text:
Just some 2007 forward thinking and then I won't be blogging till early February. Time to enjoy my retirement by doing for one month the things I want to do while I can still do them.
My forward thinking may be mostly rambling but not without a lot of serious research and thought. Here goes:
Peoria has the talent, expertise, leadership and finances to support many of the one billion plus spending projects in process or are on the drawing boards if facts and big egos don't bankrupt the retirees and lower middle classes finances in the process. To be too optimistic about the disregarding of facts and controlling egos are at times a stretch.
It seems like determing priorities have been a problem forever in this community. Local major media has not been a lot of help to determine the sequence of or how to identify and determine how these priorities are to be sold to the public. Also, the problem of funding these priorities hasn't received much help from our major source of printed news. If you carefully reread their Editorials you will see a trend to favor almost everything but the editors seldom ask for business plans and financial data or question how these exspenditures they favor will be sensibly funded.
One of my first "Letters to the Editors" published in 1994 pointed out that I believed our priorities were askew. Since then I have had at least 30 letters published in various news media and have created some hundreds of blogs for anyone who wishes to can read. In most of these blogs I play the "devils advocate".
Most of the priorities I have written about concerning this community are sensible and attainable. I wrote that if you have the product people want and price and service it properly, then people will come regardless of being able to save 10 minutes on a new billion dollar highway..
When the "Highway to Chicago" drive became a mania to some in the community I tried to point out that was what it would become; just that; a highway TO Chicago. What I sought was more reasons for people to come to Peoria and if the reasons were there, people would find us; new highway or not.
My #1 priority was our public school systems. It still is. Many Peorians are seeking competition for the union dominated Peoria public school system and are getting it from Christian, Catholic, Lutheran and other schools of choice such as the Edison concept. We want better paying jobs but we must have a ready and willing to work labor force. We must have less belligerent unions and workers with better work ethics and better attitudes.
Peorians believe strongly in their kids getting a good education. Yet educating a child can not be all about how well kids do on tests but on how education, community and school participation and parenting turn out a well rounded product. The ability to read and read well is absolutely essential. However, reading without understanding what one has read will not turn out kids who know how to think. The major goal of public and private schools and teachers, parents, union bosses, capitalist barons, public leaders and all others who profess to lead is not to tell people what to think but teach people how to think.
We need less concern about victimization of some of our populace and more concern about leadership that shows young people what they need and how to succeed in a competitive marketplace.
Peorians need to realize that racism is a two way street and stop acting with feelings of guilt; guilt that should never have been solely placed on past and present generations of people living in the United States
People are concerned about safety although history says this country was never safe. Just read about the early settlers and the Indians they removed from the land the settlers wanted. Parts of the country were never safe for Caucasians, Irish, Italians, Hispanics, Blacks, Chinese, and Jews, to name a few. We fought wars with Mexico to claim a large part of the far west as part of the United States. We fought among ourselves; just 160 short years ago, one of the worst Civil Wars in all of history. Violence ususally is a product of an inadequate education.
People want low taxes, especially property taxes. They want convenient shopping areas. They want affordable housing and green space. They prefer less congestion on our highways although they move to suburbia by droves. People want well maintained roadbeds and roadways. Peorians look to travel from one part of the county to another part on well maintained roads and in safety and convenience.
Peorians do not appreciate someone else's garbage dumped in any neighborhood. They do not want to live by abandoned or structurally unsafe buildings. They want reasonable parks, recreation and workout areas including a reasonable amount of trails. They want to pay resonable prices to live in safe and clean neighborhoods.
Peorians want to be known as living in the same community as Caterpillar, Bradley and our large and growing medical center. They do not want to go to Barnes or Mayo if we offer the same medical services and expertise locally. They want to shop locally with a variety of selections and the convenience of parking to shop. They want a variety of convenient grocery stores and restaurants. They want to pay reasonable prices for these priviliges.
Peorians want smaller government with less regulation of every step of their lives. Many believe that the best functioning governments do no harm and support a free market. However, they want the government to strongly regulate all types of pollutants from second hand smoke to clean rivers. They want to feel safe whevever they go at reasonable times of the day.
Peorians want accessible libraries but want those asking for more tax money to come up with a business plan and more proof of need to the entire community that supports them with their taxes.
These are my viewpoints as we look back as we enter 2007. We have already completed questionable projects such as a partly taxpayer funded ballpark and RiverPlex. Neither has come close to living up to their projections. After a shooting on RiverPlex property last week, the Journal Star reported that the RiverPlex had 8,000 members. Going back to the original Park board and Administration projections in June, 1999, if they really did have 8,000 members, the operation would be operating at over $800,000.00 profit. Instead. It is still on track to lose well over a million dollars in 2007. As a stockholder in the ballpark, my yearly financial report has shown no return on my investment since I bought my stock in 1994.
While I certainly am an advocate of wildlife in park and zoo natural settings, it takes no financial wizard to figure the new zoo will be a major drag on the taxpayers of Peoria. The current zoo loses approximately $400,000.00 a year and after the $32 million expansion, the park projects an increase of only 70,000 visitor a year. Remember these are the same people who projected that the RiverPlex would be profitable. At even $10 per person admission, (Maybe they will charge $10 instead of the $7 first discussed but after the first year, expect attendance to fall off dramaticall) these attendance fees would bring in a maximum of only $700,000.00 new dollars a year which will not leave much for the greatly increased maintenance, larger payroll and benefits and payoff of principal and interest of the approximately $12,000,000.00 dollars borrowed on new bonds to date.
The Civic Center is a big gamble with all the competition in Bloomington, East Peoria, Pekin and especially larger communities across the nation who have now and will have in the future, much more to offer than the Peoria area amenities and climate. Enough said; watch and see results as the project is nearing completion.
The Museum is a long way from being funded and expect the annual maintenance to run over $4 million a year. Funding is not even half raised, earmarks from the feds and state are very uncertain and Caterpillar who can afford it has said they will not proceed unless the publicly funded Museum is under construction.
It was only 4 years ago that representatives of the Peoria Library Board stood before the city council and pleaded for money to buy 7 acres of land out north on Allen Rd. Now plans have changed completely and they are asking for a referendum to be placed on the ballot this year asking the taxpayer for $32 million with no specific location for a new north side branch. This referendum with no more proof of need than presented so far should fail on the gitgo. The community has far greater needs than a plea for more computer and meeting room space. Trashy fiction books which abound at all libraries are a "dime a dozen" in every household and library in Peoria. All local schools have libraries and computers largely paid for by the taxpayer. Plus we live in a highly mobile community. As a consistent(seldom the trashy fiction books unless it is Carl Hiassen) user of Lakeview Library, I still note over 1300 linear feet of unused bookshelves and I have never seen a longer waiting line then at the grocery stores where I shop and PAY FOR WHAT I BUY.
Our politicians in Springfield and Washington, D.C. believe their main job to satisfy those special interests who fund their campaigns and to bring back spending projects to Peoria in the form of grants, earmarks and subsidies such as the museum parking project, now at $800,000.00 and growing, $1.6million for Rt. 29 including land acquisition. Land acquisition?? Compare to Peoria Public School Districts buying $800,000.00 of properties on Prospect, now sitting on the books as an asset with no buyers. Also in the Transportation bill signed by President George Bush includes $2.4 million to for the Eastern bypass and bridge (Ring Road) study and land acquisition. Land acquisition? There has been no new route plan presented to the public so how can the government be buying land for the by-pass? Then we complain that the federal budget is so large the average citizens has no comprehension of how much this country is in debt with little decrease in cutbacks and entitlements on the horizon.
The Journal Star Editorial "Not too late to look at sensible highway to Chicago" (Dated 7/09/06.) brings up the ill-fated "Highway to Chicago" projected project; this proposed highway being called a "road to ruin" and one of the 50 most wasteful road projects in the nation (JS April 28, 1999). No matter that the USDOT has changed their road building philosophy from "mobility and efficiency" to "feel and function" and putting their dollars on maintaining and improving roadbeds such as they did on improving RT. 74 thru Peoria. ( I suggest some dollars be put in by IDOT to bring Knoxville from War Memorial North up to first world standards. Did anyone note that the snow plow drivers dug up more landscape than snow in many places?)
In 2005, Peoria County and City partnered in bringing in a business attraction consultant, a firm with national acclaim and this firm concluded that this community had superior highway access, scored high in higher education access and culture. We scored lower in crime, local property taxes, community appearance and workman compensation costs. The full report is on www.peoriacounty.org
Peorians who care about more tax sharing revenues from private ventures, should hope that the Surface Transportation Board will rule that Peoria is a lucky city to have a railway passageway from downtown all the way out to Pioneer Park and possibly beyond, to move merchandise and people. Trails do not bring much revenue to any community and this railway to trailways would bring next to none. No cost estimate has been professionally made to see if rails and trails can work in the same allotted space. (The Peoria Park district has been paying former Mayor Richard Carver's expenses as he travels back and forth from his East Coast home to consult in favor of convering the railway to trails)
Peorians should hope that there is competition for each board member up for election on the park board and #150 board. The greatest need is that at least one board member be a person who has met a fair sized payroll and operated a successful business. I fear apathy and fear of media character attacks will prevent the running of the type of person best suited to bring common sense back to these boards. These boards have some good representatives. It only takes one or two new members with background experience in common sense and business success and a strong personality (big ego?) to make a big difference. Use as an example; the Peoria County Board.
District #150 has a number of new programs including some expanded Vo-Tech opportunities and other math and reading programs. I will try to make an evaluation of progress this spring. I have always been a proponent of good facilities and teaching equipment but believe when architects are given a free hand to design the ideal new structures, costs often soar out of ability to pay without eventual severe property tax increases. When boards come up with solid financing plans the architects will work within these financial boundaries established by availability of funding. It has long been proven that new buildings and equipment do not have much effect, if any, in turning out a hirable and retainable product.
Meanwhile, 162 acres of farmland bought by Bradley University for $13,000.00 an acre sits idle four miles north of the Shoppes while Bradley attempts a $100,000,000.00 fund raising drive. Bradley took out a $2.1 million dollar mortgage to buy this property with the hope that the Peoria Park district and Dunlap School District would acquire the land from Bradley.. Both deals have apparently fallen thru. In the meantime, the Peoria Park District is 12 years of more behind East Peoria in building softball fields that meet National Tournament Standards. Their skateboard board if you can find it is a travesty and potential accident prone and potential drug dealing location. It is located on the far east end of Becker Park in a draw next to a wooded area. The last time I looked the recreational facilities had no restroom facilities. Also there is no public vehicle access to the softball and skateboard area.
The Park District has made plans to temporarily relocate from the Pavilion to the old IDOT Building on Knoxville to make room for the yet unfunded Playhouse. You need to ask those sponsoring these activities where this money if coming from. I think I know.
Rumor on the street is that the Peoria Park District Plans to buy the 12 indoor tennis courts from the River city Racquet Club at the same time a private firm is trying to raise money to build a new tennis facility in the vicinity of the Shoppes. One board member says that is not true.
Many Peorians are hoping all these dreams come true. Many taxpayers are highly concerned that they will come true and drive property owners to live in less costly communities, especially the growing number of retirees, where they can come back to Peoria and pay the users fee without being burdened by the excessive property taxes I forsee.
The Greater Peoria Airport Authority planned expansions should include funding from all counties around Peoria whose citizenry use this facility and not just stick the residents of Peoria County with the costs.
TRANSPORT is off to a slightly shaky start with apparently unforseen rising costs of renovating the massive warehouse donated by Caterpillar. The Renaissance Center is in early stages but taxpayers can only hope it has more success then One Technology Plaza. Industrial development of the Southside along the River has been a subject for many years and like TRANSPORT has a lot of optimism but is a long way from fruition. Locks and Dams and river cleanups are in jeopardy with the cutting back of federal projects that do not prove an immediate cost saving benefit.
I predict more closing of restaurants and retail stores and relocation of several businesses such as last year's out right closure of Cohen Furniture and Siegrist Furniture. I would be surprised if Bergner's is still in Sheridan Village at the end of the year and I predict several small retailers and some resturants will close up shop in 2007 because all indications induce a surplus of both and a lack of competent service oriented clerks and good help in general. Where you able to find sales clerks who knew the merchandise and it's selling points? Some overworked and probably underpaid clerks were doing their best to handle the traffic. But I fear salesmanship is becoming a lost art for many businesses.
Look for more transparency in public bodies. Supossedly unauthorized erasure of Executive Committee Tapes should be a felony. Anyone with a few months experience knows that tapes of private executive sessions are not erased without full board approval and the recommendations of the attorney representing the public body.
I project that 2007 will be a combative year among competing egos for the spending of non-revenue producing projects but not much will change to put Peoria on a solid financial basis. If the boom of 2006 repeats itself and the economy remains strong wealthy people will be more apt to contribute money for essential projects. It will help also if Caterpillar regains its $10 a share stock drop last quarter.
Now vacant properties will need to be occupied by tax paying private business.
Look for PDC to have a at least a good chance of getting approval from the IEPA to continue exactly what they are doing with little change in procedure and that PDC also has a good chance of the IEPA or the Pollution Control Board overturning the "No" vote on the PDC Expansion Application.
My final prediction or observation that it is going to be tough sledding for all the fund raising drives underway in Peoria. Even in the best of economic conditions this community has an awful lot of expensive planning and building underway.
Not least is the growing sprawl of the City of Peoria without a real growth in overall population. This means more services cost to the taxpayers and a steady rise in assessed valuation taxes fueled by continued construction of new houses in the cities suburbia.
Since I will not be blogging again till February, those of you who didn't pick me up when I started blogging 30 month ago might enjoy following my themes in my easily found archives; archives extensively researched and sprinkled with common sense.
My widely constructive criticism of the Bradley Basketball program may have had a hand in turning the Bradley program around last year.as the first to call attention the mysterious erasing of the Park Board Executive Tapes, my synopsis of the Peoria City Election commission may shed some light to why Jeannette M was terminated and my blog revealing the potential conflict of interest between Tim Cassidy, President of a tax collecting body and representing Weaver Ridge in a futile attempt to get their property taxes sizeably reduced as highlights of my sporadic blogging endeavor. My numerous blogs on the public school system which I support must have some drastic changes in the way they operate if they area going to escape governmental takeover.
My 12 article dissertation on the controversial Landfill Application included some of my best informative blogging to date.
In the meantime feel free to comment and make your views known for the entire world to see if they wish. I would hope some of you would give me additional information and help correct my boo-boos and please present the facts and sources when you disagree with me so I can do the proper research and correct my mis-information.
Demand more transparency on all public taxpayer funded bodies and support my friends at Rally Peoria financially, no matter how small the amount, They are working for you and bearing the cost burden almost alone.
Have a safe and prosperous New Year and thanks for reading me.


text:
Nearest Town: MoscowSite Size:
Highlights: Raptors, Shorebirds, Songbirds, Upland Birds, Waterbirds, Waterfowl
Access: Year-round. Access free of charge.
Description: Moscow is the gateway to the Palouse and the western foothills of the Clearwater Mountains (Moscow Mountain). Birding can be productive around Moscow all year. Winter birding is excellent for Rough-legged Hawk and Gray Partridge in fields around Moscow. Migratory songbirds move through town from April-May and Sept-Oct. Some neighborhoods and UI Campus (Great Horned Owl) can be quite good for migrants at times. Look for mountain ash trees for flocks of Cedar Waxwing. An occasional Blue Jay can be seen in winter.
More Information: Moscow Chamber of Commerce (208) 882-1800Moscow Chamber of Commerce 1-800-380-1801
General Services:
Handicapped Services:What do these icons mean?
Select a species from the list to view other sites on the Idaho Birding Trail Sites this species may be observed.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Dick Sullivan's great-grand-father and grandfather were Victorian navvies and his father was a younger Victorian who turned to navvying in the Edwardian era. His father's words appear through Navvyman, a book which the author claims is the definitive history of navvydom, spanning the entire Victorian period.
He took early retirement from writing TV documentaries to concentrate on poetry. There are now four books: Capperbar, Morning on the Mountain, The Moon at Midnight, and Melanie. Each is dedicated to the proposition that poetry is essentially spiritual that at its best it can induce a sense of the Divine and that the Divine is human love writ large.
He lives in London, England, and can be reached on Capperbar at hotmail.com [replace the "at" by @"]. His websites: www.Capperbar.com and and www.lovineage.blogspot.com.
Last modified 22 March 2006


text:
'Call of Duty: Ghosts' video game passes $1 billion in sales to retailers
Activision Blizzard Inc's latest title from its blockbuster "Call of Duty" video game franchise surpassed $1 billion in sell-in sales – the number of copies shipped to retailers – a day after its launch, the company said on Wednesday.
Activision shares were relatively unchanged at $16.63 in early afternoon trade on the Nasdaq.
The franchise's tenth installment "Call of Duty: Ghosts," a gritty military-themed shooter game, was released worldwide on Tuesday.
In cities like London and San Francisco, excited "Call of Duty" fans queued up at retail stores at midnight launch events. Activision hosted a glitzy pre-launch party in London to celebrate the release of the game, which was developed by Activision's Infinity Ward studio.
In September, Activision's smaller rival Take-Two Interactive Software Inc said its popular action-adventure game "Grand Theft Auto V" crossed the $1 billion mark for retail sales after three days in stores. Take Two at the time said that marked the fastest rate of sales for any video game ever published.
Activision, which is also known for its "Skylanders" games, has been delivering a "Call of Duty" title every year over the last decade.
Last year, the game makers's first-person shooter title "Call Of Duty: Black Ops II" took 15 days to hit $1 billion in global sales after its November release. That game touched $500 million in retail sales on its first day.


text:
Preparing Collections for Digitization
All major institutions in the libraries and archives sector around the globe are now confronting the challenges of providing digital access to their collections, and as mass digitization becomes more widespread there is a demand for detailed guidance on best practice.
This practical guide offers advice and guidance covering the end-to-end process of digitizing collections, from selecting records for digitization, to choosing equipment and dealing with damaged documents. As such, it can be used as a 'how-to' reference manual for those who are embarking on a digitization project or those who are having to manage an existing project. It also covers some of the wider issues such as the use of surrogates for preservation, and the long term sustainability of digital access.
The book is an essential resource for collection and project managers who have responsibility for the preservation of archival collections and all industry professionals whose roles touch on the digitization of collections.


text:
Have you ever wanted to browse through the things one person cares about? Now you can.
For the past 17 years, pretty much every day, I've taken the things that flow by that are worth remembering and woven them into a giant concept map, using an app called TheBrain. I happen to have been a stop on the company's first press tour 17 years ago. The moment I saw it, I realized that the way it looked on-screen was the way thoughts looked in my head — more or less.
So I started using TheBrain then, not knowing that this many years later I would be happily weaving more things into that same Brain file. At this point, there are more than a quarter million nodes in my Brain (called Thoughts), linked by more than 440,000 links. All entered by hand, the same way you would add a bookmark to your browser.
Now my Brain data is available as an iOS app, which means it's portable and convenient. You can find it in the Apple Store here (link will launch iTunes; Android is a couple months away).
It's an absolute hoot to see your face on an icon on someone's home screen. It made me reflect also on how the rest of the app icons are inert and abstract: you never get the sense of a person behind them. Here you do, and I love it.
I've created a Facebook group for conversations about this Brain; you can read this post for more background. And please be in touch with your reactions and wishes. This is the start of a collaborative web of ideas and relationships that should just get better over time.


text:
UPDATE: Officer Says Mysterious Lights A Satellite; Not UFO
HECKER, IL (KTVI) - According to the Monroe County Independent a man spotted a unidentified flying object northeast of Hecker, IL on Tuesday just after 7pm. County police patrolled the area near Paderborn. Officers say the object remained stationary and twinkled with red, green, blue and orange light.
Around 8pm the object was joined by a second light that appeared closer to the horizon and near Freeburg. According to witnesses that object also appeared to twinkle with red, green, blue and orange light.
Scott Air Force Base did not report any aircraft flying in the area.
More: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Monroe-County-Independent/122829151099703
Pictures from the Monroe County Independent's facebook page.


text:
Resources for Parents
Parent Reading with Child
Get advice and information to help protect your children from dangers lurking in both the online and offline worlds. Learn how to contact us and report child abductions and sexual exploitation.
If your child has been kidnapped or harmed, immediately contact your local field office or the closest international office.
- To report a missing child or the sighting of a missing child, you can also contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by calling 1-800-THE-LOST or by visiting its website.
- To report child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in partnership with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.
- If your child is being abducted internationally by a family member and is not yet abroad, contact the U.S. Department of State.
National Sex Offender Registry
Find out if there are registered sex offenders in your towns and neighborhoods.
Protecting Your Kids in Cyberspace
- Combating Cyber Predators (Innocent Images program)
- Keep Safe on Social Networking Sites
- Advice for Kids
- Stop Cyberbullying
Missing and Kidnapped Children
- How the FBI Investigates Child Abductions
- National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
- AMBER Alerts
- Resource: Child ID Kits
- Missing Children Cases
- FBI Crimes Against Children website
Learn to recognize the warning signs of gang involvement and get advice on bullying and other issues through:
- the U.S. Department of Justice Gang Toolkit.
- Visit the FBI's Violent Gangs website for more information on the gang threat and anti-gang resources.


text:
你知道吗? Chang 在泰国是大象的意思 在此观看视频
早上9点在你的酒店接出,我们先停在当地的水果市场给大象买一些香蕉。 After arriving at Eddy Elephant camp with a small group you will learn how to communicate with your elephant. One time you feel comfortable with the Ahhh Owww and others elephant language you will be served a delicious Thai lunch.
Afternoon time with your elephant, you will ride and trek in the jungle and finish your day having a bath and playing in the river with your big buddy.
Watch the video below and book now !
Reserve your place now!
One of the best tour in Chiang Mai is closing up to a real elephant. Eddy is the owner who care of his 15 elephants. Eddy is a very good host and will make your day very special and beautiful. Join a small group of enthusiast andl learn about the pachyderms behaviors, how to control and bathing them as you are a mahout (elephant conductor). After your day you will be able to ride elephants through the jungle. So, come to Enjoy!
Eddy Elephant Chiang Mai Activities Schedule
- Pick up at your hotel / guesthouse between 08.30-09.00 a.m.
- Buy bananas at the local market
- Head to our camp about 1 hour
- Change the provided clothes as a mahout
- Feed elephant and make your first contact
- Learn about elephant and instruction and how to ride them
- Lunch
- Ride your own elephant through the jungle
- Back into the river and bath your elephant
- Back around 4.00-5.00 p.m.
About Thailand's Talented Elephants:
We are not asking you to be a volunteer, no need here, locals people make their earnings working here. Eddy Elephant camp in Chiang Mai is not a circus, not a show, not an elephant park, not a sanctuary or a farm, there is no elephant painting and no platform, this is a real experience making you and your elephant be very close. This is Fair Trade Tourism and profit to locals people.
Book Now your one day elephant tour!
Elephants are an important part of Thai culture and the Thai way of life. They are a traditional symbol of royal power, an essential feature of Buddhist art and architecture, an a spiritual mentor for people of all walks of life. In the early part of this century, elephants roamed freely and in multitude throughout Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam. Prior to the 18th century they were the main machine of Southeast Asian war, a Thai king of the late 17th century having had 20,000 war elephants trained for battle. Elephants in Thailand have always been a symbol of both power and peace. They have always performed the most exacting physical tasks. And they have always been well loved. The number of elephants in Thailand today is limited to about 2,600. Most of these are at various elephant camps around the country where they learn to work in the forests and mountains and to entertain the hundreds of thousands of people who go to see them each year, and where they live, play and reproduce in a setting that is as close to the wild as possible. Here we present some of the many traditional roles the elephant has played in Thailand since the days of old Siam. The elephant is acknowledged as having many wide attributes, and perhaps the most obvious is talent. Talent for a stately presence, for delicate foot movement and agility, for intelligence on the field of sport, and at the same time a particular gentleness that makes the elephant not only a highly respected creature of the land but also one that is appreciated and loved. read more in Thailand's Talented Elephants
Asian Elephant Wikipedia | Asian Elephant Wikipedia Thai | Elephant Chiang Mai Chiang Mai ranks 24th as world's best destination in 2012


text:
G20 'agrees to boost' International Monetary Fund
The Group of 20 leaders have agreed to increase the firepower of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
It means the Fund will be more able to support struggling eurozone economies.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy confirmed that most talks had revolved around the eurozone crisis.
In Greece, Prime Minister George Papandreou has defied calls to resign ahead of a vote of confidence on Friday. He has said he may scrap a plan for a referendum on the bailout deal.
Mr Papandreou's surprise decision on Monday to hold a national vote sparked turmoil on financial markets and upset his German and French counterparts.
However, facing opposition from his own finance minister, on Thursday the prime minister said he would scrap the referendum if the conservative opposition party voted to pass the bailout package in parliament.
But the opposition as well as several government MPs have called for Mr Papandreou to quit and there are fears that he may lose the confidence vote.
The debt crisis also continues to threaten the much bigger Italian economy.
Rome has been finding it increasingly difficult to borrow money in financial markets, and the Prime Minister, Silvio Berlusconi, has been called upon by some of his own MPs to quit.
China reticence
In other developments on the first day of the two-day G20 summit in Cannes:
- US President Barack Obama warned that the eurozone financial crisis threatened to engulf the world
- Italy is to commit to further cuts to its debts and its annual borrowing rate according to a draft communique
- China indicated that it would not consider providing money to the eurozone bailout fund until the situation in Greece has been resolved
- Chinese President Hu Jintao also played down the chance of allowing the value of the yuan to rise, contradicting more optimistic remarks by the US
- India and Canada expressed their opposition to the idea of a tax on financial transactions, something strongly backed by eurozone governments
- the G20 agreed to look at the credit default swaps markets, which has been blamed by some European leaders for exacerbating the eurozone debt crisis
Euro exit
Eurozone leaders had wanted to present the G20 with a clear action plan, but Greece has thrown this into disarray.
Eurozone governments struck a deal with Greece last week for a debt write-down and to bolster Europe's bailout fund and support the banking sector.
But it is feared that the package may yet unravel.
The French and German leaders, and Mr Papandreou himself, openly talked for the first time of the possibility of Greece leaving the euro if it is unable to ratify the bailout package.
On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the stability of the eurozone was more important than Greece's continued membership of it.
The view was echoed by Mr Sarkozy, who warned: "We cannot accept the explosion of the euro, which would be the explosion of Europe."
Eurozone leaders made clear that the next 8bn-euro tranche of bailout money would not be released to Greece until after any referendum had been held.
On Thursday, the Greek finance minister, Evangelos Venizelos - who led an internal government revolt against Mr Papandreou's referendum plan - said the government still had enough cash to get by without the bailout loan until 15 December.
Pressure on Italy
There was continuing unease on the bond markets, with Italy and Spain forced to pay higher interest rates in order to borrow billions of euros.
Many economists fear that if Greece does exit the euro, it could lead to financial contagion, as investors and ordinary bank depositors in other eurozone countries may fear that their own government will follow suit.
The biggest fears surround Italy, whose economy and debts dwarf those of Greece.
Italy's one-year cost of borrowing has risen to 5.1%, its highest since joining the euro, and far above the mere 0.3% interest rate that Germany must pay.
The country's cost of borrowing has continued to rise despite interventions by the European central bank to buy up Italian debts.
Just like Athens, Rome is under pressure from European counterparts to implement further economic reforms and austerity. But also as in Greece, this is undermining the political cohesion of the government.
Six Italian government MPs wrote an open letter on Thursday calling on Mr Berlusconi to make way for a transitional government.
The Italian cabinet agreed a limited package of budget reforms at an emergency meeting on Wednesday evening.
But they failed to agree to issue a decree implementing the changes, meaning that they must now go to a confidence vote in parliament - one that Mr Berlusconi may be at risk of losing.
Asian exporters
Agreement was reached among G20 leaders to increase the resources of the IMF, according to a draft communique seen by the Reuters news agency.
There are no details as to how much more money governments would give it.
"There is a broad view among G20 there does need to be additional financing," said Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard. "We will be working on it overnight and tomorrow."
However, a White House spokesman said that the US would not be providing additional funds.
The IMF has played a key role in the eurozone crisis, providing additional money to Greece, Portugal and the Irish Republic alongside the bailout loans from other eurozone and EU governments.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy also said that countries running large trade surpluses - which include China and Japan - were willing to do more to help boost global growth.
The draft communique referred to actions by these countries to boost their spending.
However, it left open whether the big Asian exporters would allow their currencies to strengthen - something that would hurt their trade competitiveness.


text:
As Uber, Lyft, Sidecar grow, so do concerns of disabled
(02-25) 17:21 PST San Francisco -- Peggy Costa, 64, relies on wheelchair-accessible taxicabs to travel to doctors' appointments and friends' houses from her apartment near San Francisco's Pier 39.
"The ramp taxis are totally critical to my life," she said. "During tourist season, no one can get on the Muni buses in my neighborhood; they don't even stop if they're full."
As Uber, Lyft, Sidecar and other new transportation network companies muscle into the taxis' turf, Costa said she worries that fewer ramp taxis will be available. The San Francisco Metropolitan Transit Authority says that's already happening. A quarter of wheelchair-accessible cabs - which officials consider a linchpin of the paratransit system - now sit idle because there aren't enough drivers.
But the TNCs have no clear-cut ideas on how to offer this lifeline, according to documents they filed with state regulators. In one document, for instance, Lyft said it is "working to engage and educate the handicapped community" without explaining how that would translate into action.
California required the TNCs, which provide paid rides mostly by freelance drivers using their own cars, to submit reports on how they will accommodate disabled users. The reports, which were reviewed for The Chronicle by experts in disability rights and transportation, do not say how and when they will offer wheelchair-accessible vehicles, which are expensive to buy, maintain and fuel.
"The plans are all quite tentative and don't address the fundamental challenge, which is ensuring enough accessible vehicles to make this transportation system at least minimally accessible for people with mobility disabilities," said Larry Paradis, executive director of Disability Rights Advocates in Berkeley.
5 file access plans
Five companies - InstantCab, Lyft, Sidecar, Tickengo (now renamed Wingz) and Uber - filed disability-access plans with the California Public Utilities Commission.
The companies said they will ensure drivers don't discriminate against disabled customers, and already have or will make their apps and websites accessible to blind users.
But disability experts remain unimpressed.
"They seem to think they can snap their fingers and it will be very easy" to procure wheelchair-accessible vehicles, said Marilyn Golden, senior policy analyst with the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund in Berkeley. "They're doing some of the easier things, such as nondiscrimination statements and engaging some of the existing smartphone accessibility features."
In some cases, the TNCs might be violating the spirit, if not the letter, of the law, critics say. For example, the companies said drivers can determine whether or not to allow service animals in their vehicles. Such a policy flouts the Americans with Disabilities Act, "which requires public accommodations to allow service animals," Golden said.
The companies said they will also soon update their apps to allow riders to request wheelchair-accessible vehicles. Such a declaration is meaningless because the TNCs lack wheelchair-accessible cars and properly trained drivers, said Kate Toran, MTA paratransit manager.
San Francisco's medallion taxi system includes 100 wheelchair-accessible taxis, or 5.3 percent of the 1,885 cabs. These ramp taxis provide on-demand point-to-point rides more cheaply than paratransit vans, said Chris Hayashi, an MTA spokeswoman. While Muni buses are equipped with wheelchair lifts, they operate on fixed routes and schedules that may not work for many disabled passengers, she said.
Not enough drivers
About 25 ramp taxis now are sidelined due to a dearth of drivers, a January MTA report said. It cited three possible reasons: Taxi drivers prefer TNCs because they're perceived as cheaper than paying the "gate" fees of a cab. Fueling ramp taxis is more expensive because they're larger and heavier. And the MTA no longer offers drivers the ability to be a ramp-taxi medallion holder.
To entice more ramp-taxi drivers, the MTA now is offering financial incentives: cash bonuses, credit toward a down payment on a medallion, and passes to jump to the front of the airport queue.
In their reports, the TNCs proposed a variety of ways they hope to find wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
InstantCab and Tickengo (Wingz) said they would offer drivers extra money to serve disabled passengers. Uber said it would try to partner with other companies equipped with accessible vehicles.
Sidecar - which has one wheelchair-accessible vehicle in Los Angeles - said without elaborating that it is meeting with disability-rights groups to discuss a "volunteer firefighter model."
TNCs' ideas
"Providing this service to individuals who require wheelchair access is currently one of our biggest challenges," Sidecar wrote. "Because Sidecar is only the technology platform that allows passengers and drivers to match themselves on a shared ride, Sidecar cannot provide wheelchair accessible vehicles in the same way that taxis and sedan services can."
Uber said it tried unsuccessfully to partner with a San Francisco paratransit company in 2012. It plans to reach out to other paratransit providers and thinks they'll be receptive as a partnership with Uber will help them "generate a significant number of new leads."
But Toran, the MTA paratransit manager, said the idea of recruiting drivers who have accessible vehicles is problematic.
"Wheelchair-accessible vehicles that are used by individuals do not necessarily have a securement system, which is critical when transporting wheelchair users in commercial transport," she said. Regulators would also need to inspect those systems, she said.
Carla Johnson, interim director of the San Francisco Mayor's Office on Disability, said the regulators' role is crucial, but has not been defined. It's unclear if the PUC "has the resources to monitor or enforce these different plans," she said.
Diverse disabilities
Costa was also critical of the companies' plans.
"Have they asked anyone who uses a wheelchair?" she said. "If they do, they have to ask a lot of different people. There's a lot of diversity in disability. My wheelchair weighs 200 pounds, for instance; you can't just lift it into a van."
She also worries about the need for a smartphone and credit card to use the services.
"Many people with disabilities are on such a tight income that they can't consider those as possibilities," she said.
Without more concrete plans from the TNCs, Paradis from Disability Rights Advocates said he fears disabled passengers face fewer and fewer transportation options.
"To the extent unregulated businesses take over part of the normal taxi business without any requirements for accessibility, we'll shut out the disabled population even more than we already have," he said.
How will ride companies accommodate disabled passengers?
California has required the new "transportation network companies" to submit plans on how they will meet the needs of disabled riders. Their biggest challenge is providing wheelchair-accessible vehicles. None has a clear-cut plan.
|Wheelchair access
|App/website accessibility standards
|Service animals
|"We may offer a higher share (of ride revenue) or one-time bonus to drivers who have accessible vehicles ... (or) reimburse drivers for all or a portion of the cost of making their vehicles accessible."
|Will modify app to work with text-to-speech tools within six months (from December).
|"Allowed ... barring a medical condition of the driver or some other emergency."
|"Drivers will be able to indicate what, if any, accessibility needs they can accommodate. ... We are working to engage and educate the handicapped community in each of our markets."
|"The app and website already comply in part with the accessibility standards." Will fully comply by June 30, 2014.
|Will add an app feature to let users set preference for "service animal accessible vehicle."
|Meeting with disabled-rights groups to discuss incentives to attract drivers with accessible vehicles. Exploring pilot program to let such drivers "operate on a 'volunteer firefighter' model."
|"App and mobile website are accessible to blind users."
|"Currently, most Sidecar drivers accept service pets." (sic)
|Tickengo (Wingz)
|"We will start a campaign to find drivers who can offer (accessible) vehicles." Will cut its 15% commission for these drivers.
|Within two months from November, will make sure app/website meet accessibility standards.
|"Users add information about their animal in their request, and drivers who have vehicles that can accommodate animals accept these requests."
|"Will reach out to transportation companies with accessible vehicles about the possibility of partnering."
|iOS app has VoiceOver support.
|"No need for a user to indicate ahead of time that he or she is accompanied by a service animal."
Source: Company filings with California PUC, available at www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Enforcement/TNC/TNC+Required+Reports.htm
Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com Twitter: @csaid


text:
Saving energy in automated systems around the world
As individuals we can all help reduce energy usage and CO2 emissions by turning off the lights or turning down our heating. Such reductions only represent a small fraction of our total emissions however.
The majority of savings need to be made in industry and from improved control in commercial buildings, which together are estimated to account for more than half of energy consumption currently used worldwide.
All over the world, Governments have already introduced energy saving targets and are putting legislation and regulations in place to ensure they are met.
Invertek Drives are leading the way in helping reduce energy consumption and significantly reduce energy bills with their range of innovative Optidrive variable speed drives. Optidrives allow highly energy efficient control of electric motors in a wide range of industrial and commercial applications around the world.
Optidrive variable speed frequency drives help match motor speeds to the exact requirements of each application, saving energy and providing improved control.
Variable speed frequency drives within the Optidrive range offer an advanced optimisation function that intelligently matches energy usage to the fan or pump load to ensure your system operates at maximum efficiency. Optidrive AC drives can also monitor energy usage with an inbuilt energy consumption meter that allows energy consumption to be clearly displayed and savings to be calculated.
The knowledge base for variable frequency drives
Most frequently asked question:
Invertek Drives is accredited to ISO 14001 the internationally accepted standard for an effective Environmental Management System (EMS).
Case studies, announcements and exhibition news from Invertek Drives
© 1998 - 2020 Invertek Drives Ltd. All Rights Reserved.
Registered in England: No. 3504834 | VAT Registration: GB 712854929


text:
Is a big difference between 即使 and 無論?
I was working on a couple of fill-in-the-blanks exercises and the following sentence came up:
I think the right answer here is 即使, but I am not sure why 無論 would not be right. If I did use 無論 would that change the meaning of the sentence, or do the two words mean about the same?


text:
Part of National Museums Liverpool
[top] Still from 'Ascension', Rikke Lundgreen, 2007, inspired by [bottom] 'The punishment of lust', Giovanni Segantini, 1891
For their project 'Changing Places' the artists Phil Sayers and Rikke Lundgreen have made artworks which reinterpret selected paintings and sculptures in the collections of the Walker and Lady Lever Art Galleries.
19th century images that depict women as passive, submissive objects of male desire are of particular interest to them. Other themes, including gender, identity, myths, ageing and the architecture and 'power' of the galleries are also a focus for their work. The artists seek to connect our everyday experiences with precedents from art historical sources.
Phil Sayers and Rikke Lundgreen have worked together for seven years. They have received much critical acclaim for their character performances in photographs and video works made in response to art historical sources. Recurrent themes in their work are power, ageing, death, sexuality, mirroring, doubling, sameness and difference. Much of it assumes a feminist perspective which gently and ironically critiques aspects of our cultural heritage. Lundgreen is a woman, Sayers cross-dresses.
Sayers attempts to challenge the stigma and stereotypes that marginalise the transvestite in Western society and culture by masquerading as the female subject in reconstructions of historical artworks. Such issues of gender are more commonly explored by female artists.
Lundgreen makes videos and photographs that often also respond to genres of cinema or historical paintings. For Changing Places she has made a series of works invoking a kind of ghost or spirit. From copying a dying girl's pose to re-filming historical sites or buildings, she reinterprets tales and myths from a personal perspective.
Their artworks are displayed in various locations around the galleries, as 'interventions', in amongst the collection displays that inspired them.
Changing Places is a partnership project between the artists and a number of other galleries. The partner venues and exhibition dates are:
Walker Art Gallery and Lady Lever Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool (20 October 2007 – 20 April 2008) Bury Art Gallery, Museum + Archives (10 November 2007 - 23 February 2008) The Collection and The Tennyson Research Centre, Lincoln (2 February – 27 April 2008) Leeds Art Gallery (dates to be announced)
Phil Sayers and Rikke Lundgreen
We use cookies to make our website work better for visitors. They allow improved functionality, personalised services or advertising and the ability to analyse traffic on our website. For more information on how we use cookies, please read our Cookies Policy.
© Copyright 2020


text:
Content for Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Blog Entries
- Guilty: Valley Center man failed to control dogs that attacked joggers
- Man charged with smuggling bladders of endangered fish
- Gaslamp: Half price nachos! (Compared with Petco Park)
- DVD Rentals: Flying Leathernecks
1 comment
- Brewing it Forward: Washington St. Skate Park
- North Park: Bike the Boulevard
- Drone maker's PAC kicks in $2,000 to Vargas debt fund, filing shows
- Regulators approve sale of San Diego Trust Bank
- City council to pay $175,000 check to a man who fell on a shoddy sidewalk in San Ysidro
- Bubble Bursting at the California Electronic Music Exchange Concert - UCSD
- Review: La Pirogue
- Best events in San Diego through May 1
- Calls for public hearings on San Onofre grow, fears about summer power supply may be exaggerated
3 comments
- Judge noticed man wore same shirt seen in surveillance photos
1 comment
- Brewers beat Padres again when pitching fails early
News & Stories
San Diego Spinners want to make sweater from sheep in eight hours
Last year it took more than eleven hours
Interviews with alpaca owners, spinners, and weavers who live in San Diego's East County mountain region.
Former San Ysidro schools chief Manuel Paul won't speak
Pleads Fifth, avoids self-incrimination
In an April 17, 2013, deposition, former San Ysidro School District superintendent Manuel Paul pleaded the Fifth 43 times in less than an hour in a breach-of-contract lawsuit filed against the district by EcoBusiness Alliance/Manzana ...
Mattress Man picks up and delivers to Mexico
Over 20 in one load — no problem
Sometimes one mattress is not enough for one pickup truck. How about 21 of them? My neighbor rescues mattresses (and many other things) bound for landfills and donates them to folks in Mexico who can ...
New BMX track opens in Chula Vista
Most difficult in the U.S.?
This week a redesigned BMX track opened at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista. Tyler Brown, manager of the track since October 2012, developed the new look. A pro racer for the past ten ...
Such a Bee
"You're such a bee," David said. "Why? What did I do?" "No, no, not that kind of bee! The bug kind," David clarified, as if that made things any clearer. There were lots of ways ...
Soup, gloop, fish, crêpe at the PB farmers' market
Cruising down Garnet, heading for the #30 bus at Mission and Felspar, when I find myself crossing Bayard. It's closed off to traffic. Huh. Oh, yeah, it's Tuesday. Must be the farmers' market. Lots of ...
Talk low and slow at Longhorn Cafe and Saloon
Drinks in the John Wayne room at the Longhorn Café in Grantville.
VietNam out of Texas
Those bands worth a listen because they are so different, but not so far out there that you can't get a grip on the music — I hate it when that happens. VietNam is from ...
Record-release roundup
On April 29 at the Casbah, Mad Traffic will debut their City EP, produced by Grammy-nominated Bell Biv Devoe collaborator Jay Henry. "We may play our version of Bell Biv Devoe's 'Poison,'" says singer Blaise ...
Carl Durant is heading back to Belgium
Personal, political, economical
Belgian singer-songwriter Carl Durant, a mainstay of the local circuit for the past several years, is heading home. Durant arrived with his wife in San Diego during 2002 to work at an early-stages startup company ...
Daley Ranch, Jack Creek Meadow Loop
Drive to Escondido, take a step back in time.
Federal Jazz Project time travels at the Rep
The good news about the Rep's Federal Jazz Project: music lovers unfamiliar with the name Gilbert Castellanos are in for a surprise, maybe even an epiphany. The San Diegan's a world-class trumpet player who can ...
We speak of pom-poms
Copious sis-boom-bahs
Lawrence Herkimer, the "father of cheerleading."
No gain, all pain
In order to help underwrite their addiction to steroids and dumbbells (and also to impress the bitches), a trio of meathead bodybuilders resorts to a life of crime by kidnapping an unscrupulous Florida businessman (Tony ...
This week in the San Diego clubs, April 25–May 1
Thursday 25Geek rock has its place in the pop pantheon, right between Fraggle rock and holiday music — alphabetically and spiritually — and no band epitomizes the genre quite like Santa Barbara–based four-piece Nerf Herder. ...
The underestimated American
Pianist Dan Frost talks about his "American Dream" project, to record to video a 50-state solo concert tour and cut it into a documentary feature film.
Frank Zappa meets the Mahavishnu Orchestra
Interview with former Ike Turner drummer Bill Ray, about the many projects he's working on.
Come out and play
Chad Deal parties with an insane lumbering monster.
Were it not for the photographic evidence, Figment could have been a hallucination. The annual Chicano Park festival is how American families everywhere would be spending their Sunday afternoons if Jello Biafra had been elected ...
Strike-meister Bill Traylor
Bill Traylor: Drawings from the Collections of the High Museum of Art and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, on view at the Mingei International Museum until May 12. 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. 619-239-0003; ...
Dept. of Homeland Security considers border entry fee
Money would make up for budget shortfall
A translation of a front-page headline on Baja's daily El Mexicano on Tuesday, April 23, reads, "They Might Charge to Cross to the U.S." beginning in 2014. The story was about the U.S. Department of ...
San Diego Gas & Electric rates are nation's highest
According to the Jacksonville Electric Authority, San Diegans pay the highest electricity rates in the U.S. There are examples that point to the fact that UCAN doesn't do the best job at lobbying the California Public Utilities Commission to give residents a break; in fact, their relationship could be called "cozy."
Parked her Challenger at Oceanside transit center
Drug user broke into it
Kevin Waddell didn't know that transit authorities were watching him break into that spiffy Dodge Challenger at a North County Park & Ride.
Letters: Maggie riles readers
Shallow and Mindless I grew up in the '70s, before AIDS changed everything. Maggie's exposé (April 18 cover story: "In P.B. the Hotter You Are the Easier It Is Not to Care") of hot booze-addled ...
Save a fortune on eyeliner
The worst enemies of permanent cosmetics exposed.
Socialism, a How-to
Knowledge and memory are imperfect, so we rely on a balance.
From "Of the Necessity and Commodity of Penance in General"
First of all consider you (good people) that penance is a gift of God, as the Scripture saith. God hath given and granted penance to the Gentiles for life and salvation (Acts 21). And it ...
The Holland Handkerchief
A traditional ballad
A wealthy squire he lived in our town And he was a man of high renown He had one daughter, a beauty bright And the name he called her was his Heart's Delight. Many a ...
Ballast Point expanding to Little Italy
Local brewing company going big by going small in niche metro community.


text:
The family of a 77-year-old Cleburne, Texas, woman arrested during a traffic stop says a formal apology and anger management training for the officer are needed to make things right.
Lynn Bedford's videotaped arrest has gone viral, sparking opinions across the country. The video shows Sgt. Gene Geheb pulling Bedford from her sport utility vehicle after she did not hand over her license and refused to get out of the vehicle.
Her granddaughter, Aubrey McQue, sought the video from Keene police and made it public.
The latest news from around North Texas.
"There was 19 seconds from when he first initially asked her for her driver's license to when he laid his hands on her — 19 seconds," she said.
The video shows that the officer requested Bedford's license four times before telling her that he would take her to jail if she did not give it to him.
After Bedford told him, "Well, go ahead," he opened her car door, grabbed her arm and asked her to step out of the vehicle 10 times. He pulled her from the vehicle after she said, "I will not."
McQue said the officer's use of force was excessive.
"The video does speak for itself," she said. "Not once did she refuse to give her driver's license to him. She said, 'I'll give it to you in a minute,' and no patience was afforded to her. He controlled the entire situation, and he made it go in the direction it did. He let it escalate; he controlled that."
The officer said he stopped Bedford after he clocked her going 66 mph in a 50-mph zone. The family is not disputing the speeding citation but is fighting the charge of failure to present a driver's license.
McQue said her grandmother was speeding because she had a bladder infection and needed to get to a bathroom. The road her grandmother was on did not have a public bathroom in sight, she said.
McQue said manners and common sense on the part of the officer would have resulted in a different outcome.
"I know from experience from senior citizens and elderly people that they don't have to move faster," she said. "They take a more leisurely pace to do things, and that's the respect afforded them because they've lived so long."
Keene city administrator Bill Guinn, who has known the family for 30 years, said he called after hearing about the incident and offered to arrange a sit-down meeting with the police department.
The Bedfords have declined. The family retained an attorney but said they don't plan a lawsuit at this time.
"I feel badly for what happened, but that's the way it happened," Guinn said. "It's not the way we want anyone to feel about Keene or to see Keene. Keene is a great town, but there are these things that happen."
Bedford's family said this has never happened to her before. Since the video became public, her home phone constantly rings, and she hasn't slept. The family said Bedford is embarrassed, feeling like her life has been reduced to a video and Internet opinion polls about her as a person.
McQue said she was speaking on Bedford's behalf because her grandmother can't talk about the incident without crying.
"An apology would be nice, because she really is embarrassed by this -- that people think that she's a criminal. She's not a criminal," she said.
Keene residents said they have noticed that Bedford's arrest is getting national attention.
"I have people call me from Chicago, one from Michigan, so I'm getting phone calls from people wanting to know what's going on in Keene," Dan Roberts said.
He said that everyone in town has their own opinion.
"I watched the video, and I think she was wrong," Roberts said. "She should've handed over her driver's license and ID, and it would've been all over."
But Rachel Jessup disagreed.
"More are siding with her because she's a 77-year-old lady," she said. "People feel bad for her."
"He's a cop," she said. "You expect police officers to be rational and handle situations in a more mature way."
NBC 5 Amanda Guerra contributed to this report.
Previous Coverage:


text:
Fit for future!
Our museum closes from February 3rd, 2020 and will open again autumn 2021!
Berlin Museum of Medical History at the Charité
The Berlin Museum of Medical History is an institution of the Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin and is located in the former museum building of the Pathological Institute on the traditional grounds of the Charité (Campus Mitte).
The museum's permanent exhibition "On the Trace of Life" provides a path through medical history over the past 300 years. The presentation follows the ever-changing historical view of and into the body, finally arriving at the "recipient" of medicine, the patient, and the possibilities inherent in today's medicine. The heart of the museum is still the specimen hall, the core of which goes back to the collecting activities of Rudolf Virchow. Today, there are around 750 pathologic-anatomical wet and dry preparations on display in this area.
In its temporary exhibitions, the museum focuses on different aspects of current medicine and medical history.
Summary of Services
We offer a variety of guided tours in German or English for an additional fee: an historical introductory tour (10 or more participants), a tour through the permanent exhibition (max. 25 participants), as well as through a temporary exhibition, if there is one on display (max. 25 participants).
We kindly request that appointments for groups and tours be made in advance: email@example.com, Tel. +49 30 450-536122.
|Tuesday – Sunday
|10:00 am – 5:00 pm
|Wednesday and Saturday
|10:00 am – 7:00 pm
|Mondays closed
|9,00 €
|Reduced admission
|4,00 €
|Family ticket
(5 persons, till 2 adults)
|19,00 €
|Groups of at least 10
|6,00 € per person
|Groups, reduced
|2,00 €
Age limit
The permanent exhibition of the Berlin Museum of Medical History at the Charité shows numerous pathological-anatomical specimens. These objects make a very strong impression, therefore young people under 16 years of age are permitted to the museum only when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. School classes are permitted to the museum starting with 10thgrade.


text:
Burnisher Pencil
by Derwent
The Burnisher Pencil is a hard colourless pencil which, when used over layers of pigment offers a rich polished finished. Burnishing pushes the pigment into the paper and leaves a very well blended, photo-like finish. It makes the colours look brighter and can give an image a polished or reflective look.
sold individually, order 6 for a full box
?Ask a question about this product
Be the first to write a review on this product!
Share this Product
Why is the VIP Price not displayed for this product? MisterArt.com's goal is to provide our customers the lowest prices on all products we sell. Some manufacturers restrict retailers from displaying or promoting certain products at any price lower than a Minimum Advertised Price (MAP). It is MisterArt.com's policy to offer these products at their MAP price as our Non-Member Price. VIP Members will see the VIP Price after adding the product to the cart without any purchase obligation.
Enter Quantity & Click 'Add to Cart'
Please wait...
You May Also Like...
How to get VIP Club Prices
Anyone can be a VIP Member with:
Only $25/year
Learn More »
Tips For Your Question
Your email will not be shared. We will only use your email address to respond to your question. When asking your question, please be as descriptive as possible, it will allow us to give you the most accurate answer possible.


text:
The eye is the window to the soul of a portrait
The glint of an eye. It's the signature of every great portrait; a glimpse into the soul of the subject. Sony's unique Eye AF brings this unprecedented power to all your portraits, continuously tracking not just your subject, but the individual eye — for startling images, from snapshot to professional portraiture.
And now, Real-time Eye AF for Animals
Pet and wildlife photography is now easier than ever! Sony's Real-time Eye AF feature has been extended to the animal world, automatically detecting and tracking the eyes of animals as well as humans.
The key to great portraits
Loved by professionals
With a fast lens, the difference between an award-winning portrait and an everyday snapshot may come down to nothing more than the length of an eyelash. Professionals know the glint of a perfectly-focused eye brings life to an image unlike anything else, which is why Sony's Eye AF is such a game-changing innovation.
Bob Martin
Professional Sports Photographer
"When you are shooting really boldly in the frame, you can use Eye AF. Just press the button and then the focus locks on the eye. The racket or the arm doesn't distract the focus from where it should be — on the eye."
Russ Ellis
Professional Sports Photographer
"Eye AF was a real revelation and gave me opportunities I wouldn't have usually had."
The power of Sony's Eye AF
Reliable eye-tracking, in all conditions
Catch the eye for superb portraiture. Eye AF uses Sony's remarkable wide AF area and accurate eye detection to open up unimagined freedom of composition, so you can explore creative expression like never before.
Partly hidden face
Looking down
Wearing glasses
Small subjects
Pioneering eye detection autofocus
Innovation made possible with a mirrorless design
As the leading image sensor producer, Sony's unmatched processing and sensor technology can detect your subjects in real time, determine precise eye position, and deliver perfect focus. High-precision AF points — far wider than those in conventional DSLR cameras — help you track your subjects throughout the frame, and faithfully capture them every time.
Advanced by accumulated know-how
Not all mirrorless cameras are created equal. Sony's Eye AF performance is made possible through decades of pioneering advancements in imaging technology — from our industry-leading developments in image sensors, processors, and lenses to eye detection software algorithms.


text:
http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/ ... 46--1.html
Now, after many years of vacillation, the Kerala Police have admitted the state has been witnessing 'Love Jihad' for some time. The confidential report has brought focus on a self-styled fundamental group called 'Dawa Squad' is actively converting youngsters in Kerala into Islam. It further says the squad targets youth from the Ezhava community more than any others.


text:
lanbear needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
2 winners were selected from 82 designs submitted by 37 freelance designers.
We need the Logo and Stationery to be professional looking and would like you to visit our curent website for ideas. We currently have a logo for "SourceOne IT", but would like a new look.
SourceOne IT - http://www.soneit.com
Accepted File Formats:
Standard Web Formats (.jpg, .gif or .png)
Please use same colors listed on our site for development. We prefer our Green and White combo.
This contest was originally listed in multiple categories:
- Logo Design
- Stationery Design
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
Hear the untold stories of enslaved people and learn about historical and contemporary slavery.
Historical and contemporary slavery.
A beautiful building housing one of the UK's finest collections of fine and decorative art.
Paintings, Wedgwood and Chinese ceramics.
Uncover objects from the Titanic, find out about life at sea and learn about the port of Liverpool.
The Titanic, life at sea and Liverpool's port.
This museum tells the story of Liverpool with diverse exhibits housed in a stunning building.
Liverpool's history and popular culture.
Explore a Victorian merchant's house with its period furniture and beautiful paintings.
Paintings, vintage fashion and furniture.
Beautiful paintings, sculpture and decorative art from the 13th century to the present day.
Paintings, sculpture and decorative art.
Discover treasures from around the world, explore outer space and meet live creatures!
World cultures, space and live creatures.
Also in this section…?
Accession number LL3424
Conservation staff have carried out a thorough investigation of this painting. Relatively little had been known about it beforehand. The original 15th century painting was not even visible, as it had been overpainted in the 19th or early 20th century.
In order to establish the condition of the original paint layers the painting underwent a full technical examination, which included
These techniques help us see what is going on beneath the surface of the paint, including the original underdrawing, and tell us more about how the painting was made and what it is made of.
The investigation has revealed a great deal about the painting, including a rather unexpected way in which it was used. Follow the links below to read more about the findings.
History of the painting
Construction of the panel
X-ray of the panel
An unexpected former use
'Pietà' - another painting with a secret
Identification of pigments
Summary of findings
What will happen now?
We use cookies to make our website work better for visitors. They allow improved functionality, personalised services or advertising and the ability to analyse traffic on our website. For more information on how we use cookies, please read our Cookies Policy.
National Museums Liverpool
© Copyright 2020


text:
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Senior guard Alle Moreno broke the program record for career 3-point makes and had a key four-point play in the final minute as Sacramento State claimed a 93-89 win over San Diego State on Sunday in The Nest.
Sacramento State (2-0) led by as many as 19 points in the first half and held an 11-point halftime lead, but San Diego State (0-1) came all the way back and held a five-point advantage with four minutes to play before the Hornets closed on a 13-4 run to claim the victory.
"It was a big game; they are a great team and we knew that coming in, and it was just really important that we stayed together as a team and we never let the momentum fully shift towards them," Moreno said. "We are really clicking as a team right now. We're finding our rhythm in the system and it's working really well."
Moreno hit six 3-pointers on the day and finished with a team-high 23 points. Her third 3-pointer gave the senior the Hornet career record for three-pointersa made as she now has hit 177 threes in her career. She picked up her fourth foul with more than 13 minutes remaining in regulation but managed to stay on the floor and help her team close the win.
The Aztecs led 85-80 with four minutes remaining, but Moreno and junior Takara Burse hit consecutive 3-pointers as the Hornets got within a point. After an Aztec layup Moreno was fouled on a long 3-point strike and hit the free throw to put the Hornets up 90-89. She added another free throw 30 seconds later and after a missed Aztec shot with 12 seconds to play Hornet redshirt junior Andrea Chenier hit two free throws to clinch the win.
"San Diego State's a very good basketball team. They made their run and I was pleased with how our girls responded," Sacramento State head coach Bunky Harkleroad said. "They kept fighting the whole way and we couldn't be more proud of them than we are right now. We have the bar set high; we're trying to learn every day and get better and I couldn't be more proud of them."
The Hornets came out blazing in a dominant first half in which they made 12 three-pointers and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds. The home team had a 15-13 lead at the 13:18 mark of the opening period before using an 11-2 run to take a 26-15 lead. A three by Moreno with 5:40 left in the half gave Sacramento State a game-high 42-23 advantage. The Hornets had a 17-point lead with just over a minute remaining in the half but SDSU ended the stanza with six straight points.
The Aztecs continued to cut into the lead through the second half in which the Hornets went cold from long range until the final minutes. San Diego State pulled even at 57-57 with 13 minutes to play before the Hornets moved back to a five-point lead at 69-64. The score returned to a tie at 80-80 with 4:54 remaining before the Aztecs opened up their five point lead. Moreno scored eight points in the final three minutes of the contest to give her team the win.
After breaking the program record with 17 made 3-pointers on Friday, the Hornets surpassed that total with 18 threes on Sunday while taking a program-record 49 three-point attempts. Sacramento State also broke the program record with 91 field goal attempts on Sunday, breaking the previous record of 90, and broke Big Sky records for both 3-pointers made and attempted.
Chenier finished with 17 points while freshman Gigi Hascheff had a fantastic all-around game with 14 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists while hitting four 3-point shots. Senior Sadie Clements added 10 points for the Hornets, who were outshot 62.3% to 35.2% but attempted 30 more shots than the Aztecs and made 16 more 3-pointers.
Senior center Cierra Warren led the Aztec comeback attempt with 28 points and seven rebounds while shooting 14-of-19 from the field. The Hornets tallied 25 steals while forcing 34 Aztec turnovers and recording a 23-18 assist-to-turnover ratio.
The Hornets have made 35 three-pointers already this season while shooting 38.5% from long range. Through two games 56.7% of Sacramento State's points have come from 3-pointers.
The Hornets, who are averaging 92.5 points per game through two contests, will take their show on the road next week to face a pair of Pac-12 foes. Sacramento State plays at Oregon State Friday at 11:30 a.m. and at Oregon next Sunday at 2 p.m.


text:
FAMU Lifts Marching Band's Suspension
(CNN) — Citing positive steps taken since the hazing death of a drum major, Florida A&M University's interim leader said Thursday he has lifted the suspension of the school's famous marching band.
The Tallahassee, Florida, university's band, called the Marching 100, had been one of the top university marching bands in the United States, noted for its elaborate dance formations and innovative style incorporating popular music.
But Robert Champion's death, and other reports of hazing, sullied its reputation.
Champion was beaten on a bus after a November 2011 football game in Orlando, Florida, as part of a band hazing ritual. The 26-year-old died "within an hour" afterward, medical examiners reported.
The Marching 100 was suspended by the university shortly after Champion's death.
The school has said it was making reforms to address the problem of hazing both on and off campus, including requiring all students to sign an anti-hazing pledge.
In a statement released Thursday, FAMU Interim President Larry Robinson said a "comprehensive" anti-hazing plan includes a revised student code of conduct procedures, enhanced means of reporting and investigating allegations, a new anti-hazing website, and more money for research on the problem.
Officials said the band's first post-suspension performance has not been scheduled. Its new director, Sylvester Young, reported for work earlier this month.
"When considering all of the measures we have put in place, I believe this constitutes us having the right conditions," Robinson said.
Champion's parents, Robert Sr. and Pam, said they were not consulted about the decision. Their attorney told CNN Atlanta affiliate WSB that hazing has occurred this year at the university.
"They are putting dollars over the students," Robert Champion Sr. said of FAMU.
Pam Champion said anti-hazing steps taken by FAMU are insufficient.
"You need a lot more in order to get that message out," she told WSB. "You need to be in those schools, in their face, every opportunity that you can get."
Robinson's predecessor as FAMU president, James Ammons, stepped down in July 2012 after trustees issued a no-confidence motion in his performance. The vote followed a series of investigations after Champion's death. The vote also related to financial audits that resulted from the hazing investigation.
Twelve former students faced manslaughter charges in the Champion case, attorneys familiar with the case said in March. The band member's roommate in May pleaded nolo contendere, or no contest, to a felony charge of hazing resulting in death and first-degree hazing.
CNN's Greg Botelho contributed to this report.
By Phil Gast
™ & © 2013 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.


text:
Memo on Professional Services Contract Procedures
To: Grant Principle Investigators
From: Janet Woolman
Re: Contracting for Professional Services through Grants
Revised: 02/02/2012
This memorandum sets forth the new procedures to be followed when a contract is required for personal, consulting or professional services. Effective immediately the following procedures MUST be followed when a contract costing $20,000 or less is required for a personal, consulting or professional service:
- The Principle Investigator negotiates the contract terms (payment terms, scope, etc.) with proposed contractor.
- The professional services contract form (two originals) is completed and signed by the Principle Investigator and the contractor. If McNeese has not previously done business with the contractor, a W-9 must be obtained from the contractor and submitted to Purchasing with the vendor request form. The professional services contract form is available at the Office of Business Affairs website.
- Once the signatures are obtained, a purchase requisition MUST be entered. The requisition description should be a brief description of the services required. If the contract price is an estimate, please indicate this in the description. The requisition number is to be written on the professional services contract form in the area designated "requisition number" on the top right corner of the contract form. The two originals and one copy are forwarded to the Purchasing Department (Box 92415) for processing.
- The requisition will go through the ONLINE approval process and a purchase order will be generated. Purchasing will review the contract to assure that the services being requested fit the definition of a personal/consulting or professional service. If the contract is deemed valid, the Purchase Order and a copy of the approved professional services contract will be released to the contractor. At this point, work may begin. If the contract is not a true personal, consulting or professional service the contract will be returned to the Principle Investigator with instructions as to how to proceed with the service being requested.
- The Principle Investigator will monitor the contractor's performance. Once services are complete, the purchase order must be received in the system. The Principle Investigator must submit check request available at the Office of Business Affairs website along with the invoice from contractor to Research Services (Drew 224). Principle Investigator is responsible for notifying Purchasing if an alteration to the Purchase Order will be required, or if any problems are encountered.
- Contracts will no longer be sent to Business Affairs. For contracts in excess of $20,000, review and approval must be made by the University of Louisiana System Office and final approval made by the Office of Contractual Review. In some instances, other external agency approvals may be required. This process can take as long as six (6) weeks so please plan accordingly. Contact the Purchasing Department for instructions on processing any contract for services that cost over $20,000. Definitions of Services can be found at the Office of Business Affairs website under the Procedures link. Please distribute this information to anyone under your supervision that may initiate a request for these types of services.


text:
by Dover
Contemporary artists and designers are finding the wood engraving one of the most highly desirable sources of illustration for many design purposes. Simple and bold or capable of the most exquisite effects of tonal gradiation, this elegant black-and-white artwork sustains no loss in reproduction and is a perfect complement to typography. Included are 1,419 clear wood engravings in natural, lifelike poses. Over 1,000 species of animals are presented, arranged by category. Paperback, 284 pages.
?Ask a question about this product
Average User Rating: Based on (1 Review)
Johnny M. from Tahlequah, OK says:
I do pen&ink portraits of animals as a part time hobbie and one of the hardest things is to find decent subject material.There were many pictures which I was able to utilize in different forms and the...[more]
Share this Product
Enter Quantity & Click 'Add to Cart'
Please wait...
You May Also Like...
How to get VIP Club Prices
Anyone can be a VIP Member with:
Only $25/year
Learn More »
Tips For Your Question
Your email will not be shared. We will only use your email address to respond to your question. When asking your question, please be as descriptive as possible, it will allow us to give you the most accurate answer possible.


text:
lightgrid, St-Germain, gridwork, 7-Ray, Violet Ray, net-of-light
For your kindness, excitement and enthusiasm, Dear Brother Torch! Your name, Bringer of the Light, resonates so deeply with all that you do. I am deeply and profoundly grateful. Peace, Amoran
Welcome toLIGHTGRID - Lichtnetz - REDDELUZ
Sign Upor Sign In
Instinct CRYSTAL GRIDS
Help us to anchor the energy of the New Age on Earth. Get inspired and set up a grid with the intention to help HEAL Mother Earth and all Her Beings from the wounds of the past and WEAVE a new net of living LIGHT all around the planet to help all life forms evolve into Unity Consciousness.
Ascension is not about leaving the world - it is about bringing HEAVEN down to EARTH!
We are the living BRIDGE between the worlds and dimensions, between HEAVEN AND EARTH. We are free to move in TIME and SPACE when we enter the SACRED SPACE of the Divine Chamber of the HEART where the ThreeFold Flame resides and the god given Divine Blueprint is waiting to be downloaded into our earth bodies.
The TIME to ACTIVATE our Light Body is NOW.
Love Light BLESSINGS,
Sonja Myriel RAouine
"About the Use of the Violet Flame"
I have to tell you that when you as a conscious disciple manage the Violet Flame, a parallel activity of the Violet Flame is initiated internally. This results in the vibrational awakening of your chakras. Therefore, each time when you use the gift of the Violet Flame you are asked not only to focalize your attention on what you want to transmute but also on the internal activity which takes place within yourself.
One of the consequences of the continual use of the Violet Flame is the accelerated awakening of all your chakras, you will, step by step, wake up in a different world from where you live now.
This is the space for you to ORGANISE your personal connexion group, to look for likeminded people, to introduce yourSELF and say what you would like to contribute to the every expanding NET OF LIGHT around the world.
You have received clear guidance on a project,type of meditation, course of action to take? You are WELCOME to share here so we can start DREAMING and thus CREATING together!
Posted by Ms Tercy Lonan on January 27, 2020 at 10:16am
0 Comments
IF EVERYTHING WERE EASY, LIFE WOULD GET BORING:- Now, it may not be easy to change the way you look at a circumstance in your life, but it is the challenges in life that are making it interesting. If everything were easy, life would get boring.…
Posted by Ms Tercy Lonan on January 24, 2020 at 10:20am
0 Comments
YOUR FREE WILL IS DECIDING HOW MUCH YOU ENJOY YOUR LIVES:- It is all about the way that you look at something. This is what determines your experience of it. Therefore, when something is appearing to be detrimental to your experience, to the…
Posted by Ms Tercy Lonan on January 23, 2020 at 8:25am
0 Comments
BE PRESENT. BE WHO YOU WANT TO BE, AND LET GO OF EVERYTHING ELSE:- This is one of the reasons why you are often told to be present. The present moment version of yourself is really the only one that matters. And if you have people in your life…
Posted by Ms Tercy Lonan on January 22, 2020 at 12:09pm
0 Comments
LOOK AT ANYTHING FROM YOUR PAST THROUGH THE EYES OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE:- It is important for you not to judge who you are now or who you have been. Therefore, if you are going to look back at yourself in the past, It is better that you do so from…
Posted by Rhea Dopmeijer on January 21, 2020 at 10:12am
0 Comments
Become aligned with Body& Mind, Heart and Soul
For most people it is normal to take care of their body and most of the time also about their Heart or Heart affairs I might say. Not everyone feels the connections between the…
Posted by Ms Tercy Lonan on January 21, 2020 at 7:02am
0 Comments
YOU DON'T FEEL ANY NEGATIVE EMOTION AROUND AT THAT TIME:-You sometimes find yourselves looking at your past, and in the process of looking at your past, you remember things. But you remember those things from your present moment perspective. From…
Added by Rhea Dopmeijer
0 Comments
© 2020 Created by Myriel RAouine.
Powered by
Badges |
Report an Issue |
Terms of Service
Please check your browser settings or contact your system administrator.


text:
Luv2MuffD needed a new banner ad design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 26 designs submitted by 8 freelance designers.
Appoximately 30 transparent png image designs required, all on a keyboard theme. Each will require a smaller re-sized image.
Desired Color Scheme:
Balck and White - With key transparency
Accepted File Formats:
http://www.doublespark-seo.co.uk requires a set of themed banner images. Each of the website pages will require a separate image, approximately 30.
The keyboard images will be black and white, with the focused keys being transparent, allowing the coloured background to show through.
Here is an axample of what I am after:
For the purposes of judging the contest I only require 3 example images for 3 seperate pages.
The full deliverables will be an individual image for each page (I gave one further page to add), plus one smaller re-sized image
Banner image = 423 x 123 pixels
Smaller image = 200 x 137 pixels


text:
0208 133 9327
8am - 10pm 7/7 ?
Contact form..
Are you wondering why YOUR gift vouchers aren't on sale here? So are we. Join us
My Voucher
Special offers
Hotseat coupons
Other events at Epping || Helicopter pleasure flights in Essex
6 Mile Helicopter Buzz Flight at Epping in Essex, Southeast
6 Mile Helicopter Buzz Flight
Helicopter pleasure flight
Helicopter pleasure flight
A once in a lifetime experience - an exhilarating flight in a modern helicopter. This gift voucher is open dated and valid at multiple locations around the UK.
From Epping in Essex, valid 9 months, 1 participant.
Multi-site voucher
This voucher will have Epping printed on it, but
in this region, this voucher can also be used from: Thruxton, Hampshire Sandown, Isle Of Wight Rochester, Kent Chalgrove, Oxfordshire Fairoaks, Surrey
... in other regions, this voucher can also be used from: Dundee, Angus Symington, Ayrshire Newmarket Helipad, Cambridgeshire Barton, Cheshire St Ives, Cornwall Kirkbride, Cumbria Buxton, Derbyshire Glossop, Derbyshire Dunkeswell, Devon Fishburn, Durham East Fortune, East Lothian Gloucester, Gloucestershire Newport A, Gwent Glasgow, Lanarkshire Blackpool, Lancashire Clayton-le-Dale, Lancashire Skegness, Lincolnshire Merseyside (Ince Blundell), Merseyside Bellingham, Northumberland Berwick Upon Tweed, Northumberland Ponteland, Northumberland Stocksfield, Northumberland Nottingham Helipad, Nottinghamshire Perth Scone, Perthshire Inverkip, Renfrewshire Shrewsbury Helipad, Shropshire Henstridge, Somerset Stirling NW, Stirlingshire Stirling W, Stirlingshire Baxterley, Suffolk Newcastle, Tyne and Wear Newcastle City, Tyne and Wear Edinburgh (Dalmeny), West Lothian Wolverhampton, West Midlands Beverley, Yorkshire Holmfirth, Yorkshire Owler Bar,Sheffield, Yorkshire RAF Elvington, Yorkshire Settle, Yorkshire
What's included
Nothing else comes close to touching the magic of vertical flight; from the moment you lift into the air to the second the helicopter settles gracefully back on the ground it is a truly exciting and unforgettable experience.
Each voucher entitles one person to participate in this experience. The voucher is transferable, which means that anyone can use it. The voucher remains valid for bookings for 9 months from the date of purchase. Please contact the operator using the details printed on your voucher to arrange a date for your event.
Special Conditions
We recommend that you wear long sleeves and trousers and should avoid wearing a hat (helicopter downwash can be quite exciting!) The pilot can control the internal temperature of the helicopter, although it can become quite warm on sunny days.
Booking your event
We recommend that you purchase your voucher and make a booking for your event at least one month prior to your chosen date. This is particularly important for weekend events.
www.days-out-south-east.co.uk is a regional specialist supplied by these UK-wide experience vouchers websites:
Experiences4all, Flights4all, Driving4all, Shooting-vouchers and Horseriding4all are all trading entities


text:
Williams Sonoma Signature Nonstick Pasta Fork
- Only at Williams Sonoma
- Exclusive
Easy, hassle-free returns online and in-store for eligible items.Learn More
Earn 5% Back in rewards4 plus free standard shipping3every day when you shop with your Williams Sonoma credit card at Williams Sonoma.Apply Now Learn More
- Summary
Drawing upon more than 50 years of culinary experience, we've designed and developed an exclusive line of nonstick kitchen tools—perfect for use with nonstick cookware. Great for stirring, transferring and serving pastas, this fork has a heat-resistant nylon head with one long slot instead of the customary holes—a unique design that drains water more quickly. The ergonomically engineered brushed-stainless-steel handle ensures excellent balance and control—and makes the spatula exceptionally comfortable to use.
- Designed and developed by Williams Sonoma, and exclusively ours.
- Just what you need to get a good grip on cooked pasta, the head of this fork is made of durable nylon that's heat-resistant to 440°F (220°C).
- Gently rounded tines hold on to strands of cooked pasta without tearing them.
- A long center slot allows boiling water or other liquids to drain back into the pot.
- The handle is made of heavy-gauge, nonreactive 18/10 stainless steel with a polished finish.
- Weighted, ergonomic handle offers optimal balance, comfort and feel.
- BPA-free and safe for use with nonstick cookware, bakeware and electrics.
- Use & Care
- Dishwasher safe.
- Shipping
Shipping Information
UPS can deliver most in-stock items within 3–5 business days. UPS is unable to deliver to P.O. boxes.
Shipping Rates
The shipping rate varies depending on your order total and shipping destination. View Shipping Options and Charges.
Next Day Delivery
For an additional charge of $26 per address, we can expedite delivery to most destinations. This service is not available for some oversize items, items shipped directly from the supplier (including perishable and custom-manufactured items), out-of-stock items and items to be shipped outside the contiguous 48 states.
Orders received by 9:00 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday will arrive the next business day; orders placed Friday through Sunday will arrive on the following Tuesday.
Return Policy
At Williams Sonoma, we take great pride in the quality and craftsmanship of our products. Attention to design, materials, safety and construction are our priority. Upon receipt, please inspect your purchase and notify us of any damage; we will arrange for a prompt replacement.
If within 30 days, you are dissatisfied for any reason, you may return your purchase for a refund of the merchandise value. An original receipt or gift receipt is required for all returns and exchanges. Returns with a gift receipt will be refunded in the form of a Merchandise Credit for the amount indicated on the gift receipt. Returns with original receipt will be refunded in the original form of payment, cash and check refunds over $100 will be issued as a company check (may take 14 business days from time of request).
For all cutlery returns (knife sets, single knives, cutting boards, knife sharpeners and knife storage), please contact us at 888.922.4108 to initiate the return.
We cannot accept returns on monogrammed, personalized, special-order items, custom upholstery, food, items shipped direct from the vendor or on items damaged through normal wear and tear. Final sale items ending in .97 or .99 cannot be returned.
Made to Order and Final Sale Furniture items are non-returnable and cannot be cancelled once the order is placed.
For returns of items purchased from your Williams Sonoma Gift Registry, we will gladly provide a refund or exchange for the merchandise within 90 days of your event or within 90 days of purchase, whichever date is later. View Full Returns Policy.
Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
Rated 5 out of 5 by Cricketsong from Not Just for Pasta This is a great product. I have used it with various pasta shapes as well as blanching fruits and tomatoes. It is great for steamed broccoli and cauliflower. The length of the handle is a true advantage over other similar products.Date published: 2016-05-18Rated 4 out of 5 by KayLeo from A good pasta fork. This pasta fork looks good and feels great to hold. I wouldn't say there is anything amazing about it, but it is still quite nice. I might like it more if I used a nonstick multi-pot to make my pasta, but mine is stainless steel so the fact that this is a nonstick safe tool doesn't really mean much to me.Date published: 2014-06-04


text:
JERUSALEM, Dec. 17 (UPI) -- European diplomats warned Israel against new West Bank settlement construction, promising "unprecedented" incentives if peace talks succeed, officials said.
The foreign ministers of the 28 European Union member states passed a resolution Monday promising Israel and the Palestinians an "unprecedented package" of economic, political and security aid if a peace treaty is achieved, Haaretz reported Tuesday.
The European diplomats also guaranteed both sides would be upgraded to "special privilege partnership" the top status for non-member European states, the newspaper said.
After the resolution was passed, the EU conveyed a message to Israel's Foreign Ministry, warning Jerusalem not to underestimate the European offer. The European diplomats also expressed concern that Israel would announce a new round of West Bank settlement construction following the release of a third group of Palestinian prisoners later this month.
"New announcements of settlement activity after the third round of prisoner releases at the end of the month might be a fatal blow for the peace process," the Israeli paper quoted the European diplomats saying. The diplomats warned such a move could lead to the collapse of peace talks with the Palestinians. If this occurs, Israel will be held responsible, the diplomats said.
European diplomats are expected to convey a severe message to Palestinian negotiators when they meet with them Tuesday, Haaretz said.
Under the nine-month framework allocated by the United States to Israel and the Palestinians, a time frame in which to reach a peace agreement, Israel agreed to release 104 Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in Israel before the 1993 Oslo Accords. Israel is scheduled to free the third batch of Palestinian prisoners on Dec. 29.
Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians resumed July 29.