog grooming business, Costa works as a banquet server and sells Tupperware with her sister. She goes to bingo with her roommate, but other than that, she says, she's a real homebody.
Her daughter stays with her most of the time, and she's also working on reuniting with her youngest son, a soon-to-be 3-year-old named Jaedyn. He's currently in foster care; she sees him every Monday and Wednesday.
When asked about the hardest part of the program, Costa says it's been backing away from old friends who still use drugs. It's difficult for her to watch them fail, she says, and know there's nothing she can do except pray for them.
"Not everyone is where I am," she says. "Five years ago, I wasn't there either. I know if I turn back and use, I'll never be able to return to where I am today. They're either going to put me away for life or I'm going to end up dead. I'm not willing to take my chances with either of those."
Terry Dobbs, a third member of Costa's partnership team, is a recovering alcoholic who's been clean and sober for 17 years. After dealing with her own struggles and later facilitating self-help meetings at the Sangamon County jail, Dobbs wanted to do something more for the women who were in and out of trouble. Costa has broken that cycle, she says.
"She has wanted her recovery, so that to me, that's the difference," Dobbs says. "It's all about the footwork that each person does themselves, and you have to want
it more than anything else. I believe she does."
Costa graduates from Project Return in October and hopes to become a member of her church's partnership team. Even though the nonprofit recently lost all of its state funding — $75,000 was administered by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services last year — due to budget cuts, and had to reduce its staff hours by 50 percent, Edmund feels confident that community support will keep their doors open. She's still working to recruit partnership teams so more women like Costa will have somewhere to go when they're ready to come home.
"It's an awesome opportunity for anyone who wants it, [for] any mother who wants to be a family with her kids and be the mother that they can be," Costa says.
Contact Amanda Robert at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Helen Clark: Speech at 2013 Robert Chapman Lecture on "Beyond the Millennium Development Goals"Aug 19, 2013
Rt. Hon. Helen Clark
UNDP Administrator
2013 Robert Chapman Lecture
Beyond the Millennium Development Goals: What could the next global development agenda look like?
The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
6 pm, Monday, 19 August 2013
My thanks go to the Political Studies Department of Auckland University for inviting me once again to give the annual Chapman Lecture, in honour of the greatly respected former Professor of Political Studies, Robert Chapman.
Bob Chapman had a major influence on me and countless other students during his long career at this university. He was an astute observer of domestic politics and world affairs. He helped me to hone my ideas and beliefs into a coherent philosophy, which I could later apply to a political career, and now to my position at the UN Development Programme. I owe Bob Chapman a great deal for his interest in my intellectual development, and for instilling in me a drive for rigour and evidence-based approaches in my career at this university, in Parliament and in government, and now at UNDP.
Such a seminal figure in our country's intellectual life fully merits the naming of an annual lecture series in his honour. I hope it can continue long beyond the contributions of those of us who knew Bob personally and who benefited from his sage advice.
I gave the foundation Chapman Lecture in November 2000. To me that seems like a lifetime ago. Those were very different times, for me, for New Zealand, and for our world.
There is, however, a link in that lecture to my topic today. In it, I referred to the Millennium Summit of the United Nations, which I had attended as Prime Minister just two months before.
I remember the year 2000 as a time of hope - once the fears of a Y2K bug proved not to be justified!
Indeed hope was the spirit of the Millennium Declaration issued by world leaders at the United Nations that year. It was a clarion call for a more peaceful, prosperous, and just world in the 21st century than that which the twentieth century had delivered.
The Declaration foreshadowed the Millennium Development Goals later launched by the UN Secretary General, and specifically called for realizing a number of development targets by 2015. They were:
• halving the proportion of the world's peoples living in extreme poverty, in hunger, and unable to access safe drinking water;
• for all children to complete their primary education;
• substantial reductions in maternal and child mortality;
• turning the tide on HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases; encouraging the pharmaceuticals industry to make essential drugs more accessible; and giving special support to HIV/AIDS orphans;
• significantly improving the lives of slum dwellers by 2020;
• promoting gender equality and women's empowerment;
• making the benefits of new technologies available to all; and
• developing strong partnerships with the private sector and civil society in pursuit of development and poverty eradication.
All these elements of the Millennium Declaration were further elaborated on in the MDGs. While the MDGs have been dismissed in some quarters for not being the product of a broad consultative process, the fact that leaders of 189 delegations at the Summit – many of them Heads of State and Government, including me – agreed to a declaration containing key elements of what were to become the MDGs – gave them weight.
Whatever the debate about the MDGs' origin, they certainly gained traction. A great many developing countries incorporated the targets into their national development plans, and have measured progress against them ever since. There has been a large number of national, regional, and global reports produced on MDG progress over the past thirteen years, and there is a particular focus now on accelerating achievement of the goals and targets by the end of December 2015.
Concurrent with that effort, an international debate is well under way on what a global development agenda should look like beyond 2015. Should there be one at all? Should it apply to all countries? Should global targets be set? If so what should they be? I will comment on some of these issues this evening.
Should there be a renewed global development agenda at all?
This question begs rather more fundamental questions, such as:
• what is the point of multilateralism in general and when applied to development in particular, and
• are there development objectives which are more likely to be achieved through global focus and effort than by each country acting alone?
The experience with the MDGs suggests that global priority setting, backed by action, does generate results. For example, the global poverty reduction target set in the MDGs has been met, most of the world's children now go to school, and the tide has been turned on HIV/AIDS and malaria. In the context of HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria, maternal mortality and under-five mortality, the decline by nearly 32 per cent in the burden from these MDG-related disorders between 1990 and 2010 is considered to be greater than pre-MDG trends would have produced. This suggests that the increased global attention these areas got from the MDGs, and the extra funding which followed, helped.
On reflection, the development progress stimulated by the MDGs should not surprise us. Overall, the evidence seems to suggest that norms and priorities established through international agreements and agendas can and do have an impact on the attitudes of societies, the laws and policies of countries, and ultimately on the well-being of people.
Robert Putnam has argued that international agreements can "change minds and move the undecided," especially where political leaders and opinion-formers champion them. The impact may not be immediate, but over time the UN's conventions, declarations and conference outcomes have shifted domestic and global debates, for example on gender equality and on women's sexual and reproductive health rights – although clearly there is still some way to go.
The mission of the United Nations itself rests on a foundation of universal values enshrined in a series of agreements, beginning with the UN Charter in 1945 and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, and continuing to the Millennium Declaration in 2000 and beyond. These agreements provide an ethical framework for the work of the UN. The studies conducted by the UN Intellectual History Project concluded that they have inspired change in the way countries understand and approach development. That in turn, has helped trigger long-term and under-the-radar change in public norms and values. That same intellectual history project rates the MDGs as among the UN's greatest ideas and initiatives.
The UN Charter took the unprecedented, and in 1945 extraordinary, step of calling for global development action to increase standards of living in all parts of the world. The UN's founding members realized that a more peaceful world would not be possible without stable societies, more prosperous communities, and universal respect for the human rights of all people, regardless of race, sex, language, or religion – the list has expanded since that time. Ever since 1945, the UN has linked the three pillars of its mandate – peace and security, human rights, and development.
That has helped to broaden the focus on development. Richard Jolly, one of the lead authors in the UN Intellectual History Project, argues that the UN's many agreements and conference outcomes have shifted the common understanding of development from a narrow economic concept to one which is broad, people-centred, and multidisciplinary.
Pioneering UN Conferences and agreements, particularly in the 1970s and 1990s, were successful in making human rights, conflict resolution, environmental sustainability, gender equality, and peace and peace-building integral to what UNDP considers today to be sustainable human development. Jolly notes, however, that rising debt and recession in the 1980s brought early thinking and co-operation along these lines to a halt. In those years the International Financial Institutions dominated the international development agenda with their focus on stabilisation and structural adjustment programmes.
The priorities of those programmes were lowering inflation and deficits and generating economic growth – not human development. It was said that some of the architects of structural adjustment went so far as to argue that making poor people's lives worse in the short term could be justified in the name of 'development'. The result was what has been described as 'a lost decade for development' for sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
During this time the UN's development arm took on the role of constructive dissent. In 1985, UNICEF began promoting the need for 'adjustment with a human face'. In 1990 UNDP issued its first annual Human Development Report, crystalizing earlier thinking and offering an alternative approach to the "Washington Consensus" by putting people firmly at the centre of development. This approach, pioneered by Nobel Laureate Amatya Sen and his colleague Mahbub ul Haq, saw development as being about enlarging people's choices and strengthening human capabilities. In the human development paradigm, which owes so much to Sen and Ul Haq, it is the extent to which people are healthy, educated, and free which provides the yardstick for a nation's progress, expressing in effect the aphorism that "man does not live by bread alone".
A second round of global conferences and summits in the 1990s linked human development and social priorities to sustaining the environment, understanding population dynamics, ensuring food security, and promoting gender equality. The UN Millennium Summit in 2000, where leaders from 189 countries adopted the Millennium Declaration and in effect set the Millennium Development Goals process in motion, was a natural outcome of all these discussions, and had a strong focus on human development.
In the follow up to its major development summits and declarations, the UN has long adopted and promoted goals - for example, to provide universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, or to increase healthy life expectancy and eradicate illiteracy. The assessment made for the UN Intellectual History Project of the progress on the economic and social goals set by the UN from 1960 to 2000 suggests that most have been partially or largely achieved. For me, this makes the case for global agenda setting for development.
The drive to achieve internationally-agreed goals can also spur countries on to greater achievements. I know from my own experience in government how prized a high ranking in an international index was – and how a low ranking could motivate urgent action to address the problems it exposed. In a similar way, the MDGs have had a galvanizing impact on many countries, as they put the spotlight on basic benchmarks of human development.
As well, the indicators linked to the MDG targets have incentivized countries to invest in better data against which progress can be more reliably measured. An expanded post-2015 development agenda could go further in stimulating both action and better information collection on huge issues like gender violence and unemployment. On both of these, many countries currently lack sufficient data on what is happening – perhaps because tackling them has not had the priority it deserves.
International agendas and goals also help build alliances for change – within and between governments and civil society especially. The MDGs brought together diverse development actors around a common cause. The measurability and focus of the Goals helped draw broad public attention to the development challenges of particularly the poorest countries.
After a period of stagnation in the 1990s, Official Development Assistance (ODA) did rise sharply in real terms from 2000 onwards. Many attribute that rise in aid quantity and also in quality to the MDGs – in itself a major achievement. Now as ODA levels are dwindling, perhaps a renewed global development agenda could reignite enthusiasm for eradicating poverty once and for all, and for building a more sustainable world.
Moving beyond 2015 – broader issues to address
There is no doubt in my mind that a renewed global development agenda is desirable, and would re-energize human and sustainable development. In renewing, though, there is no need to start from scratch. The next agenda should build on the MDGs' success, aim to complete their "unfinished business", and reflect the profound global changes since 2000.
To do that, what has been learned from the MDG experience needs to be analysed. Having supported countries to pursue the MDGs over these past thirteen years, UNDP has come across both inspiring success stories and significant weaknesses. Both are relevant to designing a new agenda.
But a lot has changed since 2000: the world has been exposed to numerous crises – from the global financial crisis to major natural disasters, and to profound conflict with regional and global spillover effects.
• In 2000, there was nothing like the awareness which exists today of the threat of climate change. Now the predictions pour out on global warming not being on track to peak at two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, but at three, or four, or even six degrees. Huge losses have been suffered from extreme weather events - drought, floods, and storms. The stress of unsustainable global production and consumption patterns are reflected in high rates of deforestation, water scarcity, food waste, and greenhouse gases' emissions. Current development models have brought us to the brink of planetary boundaries.
• Continuing business as usual risks not only irreversible damage to ecosystems, but also arresting human development. The poorest people on earth are bearing the brunt of climate change. It is not sensible to talk about poverty eradication and environmental sustainability as separate issues – they are closely linked, and a renewed global agenda needs to be premised on a strong vision for sustainable development.
• A new agenda could also make the links between development and the rule of law, effective and responsive governance, and the importance of peace and citizen security.
• The MDGs were silent on: the devastation caused by violence and conflict; the importance of open, accountable, and responsive governance; the need for inclusive growth and decent work; and the exclusion of persons with disabilities. Some countries have taken the initiative to add their own MDGs at national or local levels to help address such issues: Mongolia, Albania and Tonga, among others, for example, introduced national goals and targets aimed at good governance.
Should there be a universal agenda with local targets?
The MDGs were set as global benchmarks. Some developing countries had met most of the targets when they were launched – and some still haven't.
The Secretary-General's High Level Panel on Post-2015, co-chaired by the Presidents of Indonesia, and Liberia and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has suggested that "all goals in the future agenda, be universal, representing the common aspirations of all countries; while almost all targets be set at national or local levels, to account for different starting points and contexts". In UNDP's experience, localizing the targets and getting buy-in at all levels of government – national and sub-national – helps drive MDG achievement.
A universal global agenda could also help address an often cited weakness of the MDGs: the imbalance between having mainly performance criteria for developing countries and aid-centric delivery criteria for donors. Correcting that will be critical for reaching consensus on a new development agenda.
In reality, the global sustainable development challenge requires all countries to act. A shift to more sustainable production and consumption patterns, for example, will require concerted action from the developed world to cut carbon emissions, but that does not mean that others need to do nothing. Even heroic action by advanced economies to reduce their carbon footprint is not enough to ward off catastrophic climate change. "Common but differentiated responsibility" must remain a key principle for action on climate change.
Should there be a focus on tackling inequalities?
It is commonplace to observe that progress on the MDGs has been uneven – across and within countries. By 2010 the world is estimated to have met the MDG target of halving the proportion of people living in extreme poverty. This achievement owes a lot to the exceptional progress made in just one very large country – China. Some countries, however, have seen little reduction in their extreme poverty rate. On another dimension, a country may be encouraged by national reports of fewer child deaths, even where the poorest of its people see no change.
Since the Millennium Declaration was signed, inequalities have increased in many places, even where economic growth and development progress have been rapid. The poorest 1.2 billion people in the world account for only one per cent of the total global consumption of goods and services, while the richest one billion consume 72 per cent. Already poor and excluded groups may face the added burden of discrimination – whether that is due to age, gender, ethnicity, indigenous status, disability, place of residence, HIV status, sexual or gender orientation, or other factors. They typically have the least resources and remain the furthest behind.
The High Level Panel Report recommends that the next development agenda should aim to "leave no one behind." That could lead to formulating a global goal aimed at eradicating extreme poverty worldwide. An ambitious agenda might also seek to eradicate preventable deaths, chronic hunger, and illiteracy. It should also target gender inequality - widely recognized as the single largest driver of inequality in today's world. More broadly, targets and indicators focused on excluded groups could be included across the agenda – ensuring that the worlds' progress is gauged by the status of its poorest people.
Increased access to technology and social media has better enabled people to highlight the extent of inequalities and demand change. These tools and better data can help to track progress of those once invisible in the "tyranny of averages."
Enabling broad participation in the development of the new agenda
While the Millennium Declaration which foreshadowed the MDGs was agreed on by the UN's Member States, there was not broad public outreach when either it or the MDGs were developed. These days there are much greater expectations that peoples' voices will be heard when global agendas are developed.
An expert review of "What Makes International Agreements Work", conducted by New York University and the UK Overseas Development Institute last year, concluded that "multilateral agreements that bring a range of actors into the process to support the accord, including domestic actors like government officials and civil society groups, are more likely to be agreed and implemented."
To increase the involvement of civil society in debate about the post-2015 development agenda, UNDP and sister UN organizations launched a global conversation through social media, other websites, and face-to-face meetings. More than one million people from across all UN Member States have shared their priorities to date. When those Member States move to negotiate the next agenda and sustainable development goals, it is to be hoped that these many voices will be heeded.
What do people want from a future agenda? Where do their interests converge?
In addition to inviting broad public engagement, the UN Secretary General sought the advice of world leaders and experts by convening a High Level Panel on Post-2015. The Panel issued its far-reaching Report last month. This month, the business, academic, and scientific communities have weighed in with joint reports and recommendations. There appears to be consensus emerging across this wide range of experts, leaders, citizens, and groups from the public consultations, the SG's High Level Panel, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network on:
- a future agenda which tackles the unfinished business of the MDGs;
- a future agenda centred on sustainable development, with the eradication of poverty at its core;
- a universal agenda which mobilizes countries, North and South; and
- a limited number of goals and targets which capture the key challenges for humanity in a compelling way.
At UNDP we are advising UN Member States in the early stages of their negotiations to 'bank' areas where there is broad agreement. This would then open up space for negotiators to focus on the topics which are more challenging.
In the discussions to date, higher human development and ecosystem integrity are seen as compatible objectives. Green and inclusive economies and societies can deliver both – it's not a question of either/or. But achieving both requires integrated approaches – bringing together sectors and policy-makers often not accustomed to working together.
Coming to consensus in a multipolar world: tackling the hard issues
Among those hard issues is the place of peace and good governance in the new agenda. They were not specified in the MDGs, perhaps because of the difficulty of reaching agreement on how to reflect their importance. In the post-2015 consultations, however, there has been a groundswell of support among citizens for honest and effective governance to be recognized as a critical driver of development. This ranked third in the global My World survey on priorities.
The UN Secretary-General's High Level Panel describes "personal security, access to justice, freedom from discrimination and persecution, and a voice in the decisions that affect their lives as development outcomes in their own right". They suggest global goals with nationally adopted targets aimed at, for example, increasing public participation in political processes, guaranteeing public access to information, and reducing the number of violent deaths. These concrete suggestions, backed by a mobilized citizenry, could help the negotiating member states overcome doubts and hesitations in this area.
Another bone of contention will be over what in the jargon is referred to as the "means of implementation" of a transformative global agenda.
For sure, more and better quality development assistance for poor countries would help – along with greater policy coherence in a range of areas, from trade to migration and tax avoidance.
MDG 8 aimed to 'create a global partnership for development', and contained targets on trade reform, debt relief, and access to new technologies and essential drugs, but progress across these areas has not been stellar.
A report from the UN development system to the Secretary General on the post-2015 agenda suggested that countries could set out how - given their particular abilities, capacities, and resources – they could each contribute to advancing the global goals, by specifying the partnerships and policy "enablers" to which they would commit.
But a new global agenda also needs to take into account the partnership possibilities emerging from today's shifting geopolitics and geo-economics, and from the widening range of development actors – across the emerging economies, the private sector, the mega-philanthropic foundations and NGOs, and a vibrant civil society in developing countries. South-South co-operation will have a growing role to play – but as a complement to and not a substitute for traditional ODA.
Where to from here?
The process of reaching agreement on the future global development agenda still has some two years to run.
• This September, the UN General Assembly will hold a special event with world leaders looking at how to accelerate progress to meet the MDGs between now and the 2015 deadline. The event may also plot a roadmap for nations to decide – between now and 1 January 2016 – on what the next development agenda, with goals therein, should look like.
• By September next year, UN Member States involved in the UN General Assembly Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals are due to issue their recommendations.
• UN Member States will then – or before – begin negotiations on the renewed agenda, with a view to that being affirmed that at a high level UN meeting in 2015.
Some Concluding Thoughts
Two things are important now:
1. maintaining a high level of public interest in the outcome of the negotiations on post-2015 and sustainable development goals, and
2. accelerating achievement of the goals we have. The greater the success of the MDGs, the greater the credibility of the process of negotiating a new agenda will be.
A sobering reflection: whether or not the MDG targets are met, around one billion people will still be living in extreme poverty in 2015. Many still will not have clean drinking water or improved sanitation. Many will still be suffering from hunger, malnutrition, gender discrimination, and more. Such suffering is inconsistent with the vision for dignity, equity, peace, and prosperity of the Millennium Declaration.
The future global development agenda can be the next stage of implementing the vision of the Millennium Declaration. To rise to that challenge, the international community needs to agree on a reinvigorated and transformational global agenda.
Twenty years ago, could we have imagined that one billion more people would have been lifted out of extreme poverty by now, or that polio would be gone from all but three countries, or that four out of five of the world's children would be vaccinated, as is the case today? The world is demonstrably healthier, more educated, and prosperous than ever before.
In the face of today's daunting global challenges, we cannot allow ourselves to be condemned by a collective failure to imagine a better world. Rather we should work for a world where poverty in all its dimensions is consigned to history, and where we pull back from the brink of environmental catastrophe to a new, sustainable global equilibrium. It is to be hoped that the outcome of the post-2015 debate rises to this challenge.


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This is the task:
Create a translation service.
Customer service to activate the service method as follows:
getWord ("car", "russian", "polish")
The first parameter is the required word, the second is the original language, and the third target language.
The method should return a string with the appropriate word or words separated by commas if there are synonyms.
Data source, the service should use XML documents (the system may have only a few words, in order to test the functionality).
I started by creating an XML file and establishing a connection between Java and XML:
import java.io.IOException;
import javax.xml.parsers.ParserConfigurationException;
import javax.xml.parsers.SAXParser;
import javax.xml.parsers.SAXParserFactory;
import org.xml.sax.SAXException;
import org.xml.sax.helpers.DefaultHandler;
public class Main {
public static void main(String[] args) throws
ParserConfigurationException, SAXException, IOException{
SAXParserFactory spf = SAXParserFactory.newInstance();
SAXParser sp = spf.newSAXParser();
sp.parse ("Servis.xml", new MySaxHandler());
I have no idea what to do next. Please help.


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Neither Santonio Holmes nor New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is confident in the wide receiver's availability for training camp, much less the season opener. Now we have a better idea why that's the case.
Holmes revealed that his Lisfranc fracture was diagnosed as a Grade 4 injury, which is the most serious variety. He had a joint separation and a muscle tear in the middle of his foot, according to ESPNNewYork.com. A plate was removed in a March follow-up surgery, but two screws will remain in his foot permanently.
Although Holmes has set the beginning of training camp as his "target date," not one of the Jets beat writers has been buying it as a realistic timetable. Holmes' yet to begin running and cutting. In fact, Holmes hasn't even disclosed if he has started jogging.
With Holmes' Week 1 status up in the air, the Jets are "looking at all possibilities" at the position after a disappointing showing by their wide receivers in last week's mandatory minicamp.
Free-agent options include Brandon Lloyd, Austin Collie, Laurent Robinson and Chaz Schilens.
Of that group, Lloyd easily is the most attractive option. New Jets general manager John Idzik has to be harboring doubts about placing an eccentric wide receiver known for his erratic behavior in the middle of what has been a combustible locker room.
I hope he never plays for the Jets again I am tired of his mouth get himoutta here please.
Jets better get off their A-ss and sign 2 receivers if they want to be competitive this year!
Didn't Jets get Rob Moore is a supplemental draft one year? Is that supplemental draft still in effect?
Hill will pick up the slack.
I mean he might drop it first but my money is on him to pick it up again afterwords.
I don't think anyone ever expected to have Holmes back for the start of this year.
Steve Breaston could be a decent option but I also think Collie could thrive in this offense as it is predicated on good route running. Yes we would have some small guys running around out there (and he is a huge injury risk) but he knows how to get open for sure.
Have to hope the are a few teams out there who, unlike us, saw some real potential in some of there draft choices. In which case they may be willing to part with a more expensive veteran, that we could then pick up. What we need is a hold the fort for two year guy who can actually make an impact.
I real don't want any more head cases in the locker room then we already may have.
hmm.. this shouldn't be new news to the Jets. I wonder why they avoided WRs in FA and the draft.. Not saying that a #1 was available, but at the very least they should've looked to upgrade..
Don't think anyone realistically expected him back before week 5.
And not really sure what Jets fan's agenda against Holmes is... You were all saying the same garbage about Cro.
STFU and nut up. So he smokes weed, probably the greatest medicine out there... a friggin PLANT.
How many of you sorry sacks take Viagra?!
Keep on hatin, bltches
Id like to see our kids get a legit. chance to do their thing. I like STROUD but he is raw. The kid from Tennessee and the kid we drafted last year can all step up. I think its better to develop our kid receivers then bring in leftovers for a year. Why do that? We could still be very competitive with the kids playing. They have not even had the opportunity of a training camp to get their feet on the ground.
That's a tough injury. If he has problems after it heals, it will be when he cuts off the foot since he basically tore up the arch of his foot. He can make it back though. Freeney and MJD had the same injury. I'm not sure about the grade for them though. Did someone step on his foot or did it just fracture during a practice?
I'll never forgive him for quitting on the team. Screw him! I dislike him as much as I dislike A-Roid, and I'm a Yankees fan.
He's got his $45 mil and is never going to play again. He quit on us in 2011, and when Revis went out he said to himself F this. I'm beginning to wonder if he has any injury at all. What would it take to buy a couple of doctors, a couple million?
And he goes out into the sunset basking in his MVP days. Say what you want about Sanchez but he could do the same. Yet he's out there busting his butt while getting heaped with abuse.
The sooner holMEs ends the charade and is gone the better.


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Blackberry Chicken Recipe
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- 2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup fresh blackberries, divided
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika, divided
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)
- 4-1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- In a small bowl, mash 2 tablespoons berries. Add 1/4 cup broth, brown sugar, vinegar, oil, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon paprika and cumin.
- Place chicken in an 11x7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray; pour broth mixture over the top. Sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper and remaining paprika.
- Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°, basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove chicken and keep warm.
- Skim fat from pan drippings. In a small saucepan, combine cornstarch and remaining broth until smooth. Gradually stir in drippings. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with chicken; sprinkle with remaining blackberries. Yield: 6 servings.
Reviews forBlackberry Chicken
My Review
Average Rating
"This was really good! Not something I would eat all the time, but as an occasional twist to chicken--it's great!"
"Amazing! I made biscuits with this, and the sauce was one of the best dipping sauces of all time! I did use dried thyme, but then only about 1/4 of what was called for. I also used the spice mix to spice the chicken first, then poured over the sauce. IMO meat always needs to be spiced first. Absolutely going in the recipe book! Very festive."
"Looks like I'm the only one who didn't give it 5 stars. It was good but not exceptional in my opinion. I'd make it again but it's not going to be one of my go-to recipes."
"I made this last night but substituted half of the blackberries with blueberries and it was wonderful. Definitely recommending this one to my friends."
"Amazing! My entire family LOVES this recipe and looks forward to a hearty crop of blackberries so we can make this chicken all year long. The combination of flavors is delightful!"
"Awesome. easy and wonderful! Don't hesitate to make this simple and flavorful dish"
"I love this recipe and frequently use it to "wow" my guests! When blackberries are not in season here, I buy frozen berries and they taste just as good."


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The Hamilton Board of Education, after cancelling its meeting last week, elected its new officers, and after some wrangling appointed its required officers Monday night.
Board members talked about sweeping changes to their practices, officers and contractors and made plans to change some of them, although they did not take any formal action at this meeting.
The board selected Jeff Hewitson as its new president after a year on the board marked by scandal, stagnating test scores, problems with its administration and aging facilities. Throughout, the residents of the community have called for more communication, more transparency and occasionally, new board members.
�I think the Board should be very open. We haven�t been as transparent as we can be,� he said.
New vice president Joe Malagrino said he wanted to shake up the board�s designated officers, which include Affirmative Action Officer, Attendance Officer and Homeless Liaison, among others.
�We�re not scraping anything off the wall we�re just adding more paint,� he said.
He said the new superintendent, James Parla, should have a chance for new designated officers that might best fit his administration. The officers appointed by the board Monday were all carry-overs from last year.
�These are the same individuals we have had problems with � Some of these individuals aren�t worthy of the positions they are in right now,� he said. �He�s left with the same individuals when he should have the opportunity to bring in new people.�
After discussing the officers, the board decided to hold off on those officers until Thursday night�s special meeting, which Parla said would address �certain personnel issues.�
The Board Business Administrator, Joe Tramontana, has been on paid administrative leave since November after being named in testimony during the federal corruption trial of former Hamilton Mayor John Bencivengo. Marliese Ljuba, the prosecution�s key witness, said she gave Tramontana and his wife, Cathy, gifts, trips and tickets while she served as the district�s health insurance broker and while Joe Tramontana served as business administrator.
Bencivengo was found guilty in November 2012 of taking $12,400 in bribes from Ljuba during 2011 and resigned shortly thereafter.
The scandal dominated much of the board�s meetings in the latter half of 2012, with board members calling for audits, clearing house and reforms while residents called for resignations. In November�s elections, voters chose three new board members: Jennifer Barnock-Riddell, Albert Gayzik and Dina Thornton.
The board will also likely introduce a new monthly policy of reviewing all the district�s purchases each month. Parla recommended they appoint a staff member to help board members review purchases and make sure they are necessary. He said he was surprised the district did not already do those reviews.
The board also scheduled a budget presentation at 6 p.m. at Mercer County Community College on Jan. 30 which will be open to the public.
Parla said he wants to bring on a facilities director, which the district is currently lacking. He said it would also help address safety concerns such as door locks, building security and other issues.
He said that after the Sandy Hook school shooting, the district distributed keys to all the teachers so that they could lock their doors in the event of an emergency, and would look at further security measures as part of the district�s long-range planning.


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Infamous: Second Son is starring a brand new protagonist, but that's not the only change coming to the franchise for its first PlayStation 4 outing. A brochure implies that the game may get some form of multiplayer mode, which if true, would be a series first.
Videogamer reports that a PlayStation 4 brochure offline single-player, and then "online players TBC" (aka "To Be Confirmed"). Other single-player games in the brochure, like Knack, reportedly don't include such a listing. That indicates that the wording was slipped into the Second Son entry for a reason.
This is speculative for the time being, and Shacknews has contacted Sony to confirm. We'll update as more information becomes available.


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In the world of modern technology, smartphones & tablets are always evolving. RIM is always striving to bring forth a groundbreaking product that puts it ahead of other competitors. Today, we will take a brief look at their most recent tablet offering, the 4G LTE BlackBerry PlayBook.
As mentioned in our video above, there is some significant hardware differences between the WiFi-Only & 4G LTE Playbook. Below we've outline the differences found within the processor speed, connectivity options & storage options.
WiFi BlackBerry PlayBook 4G LTE BlackBerry PlayBook Processor 1 GHz dual core processor 1.5 GHz dual core processor Connectivity Wi-Fi: 802.11 a/b/g/n
USB: Micro USB port
HDMI: Micro HDMI port
Bluetooth: Bluetooth v3.1
Wi-Fi®: 802.11 a/b/g/n
USB: Micro USB port
HDMI: Micro HDMI port
Bluetooth®: Bluetooth v3.1
LTE (700, 1700 MHz), HSPA+ (2100, 1900, 1700, 800, 900 MHz)
Storage Options Built-in memory:
Built-in memory:
The most noticeable different you will notice when using the 4G PlayBook is the updated processor. The additional 50% processor speed will bring milliseconds of difference in your daily usage, but you will certainly notice a more fluid user experience will multi-tasking. RIM has simplified the storage options, giving a sole option of 32GB, which for most is more than plenty for their music, movies & files. The addition of a LTE/HSPA+ radio chip does allow you to experience your PlayBook at it's fullest in areas that may not have WiFi connection. With LTE being a quite new technology within North America, coverage isn't as broad as what you would find on your carrier's HSPA+ network, so it is highly recommended to consult with your carrier concerning coverage prior to making a purchase of this device.
With additional specs does come more strain on battery usage, & 4G LTE chip does certainly make that known. Due to adding a LTE to the device, RIM needed to implement a smaller battery to compensate. During a typical day of usage, the battery in 4G PlayBook lasted on average 25% less than our WiFi-only PlayBook. If you are like me & regularly charge your smartphone/tablet, this doesn't seem like something significant but I could certainly see this having a negative impact on someone who doesn't have a charging capability readily available. I was also glad to see RIM listening to feedback from early adopters of the 1st generation PlayBook, as they lifted/protruded the Power button on this new device to make it easier to press, saving you the hassle of poking your nails into the Power button.
With the exception of revised storage information & MicroSIM card slow on bottom of the device, RIM has kept the same structure, measurements & weight. This is great, as there is no need to purchase new cases or skins for your tablet.
4G (HSPA+) 4G (LTE) http://www.blackberryos.com/bbos-ima...2/HSPA-3c2.png http://www.blackberryos.com/bbos-ima...12/LTE-jyo.png
I was impressed by the speed received while testing the device. Although HSPA+ and LTE network technologies should give you downloads speeds of 42Mbps and 75Mbps respectively according to their manufacturer's rated peak download speed, the maximum speeds we received for both networks slightly exceeded the expectations we were given from Rogers. This was likely due to a lack of network congestion, which I will not complain about since the LTE network speeds will be bogged very soon by a new, underachieving simple shaped phone from a competitor.
Overall, the 4G LTE PlayBook is certainly does bring much needed spec upgrades to the device. I wish I could say this is a must-have upgrade for all current PlayBook owners, but the shorter battery lifespan, additional carrier cost for tablet data plan & processor's milliseconds of difference in your daily usage make it more of a luxury update/upgrade if you must have the latest gadget.


text:
Not bad not bad... I just got my monitor in the mail! So much for "10-15 days" AND it cost me an Extra $30 on arrival. OH WELL.
Putting a video together of how it works, I'll add it to this once it's done and uploaded.
It blue screens with static, which is NOT ideal for FPV. I'll have to now buy some sort of "vga converter" or something for it.
Last edited by krallopian; 07-19-2012 at 12:49 PM.
lol, "and that's what happens".. "nothing, nothing happens" I was expecting full screen for a second.
It's lookin good either way, functional is always great and I'm sure you'll fix the static - blue screen issue, no problem.
What's a coffee if it aint Irish
Don't worry, everything have a solution.
I was thinking the gel battery was bigger.
I think your screen is perfect for the base station.
Sl4sh MM2
T-Maxx 3.3
Summit 1/10
Sl2sh VXL
Thanks guys!
So I received my Screen in the mail today, didn't work... went out at 2:30 to get an RCA to VGA converter and got back at 6pm to see that the post office ALSO received something for me from Hong Kong while I was out...
Converter doesn't do anything - now it gives me access to Horizontal and Vertical positioning on the screen but that's it - STILL blue screen. What a dissapointment - $40 for the stupid thing and it doesn't do what it's supposed to do.
The thing from Hong Kong wasn't my switches and knobs it was instead the Carbon Fiber sticker I had ordered, this stuff is GORGEOUS it's prettier than the real thing haha.
I also picked up a Speaker - non-powered so I can just hook it in directly to the Video Receiver, no need for an amp:
The picture's not perfect but it shows the speaker in a HAPPY PUPPY or whatever its called, I'm just going to rip the speaker out of the stupid dog plastic thing - $4, what can I ask for!
For what is the carbon fiber?
Haha "happy puppy", at least is cheap.
Sl4sh MM2
T-Maxx 3.3
Summit 1/10
Sl2sh VXL
The carbon fiber is just to make case that I'm building look cooler.
That puppy speaker is SO quiet, using a headphone out, at FULL volume it's about as quiet as a whisper. Figures, what do you expect for $4 hahah. I'm going to get one of these instead for $30:
Probably the bottom one, and have it along the bottom of the screen - I just have to find out how BIG that thing is - gotta wait until tomorrow, the waaaiiitting game.
I like more the 2 picture but i think is a bit big,but i dont know.
Sl4sh MM2
T-Maxx 3.3
Summit 1/10
Sl2sh VXL
Bought the second speaker, it's 2" too long, so I'm going to have to rip it apart and mount it creatively. The sound from it is incredible though, FAR FAR FAR better than I expected.
Here's my desk as it sits:
I bought a video amplifier, it hasn't helped the blue screen at all, oh well ANOTHER $30 wasted. At least now I have 4 video outs, so this way I can send video directly to the monitor, and then also ..... elsewhere hahah.
Sl4sh MM2
T-Maxx 3.3
Summit 1/10
Sl2sh VXL
I returned the Converter and picked up the amp, so I haven't been able to do that test.
There are only TWO speakers in this unit, the picture and unit looks like there are FOUR, two circles and two ovals - the ovals are actual mechanical pieces with rubber that MOVE but have no wires to them, it's just for looks - pretty extreme just for looks in my opinion.
Either way, I think I'm going to just separate them both, and mount them on the side of the bottom half of the case - so that they are sidefiring, not positive yet.
Something like this:
Last edited by krallopian; 07-20-2012 at 07:12 PM.
Yeah it's difficult to do, much more so than I imagined. I figured, "blah I'll get some switches, and components and lay'm out" but the issue I face now is because I don't have the parts, I'm only guessing how big things are. The screen is exactly that size, the knobs are that size, the speakers and volume knob are that size... but the power, voltmeter, switches etc... aren't to scale. The "AV" on the right side, is representative of the charger and its connectors.
That is my suggestions. (Sorry, I feel this was my project, I am very interested in this project )
Sl4sh MM2
T-Maxx 3.3
Summit 1/10
Sl2sh VXL
Well yes of course. I've ordered the parts all from Hong Kong so they're on a boat on their way here, I'll know when they get here. I want to USE this specific case, I have about 8 Pelican cases of all different sizes and colours, but this is being built for my Pelican 1450 case.
Well Here's the latest version:
I'm still waiting on the parts from Hong Kong so I can get the EXACT sizes of the switches, but I'm pretty certain that I have it close enough. I'm going to build the panels out of either acrylic/plexiglass or just thin wood - and cover them with the carbon fiber I have to give it this look.
I'm not sure how I'm going to do the labels though - I might print them out on clear stickers, but they are never ACTUALLY CLEAR just transparent.. anyone have any ideas how to get nice labels?
The volume knob on the left (with the blue ring) is exactly that size, and came with the speakers I bought. The only thing I'm iffy about now on this setup is the center small screen (foxtech DV1) is going to be used to remove the blue-screen issue I have, and it's sort of an on-board recorder - that way if someone steals my CAR or anything happens to the camera while I'm driving, I still have a copy of the "flight." It's about $100 so kinda steep buuut whatever. The issue is how to mount it, I've put some "perspective" on it in photoshop just to show that it would be slightly angled but it's no real big deal anyway.
The other bigger deal is the charger itself - taking it apart to make it fit certainly isn't going to be EASY but it will have a killer effect!
Here's another little thing, $5 12v fan for the video transmitter on the car itself - incase I flip over upside down or something, I don't want the radio to possibly sit there for 20 minutes burning itself up without airflow. With this fan now it stays COOL almost cold to the touch, and it's silent! It's perfect now.
Last edited by krallopian; 07-23-2012 at 02:40 AM.
That last picture isn't an ESC, it's the FPV.. transmitter?? or receiver, either way, that layout looks dope
What's a coffee if it aint Irish
haha thanks tqi and Yeah the last picture is the video transmitter with custom hs/f. I'm using the OEM Esc that comes with the car.
Earlier in the thread I posted pics of it:
With the heat sink and fan combo it does look like an ESC now though haha. Without the fan and heat sink it would get too hot to even touch within 10 minutes of sitting in still air. Now it stays nice and cold.
I just did some quick math to answer a fella's question and found this:
$200 for the screen
$200 for dvr/Accessories
$150 for the case
$80 for the wireless link
$300 for the camera
$80 for the jeep body
$650 for the car
$200 for the radio systems I've made
$100 for the charger
$100 for the batteries
$100 for the switches
$50 for splitter
$30 for carbon fiber
$30 for speakers
Uh yi yi, that's almost $2300 hahaha.
BUT it's going to be rockin! I just ordered the foxtech DV02.
Sl4sh MM2
T-Maxx 3.3
Summit 1/10
Sl2sh VXL
Yeah man I seen it, thanks
What's a coffee if it aint Irish
So...... I had a consultation today with a company that does printing and laser cutting/etching etc.. I'm THINKING I'm going to get this thing professional built. I could buy the acrylic panels myself and then try to cut holes nice and straight and then try and print out clear stickers with WHITE ink...... (not possible) so yeah I met with these guys explained what I'm doing and they're - of course - happy to "help" out! $150'ISH will be the cost. That's a lot, but seeing how from day one I've said, "I'm going to do this thing RIGHT" I had might as well stick to that plan and spend the cash.
The plan is to have the individual sections (battery meter, camera control etc...) as individual plastic pieces wrapped in my carbon fiber vinyl and then print out a clear stick with writing on it and have it overlaid.
What do you guys think? Again I COULD do this myself, but I'd really like to have the professional look.
I think this project's only getting way better!!
Sounds like your case will look like an actual product on the market too
except you can be like "nope... I pretty much built that myself [...]"
What's a coffee if it aint Irish
You can make that yourself (because you are very smart) but is very boring to do that and spend the time on something like that BUT if you want something profetional, go and spend $150
I am 50/50
P.S. I saw something interesting about this thread:You make the account the 01-01-2012 and you have 1,391 post and I enter the 12-30-2011 and i have 227 post
Sl4sh MM2
T-Maxx 3.3
Summit 1/10
Sl2sh VXL
I'm leaning on doing this professionally vs "do it myself" even though I'm really still the one doing this, they are just cutting specific sized holes where I am telling them to, and doing the graphics I am designing and telling them to. So I'm really still doing it myself, but correctly vs making a mess of it hahah.
I figured as well after spending as much as I have, what's another 5% cost going to do in the long run!
As for making changes down the road, it'll be easier to make because I'm making this modular - panels that can be replaced!
I realized last night though that I have zero storage in this case!! Ooops...
Sl4sh MM2
T-Maxx 3.3
Summit 1/10
Sl2sh VXL
I am certainly going to build a prototype first so that I know that everything WILL fit.
For instance right now the screen on the charger in the top right, it's soldered in place on the charger, so to make it fit without the rest of the charger extending left in to the DVR I'm going to have to modify it. It's going to be extremely beneficial to prototype it first so that I can find any issues like that before I tell someone, "nah just go ahead and do it."
Look what came in today! EXCITEMENT IN A BOX (or two..)
The last pic shows the knobs connected to both 5k potentiometers and 3-way switches. Very.. very exciting!
(Wish I could EDIT posts instead of having to keep making new ones)
Okay so now all I have to do is wait for my DVR to arrive and I'll know for SURE that this can be laid out this way, but as it stands - this is basically how it's going to look! Everything here is exactly to scale.
The only thing missing here is the connection from the screen to the base. I'm not sure if I'm going to place a battery in the lid for the monitor and transmitter/receiver or keep both batteries in the base itself.
Either way, there will be at least a video cable coming from the top part to the bottom, through the center bottom of the lid, to the top center of the base above the dvr screen.
I think that pic is better than the last one.
I have a question about your post #103:
What is the program do you use for 3D model?(sorry if that question was answer before)
Sl4sh MM2
T-Maxx 3.3
Summit 1/10
Sl2sh VXL
Thanks DBG! It's a much more "realistic" layout in both scale, positioning and overall feeling.
The 3D program I used - pretty sure I mentioned it, sorry if I didn't - was MAYA. It's the best 3D program out there IMO, they trained me 10 years ago so I have a pretty good base, but man how things have changed in that program since then hahah.
No updates there really, there isn't anything to do there anymore! Well... there IS the lights on the dashboard, but that's basically going to be taken care of within a couple hours of working once I get a small board I've ordered. I ordered a CAMERA SWITCHER board, something that is basically just a RECEIVER SWITCH that when I send a signal, it selects "output 1" or "output 2" and if I'm using a three-way switch - as I am for the transmission - it will select, output1, 2 and 3.
This will basically light up "1" or "2" on the dash board for me.
I will also have lights for differential locked/unlocked and maybe a few other things
Good luck with Maya, there's a lot to learn.. it's THE professional program.
Thanks for the suggestion about the program.
Maybe you know this program but if you doesn't know, here is the name: Live Wire: This program is about make circuits in the computer and test them. I suggest it because it have all the essential for make circuits. I really like this program(I am doing a homemade BEC) If you want the link with others 5 programs (combo) send me a PM
Sl4sh MM2
T-Maxx 3.3
Summit 1/10
Sl2sh VXL
So I printed it out for a size test, and everything fits perfectly! Thank you Photoshop, and dollar-store ruler! Here's some test shots:
Wow, it looks to have a perfect fit, Nice
Sl4sh MM2
T-Maxx 3.3
Summit 1/10
Sl2sh VXL
I received my DVR today, it does exactly what I need it to do, NO MORE BLUE SCREEN!! Perfect.
However it doesn't display at the same time as the big screen which.... I dunno if I like or not, I'd prefer to be able to control whether or not it does but oh well.
Here's what came in the box today:
Cam Switcher
160° Metal Servo (for steering wheel on the car, my modded servo is too glitchy/noisy)
Low Pass filter for the Transmitter
Low Pass Filter (this prevents the video transmitter from interfering with the 2.4ghz onboard receiver on the car - it cuts everything above 1400mhz)
Looks like I can't really open up the DVR and do too much with it, it's all tiny tiny surface mount everything, even the LED's are surface mount... what a shame. You can see how small this thing is, that's a bottle cap in the top left.
Low pass filter.. A sexy mystery of an instrument.. lol !!
I wish you'd do a range test man, if you had like any camera taping the fpv screen while the summit cruises away visibly in the background it would be sweeeet
What's a coffee if it aint Irish
Looking good and some what over my head, but I have a question for ya........did you in your wildest dreams when you first started with the camera for the truck think you would be going this far with it?
You hare going to have one wild truck. Now just rig it so you can watch DVD's on it as well
Hahahah I've got it rigged so I'll be able to watch DVD's on it already ahah that's too funny!!
Here's how it looks right now:
I've had to reposition things because of the shtuff I'm sticking under the main panel - charger, ac/dc converter, splitter, dvr - and added a CAM SWITCH. I'm thinking of putting some cheapo - $15-20 - cameras on the car, and I can select between three camers in total using channel 3 of one of the tq/tqi boards. Instead of changing transmission, I'll change camera! My main FPV one, then perhaps a "bumper cam" and a..... "under carriage cam" or something, not sure yet.
I had to change the way I'm doing the DVR though, it's toooo integrated to even remove the LED's. Since they are integrated using custom light pipes, it's a silly idea to try and make it work, let alone the buttons. I'll just have to use the remote control that came with it - booooo.
Right now I'm just waiting on the AC/DC converter so I can get a proper size estimate, and then I'll be able to go ahead and get all the holes drawn up, send it out to be cut up and I'm basically good to go! THEN I can get back to driving the car hahahaha.
TQi, I still haven't done range testing. The car has been in pieces the whole time, I still don't have the FPV side of it fully built - no where to mount the transmitter and battery officially yet other than just throwing it on, so I don't want to do a range test with unrealistic placements. I don't have new batteries for the remote yet either, I wouldn't wanna do a range test till I have new ones in there - the ones I have are pretty much toast after testing testing testing.
Last edited by krallopian; 07-31-2012 at 01:00 PM. Reason: I kant spehl


text:
What to do with the city's storm sewer system has become a topic of debate.
It's heated up again now that the city has announced it has a 17.8 million dollar budget surplus.
A lot of that money has already been earmarked for other projects. The mayor wants to use nearly 6 million dollars for storm water projects, but not everyone is buying into the plan.
Auditors are supposed to finalize how much of a surplus there really is soon, that's why many including Isaac's opponent, say she's jumped the gun spending money she may not even have.
Mayoral candidate Jim Newberry says Isaac's plans to spend 5.5 million dollars of the estimated budget surplus on storm sewers is merely a political band-aid.
Newberry says, "She recognizes that she has some serious political problems, she's desperately looking for something that will give her traction."
Newberry believes the floods that swept away two women last month and left dozens of others stranded could have been and should have been avoided. Now, he believes the mayor is trying to capitalize on the tragedy.
"Part of the problem in Lexington, we're constantly re-acting to what the last crisis was rather than trying to spend proactively, Newberry said.
Mayor Isaac could not be reached for comment, but a spokesperson says Mayor Isaac has simply made proposals and nothing has been finalized.
Some members of the Lexington Fayette Urban County Council have said they were not informed of the decision to use the money for storm water projects.


text:
Let's face it. Hot tubs, spas, swim spas and plunges are expensive and they're essentially a luxury item unless you need them for a medical condition. Even then, you won't be able to file a claim for a hot tub with your insurance company. For many, buying a new hot tub or spa may well be out of the question, even if you need it to help with injury rehabilitation or arthritis. So, what do the professionals think about purchasing a used hot tub?
There are lots of people who have a hot tub they'd like to sell. Sometimes they're moving and can't take it with them, they want to upgrade or they simply aren't using it so selling a hot tub or spa only makes sense. This means you could purchase a used hot tub for a fraction of the retail price, saving thousands of dollars in the process.
The pros recommend that if you are seriously considering buying a used hot tub that you have someone who is experienced in hot tub repairs to take a look at it. They may charge you a few dollars for your time, but that could save you hundreds of dollars in repairs before you can even use the hot tub or spa. If you have to replace the heater or the jets, those repairs alone could cost well over $500. And if the fiberglass is cracked, the hot tub may not be worth purchasing at all.
Keep in mind that if you do buy a used hot tub or spa that you will still need to purchase the chemicals and testing supplies, filters and hot tub or spa covers to protect your unit. Many times, the person will give you the chemicals and accessories they have left over which means you'll want to take a close look at the cover (if included) to see if it needs replacing.
You may save a lot of money by purchasing a used hot tub or spa. Like any other used big ticket item, you'll want to make sure you're not buying someone else's problem.
Happy Tubbing!
Ethel Elliott
Written by Ethel Elliott. +Ethel writes about all things backyard with a focus on replacement hot tub spa covers. You can also chat with Ethel on Twitter! Follow this author on Twitter


text:
Evangelist Leona Thomas will have meetings at the Tama Civic Center, where she will be singing with her accordion, Q Chord, and the piano, and preaching the Word of God on Friday and Saturday nights, Oct. 12 and 13 at 7 p.m. On Saturday evening there will also be food and fellowship at 5 p.m.
On Friday night, Oct, 12 the Seymour brothers, along with their mother, the former Patsy Blocker, will be providing special music. On Saturday night special music will be provided by "Storm" Seymour and his children.
Leona was a member of the Tama High School graduating class of 1953. However, she, along with her brother, Dennis, accompanied their parents, the Rev. and Mrs. Leo Thomas, missionaries to the Meskwaki people, and began traveling as nation wide evangelists in December of 1952. Leona traveled as an evangelist for twenty-five years. She also graduated from Open Bible College in Des Moines in 1958. Leona makes her home in Los Angeles, and continues to travel across the country to Pennsylvania and back in ministry every year.
On Sunday, Oct. 14, Leona will be singing and preaching at the Tama Assembly Of God Church on State Street at the 10:30 a.m., and 6 p.m. services. Everyone is invited to attend any or all of these special gatherings.


text:
Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida's largest campaign donors get mixed results on investment
Health insurance giant Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida gave more money to Florida campaigns than any other entity during 2012 - $4.8 million. The company says the contribution are an investment in like-minded candidates as Blue Cross works towards implementation of the Affordable Care Act. But the targeted contributions haven't helped Blue Cross convince the legislature to extend Medicaid coverage to more Florida residents.
Other large contributors are besides Blue Cross include Florida and the U.S. Chamber, Disney, Florida Power & Light and the U.S. Sugar Corp. Full story at the Tampa Bay Times.
Three things your competition does NOT have
You have something that your competition doesn't have. No, I'm not talking about that one-of-a-kind feature built into your product or exclusive new twist you've added to your service offering. It's much more important than these, and I'm sure competitors are in the dark about what you have... » Ron Stein's column continues here.
On the Move
Verizon Wireless names Mariano Legaz president of Florida region
Incapital CEO taps ex-Raymond James brokers to build Tampa Bay presence
Boca Raton-based investment company Incapital has its sights set on growth. It's expanding in Canada while ramping up a Tampa Bay office, seizing on a talent pool of surplus Raymond James Financial brokers after the St. Petersburg firm's merger with Morgan Keegan. Read an interview with CEO John Radtke at the Tampa Bay Times.
Column: Why Stand Your Ground will still stand after George Zimmerman verdict
Republicans control the lawmaking body that passed the Stand Your Ground law. They're not just the defense in this case. They're the judge and jury in Tallahassee. So if the Florida Legislature actually reviews any legislation that makes the case to change the self-defense law, an acquittal is likely. More at the Miami Herald.
» Analysis from New York Times: In Zimmerman case, self-defense was hard to topple
» From Orlando Sentinel: Zimmerman trial boosts ratings, traffic to Central Florida TV stations
Why benchmarks are so important for your company
One of the things that each and every business needs is a systematic way of evaluating their performance. Without quantifiable benchmarks, a firm has no idea if they are swimming ahead of the pack or just treading water.
» Read more from Dr. Jerry Osteryoung
The Real Treasure Coast
Treasure hunters discover gold coins worth $250K off Florida coast
This past weekend, Brent Brisben, owner of the 1715 Treasure Fleet Queen's Jewels salvage company, and his crew of three found 48 gold coins that date back 300 years. The coins were found near the Sebastian Inlet on Florida's Treasure Coast and are reported to be worth up to $250,000.
In case you missed it:


text:
On Sunday, September 30, 2012, at 5:18 a.m., Sparta Officers were called to a report of a vehicle on fire in the Culver's parking lot on W Wisconsin ST. Upon arrival, officers discovered a vehicle in the back lot fully engulfed in flames.
The vehicle was identified as a bronze colored 2002 four
door Chevy Impala belonging to Heather Lee, age 24, of Osseo, WI. The City Fire Department extinguished the fire; Culver's reported damage to its parking lot, nearby shrubs and a sign.
There were no injuries.
Video obtained by investigators show the vehicle being driven into the
parking lot at approximately 5:06 a.m. on Sunday morning. After parking the vehicle, suspects are seen getting out of the vehicle and setting it on fire.
At 6:38 a.m., the owner of the vehicle reported the vehicle as stolen from the 1300 block of 4th Street South in the City of La Crosse.
This investigation remains ongoing.
If you know anything about this crime you are asked to call the Sparta Police Department at 608- 269-3122. Call Crime Stoppers at 269-STOP (7867) if you wish to remain anonymous.