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In a Tuesday interview, actor and comedian Bill Cosby said that it was impossible to prove George Zimmerman was a racist and that as a result, he was uninterested in trying to discuss the killing of Trayvon Martin in that context.
"Let's not go into a racial discussion unless we really have something there," he told radio hosts Domenick Nati and Nate Foutz.
Cosby also blasted the news media and said that he had stopped paying attention to "high-profile" court cases after the Casey Anthony murder trial because journalists were so convinced she would be found guilty and yet she was not.
"I found that media were chomping and had this woman guilty," Cosby said. "But they were just on and on and on and then when the verdict came out, I said 'Whoah, how could people miss that? How could that happen?'"
Regarding the Zimmerman trial, Cosby said that he did not think the state of Florida was able to prove its case against him. "I found that the prosecution did not tell the story well. And they lost," Cosby said.
The veteran comedian also seemed to think the charge of second-degree murder against Zimmerman was unprovable based on the evidence.
"This racial stuff goes into a whole bunch of discussion which has stuff that you can't prove," Cosby said. "You can't prove somebody is a racist unless they really come out and do the act and is found to be that."
While stating that he believed Zimmerman had a right to defend himself under the law, Cosby implied that he believed Martin attacked first because he saw Zimmerman flash his gun at him and became afraid.
"I mean this is getting out of line," Cosby said, presumably referring to laws of self-defense.
A full transcript of the interview follows:
HOST: Three days ago, we got the news that George Zimmerman was found not guilty. Now, as the African-American icon, we just talked about before, I would love to hear your opinion about the Trayvon Martin case.
COSBY: It is something that I found--I stopped--what was it, Tracy, something or other or Casey, was in the trunk of the car found dead. Do you remember what I'm talking about?
HOST: Yes, sir.
COSBY: And I watched that. And I found that media were jumping and had this woman guilty and I didn't think she was 'not guilty' but media had it that way [sic]. But they were just on and on and on and then when the verdict came out, I said 'Whoa, how could people miss that? How could that happen?'
And I will, quote unquote according to myself, my iconic self, never pay attention to information given to me by TV, radio, or whatever about a high-profile case until the jury says what it says. Because these people and their opinions were moneymaking things. They were just having a ball drawing this up.
So in the Trayvon Martin case, I, after hearing some of the things from the radio, I found that the prosecution did not tell the story well. And they lost.
HOST: Can you elaborate like what you mean when you say they didn't tell the story well?
COSBY: What are you asking me?
HOST: Like, what do you mean by they didn't tell the story well?
COSBY: OK, if you're a lawyer and I'm a lawyer, and I'm going up against you, we both have to talk to the jury, agreed?
HOST: Yes.
COSBY: We present our story. And I think if I don't present the story well enough that you will win.
Host: Yep, makes sense. So that's what happened in this case? So in your personal opinion, maybe you feel like it was racial profiling?
COSBY: Let me just tell you this, man. See this racial stuff goes into a whole bunch of discussion which has stuff that you can't prove. You can't prove if somebody is a racist unless they really come out and do the act and is found to be that.
Am I making sense?
HOST: Yeah.
COSBY: All right. But I do know this, I do know this: I heard a person say 'don't go there.' You understand?
HOST: Yep.
COSBY: OK. Don't do that. I know that if you have a gun, it changes your whole feeling about what you can tell people, about how people better do what you say. Your mind can turn in such a way that you have a sense of control and power. I see a thing and so forth and so on [unintelligible] OK just stay where you are and don't, but I got a gun.
Let's not go into a racial discussion unless we really have something there. But we do know that he had a gun. And we do know that the Florida state law says you have a right to defend yourself, that means both people. So you have a gun and you come up to me and I don't have a gun, but then you show me your gun and I become frightened and according to the State of Florida, I have a right to defend myself. According to the State of Florida, the person with the gun has the right to defend him or herself. I mean this is getting out of line.


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プロ・専門家の海外ボランティア ガーナで特別支援学校教員
- Placement Location: Central Region or in the Akuapem Hills in the Eastern Region
- Requirements: Full qualifications as a teacher
- Accomodation: Host family
- Length of placement: From 2 weeks
- Start Dates: Flexible
Professional and experts project can without any trouble communicating in English, to be able to read and write will be the participation conditions. Please note that there is no Japanese page of the for this page.
On this voluntary teaching project you will work at a school in the Central Region of Ghana, or in the Akuapem Hills in the Eastern Region. These schools care for children with Down's Syndrome, Autism, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Cerebral Palsy and other learning difficulties, as well as those with speech impediments.
Volunteers working in the Central Region will work at the Aboom School for Special Needs in Cape Coast. Established in 2006, it provides education for children who would otherwise be ignored by the school system. Children with special educational needs require expert help and this is something that you can get involved in.
The school has around 76 students, with ages ranging from 6 to 25 years old. The students are split into three age groups, each group having their own classroom.
We work with two schools in the Akuapem Hills. Adukrom Methodist School is a mainstream school but has approximately 20 students with special needs. The school is a real advocate of enhancing student's vocational skills and the principal is eager to have the children interact with mainstream students as much as possible.
In order to provide the best possible education, two teachers are always present in every class. With students displaying a range of disabilities, it is a real challenge for the teachers to cater to every child's needs and this is where you can help.
In the town of Mampong in the Akuapem Hills, we also have a school for deaf children. The Demonstration School for the Deaf is a boarding school for over 200 students, ranging from kindergarten to junior high school. The children all learn Ghanaian and American Sign Language. In order to volunteer on this project, you would need to know American Sign Language. Volunteers who only know basic sign language can teach the younger classes who are only just beginning to learn themselves.
You will be expected to work around 5 hours a day, Monday to Friday, with class sizes of approximately 15 to 20 pupils. If you wish, you can also help out in the afternoons, assisting students with their chores and homework and just generally spending some quality time with them.
Here you will find answers to the following questions:
How can volunteer Special Needs teachers help in Ghana?
What will I gain from this project?
What will Projects Abroad PRO provide?
What skills or qualifications do I need?
How can volunteer Special Needs teachers help in Ghana?
As a volunteer, you can use your knowledge and training to help local staff. Your tasks may include:
- Planning, preparing, and delivering lessons to a variety of pupils.
- Marking work, giving appropriate feedback and maintaining records of pupils' progress and development.
- Supervising and supporting the work of teaching assistants, trainee teachers, and newly qualified teachers.
- Communicating with students using sign language.
- Working with existing staff to improve teaching methods and subject content.
- Observing classes, assessing existing teaching staff, offering advice, and setting goals for development.
- Helping pupils and carers outside of the classroom with tasks including washing, dressing, cooking, cleaning and building upon social interaction skills.
- Training other, less experienced volunteers (optional).
What will I gain from this project?
You will gain experience teaching students of various ages and disabilities. You will also gain an insight into the methods used to teach these pupils in the developing world. You will be able to learn from local staff, as well as helping them develop their skills. You may also be able to get involved in some vocational training to help pupils prepare for life away from the school.
Through working with the pupils at the school, you will learn about Ghanaian culture and way of life. Staff and pupils will want to hear about your life back home and your family and friends. We call this "cultural exchange" and we think it helps our volunteers gain a new perspective on life.
What will Projects Abroad PRO provide?
We have over 25 years' experience running volunteer projects. We will provide you with the following support to make sure your time in Ghana is successful and enjoyable:
- Safe accommodation with a Ghanaian family close to your project.
- Three meals a day.
- Friendly and dedicated local staff available to help 24 hours a day.
- A member of staff to meet you at the airport upon arrival.
- Comprehensive medical and travel insurance.
What skills or qualifications do I need?
If you are a qualified teacher (or the equivalent qualification in your home country) then you are perfectly suited to this project. Given that you will be working with students who have hearing impediments and learning disabilities, any experience in these areas would be an advantage. There is also a great need for volunteers who are fluent in sign language.

subset: commoncrawl


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VIDEO: Kevin Bacon Re-creates Footloose Dance, and It Is Perfect
Mar 22, 2014 11:35 AM EDT
Let's hear it for the boy! Kevin Bacon proved he's still got it Friday night when he re-created two iconic Footloose dances in honor of the film's 30th anniversary. March Madness: Angry coach faces Bacon appeared on … Read more


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Welcome and thank you for visiting the Chattanooga Women's Soccer Camps' Website.
For more information about our program, click on the links to the left.
Online registration is safe and secure using My Online Camp.
Bylaw 188.8.131.52 - A member institution's sports camp or clinic shall be open to any and all entrants
(limited only by number, age, grade level and/or gender).


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- Page 1 Art Lebedev Optimus Maximus Review
- Page 2 Art Lebedev Optimus Maximus Review
- Page 3 Art Lebedev Optimus Maximus Review
Key Specifications
- Review Price: £1499.00
What seems like aeons ago, news spread of a company called Art Lebedev intending to produce a keyboard where each and every key would have a full colour OLED display embedded in it, allowing it to display whatever you want. You could flip between different languages, show the shortcuts for your favourite games, or just display a picture of your own face on every key.
For what seemed like an eternity, Art Lebedev slowly developed the product giving us sneak peeks along the way until finally it put the product into production. Oh how we did rejoice until two things became clear:
1.They were going to be rarer and more difficult to get hold of in the UK than hen's teeth.
2. It was jaw droppingly expensive. £1,499 to be exact
So it is that it's taken us a somewhat embarrassingly long time to get hold of one to review. Finally, though, we can pass judgement on possibly the coolest, geekiest, most pointless yet desirable, and bizarre gadget of the last few years. Or maybe that crown goes to the original MacBook Air? But I digress.
Such anticipation was almost always going to lead to a certain level of disappointment but nonetheless we were particularly miffed to find the wonderfully named Optimus Maximus is rather drab in its appearance. The white plastic of the chassis just looks entirely bland when for this sort of money we'd expect styling and build quality to at least rival the likes of Apple's peripherals. We haven't seen the black version so can't vouch for whether it looks a bit better, but we suspect it might.
More pressing than the general sense of ambivalence we have towards the colour scheme and chassis construction material is our concern over how messy the keys look.
In order to see the screen embedded within each key Art Lebedev has had to of course make the keys themselves from clear plastic, meaning they catch the light. As the keys are by their very nature arranged in a non-uniform pattern the resultant reflected light just looks a mess. It's somewhat like our dislike of flexible plastic screens on phones – the wobbly nature of the surface looks uneven and poor quality compared to the pure flatness of most glass screens. Moreover, if you have overhead lights, you may find, as we did in our office, that the light reflects directly off the surface of the keys meaning you can't actually see what you're typing.
Exacerbating this is the need for all the displays to be the same size leaving the screens in the larger keys like Return, Backspace and most noticeably Space, looking rather lost.
There's one major caveat to all these complaints, though. While using the Optimus Maximus in a well lit office environment really highlights all the above problems, use it in a more dimly lit room – your typical gamers home office/gaming den – and the keyboard really comes to life.
The lack of strong light keeps reflections to a minimum while the rest of the chassis simply becomes a backdrop to allow the OLED displays to shine. We still think there's room for improvement but in this environment the Optimus Maximus really makes an impact.
To power that impact the Optimus Maximus requires an extra power supply over and above what it gets over USB. This is your typical laptop-style affair that plugs into a coaxial socket on the back of the keyboard, alongside the USB input, and an all important Kensington lock slot. The keyboard also incorporates a USB hub so there are two further USB ports on the back next to an SD card reader. This comes loaded with a card that stores the keyboard's key images so they can be quickly accessed for instant response. The reader doesn't allow you to access the card when plugged in, though.
Unlike other sites, we thoroughly test every product we review. We use industry standard tests in order to compare features properly. We'll always tell you what we find. We never, ever accept money to review a product. Tell us what you think - send your emails to the Editor.


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It may be a whirlwind visit, but this 3 day Austrian extravaganza packs a powdery punch. With free time to explore Hopfgarten's snow-topped wonders, you'll be spoilt for choice with activities, meals and general all round merriment, all in the company of your fabulous ski-squad. Click here to check out our newly-refurbished Gasthof accommodation, nestled in the Austrian Alps.
Travellers make their own way to Gasthof Schoneck- we will offer pick ups from Worgl if you are making your way from either Munich or Innsbruck airport- will be welcomed that evening and start getting themselves ready for the mountain the next day.PLEASE NOTE:The below discounted Ski Essentials will be available to purchase in resort. Ski Essentials - Ski Pass - Equipment Hire
A full day to enjoy everything Hopfgarten has to offer- hit the slopes, take ski lessons, explore the region- what ever you fancy.
Time to say goodbye this morning after breakfast- but you can still enjoy the mountain for the day if you wanted- or make your way to the next destination.
Trusted by travellers since 1979
We guarantee to beat any price
Low deposits, Book now. Pay later.
24/7/365 Help on the road
Trip Name: Mini Ski Austria
Duration: 4 Days
From Price: $329
Supplier Tour ID: 308.806/237292
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Chicago Illinois 151 North Franklin is a 36-story office tower located in the heart of Chicago's "Loop" financial district whose design supports new ways of working. In a departure from the typology of the typical hermetic urban office tower, the base of the building is carved away at grade to create a four-story covered plaza that extends the adjacent park into the site and creates an urban public space which mediates between the city and the building interior.
This public plaza is the first in a series of interconnected spaces designed to support collaboration. The building lobby features sunken and raised conversation lounges; a monumental stair leads from this lobby to lounge and meeting areas on a mezzanine which access a second floor outdoor garden whose atmosphere is quiet and contemplative. At the top of the building is a lively roof terrace with bar and casual seating and views of the surrounding Loop.


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|Oak Park, Calif.
|High School:
|Oak Park HS
UC Santa Barbara
Was the final scorer for the Gauchos at Pre-Nationals, where she ran 23:09.2 over 6k to take 222nd place...Was 109th at the Stanford Invitational with a time of 23:27...Took 75th at the Aztec Invitational by running 19:26 over 5k...Opened the season with a ninth place finish at the Lagoon Open, where she ran 18:44 over 5k.
Big West Freshman of the Year
Had a great freshman season, highlighted by winning the Big West Freshman of the Year award after finishing highest among freshmen at the Conference Championships. She finished in 27th place at 22:57..Was the final scorer for the Gauchos at the NCAA Championships, placing 211th with a time of 22:34...Was 53rd at the West Regionals with a time of 21:40.
High School
Strenkowski was runner-up in her cross country league finals in 2003, 2005 and 2006...She placed fifth in the 2006 CIF Finals...Placed 13th at the 2005 State Meet and 14th in the 2006 State Meet...In the 2007 track season, she was seventh in the 3200m at CIF Finals.
Collegiate Career Bests 5000m - 18:40.21 (Cal Poly Invitational, 4/4/2009)


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Starting MSRP from * $13,050
- Cargo and load capacity limited by weight and distribution.
- Always use safety belts and child restraints. Children are safer when properly secured in a rear seat in the appropriate child restraint. See the Owner's Manual for more information. Air bag inflation can cause severe injury or death to anyone too close to the air bag when it deploys. Be sure every occupant is properly restrained.
- Visit onstar.com for coverage map, details and system limitations. OnStar acts as a link to existing emergency service providers.
- EPA-estimated 29 MPG city/39 highway with 5-speed manual transmission and 30 MPG city/38 highway with available Continuously Variable Transmission.
New 2018 Chevrolet Spark at our Milford dealership, Mike Castrucci Chevrolet
Discover the new Chevrolet Spark, available to buy or lease today at our Milford dealership, Mike Castrucci Chevrolet. On this page, you will find the 2018 Spark vehicles that are currently available to buy or lease at our Milford dealership, be able to see the exterior color options, view photos, and more. If you have a question about this new Spark or any other new or used vehicle at Mike Castrucci Chevrolet, please give us a call at 513-334-0388, and our friendly staff will be happy to assist you.


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Specialty Sports Venture Raises Money for the Shining Stars Foundation
BROOMFIELD- For the last 14 years, Vail Resorts' Specialty Sports Venture (SSV) has raised funds for local charities over the holidays with its Adopt-A-Cause campaign. In the Fraser Valley, this year's campaign benefits the Shining Stars Foundation, a local non-profit committed to transforming the lives of children with pediatric cancer and other life-threatening illnesses through year-round recreational and social programs. Kicking off at Thanksgiving, Winter Park's Ski Depot Sports and Rocky Mountain Eyewear has raised more than $800, with the campaign stretching through Jan. 6. Vail Resorts Echo, the company's sustainability program, will match 50 cents for every dollar donated.
This year's Adopt-A-Cause campaign takes place in more than 165 SSV retail and rental stores from San Francisco to the Rocky Mountains, and benefits 20 organizations. SSV employees in each region selected a local charity to partner with and are rallying customers to support their cause when making purchases at the stores. Last year's Adopt-A-Cause campaign generated $213,253 for 17 organizations including the Vail Resorts Echo match.
Customers can support the Shining Stars Foundation and the Adopt-A Cause program at Winter Park's Ski Depot Sports and Rocky Mountain Eyewear through Jan. 6, 2013. For more information, go to vailresortsecho.com.
Start a dialogue, stay on topic and be civil.
If you don't follow the rules, your comment may be deleted.


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A highly sensitive microsphere-based assay for early detection of Type I diabetes
A team of researchers from the Center for Engineering in Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital have developed a novel fluorescence-based assay for sensitive detection of antibodies within microliter volume serum samples. This new assay is at least 50 times more sensitive than the traditional radioimmunoassay (RIA), which is the gold standard currently used in the clinic.
This new technology is particularly attractive for immunological assays as it allows: 1) use of very small volumes of sample reagents (5 μL), and 2) use of traditional analytical systems such as a standard real time PCR requires much lower sample volumes than traditional ELISA methods allowing the modular bead-based assay to be modified for use in studies using small animal models, where the sample volume can be a limiting factor. The increased sensitivity of the assay could enable a more accurate determination of the onset of disease, as well as a better temporal resolution of disease progression. The report describing these results appears in the current issue of the journal Technology.
"This is a clever combination of the several existing techniques, the result of which is a more sensitive, non-radioactive, clinically-relevant assay," says Martin Yarmush, M.D., Ph.D., of the Massachusetts General Hospital and senior author on this paper. "It is our hope that this technique will become a useful tool for early detection of Islet Cell Autoantibodies (ICA) in at risk patients, which could lead to intervention before significant loss of islet cell mass".
"This method is partially built on the sensitivity of Rolling Circle Amplification (RCA), and we designed the assay to be modular so that it can be applied to any other antigen-antibody pair without the need for much modification. In the paper, we demonstrated superior detection capability of two different autoantibodies, but this is by no means the end of the story as the assay can be easily adapted to include as many autoantibodies as possible," says Shyam Sundhar Bale, Ph.D., the lead author on this paper. The team from the Massachusetts General Hospital plans to enhance this technology with a variety of engineering modifications, including multiplexing the assay for simultaneous detection of multiple antigens or antibodies within very small sample volumes.


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Technical Visits
ICEHOTEL Technical Visits offers educational visits for groups or individuals looking for an experience out of the ordinary. High technology, space technology, gemology and entrepreneurship: we give you an opportunity to experience an exciting look behind the scenes.
If it's possible to build a hotel out of ice in a small village 200 kilometers north of the Arctic circle, striking the entire world with amazement, then anything is possible. ICEHOTEL has a history worth telling.
Technical Visits at ICEHOTEL offers a thorough knowledge in the following areas:
Entrepreneurship & Brand Management: The story of ICEHOTEL and ICEBAR from the view of an entrepreneur.
ICEHOTEL and the environment: How we became CO2 negative. A lecture on our environmental work and our future goals in this area.
We also collaborate with other companies in Lapland that have stories worth telling. More info below:
Contact us for more information:
Conferences and events


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Lady Elliot Island is the perfect destination to bring the kids for a 'good old fashioned' family holiday. There are no TV's or radios in the rooms and no mobile reception giving them plenty of opportunity to get back to nature and explore the amazing eco system on Lady Elliot Island.
The Lagoon located in front of the Resort is a haven for exploring the reef in a safe and protected environment. During high tide, this is the perfect spot for the family to go snorkelling together and to teach the little ones how to snorkel. The lagoon area is ideal for novice or younger snorkellers and you'll find enough tropical fish, colourful coral and friendly turtles to keep everyone entertained. At low tide, reef walking will keep the kids amused for hours looking for sea cucumbers, sea stars, sea urchins, coral, clams, crabs, fish of all colours and sizes and so much more!
Families can also join a range of complimentary guided activities/tours held offered in the morning afternoon or evening to learn more about this incredible coral cay and it's wildlife inhabitants. During turtle nesting and hatching season we schedule regular Turtle Tours and go searching for nesting turtles and the gorgeous little hatchlings making their way down the beach in to the ocean.
All our guests are invited to join a glass bottom boat/guided snorkel tour which is included in the overnight rate and this is a great activity for the families, one (1) per person, additional tours available to purchase. Guests board our custom built vessel for a 20 minutes expert commentary about the coral and marine creatures that can be viewed through the glass enroute to the snorkelling spot. Guests then have the opportunity to snorkel for 30 minutes to discover the wonders and meet the resident marine creatures of Great Barrier Reef. For the more experienced snorkellers, why not join one of our snorkel safaris and embark on a journey of discovery with our friendly and knowledgeable staff guide to maximise your chances of seeing turtles, reef sharks and manta rays. The snorkel safari is a great ways to experience the reef with the safety of a boat close by. Cost: $40 Adult/$20 Child (3-12)
Put on some comfortable walking shoes or crocs and go beachcombing with the kids. The Island is only small and it will take approx. 45 minutes to walk around it. You also have a choice of two (2) Walking Tours/Trails around the Island, grab a copy of the Walking Trail map and follow the directions for the 'Discovery Walking Trail' or 'Eco Walking Trail'.


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|Griswold, Conn.
|High School:
2014 Outdoor: Competed in the long jump, javelin, and triple jump at the 2014 America East Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Vermont… Placed sixth in the long jump competition with a top career leap of 5.22m (17'1.5") which ranks tied for sixth all-time in the UMBC record book… Posted her best javelin throw of 31.63m (103'9") at the Mason Spring Invitational to place tenth in the competition and move up to sixth in the program record book… Recorded her top triple jump at the Morgan State Legacy Meet with a leap of 10.91m (35'9.5") to place ninth… The jump ranks as the seventh-best in UMBC history.
2013-14 Indoor: Placed ninth in the long jump and 15th in the triple jump at the 2014 America East Indoor Track and Field Championships in New York… Competed in the pentathlon at the Penn State Nationals… Finished eighth in the long jump competition at the Rider/Lafayette Winter Games with a leap of 5.13m (16'10.00") to equal her top season jump from the Bison Opener at Bucknell… The distance ranks eighth in the school record book… Recorded the second-best triple jump in school history with a leap of 11.19m (36'8.50") at the Armory Collegiate Invitational.
Background: Led Griswold High to the East Connecticut Conference (ECC) title in 2009, 2010, and 2011… Owns the school record in both the javelin and triple jump… Also lettered in volleyball for the Wolverines, gaining an honorable mention from the ECC as a setter during her senior season in 2012.
Personal: Daughter of Ken and Kelly Slonski… Has four siblings, Samantha, Kenneth, Amanda, and Emily… Plans to major in psychology… Born Jan 25, 1995.


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Portable USO Center Brings 'Piece of Home' to Soldiers
By Army Sgt. Amber Robinson
Special to American Forces Press Service
LOGAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, June 3, 2009 - Soldiers at Forward Operating Base Shank here gathered May 27 for the dedication of the first "USO in a Box."
The facility was dedicated to the soldiers who serve, have served and to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Task Force Spartan soldiers from the 710th Brigade Support Battalion hosted a formal ceremony for the grand opening. Army Col. Marcus Cochran, personnel assistance officer in charge for Combined Joint Task Force 101 was the event's keynote speaker.
"The USO is a place where any soldier can go and it feels like home," he said. "It's a place that offers a break."
Though it's small and enclosed within a metal container, the new USO facility comes with all amenities included, making it an oasis for relaxation and fun. It includes a large-screen television, two phones for morale calls, two computers for personal e-mail access and three video-game consoles.
"This facility is the first-ever to be established anywhere in the world," said Army Capt. Pena De Lucia of the CJTF 101 personnel office, who had a large role in planning the event.
"We saw the need for a facility in this area," said Kevin Meade, vice president for USO facilities throughout Southwest Asia. "We did extensive research, and this is where our research showed we should establish the first center."
More portable USOs soon will follow. Two other units have arrived at Bagram Airfield and await transport to destinations in Kunar and Paktia provinces.
"We plan to have 10 facilities set up across Afghanistan, including this one," Meade said. "Ten facilities will be set up here, and 10 will be sent to Iraq."
The facilities are part of what Meade refers to as a "three-prong effect," which includes the portable USO facilities, gaming systems and "USO to Go," a program that sends soldiers packages of goodies, clothing, board games, and musical instruments.
"What we want is to provide outreach to those soldiers that are out on the more obscure FOBs," Meade said, "which is why we have made these portable USO facilities so durable, compact and easy to set up."
After the ceremony, soldiers had a chance to tour the facility. Without a word, they settled down in front of the large TV, dialed up their families or sat down to compete on the gaming systems.
None had to be asked; they all knew what to do: just come in and put their minds at ease for a moment at "a little piece of home" in the middle of their dusty forward base.
(Army Sgt. Amber Robinson serves in the Task Force Spartan public affairs office.)
*Related Sites:*
U.S. Forces Afghanistan [ http://www.centcom.mil/en/afghanistan-media-information.html ]
U.S. Forces Afghanistan on Twitter [ http://twitter.com/usfora ]
U.S. Forces Afghanistan on Facebook [ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kabul-Afghanistan/US-Forces-Afghanistan/69621718453?ref=nf ]
USO [ http://www.uso.org/ ]
Portable USO Center Brings 'Piece of Home' to Soldiers [ http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=54621 ]


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Using Just-in-Time Teaching in Economics
Original module on using JiTT in economics developed by Scott Simkins
With assistance from Gregor Novak, Marcelo Clerici-Arias, and Rae Jean Goodman
Jump to the following sections on this page:
- JiTT Improves Student Learning in Economics
- Developing Effective JiTT Exercises in Economics
- Combining JiTT with Teaching Practices You're Already Using
Using JiTT in Economics - An Example
Just-in-Time Teaching focuses on improving student learning through the use of brief questions (JiTT exercises) posted online prior to an upcoming class. Students' responses to these questions, submitted a few hours before class, allow instructors to gather information about student understanding of course concepts "just in time" and develop activities for this class session that target students' actual learning needs.
A key benefit of JiTT is its "real time" impact on teaching and learning. Quizzes and homework assignments may uncover students' difficulties in understanding economic concepts or ideas, but often it is not until after the class has moved on to new material. JiTT helps to address learning gaps in real time, while the ideas are still fresh in students' minds and in-class activities can be developed to provide additional practice and formative assessment.
A Sample JiTT Exercise on Marginal and Fixed Costs
The following exercise is posted online: Last year my wife and I made plans to take our family to the beach for the Labor Day weekend, accompanied by another family. Each family paid a non-refundable beach rental payment of $350 a couple of months prior to the trip. As Labor Day approached we watched the weekend weather report with growing interest. The weather forecaster was predicting rain for the entire weekend! As we packed up the car to go to the beach, I asked my wife if perhaps we should stay home for the weekend, rather than going to the beach. After all, we had recently moved and needed to unpack (and paint). She responded, "We've already paid $350 for the beach rental, of course we're going to the beach!"
Was my wife's argument "rational," in an economic sense? Why or why not?
Student ResponsesStudent #1- I think I would decide to go to the beach, rather than staying home to unpack and paint. I think the wife's decsion to go to the beach was a good economic decision. To me, the additonal benefit of the activity is greater than the additonal cost of the activity. I feel like if I have already paid for a $350 trip, if I fail to go I will be wasting money. There will always be more time to paint and unpack. Even if it is raining at the beach, the family might have the additional benefit of spending some quality time together. My opinion of wasting money is alot more important to me than wasting time. I would rather waste time over money any day.
Student #2 - No because you will spend most if not all of your vacation inside due to the rain. That time could be spent working on your house. You also save money because you're at home versus being on vacation where you'd spend money on keepsakes, gifts and other needless items. By not going, you also save money on gas and food. The marginal cost of going to the beach outweigh the marginal benefits and thus it is not rational to go the beach.
Student #3 - I believe that your wife's decision was a rational one in an economic standpoint because the non-refundable $350 deposit could have been used for some other type of activity for the new home. Even though the weather did not suit your standards it would be irrational to waste $350 by not taking the vacation.
Student #4 - Well i personally feel that her argument is very rational, because the trip was already paid for and the trip was going to be restfull something that was more worth her time.
In-Class Collaborative Learning Activity
For this exercise I might include the following questions with the four student responses listed above (or hand out on a separate piece of paper). These questions then form the basis for an in-class collaborative learning activity.
Which of these responses comes closest to the argument that an economist would make? After selecting one of the responses below, how might you improve the answer, based on your understanding of the material for today?
In four-person collaborative learning groups, have each person develop a response to the questions, then share with the group. Based on the individual contributions, have each group develop a consensus answer to the questions, then have each group (or a sample) report out to the full class. Assess (or have other groups assess) whether students are able to display the correct economic reasoning in their responses.
Finally, have each student develop a response to the following question and hand in:After completing this exercise, what questions do you still have? What concepts are still unclear?
For more information about the Just-in-Time Teaching teaching process...
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JiTT Improves Student Learning in Economics
JiTT focuses student attention on important course concepts, increases time on task, and gets students prepared for class. Classroom research carried out by Simkins and Maier (2004) showed that JiTT had a modest, statistically-significant effect on cognitive learning outcomes in introductory economics after controlling for a variety of other demographic and academic variables. Also, students rated JiTT among the most effective learning tools in the course. In addition to economics, JiTT has been shown to increase student learning in a variety of other disciplines (Simkins and Maier, 2010).
- "The JiTT assignments prepared me for class. It allowed me to read ahead so that I would fully understand what would be covered in class the next period."
- "... I was familiar with discussed information and that enabled me to understand the concepts better."
- "The assignments kept me up to date with the material covered in class. They really made me think outside the classroom of things I'd normally not bother with."
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Developing Effective JiTT Exercises in Economics
The key to successful JiTT implementation is the development of effective JiTT questions. What makes an effective JiTT question in economics? That depends upon the student learning outcomes the instructor has in mind. Two types of learning outcomes are listed below, with suggestions for effective JiTT questions.
- Knowledge-related Learning Outcomes - What do I want my students to know at the end of this course?
Knowledge-related JiTT questions might ask students to relate new terminology to their lives, summarize economic data or graphs, or explain the relevance of economics-related historical policies.
- Skill-related Learning Outcomes - What do I want my students to be able to do at the end of this course?
Skill-related JiTT questions might ask students to practice writing and critical thinking skills using economics examples and concepts, use statistical analysis to support or reject economic hypotheses, or articulate economic concepts using multiple representations (graphically, analytically, mathematically, and verbally).
Also see ready-to-use examples of JiTT exercises in economics. These can easily be adopted or adapted for your course.
For more information on developing effective JiTT Questions...
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Combining JiTT with Teaching Practices You're Already Using
JiTT is a flexible teaching tool, easily combined with teaching practices you may already be using in your economics courses. See how JiTT can increase the impact of these teaching practices:
- Interactive Lecture - JiTT exercises provide insights on student learning gaps that can be followed-up and further assessed in the next class period.
- Cooperative Learning - Responses to JiTT questions provide a starting point for in-class cooperative learning exercises.
- Classroom Experiments - Use JiTT exercises to have students predict the outcome of in-class experiments that will take place in the upcoming class period.
- Teaching with the Case Method - JiTT exercises help students come to class prepared for in-depth discussions of case topics and provide a window into students' understanding of case issues prior to the actual discussion of the case in class.
- Using Classroom Response Systems - Use student responses to JiTT questions to develop in-class "clicker questions" that directly address student learning gaps identified in the the responses.
JiTT was first developed to promote student learning in physics. JiTT can also be combined with a variety of other innovative teaching practices originally developed in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines (and adapted for use in economics):
- Interactive Lecture Demonstrations - JiTT exercises help uncover student learning gaps that can be used to develop targeted Interactive Lecture Demonstration activities.
- Context-Rich Problems - The real-life scenarios used in context-rich problems are ideal for use as JiTT exercises.
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text:
Tiffany Designs 16217
- Brand: Tiffany Designs
- Style #: 16217 - Quick Delivery*Quick Delivery*
- Availability: In Stock
A mesmerizing deep sweetheart neckline with rhinestone and crystal beading on bodice make this gown a must have. The detail and design on the mermaid skirt will have you soaring over that red carpet. Concluded with center zipper and train. Mikado/Tulle
Quick Delivery:
- Champagne/red: 0, 2, 4, 6, 8
- Ivory/black: 0, 2, 4, 6
- Ivory/ivory: 2, 6
*A style on our web site listed as in-stock can usually be shipped today or next day for immediate delivery or quick delivery. An item listed as "Ships Today" can be sent the same business day as long as the order is placed before the cutoff time.


text:
Today's NaPoWriMo prompt is to write poem in the middle of things en medias res. The A to Z Challenge GoodRead's Quote is for the letter N. The Tale Weavers Prompt courtesy of MindLoveMisery's Menagerie is to write about an unbirthday.
I grew up in this town, my poetry was born between the hill and the river, it took its voice from the rain, and like the timber, it steeped itself in the forests. — Pablo Neruda
Serve me tea and cut the cake quickly please,
Ensure my tea is cold with no odd hares.
Or rabbit fur, or door mouse flees their.
My unbirthday, she is here — the tease!
She comes most everyday to say 'breathe!'
You're not old yet, many unbirthdays left,
Hold your years close to your beating chest.
You look like twenty-five, oh please!
Each and everyday there is chocolate cake,
Loud parties; a mad hatter who is weird,
Yes, the craziesness gets to me some days.
The party is brilliant, but I always peer,
For an escape home en medias res.
Alice is happy with one birthday day.
So back to the town, back to my hills,
No more unbirthdays? Mind left reeling;
Alice's leaving Wonderland? Sad feeling.
Pictures on walls here are hung straight — be still,
To think on leafy forests dear, woods filled.
The voice of the rain as it falls and it glows,
But I'm too drawn to rabbit holes at will.
Back amidst glamorous parties thrown,
Having left peace a mere second ago,
The town brook, seems a mellenia's dream.
Same crew in Wonderland serving tea.
Too hot, too cold, to much cake makes me grow,
Back to unbirthday hell — un medias res.
©Mandibelle16. (2017) All Rights Reserved.


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RICHMOND, Va. – Head Coach Shaka Smart rounded out his VCU men's basketball coaching staff with a familiar face, announcing the hiring of former graduate assistant Dwight Perry as the Rams' new video coordinator.
Perry has spent the last two seasons as a graduate assistant under Smart and his staff, during which VCU has posted a 56-16 mark, including back-to-back trips to the NCAA Tournament Round of 32.
"I'm extremely appreciative of the opportunity Coach Smart has given me to stay with the program," Perry said. "I'm grateful for the chance to continue to work with our student-athletes on a daily basis."
Prior to his time in Richmond, Perry spent two seasons as an intern with the Stanford men's basketball program.
The Durham, North Carolina native spent three years as a member of the University of Kentucky basketball team, where he earned his degree in Business Management.
Perry is also a graduate of VCU's Center for Sports Leadership, earning his master's in May of 2013.


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To recognize its promotion of a voluntary carbon offset program, El Monte RV will be a featured AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah (AAA NCNU) Greenlight partner during the Auto Club's annual Alternative Fuels Awareness Month in November.
The month-long initiative highlights the efforts of AAA Show Your Card & Save (SYCS) partners to promote alternative fuels and environmentally sound fuel consumption practices to their clients, according to a news release.
El Monte RV offers RV rental customers the opportunity to purchase carbon offsets. A carbon offset represents the reduction of one metric ton of carbon dioxide emissions, a principal cause of global warming. El Monte RV works with TerraPass to purchase these carbon offsets. The reduction occurs as TerraPass uses the proceeds of carbon offset sales to fund carbon emissions reduction projects such as wind farms, methane gas reduction and others.
El Monte RV leads the industry in promoting "green" RV rental practices and is the first recreational vehicle rental firm to promote a carbon offset program. For more information on El Monte RV Rental's green rv rental initiatives visit the El Monte RV Green RV'ing guide.
Headquartered in Los Angeles, El Monte RV is one of America's leading motorhome and RV rental and sales companies, catering to both international and domestic travelers. The company has experienced rapid growth throughout the United States and is the only nationwide motorhome rental company to offer the larger Class A luxury vehicles for rent.


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ASHEVILLE, NC – The best advice for driving in bad winter weather is not to drive at all, if you can avoid it. If you must drive, don't go out until the snow plows and sanding trucks have had a chance to do their work, and allow yourself extra time to reach your destination.
Make sure your car is prepared, and that you know how to handle road conditions.
It's helpful to practice winter driving techniques in a snowy, open parking lot, so you're familiar with how your car handles. Consult your owner's manual for tips specific to your vehicle.
Driving safely on icy roads
- Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you.
- Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake.
- Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
- Keep your lights and windshield clean.
- Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills.
- Don't use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads.
- Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
- Don't pass snow plows and sanding trucks. The drivers have limited visibility, and you're likely to find the road in front of them worse than the road behind.
- Don't assume your vehicle can handle all conditions. Even four-wheel and front-wheel drive vehicles can encounter trouble on winter roads.
If your rear wheels skid…
- Take your foot off the accelerator.
- Steer in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels are sliding left, steer left. If they're sliding right, steer right.
- If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control.
- If you have standard brakes, pump them gently.
- If you have anti-lock brakes (ABS), do not pump the brakes. Apply steady pressure to the brakes. You will feel the brakes pulse – this is normal.
If your front wheels skid…
- Take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but don't try to steer immediately.
- As the wheels skid sideways, they will slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in "drive" or release the clutch, and accelerate gently.
If you get stuck…
- Do not spin your wheels. This will only dig you in deeper.
- Turn your wheels from side to side a few times to push snow out of the way.
- Use a light touch on the gas, to ease your car out.
- Use a shovel to clear snow away from the wheels and the underside of the car.
- Pour sand, kitty litter, gravel or salt in the path of the wheels, to help get traction.
- Try rocking the vehicle. (Check your owner's manual first – it can damage the transmission on some vehicles.) Shift from forward to reverse, and back again. Each time you're in gear, give a light touch on the gas until the vehicle gets going.
Necessary Equipment
An emergency situation on the road can arise at any time and you must be prepared. In addition to making sure you have a tune-up, a full tank of gas, and fresh anti-freeze, you should carry the following items in your trunk:
- Properly inflated spare tire, wheel wrench and tripod-type jack
- Shovel
- Jumper cables
- Tow and tire chains
- Bag of salt or cat litter
- Tool kit
- Essential Supplies
- Be prepared with a "survival kit" that should always remain in the car. Replenish after use.
Essential supplies include:
- Working flashlight and extra batteries
- Reflective triangles and brightly-colored cloth
- Compass
- First aid kit
- Exterior windshield cleaner
- Ice scraper and snow brush
- Wooden stick matches in a waterproof container
- Scissors and string/cord
- Non-perishable, high-energy foods like unsalted canned nuts, dried fruits, and hard candy.
- In addition, if you are driving long distances under cold, snowy, and icy conditions, you should also carry supplies to keep you warm such as heavy woolen mittens, socks, a cap, snow boots and blankets.
If You Become Stranded…
- Do not leave your car unless you know exactly where you are, how far it is to possible help, and are certain you will improve your situation.
- To attract attention, light two flares and place one at each end of the car a safe distance away. Hang a brightly colored cloth from your antenna.
- If you are sure the car's exhaust pipe is not blocked, run the engine and heater for about 10 minutes every hour or so depending upon the amount of gas in the tank.
- To protect yourself from frostbite and hypothermia use the woolen items and blankets to keep warm.
- Keep at least one window open slightly. Heavy snow and ice can seal a car shut.
- Eat a hard candy to keep your mouth moist.
Source: National Safety Council


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Process identifier
This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
In computing, the process identifier (normally referred to as the process ID or PID) is a number used by most operating system kernels—such as those of UNIX, macOS and Microsoft Windows—to uniquely identify an active process. This number may be used as a parameter in various function calls, allowing processes to be manipulated, such as adjusting the process's priority or killing it altogether.
This section includes a list of references, but its sources remain unclear because it has insufficient inline citations. (October 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
In Unix-like operating systems, new processes are created by the
fork() system call. The PID is returned to the parent enabling it to refer to the child in further function calls. The parent may, for example, wait for the child to terminate with the
waitpid() function, or terminate the process with
There are two tasks with specially distinguished process IDs: swapper or sched has process ID 0 and is responsible for paging, and is actually part of the kernel rather than a normal user-mode process. Process ID 1 is usually the init process primarily responsible for starting and shutting down the system. Originally, process ID 1 was not specifically reserved for init by any technical measures: it simply had this ID as a natural consequence of being the first process invoked by the kernel. More recent Unix systems typically have additional kernel components visible as 'processes', in which case PID 1 is actively reserved for the init process to maintain consistency with older systems.
Process IDs, in the first place, are usually allocated on a sequential basis, beginning at 0 and rising to a maximum value which varies from system to system. Once this limit is reached, allocation restarts at 300 and again increases. In macOS and HP-UX, allocation restarts at 100. However, for this and subsequent passes any PIDs still assigned to processes are skipped. Some consider this to be a potential security vulnerability in that it allows information about the system to be extracted, or messages to be covertly passed between processes. As such, implementations that are particularly concerned about security may choose a different method of PID assignment.[1] On some systems, like MPE/iX, the lowest available PID is used, sometimes in an effort to minimize the number of process information kernel pages in memory.
The current process ID is provided by a
getpid() system call, or as a variable
$$ in shell. The process ID of a parent process is obtainable by a
getppid() system call.
Under Linux, the maximum process ID is given by the pseudo-file
Microsoft Windows[edit]
Under Microsoft Windows operating systems, one can get the current process' ID using
GetCurrentProcessId() API,[3] and ID of other processes using
GetProcessId() API.[4] Internally, process ID is called a client ID, and is allocated from the same namespace as thread IDs, so these two never overlap. The System Idle Process is given process ID 0, and System Process is given process ID 4[citation needed]. In some versions of Windows, process and thread identifiers are all multiples of 4, but it is not part of the specification.[5]
Some processes, for example, the moc music player and the MySQL daemon, write their PID to a documented file location, to allow other processes to look it up.
See also[edit]
- User identifier (UID)
- Group identifier (GID)
- Handle (computing)
- Program Segment Prefix (PSP)
- ^ comp.unix.aix Frequently Asked Questions, retrieved 2008-07-21
- ^ "proc - process information pseudo-filesystem", Linux Programmer's Manual, retrieved 2009-12-28
- ^ GetCurrentProcessId Function, Windows Developer Center, retrieved 2009-05-20
- ^ ProcessId Function, Windows Developer Center, retrieved 2011-03-05
- ^ Chen, Raymond (2008-02-28). "Why are process and thread IDs multiples of four?". The Old New Thing. MSDN Blogs. Retrieved 2016-11-11.
This article is based on material taken from the Free On-line Dictionary of Computing prior to 1 November 2008 and incorporated under the "relicensing" terms of the GFDL, version 1.3 or later.


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Kevin Durant had 27 points and eight assists to help the Oklahoma City Thunder defeat the Denver Nuggets 117-96 on Monday night.
Caron Butler scored 23 points, his highest total since the Thunder added him right after the trade deadline. Reggie Jackson had 16 points and a career-high 11 assists, and Serge Ibaka added 15 points and seven rebounds for the Thunder, who won their fourth straight.
Durant, who was coming off a 51-point game against Toronto on Friday, is averaging 37 points during the winning streak. The Thunder sat point guard Russell Westbrook so he could rest his surgically repaired right knee.
Ty Lawson scored 25 points for the Nuggets, who had won three of four. The Thunder held Denver to 39 percent shooting.
(Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


text:
My last speaking engagement was a keynote at ITExpo in Miami.
At VoiceCon in Orlando next week, I'll be speaking in three sessions:
Monday, March 30, 2009 from 1:30 to 4:30 in a tutorial on UC vendors run by Marty Parker
Tuesday, 2:30 to 3:45 on a panel called Presence: Dial Tone of the Future?
Wednesday, 12:45PM to 1:15 in a Nortel session on our Open UC solutions.
At other times, I will be at the Nortel booth (#808) demonstrating web.alive, of which I have spoken often. Cool stuff.
Maybe we'll see you there. Please drop by.


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Im Tirtzu is about to publish a new 'report.' It's already on the Internet, but they haven't yet started publicizing it, so get ready to read about it here for the first time.
Let's start with the only new and refreshing aspect of this report. This is the first time that anyone has issued a report in the format of a children's book. I want to congratulate Im Tirtzu for this stylistic breakthrough, and to congratulate them on their new graphic artist. However, other than this stylistic innovation, the report is regrettably a pack of lies and mostly a recycling of old material. It contains no new claims, nothing that hasn't already been said in the last three years. Could it be that Im Tirtzu is suffering from arteriosclerosis? Let's hope so.
OK, now let's do a break-down.
On page two of the report, painted in colours that are highly suitable for Im Tirtzu – red and black – it says that, "this tract gives details of the activities by senior people and organizations supported by the [New Israel] Fund against the policies of Israel and against the IDF." As we will see shortly, as is customary with Im Tirtzu, there are no claims regarding the "activities" of senior people in the New Israel Fund (NIF) itself. Moreover, since it is clearly apparent that the authors of the report are graduates of Commissar Gideon Sa'ar's civics class, they need to be reminded of a fact that seems to have eluded them: in a free country, citizens may act against the policies of the government and the army. For countries where citizens are forbidden to act against the policies of the army and its political arm, we have other, less sympathetic, names. Protesting against the government and against its military wing (and the IDF, as Im Tirtzu has forgotten, is not some fourth estate, some separate entity, but is solely a branch of the government which has been given a monopoly over the use of force) is a basic right in a free society. When Im Tirtzu comes out against the exercise of this right, it is actually making the claim that Israel is a military dictatorship (more on this later).
It would be appropriate to mention at this point that the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is very conversant as to how to operate against government policy. When...Read More


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Zoho Working on Mobile Suite for iPhone, Android, Blackberry, More
Ready or not, Zoho's productivity suite is coming to a mobile handset near you.
The company, which has thus far offered limited app support for the iPhone and Windows Mobile handsets, is now extending that support to Android, BlackBerry, and Symbian S60 handsets under an initative dubbed Zoho Mobile.
Six Zoho Apps - Writer, Sheet, Mail, Calendar, Creator, and Show - are now available on all five platforms. They are accessible via http://mobile.zoho.com.
"Mobility is an important aspect for on-line applications like Zoho. With Zoho Mobile, we want to provide access to your data on your preferred mobile device," Raju Vegesna, Zoho evangelist, said in a statement. "All our current and future mobile initiatives will be available under Zoho Mobile as we expand mobile support for all our upcoming applications."
The company is also reportedly working on a version of the app for the Palm OS, so it looks like you'll still be able to use the suite on your Pre. Zoho also expects to roll out support for its business apps in the future.


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Red Velvet Sheet Cake with Classic Red Velvet Frosting
By á-3443
pioneer woman. I like to use this frosting with paula deens cake mix
- Nonstick baking spray
- 2 1/2 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 whole eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 fluid ounces red food coloring
- 1 cup shortening
- 1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- Classic Red Velvet Frosting
- 1 cup whole milk
- 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Servings 24
Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 60mins
Adapted from foodnetwork.com
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Thoroughly spray a large (18-by-12-inch) sheet cake pan (or you can use a slightly smaller jelly roll pan) with nonstick baking spray. Be sure to get in all the corners of the pan.
Sift together the cake flour and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together the buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda and eggs. Add the vinegar and stir. Set aside.
In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa and red food coloring. Set aside. Cream together the shortening and sugar until fluffy. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk/egg mixture until all combined. Pour in the red mixture and beat until combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared sheet cake pan. Use a large offset spatula or knife to even out the surface. Bake for 20 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
Place a large cutting board on top of the cake pan, then invert the cake, allowing it to turn out onto the cutting board. Allow the cake to cool completely before icing.
For Frosting:
Combine the milk and flour in a saucepan over medium heat and whisk constantly until thick. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Add the vanilla once cooled.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cooled milk mixture and beat very well. It may look separated, which means you have to keep beating until fully combined. It should be fluffy and light, similar to whipped cream.


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New Free Online Class: The Science of the Solar SystemStarting in April 2014, I will be teaching a free new online class on Coursera, called the Science of the Solar System. The class will provide an introduction to the study of the solar system and other planetary systems and introduce the scientific techniques that planetary scientists, astronomers, and geologists are using to explore the planets. It is designed for people with a good college freshmen level understanding of physics, but all are welcome to participate at any level that they feel comfortable, with the hope that everyone learns something interesting, everyone has fun trying, and everyone is inspired to continue to learn more about the universe that we live in. Join in, see if you like it, and remember that if you are dissatisfied you can get all of your money back :).
How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming
My memoir on the discovery of Eris, the reclassification of Pluto, and my lack
of sleep in between is, officially, an award winning best seller. It's also
been translated into many languages that I can't read, including German,
Japanese, Russian, and Korean.
You can order the book or just read some reviews.
Here, for example, is what the Wall Street Journal has to say.
Mike Brown's Planets
Read Mike Brown's Planets , a formerly quasi-weekly blog about space and science, planets , the sun and the moon and the stars, and the joys and frustrations of search, discovery, and life. These days the blog might best be described as semi-annual.
The Planet Hunter
A fabulous children's book by Liz Rusch called The Planet Hunter: The Story Behind What Happened to Pluto describes the search for planets in the outer solar system and the vote to demote Pluto.
The book includes, amazingly, drawings of my childhood dog, my green 1965 VW bug, and, best of all, a drawing of my daughter as she might look when she was a few years older than when the book was written. She didn't end up looking like that but I love the picture anyway.
ContactMike Brown
Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences
Mail Stop 150-21
Pasadena, CA 91125


text: ACOG Rounds June 2016 The Executive Desk: Spring into New and Improved ACOG Services President's Blog: "The greatest reward for doing is the opportunity to do more." President's Blog: Yes, "The Times, They Are A-changin"… but so are we!! Practice Updates for May/June: Zika Updates, Optimizing Postpartum Care, Refusal of Medically Recommended Treatment During Pregnancy, Breast Cancer Screening Clinical Practice: Enhance Your Practice with the Updated HPV Vaccination Provider Toolkit Clinical Practice: Women's Preventive Services Initiative (WPSI) Committee Meets to Revamp Guidelines Events & Meetings: Missed the Annual Meeting? 2016 Annual Meeting Recap and How You Can Participate Even Now Events & Meetings: ACOG's "Quality and Safety for Leaders in Women's Health Care" Course Now Meets MOC Requirements Membership & Fellowship: 8 Vital Traits of the Ideal Physician Medical Education: Test Your Knowledge with New PROLOG Title—Anytime, Anywhere Practice Management: Transform Your Hospital's Quality of Care and Reduce Risk with VRQC Patient Education: Text4Baby Users Are One in a Million District Newsletters: District VIII Gazette Newsletter May 2016 District Newsletters: The View @ ACOG District II Newsletter May 2016 ACOG in the News: Do Women Need Periods, No Bright Side to Sexual Violence Against Women, and Highlights of ACOG's 64th Annual Meeting


text:
Engage with high-quality resources to build your professional knowledge base at your convenience with NCTE's Investigations.
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Enroll in an available Investigation today! Interested in a topic that you don't see represented here? Contact firstname.lastname@example.com and describe your needs!
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text:
Low Cost Banking: How Retail Stores and Mobile Phones Can Transform Access to Finance
This page in:
More than 3 billion people in the world today don't have access to savings accounts. Many of these 3 billion fall below the less-than-$2-per-day benchmark of the world's poorest people. Why are banks not doing a better job to help them manage their financial lives?
The problem is largely one of cost. Providing financial services to the poor is prohibitively expensive for banks. Each time a client stands in front a of a teller's window it costs most banks from $1 to $3. If poor clients make transactions of $1 or $2, or even less, banks won't be able to support the costs.
It's also too costly for the poor. Most poor people, especially those in rural areas, live far away from bank branches. Let me give one example of a woman in Kenya. The nearest branch may be 10 kilometers away, but it takes her almost an hour to get there by foot and bus because she doesn't have her own wheels. With waiting times at the branch, that's a round-trip of two hours – a quarter or so of her working day gone. While the bus fare is only 50 cents, that's maybe one fifth of what she makes on an average day. So each banking transaction costs her the equivalent of almost half a day's wages.
What we need is a much lower cost form of banking that meets the needs of the poor:
- Convenience, being able to transact near where they live and work;
- Trust, putting their money with organizations that seem to care for them and who they feel are going to be there for them when they need them the most; and,
- Affordability, being able to transact in small amounts at reasonable cost.
So what can we do about it? The key is to take banking outside of banking halls. Banks need to use stores that already exist in every village and in every neighborhood to offer banking services. Depositing and withdrawing money from your account should be just another product that your local store offers, along with toothpaste and mobile prepaid cards.
We can use technology to ensure that banks and their customers can interact remotely in a completely trustworthy way through local retail outlets. Customers can be issued bank cards with appropriate security features, and the local store can be equipped with a point-of-sale device controlled by and connected to the bank via a telecoms network. If a customer wishes to make a deposit at a store, he swipes his card, the bank checks the balance on the store's bank account, and if there are sufficient funds the bank will automatically transfer the equivalent amount from the store's bank account to the customer's bank account. The store keeps the cash in compensation for the amount taken out of its bank account. All this can happen in real time, in which case there is no credit risk at all: the transaction is done and settled by the time the customer walks out of the door.
This vision of banking beyond bank branches is now happening. Brazil has seen 50,000 such retail "bank correspondents" (stores offering deposit and withdrawal services on behalf of banks) open up, most in the last five years, with the result that all municipalities are now covered by the formal banking system. Such models also exist in the Philippines, South Africa, Peru and Colombia, and are being piloted across many countries in Africa.
We've taken the brick-and-mortar cost out by using stores that already exist. We've done away with bank tellers that represent a fixed cost, and instead we are now paying local retailers a small commission for each transaction they undertake. But it's still expensive to deploy the technology platform to ensure every step is secure. We can do better.
Why give each customer a card, when they already have one sitting in their pocket – inside their mobile phone? And why deploy dedicated point-of-sale terminals in stores when they already have an entirely functionally equivalent device – again, their mobile phone? This is how a mobile-to-mobile transaction would work. Say I want to do a deposit at a shop set up as a business correspondent. I grab my phone, and through an easy-to-use menu I enter three critical pieces of data: the phone number of the person I want to send money to, the amount I want to send, and my PIN. This is sent securely over the mobile network to my bank, which checks that I have a sufficient balance. If so, our respective account balances are adjusted immediately, and the bank sends two messages confirming the transaction: one to me ("your account has been debited") and one to the recipient of my money ("your account has been credited"). The transaction is completed, phone-to-phone.
There are an estimated 1 billion people in developing countries who have a mobile phone but not a bank account. In Africa 50% of the population has cell phones, more than double the number of people who have access to bank accounts. With that alone we can go a long ways to cracking the problem of getting bank accounts to the poor.
Imagine if this system could be used by banks as a "front end" to enable people to send money to the bank of their choice, right from their neighborhood store. The incremental cost per customer and per store is reduced to a bare minimum. Now, having millions of $1 transactions begins to be profitable.
Financial institutions can draw inspiration from what the telecoms industry has achieved in the last fifteen years. With their low-cost prepaid platforms, cellphone operators have found a way to tap into their customers' pockets in amounts as low as 20 US cents. And they are selling them through the mass market, reaching stores in every neighborhood and practically every village. The biggest bank in Panama has 65 branches in which you can make a deposit, whereas you can buy mobile prepaid cards—in effect, a deposit—at any of 12,000 retail outlets. Any banker should be gob-smacked by the distribution networks that mobile operators have built.
This is happening as I speak in Kenya, where the M-PESA mobile money service is a true African success story. Launched just over three years ago, it is now used by 10 million people, which corresponds to almost 60% of Safaricom's customer base or 45% of the adult population. They can cash in and cash out at any of some 18,000 retail outlets associated with M-PESA – 20 times the number of bank branches in the country. The system is used primarily to make remote person-to-person payments, and now handles more transactions in Kenya than Western Union does in the entire world. In value terms, the equivalent of USD 320 million is transferred monthly, which is equal to roughly 10% of Kenyan gross domestic product. And customers love it. 98% declare themselves to be happy, and 84% say that losing M-PESA would have a large negative effect on them. My colleague Dan Radcliffe and I have documented this intriguing case in the World Bank's series on Yes Africa Can: Success Stories from a Dynamic Continent.
This inspires us to believe that new banking systems are possible that work for the poor and yet are commercially sustainable. Using new technologies, alternative distribution channels, and new partnerships, everyone can have access to basic financial services.
(Editor's Note: Interested readers can also view a TED Talk by Ignacio Mas on this topic.)
Join the Conversation
Great vision displayed! However, do yourself a favour and talk to SureBank - they have already transformed this vision into a working reality in South Africa, with the innovative application of technology, making provision of low-cost end-user banking services possible through a proprietary webbased banking platform, enabling employers at worksites, retailers in rural areas, etc. to perform and deliver all basic banking services, wherever the most basic connectivity exists.
Furthermore, their USSD2-based CellBank functionality enables the typical client to do everything that other banks only allows on internet banking, without having to fork out a heap of money to buy a smartphone.
SureBank clearly shares your vision!
This post is spot on, really it could be a win-win situation both for people as mentioned in the post and for the banks as their service can be utilised efficiently due to the advantage of mobile banking based on cloud.
Its not only beneficial to rural places but even the urban dwellers had been finding this equally effective but more on efficiency.
Technology is improving especially the likes of mobile and cloud computing, so its better be utilized for our welfare in a wider spectrum.


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"Hang on a minute," you cry, "Auschwitz has its own website?!" Well, naturally - it may have once been a concentration camp, but now millions visit it every year, and no doubt visit the Auschwitz.pl website for information.
However, there's one problem - the Polish culture minister Bogdan Zdrojewski believes that the domain suffix confuses people, and has asked the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum people to change it to .com or .eu.
"I've asked them to be consistent in using the appropriate German names of the camps and this applies also to the internet...At the moment the .pl is misleading and might make people associate the camps with Poland."
As you no doubt know, Auschwitz is geographically located in Poland, but when it was built, Poland was occupied by the German-Nazis. There will of course be costs associated with moving the domain suffix, but Zdrojewski and other supporters are lenient as to when it's done - just as long as the change is made. [Auschwitz website via The Telegraph]
Image Credit: Auschwitz.pl


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Originally published Thursday, December 6, 2012 at 12:03 PM
Chrysler guarantees minivan headlight switches
THE VEHICLE: About 623,000 Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country minivans in the U.S. from the 2005 and early 2006 model years.
The Associated Press
THE VEHICLE: About 623,000 Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country minivans in the U.S. from the 2005 and early 2006 model years.
THE PROBLEM: In September of 2011, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began investigating complaints that the headlights could go dark while the vans were being driven. The problem was traced to the headlight switch, where friction between metal and plastic parts can cause bits of plastic to fall onto an electrical contact, causing the lights to fail. In some cases the headlights wouldn't come on or could not be shut off. The problem, which worsens as the minivans age, can normally be fixed by turning the lights on and off. Chrysler applied a lubricant to newer minivans, which have far fewer problems.
THE IMPACT: Chrysler and NHTSA received 919 complaints from drivers about the problem. One driver whose headlights failed hit a deer and another suffered a minor injury after driving into a ditch.
THE SOLUTION: Chrysler will offer a lifetime guarantee on the switches and will replace them at no charge when people start to have problems. The company will begin notifying owners early next year. NHTSA said it closed the investigation without a recall because the problem can be fixed by switching the lights on and off, and because of Chrysler's extended warranty. The probe was closed on Nov. 29 and the decision was made public on Thursday.


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Center of Excellence on Novel Materials (CENM) Overview Video
Published on
The CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR NOVEL MATERIALS (CENM) is part of a high-priority national effort supported primarily by COLCIENCIAS and integrated by 19 recognized multidisciplinary research groups from 10 universities across Columbia.
Research work at CENM is organized around 4 Interdisciplinary Research Themes (IRTs). The Research Themes are:
- Advanced Coatings
- Composite Materials
- Nano-magnetism
- Solid-State Devices, Sensors, and Mesoscopic Systems
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:


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Servers So Intelligent, They Redefine the Service Experience HP has developed new online and enhanced remote service technologies designed to capitalize on the embedded HP ProLiant Gen8 management and monitoring capabilities. The most notable of these offerings - HP Insight Online - is the industry's first comprehensive, cloud-based management and support solution with a personalized dashboard for monitoring device and support status.Intel, the Intel logo, Xeon, and Xeon Inside are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.
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WiSys Technology Foundation Executive Director Arjun Sanga Visits UWGB
Arjun Sanga is the new Executive Director of WiSys Technology Foundation as of January of 2014. WiSys is the technology transfer resource office for UW comprehensive campuses. Arjun is visiting campuses and making connections with researchers who have ongoing and past projects through WiSys. Associate Professor and Chair of Nursing Susan Gallagher-Lepak is currently working on a project with funding from WiSys. In addition, Franklin Chen, Associate professor to Natural and Applied Sciences, and Susan Gallagher-Lepak received Applied Research Grants through the UW System.
During the visit, Arjun met the following UWGB researchers: Franklin Chen, Susan Gallagher-Lepak, Mike Zorn, John Katers, John Stoll. Additionally, Arjun met with Sue Mattison, Kelly Franz, Christopher Paquet, Lidia Nonn, Dan McCollum, Greg Davis.
Arjun will likely be back to UWGB in late fall for another visit.
Arjun Sanga visits UW-Green Bay (April 2014) From left to right: Sue Mattison, Dean of Professional Studies; Arjun Sanga, Executive Director of WiSys Technology Foundation; Susan Gallagher-Lepak, Associate Professor of Nursing; Franklin Chen, Associate Professor of Natural & Applied Sciences


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Violent protests break out across Egypt after the new Muslim Brotherhood president, Mohammed Morsi, awarded himself wide-ranging powers over its political transition.
President Morsi's decree puts his decisions above legal challenge until a new parliament is elected, which has caused fury amongst his opponents who have accused him of being the new Hosni Mubarak and hijacking the revolution.
Demonstrators burned down part of the headquarters of the Brotherhood's political front, the Freedom and Justice Party, in Alexandria and there were also protests in other cities.
Offices were ransacked as books and chairs were burned in the streets.
In Cairo, thousands of people demonstrated in Tahrir Square, the heart of the 2011 anti-Mubarak uprising, demanding Morsi quit and accusing him of launching a "coup".
Source: Reuters


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Exposure to Professional Liability
by HARRY R. WEYRICH Partner, Executive Office
Presented before the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, Atlanta Chapter—December 1969
THE EXTENT to which certified public accountants are exposed today to the consequences of professional legal liability should be a matter of personal concern to every practitioner. It is a form of liability that is alive and ever present, and it is assuming a proportion that finds its roots in the past, but is only now taking full shape. For these reasons, there is greater need than ever before for accountants to know where they stand —or are likely to stand in the near future.
In order to focus the problem on day-to-day activities, it seems appropriate at the outset to distinguish between the accountant's professional
responsibilities and his legal responsibilities.
Kohler's A Dictionary for Accountants defines "accountant's responsibility"
as: "The moral obligation assumed by a public accountant, as a member of a profession, in certifying to a financial statement from which information may be sought by management, creditors, and investors." Although it is well known that an accountant renders many services other than that of certifying financial statements, Kohler's definition should serve for purposes of this analysis.
The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and many states have established minimum standards for the accountant in his professional
practice. Usually, the penalties for violating such standards are limited to the possible temporary or permanent revocation of the accountant's
license to practice in his state or to loss of membership in the national organization. In addition, of course, he faces the loss of his practice and other personal embarrassments.
Legal liability, on the other hand, as distinguished from moral responsibility,
is enforceable under statutory and common law, and exposes the accountant not only to the penalties described above but to possible substantial monetary loss to those alleging that they were damaged as a result of his actions. He is confronted also with the possibility of revocation
of his right to represent others before state and federal governmental agencies, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission. Among the


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John Mayberry hits two extra-inning HRs in Phillies win
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — John Mayberry Jr. is Mr. Extra Innings.
Mayberry hit his first career grand slam with two outs in the bottom of the 11th after his tying homer in the 10th, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Miami Marlins 7-3 Tuesday night.
Mayberry tied it off Steve Cishek in the 10th after Juan Pierre scored on a wild pitch in the top of the inning.
BOX SCORE:Phillies 7, Marlins 3 (11)
Domonic Brown reached on a fielding error by pitcher Edgar Olmos (0-1) with one out in the 11th and advanced on pinch-hitter Kyle Kendrick's sacrifice. After Freddy Galvis was intentionally walked, Erik Kratz walked to load the bases.
Mayberry followed with a line-drive homer to left. He circled the bases and was mobbed by teammates at the plate.
"That was definitely one to remember," Mayberry said. "It feels good, I'm not going to lie to you."
ANOTHER NL EAST WALK-OFF:Nationals rally to beat Mets
Mayberry entered the game in the seventh inning. He became the first Phillies player to hit a game-ending grand slam since Dale Murphy against the Chicago Cubs on Aug. 6, 1991.
"Sometimes with John, if you can get him with certain pitchers, that's when he becomes much better," Philadelphia manager Charlie Manuel said. "Sometimes, when he comes off the bench — I wouldn't call him a great pinch hitter — but when he goes into the game, and he gets some time in the game, the next at-bat he becomes much better. He kind of runs in spurts, and tonight, well, tonight, he put some good swings on the ball."
Michael Stutes (1-0) pitched a scoreless inning for the win.
Brown, who had eight homers in the previous eight games, was 0 for 5 for Philadelphia and made an error in left field. But the Phillies won their third straight to move within a game of .500. They haven't been even all season.
"We're going to see if we can have a go at it. That's what we come to the ballpark for," Manuel said.
A disputed call in the eighth went against the Phillies and drew the ire of the crowd. Ben Revere was called for interfering with second baseman Derek Dietrich while breaking up a double play although he slid headfirst and didn't appear to go out of his way or make much contact. Michael Young beat the throw to first, but umpire Bob Davidson called an automatic double play.
Manuel argued briefly and fans booed loudly and hurled a derogatory chant at Davidson.
"I don't know what he was seeing," Manuel said. "Bob's kind of getting a little old."
Revere said Davidson "needs glasses."
The last-place Marlins have lost two in a row since a three-game sweep over the New York Mets.
Phillies rookie starter Jonathan Pettibone allowed two runs — one earned — and seven hits in six innings.
Miami's Ricky Nolasco gave up two runs and four hits, striking out six in 6 2-3 innings.
"This ballpark is very dangerous," Nolasco said. "The game is never over in this ballpark."
Down 2-0, Ryan Howard started Philadelphia's rally by lining a double leading off the bottom of the seventh. After Brown struck out, Delmon Young hit an RBI double high off the wall in left-center.
Nolasco then fanned Galvis, but pinch-hitter Kratz hit an RBI double that just missed clearing the right-field wall to tie it at 2. Kratz ran in from the bullpen right before his name was announced, grabbed a bat and went up to the plate.
Galvis saved three runs with outstanding plays at second base. With runners at second and third and two outs in the eighth, he made a sliding backhanded grab on Casey Kotchman's bouncer up the middle and threw him out.
His first gem came with a runner on third, one out and the infield up in the second. Galvis snared Adeiny Hechavarria's hard one-hopper, held the runner and got the second out.
For the second night in a row, the Marlins jumped ahead 2-0 and couldn't hold it.
NOTES: Phillies C Carlos Ruiz, out since May 20 because of a strained right hamstring, hopes to begin a rehab stint next week. ... Phillies RHP Roy Halladay was expected to meet with the team physician before the game and will speak to reporters on Wednesday. Halladay had shoulder surgery last month, but hopes to pitch again this season. ... Jonathan Papelbon tossed a perfect ninth in his first appearance since last Wednesday. ... Marlins CF Chris Coghlan was 0 for 5, snapping his 10-game hitting streak. ... The Marlins are 10-12 against the Mets and Phillies, 6-31 vs. the rest of the majors. ... Cole Hamels (1-9, 4.86 ERA) tries to avoid his 10th loss in the series finale Wednesday afternoon against Miami's Jacob Turner (1-0, 0.00).


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Fish Tacos and Southwest Salad
August 9, 2012 by Cori Sue
Let's call this little episode "Cori Sue Cooks: Mexico Edition." And does so with success, nonetheless!
Except, I can't cook. I can bake. I used to be able to cook—I dabbled a bit in college and the year following. Nowadays, I'm home for about 30 minutes a day when my eyes are open—so I throw together a pre-prepared lunch and hard boil some eggs, you know, if I'm feeling gifted on that particular evening.
My mother's kind-hearted words of wisdom have been known to include, "You should stay with [my now-very-ex-boyfriend], because you're a pain in the ass and most men can't handle you." Yeah, she's a gem, my mommy dearest.
Her latest was, "If you're ever going to get married, you're going to need to learn how to cook, and to give a little." I'm not sure which task I was more appalled by—the cooking or the giving.
True, the current man in my life is a few years older than me. He's probably used to women who can cook and clean and complete other adult tasks. He's probably also used to dating women who, you know, look and act like women, rather than a 16-year-old who threw on lipstick and high heels, like me. But, somehow, he wound up with me—that lucky devil.
Determined to cook a successful Monday evening meal upon his return home, I took to Pinterest like a bat out of hell. I decided upon fish tacos and a Southwestern salad. I also decided to make all sauces and seasonings myself—the blackening seasoning for the fish, the creamy fish sauce, and the dressing for the salad—from scratch. My God, that's like five tasks in total.
My favorite thing about the meal was my decision to use Grouper (the best white fish and a regular meal option in my home town of Tampa) and fry it in coconut oil, which is healthier and gives it a tropical taste.
I purchased the fancy $6 salsa from Whole Foods, which I planned to put in a bowl, lie and say I made it from scratch, if things ran afoul.
Turns out, things did not run afoul. In fact, the recipes were easy, delicious and came out looking rather pretty.
The evening was a success—and I even let him watch Die Hard 2 in lieu of a chick flick. (By the way, that movie is quite good.) Cooking and giving? Check. Check. See, Mom, I do listen sometimes.
Here are the recipes, in case you, too, are trapped in the year 1950 and need to win a gentlemen caller and get your mother off your back.
Southwestern Salad (adapted from Meal Planning 101)
Makes 4 servings
– Juice from 1 lime
– 3 tbsp olive oil
– 1 tsp. cumin
– 1 tsp. chili powder
– 1 tsp. garlic powder
– 1 tsp. salt
– 3 cups heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved
– Kernels from 3 corns (boiled)
– 1 cup black beans, rinsed and drained
– 6 green onions, chopped
– 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
In the bottom of a medium bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until combined. Add the rest of the salad components and toss until combined.
Blackened Fish Tacos (adapted from The Novice Chef)
– 2 lbs. white fish (Grouper or Tilapia).
– 6 tbsp. coconut oil.
– 1/2 cup blackening seasoning (below)
– 2 tbsp. olive oil
– Corn Tortillas, heated
– Purple cabbage, shredded
– Fish Taco Sauce (below)
1. Coat fish in blackening seasoning and let sit for 30 minutes.
2. Coat two cast iron skillets with olive or coconut oil (I used coconut)—one for the tortillas and one for the fish. Preheat one cast iron skillet on medium heat.
3. Cook the fish. Allow fish to cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked thoroughly.
4. When everything's prepped, heat the second skillet on high heat. Toss in corn tortillas, one by one, allowing to cook for just 10 seconds on each side, so that they are oily and slightly crispy but not hard.
5. Then fill tortillas with fish, cabbage, a drizzle of the Fish Taco Sauce and enjoy!
Blackening seasoning:
– 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. hot paprika
– 1 tsp. kosher salt
– 1 tsp. garlic powder
– 1 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
– 1 1/2 tsp. onion powder
– 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
– 1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
– 1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
Directions: Mix together, coat fish.
Fish taco sauce
– Juice of 1 lime
– 1/2 cup light sour cream
– 1/2 cup mayo
– 1 tablespoon Garlic Salt
– 1 tbsp. chili powder.
– 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro.
Directions: Mix ingredients in bowl, voila!


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The Energy Performance Contract: Better than Doing Nothing
How Energy Performance Contracts Work and Why You Might Want One
"There's no downside to energy efficiency projects," says Pierre Langlois, president, Econoler. Not only do they reduce costs, help the environment and put people to work—you also usually get new, more reliable equipment that improves reliability and productivity. "So why are so few implemented?"
Is it the typical one-to-three-year payback? That's better and more certain than most other corporate investments, and with prices bound to rise in the long term, it will increase over time. So it's not because energy efficiency projects aren't worth doing.
"It's because of internal barriers," Langlois told attendees of his session, "Developing Energy Efficiency Projects Using Energy Performance Contracting," this week at ABB Automation and Power World 2012 in Houston. Langlois asserted that in a typical manufacturing company, the combination of lack of awareness, lack of knowledge, lack of capacity (no one is dedicated to the task) and, perhaps especially, lack of financing and lack of confidence in obtaining the promised returns add up to—doing nothing.
That barren field has become fertile ground for the energy performance contract (EPC), defined by Langlois as "a contractual arrangement between a beneficiary (your company) and a provider called an energy service company (ESCO) for the implementation of an energy efficiency project, where the global investments have to be paid for through a contractually agreed level of energy cost reduction."
The ESCO works with contractors, equipment manufacturers, governments, financial institutions, consulting engineers, energy suppliers, etc. to define and implement the project. You get a single point of contact—the ESCO—and a guaranteed return on the project for a specified period of time. (The ESCO's skill set includes risk management so it can guarantee savings.)
EPCs come in several flavors. Under a "guaranteed savings" contract, the end user company finances the project and the ESCO guarantees the returns. Results are measured and verified during an expected payback term, typically three or five years, and any shortfall is paid by the ESCO.
Under a "shared savings" contract, the ESCO finances the project and takes the lion's share of the savings for a defined period. The end user has no up-front cost. "You will never have a deficit and will have an immediate savings as well, from Day One," Langlois says, "along with better equipment and production." This approach has been very popular in the United States, involving "probably 20,000 projects over the past 10 years," Langlois said.
A third contract format, "chauffage," has the ESCO taking over an energy-related asset or system, such as a boiler or compressed air, and providing its output to the plant under agreed-upon terms. The ESCO pays an equity share—typically 10% to 30% of the assessed value of the asset—then finances, implements and owns the improvements.
It's important to note that one of the ESCO's most critical skills is financing. Financial institutions are used to providing "asset-based" lending at 70% to 80% of the market value of assets being financed or other collateral. They don't recognize the cash flow generated by energy efficiency projects as a new asset to be valued in the financing structure (credit enhancement), and they're not familiar with the intricacies of financing energy efficiency, so they impose a high-risk lending profile for energy efficiency projects.
So ESCOs have become proficient at alternative financing, drawing on one or a combination of the end user, the ESCO, leasing and special-purpose vehicle (project) financing. This non-technical aspect of energy efficiency projects is not a strength of most engineering and operations teams, so it's an important ESCO capability for enlisting the folks in finance and accounting.
Since a major benefit of the EPC is the guarantee of savings, measurement and verification (M&V) becomes critical. Langlois said, "You can't measure savings because it's not there." Instead, you measure and establish a consumption baseline before the project, measure the consumption after the project, and calculate an estimate of the savings. Post-project measurements must be adjusted for any differences—weather, production rates—between the baseline and current conditions.
"The most critical part is to agree on how these adjustments will be done," Langlois said. That agreement must be in place before the project is performed, because it affects how the baseline measurements will be taken and for how long. "Once the project is done, the baseline is gone—you can't go back and take more measurements."
Baseline measurements might be possible using only the utility metering, as in the case of an office where the primary adjustment would be weather, or it may require additional metering, as in a complex facility where the energy savings due to, say, replacing motors might be impossible to separate from other consumption variations from product mix or equipment condition or operation.
Baseline measurement periods may be brief, as for a motor replacement where efficiency is essentially constant over the equipment lifetime, or may have to be extended to account for equipment efficiency variations due to, say, product mix, weather or maintenance. A good resource for understanding M&V and how it affects baseline measurements is the International Performance Measurement and Verification Protocol (IPMVP).
To decide if you need an ESCO to help you get an energy project done, bear in mind that it will add some cost to the project compared to doing it all internally. Langlois estimated the additional cost for the ESCO's profit adds about 8% of the construction costs, and guaranteeing the results adds about another 6%. But the rest of the project costs are about the same as they would be if you did them with your own company resources.
The biggest cost—and risk—is doing nothing.