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Centre set to hike DA by 10% in March
New Delhi, February 2
The Centre is likely to announce next month a hike in the dearness allowance by 10% to 100%, benefiting about 50 lakh employees and 30 lakh pensioners.
It would be the second double digit DA hike in a row. The government had announced a hike of 10% to 90% in September last year, effective from July 1, 2013.
Official sources said the preliminary assessment suggests that the DA hike will not be less than 10% and would be effective from January 1 this year.
He said the exact percentage hike in DA could be calculated only when the revised all India Consumer Price Index for Industrial Workers (CPI-IW) for December is released on February 28. According to the provisional data released by government on January 31, the retail inflation for factory workers for the month of December stood at 9.13%.
As per practice, the government uses CPI-IW data of the past 12 months to arrive at a quantum for the purpose of any DA hike. Thus, the retail inflation for industrial workers between January 1 to December 31, 2013 would be used to take a final call on the matter. — PTI
More bonanza
It would be the second double digit DA hike in a row. The government had announced a hike of 10% to 90% in September last year, effective from July 1, 2013
Official sources said the preliminary assessment suggests that the DA hike will not be less than 10% and would be effective from January 1 this year
DRDO all set to make its presence felt at Indian Science Congress
Tribune News Service
Jammu, February 2
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which fulfils over 55 per cent requirement of the armed forces, is all set to make its presence felt at the 101st Indian Science Congress being organised at the University of Jammu (JU) from February 3.
The technological strength of the research giant will be depicted through its state-of-the-art systems and technologies will be showcased at the five-day-long mega event. The DRDO pavilion has continuously bagged top awards for the last four years.
"The highlight of the DRDO's participation in the Indian Science Congress will be a special evening lecture 'Scientific innovation in security', by Avinash Chander, Scientific Adviser to Defence Minister and Secretary, Department of Defence R&D, on February 3," said Dr Ravi Gupta, Director, Public Interface, DRDO.
Avinash Chander is an accomplished missile scientist, who has led the indigenous designing, development and production of India's ballistic missiles. These missiles, capable of delivering strategic payloads in excess of 5,000 km, provide credible deterrence against misadventures by any adversary and are thus the weapons of peace, he added.
Dr Gupta said besides the exhibition of DRDO products, another important event would be a public outreach session titled "Innovations in defence technologies" scheduled to be held on February 5.
During the session Dr G Malakondaiah would lead a galaxy of senior DRDO scientists in presenting the activities and achievements of the organisation. He said 33 laboratories of the DRDO would be taking part in the mega event.
Ashwagosha Ganju, Director, Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment, DRDO, said 50 scientists of the DRDO would be taking part in the Science Congress and would make the show immensely beneficial for the visitors.
The DRDO has developed several material technologies and established production facilities as well. A few samples such as titanium sponge and high-power rare earth magnets can be seen, he added.
Dr Sudarshan Kumar, Director, Center for Fire Explosive and Environment Safety, DRDO, said the aim of the DRDO to participate in the Science Congress was to apprise and inspire young minds with science and technology opening to them a whole new world of dreams, challenges, and opportunities.
BSF may replace Assam Rifles on Myanmar border
Shaurya K Gurung
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 2
With the Border Security Force (BSF) being proposed to be given the responsibility of guarding the India-Myanmar border, there is likely to be a change in the security structure of counter-insurgency operations in India's North-East.
Sources in the security establishment have said the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force, which has been guarding the 1643-km long India-Myanmar border since 2002, will soon only conduct counter-insurgency operations in the North-East. The plan is to replace about 15 to 20 infantry battalions of the Indian Army that have been deployed in the North-East for counter-insurgency operations, by Assam Rifles. The remaining battalions of the Army engaged in counter-insurgency operations there would also be replaced by the Assam Rifles in a graduated manner.
The developments came to the light after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) recently sent a proposal to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for approving the BSF to take over the responsibility of guarding the India-Myanmar border from the Assam Rifles. Although the CCS is yet to approve the proposal, it is likely that the BSF will be given the task.
The BSF which was raised on December 1, 1965, is the world's largest border guarding force. It presently guards the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders.
At the BSF's annual press conference held on November 29 last year, the force's Director-General, Subhash Joshi, had said: "We have recently been informed of the decision that the India-Myanmar border will be guarded by the BSF."
The BSF plans to raise 41 battalions (41,000 troops), four Frontier, 12 Sector and a Theatre Headquarters, for guarding the border.
Counter-insurgency op
Assam Rifles to conduct counter-insurgency operations in North-East soon.
India-Myanmar border alignment high on agenda
Ajay Banerjee
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 2
With India firmly looking to engage countries to its East, the Indo-Myanmar border alignment is high on the agenda for resolution as New Delhi's assessment is that an increased population of Chinese origin in Myanmar could pose a risk along the porous and un-demarcated border.
With the India-Burma-Thailand trilateral highway getting top priority, large volume of trade is expected to move on the route. At present the trade volume is around $1 billion (Rs 6,000 crore) and largely by the way of import of pulses and timber.
The tri-lateral highway can entail a 10-fold increase since it will provide access to Thailand and further east to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. The existing sea trade route to these countries is expensive. Indian security agencies have suggested to have a firm alignment of the 1634-km-long border with Myanmar. It should is fully demarcated and marked on the ground lest any dispute arises.
The alignment of 136 km of this is not aligned or demarcated on ground and it lies in heavily forested areas where India does not even have roads to access the area. The location of another nine border posts in Manipur (Moreh-Tamu area) is disputed due to inability of surveyors.
Sources confirmed that the Indian decision is to remain sensitive to Myanmar. However, the need is now to demarcate the boundary and have some regulation on entry and exit points.
Pak raises pitch against key Indian role in Kabul
Ashok Tuteja
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 2
As the deadline for withdrawal by foreign troops from Afghanistan draws closer, Pakistan has intensified its campaign against giving any robust role to India in the war-torn nation in the post-drawdown phase.
It is learnt that Islamabad has yet again told the United States that it would have strong reservations if India was given any critical responsibility in Afghanistan after the pullout by NATO troops by the end of this year.
The issue was discussed at a recent meeting of the Standing Committee of Pakistan's Senate (Upper House) on Defence at which the country's Defence Secretary Lt Gen Asif Yasin is reported to have given a detailed briefing on US-Pakistan talks on Afghanistan.
Islamabad is also said to have conveyed to Washington its apprehensions about the role of Indian Consulates in the Afghan cities of Kandahar and Jalalabad in fuelling insurgency in Pakistan's restive Balochistan province, notwithstanding New Delhi's contention that the Consulates were primarily involved in the massive reconstruction programme India has undertaken in the war-ravaged country.
Pakistan's renewed opposition to India's role in Afghanistan has once again given rise to speculation that it wanted to gain 'strategic depth' in the battle-scarred country after the withdrawal by foreign troops. The control over Kabul after all is vital to Islamabad's military doctrine.
Last week, Pakistan Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz was in Washington where he told his American interlocutors that there was a strong perception in his country that a lot of pressure was exerted on Islamabad on issues concerning India. In an obvious reference to the Afghanistan issue, he complained that Islamabad's legitimate concerns were not conveyed to New Delhi with intensity.
Strategic experts say Pakistan's fresh offensive against India on the Afghanistan issue was reflective of its 'dubious' game-plan in the embattled country in the post-drawdown phase. It is not a secret that both India and Afghanistan have always been under threat of terrorist havens located in Pakistan. New Delhi fears that resurgent militancy in Afghanistan by the Taliban and its allies after the troops' pullout could stoke violence, aided and abetted by Pakistan, in Jammu and Kashmir.
Because of Islamabad's insistence, the US has pressured India from time to time to limit its role in Afghanistan so as to prevent Pakistan from withdrawing support for the war and cutting vital US supply lines.
Defence civilian staff to go on strike
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 2
Defence civilian employees across the country have decided to go on an indefinite strike from February 17 in support of their demands. The move is likely to affect defence establishments across the board, including service establishments, ordnance factories and the Defence Research and Development Organisation.
With a combined cadre strength of about four lakh, defence civilian employees are those who are employed in Ministry of Defence (MoD) establishments and paid from the defence estimates, but do not fall under the purview of the Army, Navy or Air Force Acts.
A host of demands have been put up that includes matters pertaining to service conditions, pay and allowances as well as MoD's technical issues that could have an adverse impact on the ongoing restructuring and functioning of some defence establishments.
Naval warship runs aground off Vizag coast
New Delhi, February 2
In the ninth mishap involving Indian Navy's warships in the last seven months, an amphibious vessel was damaged when it ran aground off the coast of Vishakhapatnam.
An inquiry has been ordered by the Navy to ascertain the reasons for the mishap last week, sources in the Navy said today.
The incident was the eighth involving a Naval warship since the sinking of the submarine INS Sindhurakshak in Mumbai harbour in August last year in which all 18 personnel on board were killed.
The Magar-class Landing Ship Tanker (LST) ran aground off the coast of Vishakhapatnam and suffered damages. A Navy spokesperson refused to comment on the issue. The LSTs are used by the Navy for amphibious warfare.
Only two ships of the class were designed and built by Hindustan Shipyard Limited in partnership with the Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers. The ships are stationed at the naval base in Vishakhapatnam.
They can operate two medium-lift helicopters, which are primarily meant for "inserting" a small team of Special Forces (marine commandos). There have been several incidents in the recent past amid claims by Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi that the force's record in terms of safety was "not that bad" when compared to other navies in the world. — PTI
9th mishap in 7 months
The incident was the eighth involving a Naval warship since the sinking of the submarine INS Sindhurakshak in Mumbai harbour in August last year
After the sinking of the INS Sindhurakshak, one of the mishaps involved INS Betwa which was damaged after probably hitting some underwater object
CBI raids army recruitment exam, finds irregularities
NAGPUR: The anti-corruption wing of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted surprise checks at two places on Sunday during the nationwide army recruitment drive, over suspicion of malpractices by some candidates, including leaking of some questions.
The CBI personnel manually checked around 1,400 candidates appearing for the written examination for mobile phones at the exam venue, Institute of Science. The CBI had received information that answers were being sent by SMS to some candidates before the examination, which had been delayed for around three hours for reasons best known to army officials.
Sources claimed that the answers were messaged to several candidates in the morning since the examination was scheduled at 10am. The examination actually started at around 1pm.
An offence was registered by CBI Nagpur after the question paper leak at the final examination of the recruitment drive at various centres across the country came to fore. This leak has brought several army officials concerned with recruitment under the CBI scanner.
CBI initiated the action after getting information about a Katol-based private grooming centre for army recruitment. The institute named 'Tango Charlie' allegedly was in nexus with some insiders in the army recruitment cell. It had lured several aspiring candidates to cough up around Rs1.5 lakh with the promise of getting them selected in the army. A civilian, identified as Roshan Tidke, has been booked along with the owner of Tango Charlie, Jaikumar Belkhode.
During the raids conducted by teams of PI Pradeep Lande and Hanumant Jangid, under supervision of CBI SP Sandeep Tamgadge, at the written examination centre, six candidates were found possessing mobile phones with SMSes from racketeers mentioning answers to some multiple choice questions.
Around 1,400 candidates, who had qualified for the written examinations, were vying for recruitment as soldiers in clerical, technical and general duty.
Wing Commander Samir Gangakhedkar, defence public relation officer, said that the Army recruitment office is extending full cooperation to the CBI investigations.
Sources said that the private institute, whose premises were searched, had approached candidates who had cleared the physical test and other initial rounds. CBI officials said the private institute is unlikely to get the details of candidates who have qualified for the final exam without support of army officials.
CBI officials had also sent undercover personnel to the private institute a day earlier, where the management is learnt to have promised candidates special favours like leaking question papers or messaging answers prior to the written examination against payments. During searches, CBI recovered original documents of several candidates.
CBI SP Tamgadge said such rackets can undermine the system. "It is a grave offence that elements are actively trying to infiltrate the army recruitment. CBI collected adequate evidence before initiating the action," said Tamgadge. The CBI officer was also in touch with army officials when the raid was initiated.
This TOI correspondent had accompanied the CBI officials during the raids. It was found that candidates were made to sit either on the road or in the field under the afternoon sun to write the examination. Earlier, the candidates had to spend the night under the open sky as army personnel checked their documents for around five hours beginning at 5am before being allowed to enter the venue.
Omar Abdullah meets Manmohan Singh, raises Army decision in Pathribal encounter
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here and raised the issue of Army's controversial decision to close the Pathribal fake encounter case, saying punishment should be meted to those responsible for killing of innocent people.
Omar also emphasised the need for giving justice to the families of the victims, an official spokesman here said. The Chief Minister also discussed suspension of trade across Line of Control(LoC) after the seizure of truck load of contraband drugs and called for amicable resolution of the matter with Pakistan so that the important Confidence Building Measure(CBM) of trade across the LoC is not jeopardised.
India and Pakistan last Thursday failed to break the two-week-old deadlock over the cross-LoC trade. During the meeting at Raj Bhavan, the Prime Minister was briefed about the peace and development scenario prevailing in the State at present.
Nearly 14 years after the fake encounter rocked J and K, the Army last month closed the case, saying the evidence recorded could not establish prime facie charges against any of its accused five personnel. The Army decision triggered an outrage in the Valley.
Five civilians were killed in a fake encounter on March 26, 2000 at Pathribal in South Kashmir with the victims being branded by Army as foreign militants. The case was handed over to the CBI for investigation in January, 2003. The CBI in its chargesheet concluded that officers and jawans of the Seven Rashtriya Rifles -- Brig Ajay Saxena, Lt Col Brahendra Pratap Singh, Maj Saurabh Sharma, Maj Amit Saxena and Subedar Idrees Khan had staged a fake encounter and killed five innocent civilians whom they said were terrorists involved in the massacre of 35 Sikhs at Chittisinghpora in south Kashmir on March 20, 2000.
The Chief Minister also apprised the Prime Minister of the achievements registered by the coalition government during the last five years in the State in various fields of socio-economic development, empowerment of people, employment generation and restoration of peace and stability.
Matters pertaining to security and law and order also came up for discussion in the meeting, the spokesman said.
The Chief Minister expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for his support to the State in its endeavour to fast track development and move ahead towards achieving the cherished goal of prosperity and tranquillity.
Omar wished good health and well-being to Singh which he reciprocated warmly. The Prime Minister also wished peace and progress in the State and well-being of its people.
Tatas developing 'Blackberry' for army
The $110-billion Tata group may shortly be ready with desi version of technology-rich Blackberry phones to handle security communication in Indian defence forces.
Tata Power's strategic engineering division (SED) is working on a highly-secure android phone on a unique platform with versatile applications referred to as "desi Blackberry" internally. This is for exclusive use by three defence forces and security establishment.
Tata Power SED that's involved in R&D of high-end technology products for the defence sector has roped in engineers from the IITs to solve technology puzzles in the process.
These "desi phones" with capability to handle highly encrypted coded conversations would be 100 per cent "made in India" without possible 'malware from Chinese manufacturers', a person clued into the development said without wanting to be identified in person.
He said, "If everything goes well, we would be able produce these high end phone instruments that could surpass the best in Blackberry range or the likes."
These instruments would not be for commercial sale in the retail market, nor would they compete with any of the mobile handsets available in the country.
"These phones are being developed with a specific purpose and would exclusively cater to Indian defence forces," the person said.
The mobile instruments would be part of the country's tactical communications system (TCS) being put up across army, air force and navy apart from the central command for these forces to handle "highly secure communication that cannot be intercepted".
Apart from Tata Power SED, state-owned defence PSU Bharat Electronics (BEL) and L&T are also reported to have been given the mandate to develop a large high security communications network with frontend "Blackberry-like" fancy features.
These phones being developed by Tata Power SED would be capable of operating on "frequency hopping spectrum spread over different bands" to ensure virtually uninterrupted communication. These phones will be deployed from battle formations to command structures as a new generation meshed network.
The network servers would themselves be based on lightweight high mobility vehicles that form nodes connected as a grid and carry the communication.
The secure phones will work on high bandwidth networks with voice, video, data, high capacity point-to-point radio backbone, point to multipoint wireless access at the user end, robust and survivable trunk and access radios. The communication can be scaled up based on bandwidth on dedicated satellites.
Phone instruments and the networks would be developed with inbuilt protection against cyber and electronic attacks using firewalls and frequency hopping spread spectrum techniques, the person quoted earlier said.
The handset will bring in new technology for encryption – euphemism for coded conversations and data transfers — besides multilevel network security, real time management of spectrum, integration with legacy systems and strategic networks, national defence communication systems and interoperability within the army and other services during joint operations; light weight user terminal with integration in operating information systems.
While the source of this report was unwilling to divulge the cost of the project, he said 80 per cent of the development cost would be borne by the government, while 20 per cent would have to be invested by private companies like Tata Power SED.
Warfighter information network in the US and Falcon trunk communication programme in the British army seem to have provided useful insights for this project.
Two Years On, Army Still Probing its Men
The Indian Army keeps fighting itself as the internal campaign against Technical Services Division intelligence operatives continues. At the top of the hit list of five officers from the TSD is the unit's chief Colonel Hunny Bakshi, an intelligence corps officer considered a legend among his peers for his deep penetration network and counter intelligence skills. The Army could soon initiate court martial proceedings against Bakshi, who is now on "punishment posting" in the inconsequential Bangalore Sub-Area of the Army since December 2012.
The case relates to the arrest of the TSD's head clerk Shivadasan on April 2012 in Kochi, caught when he was allegedly receiving a part payment in return for allegedly providing ISI classified information. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), which laid the "trap" to nab Shivadasan, had claimed the head clerk had demanded `1 crore from his ISI handler for handing over "information" on troop deployments and had sought an advance of `60 lakh. Sleuths from DRI claimed they had "trapped" the head clerk when he was about to hand over a compact disk, pen drive and documents holding sensitive information.
Though the arrest happened when General V K Singh—under whose tenure the TSD was set up in the aftermath of the 26/11 terror attacks—was still the army chief, the case gained traction only after his retirement in May 2012. In June 2012, a few days after General Bikram Singh succeeded him as Army chief, the details of the "trap" were leaked to the media.
Ahead of the leak, TSD had maintained that the head clerk was only a bait to get to ISI operatives working against India through contacts in Dubai and it was part of a larger counter-espionage game. In November 2012, the DRI handed over its case to the Army, which ordered a Court of Inquiry into the DRI "trap". Apart from the head clerk, the inquiry also examined Bakshi and his role in the episode. Following the inquiry, the Army had carried out Summary of Evidence (SoE)—the process for preparing a chargesheet—in the case. The Army transferred Sivadasan's custody to a unit, headed by present Army vice chief Dalbir Singh's younger brother Col. Dharmbir Singh. He now awaits court martial, in which Bakshi too may be tried, sources said. This move comes after the head clerk had been attached to the unit for over 20 months without even a chargesheet. It was only after he moved the Armed Forces Tribunal for bail that the Army filed a tentative chargesheet against him, sources said.
Meanwhile, Bakshi put in his application for premature retirement on January 8, 2014. But, just three weeks later, he withdrew it and decided to continue in service after his seniors communicated that he would face "disciplinary action" in the case.
Action is yet to be taken on the Board of Officers' report of 2013 on TSD in which, too, Bakshi's name figures. The report suggested TSD paid off some Kashmir politicians to bring down the Omar Abdullah government, apart from paying a Kashmir NGO to file a court case against Bikram Singh in a fake encounter case. The TSD had been disbanded in mid-2013 after Gen Bikram Singh took over.
Live drills of BrahMos supersonic fitted to Sukhoi by year-end
The BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited, the joint venture between India's Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and Russia's Federal State Unitary Enterprise NPO Mashinostroyenia (NPOM), is expecting the live flight test of BrahMos supersonic missile attached on Sukhoi flights by the end of 2014, said A Sivathanupillai, founder, CEO and Managing Director of the JV company.
Speaking to reporters in the sidelines of Kurukshetra 2014, an international techno-management fest organised by College of Engineering, Guindy in Anna University, he said, "We are in a stage now to do the integrated test, which will take some time. We are planning the live flight test from the Sukhoi by the end of the year 2014."
Integrating the supersonic missile with Sukhoi requires about $50 million. Engine modifications and so many works are given to the Russians. As per the agreement, out of the $50 million investment, $25 million is funded by the Russian partner. The total investment into the JV is around $300 million while the business, which is the production based on order,is $6 billion, he said.
The company had to reduce the weight of the missile and make some changes to use it in Sukhoi. The changes had to be made since unlike launching from the land, it is launch from a moving platform.
"We needed certain modifications. All modifications have been done and missile is ready for flight test. But we need to modify the Sukhoi itself – structurally, to hold this heavy missile. That has been completed and the design has been validated through various tests," he added.
The missile, launcher and modifications are ready and a wind-tunnel test was successfully conducted at National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) to see whether the seperation from the flight is smooth and clean. The modifications were done by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL). It may be noted that the company has received around Rs 25,000 crore worth of orders from the Army and Indian Navy.
"Launching from the air is a big capability, because it is a moving platform. Today there is no such weapon available in the world. It becomes very important weapon for our forces," he said. "Indian Army is the only land force in the whole world, to have a supersonic cruise missile for land attack. Similarly Indian Air Force will be the only Air Force to have an air launched supersonic cruise missile which can target land and sea," he added.
He added that it is a mandate that the company have to export at the right time and the time to start exports depends upon the strategy decision of the government. Currently the country's interest is to equip the Indian armed force.
"Initially we didn't understand the high potential of the system. Today all countries want this missile. We have become first in the world. First we should use it for our own people," he said. While it is currently producing based on orders, it can increase the production. Around 205 industrial units are working with the company and investing into manufacturing components.
Elaborating on the plans to develop hypersonic version of the missile, BrahMos II, he said that BrahMos would require a very big technology named Scramjet, and it is expecting that it would take five years to develop the technology.
The propulsion system Scramjet is a Supersonic Combustion Ramjet, in which the oxygen for the engine to combust would be taken from the air passing through the vehicle, instead of from a tank onboard.
According to US space research agency NASA, researchers predict scramjet speeds could reach 15 times the speed of sound, which makes an 18-hour trip to Tokyo from New York City reduced to a 2-hour flight. BrahMos has to bring in new materials for the hypersonic version, because the


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Photosynthesis is the primary energy source for life on earth. While the biochemistry and cell biology of photosynthesis are well understood, little is known of how the genes that mediate photosynthesis are regulated. Our research aims to address this knowledge gap by identifying the molecular regulators and mechanisms that control the expression of photosynthesis genes in the world's most important food crops, the grasses. This work combines comparative genomics, evolutionary biology, high-throughput assays and genetic engineering.
If you are interested in joining our group please get in touch by including your CV and a short paragraph outlining the project area that you are interested in.

subset: commoncrawl


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Labour Code
The Canadian Labour Code is a piece of legislation setting out the minimum standards that all employers who are governed by Federal laws, such as banks, transportation companies, and airports, must abide by.
Employees are encouraged to file a complaint for violations of the Code. These violations can include failing to pay overtime pay or vacation pay, failure to give rest and/or lunch breaks, or failure to pay wages.
Employees should be very careful about making a complaint regarding an employers failure to pay termination and/or severance pay. In most situations, employees are entitled to far more notice than the minimum amounts that the Code allows for.
Prior to making a complaint through the Code terminated employees should contact a qualified lawyer for advice regarding their specific situation.


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22 White Elephant Gifts for Your Roommate (That You'll Totally Want to Steal)
Right now, you and your roommate (or mates) might be debating whether or not to have a Christmas tree for the apartment (dibs on not cleaning up those needles). In the back of your mind, though, the both of you are probably debating gifts for each other for the holidays. Sure, the kitchen needs a new tea pot, and there's that sweater you've both been eyeing that you could totally get for them (then steal every other weekend), but why not go a goofier route: the best white elephant gift.
White Elephant gifts can range from crazy kooky to crazy functional (and affordable). Get a whacky kitchen gadget that you can both use (and get a kick out of), or a throwback present to bring them back to grammar school days or something they can treat themselves with while having a giggle. Here's our guide to the best white elephant presents for your housemates.
1. Perpetual Kid Shark Bowl ($16): So you can eat every meal like it's Shark Week.
2. Perpetual Kid Cupcake Shower Cap ($9): While most shower caps make you look like an old maid, this one will make you look Strawberry Shortcake chic.
3. Retro Transparent Telephone ($40): The dream of the '90s is alive in this phone. It's a perfectly rad excuse to get a land line.
4. Wyatt Little Shoe Pot ($50): Alley decoration + succulent = perfect green addition to your living room.
5. Alia Grace Dolls Rainbow Trout Lavender Eye Pillow ($36): Lucky for you, and your face, this smells nothing like fish (more on the lovely lavender end, thankfully).
6. Tees and Thank You "Merry Crustmas" Sweatshirt ($22): It's the Kevin McCallister of sweatshirts.
7. Kikkerland Posterior Design Cat Butt Magnet Set ($13): An accurate representation of how you see your feline friends.
8. Mad Beauty Kellogg's Cereal Lip Balm Set ($23): It's like the milk from your fave childhood breakfast in lip balm form. Lip smackin' delicious.
Shark! Shark! Wall Pocket
never bite you.
10. Coastermatic Donut Coasters ($45): If you don't have a breakfast pastry to indulge in, you can at least place your coffee mug on one (not as many calories, either).
11. Gama-Go Karate Lettuce Chopper ($12): All of your salad prep will be action packed with this chopper (just don't go too hard and break your cutting board).
12. Game of Phones ($20): This deck of cards sends your phone on a scavenger hunt. Perfect for lazy snowed in nights when your Netflix queue is maxed out.
13. Vinca USA Sloth Earrings ($16): Sloths. Hanging onto your ears. The tears are rolling down our cheeks already.
14. Uncommon Goods Toothpaste Tube Wringer ($25): For those of us who are anti-squeeze-from-the-top, this tool will help win the perpetual roommate argument.
15. Sip Caddy Bath Tub Wine Glass Holder ($14): Now you can hop in the tub and wash away the week without having to clean up broken glass (or spilled booze).
16. Nutella Recipe Book by Ferrero ($13): Find ways to enjoy your favorite cocoa hazelnut treat other than toast (or a direct-to-your-mouth spoonful).
17. Urbano Eco Trash Can ($19): Finally, you will have use for all of the plastic bags you save in your apartment.
18. Perks of Aurora "Help Me I'm Poor" Mug ($16): For mornings when you are dreaming of a Nespresso while drinking Folgers Instant.
19. NoDa Design Studio Dachshund Food Tray ($20): If your apartment won't allow dogs, you can still party with this little guy.
20. Evriholder Slipper Genie Floor Cleaning Slippers ($5): Now there will never be an excuse for messy floors. Be comfy, stay cleanly.
21. Ryan Porter "Jeepin'" Keyring ($14): The perfect accessory for rollin' with the homies.
Qualy Penguins on Ice Pop Mold
Happy Feet (with a popsicle finale).


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I'd like to think I am fallin for Zia Quizon after having continuous LSS of her songs for quite sometime already. So imagine my frustration of not seeing her performance during the 25th Awit Awards despite the two invitations I got from PolyEast Records and Bands Magazine to cover the event.
Awit Awards is a prestigious award-giving body, spearheaded by PARI (The Philippine Association of the Record Industry, Inc.)
Zia swept the major Awards that night together with other PolyEast Records Artists Bamboo Manalac and Rock Band Slapshock at the Glorietta 1 at Ayala Center in Makati on November 27, 2012. She took home her first Awit Awards trophies for Best Female Recording and Best Recording by a New Female Artist. Her first single "Ako Na Lang" won the Song of the Year and Best Engineered Recording for her song 'Simple Girl'.
Both songs are from Zia's self-titled album under PolyEast Records which reached Gold Record status March of this year. Right now, she is busy promoting her latest single "So Much In Love" (which is one of my favorites). Her sophomore album will come out this 2013. Let us all watch out for that.
Also, Music Icon and PolyEast Records' pride Bamboo Manalac graced the Awards Night with a closing number with his latest single "In this Life". He took home the Best Performance by a Male Recording Artist award for his song "Questions." Bamboo's released his solo album called "No Water, No Moon" November of last year .
The Best Album Package was given to PolyEast's rap-metal band Slapshock together with Team Manila for the album "Kinse Kalibre". Slapshock marked the success of their latest release in 15 years with Kinse Kalibre which officially reached its Gold Record.
Dolphy & Gary Granada were also both honored that night with the 'Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino Award' with the released of their albums under PolyEast Records still "Handog Ni Pidol: A Lifetime of Music and Laughter" and "The Essential Gary Granada Collection" respectively.
I am very proud of PolyEast Records not just because I am their Online Ambassador, Hahaha!
but because they are indeed an instrument bringing good music to Filipinos all over the world by simply giving opportunities to Philippine Singers & Musicians to be heard.
Congratulations! More Power! More Music!(Photos used courtesy of PolyEast Records website)


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CenturyLink is facing a lawsuit from a former employee and a $12 billion class action suit from its customers over allegations that it deliberately created fake accounts for services customers didn't sign up for, then refused to acknowledge having done so.
The FCC is moving to undo net neutrality and the associated consumer protections the FCC created under Tom Wheeler.
Some channels in Wi-Fi routers are indeed much faster — but that doesn't mean you should go ahead and change them. Read on to find out more about interference and the massive difference between 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi.
The New York State attorney general has filed an enormous lawsuit against Spectrum (previously known as Time Warner Cable). The AG asserts that TWC systemically lied to the FCC, defrauded customers, and knowingly misrepresented its service for at least the past five years.
With 802.11ac fully certified and out the door, the Wi-Fi Alliance has begun looking at its successor, 802.11ax. How does 2Gbps from the router to your laptop sound?
The spectrum measurement was courtesy of the HARPS planet-hunting machine and ESO's La Silla Observatory 3.6-meter telescope in Chile.
Google's new Nexus is a monster of a phone, designed with wireless capabilities that outclass all other Android phones today. Launching with Android 5.0 Lollipop, it's sure to be the best flagship of the year.
Qualcomm has announced its imminent acquisition of Wilocity, a WiFi developer specializing in the 60GHz band. Wilocity promises it can deliver up to 7Gbps of bandwidth — but it comes with some costs.
On Monday, T-Mobile announced that is acquiring Verizon's Lower 700MHz A block spectrum for $2.365 billion and some AWS/PCS spectrum in some markets. With this acquisition, T-Mobile is finally able to start offering LTE broadly on highly-desirable low-band spectrum.
Over Thanksgiving week, T-Mobile quietly launched an upgraded version of its LTE network in Dallas. This network is capable of speeds beyond what most current LTE devices are capable of. But how is it doing it and how will it bring it to the top markets in the country?
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text:
Magic Millions 2016: Zara Phillips steals the show
With more than $100 million of horse flesh under the hammer and Australia's richest single race day declared a stunning success, it was a royal who captivated most eyes at the Gold Coast Turf Club for the 2016 Magic Millions race day.
While not quite a day at Flemington or Randwick let alone Royal Ascot, the Gold Coast Turf Club did boast a bit of blue blood on Saturday as the Queen's granddaughter Zara Phillips and her former rugby player husband Mike Tindall became the star attractions on a race day which has cemented itself firmly on the Australian racing circuit.
Magic Millions owners Katie Page-Harvey and her husband Gerry Harvey hosted this year's event from inside an elaborate marquee.
"It's great, Kate and Gerry have both put a lot of effort into it and it has really come into its own," declared Phillips, who has been juggling her duties as Magic Millions ambassador, horse owner and mother of toddler Mia.
While Phillips said she would resist the urge to buy any more horses, it was clear her passion for all things equine remains as strong as ever, especially as she prepares for her potential inclusion in the equestrian team at this year's Rio Olympics.
Tindall on the other hand admitted he knew little about anything remotely horsey before he fell in love with Phillips, the pair embracing warmly throughout the day and clearly enjoying the sunshine and each other's company.
"Mia our daughter has inherited a love of horses, she has a Shetland pony and she enjoys it so I think her mum has passed that love on ... me on the other hand, well I'm more of a football man," Tindall joked.
This year's yearling sales are running around 37 per cent ahead of this time last year according to Page-Harvey, who said it was proving to be a "bumper" year for the Magic Millions. Horse sales were averaging $200,000 a horse – one of the strongest results in the event's history.
"Our dollar is helping, buyers are coming from all over the world and a lot more from Asia. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger each year ... we have tried to create something unique here and this year it's Dorothy Draper visits the Gold Coast ... I think it really has established itself as a major event on the racing calendar," the retail dynamo told PS.
Elsewhere in the marquee the likes of John Singleton entertained his American girlfriend Vanessa Merrin, clearly happy with the sales his Strawberry Farm yearlings had been generating, including last week's $1.6 million sale.
As temperatures soared to 30 degrees and the sun shined brightly, beyond the VIP marquees the public bars were filled to overflowing with average punters. As one race goer wearing thongs and shorts shouted to his wife, who had adorned herself with a home-made feathery fascinator "who needs the bloody Birdcage".
Andrew Hornery is a senior journalist and Private Sydney columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald.


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Friday, December 05, 2008
Baby Shane Beaumier. Gilroy
You may recall the two-day Cambodian wedding I photographed last year in San Jose. Guess what, (alright it really isn't much of a guess since you've probably already read the title of this post) they had a baby!
We got together at a neighborhood park near their new home to take some pictures of baby Shane. Shane has been to the park a few times I'm told, but good things happen when the photographer shows up! He got to ride in a baby swing for the first time and seemed to really enjoy it.
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text: Artifact Details Title Framed certificates Catalog Number 102700773 Type Text Date 1977-1985 ca. Publisher Signetics; National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Description Certificates have been removed from frames. Category Paper/Record Collection Title Don Liddie papers on Signetics Series Title Ephemera Credit Gift of Donald F. Liddie Signetics Collection Lot Number X4609.2008


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Series 5, Episode 21
The islanders are enjoying a once-in-a-lifetime summer in their very own paradise, but it comes at a price as they face all kinds of twists and turns
Wednesday, 26th Jun 9.00pm
The nation's favourite villa throws open its doors once more to begin an unforgettable summer of romance and fun in the sun 79mins
The series continues as the cast of young singles settle into villa life and their daily routine of dating, flirting, dumping and more 48mins
The series continues with plenty more surprises in store for the class of 2019 45mins
The class of 2019 are settling into a summer of love and romance they will never forget 44mins
The first week of Love Island is almost over, and the islanders have already discovered that life in paradise is tougher than it looks 57mins
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text: Agreed, great show, I enjoyed it immensely, David's playing as usual is immaculate, stylish, perfected, legendary, Perry was in fine form and from how he addressed the audience had they of performed "PIZ" with that mid-stream chat, for lack of a better word, he has done before much to the delight and amazement of the fans, would have been brilliant, I've only one complaint, not at all about The Legendary Iconic Classic Brilliant Pioneering Jane's Addiction, but of and to the PanoCast personel and that is: no matter what I tried and how many times I pressed the fullscreen button, it gave an error of the inability to do so, thus making their statement of an all around 360 degree experience of the show a fallacy in my view, did anyone else have that problem? My LapTop is brand new and loaded for bear, so I know it wasn't my machine, just wondering if anyone else had the same issue, all in all Jane's Addiction is, without a single doubt or moment of hesitation the Best Band in Musical History! Thank you so much David, Perry, Stephen, Chris for the best show ever! --Marie


text:
Me and some make up brands spend too much time together; Pixi is one of those brands that I have tried odd pieces off, but don't get a chance to use that often Maybe because there are no counters near me, and I don't get to play with the range any more.
However – I was sent a selection of products to try recently;
Pixi is a range of skincare and make up created by Petra Strand and the products are formulas that are multitasking, flaw fixing and 'youth-enhancing' for women on the go – THAT'S ME! So let's take a look at the products I have been trying for the last few months…
Line Relax Serum
They say " Nourishing serum plumps, de-puffs, and relaxes lines for a fresh & energized complexion. Packed with ginkgo biloba, aloe vera and witch hazel, this Pixi potion is the perfect kick-start to a morning makeup routine, or a cooling mid-day treat for tired skin."
This sheer gel with some shiny particles in it is a pre foundation prep for the skin:
God knows I need something that cools and preps the skin – even if I am not wearing foundation, and many days, I don't, It's nice to make my skin look fresher. This comes in 1 shade only, 01 Serene which can be used on any skin tone. The texture is a gel:
To see the pearly particles better:
the serum can be used on top of make up to relax the skin and also as a primer before primer and foundation. I don't know if I'd want to have that many layers on my face to be honest but I would be happy using this as a primer.
A few things about this serum – when my skin was a bit sensitive, this definitely made it tingle. It was uncomfortable for a good few minutes then faded away. I found this product made my skin feel a bit tighter and glowing. I don't know if I would class this as cosmetic or skincare though!
This costs £22. This is the result on my skin after application (with no make up – eek):
Illuminating Tint & Conceal
They say: This multipurpose beautifier does triple duty, acting as your moisturizer, sunscreen, and tinted treatment to provide sheer coverage that makes skin appear flawless & lit from within. Super-hydrating ingredients and protective SPF 20 keep your skin pampered. The perfecting tinted moisturizer in the tube goes on feather-light, leaves your skin looking naturally radiant, and can be layered for extra coverage"
This product reminds me of a tinted moisturiser and has the added handy-ness of a concealer in the lid. The tint has more coverage than the average tinted moisturiser though which makes it quite a versatile product.
It has a creamy texture however, the concealer feels more like a stick foundation – I wish it offered more coverage.
I have nude glow which works well with my NC35 skin tone although the concealer is a bit light/beige for my liking. Nevertheless, this design is super happy to carry around!
This costs £21.50.
Beauty Bronzer & Kabuki
This handy set is a beauty bronzer and a brush – I have Subtly Suntouched which is a really lovely light shimmer medium tan shade. This is very natural and almost a little peachy.
I really like this bronzer – the set is good value for £15 (with the brush) which is surprisingly handy and the shade really warms up the skin without looking over the top. If you find it hard to find a flattering bronzer this could be worth trying out – I find some are too brown and some are too orange, whereas this one is somewhere between a blush and bronze.
Come back later for part 2 of my reviews!
Have you ever tried Pixi?


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The coding behind your USAePay integration
Technology integrations have now become a worldwide norm for connecting value-added functionality with enterprise-level business applications. It doesn't matter if a company is using a software application to track inventory, handle accounting functions, or map a sales pipeline, the power of sharing data between platforms lies in the code behind the integration.
In the case of POS-based payments, the integration model is particularly important. Not only are there hundreds of POS software systems available for merchants to choose from, but each of these systems must be powered by payment gateway integration in order to process transactions. Moreover, the payment gateway technology is what ensures a software application remains in compliance with the latest PCI and EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa) standards, in addition to providing a robust administrative layer that easily integrates viewable data into the POS dashboard interface.
None of these critical software integration functions would be possible without a best practice string of code, better known as the API (application programming interface). This code is what enables two unique solutions to sync and transport data between them. In addition to providing best practice functionality, the base API code must also be enriched with important security parameters to ward off hackers that may try to use the gateway API as an open door to compromise either system.
"The API serves as the technology bridge that technology developers use to allow unique data sets to pass between one unique application and another," explained Vlad Galyuz, USAePay Vice President of Product Development. "At USAePay, we place great emphasis on ensuring our API model is not only secure and functional, but also that the API itself is easy for our customers to plug into virtually any POS or online commerce application."
Turnkey technology and support model
Structured much like other value-added software plug-ins, the USAePay API deployment is also accompanied with user-friendly technical documentation that is designed to guide software development partners through a step-by-step implementation process. This standardized documentation includes everything a developer needs to effectively set-up a link between their software and the USAePay gateway. USAePay also offers personalized hands-on technical support in the event additional in-person guidance is needed.
"Our technical support team is always standing by to assist our partners with getting their gateway integrations in place and running smoothly right away," continued Galyuz. "However, we have found most of our software partners have little trouble implementing the gateway when they follow the easy step-by-step API documentation we supply them." In addition, since USAePay has been supporting successful payment gateway integrations and updates for over fifteen years, the integrity of their API code is par-none. The code is complete, functional and trouble-free, making every USAePay integration seamless and essentially worry free.
USAePay has also implemented an easy upgrade process for gateway API compliance and version upgrades. Customers are provided well documented download instructions and dedicated technicians are in place to ensure every customer has whatever they need to bring their system into compliance upon notice of a version upgrade.
"USAePay is dedicated to supporting its gateway development customers with everything they need to avoid compliance lapses or obtain swift answers to upgrade questions," said Ben Goretsky, USAePay CEO and Founder. "Our company's reputation was built on our dedication to the customer and upholding the core values of friendliness and support. We want to ensure all API downloads go smoothly and our customers take pride in using our gateway products to transact business."
If you are a software provider or developer looking for an excellent payment gateway partner, or an ISO that supports a portfolio of POS or business software partners, you are invited to contact USAepay today to learn more. Feel free to call us directly at 1-866-USAePay or visit our website at www.usaepay.com
We're excited to hear from you and are standing ready to help you with all your payment gateway API needs.
Automation for large retailers
Diversifying the payment gateway
Simplifying large-scale EMV management
Mobile POS integrity you can count on
The coding behind your USAePay integration
Superb card-not-present strength and security
New and improved iOS app for POS


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Radar – RioBbl120 – not in range for me yet at -62%ATR:
Study – BblBhp – I looked back to find a similar day in BblBhp120. The first chart is from 9/14/12. Note:
1. On 4-minute chart the pair never broke a swing low the entire day
2. At the max, the pair was up ~1.25, or 1.18 on 1-minute chart (not shown)
3. The pair maxed out at ~9:30 pst
If today does the same the pair would max out at 7.45~ at 9:30:
Radar – CclRcl100 –
1. Daily very OS after a 3-month correction holding well above 38%. Also note very high negative correlation with SPX, IMO bias slightly positive.
2. On the 34-min chart, the pair is up 130% ATR this morning, into short-term resistance. Note – taking smaller position that normal here due to earnings yesterday:


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The neglected Lade Braes area is to be repaired and improved, thanks to a £50,000 funding boost from the St Andrews Common Good Fund.
The pathway through the beauty spot has fallen into disrepair, with pathways crumbling and in some cases requiring warning signs for public safety.
At the recent meeting of the North East Fife Area Committee, councillors approved an award of £50,000 from the Common Good Fund, towards improving the Lade Braes.
The Council's Parks and Countryside Service will provide 'in kind' works towards the project, and will also investigate further funding to allow continuing improvements to the Lade Braes.
The improvements will see paths widened and reinforced, and damaged areas repaired.
St Andrews councillor, Brian Thomson, welcomed the approval of funding from the Common Good Fund.
He said: "This is excellent news for St Andrews. The Lade Braes is a special place, which is much loved by local residents and visitors alike.
"Several areas have fallen into disrepair over the last few years, but with continuing cuts in Council funding,
the money simply hasn't been available to carry out the necessary improvement works, and different ways to fund such projects have to be found.
"Given the importance of the Lade Braes to the town, allied with the relatively healthy state of the Common Good Fund, I was pleased to support the funding application.
"There's often debate as to what should or should not be funded by the Common Good Fund, but I'm firmly of the view that it should primarily be spent on things that will benefit the town in the long term, and improvements to the Lade Braes is a perfect example of this.
"The basis of works is a survey that was carried out in the spring of 2016, which identified key areas that needed improvement and, along with my fellow St Andrews councillors, we were really keen that the works could be carried out.
"To fully upgrade all areas of the Lade Braes would likely cost a significant sum, but this is an important first step that will hopefully be followed – if funding can be identified – by further improvements."
The works will include new paths, repairs to old paths, added fencing and drainage, along with new surfacing on some walkways.
Patrick Marks, secretary of St Andrews Community Council, said: "We're very supportive of any work to improve Lade Braes.
"It will be great to see improvements, and better quality walkways.
"At the moment there are parts which are not fit for use by certain people, with tree roots breaking through the path and creating a hazard and an obstacle.
"It seems like maintenance of the area has been neglected, but I understand the costs involved can normally make things difficult.
"The work is absolutely necessary, and it's a good use of the Common Good Fund."


text:
The actual…a means to an end.
"Her botanical collages, she calls actuals, are enlarged to create dramatic prints. Once her miniature works are transformed, they take on a whole new life. Many feel like paintings, though they are not paintings at all. With the veins, textures, and colors of a few or a hundred blossoms she "paints" – some works revealing intricate detail, others powerful simplicity."
Michelle Alten
Run With The Wolfies, a travel and photography blog
Sharing what I see
Combining the age-old art of pressed plants and flowers with ever advancing technology I am able to create timeless original images. I work surrounded by flowers, stems, leaves, seeds, petals, pieces of color, texture and pattern; often studying the details through powerful loupes to magnify and discover the world that can't be seen with a casual glance.
I create my botanical compositions to inspire people to look beyond the first impressions of the flower to the intricacy, details and the nuances of the petals. I explore color and textural subtleties of plants and by enlarging the image I
can share what I see with others, so they can appreciate the details too.
The actual plant material composition is a means to an end.
I have been creating botanical composition actuals since 1992 with my first signed fine art print in 1994. The experience of working for over twenty three years with my natural pressed materials has made this complex process very intuitive and personally rewarding.


text:
135 Crestwood Road, Landenberg, PA 19350 $469,900
Acreage: 1.7
Age:24 years
Colonial, Traditional
Mobile#: 8670
Subdivision: Hillside Farms
This property is being marketed below appraised value! Tucked serenely on 1.7 acres among an impressive assortment of mature trees, this captivating residence is immediately welcoming. Gleaming hardwood floors, spacious rooms, and elegant moldings add to the appeal of the interior. The masterfully appointed kitchen features a large center island with seating, granite countertops, double ovens, two microwaves, trash compactor, and sub-zero refrigerator. Enter the family room, which has a fireplace, new carpeting, and French doors to a spectacular glass-enclosed atrium which features incredible views of the surrounding landscape. Other main level rooms include formal living and dining rooms, study, and powder room. Upstairs, the expansive owner's suite is sure to impress. This restful retreat features a large walk-in closet, sitting room with fireplace, laundry area, and luxurious full bath. Three additional upper-level bedrooms share a hall bath. The appeal of this home continues to the finished walk-out lower level which accesses the rear yard. Beautiful outdoor living spaces include an expansive raised Trex deck, pond with fountain, and large open area.*Brand new septic system! *Stucco has been inspected by Environtech. Report available upon request. *Recent updates include new high-end roof, new hardie board siding, all new outdoor lighting, new heating and AC systems (3 years), and deck recently redone with Trex composite material.
Dining Room: 16 X 11 - Main
Kitchen: 23 X 13 - Main
Family Room: 20 X 19 - Main
Study: 12 X 12 - Main
Solarium: 19 X 14 - Main
Sitting Room: 19 X 13 - Upper 1
Bedroom 2: 15 X 11 - Upper 1
Bedroom 3: 13 X 11 - Upper 1
Bedroom 4: 12 X 10 - Upper 1
Basement: 23 X 18 - Lower 1
Home Assoc: No
Condo Assoc: No
Basement: Y
Pool: No Pool
Elem. School: Penn London Mid. School: Avon Grove High School: Avon Grove
90% Forced Air, Propane - Leased, Central A/C, Electric, Well Water, On Site Septic, Circuit Breakers
Attached Garage, Garage - Side Entry, Attached Garage Spaces #: 3;
Partially Finished Basement, Walkout Level Basement
Brick Exterior, HardiPlank Type, Other
Select a school from the following list. Schools are grouped by school type.
The schools on this list are selected by their proximity of up to 5 miles to the property address. Proximity does not guarantee enrollment eligibility. Please contact the school directly for more information on enrollment requirements.
* If there are more than 5 schools of any type within a close proximity, click on the button to see additional schools of that type near the search address.
Public Elementary (3 schools)
|New Garden El School
|Kennett Consolidated School District
|3.43 mi
|North Star Elementary School
|Red Clay Consolidated School District
|3.75 mi
|Avon Grove Charter School
|Avon Grove Cs
|West Grove
|3.8 mi
Public Middle (3 schools)
|Kennett Middle School
|Kennett Consolidated School District
|2.84 mi
|Fred S Engle Middle School
|Avon Grove School District
|West Grove
|3.42 mi
|Avon Grove Charter School
|Avon Grove Cs
|West Grove
|3.8 mi
Public High (2 schools)
|Avon Grove High School
|Avon Grove School District
|West Grove
|3.73 mi
|Avon Grove Charter School
|Avon Grove Cs
|West Grove
|3.8 mi
Private (7 schools)
|Landenberg Christian Academy
|2.48 mi
|White Clay Learning Center
|3.41 mi
|Cacc Montessori School
|3.52 mi
|Avon Grove Nazarene Academy
|West Grove
|3.72 mi
|The Independence School
|4.07 mi
|Creative Play Day Sch Main Bldg
|4.15 mi
|Limestone Hills Day School
|4.75 mi
Catholic (1 schools)
|Assumption Bvm School
|Archdiocese Of Philadelphia
|West Grove
|3.56 mi
© 2019 Onboard Informatics. All Rights Reserved.
This report is a detailed community overview for Landenberg(19350), Pennsylvania.
Community Quick Facts
- Daytime population in this area: 7,829
- Average travel time to work for people in this community: 28
- Average salary of people in this community: $53,135
- Closest Major Airport: New Castle
- Closest Major Sports Teams: Wilmington Blue Rocks (A)
Community Summary
- Population Growth (since 2010): 4.73%
- Population Density (ppl / mile): 411
- Household Size (ppl): 2.93
- Households w/ Children: 38%
- Annual Residential Turnover: 0%
Housing Inventory
- Owned: 3,468 (86.7%)
- Rented: 402 (10.0%)
- Vacant: 131 (3.3%)
- Total: 4,001
Population Demographics
The population of the community broken down by age group. The numbers at the top of each bar indicate the number of people in the age bracket below.
Climate and Weather
The Temperature chart displays average high and low values for January and July, and is designed to provide an indication of both seasonal and daily temperature variability. The Weather Risk Index indicates the calculated risk of each type of weather event occurring in the future. This risk is based on historical localized storm events and weather patterns. The national average for each type of weather event equals a score of 100, so a score of 200 would represent twice the risk as the national average, and a score of 50 would represent half the risk of the national average.
The Community Educational Index chart is based on the U.S. Census Bureau's Socioeconomic Status (SES) elements. Factors used in creating the index below are income, educational achievement, and occupation of persons within the selected ZIP code. Since this index is based on the population of an entire Zip code, it may not reflect the nature of an individual school.
Educational Climate Index: 4 (1 = Low, 5 = High)
Highest Level of Education Attained
- Less than 9th Grade: 2.1%
- Some High School: 3.9%
- High School Graduate: 17.8%
- Some College: 15.5%
- Associate Degree: 7.2%
- Bachelor's Degree: 31.1%
- Graduate Degree: 22.4%
- White Collar: 53%
- Blue Collar: 47%
Income by dollar range
Median Income: $119,408
Fair Market Rents
The Fair Market Rents show average gross rent estimates based on figures provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
- Studio: $845
- One Bedroom: $1,003
- Two Bedroom: $1,211
- Three Bedroom: $1,515
- Four Bedroom: $1,686
The Crime Index compares the risk or probability of future occurrence of certain types of crime in this community as compared to the national average. The national average for each type of crime equals a score of 100, so a score of 200 would represent twice the risk as the national average, and a score of 50 would represent half the risk of the national average.
© 2019 Onboard Informatics. All Rights Reserved.
Contact Information
Schedule an Appointment to See this Home
Request more information
or call me now at 302-234-5202
Listing Courtesy of:
The data relating to real estate for sale on this website appears in part through the BRIGHT Internet Data Exchange program, a voluntary cooperative exchange of property listing data between licensed real estate brokerage firms in which Patterson-Schwartz Real Estate participates, and is provided by BRIGHT through a licensing agreement. The information provided by this website is for the personal, non-commercial use of consumers and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
Information Deemed Reliable But Not Guaranteed.
Copyright BRIGHT, All Rights Reserved
Listing data as of 12/15/2019.


text:
AnonD-26470, 12 Oct 2012samsung,LG,sony,nokia... all of these are names of brands. apple-----name of a fruit. so ... moredo you know what samsung mean in korean?
US courts suddenly unbiased? No way!
Samsung Nexus is the 'Google phone'.. US company...
For US courts this is Google vs Apple, both 'born in USA' and so they may start on equal basis.
If it is Samsung Galaxy (korean) or any other non US company vs Google/Apple/Intel etc, the 'right' only favours one side of them: the US one..
Equity made in USA...
US court is still biased! Just because Nexus is a part of Google (another US based company just like Apple), they've decided to not ban it. I think US court realized its not an enemies device.
But why still ban smartphones of Sammy without the logo "Nexus" on it?
Someone, 12 Oct 2012Listen, there is just so much hate for Apple by GSM Arena readers. Every story mentioning Appl... moreSure, "Someone" like you will make it famous or notorious for its own undoing; sure Apple raised the bar too high that even they can't even remember how high! Now it's "someone"'s else turn to better Apple. So Apple, move over and stop your sulking because it sucks big time.
Someone, 12 Oct 2012They don't have to win with OSX vs Windows. They're the third biggest seller of laptops in... moreBest SELLING, maybe. But the BEST? Eh no. Their Laptops and Desktop Computers' specs/performance won't give a dent against their best PC counterparts.
AnonD-58527, 12 Oct 2012for "MDVw"
Why does it take 1.5GHz quadcores and 2GB RAM to
'reduce' lag?
Kno... moreWhat do you mean by that?
I have a Galaxy Nexus (1GB Ram, 1.2Ghz Dual-core) & Nexus S (512MB Ram, 1GHz) and both run smooth and without any lag... the Galaxy Nexus runs even smoother than my Friends iPhone 4s...
for "MDVw"
Why does it take 1.5GHz quadcores and 2GB RAM to
'reduce' lag?
Known to Slow over time.
Must be worry as to why that is?
But i'm sure the OS is sliming down and getting faster though.
Hate to think how it'll run on
256MB RAM and just single core. An os that's to old for the hardware?
all of these are names of brands.
apple-----name of a fruit.
so apple stolen its brand name from a fruit..
wow.now thats innovative.
lol, 12 Oct 2012you must understand, before all this you all troll about, there was a circle of companies that... moreThey don't have to win with OSX vs Windows.
They're the third biggest seller of laptops in the US.
Look at this, from Apple:
Best selling smartphone on the market
Best tablet on the market
Best high end laptop on the market
Best ultra book on the market
Best all in one desktop on the market
Most valuable company in the world and ranked behind Coke as the most valuable brand
Highest customer satisfaction survey.
Listen, there is just so much hate for Apple by GSM Arena readers. Every story mentioning Apple has people coming in with negative comments.
Steve Jobs said at the unveiling of the first iPhone at Macworld Jan 2007, "This is the iPhone. And we have patented the HELL out of it!"
You don't need me to tell you, you already know. The iPhone changed the entire smartphone world. Whether you like it or not, the smartphone you use wouldn't be the way it is if it wasn't for Apple. Unless you're using a pre-2007 smartphone.
Face it, Apple changed the world. The iPhone will go down in history. It made Apple the biggest and most successful company in the world.
Love it or hate it.
you must understand, before all this you all troll about, there was a circle of companies that throw agreements and contributions they "innovate" things technology in several aspects. For a while it work, then for some reason, steve jobs, break that circle back in 2009, and with his passing, apple just decide to just f.... up all, and know they are paying the price. They cant "innovate". All this companies, like nokia, motorola, siemens, sony ericsson, microsoft, intel and etc...already had all this ideas that come throw apple, htc, samsung and others trademarks. They innovate by agreements.
You didnt see nokia, microsoft or motorola charge against everyone until recently, because they own almost all patents on telecoms industry. Now Apple have start a war that they never will win, they didnt win back then mac vs windowns, and sure they wont win this one...sad for us, we lose with this kind of cr4p
The problem with crApple is greed. While others just COPY & PASTE , Apple wants to CUT & PASTE such Samsung and fellows be left with nothing to copy.
Apple should sue on behalf on the Nexus owners for releasing a laggy phone.
truth, 12 Oct 2012Apple acquired Fingerworks Inc. in 2005 and when launched iphone in 2007 they claimed we inven... morebecause multi-touch already existed in microsoft, and other companies like hp and xerox, steve jobs fail to mention that on the presentation
Thanks God, finally US court made unbiased decision... I was not expecting it... Crapple is a copy cat, Samsung too but who cares?? I want best phone with best features whther copied or not...
Crapple is the biggest innovator on this planet. It was crapple who threw apple on Newton's head and in result Newton invented gravitational law... thanks God crapple didnt patented gravity, we can consider it their biggest kindness on humanity...
Crapple is the most marvelous, wondrous, innovative thing on this planet even if they purchase all the components from others and foxcon put it together...
Samsung sucks even if it can produce everything on its own... such a pitty for samsung...
Anonymous, 12 Oct 2012its called analyzing the competition every major company does that to it's main competitors it... moreYour point is exactly what I mean my friend :-) there are standard things on a phones interface or OS which is common across ALL phones!!,I mean are apple going to sue for the camera icon??? Or should apple be sued for using somebody else's idea for the camera icon,where does the madness end ?? Look at a map there are standard icons for cafes,petrol garages,hospitals etc you cannot patent these,they are for ease of use and easily recognisable !!!
Someone, 12 Oct 2012Listen guys, Samsung DID copy Apple. Remember on the court case Samsung said that they nee... moreits called analyzing the competition every major company does that to it's main competitors it's a very common practice , im sure apple would have done the same thing to Nokia , Samsung , htc and other competition . and icons are supposed to be easily recognizable :(
Someone, 12 Oct 2012Listen guys, Samsung DID copy Apple. Remember on the court case Samsung said that they nee... moreI think what most people forget is that are we not all after a phone which incorporates the best from every manufactuer ? How can a icon on a phone be the reason for copying? Does that mean if I drew a square on a piece of paper and put a flower in the middle and published it that apple would sue me? If apple can prove that samsung stole there 'code' then that's copyright infringement but I bet they couldn't and I am sure a lot of apples inspiration comes from others and free code which they then alter and make it there's !!!
Listen guys, Samsung DID copy Apple.
Remember on the court case Samsung said that they need to stop focussing their attention on Nokia and start focussing on the unseen giant that is Apple.
Samsung even made a document that was over 100 pages showing just how iOS works.
Come on guys, even the icon for Photos on the Samsung Galaxy phones was A FLOWER WITH YELLOW PETALS!!!


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UdiUnger-Diffutherm Insulation Boards
What do you use UdiUnger-Diffutherm wood fibre Insulation Boards for?
- Eco friendly, effective external and internal insulation for solid walls and timber frames.
- Forms the UdiFRONT ETAG certified EWI system
- Reducing your energy bills and saving you money by even more than you'd think*.
- Keeping you warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
- Ensuring your building remains breathable and preventing moisture related issues such as mould.
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Rockbox mail archiveSubject: Re: Various bug fixes and improvements - where to put?
From: [IDC]Dragon (idc-dragon_at_gmx.de)
Date: 2004-03-02
> The problem is with the
Ahh, oops!
> I _do_ actually use stores with immediate offsets! You have to
Oh, I overlooked that it is r0 only for byte/word store. This is great, so
> > For the LCD code, we can take out the interrupt disable (like
I vote for taking it out, leaving just the comment. It's a bit paranoid, at
-- +++ NEU bei GMX und erstmalig in Deutschland: TÜV-geprüfter Virenschutz +++ 100% Virenerkennung nach Wildlist. Infos: http://www.gmx.net/virenschutz
Page was last modified "Jan 10 2012" The Rockbox Crew


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About Us
Mission Statement The Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park objectives are to...
Hamlin CCC/POW History Trail Update (2012) by Ed Evans Volunteers from Hamlin...
Bird Watching
Be kind to our patrons… Hamlin Beach State Park is a wonderful place to...
News & Updates
Welcome to our new Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park website!
The Friends Group is a nonprofit, tax exempt organization dedicated to protecting and promoting Hamlin Beach State Park. In addition to improving the park, we are engaged in a long term project of restoring the former CCC/POW Camp at the park for educational purposes for the benefit of the public. Our mission is to support the Park and the CCC Camp for all our visitors to enjoy today, and for posterity.
We are an all volunteer group that love this park and want to work together to make it a great place for you to visit and enjoy. We welcome new members at any time. Please see the "About Us" tab at top and consider joining our group. Your membership can be to make a donation, to volunteer during our activities, or to join our once a month meetings. All help is greatly appreciated.
General meetings are held the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 7:00 in the Park office.
Please visit our Facebook page www.facebook.com/FOHBSP, or use the Contact Us page.
Click here to see the Hamlin Beach Park brochure for 2015 events.
Click here to see the 2015 Camping Brochure.
Hamlin CCC/POW History Trail Update (2012)
by Ed Evans
Volunteers from Hamlin and the surrounding area have been working since June 2008 to clear the "jungle-like growth" from the old Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Camp on Moscow Road. The campsite is on property that is part of Hamlin Beach State Park and is located just east of the southern entrance to the park adjacent to 968 Moscow Rd. By August of 2012, over 5000 people hours of volunteer work had been put in with hand tools cutting and hauling away the dense brush that had taken over the area. Today the eight acre site looks very much like a park and the work continues.
Projects & Accomplishments
The Friends of Hamlin Beach have been instrumental in the clean-up, conservation, and improvement of the park, CCC/POW camp site, and surrounding area. We support the park at various park events including Free Fishing Day, Bike Safety Day. and Fall Festival.
We provide visibility at various local events such as the Hamlin Wheelfest and Hilton Applefest,
Our premier event is the I Love My Park Day and we have ongoing work to create a museum at the former CCC/POW camp site on Moscow Road near the park entrance.
Please browse through our pages and join us anytime.
Our next upcoming event that we support is the Free Fishing Day on June 27th, 2015
Area 1, 10 am—2 pm .
Come out and enjoy free fishing, games and prizes.
Sponsored by: NYS Parks, Friends of Hamlin Beach and Monroe County Fishery Board.


text: All Restaurants Search > Sort ByNewestTitleRating View: Grid 1View: Grid 2View: Grid 3View: Grid 4View: Grid 5View: List Bereavement, LLC No Reviews Favorite The Funeral Food Company- Bereavement is a delivery service providing affordable home-cooked meals for bereaved families in Central Arkansas. Read more... No Records FoundSorry, no records were found. Please adjust your search criteria and try again. Google Map Not LoadedSorry, unable to load Google Maps API.


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No products
Prices are tax included
All orders will be processed within 24 hours of payment being verified or received. Orders are shipped Monday through Friday Ex Auckland. If an item has gone out of stock we will contact you to advise and arrange new stock and delivery schedule, you would need to advise if that was not suitable. In most instances deliveries will be made by our preferred supplier unless otherwise notified and they may require a signature for receipt of the parcel.
Any apparent damage upon delivery should be noted to the delivery driver.
The cost of shipping will be calculated and added to your purchase in the shopping cart.
Generally there is no extra change for rural delivery however cartage of larger items like machines for rural delivery needs to be quoted based on the actual address. Please contact us and we'll provide the cost.
PLEASE CONTACT US here or email the team at firstname.lastname@example.com with any freight cost query's or anomalies.
Should the need arise to return an item for any reason please contact us without delay, in some circumstances conditions will apply regarding the freight component, please ask.


text: You may have known different ways to spend some quality time with your partner or friends at your home. But having stylish and unique wine would be the smart option. The Sparkling Wine would be best choice of wine for people who were looking to find unique and stylish wine to spend some quality time with their special person.


text:
Malaysian Indians
This photograph of a family in Singapore is from the Frank and Frances Carpenter Collection at the Library of Congress. Frank G. Carpenter (1855–1924) was an American writer of books on travel and world geography, whose works helped to popularize cultural anthropology and geography in the United States in the early years of the 20th century. Consisting of photographs taken and gathered by Carpenter and his daughter Frances (1890–1972) to illustrate his writings, the collection includes an estimated 16,800 photographs and 7,000 glass and film negatives. Kling (or Keling) is a term used for Malaysians or Singaporeans of Indian descent, now generally considered to be offensive.
Date Created
Subject Date
Title in Original Language
Kling poeple
Additional Subjects
Type of Item
Physical Description
1 photographic print
External Resource
IIIF Manifest Help
Last updated: May 29, 2013


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Lendlease, who delivered stage 1 of the Gawler Rail Line electrification, has been given the nod by the South Australian Government to deliver Stage 2 of the project. Lendlease is currently delivering stage one of the Gawler Rail Line electrification project between Adelaide and Salisbury. Stage 2 of the project will upgrade the rail line between Salisbury and Gawler.Read more here
The Federal Government has announced that it will fast track $395 million worth of funding for three major South Australian infrastructure projects.Read more here
Steps to build a retaining wall: Know the lay of the land - contact Dial Before You Dig Draft your wall design Finalise plans and mark out area Excavate area and trench Lay and compact road base Lay steel bar grid/mesh and set up wooden forms Pour footing - lay cement and sand mix Screed and level the cement/sand mix Lay first row of bricks Fill first layer of bricks with blue metal aggregate Optional - Install drainage pipe Lay remaining layers of bricks Remove lugs from top layer Install caps Allow everything to dryRead more here
iSeekPlant is committed to supporting efforts to promote and identify indigenous owned businesses supplying to mining, resources and infrastructure projects. this supplier has identified itself as being Indigenous Owned or Affiliated under the following conditions:


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This year's excavations at the Fort Shirley Site in Huntingdon County, PA, were quite successful! The 2012 Penn State Field School team located the fort's western palisade feature, defined the northwestern bastion, and began to identify and document a structure in the northeast corner of the stockade. Additionally, two weeks of testing at Aughwick Old Town has preliminarily confirmed the location of a portion of the 1754-1756 refugee camp of the pro-British Ohio Seneca (or Mingoes) that moved from the Forks of the Ohio to be close to George Croghan's trading post after George Washington's defeat at Fort Necessity. Coordinated with our survey, IUP graduate student, Ryan Spittler, collected geophysical data to compare with our findings.
George Croghan was a particularly important figure in assisting Pennsylvania, Virginia, and the British Crown; but, his most crucial role was that of Indian negotiator, providing gifts to the various Ohio tribes in an effort to build trade and alliances. His presence resulted in a particular mix of ethnicities passing their time at Aughwick as the colonies prepared to wage a brutal conflict on rugged foreign soil. During the field school, university students are trained in the latest techniques of the discipline while assisting with the documentation of a truly unique cultural resource linked to the start of the Seven Year's War in North America.
By 1752, European globalization had reached Pennsylvania and into the Ohio Country through the efforts of George Croghan. Trader, land speculator, and Indian negotiator, Croghan was the premier agent of the British colonies in claiming the Ohio Country. Business was booming for this business-minded Irishman until the British and the French frontier empires began to overlap. Croghan's trading activity at the Miami village of Pickawillany threatened France's claim to this strategic region. With a French price on his head, Croghan retreated eastward and established a post at Aughwick near well-known trading paths. In the wake of General Braddock's defeat in 1755, he was ordered by the governor of Pennsylvania to oversee the construction of three forts as violent raids were carried out across the frontier. The first of these forts was built around Croghan's trading post at Aughwick (to be named Fort Shirley in January of 1756), twenty miles to the south stood Fort Lyttelton and twenty miles to the north stood Fort Granville (at present-day Lewiston).
Built by Croghan in October of 1755, Fort Shirley is a rare example of a provincial fort exhibiting a distinct Native American presence, a testament to the very special relationship between George Croghan and the Ohio Seneca. Tanaghrisson, also known as the "Half King", died shortly after arriving at Aughwick, but his warriors and their families stayed close to be provisioned by the province by way of Croghan. From the artifacts recovered from the palisade trench, it is apparent that the Natives assisted with the construction of the stockade fort. When Croghan left Aughwick in the spring of 1756 for New York to be William Johnson's Deputy Indian Agent, the Seneca began to disperse without the protection of the influential Irishman.
The following are informal images from the 2012 PSU Archaeology Field School and intended to highlight some of our finds.
|Shovel-testing along Aughwick Creek
The first two weeks of field school was spent digging shovel test pits, 5 meters apart on a staggered grid, in search of any signs of Aughwick Old Town. This area is on a large meander of the floodplain, 200 yards west of the fort site. (Photo: S. Padamonsky)
|Early Archaic Point
We recovered this Early Archaic jasper projectile point from 10 centimeters into the clay--not what we were looking for specifically, but a great find nonetheless. (Photo: J. Burns)
|Cobalt Blue Glass Bead
A cobalt blue tubular glass bead—identical to those recovered in the palisade trench at Fort Shirley. (Photo: S. Padamonsky)
|Clear Wire-Wound Glass Bead
|A Storm Gathers Over Aughwick Old Town
A panoramic shot shows Aughwick Old Town and a massive storm gathering towards our survey teams. Overlooking this field, Conrand Weiser visited Croghan's homestead at Aughwick on September 3, 1754 reporting that Croghan had a plentiful bounty of butter, milk, squash, pumpkins, and ample acres of the best Indian corn he had ever seen. Weiser also reported that; "…he had encountered about twenty cabins about Croghan's house, and in them at least 200 Indians, men, women and children…" (PA Col. Records, VI, p. 149). (Photo: S. Padamonsky)
|Soil Training
During the first week of the course, Dr. John Wah conducts soil training with small groups of students to add consistency to their observations, paperwork, and notes. The course also incorporates the expertise of Dr. Paul Raber and Steven G. Warfel. The site is under the field direction of Dr. Jonathan Burns and assistants, Jared Smith and Scott Padamonsky. (Photo: J. Burns)
|Ryan Finds a Point
The final four weeks of excavation was conducted at the fort site—which happens to be rife with prehistoric artifacts as well; but, we were on the hunt for colonial artifacts, the fort's northwest bastion, and the western palisade feature that had eluded us in 2011. (Photo: S. Padamonsky)
|That's Entertainment
A mouth harp was recovered from the palisade area, and provides insight into colonial entertainment. Similar mouth harps were recovered during excavations at Fort Loudon and Fort Ligonier. (Photo: J. Burns)
|"The White Whale" (or The Western Palisade)
A well-placed test unit reveals the western palisade's trajectory. Note that four individual posts are visible. Now that we have located all four stockade walls (or curtains), we can say that Fort Shirley measured approximately 134 feet North to South and 165 feet East to West, not including the bastion projections that are becoming evident in both the southwest and northwest corners. (Photo: J. Burns)
|White Salt-Glazed Stoneware
A single piece of white salt-glazed stoneware was recovered this season. There is not much of this type of ceramic on site; but, it is a great time indicator—dating from ca. 1740 to 1765. (Photo: J. Burns)
|Sun Button
Rather than military issue buttons, numerous styles of civilian buttons provide insight into the provincial nature of Croghan's fort. Many items of personal adornment have been recovered during the excavation of the fort's palisade trench—presumably dropped during the initial digging of the feature during October of 1755 and the subsequent use of the post till the autumn of 1756. (Photo: J. Burns)
|Mapping the Northwest Bastion
Jephy Nduati and Ryan Cunningham map the excavated palisade trench as it projects towards the northwest corner of the fort. (Photo: J. Burns)
|Croghan's Storehouse?
A structure in the northeast corner of the stockade, suspected to be one of Croghan's original trading post buildings, is revealed by this 3 x 1 meter trench. Note the linear sill feature and post mold. We found that the main trench feature ends just south of the threshold. The vertical log palisade was likely set up from this existing log structure, and the east and north walls of the building served as the perimeter of the enclosure. (Photo: J. Burns)
|Cliffhanger Ending
Finally, during the last week, we located the terminus of the northwest bastion where it turns to the south—allowing us to project its intersection with the western curtain. That brings us to this season's cliffhanger ending—we will have to wait till next year to continue the chase; however, we certainly have answered some important questions regarding the fort's dimensions and defenses. (Photo: J. Burns)
|Roll Call
Here they are… this year's students and instructors. (Photo: J. Wah)
By Jonathan A. Burns
Follow the Fort Shirley Project on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/AXIS-Research-Inc/113524893085
And on Twitter at https://twitter.com/#!/JonathanBurns71
Website; http://www.axisresearchinc.org/
For more information, visit PAarchaeology.state.pa.us or the Hall of Anthropology and Archaeology at The State Museum of Pennsylvania .


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ITIL v3 Service Design: FAQs on Book 2
ITIL expert Moira Stepchuk answers common questions regarding the ITIL v3 Core Practice Book 2 on Service Design.
The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Core Book 2 on Service Design translates plans and objectives and creates designs and specifications for execution through service transition and operations. Following a live expert webcast on SearchCIO.com, Moira Stepchuk answered the following user questions related to the book:
Is the Service Design book a collection of process descriptions, or does it just show how they are layered and connected?
The Service Design book goes beyond process descriptions and into details on how each of the processes are dependent on other Service Design processes, as well as on other service lifecycle processes. In addition, guidance on service sourcing alternatives and tooling is included.
Are there specific certifications for the Service Design book? Where can I get them?
Can you elaborate on the difference between operational-level agreements (OLAs) and service-level agreements (SLAs)?
SLAs are the committed service levels to the business customers -- what the users of IT see. In order to achieve these service levels, these services usually rely on underlying services provided by internal IT functions or suppliers, and those underlying services have to be governed by OLAs. OLAs are not visible to the users of IT, but indirectly their achievement will impact the achievement of the SLA targets. OLAs ensure that underpinning services support the business/IT SLA targets, focusing on the operational requirements that the services need to meet.
In simple terms, how do you differentiate the IT Service Portfolio from the Service Catalog?
The Service Portfolio is composed of all services committed to IT customers -- current, under development and future -- as part of continual service improvement. The Service Catalog is that portion of the Services Portfolio that is currently available to IT customers, so it's a subset of it.
Is there a difference between who should use the business version vs. the technology version of the Service Catalog?
The Business Service Catalog contains details of all the IT services delivered to the customer, including their relationships to the business units and the business processes that rely on them. It provides the customer view of the Service Catalog, and is thus more suited for use by business customers and those who need to interface with them. The Technical Service Catalog also contains details of all the IT services delivered to the customer, but includes their relationships to the supporting services, shared services, components and configuration items necessary to support them. It is therefore more suited for use by the IT organization staff to facilitate the management of the services provided, especially since it usually contains details that are not important to business customers.
Moira Stepchuk is a senior consultant at Pultorak & Associates Ltd. in Seattle.


text: To some, conservation is a word. To Pheasants Forever, it's a way of life - anything short of a holistic approach to conservation would be unacceptable. That's why Pheasants Forever provides the most efficient conservation model of any organization. PF's unique model empowers local chapters with the responsibility to determine how 100 percent of their locally-raised conservation funds will be spent. Whether it's through improving habitat, informing the public about land management or educating future generations of hunting enthusiasts, conservation is the underlying principle in all we do at the grassroots level of our chapters all the way to Washington DC when we fight for strong conservation policy. Pheasants Forever is honored to carry along America's rich tradition of conservation. Pheasants Forever's mission is tied to the theory that "knowledge is power". Although we're extremely proud of the work we at Pheasants Forever have accomplished in our first 12 years in Muskegon County, we realize that when your work is conservation, the work is never-ending. We invite you to join Pheasants Forever in our quest to ensure a country rich in natural resources and long on people willing to work to preserve them. After all, natural resources - pheasants, quail and other wildlife and the land, air and water on which they live - are our greatest resources.


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Copyright © 2014 Albuquerque Journal
About three-quarters of the teachers graded under New Mexico's new evaluation system received passing scores compared to 99 percent under the old system, according to results released Thursday.
The data, generated for the first time by the controversial new evaluations, shows 76 percent of teachers were deemed "effective" or better.
The information covered 16,000 of the state's 21,800 educators. The remainder were not included either because their districts missed a deadline for submitting evaluation materials or because they were not classroom teachers, such as librarians and instructional coaches, according to the PED.
Education Secretary-designate Hanna Skandera said the new system was needed because the old evaluations were flawed. They didn't give insight into teacher performance, Skandera said, noting that over 99 percent of teachers were found effective under the old system.
Under the previous system, it was up to principals to evaluate teachers.
The new evaluations rely in large part on standardized test scores and on teacher observations, which are now based on more detailed standards.
Skandera said the new system is also better because it "differentiates" teachers into five tiers, ranging from exemplary to ineffective. Here's how the ratings came in:
- Exemplary: 1.5 percent.
- Highly effective: 20.4 percent.
- Effective: 54.1 percent.
- Minimally effective, 20.7 percent.
- Ineffective: 3.4 percent.
The state late Thursday afternoon sent districts their teachers' individual scores, but districts have not yet had time to analyze the raw data. PED said it had no plans for make the individual scores public.
Districts are required to put teachers rated ineffective or minimally effective on a "professional growth plan," but local officials retain control over firing decisions.
Skandera said of the system, "I think this is a really rich picture of what's going on in our classrooms."
Critics of the system disagree.
Teacher unions and some local school officials have blasted the evaluations, saying they rely too heavily on student standardized test data, among other criticisms.
"Of course we don't believe the 76 percent figure is accurate," said Stephanie Ly, president of AFT New Mexico. "It's the same old story. The system is flawed."
Ly said the percentage of effective teachers in the state is higher.
Skandera has said a strength of the evaluations is that 50 percent of scores are based on how a teacher contributes to student achievement, measured by progress on standardized test scores. Forty percent is based on classroom observations, and the remaining 10 percent is derived from multiple measures.
Critics doubt the accuracy of the complex statistical models – known as value-added models – used to demonstrate student growth.
"For the most part, the concern is not with the added observation part of teacher evaluation, but with the arbitrary and inconsistent capability to apply a valid Value Added Model result based on student test scores," David Peercy, a board member for Albuquerque Public Schools, said in an email to the Journal. "Teachers feel they are or will be evaluated on content that is not within their control to affect."
The data presented by the PED is broken down into results based solely on student achievement data and based solely on observation results.
When looking at student achievement results, about 79 percent of teachers were found effective or better. Considering only observation results, nearly 87 percent of teachers were found effective or better.