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Winsted line item Board of Education budget may not quiet critics
WINSTED >> Following on the heels of another contentious budget meeting, the Winsted Board of Education has released a line-item budget. However, some members of the board conceded that it might not be enought to dissuade their critics.
The district posted a line-item budget proposal on their website on Oct. 5, breaking down expenses not only by department, but also by building. This budget, though, was superceded by another budget at the Board of Education's Tuesday night finance meeting. The revised document, which contains several updated line items, will be posted on the Winchester Public Schools website, but the line item budget is not yet enough to satisfy opponents of the town's budget.
"There's some unanswered questions," said David LaPointe of the Winchester Taxpayers Association.
Additionally, the Board of Education debated revising their financial reports to provide the budgeted and actual expenses from the previous school year. However, that motion was tabled until the next budget cycle begins in March 2013, following a 5-3 vote. Board of Education chairman Susan Hoffnagle said she was concerned that the critics of the budget, both in the public and on the Board of Selectmen, would nitpick any differences.
"If you did something like that," Hoffnagle said, "you'd have to add the narrative to explain why a number jumped up all of a sudden."
Any possible discrepancy, Hoffnagle continued, would provide more ammunition for critics of the school district's administration.
"In the meantime, they would spout off all this stuff and they'd go into meetings."
Hoffnagle conceded that she does not believe the upcoming referendum -- the fourth in the current budget cycle -- will pass, even though the proposal is for a flat budget. Instead, the board chairman said, she thought the opposition was due to non-budgetary purposes.
"I think the people who are saying 'vote no' on the referendum are doing this for political reasons," Hoffnagle said.
One of the latest points of criticism that Hoffnagle cited was the impact of the upcoming revaluation. According to the town's charter, the revaluation cannot be incorporated into this year's budget, as it is based on the grand list preceding the revaluation.
"They're in the process of doing the valuations now," Hoffnagle said. "What are we going to do, wait another year for the numbers to come out?"
LaPointe said that the revaluation is not insignificant, though, as it will result in an increased tax burden for residents.
"You've seen such an outcry from the people up there," LaPointe said, "and they can't afford more and more taxes."
The line-item budget was intended to answer questions such as those posed to board member Carol Palomba, who said at the Oct. 9 Board of Education meeting that she has heard from numerous residents who wanted more information from the district. A line-item budget which was circulated before the Oct. 1 town meeting raised questions about certain line items, such as the utilities for all three of the district's buildings. Notably, LaPointe said, Batcheller Early Education Center has money budgeted for natural gas, even though the building does not use gas for heat.
"When it comes to maintenance in the schools, they have serious problems," LaPointe said. "They've always had serious problems maintaining what they have."
District business manager Nadine Savage said at the Board of Education's finance meeting that the total amounts still add up to the same amount as in previous years. However, Selectman Ken Fracasso noted that these building-by-building breakdowns were long overdue.
"Why are we just now receiving information that should have been presented before May when budget proposals were being discussed?" Fracasso asked in an email. "At the very least, these numbers should have been included in the August 20, 2012 presentation by the Mayor and Superintendent of Schools."
Palomba said that more information would ease the concerns of residents and officials such as Fracasso and LaPointe.
"They have no clue about last year. They want it right next to it, line by line," said Palomba. "Don't the people come up to you and ask you?"
However, Hoffnagle said that Palomba's experience might not reflect the broader population. According to the Board of Education chairman, many town residents do not look at the budget and financial reports personally, instead letting other residents do the heavy lifting.
"Most people do not look at the line-by-line items," Hoffnagle said. "They wait until someone who does gives them some soundbites."
But according to board member James Roberts, up until recently, the district had provided this information in a rather lengthy document.
"This is the way the board used to do this," Roberts said. "It was a magnum opus."
While several members of the board were in favor of the concept of including more information in reports, actually implementing the change would cause enough technical problems that at least one board member opposed the motion. The district's accounting program does not allow for reports to use information from two different fiscal years, making Savage compile the reports manually.
"The difficult part would be in having to do this over," Savage said.
While the information is already on hand, board member Richard Dutton -- who moved to table the proposal until the next budget cycle -- said he did not favor the motion at this point in time because it would put undue pressure on the district's business office. Compiling the line-item budget took several days as it is, but board members said that if the business office was preparing the reports with the previous year's information as it went along, the distributed extra work would not be a hardship.
"I think this literature has already been documented," said board member Brian Shaughnessy. "It's just digging back into the boxes for last year's numbers."
Fracasso said the numbers presented in the line item budget only affirmed his assertion that by closing one of the district's schools, the town could save $500,000. Adding up the line items for utilities and maintenance, as well as non-instructional, administrative and custodial staff for Batcheller or Hinsdale would save just under $500,000 for each school alone, while Fracasso also recommended changing employee benefits from whole-family plans to employee-only plans. Currently, the district has budgeted $1,645,234 for benefits.
"this represents wasted or misspent dollars that could be invested in both fixing the education system -- spending on the students, instead of the adults -- and improving the town," Fracasso wrote. "Both types of investment are necessary if we as a united group have any chance at fixing our Town."
LaPointe concurred, noting that while Winsted is not in a unique position due to its financial issues, it is uniquely positioned in comparison to larger Connecticut towns.
"We, as opposed to cities like Torrington, Waterbury, Bridgeport or New Haven, have the right to tell our politicians no," said LaPointe. "The people ultimately have the final say in the budget, and that's a good thing."
Winchester Public Schools Proposed 2012-13 Line Item Budget
Jason Siedzik can be reached at email@example.com, via Twitter at @RCjsiedzik, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/RCjsiedzik or by phone at (860) 489-3121, ext. 321. Follow us online at www.registercitizen.com or on twitter.com/registercitizen.

subset: commoncrawl


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Americans of Iranian descent have been having a hard time picking up iPhones and iPads in the state of Georgia due to a U.S. import ban that has translated into a sale policy at Apple stores. On multiple occasions, shoppers were heard by Apple Store managers speaking Farsi and denied service. The reason was a fairly cut and dry part of Apple's sale policy on prohibited destinations.
The U.S. holds complete embargoes against Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria. The exportation, reexportation, sale or supply, directly or indirectly, from the United States, or by a U.S. person wherever located, of any Apple goods, software, technology (including technical data), or services to any of these countries is strictly prohibited without prior authorization by the U.S. Government. This prohibition also applies to any Apple owned subsidiary or any subsidiary employee worldwide.
The big offense here isn't that the U.S. has a trade embargo on Iran (that's another can of worms altogether), but rather that Apple is enforcing this policy through their retail locations. Obviously Apple isn't going to be shipping anything to areas restricted by law, but should they be held accountable for indirect re-exportation after they sell goods domestically? If so, should it really be within the jurisdiction of some chump retail employee to pry into the personal lives of others, or worse still, make brash assumptions based on language alone? It seems to me that the onus sits on government border control if they want to uphold these embargoes.
Apple employees later suggested that the shoppers in question just buy their goods online, but really, why should they have to? If Apple is willing to do that, why not just sell them the iPad or iPhone at a store? It's easy to jump on this situation as a case of racial profiling, but I think in the end it's just poor staff training on Apple's part; they need the shipping policy in place to comply with American law, but if managers were explicitly told not to sell to anyone even vaguely Cuban, Iranian, Korean, Sudanese, or Syrian, then Apple deserves the PR poopstorm to come.
As you might expect, major American Iranian associations are calling for Apple to change their position. Do you think Apple will, or are they right to be worried that the government would see them as being too lax on the law?
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Umpires provide Great Entertainment Value to Baseball
J Meric/Getty Images
It is something I always take a gander at before Tampa Bay Rays games. When they announce the Umpires for that night, I always look and see if we have a rotation on the field that might yield a few…Well, interesting moments. We all know what I am talking about here. When Joe West and his crew, which includes the Rays own Umpire devil Angel Hernandez comes to town, you know you will see a boosted game and every intention to keep the game under 3 hours. When C D Buckner and company hit the Trop., you do not see any blue metal chairs down in the Rays Bullpen area.
Each crew has its own professional personality, and their own special way of calling a series or even a game. And that is one of the thing that keep it exciting. Personally I truly believe that fans want to argue with something in every game, and usually the person that gets the blunt of that angst and anger is the Umpires. And how many people really think about that set of individuals? I had a brief discussion with a retire Umpire last night before the Rays game, and he brought up a few very interesting points.
" Baseball is the only sport where the officials let you come out on the field to argue a call. There is no rule anywhere in the Major League Baseball rulebook that lets you do that action, but it is done anyways".
This is an interesting point. There is no revision, rule or even a mention of team's or their Manager's being able to come out onto the field to discuss or argue a called action within the scope of the game. It seems as though the Umpires have let the Managers come out and hash things out with them as a bit of a professional courtesy. In most American sports, the minute you step onto the field, even in football, you can be subject immediately to a penalty, an expulsion or worse, left there open for a blindside hit.
The fact that the Umpire lets players and Managers even discuss the ruling itself is a bit…Well, democratic of them, but it does add a nice mix to the game to have an open dialogue. But when was the last time you saw a Umpire and a Manager argue and the call was reversed. If you said never, then you are on the right track. By letting the Manager come out of the dugout on occasion, you get an added flair to the game and can usually incite the crowd a bit off their hands and get emotionally charged into the game again. Plus there is the added visual giggle of possibly seeing the Umpire give the "heave ho" sign to the Manager and then the fun really begins.
And there are three old masters of the art of getting thrown out, and two of them are calling it quits at the end of 2010. Chicago Cubs Manager Lou Piniella and Atlanta Braves Manager Bobby Cox are two of the best Managers to go toe-to-toe with the men in blue. Even if they do not have a leg to stand on in an argument, these two will go out there and maybe recite the phone book in order to get their opinion out there for everyone to hear and see. Sure we have all seen the wild antics that Manager have resorted to after getting tossed from a game, but Piniella and Cox have a classic style that will be missed next season.
But we also got to see another one of the masters on Monday night as Detroit Tigers Manager Jim Leyland went out to protest an obvious missed call by Second Base Umpire Marty Foster. Leyland did not have time to see the television instant replay, but he immediately knew that Upton was out by a high tag going into second base, and made sure Foster knew of his opinion. The only problem is that Leyland did not take out all the sunflower seeds within his mouth before barking at Foster, and you can see on the video replays Foster wiping his black shirt of a sunflower husk and immediately ejecting Leyland for the action.
Mike Carlson/AP
The outrage that followed was fueled not by the missed Upton call, but by the fact that Foster would have to report Leyland for the action of "spitting on him" even if it was not an intentional action. In the heat of the argument, there is not time to decipher an immediate action, but the blatant action of even having a projectile coming out of your mouth is grounds to be run by the Umpire.
"Do you let someone spit on you? Think about it, if someone was to spit, eject or even throw something at you, don't you also go on the offensive?"
What is surprising by the actions of Leyland is that he is a key member of the Major League Baseball's committee on On-Field Matters that was established to help shape the game on the field. So it was interesting that he even stepped onto the turf with a few sparse seeds still lodged in his mouth, but you have to think his intention was not to fling a flying projectile like a sunflower seed at the face of chest of Foster. But eh following statement by Leyland after Monday night game shows he acknowledges that something might have landed on Foster's black shirt:
"Now, did some of the sunflower seeds spray on his shirt? Yes, they did, without any question. [But] I don't even spit on the ground. But I'm not going to take that. I'm tired of protecting umpires, tired of not being able to say anything. I'm defending myself. If they want to kick me out, that's fine, I don't care about that, because [seeds] sprayed on his shirt. But when you start accusing somebody of deliberately doing something, you better be careful.
For his actions, Leyland received a one game suspension that he served out on Wednesday night and will possibly have a small fine to contribute to the cause. But even if Leyland sat in the Visitor's Clubhouse during that night's game, his combatant in this volatile exchange was no longer in Tropicana Field. For some reason, Foster, who should have rotated to be behind Home Plate on Wednesday night was not on the field at all, and definitely not in the building. This makes me wonder if Major League Baseball or the Major League Baseball Umpires Association might have removed Foster from the Umpiring crew for this one instance to facilitate no further actions or provide an ounce of diversion with the rest of this Rays and Tigers series.
This is one of the first times I have seen an Umpire disappear in the middle of his crew doing a series at Tropicana Field, but it could have happened before without most of us even noticing it at all. But it is hard to argue with the fact that the MLB Umpires have become a aspect of the game now. They can inject their opinions (like Angel Hernandez), have careers outside of baseball that bring popularity to them (like Joe West) or even remain constant reminder that the game is not perfect, even with Instant Replay options.
Getty Images
No matter what your opinions are about Umpires and the game of baseball, they are the keepers of the rules of the game and provide a service that can not be measured in runs and hits. And because they are human, there are mistakes, misguided actions and un resolved conclusions we scratch our heads about during every game. But without them, the game would be less entertaining, have no drama and would mostly resemble a tennis match.
Last night we lost a bit of that entertainment value with both Leyland and Foster invisible to the fans and players at Tropicana Field. But there was still the hidden drama that at any moment, one of the Managers would again pop out of the dugout and argue something as simple as balls and strikes. Ahhh, what a great game!
Note: The Umpire quoted in this blog post was an active member of the MLBUA for over twenty years and also supervised Umpire crews in his career. I have left his name off the post to keep him invisible to the game. But his views are accurate and profound, and a pleasure to hear him tell stories of his war between the foul lines.
- Posted on July 29, 2010 at 10:03 am
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Universal Design: What Is It and Why You Should Care
By Patti Shea , May 08, 2013 08:52 PM
ST. LOUIS -- I've spent the past two days here attending a conference dedicated solely to Universal Design. Una-what? In spite of what it sounds like, Universal Design isn't a Carl Saganese approach to designing the cosmos.
The definition of Universal Design, some shorten it to UD, is a process of designing spaces -- cities, streets, buildings, homes, rooms - "that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation," according to Edward Steinfeld and Jordana Maisel of the University of Buffalo's IDEA Center.
So, why should you care about UD? Well, you're getting older. Sorry to break the news to you but it's true. Take a look around your home and determine if you (or your parent) age there easily? Are doorways and hallways wide enough to roll a wheelchair through? Is there a kitchen counter low enough to sit and prepare supper? Are there grab bars installed in the bath or shower? If you answered "No" to any of these, read on.
I'm 41 and am a full-time caregiver for my parents who live with me in Florida. I can tell you my house is no where ready to have my them live in it. What I learned at this conference is that I'm in the majority of Americans who are getting or will get a huge wake up call when the times comes that you need UD amenities in your home and you're in no position to install them. So why not do them now?
Here are some things to consider:
- Think of the future you. Sure you're healthy now, hiking the Andes or SCUBA diving in Belize. But it might not always be that way. Do your future self a favor: audit your house today. What needs to change now? In a few years? How can you do this, you ask? There are designers who focus on UD elements in your home and they're called Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists (CAPS). Use the CAPS locator here to find one in your area.
- Think of your family. There are more multi-generational homes than ever before, if your grandchildren visit often or live with you, many of the UD amenities that appeal to older people are ideal for the little folks too. A lower countertop allows a grandchild to help you bake cookies but is also very useful if you need to sit while preparing supper. Hallways wide enough for a stroller are wide enough for a walker or wheelchair. Get the gist?
- Think safety. Everything about UD has safety as an underlying factor. Properly lighting rooms and walkways are ideal for aging eyes are key. Fall prevention is key: ditch throw rugs, have a step-free shower, build in ramp into your home, all these can be designed to where it's not noticeable and doesn't look institutional.
OK, so I've truncated the list (see resources below) but you get the idea of what you need to do. Understandably, it's likely you can't afford a complete renovation of your home but some of the changes are no- or low-cost fixes that can be done by you or your handyman right now.
- Check out some award-winning Universal Design homes here, along with room-by-room checklists at the bottom of the page.
- Download AARP's HomeFit Guide, it's free!
- UniversalDesign.com
- National Association of Home Builders CAPS locator


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The University of Skövde welcomes many degree seeking and exchange students each semester and most of them need our help in finding accommodation. This means that it is necessary to remember the deadlines and apply as early as possible.
The University of Skövde is located near the city centre. The accommodation alternatives that are offered to our exchange students are located within 30 minutes from the university.
If you would like to apply for accommodation at any of our three accommodation areas (listed below), please fill out and submit the form in connection with your application to the University.
We will handle your application for accommodation when you are admitted to the University of Skövde. This means that we will not consider your application unless we have received all your documents.
Due to a shortage of accommodation, you must be prepared to accept a room within 30 minutes distance and that we cannot guarantee your first choice.
You will not receive confirmation of your application, but all students will be contacted in late June/November and informed about where they will stay, after they have been admitted to studies at the University of Skövde.
If you do not accept the offered room or if we have not received your "Application for Accommodation" in time we will assume that you will arrange your accommodation on your own. Unfortunately we will not be able to assist students who want to make their own housing arrangements.
Information for families
Due to the nature of living conditions in the student housing and limitations with our landlords it is not possible to bring family members or pets during your stay with us. If you are bringing your family you have to arrange your accommodation on your own. We recommend you to contact Skövdebostäder and register in the student queue system.
Accommodation areas
We currently offer you accommodation (single rooms) in the following accommodation areas:
Norra Trängallén is not available for Trainees or students from the Bachelor´s program in biomedicine.
There are no fixed landline phone connections at any of the housing alternatives. It is advisable that you bring along your own mobile/GSM cellular phone. Prepaid GSM chips are cheap and abundantly available in kiosks and stores. For more information on phones see the Student Guide.
Internet connection
It is possible to subscribe to a broadband internet connection in your room after your arrival to Skövde.
In Xenia and Perenius internet access is included in the rent.
At Norra Trängallén, you pay 400 SEK per semester for internet access and at
Information for Master Students
You are welcome to apply for accommodation through this link: www.his.se/exchaccommodation the link will be open in connection with your application to the University. After you have been offered accommodation, please contact the landlord for information about your room, payment and key collection.
Please contact the Student Accommodation Office as soon as possible if you do not want your room. In such a case, the University cannot at this time assist you in finding other accommodation.
Information for Exchange Students
If you have applied for a room through the University you will be offered a room approximately two months before the semester starts. It is not possible to have another room than the one you have been offered.
If you have questions about your room, payment and key collection, please contact the landlords:
Xenia and Perenius: email@example.com, +46 (0) 31-3107020
Norra Trängallén: firstname.lastname@example.com + 46 (0) 500–477400
Please contact the Student Accommodation Office as soon as possible if you do not want your room. Otherwise you will be charged for the first month´s rent. In case you turn down our offer, the University cannot assist you in finding any other accommodation.
Student Accommodation Service
E-building, 2nd floor
Phone Hours:
Monday-Friday: 10-12
phone +46 (0)500 44 86 00
For other appointments:


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PRETORIA (Reuters) - The United States' foremost foreign policy concern was managing the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan, U.S. President Barack Obama said on Saturday.
There are 62,000 U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Obama told a news conference in South Africa that "properly managing" their exit was a priority.
Reporting by Jeff Mason; Editing by Pascal Fletcher


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Archive for May, 2011
The Dangers of Pesticides
posted on May 12th, 2011 by Steve Schug
Lawns come in all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, so do the weeds, insects and unwanted grasses that can pop up from time to time. Luckily, the thick growth pattern of a Zoysia lawn can help prevent them from making a home in your yard.
If you do find yourself with intruders, it's natural to want to get rid of them. However, it's extremely important to be mindful of the method in which you choose to do this. It is a widely known fact that the chemicals in many pesticides can be harmful to your family and pets – but these chemicals also have the potential to damage your lawn as well. In fact, pesticides have the potential to harm our entire eco-system.
The Environmental Protection Agency has declared many pesticides carcinogenic, and these chemicals have the potential to cause serious health complications in adults and children. Pesticides also pollute rivers and water supplies and pose a significant danger to wildlife. In recent years, though, there have been advancements in alternatives to traditional pesticides (often organic, non-chemical formulas) that can help you rid your yard of a variety of insects and weeds while protecting you, your family and our delicate eco-system.
With a Zoysia lawn, you can avoid pesticides or non-chemical weed killers all together since Zoysia tends to naturally resist many unwanted intruders – protecting you and your family from the dangers of pesticides in your own backyard.


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Michael Lehmann directed this post-modernist hash of Michael Lehmann and Michael Lehmann starring Bruce Willis as Hudson Hawk, a cat burglar who wants to go straight, but the circumstances won't allow it. The story begins in a pre-credit sequence that takes place in the renaissance. Leonardo Da Vinci (Stefano Molinari) is rushing through his Mona Lisa painting to work on his latest invention -- a machine to turn lead into bronze. But Da Vinci makes a mistake and, instead of bronze, the machine turns the lead into gold. Realizing the danger of his invention if the contraption gets into the wrong hands, he hides three parts of the apparatus inside three of his other works. Four hundred years later, Hudson Hawk, the world's greatest cat burglar, is being released from jail after pulling a ten-year sDa Vintretch. He wants to retire from the profession of cat burglary and drink some cappuccino, but two screwball billionaires -- Darwin and Minerva Mayflower (Richard E. Grant and Sandra Bernhard) -- won't let him. Their nefarious plot is to steal the three Da Vinci works, restore Da Vinci's gold-making machine, and destroy the world's monetary system. They blackmail Hawks into working with them to steal the Da Vincis by threatening the life of Hawks's pal Tommy Five-Tone (Danny Aiello). Along with the power-mad billionaires, Hawks has to deal with the CIA, in the person of George Kaplan (James Coburn), breathing down his neck. He also has Vatican art restorer Anna Baragli (Andie MacDowell) falling for his smirk. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi
Movies.com, the ultimate source for everything movies, is your destination for new movie trailers, reviews, photos, times, tickets + more! Stay in the know with the latest movie news and cast interviews at Movies.com.
Copyright © 2020 FANDANGO MOVIES.


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See everything Toronto has to offer from our world famous EcoCabs! Driven and narrated by your very own Driver Guide, these unique pedal-powered bicycles will allow you to see Toronto at your own speed and only visit the attractions you choose along one of our four tour routes.
An EcoCab is a 3-wheeled tour vehicle that combines a futuristic outer body, with a revolutionary electric assist system to offer riders a fun and eco-friendly transportation experience. The vehicle is primarily driven by pedal-power and receives a little help from a recharchable electric
Each EcoCab is operated by one of our professionally trained Driver Guides insuring that you are both informed and entertained during your tour of Toronto. Our charismatic and animated guides are in great shape and are easily able to both navigate and narrate your tour
Welcome to Toronto, there is so much to see and do here we just can't wait to show you around. Just click the link below and we'll share some fun facts about this great city. If you have any questions, just let your Driver Guide know and they will be happy to help you.
Learn More
Learn More
Learn More


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Will Pericak, former Boulder and CU star, on joining the Denver Broncos
Growing up Will Pericak dreamed about playing with the Denver Broncos. This week that dream came true.
Born and raised in Boulder, the former Boulder High and University of Colorado star defensive lineman was signed by the Broncos on Wednesday.
"I signed my contract and I was in a full-padded practice two hours later," said Pericak, 24. "I hadn't been playing football for a little bit, so it was good to get out there."
Pericak, 24, said he grew up watching the Broncos and being a fan of players such as John Elway and Bill Romanowski. So when he received a message from the team, he leapt at the opportunity.
Read more…


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Hi all,
I'd really appreciate it if someone could tell me the difference between the two. I've also seen 'caption' used as a verb, which sounds to be ungrammatical but used quite commonly.
(Not a Teacher)
Annotations are explanatory notes, typically written in the margins of reading material (I.e. text books) and official documents. Captions are descriptive or explanatory statements for an illustration or picture. It's also used in reference to the scroll text at the bottom of a TV screen that provides a transcription (and sometimes a translation) of what is being said. This is known as the "captioning".


text:
Originally Posted by woops
That sounds impressive. Ive never been on a rowing machine. I think the idea is to do it regularly?
Originally Posted by woops
Which happened to my grandfather and bumped the (not-so-)old fella off.
Originally Posted by woops
Well if you have to sit down all day you have to do a bit of exercise or you'll turn into a hermaphrodite I read it in the evening standard
Set down in black and white
Their headline the other day was "TURKEY SHOOTS DOWN RUSSIAN JET", and I thought "Fuck me, I thought the fat useless cunts couldn't even fly".
Originally Posted by woops
after getting everything left/right & below my meat n 2 veg crushed in a car wreck, doing 3years of rehab physio, local national parks are proving sanctuaries of exploration, walking, absorbing scenery, wildlife, improving mobility & keeping fit, tunes when appropriate, few j's when appropriate
fuck the gym....the outdoors & clean mountain air pushing your route times are the preferred options
add the seasonal spectrum of changing vistas an colour ranges, a decent pair of boots & a jack russell, voila
i havent done any all winter or done anything at all. i keep saying i'll start again cos im feeling puny.
ive never got much past 10. maybe 14 tops? always end up stopping any time i reach that limit and not
going back to it for months and months. pathetic really.


text:
Statement on
Auditing Standards
Issued by the Auditing Standards Board
AICPA American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants
August 1982
Reporting on Condensed
Financial Statements and
Selected Financial Data
1. This Statement provides guidance on reporting in a client- prepared
document on—
a. Condensed financial statements ( either for an annual or an interim
period) that are derived from audited financial statements of a
public entity1 that is required to file, at least annually, complete
audited financial statements with a regulatory agency.
b. Selected financial data that are derived from audited financial
statements of either a public or a nonpublic entity and that are
presented in a document that includes audited financial statements
( or, with respect to a public entity, that incorporates audited
financial statements by reference to information filed with a
regulatory agency).
Guidance on reporting on condensed financial statements or selected
financial data that accompany audited financial statements in an auditor-
submitted document is provided in SAS No. 29, Reporting on
Information Accompanying the Basic Financial Statements in Auditor-
Submitted Documents.
1Public entity is defined in SAS No. 26, Association With Financial Statements,
footnote 2.
Copyright © 1982 by the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Inc.
1211 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N. Y. 10036- 8775
1234567890 AudS 898765432


text:
Casey Conrad, a consultant in the industry, informed me that she will be embarking on a little adventure starting July 27. She's going to travel across the United States to various health clubs in the country to discover what they are doing at these facilities, and then she is going to blog about her visits.
I thought this was a great idea. It reminded me of when our magazine did its Fitness Across America series in 2003 and 2004. I was fortunate enough to visit some wonderful clubs in the Southwest one year and then the Midwest another year. I felt like these visits helped me understand this business more, and they gave me a better appreciation for all the wonderful people in the industry who are truly trying to serve others.
If you are interested in being a club that Casey visits on her trip, let her know by going to this site, where she has her route mapped out. Each club she chooses not only gets the publicity from her blog, but they also get a $1,295 training package for free.
We'll keep you updated on Casey's blog as she progresses around the country.


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Fire restrictions begin July 9
Fire restrictions will go into effect Monday, July 9, in the Lake Tahoe Basin.
A forest order has been issued to provide for public safety through the end of the official 2012 fire season.
Campfires, including charcoal barbecues, are prohibited except in exempted recreation sites. Smoking on National Forest land is prohibited, except within an enclosed vehicle or building, or within an exempted recreation site, according to a press release from the U.S. Forest Service. Fire restrictions are intended to reduce the possibility of human-caused wildfires over the summer season.
During fire restrictions, campfires are prohibited in all other semi-developed sites such as Luther Pass, Blackwood Canyon, and Watson Lake, as well as in all dispersed recreation areas. Forest users should obtain specific information about the area they are visiting before venturing out. For a complete list of regulations and exempted recreation sites, visit http://tinyurl.com/USFSrules.
For more information, call the forest supervisor's office at 530-543-2694 Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.


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The halls of Grand Central Terminal Wednesday were echoing with curious chants and cheers from an international wrestling match.
Wrestlers from the world's top teams — Russia, the U.S. and Iran — faced off in the iconic train station's Vanderbilt Hall for Rumble on the Rails, an event aimed at raising funds for a New York City wrestling program and raising the profile of a sport fighting to get off the Olympic chopping block.
Earlier this year, the International Olympic Committee recommended that wrestling, a fixture on the Olympic docket since the first modern Games, be cut from the Summer Olympics beginning in 2020. Since then, wrestling organizers have been working to promote the sport ahead of a final vote.
"We're all working together for the same reasons," Olympic wrestling champion and pro wrestler Kurt Angle said from the event, adding that wrestling fans have to help advocate for the sport.
"Let your politicians know how much wrestling means to you," he said. "It means everything to me."
Scores of spectators crowded into the makeshift arena, concealed from ticketless commuters and passersby by a heavy black curtain. Supporters of team Iran waved flags, blew horns and chanted for the dominant group, which beat the Americans 6-1 in their first visit to the U.S. in a decade.
Reza Shaibani, a real-estate developer from Long Island, was among a group of Iranian-Americans who came to support Iran's wrestling team and the endangered sport itself.
"I hope it stays in the Olympics," he said. "This is one of the greatest sports, the most ancient sports in the world."
Four-time NCAA champion Kyle Dake, from Ithaca, N.Y., was the only American to win a match against Iran. He defeated Hassan Tahmasebi 2-0, 1-0 in his first major international event on the senior level.
But the Americans fared far better against the Russians, winning eight of their nine matches against Russia. That streak began with the men's freestyle team sweeping all five of its matches; afterward, the U.S. women's freestyle team won, too, and the Americans also won two of the three Greco-Roman matches.
The event raised money for Beat the Streets, a group that organizes youth wrestling programs for school-aged kids in New York City.
The competitions come just two weeks before representatives from the eight sports vying for addition to the Summer Olympic lineup make their cases for inclusion at an IOC meeting in St. Petersburg, Russia. Officials from wrestling, baseball/softball, karate, roller sports, sport climbing, squash, wakeboarding and wushu will all be competing for one open slot in the 2020 Games.
The IOC said its decision to drop wrestling came after analysis of more than three dozen criteria, including ticket sales, TV ratings, global participation and popularity. FILA, the sport's international governing board, issued a statement in February calling the decision an "aberration" and vowing to convince the IOC of its error.
Since then, the U.S., Russia and Iran have formed an alliance for their common cause.
"We'll be standing arm-in-arm with Iran, and we'll be standing with Russia as we will with lots of other countries," Mitch Hull, national teams director for USA Wrestling, told AP Television News in February. "Those (countries) really do make a difference because politically we're not always on the same page, or politically with Russia, but in wrestling, there's no doubt that we are all together in this effort."
The IOC's executive board will make its final decision on the matter at a meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina in September.


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Sunday Times Rich List 2012
Advertising for the 2012 Sunday Times Rich List, released on April 29, resized photographs of celebrities using proportions relating to their relative wealth. Mick Jagger towers above Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood in a photo of the Rolling Stones. Wayne Rooney looms over Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Duncan Bannatyne outsizes his fellow panelists from British TV show The Dragon's Den, Peter Jones, Theo Paphitis, Hilary Devey and Deborah Meaden. Queen Elizabeth shoots out of the picture while standing next to other members of the British royal family: Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Prince Harry of Wales, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. JK Rowling dwarfs Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint, who acted as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley in the Harry Potter film series.
The Rich List 2012 campaign was developed at CHI & Partners, London, by executive creative director Jonathan Burley, art director Richard Brim, copywriter Daniel Fisher, print producer Emily Smith, art buyer Emma Modler, head of art Dan Beckett, planner Ben Southgate, account supervisor William Leabeater, business director Olivia Skone, designers Lee Robbins, Rob Swainson, David Turfitt, with retouching done at Smoke & Mirrors and CHI Design.
Filed under: Print, Sunday Times
Tagged: CHI & Partners, Smoke & Mirrors
Location: UK


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The third 10-0 regular season in the history of the North Central College football program was made complete Saturday, as the Cardinals stormed to a 53-14 victory over the Augustana College Vikings on Senior Day at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
Fourth-ranked North Central put its stamp on the game with 23 unanswered first-quarter points and owned a 40-7 halftime advantage as the Cardinals locked up the outright College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship.
The hosts put the game's first possession into the end zone after just over three minutes had elapsed, as Spencer Stanek completed a 10-yard touchdown pass toChad O'Kane. After a Viking punt, Stanek went to O'Kane for another score just two plays later, completing a 46-yard toss to extend the lead to 13-0.
North Central's first defensive touchdown came on the ensuing drive, as linebacker Nick Slezak scooped up a fumbled option pitch and ran it back 22 yards to paydirt. Augustana punted away its next drive, and after six straight rushing attempts by Matt Randolph, kicker Nick Dace came on to convert a 20-yard field goal with 3:33 on the first-period clock.
The Cardinals' first punt of the day was a 64-yarder by Kevin Looff which was mishandled by Augustana, enabling Ryne Rezac to recover the ball at the Vikings' nine-yard line. Dace wound up kicking a 29-yard field goal with 10:48 left in the opening half, extending the lead to 26-0.
Stanek highlighted North Central's next scoring drive by completing four straight passes, including a fade route to Peter Sorenson in the left corner of the end zone for a three-yard touchdown. A penalty on the ensuing kickoff gave the Vikings a short field, and Augustana put together an eight-play, 53-yard drive to get on the board after a five-yard TD run by quarterback Chris Salazar with 24 seconds before halftime.
The Cardinals were able to get in one more score before the break after Jordan Dean return Augustana's following kickoff 84 yards to the Vikings' four-yard line. Dean's return is the longest for North Central this season and the fifth-longest in the program's history. Stanek threw a four-yard shovel pass to Ryan Szudarski on the final play of the second period for his fourth passing TD of the game. Stanek now has 32 touchdown passes this season, breaking the previous single-season school record of 30 set by Kam Kniss '07 in 2006.
The final drive for most of North Central's starters yielded a touchdown early in the third period, as Randolph capped off a six-play, 59-yard drive with a one-yard scoring run. The Vikings' subsequent drive ended with an interception by the Cardinals' Richard Zirngibl, and Dace connected on a 38-yard field goal with 7:08 to go in the third period to boost North Central's lead to 50-7.
Augustana (5-5, 3-4 CCIW) answered with the longest drive of the afternoon, a 14 play, 84-yard sojourn that culminated in Eric Chandler's three-yard TD run on the last play of the third quarter. The lone score in the fourth quarter came from Dace, whose 34-yard field goal gave him four in the contest to give the Cardinals' all-time leading scorer sole possession of a single-game record he had shared.
The Cardinals outgained Augustana, 427-239, holding a seventh straight CCIW opponent under 300 yards. Stanek finished the day 15 of 20 passing for 195 yards, throwing five times to Sorenson (53 yards) and four times to O'Kane (72 yards).Denzel Thompson broke loose for a 58-yard run late in the game which made him North Central's top rusher with 82 yards on five carries.
Slezak paced the defense with eight tackles, including a career-high four tackles for loss. Michael Weidner made seven stops and Kevin Schroeder finished with six, while Trey Hartema added a 27-yard interception return.
Chandler paced Augustana's offense with 116 yards on 24 rushing attempts and Salazar completed 8 of 18 passes for 80 yards. James Fanning, Erik Westerberg and Bo Goshorn led the Vikings' defense with eight tackles each.


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"I am strong, I am confident,
I can do anything I set my mind to."
Strong, healthy habits should begin at a young age, and last a lifetime. willPower for girlPower® is meant to empower girls, tweens and teens.
willPower for girlPower® begins as a 6-session program which teaches girls a balanced approach to getting fit; enabling them to "Work Smarter, Not Harder". Our fundamental mission is to educate, inspire and MOVE young women, teaching them to get fit, understand smart nutrition and develop positive philosophies.
We help girls land on their feet… gracefully
willPower for girlPower® was developed for girls ranging from the ages of 8-18years old. girlPower is built on the foundation of the willPower programs: Sole Training®, SEVEN STEPS TO WILLPOWER® and willPower & grace®
We encourage our students to tap into their willPower physically: through smart, functional exercises – and emotionally: through guided discussion.
girlPower® is an ideal program for JCC's, YMCA's, after-school programs, Girl-Scout troops, crisis centers, and young sports teams.If you are interested in having willPower for girl power® brought to your community, or if you know of a group that will benefit from the willPower approach, please contact us.
willPower for girlPower® is available to our Phase I Licensed willPower Instructors, as a homestudy purchase in wIN. The education package includes administrative forms, registration materials, parent releases, class designs, music playlists, and promotional materials. girlPower® instructors will have special girlPower access wIN, and receive a manual, DVD, and video download for study and preparation.
Find a local girlPower® Instructor wP instructors: learn more about girlPower


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HOUSTON – BP is planning to split its U.S. onshore oil and gas segment into a separate business by next year, a bid to become more competitive with smaller rivals that dominate the region's shale reservoirs, executives said Tuesday.
The move would install a new management team to oversee about 7.6 billion barrels of BP's oil and gas resources across 5.5 million acres in the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas, natural gas-rich regions in Oklahoma and Arkansas and elsewhere.
"With the rapidly evolving environment, our business has become less competitive," BP CEO Bob Dudley told investors in a conference call early Tuesday. The new business "will have separate governance, processes and systems designed to improve the competitiveness of its portfolio."
The splintered company still would be owned by BP, which will start to disclose separate financial statements for the new business in 2015. But it would operate from an independent location in Houston separate from its North American headquarters on Westlake Park Boulevard in Houston.
Gulf of Mexico: BP starts pumping crude at major deep-water project
BP, he said, decided it could greatly improve its performance in the U.S. shale plays after studying how competitive it is in the region. In recent years, he said, BP has slashed several positions in the U.S. and added a footprint in shale reservoirs.
Boosting speed
Crafting a sharper edge against the slew of independent oil producers operating in the major shale plays will require improving its drilling and production speed, more efficient cost management and faster decision making, BP Upstream CEO Lamar McKay said during the call.
"The unique competitive environment in the lower 48 requires speed of innovation," McKay said.
McKay cited BP's operations in the Eagle Ford as one of its stronger U.S. regions. The London-based oil giant harvested more 500 million cubic feet of gas per day within three years of launching a joint venture there with Lewis Energy, he said.
McKay told analysts that BP is looking to build a more successful business, not improve it to sell it off. Separating the business could make it clear how much its U.S. operations are worth, he said.
The U.S. business has operated on less than 5 percent of BP's capital expenditures in recent years, McKay said.
Smaller, simpler
The move comes as BP trims billions in assets and spending across its global operations, an effort to collect more cash and increase distributions to investors, who have expressed skepticism that giant integrated oil companies can deliver adequate returns, Dudley said.
The company has sold $38 billion in assets over the past two years — about a third of its divestitures over the past decade — in large part to recover from escalating legal and cleanup costs of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
In the merger and acquisition market, BP is seeing strong bids for assets it plans to sell, but it will not be in the market to buy oil and gas operations until its balance sheet builds up greater strength, Dudley told analysts Tuesday.
"I think it would confuse investors to talk about mergers," Dudley said. "It's not the right time to plan along those lines."
Since April 2010, the month of the offshore disaster that killed 11 workers and spilled millions of barrels of oil into the ocean, BP has retained 65 percent of its operated wells, half of its pipelines and 88 percent of its reserves, Dudley said.
"BP is a smaller and simpler company now," he said, adding that it is putting much of its resources behind offshore operations in four key areas, Angola off the coast of Africa, the Gulf of Mexico, Azerbaijan and the North Sea close to Norway.
And even as BP negotiates with federal regulators, it has significant room to grow its operations in the Gulf, McKay said. Only 20 percent of its operated resource base in the Gulf has been produced. It currently has 10 operated rigs running in the region.
The company is also running 60 programs to constrain spending, including consolidating back-office functions such as accounting and brand management. BP is planning to continue its divestiture program with another $10 billion in sales by the end of 2015, trading older assets with low cash flow for the ability to reinvest in high-return projects, he said.
The company will likely spend $24 billion to $25 billion this year, and retain that investment level each year from 2015 to 2018. Cutting costs and assets has boosted BP's free cash to $31 billion this year, up 50 percent since 2011, BP Chief Financial Officer Brian Gilvary said during the call.
One big driver of free cash flow was that it has made progress paying off a $20 billion trust fund for parties injured in the 2010 oil spill. There is about $6.8 billion left to be dispersed, Gilvary said.
Legal issues
On Monday, a federal appellate court in New Orleans ruled that BP would have to bear the original terms of the multibillion-dollar oil spill settlement it agreed to two years ago.
BP had begun legal fights last year over what it believes is a misinterpretation of the settlement, which does not require oil spill claimants to prove that the spill caused economic losses, but rather relies on a geographical framework of judging how close a claimant was to the spill.
Dudley said BP disagrees with the order and is planning to bring the question before the entire U.S. Fifth Circuit Court in New Orleans.
"We remain committed to paying legitimate claims," Dudley said. The company's balance sheet, he said, is prepared for the continued trouble.
BP shares rose 22 cents to $49.22 in early trading Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange.
Also on FuelFix:
BP builds its largest-ever Gulf of Mexico fleet


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For over forty years, Pro-Tec has been known in the skateboard industry for being the original protective gear brand. In the 1970s, skateboarding injuries were rising. With a demand for added safety, Pro-Tec introduced a new, innovative helmet into the market. Easy to adjust and comfortable to wear, Pro-Tec helmets are guaranteed to keep you out of harm's way! They are made from SXP Foam (Surface-activated Expanded Polypropylene), also known as 2 Stage Foam. SXP Foam is a lightweight protective liner connected to the shell of the helmet. Even after years of wear, SXP Foam will maintain its original shape. Other brands try to replicate their designs, but there really is no other helmet like a Pro-Tec! In addition to their helmets, Pro-Tec has also expanded their product line to include a variety of safety pads. Pro-Tec skateboard pads are made for your hands, knees, ankles, elbows, wrists, and hips. So no matter what new trick you're trying to master, know that you'll be protected if you fall. Their skateboard pads are made of high-grade EVA Foam and durable fabrics. They provide full coverage, but do not restrict movement. Slim fitting and lightweight, you'll feel like you are aren't even wearing them! Pro-Tec skateboard pads are made for adult and youth sizes. If you need to restore your pads, Pro-Tec offers recaps replacements. When it comes to safety, Pro-Tec has the very best protective equipment in the market.
Pro-Tec is not only keeping you secure while you board, they are pushing you to take your skills to the next level with the right precautions. Choose Pro-Tec for all your helmet and padding needs—you will not be disappointed!
Skateboard Decks Specs
Skateboard Completes Specs
Micro Decks Specs
Mini Decks Specs
Mid Decks Specs
Micro Completes Specs
Mini Completes Specs
Mid Completes Specs
Let Us Grip Tape Your Board
Don't feel comfortable gripping up your new board? No need to worry. Avoid uneven lines and unwanted air bubbles by letting our professionals grip your new deck for you.
Let Us Build Your Skateboard
Do you want Warehouse Skateboards to Assemble your Complete Skateboard?
This service includes:
Skateboard Hardware Sets
Skateboard hardware is used to connect the skateboard trucks to the skateboard deck. Skateboard hardware refers to the bolts and locknuts used when building a board. The bolts can have an Allen or Phillips head. Skateboard hardware comes in many different lengths, and often includes one different colored bolt so that the rider can mark the nose of their board.
Each skateboard hardware set includes 8 bolts and 8 locknuts needed to assemble one skateboard.
What size hardware do I need to put together my skateboard?
The width of your truck axle should closely match the width of your skateboard deck, usually within 1/4".
For additional info visit ourSkateboard Trucks Buying Guide
Truck height is measured from the bottom of the truck's baseplate to the center of the axle. In general, a mid-sized truck works well for most skateboarders, but high or low trucks may be preferred for different styles of skaters.
LO - Provides extra stability for flip tricks, designed for small wheels (50-53mm wheel size recommended).
MID - Good all-around profile for street or park (53-56mm wheel size recommended).
HIGH - Great for cruising and carving, designed for large wheels (56mm+ wheel size recommended).
The hanger is the truck's T-shaped aluminum alloy grind area. It makes direct contact with rails and curbs. The hanger holds the axle on which the wheels are mounted. Hangers weigh about 10-13 oz, with lighter ones available. The width of your truck axle should closely match the width of your skateboard deck, usually within 1/4".
Construction refers to the material(s) used in fabrication or the specific brand technology.
For additional info visit ourSkateboard Buying Guide
The average width of a skateboard deck is 7.5"- 8.25". Width is influenced by the size of the rider and the type of riding. Bigger riders and those skating ramps typically prefer a wider deck. Street skaters usually choose a smaller deck. Choose your skateboard deck according to the width, not length. Here are some general guidelines:
MICRO - Deck width: 6.75" or smaller - 5 years old or younger, under 3'4" tall. Size 3 shoes or smaller.
MINI - Deck width: 7.0" - 6 to 8 years old between 3'5" & 4'4" tall. Size 4-6 shoes.
MID - Deck width: 7.3" - 9 to 12 years old between 4'5" & 5'2" tall. Size 7-8 shoes.
FULL - Deck width: 7.5" or larger - for all skaters over age 13, taller than 5'3" with a shoe size of 9 or up.
7.5" to 8"Standard board for adult riders skating streets or doing more technical tricks
8.0" to 8.25"Skating pools, ramps and parks
8.25" and largerVert, pools, cruising and just going old school
Still having a hard time with size, try our Skateboard Sizer
For additional info visit ourSkateboard Decks Buying Guide
Deck type refers to the size or style (shape) of the skateboard deck. If you are a beginner, choose your deck according to the width, not the length. The width you need depends on your size, skating style and personal preference. Here are some general guidelines:
Cruisers, Old School, Freestyle, Longboard and Downhill all refer to a skateboarding style and the corresponding shape.
Length is measured from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail. Average board length is 28"- 32" and longboards can range 32" and larger, but length is only referred to by advanced skaters.
Wheel size or diameter - All Skateboard wheels are measured in millimeters (mm). The smaller the number, the smaller the wheel. Smaller wheels are slower; bigger wheels are faster.
50-53mm - Small slower wheels, stable for trick riding and smaller riders skating street, skate parks and bowls.
54-59mm - Average wheel size for beginners and bigger riders skating street, skate parks, bowls and vert ramps.
60mm + - Specialty riders skating longboards, old-school boards, downhill and dirt boards; made for speed and rougher surfaces.
For additional info visit ourSkateboard Wheels Buying Guide
Durometer measures the wheel's hardness. Harder wheels are faster; softer wheels are slower but have better grip.
78a-87a - Soft wheel good for rough surfaces, longboards or street boards that need lots of grip and easier to roll over cracks and pebbles. Designed for a smooth ride cruising, longboards, hills and rough surfaces.
88a-95a - Slightly harder and faster with a little less grip, but the grip's still good. Street; rough surfaces.
96a-99a - Good speed and grip - an all-around wheel. Great for beginners skating street, skate parks, ramps and pools. Smooth surfaces.
101a + - Hardest and fastest wheel with the least grip. Ineffective on slick and rough surfaces. These are pro wheels.
83b-84b - Wheels using the B scale are extremely hard, measuring 20 points lower than the the A Scale in order to allow the scale to extend another 20 points for harder wheels.
The laws for skateboarding helmets vary from state to state. Many states require that skaters wear a helmet under a certain age, and some states like California make all skaters under 18 wear a CPSC Certified helmet at all times. CSPC skateboard helmets usually have an EPS protective liner that meets the safety standards for skateboarding. Make sure you check your state's regulations before ordering.
CPSC Certified Helmets: California requires that all skateboard helmets must meet the requirements of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Section 890.4 of the Streets and Highways Code enforces these standards in California and will not allow Warehouse Skateboards to ship non-CPSC Certified helmets to California.
For additional info visit ourSkateboard Helmets Guide
Unsure of the size you need?
Visit our Clothing Sizing Charts
Most bearings are measured by an ABEC rating. The higher the ABEC rating, the more accurate and precise the bearing will be. This rating system includes grades 1,3,5,7 and 9. The closer you get to an ABEC 9 rating, the faster and less friction you will have when skateboarding.
Many companies do not use the ABEC rating scale. They brand their own specific technology.
For additional info visit ourSkateboard Bearings Buying Guide
Note: Each brands skateboard helmet size will vary; therefore, it is best to measure your head and refer to the sizing chart specific to each brand of helmet. In order to properly measure your head, follow these steps:
Wrap a soft tape measure around your forehead, just above your eyebrows and ears. Keep the tape measure level from the front to the back of your head. Your skateboard helmet should sit low on your forehead.
If you do not have a flexible tape measure, try marking a string and measuring it against a ruler.
If the helmet is a gift or you cannot measure the skater's head, measure the inside of a current helmet or hat they wear.
Within each skateboard helmet product page there are specific measurements for each skate brand. Use that information, along with your head size, to determine your correct helmet size before placing your order. This will ensure that you receive the best fit.
For additional info visit ourSizing Skateboard Helmets


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The* Alkaline Trio are in a happy place; not of course emotionally – theirs is a continued world of non-more black nihilistic wilderness – but y'know, professionally. By a mile the best band currently operating in their sphere, the trio, based around leader *Matt Skiba, delivered their career best album in 2003's Good Mourning' and now with 'Crimson' have created their most well-rounded LP so far.
'Crimson' still operates in a world of broken bones, alcoholic breakdowns and life-long sickness. Gradually though, it's the music that is slowly metamorphosing. In come a more pronounced use of keyboards (check out the opening minor key piano lament to opener Time To Waste'), filters, faders and studio trickery. It's not bludgeoning or an overtly radical change in direction, but it's enough to imply that the band are still growing, learning and striving for that melodic perfection that all good punk bands retain. Key example would be 'Burn', which marries a near-industrial grind to the now-expected classic chorus ("Intending to burn, pretending to fight it / Everyone learns faster on fire") and tops it off with a piano breakdown… 'I Was A Prayer' repeats the same trick, introducing epic, sweeping strings.
Of course, there's straight, straight-ahead pop thrills in the likes of 'Mercy Me', 'Your Neck' and 'Dethbed' – who's lyrics descend to a whole new level of bleak: "Falling like stars into the ocean black, we're gonna disappear / And anything left recognizable is swept away with fear". A new level that is, until we hit album centrepoint Sadie' a tale of psychosis and institutionalism. Set on sweeping Cure-esque synths, the song relates the story of Sadie Glutz aka Susan Atkins** of the Manson Family. Chillingly it ends with a reading of Susan Atkin's statement: "I think that if I found a god to me that was so beautiful that I'd do anything for him. I'd do anything for god. Even murder, if I believed it was god, how could it not be right? Because he said it was. I have no remorse for the killer inside of me, I have no guilt in me". Nice.
..which is why A3 seem to have that near-timeless pull when other bands come and go, briefly flicker bathed in MTV light and then just as quickly disappear. It's punk pop pulled towards an adult world, given a macabre make over that manages to avoid the singular silliness of the likes of AFI and dunked in a vat of sugary sweet pop brilliance. Fortunately for us, there is no end in sight, as Skiba promises on 'I Was A Prayer', "I spit out words 'til you see my lungs on the dancefloor". Thank heaven for that.
8Gareth Dobson's Score


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Lloyd has had it rough for awhile. Recently, he's been reunited with his long-lost homeless father, only to discover that he's slowly dying of a mysterious, killer disease that seemingly has no cure. He considers Harvey Addanac to be his best friend, although the feeling is far from mutual. Hopefully, Lloyd can find a way to stay alive long enough to find true love and/or true friendship.
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Imagine your requirement is that you have 3 huge tables (structured data) with say 30 billion rows in each (total size of 4TB) and your many concurrent users (which are parallel os threads on remote LAN machines) will need to read a portion of the data through their SELELCT WHERE GROUPBY queries and highly concurrent, say 10,000 concurrent reads at the same time and also users need to insert (no update) data into these tables highly concurrent too like 2000 concurrent writers (all over the data center LAN network). The users would want to read and insert as fast as possible form this storage where each read and write will happen is ms to 1 second range.
What technologies do you recommend to satisfy such requirement? Is there any data storage or key value store that could do this? Cloud is NOT an option.
Some Clarifications:
The users do NOT have to see the data right away and eventual consistency is acceptable. The data is accesses through whatever driver the storage can provide and users are again just threads running on remote machines of the data center. The queries are mostly like SELECT WHERE GROUPBY.
The data is in tabular format and each row is about 60 bytes.
No cloud option where I can not use DynamoDB or similar solutions. I have to be able to host it internally in the data center.
All the data of the tables can be read all the time and usage pattern is unpredictable. There is no join or super long query. No DR required but a reasonable HA is required but it does not have to be fancy. Every reader is getting a batches of rows based on its where clause and rows are not really related. We probably can have fixed length for each row but I am hoping the storage layer will worry about it.
Also, my biggest concern are all those concurrent writes that are happening with concurrent reads.
Your insights into this is highly appreciated.
And more thing, I have three of those tables with each 30 billion rows holding different object types


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April 24th 1859 )
Dear Mary )
I am in receipt of a letter but a few
days since from your uncle John in which he makes several
very important communications. The first of most importance
to self is that of the loss of your health for months past."
That is to me rest assured a very source of serious regret
so early in life. I have noticed occasionally your commun-
ications to Georgiana but until now had not attached much
importance to the reading, as I had indulged a hope
from time to time that you find yourself in improved health."
John writes me what he learns of a physician in your neighborhood
who tells him he fears your disease will terminate in hypertrophy
of the womb - a very serious affliction truely - I imagine - and
that you obstinately refuse an examination. Now I think
this false modesty when ones health and happiness depend in
all time to come and should not be persisted in when there is
so much at stake - but act at once when there might be
a reasonable hope of a speedy recovery indulged under the
advice of such a physician as Dr. Stone of N.O. in whom I
have more confidence than any man alive. I have consulted him
on the score of your mothers affliction and he has prescribed
for her a successful remedy - Bismuth for neuralgia ) of the liver
for which I could perceive no remedy heretofore, and it acts like
a charm in every anticipated attack - as it wards off at once
every attack. This disease hastened away Capt. Sanders to eternity
beyond a doubt. Now your sufferings are a misfortune and
not a fault doubtless, and if you go to New Orleans and I knew when to
try and meet you there at the sacrifice of all or every thing for
a hope of recovery


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Commissioners discussed the proposal at a public hearing as part of the April 12 Commission meeting.
Charlie DeLorme, director of visitor services for San Juan County, said that the funds could be used for a host of purposes, including the development of tourism infrastructure.
"This is how the Salt Palace and the Davis Convention Center were built," said DeLorme. DeLorme added that San Juan County could develop facilities or programs to strengthen the local tourist trade.
Of the 29 counties in Utah, 26 use the TRCC tax. Counties have had the option to implement the program since 1991. To date, every county in the state has a TRCC tax, except San Juan, Piute and Millard counties.
A number of restaurant owners voiced their concern with the plan.
In addition, Blanding businessman Phil Lyman expressed his opposition to the proposal. Lyman stated that there is already enough government and enough taxes.
Lyman is the only candidate on the November 2 ballot in the race to replace Commissioner Lynn Stevens.
While the Commissioners did not identify specific projects that the tax could support, convention centers and new county fairgrounds have been discussed for a number of years.
DeLorme reports that figures from the Utah State Tax Commission were used to make the $250,000 per year estimated revenue.
Grand County generates roughly $250,000 a year from a TRCC program. DeLorme said that while Moab has many restaurants, the restaurants in Monticello, Blanding, Bluff Mexican Hat, and Monument Valley together would generate as much revenue as do the Moab restaurants.
The sales tax would be for food establishment where the food is prepared and consumed on the premises. A local advisory council would be responsible to oversee the use of the funds that are collected.
DeLorme reports that two years ago, he was an opponent of the TRCC tax. But after he was given an assignment by the Commission to research the program, he came to see how the funds could be used to build tourism.
He added that an increase in the Transient Room Tax (TRT) has helped the local motels during an economic downturn.
Commissioner Lynn Stevens suggested that the commissioners visit with representatives of other counties who use the TRCC option. Commissioners are scheduled to attend meetings of the Utah Association of Counties in the coming week.


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Isosulfan Blue
Isosulfan Blue Injection
What is Isosulfan Blue Injection?
ISOSULFAN BLUE (Lymphazurin™) injection is used to look at lymph vessels and lymph nodes. Lymph vessels are tubes in your body that carry fluid called lymph. Lymph helps fight infections and other diseases. Lymph nodes clean lymph fluid and store cells used to fight infections. Isosulfan blue may be used to see if you have lymphedema. If you have cancer, it may be used to see if you have cancer in your lymph nodes. Usually, you will only receive isosulfan blue in a hospital or clinic during surgery.
What should I tell my health care provider before I take this medicine?
They need to know if you have any of these conditions:
an unusual reaction to isosulfan blue, triphenylmethane dyes, other medicines, foods, dyes, or preservatives
pregnant or trying to get pregnant
How should this medicine be used?
This medicine will be given to you by a health care provider in a hospital or clinic. It is usually given to you as an injection during surgery.
Contact your pediatrician or health care professional regarding the use of this medicine in children. Special care may be needed.
What if I miss a dose?
This does not apply.
What drug(s) may interact with Isosulfan Blue?
certain medicines used for your heart or high blood pressure called ACE inhibitors (examples: captopril, enalapril, lisinopril, ramipril) or Angiotensin II antagonists (examples: losartan, valsartan)
Tell your prescriber or health care professional about all other medicines you are taking, including non-prescription medicines, nutritional supplements, or herbal products. Also tell your prescriber or health care professional if you are a frequent user of drinks with caffeine or alcohol, if you smoke, or if you use illegal drugs. These may affect the way your medicine works. Check with your health care professional before stopping or starting any of your medicines.
What should I watch for while taking Isosulfan Blue?
You will be monitored closely during your procedure. Follow all instructions carefully.
You may notice your urine or your skin turns a blue-green color after surgery. Your urine will usually only be blue-green for about 1 day. Your skin may be stained blue-green for as long as a few weeks.
What side effects may I notice from receiving Isosulfan Blue?
Side effects that you should report to your prescriber or health care professional as soon as possible:
fast or irregular heart beat or pulse
pain, swelling, or warmth where isosulfan blue was injected
swelling of your lips or face
trouble breathing/wheezing
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
blue-green urine
blue-green skin
Where can I keep my medicine?
You will not be asked to store this medicine. It is used in a hospital or clinic only.
March 21, 2017
U.S. FDA-approved Package Insert


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Sonic Universe #30
'Inside Job' Part Two
Scourge the 'Evil Sonic' is imprisoned in Zone Jail! He's going to need support to escape, but the mercenary gang of the Destructix aren't interested. Can Scourge delve into their dark pasts and find a reason to gain their trust? Or will he wind up a green smear on the wall?
Cover Illustrators


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Evolution as a religious system has been adopted by many students, scholars and laypeople as a way to explain the origin and the development of the cosmos and all life including man.
Why in our sophisticated and technically advanced culture should a significant group of secularly educated Christians be in rebellion against the teaching of evolution?
No results found in .
Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.


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|Trichloroisocyanuric Acid, Copper Sulphate and Aluminium Sulphate.
|A 20g chlorine tablet that also contains an algaecide and a flocculant. Used as a sanitiser for swimming pools and spas.
|Pool Dose (Skimmer)
|Add 1 tablet per 1,000 gallons of pool water. It will take 3 to 5 days to dissolve.
|Pool Dose (Dispenser)
|Fill dispenser and adjust collar to get correct rate of dissolution. It will take 5 to 7 days to dissolve.
|Spa Dose
|Place 1-3 tablets in the dispenser and adjust the collar to get correct rate of dissolution. Tablets will take 2-3 days to dissolve.
|Dosing Method
|Place tablets in a skimmer or floating dispenser. NEVER place the tablets directly into the pool or spa.
|Health and Safety
|Click here for a MSDS sheet for Multifunctional Tablets.
|Visit our blog to read more about Multifunctional Tablets.
0 items


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World boxing champion Danny Green has been let off the hook by Western Australia's fisheries department after it investigated photos he posted online of a tiger shark caught in waters off Perth.
Green, who holds the IBO World cruiserweight title, caused an uproar on his Facebook page when he uploaded two pictures of himself with the shark, which he said he intended to eat.
Thousands of posters engaged in a vigorous debate over the catch, which some said was oversized and therefore illegal - but Green insisted was within the rights of recreational fishing in the state.
Tony Cappelluti, WA Fisheries' Regional Manager Metro, said his department and a shark scientist had assessed the pictures and decided not to prosecute, despite the shark being "close to the maximum size" allowed.
"We have now finalised our inquiry and there will be no action by the Department of Fisheries against Mr Green," he said.
"We agree that this shark is close to the maximum size, but there is insufficient evidence to conclusively determine its legal size."
WA regulations require the inter-dorsal fin measurement of a tiger shark to be no more than 700mm, measured from the front of the first dorsal fin to the point where the rear of the second smaller dorsal fin joins the shark's body.
One of the pictures posted shows Green lying alongside the shark, which appears to be almost identical to Green's stated height of 1.85m.
"The department's shark scientist has advised that a tiger shark would probably have to be over two metres in total length to have a 700mm inter-dorsal measurement," Mr Cappelluti said.


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ELLENTON -- Just like a Russian nesting doll, the Livingston household had surprises within surprises this weekend.
Taylor Livingston came home Friday on leave from the U.S. Army to surprise his sister at her graduation on Saturday, but ended up being surprised himself when he rode up to his parents' home.
A crew of Florida Power and Light employees spent all day Friday stringing thousands of Christmas lights around the landscape, as well as attaching them to the house on North Orchid Drive, creating a sparking holiday wonderland.
"The house is absolutly amazing," Livingston said. "I was so surprised."
Livingston, 21, has been stationed in El Paso since March after returning from a year in Afghanistan, and is scheduled to head back to the war zone early next year.
FPL has been doing this holiday lighting project for service members or veterans for four years throughout its Florida service area, said Rae Dowling, the area manager for public communications, but this is the first time someone from Manatee County was chosen.
"We wanted to find a way to thank those who have done so much for us," Dowling said Friday as the 15 FPL "elves" were busy decorating and testing the electrical connections.
"Taylor's parents have just opened their hearts and home to let us do this for them," she said.
Because all of the lights and decorations are energy-efficient LEDs the Livingstons will be able to keep them on longer at a very low cost, Dowling said.
Sandy Livingston, Taylor's mother, said she was so happy to have him home for the holidays. He has to report back to base in early January.
"It's a big worry every day he's away," Sandy Livington said. "Especially when he's overseas."
David Livingston, Taylor's father, said it was going to be a special Christmas this year.
"Last year we didn't have Christmas with him because he was in Afghanistan," he said.
This year not only did they enjoy surprising Taylor with the brightly decorated house, but the surprise Taylor has planned for his sister, Cassie Ladika, will just make it that much better.
The Black Hawk helicopter mechanic coordinator planned to be sitting in his dress uniform behind robed professors and dignitaries on the stage at the University of South Florida Sun Dome at 9 a.m. Saturday as his sister crosses to receive her diploma.
Taylor will then stand up and approach Cassie, giving her one of the biggest surprises of her life.
"It's going to be waterworks," said Jess Ladika, Taylor and Cassie's older brother, "She's going to be so excited just to be graduating and sad thinking that her brother will not be there."
David Livingston said he was so grateful that FPL picked Taylor for the holiday lights project.
"It was just so awesome to see that caravan of cars and FPL trucks coming down the street," he said. "And to see so many lights."
Dowling said they got Taylor's name from Linda Craig, of the Manasota Operation Troop Support organization,
"Taylor was one of the troops that we've been sending packages to," Craig said. "I think this will be really fun."
Kim Sprague, the area manager of distribution for FPL, said she was happy to volunteer to decorate the Livingston home.
"What a great honor for us to honor someone who served our country," Sprague said.


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Holiday Inn Montreal Centreville Downtown
Holiday Inn Montreal Centreville Downtown
999 rue Saint-Urbain
999 rue Saint-Urbain
Montreal, Quebec
Check In: 3PM
Check Out: 12PM
Check-in Age: 18
Book With Us Advantage
- Best Price Guarantee
We promise you access to the guaranteed best available prices, or your first night is free.
- Online Reservation Guarantee
Your room is guaranteed.
- No Booking Fees!
We do not charge any booking fees for making reservations directly with us.
- Data Privacy and Site Security
IHG takes your privacy seriously and works to protect you. All personal information you provide is encrypted and secure.
Welcome to Holiday Inn Montreal Centreville Downtown
The best of two worlds...Western comfort with a touch of the Orient.
When you're looking for the ideal hotel downtown Montreal, choose the Holiday Inn Montreal Centre-ville Downtown, which is a landmark offering easy access to historic, cultural and shopping attractions in the city.
Corporate guests appreciate our location because our 4-star Montreal hotel is across the street from the Palais des Congres-Convention Centre and Place d'Armes subway station, nearby businesses and 20 minutes from the airport. Hotel features a newly upgraded complimentary fiber-optic high-speed wireless Internet access and 16 meeting rooms with over 14,000 sq ft of flexible space.
Guests travelling to Montreal love our hotel's location next to Chinatown and 1 block from Old Montreal's attractions and shops. Enjoy countless things to do in Montreal.
Few Montreal hotels offer the deluxe amenities and fine dining you'll find here. Our restaurant, Chez Chine, is reputed for its excellent Asian and Continental cuisine. With an enviable location, superb service and an outstanding multilingual staff, there is no better downtown Montreal hotel than ours.
Kids Stay and Eat Free
Kids ages 18 and under stay for free when sharing their parents' room. Up to four kids ages 11 and under eat free any time of the day in any Holiday Inn® on-site restaurant.
*View Terms & Conditions for Details.
Montreal Space for Life includes Biodome, Insectarium, Planetarium, Botanical Garden Montreal Science Center is located in Old Montreal and offers great entertainment for the youngsters!
|Kids Stay Free
|Kids Eat Free
|United States, Canada, Central America, South America, Mexico, Caribbean
|18 and Under
|11 and Under
Free High-Speed Internet
Standard Wireless Internet service is included for all guests.
Shuttle/ Parking
- Car Parking Available
- Self-Parking Fee: 30 CAD
Pet Policy
- No pets allowed
- Service Animals Allowed
- We are sorry, we do not allow any animals unless it is a guide dog or service animal
Languages Spoken by Staff
Credit Cards
- American Express
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Diners Club
- Carte Blanche
- Discover
- Smoke-Free Facility
- Number of Floors: 7
- Total Number of Rooms: 235
- Number of Suites: 6
- Number of Non-Smoking Rooms: 229
- Number of Accessible Rooms: 11
- Connecting Rooms Available
- Public Spaces Renovated in: 2015
- Guest Rooms Renovated in: 2015
- Public Entrance
- Guest Rooms
- Elevators
- Public Restrooms
Accessible Hotel Areas
- Ramp Access
- Closed Caption TVs
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Guest Rooms
- Visual Alarm/Alert in Public Spaces
Provided by Hotel


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The Namibian Film Commission (FC) is considering the introduction of incentives for international productions shooting in the southern African country, which is fast becoming a hot new international location.
Warner Bros' Mad Max: Fury Road, directed by George Miller and starring Tom Hardy and Charlize Theron, recently spent several months shooting in the country.
French director Jerome Salle's Zulu, starring Orlando Bloom and Forest Whitaker, is also partly shooting in Namibia, which is also a popular location for TV shows, documentaries, music video and commercials.
The NFC has appointed international production consultant Martin Cuff to explore the introduction of incentives, which it hopes to have in place by 2014. Currently local production services companies can access a 15% VAT rebate when working with foreign shoots.
"We want to make the film industry part of the growth story in Namibia," said NFC executive secretary Florence U Haifene. Located above South Africa and below Angola, the country's locations include desert, savannah, mountains, forests and German colonial architecture.
The NFC was established in 2000 under Namibia's Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to develop a sustainable local film industry. It is attending Dubai Film Market for the first time.
"We want to introduce our culture and identify what are the opportunities here for us to explore," said NFC commissioner Anna Shivute.
NFC set up a Film and Video Development Fund in 2010 that has so far financed ten short films from local directors. "Our industry is small but we're developing skill sets through international productions," Haifene said.


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I sat out on my deck this evening and watched a group of kids practicing baseball on one side of the park and football on the other. My garden is full of tomatoes, squash, lettuce, spinach, green beans, and strawberries and the apples on my tree are beginning to turn red. Our fire pit has roasted more bags of marshmallows than I can count and bears the remains of melted chocolate from the making of s'mores. We have had a great summer and have done many fun things along with just plain doing nothing. However tonight, I couldn't help but notice the sun fall below the horizon a bit earlier and felt a breeze that was cooler than nights before. For me, it was a final realization that summer is almost over again and school starts in less than a week. I am not ready. I am really, really, not ready.
In years past, the start of a new school year was new and exciting. It meant a new classroom, teacher, and friends. It was an another opportunity to watch my kids grow and learn new things. It was looking forward to class parties and field trips. It was fun. However, this year all I can think about is how hard I am going to fight once again. I wonder if I will be heard. I wonder if the staff will be trained any more than they were last year. I wonder if they will kick me out of my child's school for trying to advocate for her. I wonder how many lies I will get to try to disprove. I wonder if my daughter will ever have team who will understand how to provide her the services she has the legal right to have and if she will ever get to show her teachers and friends how smart and amazing she really is. I wonder if this year I will finally get my day in court. I am frustrated and angry and we haven't even made it to the first day.
In preparation for this dreaded first day of school I took the kids to Target for school supplies. Makenzie was so excited and picked out a sparkly Minnie Mouse back pack. Inside I placed supplies that Makenzie also chose including a pink pencil box, pink ruler, crayons, markers, glue, notebooks, and a binder. She is so proud of that backpack and is beyond excited to show it to everyone that comes over. She is just like any other little girl. However, on the first day of school the educators will not give her the chance to be like any other little girl.
This year Makenzie will be going into second grade. This will be her 7th year in school and she will have her 8th ILC teacher who will need "time" to get to know her and upon first glace see a very broken little girl and not assume competence.
Makenzie will arrive at school and they will escort her into a contained classroom and try to figure out what chair they will put her in. They will struggle to mount her talker and then maybe they will bring her into the classroom. When she enters the classroom everyone will look up and stare at her. She will then receive her very own awkward introduction and the aide will have no clue how to help her use her talker so she will not get to respond. Even if the aide does know how to use the talker she will have been instructed to only use the yes/no page because apparently Makenzie is incapable of using the rest of her talker and they have reserved that only for speech therapy and contained classroom time. The teacher will not know how to facilitate conversation between Makenzie and her peers and any questions asked will not be closed questions that she can actually answer. Someone may or may not come in and explain to the class about all of the reasons Makenzie is different while trying miserably to highlight the ways that she is the same and then the Makenzie show will be over and the day will move on.
The aide will have no clue what is going on in the classroom because no one will have planned Makenzie's day. Shortly after, most likely in the middle of an activity, Makenzie will be removed from the classroom and brought back into the contained classroom. Once there, they will proceed to try to get to know Makenzie by singing dumb songs, asking her 20 yes/no questions, and reading her preschool books that contain nothing of interest to her. She will be completely disengaged, she will not participate, she will look at the floor, and they will make negative ticks on their excel spreadsheet in efforts to prove that my daughter is too retarded to be learning in the second grade classroom or that the switch she has had for over 7 years needs to be readdressed again.
Once the bulk of the education in the classroom is over and it is time for lunch and recess Makenzie will be reunited with her peers. She will sit next to the same aide that doesn't know how to use her talker nor how to facilitate purposeful interactions. She will sit in silence and watch everyone eat before being walked out to the playground because the staff is not yet ready to learn how to use her power chair. At recess the staff will not take her out of her chair, and the adapted swing that I have been requesting from the district for the last 3 years will not be there. So, due to a lack of training and unwillingness Makenzie will take a walk with her aide. More than likely she will attract a following of children who will have a ton of questions. However, the untrained aide will have most likely taken Makenzie's talker down and she will not be able to answer any questions. The aide will try to answer the questions for her but will not know the answer to most of them. Recess will be over and Makenzie will go into a different room that is about the size of a closet and covered with crap from floor to ceiling for speech therapy so they can teach Makenzie how to communicate in the most unnatural environment possible, while the rest of the kids finish reading, writing, and math.
When it is time for specials Makenzie will get to rejoin her classmates with an aide who has no clue once again what is going on in the classroom because of a lack of planning and communication. They will struggle through class before sending her back to the contained classroom for more of the same and then back to 2nd grade for science or social studies once again with no planning and no way for Makenzie to have meaningful participation.
They will then remove Makenzie from the classroom at the end of the day early to pack her up because they have not stored her things with the 2nd grade class but instead in the contained classroom and the special needs bus will leave before the bell even rings.
Over the coarse of the day Makenzie will have been carted in and out of the classroom in front of her peers numerous times. She will not be exposed to much if any 2nd grade curriculum. Non of her services will be pushed into the classroom and the aide will be unaware or untrained on the modifications and adaptations Makenzie needs to successfully meet her individual goals. She will immediately be viewed as a visitor not a member of the classroom. The children will be kind to her but she will not establish a sense of belonging or benefit from all of the positive things that come with the feeling of belonging.
On the first day of school, Makenzie will not be given a chance to be a little girl who is so excited to show her friends the super cool new backpack that she picked out just like everyone else.
The above is not just what I think goes on, it is what I know goes on. I watched it happen day in and day out for two and a half months, and several full days after the nurse started last year. I have spent hours in meetings trying to get the district to see how detrimental this is to Makenzie but they are unphased. They are more concerned with not letting me "dictate" Makenzie's education than they are in accepting that I know my child's needs better then anyone with or without an education degree.
Makenzie's current education plan has not been reviewed in over a year and is completely out of compliance given it was not reviewed on time nor does it contain my signature. This is the IEP that they intend to use on the first day of school which is how I can tell you with much confidence that the above will be how her first day and every day after will go until a federal court tells them differently.
I do have a few new things up my sleeve for this year which keeps me hopeful but today I am just super sad and angry that the school continues to define and limit an amazingly smart little girl by a body that is broken.
Please pray for my family during this trying time. Please pray that the staff at the school would hear what I am saying and see how smart and amazing Makenzie is. Pray that their hearts would be softened and that they would do what needs to be done without a court battle in order to give her a fighting chance for once.
Believe.... Prayer Works