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We love technology at Lulu, especially technology that helps our authors reach more readers.
Today, Apple is set to unveil the new iPad after the first version shattered sales records (15 million units sold in 2010) and introduced a new retail channel, the iBookstore, for authors to distribute their eBooks through.
Last year, eBooks accounted for $263 million of total trade book sales, which represents a 193% increase from 2009 according to the Association of American Publishers. As readers continue to find new ways to discover and purchase content, any author would do well to provide their work in as many formats and on as many devices as possible because you never know how your next biggest fan may discover your work. As speculation builds over new iPad features, more eyes are turning towards the device, which opens up even greater opportunities for authors to expand their readership across millions of people.
In recent posts, we've shown you how to get your Lulu published eBook into the iBookstore and onto the iPad and we know how eager you are to see your books out in the world. That's why we're happy to help you distribute your remarkable works through our growing network of retail partners. Keep in mind too, that authors are always able to publish and sell their books immediately to the 2.5 million unique customers in the Lulu Marketplace for free, either electronically or in print. Lulu continues to help you bring your knowledge and expertise to your customers more easily than every before. We look forward to your continued success with Lulu and our retail partners.
Since 2002, Lulu has powered the knowledge-sharing economy by enabling creators in more than 225 countries and territories to publish over 2 million books. Lulu's industry-leading tools and global network of print facilities provide creators with the resources to succeed on their terms.


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Henry James (Hank) Egan graduates from the U.S. Air Force Academy on May 29 with a degree in systems engineering management and receives his commission as second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.
Egan will report for two years of undergraduate pilot training at Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio in the fall. Egan is a 2009 graduate of Princeton High School, Princeton, Ill. and is the son of Mark and Martha Egan, of Shiner.
Navy Seaman Apprentice Trusten M. Zamora recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill.
Zamora is a 2009 graduate of Bay City High School in Bay City. He is the son of Monica C. Zamora-Cox and stepson of Frank Cox, of Bay City.

subset: commoncrawl


text: CleverCycles has opened a store in Portland, Oregon. This store specializes in selling bikes that can serve as replacements for cars. They offer Dutch cargo bikes (bakfietsen), city bikes, folding bikes and the Stokemonkey electric assist for Xtracycles (which we featured previously here). Clevercycle says their bikes "feature passenger and cargo capacity, plain-clothes comfort, all-weather readiness, and low maintenance". They are one of the few companies importing the practical Dutch bakfietsen cargo bikes.


text:
Rouge D'Armani Lipstick
Free Shipping & Returns on All U.S. Orders. See Details
Exceptional long-wear formula results in up to 8 hours of intense color. Experience comfort and shine, without fading and feathering. Soft texture leaves lips feeling continuously hydrated. Packaged in an elegant black lacquered case with an exclusive magnetic closure.
Available in Rouge 400
Need Help? Have Questions? Contact Us.
Please call 1.888.222.7639 to speak with a Customer Service Representative.
We're here to help you:
Monday - Friday, 9 AM - 9 PM (ET)
Saturday - Sunday, 10:30 AM - 7 PM (ET)
If you prefer email, we can be reached anytime at email@example.com.
Free Shipping & Returns on All U.S. Orders. See Details


text:
James Jardine
- Affiliation: Secure Ideas
- Twitter: @jardinesoftware
James Jardine is a senior security consultant at Secure Ideas and the founder of Jardine Software. James has spent over twelve years working in software development with over seven years focusing on application security. His experience includes penetration testing, secure development lifecycle creation, vulnerability management, code review, and training. James is focused on helping developers build more secure applications, working with small start-ups as well as large corporations. He has worked with mobile, web, and Windows development with the Microsoft .NET framework. James is a mentor for the Air Force Association's Cyber Patriot competition. He currently holds the GSSP-NET, CSSLP, MCAD, and MCSD certifications and is located in Jacksonville, Florida.
James Jardine Will Be Teaching the Following Course:
|DEV544: Secure Coding in .NET: Developing Defensible Applications


text: In 1827 the Elisenbrunnen was initiated. A representative building should be established to present the famous healing water of the thermal spring. Friedrich Schinkel revised the plans of the Aachener architects Cremer, so that also in this building, the handwriting Schinkel is visible. Today the healing water of the spring is still drunk, but the building is also used for any other purpose. In summer Salza dancer and tango lunatics meets regularly around in the rotunda to dance.


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- Circuit type Race
- Circuit Length 6.299kms
- Circuit Turns 23
- Circuit Direction Clockwise
- Capacity 50,000
- Established 2004
- Designer Hermann Tilke
|First race
|Bahrain Grand Prix
|April 4, 2004
|Michael Schumacher (GER)
|full results
|Last race
|Bahrain Grand Prix
|March 31, 2019
|Lewis Hamilton (GBR)
|full results
|Total races
Located in the middle of nowhere, the circuit has been described of having all the charm of an airport departure lounge, although some of the more modern airports might be offended by the comparison.
Like many sporting arenas in the Middle east, its existence is down to the enthusiasm of enthusiast Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and funding from government-backed investment companies. A racing enthusiast, the Crown Prince is the honorary president of the Bahrain Motor Federation.
As is the case with many of the new generation of circuits BIC was designed by Hermann Tilke and contains five different track layouts within the complex. Work started in late 2002 and was completed in time for the first grand prix in March 2004. There were changes made ahead of the 2010 race to try to improve the event as a spectacle but these achieved little.
Being surrounded by sand dunes, one of the major worries has been sand on the track which can reduce tyre adhesion considerably as well as affect engines and other parts. Although the organisers sprayed the surrounding sand with an adhesive to keep it in place, although this keeps the majority of the sand off the track organisers regularly sweep the surface during a race weekend.
While the facilities are superb, the heat means the only spectators are housed in the main stands - to try to watch from anywhere else would mean risking frying - and as a result the atmosphere on large sections of the circuit is too often eerily quiet.
The circuit itself consists of 20 slow to medium-speed corners which means cars need to be set up for good traction.
In 2007 it became the first active grand prix circuit to be named as an FIA Centre of Excellence for safety. The land around the circuit is currently being developed to provide much-needed hotels (the nearest large hotels are in Manama) as well as facilities for industry, education and entertainment in a project reported to be costing US$2billion.


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About exhibitions in the Ruth Youth Wing for Art Education
The exhibitions displayed in the Ruth Youth Wing have secured its reputation in Israel and abroad, attracting visitors of all ages. The experiential-learning character of the exhibitions expands horizons and develops creative thinking. Each of the more than 100 exhibitions presented to date by the Ruth Youth Wing has addressed a particular theme such as: "Food in Art: A Matter of Taste; "Beauty and the Book; and "It's About Time." The exhibitions create an alternative learning environment, which blends observation and activity, simultaneously engaging and challenging the visitor.
The Youth Wing is also home to rare collections, all of which hail from the world of the child, featuring toys, dolls, rare books, and illustrations. They are used in research and exhibitions, and also loaned to museums in other countries.


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12 U.S. Code § 1148d - Rights and powers unaffected by sections 1148b and 1148c
Nothing contained in sections 1148b and 1148c of this title shall be construed as limiting the rights, powers, and authority granted prior to August 19, 1937, to the regional agricultural credit corporations, the Farm Credit Administration, or the Governor thereof by any Acts of Congress or Executive orders.
Establishment of Farm Credit Administration as an independent agency, composition of Farm Credit Administration, appointment of Governor of Farm Credit Administration, and duties thereof, including duty to perform functions, etc., of Farm Credit Administration, see section 2241 et seq. of this title.
Functions of Farm Credit Administration or any agency, officer, or entity of, under, or subject to supervision of said Administration excepted from functions of officers, agencies, and employees transferred to Secretary of Agriculture by Reorg. Plan No. 2 of 1953, § 1, eff. June 4, 1953, 18 F.R. 3219, 67 Stat. 633, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


text:
Web and SEO Marketing Consultant in Perth
SEO Perth – Search Engine Optimisation in Perth, WA
Welcome to Good Good Web Design – an SEO Consultancy, website design and on-line marketing company,specialising in servicing website development and online requirements to web centric clients from Australia. Website centric means to us that our client has a web focus and are serious about their website, we don't "just build websites", we build them and make the work for you, as part of our web design Perth services we offer we always consider and implement SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).
Offering Organic SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) for all industries. We have a proven track record with #1 results for various key phrases in Perth SEO web market for "wedding photographer perth" and "perth celebrant".
If you are a business who wants to rank well in Search Engines for SEO for your area of expertise in your area of supply, we can take your website to where you are today to where you'd like to be.
Web Design Perth
We specialise in CMS (Content Management System) based websites, so you can manage and update your own website content. Should you want to add in a new page (including menu option), add a news items, update some pictures, change the banner image or add some more text to your existing web page.
All of our clients have their website Search Engine Optimised (SEO), so their website is found by search engines. Although we are based in Perth, our clients are from all over Australia. Our Perth web design services are web based, so we can perform our SEO and website development tasks without meeting the client. We use Skype as communications service on top of email and normal phone.
If you are after a website developer/designer who is dedicated to your website and SEO plus considers all aspects of your development, including the website performing, then please contact us.
We offer the following web and SEO services:
- Website Business Strategy
- Website Design
- Website Development
- Open Source Content Management Systems
- SEO – Search Engine Optimisation
- SEM – Search Engine Marketing
- Blogging
- SEO Content Writing
- Social Media – Facebook, Twitter
- eMail Marketing
- Website Hosting
I also offer add hoc SEO Consulting on the phone/Skype if you have specific questions or some other general queries about your website and SEO for it.
Open Source Content Management Systems
We embrace Open Source CMS Technologies, so your CMS (Content Management System) is not owned by us, so you are free to grow your site, move your site or do what you need to in the future. We naturally prefer to keep you as a client, so we always concentrate on service to ensure a long lasting relationship.
All of our clients have website hosting and an SEO plan to ensure that the website performs online.
Web Design and Search Engine Optimisation together is default with us not an option.
Please fill out our Website Development Inquiry Form, and we'll be glad to call you back to discuss your web business requirements.
Professional Member of AWIA (Australian Web Industry Association)
Reason why we do what we do
SEO = Search Engine Optimisation
WWW = Good Good
SEO + WWW = On-Line Results


text:
- Home
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- Advertising
Sunday September 15, 2019; 05:41 am EDT
Anne Arundel SPCA adoption sets a record
Forget fighting mobs at the mall for Black Friday deals.
The SCPA of Anne Arundel County offered the best deal around.
Any black animal — even with a speck of black — went up for adoption for free or at reduced rates.
Seventy cats and 23 dogs qualified for the Black Friday sale.
Last year, 18 animals were
adopted. The year before, 23.
This year, 32 animals purred and wagged their way into new homes, setting a new record for the shelter.
Eager customers lined up early for the 11am opening. One came all the way from Harford County.
Cats that normally adopt for $45 went for free on Black Friday. The adoption fee for dogs was cut in half, to $60 for a mixed-breed and $80 for a purebred.
"This is better than shopping at the mall, and it's all for a great cause," said Kim Teter, SPCA's volunteer coordinator.
The deal is over, but good animals still need homes. Help the shelter reach its Homes for the Holidays goal of 300 animals by Christmas Eve: www.aacspca.org.


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"7 Reasons To Release Your Film For Free"/
guest post by Todd Sklar
A few weeks ago, my good friend Dean Peterson emailed me about releasing his film Incredibly Small for free on the internet. In full disclosure; he was emailing me not because I know a great deal about releasing movies on the interner (I don't), but because I was a producer on the film, and had been assisting with the film's release over the past year.
Flashing forward for a second; we went through with it, and thanks to the kind folks at Vimeo, you can now watch Incredibly Small on-line for free at the following link -- www.vimeo.com/40112752 -- As of this posting, the film has been viewed by over 31,000 people in less than a week. And at no cost to them, as well as no cost to us.
Back to Dean's original email -- my initial response was "YES! Let's definitely put it on the internet for free", which was quickly followed by; "But once we do that, it's like, on the Internet and shit, so we should make sure that's what you really wanna do. Cause that's essentially putting the curtains down so to speak on any other release plans we might have."
He said that it was, and my final email said; "I love it. Let's do it. But just for posterity's sake, gimme one good reason as to why we're doing this. So that we have something to put on the epitaph if for no other reason."
This was his reply;
You want one good reason? How 'bout 7...
1. I'm supremely bored by most of the traditional routes people have taken when distributing smaller movies. I'm really not interested in selling the rights to the movie to somebody for no money and then at best, getting a bullshit release, but more than likely, not getting one at all. We set out to make an interesting movie because we were excited about making movies, and I think we should take the same approach in the release and do it in an interesting way that we're excited about. Let's rattle the cage a bit even if it means we don't make back quite as much money.The opportunity to shake things up is worth whatever the shortfall is. That's the cost of doing it the right way -- you taught me that on the first Range Life tour, and just like with those films, creating exposure and getting the movie to a wider audience is our only priority right now. What better way to accomplish that than making it free and making it accessible to literally anyone with an internet connection.
2. Speaking of the internet, it's awesome. I spend most of my time on the internet and it's where I learned much of what I know about filmmaking, and I know for a fact that's even truer of you, and it's where both of us have connected with the majority of our audiences.It's where we both live, and I think that's true of a lot of people, especially ones that will like this film. You took your movie to college campuses because that was your wheelhouse and that's where your target audience was. Same goes for this one and the internet. Quite simply, this is where my movie belongs, we just took a roundabout way of getting here.
3. And if we agree that it should be on-line, then I know we both agree it should be free. Cause that's what the internet is all about. And I think the fact that this movie didn't cost us a ton to make puts us in a unique position that we have a bit more freedom to be adventurous when rolling this out. We've made back enough of the money that even if we don't make another dollar on it and none of the people who watch it on-line buy a DVD, or make a donation, or give us their money in some other way, it won't be much of a loss.
4. This movie is the product of the crowd sourced, internet 2.0, 'other buzz word' culture of the internet through and through. We raised money on Kickstarter, garnered an audience and fan base on Tumblr and Reddit connected with fans on tour through Twitter and Facebook, and if Google+ made any sense, I'm sure we'd find a way to utilize that too. Now it seems fitting to stay true to that spirit and bring it all back full circle and put this motherfucker on Vimeo or YouTube right?
5. One of the other major benefits of putting it online is that we can reach people all over as opposed to a traditional release of a smaller film like this, which would in a best case scenario play 3-5 markets? If that? We probably wouldn't do any screenings in Scottsdale, AZ but the residents there are crying out to see this movie (Maybe)(Probably not)(THEY COULD BE THOUGH). And even if we continued touring, how many colleges can we hit before it's not worth the work anymore? Let's buck the trend and not just focus on major cities. OR college campuses. OR both. Let's get EVERYONE
6. We can have the option for people to donate money if they so feel inclined. We can't do that at Target, or on Comcast, or at the multiplex. I know we're both big fans of bands that have done this and I don't see why it's not more prevalent in film. It should be as unobtrusive and nag-free as possible, just a button somewhere below the video that's quietly sitting there. I really think that if we give the movie away for free that people will respond to it and if they like the movie maybe they'll chip in a few bucks or whatever they feel it's worth. Did you read the Chris Anderson book "Free" that I told you about? He outlines pretty eloquently how in the past when artists have given their product away for free that it's worked out fantastically.
7. Torrents. Piracy is viewed as a huge problem in the film industry but what if we turn it into a boon? If you go on Pirate Bay there are over 10,000 people who are currently downloading The Hunger Games, who I'm sure the studios view as villains but we should view them as potential audience members. They're our friends! This is a huge untapped group that I think it would be a mistake to ignore. They're going to download movies no matter what we do, so we should at least provide them with OUR movie to download and watch versus one of the other ones. Let's put a super hi res version of the movie on torrent sites and try to get something from them. An email address, a donation, a DVD sale or them blogging or tweeting about it or using that X-Box headset thingy to tell their Halo friends about it. That's better than nothing.
That's all I got for now.I don't think nearly enough filmmakers have explored this option and it would be exciting to try it out. Let's talk about it more at the batting cages.
P.S. Let's start going to the batting cages.
Please watch Incredibly Small for free on Vimeo
And please share it with other is if you enjoy it.
And please help us find some batting cages.
INCREDIBLY SMALL - Free Independent Feature Film from Dean Peterson on Vimeo.
Dean Peterson grew up in Minneapolis, MN and has studied film in New York, Paris, and Chicago, where he received his BA from Columbia College. He was an official participant at the Berlinale Talent Campus as well as the Adobe Reel Ideas Studio at the Cannes Film Festival. His short films have played in festivals around the U.S as well as in France. His interests include but are not limited to: black coffee, Siberian Huskies and twirling pens on his finger. Incredibly Small is his first feature.
Todd Sklar loves coffee. In 1994, Sklar won Best Blocked Shots in his youth basketball league. In 2007, he wrote & directed his feature length debut, BOX ELDER, which developed a cult following after Sklar & his comrades toured the film across the country throughout 2008 & 2009. Afterwards, Sklar founded Range Life Entertainment, a privately held marketing company that tours independent films to college campuses on a quarterly basis. His latest short film, '92 SKYBOX ALONZO MOURNING ROOKIE CARD premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival and serves as a prologue to the upcoming feature, AWFUL NICE, which recently finished filming.


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2019 Polaris Industries RZR XP® 1000 - Sky Blue
Polaris Industries
RZR XP® 1000 - Sky Blue
Industry's Best Selling SxS
- Off-Road To The Xtreme: Dominate any off-road landscape & fear no terrain. RZR® XPs set the benchmark for off-road supremacy, and are extensively engineered to deliver an optimally balanced chassis, and the ultimate combination of power, suspension & agility.
- Xtreme Performance Never Looked So Good: 64" Width. 110 HP. 29" Tires. 21" Travel. Now cut more aggressively and equipped with a refined cockpit to conquer any terrain.
- New Predatory Looks: For 2019 the off-road's most successful predator looks even hungrier. RZR XPs are cut more aggressively. The chiseled, muscular style, premium digital instruments, & wicked LED accents all hint at the heart of the animal within.
- The Driving Force In Off-Road: Through relentless innovation and a passion for the ride, RZR® is the world-leader in off-road domination. There's more to achieving the pinnacle of Xtreme Performance than simply developing around just power or big travel. Each RZR is extensively engineered to deliver an optimally balanced chassis, and the ultimate combination of power, suspension & agility.
- Feel The Fury: The heart and soul of RZR XP 1000 is a menacing ProStar® 1000 engine, pumping out a heavy 110-horsepower and low-end forceful torque waiting to be unleashed with instant delivery. Launch into an accelerated blur, to hear the deep throaty roar that is only matched by its raw, visceral force.
- Controlled Chaos: The intense interaction between vehicle and terrain can be nothing short of ruthless. Rocks, stumps, silt sand, mud, all being encountered at high-speed. This unrelenting onslaught is tamed with industry-leading suspension for unmatched control, confidence, and comfort. With an incredible 21" of travel, and stage-tuned Walker Evans® Needle Shocks, the race proven design has earned countless victories in the most rugged places on earth.
- Instinctive Control: RZR industry-leading Agility is no accident. Our engineers developed the ultimate combination of chassis, suspension, steering geometry, AWD, and power to create an off-road vehicle with a level of high-performance handling and agility so responsive, it practically reads your mind.
Engine & Drivetrain
- Cooling: Liquid
- Cylinders Displacement: 999cc
- Drive System Type: High Performance True On-Demand AWD/2WD
- Engine Braking System (EBS): Not Equipped
- Engine Type: ProStar 1000 H.O. 4-Stroke DOHC Twin Cylinder
- Fuel System/Battery: Electronic Fuel Injection
- Horsepower: 110 HP
- Transmission/Final Drive: Automatic PVT P/R/N/L/H
- Bed Box Dimensions (L x W x H): 28 x 22 x 7 in (72.0 x 57.0 x 17.8 cm)
- Box Capacity: 300 lb (136.1 kg)
- Estimated Dry Weight: 1,659 lbs (754 kg)
- Fuel Capacity: 9.5 gal (35.9 L)
- Ground Clearance: 13.5 in (34.3 cm)
- Overall Vehicle Size (L x W x H): 146 x 64 x 73.75 in (370.8 x 162.6 x 187.3 cm)
- Payload Capacity: 900 lb (408 kg)
- Wheelbase: 117 in (297.2 cm)
- Front/Rear Brakes: 4-Wheel Hydraulic Disc with Dual-Bore Front and Rear Calipers
- Parking Brake: Park In-Transmission
Additional Specifications
- Cargo System: Lock & Ride®
- Doors: Bowed 1/4 Doors
- Front Shocks: 2 in Walker Evans Needle with 16-Position Adjustable Clickers
- Electronic Suspension Control System: N/A
- Front Suspension: Dual A-Arm with Stabilizer Bar and 21 in (53.4 cm) Travel
- Hitch Type: Not Equipped
- Hitch Towing Rating: N/A
- Instrumentation: Single Analog Dial with 2" LCD Rider Information Center: Speedometer, Tachometer, Odometer, Tripmeter, Clock, Hour Meter, Gear Indicator, Fuel Gauge, Coolant Temperature, Voltmeter, Service Indicator and Codes, Seatbelt Reminder Light; DC Outlet
- Lighting: White LED, Low/High, Red LED Tail/Brake Lights
- Rear Shocks: 2.5 in Walker Evans Needle with 16-Position Adjustable Clickers
- Rear Suspension: Trailing Arm with Stabilizer Bar and 21 in (53.4 cm) Travel
- Seat Type: Bolstered Bucket Seats with Driver Seat Slider and Height Adjustable Seat Belts
Tires / Wheels
- Electronic Power Steering: Standard
- Front Tires: 29 x 9-14; Maxxis Bighorn
- Rear Tires: 29 x 11-14; Maxxis Bighorn
- Wheels: Cast Aluminum
Key Specs
- 64" Width
- 110 HP ProStar HO 999
- Walker Evans® Needle Shocks
- 21"/21" Travel
- 13.5" Ground Clearance
- 29" Maxxis® Big Horn Tires
NOTES:The Polaris RZR® can be hazardous to operate and is not intended for on-road use. Driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver's license to operate. Passengers must be at least 12 years old. Drivers and passengers should always wear helmets, eye protection, and seat belts. Always use cab nets or doors (as equipped). Never engage in stunt driving, and avoid excessive speeds and sharp turns. Riding and alcohol/ drugs don't mix. All drivers should take a safety training course. Call 800‑342‑3764 for additional information. Check local laws before riding on trails. ©2019 Polaris Industries Inc.
- Engine Type
- ProStar 1000 H.O. 4-Stroke DOHC Twin Cylinder
- Displacement
- 999cc
- Cooling
- Liquid
- Fuel System
- Electronic Fuel Injection
- Front Suspension
- Dual A-Arm with Stabilizer Bar
- Front Brakes
- Hydraulic Disc with Dual-Bore Front and Rear Calipers
- Front Tire
- 29 x 9-14; Maxxis Bighorn
- Rear Suspension
- Trailing Arm with Stabilizer Bar
- Rear Brakes
- Hydraulic Disc with Dual-Bore Front and Rear Calipers
- Rear Tire
- 29 x 11-14; Maxxis Bighorn
- Dry Weight
- 1,659 lb. (754 kg)
- Wheelbase
- 117 in. (297.2 cm)
- Front Travel
- 21 in. (53.4 cm)
- Rear Travel
- 21 in. (53.4 cm)
- Ground Clearance
- 13.5 in. (34.3 cm)
- Fuel Capacity
- 9.5 gal. (35.9 L)
- Box Capacity
- 300 lb. (136.1 kg)
- Transmission
- Automatic PVT P/R/N/L/H
- Drive System
- High Performance True On-Demand AWD/2WD
- Colors
- Sky Blue


text:
This architecture was designed by Diamond and Schmitt Architects, the Computer Science and Engineering building that located in Michigan, United States accommodates faculty offices, research labs, and teaching spaces on the North Campus of the University of Michigan. The building is set into a slope that serves to link the upper level at the north of the site with the lower level some 30 feet below. Two classrooms, a computer lab, and a range of building services are set into the slope, sheltered by the earth, which acts as a thermal governor, reducing the demand on mechanical systems to moderate temperature.
In addition, setting portions of the building into the slope reduces the mass of the building on the site. A series of terraced courtyards soften the slope, providing landscaped gardens. A brise-soliel 'grid' on the exterior walls, along with an associated glass shade, substantially reduce the solar energy striking the building, reducing the demand for cooling. The 102,000 square foot structure meets the needs of approximately 900 undergraduates, 300 graduate students, and 51 faculty members. It includes computing labs, classrooms (60 seat and 120 seat), conference rooms, and student project space. State-of-the-art wired and wireless telecommunications and technology capabilities, all with inherent future flexibility, are provided in labs for Advanced Computer Architecture, Software Systems and Real Time Theory as well as Artificial Intelligence.
An 'open projects' space has been created in the building to allow for robotics, mobile computing and security experimentation. High indoor environmental quality is a key feature of the building. Each office is placed on the perimeter of the building, is naturally lit, and has an operable window. Daylight is into the building by using transom windows in corridors, and through the extensive placement of skylights that cover a four-storey atrium space and a long linear stair. The addition of the skylights allows spaces on the interior of the building to benefit from natural light.


text:
Admission | Courses | Program | Requirements
Department Chairperson: Roberta Davilla
E-mail: email@example.com
Graduate Committee Chairperson: Peter Jorgensen
Department Office: Sallee 221
Department Telephone: 309/298-1507
Fax: 309/298-2369
Department E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Website: www.wiu.edu/comm
Location of Program Offering: Macomb
Graduate Faculty
Associate Graduate Faculty
The Master of Arts in Communication offers students the opportunity
to study
communicative processes building from theoretical foundations through a range of
applications. Students may apply theory in various ways which may include engaging in
basic and applied research, developing and conducting persuasive campaigns, preparing for teaching at the college level, planning and carrying out communication audits, and evaluating various forms of rhetorical discourse.
The program is designed for students who want to develop an advanced understanding of communication theories and applications and who want to do so through an intensive educational experience in small and highly participative classes and in one-to-one work with faculty members.
Graduates of the program choose to pursue professional careers in a
broad range of
business and educational organizations, or to continue their graduate education beyond the master's level.
Students must have a 2.75 cumulative GPA or 3.0 GPA in their last two academic years in order to be considered for regular admission to the graduate program in communication. Those not holding at least an undergraduate minor in speech communication or those deficient in undergraduate courses, skills, or advanced theoretical knowledge may be asked, upon evaluation of their transcripts, to make up deficiencies prior to full graduate standing.
International students must have an overall TOEFL score of at least 237 (580 paper score).
If and when deficiencies exist in the applicant's undergraduate
curriculum, specific
undergraduate courses will be assigned to such an individual until the candidate has
demonstrated a sufficient level of competence in the designated areas of concern.
Deficiency courses do not apply toward graduate credit. Possible deficiency courses
COMM 130 Introduction to Human Communication
COMM 247 Argumentation
COMM 311 Research Design in Communication
COMM 312 Rhetorical Criticism
COMM 343 Organizational Communication
COMM 344 Interpersonal Communication
COMM 356 Introduction to Persuasion
CSD 020N English for International Students
Each applicant will be evaluated on an individual basis; hence the nature
and the number
of courses to be made up (if any) will vary from student to student. The suggested menu
of deficiency courses, therefore, should not be construed as all inclusive nor as specific.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for regular admission
to the
Communication graduate program.
Students entering the Communication program must enroll during either
the fall or spring
The Master of Arts degree in Communication requires a minimum of 33 semester hours of course work, to be distributed as follows:
Thesis Plan
COMM 601 Thesis (6)
Directed Electives (9)
Creative Project Plan
COMM 602 Creative Projects (3)
Directed Electives (12)
TOTAL PROGRAM: 33 s.h.
409G Communication and Conflict Management. (3) Study of the role of communication in conflict. Consideration of the major theories of conflict and conflict management. Prerequisite: COMM 311.
410G Theory and Methodology in Interpersonal Communication. (3) Study of theory, concepts and methodology relevant to dyadic interaction. Examination of, and participation in, field, survey, and experimental studies of interpersonal behavior. Prerequisites: COMM 130 with a grade of C or better; COMM 311 with a grade of C or better; COMM 344; ENG 180 and 280.
413G Advanced Organizational Communication. (3) Study of communication issues in organizational settings. Examination of organizational behaviors and case analyses contributing to the understanding and improvement of individual, group, and organizational communication. Prerequisites: COMM 130 with a grade of C or better; COMM 311 with a grade of C or better; COMM 343; ENG 180 and 280.
441G Classical Rhetoric. (3) Textual studies of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, Quintilian, and St. Augustine. 456G Persuasive Campaigns. (3) Study of the design and execution of persuasive campaigns. Prerequisites: COMM 130 with a grade of C or better; COMM 311 with a grade of C or better; COMM 356; COMM 241; ENG 180 and 280.
480G Special Topics in Communication. (1–3, repeatable to 6, for different topics, with permission of department chair) This course deals with selected topics of interest in communication, such as nonverbal communication, intercultural communication, and family communication. Prerequisites: ENG 180 and 280; completion of at least 12 s.h. in communication.
500 Introduction to Graduate Study. (3) Introduction to major theories and concepts relevant to the field. Includes orientation to the communication discipline, as well as exposure to experience in scholarly writing. Prerequisite: Communication majors only.
501 Seminar in Interpersonal Communication. (3) Study of major theories, concepts, and methodologies relevant to interpersonal communication.
503 Seminar in Persuasion. (3) Examination of major theories and related research dealing with communication and attitude formation, change, and reinforcement processes.
504 Empirical Research in Human Communication. (3) Introduction to research design, statistics and empirical measurement as applied to the study of human communication. Prerequisite: Communication majors only.
506 Message Production. (3) Study of contemporary communication theories with a focus on message design and production. Prerequisite: Communication majors only.
508 Seminar in Rhetorical Theory. (3) Studies of historical and contemporary rhetorical theories.
510 Seminar in Organizational Communication. (3) Examines theoretical and practical organizational communication frameworks with a focus on understanding current issues and challenges in modern organizations.
520 Research in Communication and Broadcasting. (1–6, repeatable to 6) Independent study or guided experience. Prerequisite: Completion of nine semester hours of core course requirements.
538 Teaching Speech in College. (3) Guidance in planning units of instruction, writing objectives, devising strategies, teaching units, and evaluating speech performance in a college classroom situation. Includes practical application of principles and methods.
539 Seminar in Communication. (3, repeatable to 6) Consideration of philosophies of communication and review of current literature in the field.
596 Graduate Internship. (1–3, repeatable to 3) Supervised applied experience at a work site outside the Department of Communication. Graded S/U. Prerequisite: Completion of at least 18 semester hours of Communication course work and approval of the graduate adviser and departmental supervisor.
601 Thesis. (3, 6, repeatable to 6) Prerequisite: Completion of 18 semester hours of course work.
602 Creative Project.
(3) Prerequisite: Completion
18 semester hours of course work.


text:
The ownership group from Houston, headed by Judge Roy Hofheinz, attended the annual Major League Baseball owners meetings in Chicago. On October 17, 1960, Houston was awarded a franchise in the ten-team National League.
The Houston Colt .45s play their first Major League game on April 10, defeating the Chicago Cubs 11-2.
Bob Bruce one-hits the Cincinnati Reds on April 26...Don Nottebart no-hits the Phillies on May 7.
Ken Johnson becomes the first major leaguer to lose a nine-inning no-hitter on April 23 with a 1-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
The Houston Colt .45s become the Houston Astros and inaugurate indoor baseball with a 2-1 exhibition win over the New York Yankees on April 9 in the Astrodome...rookie Joe Morgan sets club marks for at-bats, runs, hits and triples.
Mike Cuellar sets a club mark with a 2.22 ERA...home attendance mark which stood for 22 years set on June 22 as 50,908 watch Sandy Koufax and the Dodgers down Houston 5-2.
Don Wilson fires a no-hitter vs. the Atlanta Braves, 2-0 on June 18, striking out Hank Aaron for final out...Jimmy Wynn sets club records with 37 home runs and 107 RBI.
Don Wilson strikes out 18 Cincinnati Reds in 6-1 win on July 14...four Houston hurlers win 10-or-more games: Don Wilson (13), Larry Dierker (12) Dave Guisti (11) and Denny LeMaster (10)...the Astros down the Mets 1-0 in 24 innings on April 15.
Cincinnati's Jim Maloney no-hits the Astros on April 30 and the next night, May 1, Don Wilson returns the favor by no-hitting the Reds 4-0...Larry Dierker becomes Houston's first 20-game winner...the club records its first .500 season (81-81).
1975 was a good year for future Astros management. Former General Manager Bob Watson leads the Astros with a .324 average, 157 hits and 85 RBIs, while former manager Larry Dierker leads the staff with 14 wins.
Fred Gladding appears in 63 games, setting a club mark for pitchers...three Astros hit over .300 (Cesar Cedeno, .310; Jesus Alou, .306; Denis Menke, .304).
Cesar Cedeno leads the league with 40 doubles and Roger Metzger and Joe Morgan share the league lead with 11 triples each...during the 1971 winter meetings, Houston acquires Lee May, Tommy Helms and Jimmy Stewart from the Reds for Joe Morgan, Jack Billingham, Denis Menke, Cesar Geronimo and Ed Armbrister.
Astros finish in second place with their best record ever (84-69)...Jerry Reuss and Larry Dierker hurl back-to-back one hitters on June 18 against Philadelphia and June 19 vs. New York, respectively...Cesar Cedeno hits for the cycle on August 2 vs. the Reds.
Cesar Cedeno becomes the first player in history to steal 50 bases and hit 20 home runs in successive seasons...Roger Metzger leads the league with 14 triples...Lee May hits safely in a club record 21 straight games.
Rookie Greg Gross leads the club with a .314 average, and sets club mark with 185 hits...Ken Forsch appears in a then-club record 70 games...Cliff Johnson has five pinch-hit home runs.
A good year for future Astros management. Former General Manager Bob Watson leads the Astros with a .324 average, 157 hits and 85 RBI, while former manager Larry Dierker leads the staff with 14 wins.
J.R. Richard becomes Houston's second 20-game winner...Cesar Cedeno sets a club mark with 58 stolen bases and earns his fifth-straight Gold Glove.
Three Astros steal 40 bases (Cesar Cedeno, 61; Jose Cruz, 44; Enos Cabell, 42)...Watson sets a new club record with 110 RBI.
J.R. Richard strikes out 303 to become the first National League righthander to strike out 300 batters in a season...Cabell sets club marks for at-bats (660), games (162) and hits (195).
Houston finishes in second place, just a game-and-a-half behind the Reds...J.R. Richard improves upon his 1978 strikeout total by fanning 313...Joe Niekro sets a club mark with 21 wins...Ken Forsch no-hits the Braves on April 7...Bill Virdon is named Manager of the Year.
Houston claimed its first NL West title in 1980 with a 93-70 record after defeating Los Angeles in a one-game playoff in the 163rd game of the regular season.
Houston claims its first title as the Astros win the NL West with a 93-70 record, defeating Los Angeles in a one-game playoff...Niekro wins 20 games again...Joe Morgan returns to Houston to add leadership in the Astros pennant drive.
Houston gets off to a slow start, but takes advantage of the split season created by the player's strike to win the "second season" with a 33-20 mark, earning a spot in the playoffs...Nolan Ryan hurls his major league record fifth no-hitter, blanking the Dodgers on September 26...Ryan also leads the league with a 1.69 ERA...Art Howe establishes a club record with a 23-game hitting streak.
Ray Knight, an off-season acquisition from Cincinnati for Cesar Cedeno, remains among the league leaders in hitting for most of the season, finishing with a .294 mark...Bob Lillis takes over as interim manager on August 10 and Astros finish 28-23 under Lillis.
After struggling to an 0-9 start, the Astros rebound with one of their finest seasons...Houston finishes at 85-77, the third-highest win total in club history...Jose Cruz battles for NL batting title to last day and finishes third...Nolan Ryan surpasses Walter Johnson's all-time strikeout mark.
The Astros bounce back from another slow start, finishing second in the NL West...1983 All-Star Dickie Thon is lost for the season in the fifth game after being hit in the head by a pitch from the Mets' Mike Torrez...Cruz repeats as the club MVP by posting a .312 average and a career-high 95 RBI.
The Astros celebrate the Astrodome's 20th Anniversary with a 2-1 opening day victory over the Dodgers in front of 42,876 fans...Niekro becomes Houston's all-time winningest pitcher with his 5-0 shutout of San Francisco on June 9th...Ryan becomes first player to record 4,000 strikeouts in a career when he fans Danny Heep on July 11 at the Astrodome...Cruz reaches the 2,000 hit plateau on September 15.
A Silver Anniversary season turns golden as the Astros win their second NL West title...Rookie skipper Hal Lanier guides the team to a club-record 96 regular season wins...Lanier earns Manager of the Year notice from four different press associations after the season...righthander Mike Scott becomes Houston's first ever Cy Young award winner, leading the league in ERA (2.22) and strikeouts (306), and winning 18 games for the second straight year.
Houston finishes the season with the third-highest attendance total in baseball (1,909,902)...Nolan Ryan leads the majors in strikeouts with 270 and ties for the lead in ERA with a 2.76 mark...Mike Scott is named the NL starter for the All-Star game and throws two scoreless innings.
Houston wins its 2,000th game 6-3 over San Diego on opening night...Mike Scott comes within one out of his second career no-hitter on June 12 vs. Atlanta...Bob Knepper tosses a one-hitter on September 21 vs. the Braves.
Mike Scott becomes the fourth Houston pitcher to win 20 games and wins his second Astros MVP award...the Astros win 10 straight on the road from May 7-31 to set a club record...their 10-game winning streak from May 26 to June 4 tied another club mark...Glenn Davis hits a career-high 34 homers.
After winning their first ever National League Central crown in 1997, the Astros prepare to take the field against the Braves for their first postseason game in 11 years.
Danny Darwin had a league-leading 2.21 ERA, becoming the third Houston pitcher in five years to lead the NL in ERA...Franklin Stubbs sets a club mark for lefthanders with 23 home runs...Houston ties a league record by playing in 27 extra-inning games...on May 17, Eric Anthony becomes the first Astros batter to hit an upper deck home run since 1970.
Jeff Bagwell becomes the Astros' first BBWAA Rookie of the Year after hitting .294 with 15 homers and club rookie record of 82 RBI...Craig Biggio leads the club in hitting for the second straight year (.295) and joins Pete Harnisch on the NL All-Star team.
Despite a grueling 26-day road trip made necessary when the Astrodome played host to the Republican National Convention, the Astros rallied in the second half to post the club's first non-losing season since 1989...Craig Biggio became the first player ever to make the All-Star team at both catcher (1991) and second base (1992)...Doug Jones was also named to the All-Star team and set the club single-season record with 36 saves.
The Astros established franchise records in several offensive categories, including batting average (.267), home runs (138) and doubles (288)...paced by Craig Biggio's career-high 21 round-trippers, seven Houston players totaled double figures in homers for the first time in club history...Mark Portugal set a club record by winning his final 12 decisions...Darryl Kile posted a nine-game win streak, and tosses the ninth no-hitter in Astros history on September 8 against New York.
Jeff Bagwell became the first Houston player ever to win the NL Most Valuable Player award...Bagwell was a unanimous selection for only the third time in league history after batting .368 and setting club records with 73 extra base hits, 39 homers and 116 RBI...Bagwell earns All-Star honors along with Craig Biggio, Ken Caminiti, Doug Drabek and rookie John Hudek...Rookie skipper Terry Collins guided the club to a 66-49 mark, one-half game behind Cincinnati, before a players' strike ended the season on August 12.
The Astros took the the chase for the NL's first-ever Wild Card playoff berth to the final day of the season before finishing one game behind Colorado...Craig Biggio was voted the league's starting second baseman in the All-Star Game and slugged a solo home run...he was later voted team MVP and picked up his second consecutive Gold Glove award.
A two-and-a-half game lead at the end of August slipped away and denied Houston a shot at the NL Central title...the Astros suffered through an 8-17 September, which included a nine-game losing streak, to fall out of the playoff chase...Jeff Bagwell slugged 31 homers and set single season record with 48 doubles and 120 RBI...Derek Bell knocked in 113 runs, marking the first time ever the club had two, 100-plus RBI players in the same season...Craig Biggio collected his third consecutive Rawlings Gold Glove Award...Shane Reynolds won 16 games, while he and Darryl Kile each topped the 200-mark in strikeouts.
The Astros captured their first-ever NL Central title and their first division title in 11 years...Jeff Bagwell banged 43 homers and swiped 31 bases to become Houston's first "30-30" man...Bagwell set new single-season club records in homers (43), RBI (135), total bases (335) and extra-base hits (85)...Craig Biggio became the first player in major league history to have not grounded into a double play in a 162-game season...fans selected Bagwell and Biggio to represent the Astros in the 1997 All-Star Game, marking the first time that two Astros position players were selected to start in the Mid-Summer classic...Darryl Kile won a team-high 19 games and was also selected to the All-Star Team...Larry Dierker became one of only six skippers in major league history who won a division title in his first year as manager.
The Astros won their second consecutive NL Central title en route to a franchise-best 102-win season...the club drew a record 2.45 million fans and drew ten crowds of 50,000 or more ...Larry Dierker was voted NL Manager of the Year by the BBWAA and Baseball America...General Manager Gerry Hunsicker was voted The Sporting News Executive of the Year...Craig Biggio joined Tris Speaker as the only two players in the century who have hit 50 doubles and stolen 50 bases in the same season...Biggio and Moises Alou were selected to represent the Astros in the 1998 All-Star Game in Denver...Biggio broke Cesar Cedeno's record for the most runs scored by an Astro...he and Alou each received Silver Slugger Awards for their offensive contributions and both finished in the top five in NL MVP voting...five Astros starting pitchers, including Randy Johnson who was acquired just minutes before the July 31 non-waiver trading deadline, finished the season with double-figures in wins.
The Astros bid adieu to the Astrodome in dramatic fashion, clinching their third straight NL Central title on the final day of the regular season before a sold out crowd... standing-room only crowds were commonplace during the last year of baseball in the Dome as a record 2.7 million fans flocked to the Eighth Wonder of the World...despite an injury-riddled year that landed 14 players on the DL and sidelined three members of the coaching staff for significant periods of time, Houston won 97 games, only five victories fewer than its record-setting 102-win season of 1998...the pitching staff produced two 20-game winners for the first time in club history in Mike Hampton (22-4) and Jose Lima (21-10)...Hampton and Jeff Bagwell were recognized as the best offensive players at their respective positions as each was a recipient of the Silver Slugger Award...four Astros were selected to represent the National League in the 70th annual All-Star Game (Bagwell, Hampton, Lima, Billy Wagner)...Wagner was the recipient of the 1999 Rolaids Relief Man Award.
Enron Field opens on March 30, 2000 before an exhibition game with the New York Yankees...a record 3,056,139 fans passed through the turnstiles during the Astros' inaugural season at this new ballpark.
History was made as the doors of sparkling-new Enron Field opened for the first time on March 30 before an exhibition game with the New York Yankees...a record 3,056,139 fans passed through the turnstiles during the Astros' inaugural season at their new ballpark...Houston finished the season at 72-90 to mark the club's first sub-.500 season since 1991...Jeff Bagwell set single-season franchise records with 47 homers and 152 runs scored...Bagwell ended the 2000 season having logged 310 career homers and became only the 87th major leaguer to reach the 300-homer plateau...the Astros set franchise records with 249 homers, 900 RBI and 938 runs scored...Tony Eusebio set a franchise record with a 24-game hitting streak that lasted nearly two months...Shane Reynolds was named to the All-Star team, marking his first career selection to the Mid-Summer Classic.
The 2001 season went right down to the wire as the Astros clinched their fourth division title in five years with a 9-2 win over the Cardinals on October 7 in St. Louis...Craig Biggio became the first player in franchise history to log 2,000 hits and enters the 2002 season with 2,149 hits during his 14-year career...after toiling around the .500 mark with a 33-33 record on June 17, went on to finish the year at a 59-36 (.621) clip to edge the Cardinals for the division title...Major League Baseball announced that the Astros were awarded the 2004 All-Star Game...Moises Alou, Billy Wagner and Lance Berkman represented the Astros at the 72nd Mid-Summer Classic...Jeff Bagwell became the sixth player in MLB history to have 30 homers, 100 RBI and 100 runs scored in six straight seasons...after being swept by Atlanta in the NLDS, manager Larry Dierker resigned and was replaced by former Red Sox skipper Jimy Williams...upon the conclusion of the season, utility infielder Bill Spiers announced his retirement...the Astros were named Organization of the Year by SportsTicker, Topps, Baseball America and Baseball Weekly...Brad Ausmus received a Gold Glove award for defensive excellence at his position.
By Houston standards, the 2002 season was a disappointment after the Astros finished with an 84-78 record, good for only second place in the NL Central division, behind the St. Louis Cardinals. Despite staying in the division race until the final two weeks of the season, the Astros wound up 13 games behind the Cardinals. However, that season was anything but forgettable. The Wade Miller-Roy Oswalt arsenal combined to go 34-13 on the year while stringing together 12 and nine-game winning streaks, respectively. ...Astros hurlers threw 10 shutouts in Houston to contribute to a 47-34 home record. ...on April 8, Craig Biggio hit for the cyle in Colorado, becoming the fifth player in franchise history to accomplish the feat. ...in May, the Astros retired Larry Dierker's No. 49 in a pregame ceremony. ....Lance Berkman represented the Astros at the 2002 All-Star game. ...Houston 's downtown ballpark was renamed Minute Maid Park when the Astros announced an agreement with the local beverage giant for naming rights on June 5. ...Berkman finished third in MVP voting and led the NL in RBIs. ...Brad Ausmus won his second consecutive Gold Glove award.
The Astros were favorites to win the NL Central title to start the season behind young aces Wade Miller and Roy Oswalt and new acquisition Jeff Kent. But injuries intervened and Houston ended the season in second place, one game behind the Chicago Cubs. ...Craig Biggio made his second career position move and served as the club's primary center fielder. ...on June 11 at Yankee Stadium, six Astros pitchers combined to no-hit the Yankees for the 8-0 win: Roy Oswalt, Pete Munro, Kirk Saarloos, Brad Lidge, Octavio Dotel and Billy Wanger. ...it was the first time in Major League history that a team used five or more pitchers in a no-hitter. ...Biggio recorded his club-record 500th double on July 10 ....Wagner recorded a careeer-high and franchise record 44 saves and represented the team at the All-Star Game. ...Jeriome Robertson set the franchise record for a rookie with 15 wins, the most of all ML rookies. ...Richard Hidalgo was named team MVP and led the Majors with 22 outfield assists.
The 2004 campaign began and ended with great expectations, with plenty of trying times in between. A season that started with so much promise turned into a mediocre effort that resulted in a .500 record at the All-Star break, leading to the dismissal of manager Jimy Williams. Three weeks after Phil Garner took over the managerial duties, the Astros began an unprecedented 36-10 run that leapfrogged them over five teams en route to the National League Wild Card. The Astros won their first postseason series in franchise history when they topped the Atlanta Braves, three games to two, in the Division Series. Despite being decimated by injuries that left them with only two proven starters -- Roy Oswalt and Roger Clemens (who won his seventh Cy Young Award) -- the Astros received valiant efforts from a slew of players who helped lead the team to the seventh game of the National League Championship Series. The Astros' historic run ended with a 5-2 Game 7 loss to the Cardinals, one game shy of their first-ever World Series berth.
The Astros began the year with a list of problems that suggested this was going to be a long, and likely unsuccessful, season. Lance Berkman was out for a month following offseason knee surgery. Jeff Bagwell struggled through a painful first month before deciding it was time to go on the disabled list. Nearly one-third of the roster was hit with everything from the flu to pneumonia to upper respiratory infections that swept through the Astros' clubhouse. But the Astros recovered from their abysmal start to go 74-43 the rest of the year -- a .632 winning percentage over four months.
The Astros advanced to the World Series for the first time in franchise history after defeating the Cardinals four games to two in a rematch of the 2004 NLCS. The White Sox went on to sweep the Astros in four games to claim their first World Series since 1917. The Astros won the Wild Card for the second season in a row, finishing in second place in the NL Central division with a record of 89-73. The club started the season with a 2-21 record on the road, and overcame a 15-30 start on May 24 to become the first team since the 1914 Boston Braves to make the postseason after falling to 15 games below .500.
In a thrilling finish to the season, the Astros spent the final two weeks chasing first-place St. Louis by winning 10 of the last 12 games. The club finished 82-80, in second place, 1 1/2 games behind the eventual World Champions, giving Houston its sixth consecutive winning season. Trailing the Cardinals by 8 1/2 games on Sept. 20, the Astros picked up eight game in eight days and moved to within a half-game of first place with three to play. But Houston would lose two out of three in Atlanta and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2003. The end of the season was similar to the club's hot start n April. The Astros won 19 of the first 28 games, which represents the best start in franchise history.
Lance Berkman made his fourth All-Star appearance and set the single-season franchise record with 136 RBIs. Roger Clemens returned for a third season on June 22 and finished 7-6 with a 2.30 ERA. Willy Taveras logged a 30-game hitting streak from July 27-Aug. 27, eclipsing Jeff Kent's franchise-best 25-game hitting streak in 2004. Roy Oswalt won the ERA crown with a 2.98 mark, while winning 15 games. He was the runner-up in the NL Cy Young Award voting. Adam Everett recorded the fourth-best fielding percentage by a shortstop in Major League history, holding down a .990 mark at the position.
The club finished 73-89, in fourth place in the NL Central, 12.0 games behind division-winning Chicago. The Astros ended the season winning their last two games, five of six, eight of 11 and 10 of 15. The Astros finished 42-39 at home, marking the seventh consecutive season for the club to finish with a winning record at Minute Maid Park.
On September 20, the Astros named Ed Wade the 11th general manager in franchise history. In Wade, the Astros hired a man with prior GM experience (1998-2005, Philadelphia). On September 28, Houston named five-time Major League All-Star Cecil Cooper manager of the team, removing the interim designation from his title. Cooper is the 16th manager in Astros franchise history.
Houston finished the season with two 30-homer sluggers for the first time since 2002 (Berkman, Lee). Lee, in his first year with the Astros, drove in a career-high 119 runs after signing a six-year contract with the club. Rookie outfielder Hunter Pence hit 17 home runs for Houston, the third highest rookie total in club history.
Craig Biggio became the 27th player in Major League history to join the 3000-hit club on June 28 against the Colorado Rockies. Biggio, the only player to ever earn All-Star status as a catcher and second baseman, retired with 3,060 hits, the 20th highest total in Major League history. Biggio also finished his career with 285 hit-by-pitches, the most of any player in modern baseball history.
The club finished 86-75, in third place in the NL Central, 11.0 games behind division-champion Chicago. Houston finished 3.5 games behind Milwaukee in the NL Wild Card race and was not eliminated from playoff contention until the season's 159th game. Houston's 42-24 second-half record led National League teams and was the second best in the Majors (Angels, 43-24). At 208-153, the Astros own baseball's fourth-best second-half record since 2004. The club won 12 of their last 20 games, as well as 20 of 29. Houston won a season-best 21 games in August and enjoyed season-high winning streaks of eight games, twice (8/7-14, 8/27-9/3).
Jose Valverde, acquired from Arizona on December 14, 2007, led the National League with 44 saves and tied Billy Wagner's franchise single-season saves record, previously set in 2003. Roy Oswalt went 17-10 and set the franchise record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched (32.1). Oswalt won 10 of his last 12 starts and has compiled a career Post-All-Star Break winning percentage of .770 (67-20), second best in MLB history (min. 50 wins). Houston pitchers compiled 13 shutouts, leading National League staffs. LaTroy Hawkins compiled a 0.43 ERA (21.0IP) after being acquired from the Yankees on July 30.
Lance Berkman enjoyed a 50-at-bat span in which he batted .620 (31x50). Berkman led the league with a .345 average with runners in scoring position and tied for the league lead with 46 doubles.
The Astros committed 67 errors, the fewest errors for any team in National League history (non-strike season). Shortstop Miguel Tejada, acquired from Baltimore on December 12, 2007, anchored the infield defense and committed a career-low 11 errors.
The Astros finished 74-88 and in fifth place in the National League Central for their lowest division finish since coming in sixth place in the NL West in 1991. Houston was 19-29 and in last place on May 30, but went on a 30-27 run to get within one game of first place after completing a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals on July 22. Cecil Cooper was dismissed as manager with 13 games remaining and replaced on an interim bases by third-base coach Dave Clark. The Astros named Boston Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills as their full-time manager on Oct. 27 and later overhauled their coaching staff. Houston went 44-37 at home, giving them nine consecutive winning seasons at Minute Maid Park, which celebrated its 10th season. They went 456-351 at home during those 10 seasons, which was the fifth-best home record in the NL over that span. In a fan poll conducted by the Astros, Craig Biggios 3,000th career hit on June 28, 2007, was voted as the greatest moment in Minute Maid Park history.
The Astros became the first team in Major League history to have three players hit their 300th home run in the same season Ivan Rodriguez on May 17 at Wrigley Field, Lance Berkman on June 13 at Arizona and Carlos Lee on Aug. 8 at Minute Maid Park. Rodriguez also set a Major League record by catching his 2,227th career game on June 17 at Texas, and Tejada reached 2,000 hits on June 13. Center fielder Michael Bourn became the second Astros outfielder to win a Rawlings Gold Glove (Cesar Cedeno). He was named the teams Most Valuable Player by the Houston Chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of American after leading the NL with 61 stolen bases and hitting .285 with a .354 on-base percentage and hitting .353 with runners in scoring position.
Under first-year manager Brad Mills, the Astros finished 76-86 and in fourth place in the National League Central, one game behind third-place Milwaukee. Mills lost his first eight games as manager and had another eight-game losing streak early in the season before the Astros rallied to go 59-52 over the final four months, which was the second-best record in the NL Central in that span. The Astros went 42-39 at home, marking their 18th home winning record in their last 19 seasons. Houston called up youngsters Jason Castro (catcher) and Chris Johnson (third base) from the Minor Leagues on June 22 and thrust them into the starting lineup. The dramatic roster changing continued when icons Roy Oswalt (to the Phillies) and Lance Berkman (to the Yankees) were both traded in a span of 48 hours at the Trade Deadline, signifying the end of an era and beginning the youth movement in earnest. Hitting coach Sean Berry was let go at the All-Star break and replaced with slugger Jeff Bagwell.
Center fielder Michael Bourn was selected to his first All-Star team and became the first Houston player to lead the league in steals two years in a row despite missing the final 13 games with an oblique strain. Hunter Pence overcame a slow start to post team Most Valuable Player honors by hitting .282 with 25 homers and a team-high 91 RBIs. It was his third consecutive year with 25 homers. Newcomer Brett Myers threw at least six innings in his first 32 starts, setting a club record en route to team Pitcher of the Year honors. Johnson hit .316 with 11 homers and 44 RBIs after the All-Star break. Brandon Lyon (20 saves) and Matt Lindstrom (23) became the fifth set of teammates in Major League history to record at least 20 saves in the same year. Wandy Rodriguez went 8-2 with an NL-best 2.03 ERA in his final 18 starts. Bagwell declined an offer to remain hitting coach following the season, and the Astros promoted Mike Barnett to the job after he had served as Minor League hitting coordinator for two years.
The 2011 season was a season of transition for the Astros, who continued in their rebuilding process and wound up finishing in sixth place in the National League Central. The team, which dealt away All-Star outfielders Hunter Pence and Michael Bourn at the Trade Deadline in exchange for prospects, finished with a club-record 106 losses but saw a whopping 20 rookies get playing time at some point. In the second half of the season, many of those youngsters were playing key roles.
Veteran outfielder Carlos Lee led the team with 94 RBIs and starting pitcher Wandy Rodriguez posted an 11-11 record, but it was the newcomers who made the most memorable impact. Outfielder J.D. Martinez, second baseman Jose Altuve, third baseman Jimmy Paredes and pitcher Jordan Lyles came up from the Minor Leagues and settled into starting roles and showed promise for the future. Martinez drove in 28 runs in August, and Altuve got hits in his first seven big league games.
Former first-round pick Brian Bogusevic finally showed some promise as an outfielder, including a walk-off grand slam to beat the Cubs, and Matt Downs established himself as a threat off the bench with a Major League-leading 15 pinch-hit RBIs. And the transitions on the field gave way to transitions off the field, too, when the team was sold to Houston businessman Jim Crane in November -- with the announcement the 2012 season would be the Astros' last in the NL -- and Jeff Luhnow took over as general manager in December.
The Astros celebrated their 50th anniversary by playing their final season in the National League, setting a franchise record with 107 losses despite a strong finish in the final month of the season. The Astros finished 15-15 in their final 30 games. In 51 seasons as a NL club, Houston posted a 3,999-4,134 (.492) record, which ranked 8th in NL in that span, while qualifying for the postseason nine times and winning the NL Pennant in 2005.
Bo Porter was named as the teams 17th manager on Sept. 27, with Tony DeFrancesco serving as interim manager for the final 41 games of the regular season after Brad Mills was dismissed on Aug. 18. Porter, a Houston resident, had served as the third-base coach for the Nationals.
Astros second baseman Jose Altuve was the second-youngest member of the NL All-Star team at 22 years old. He was also the second-youngest All-Star in Astros history behind Cesar Cedeno and wound up being named the teams Most Valuable Player after leading all NL second baseman in steals (33), ranking second in hits (166) and third in batting average (.290).
Right-hander Lucas Harrell came out of nowhere to win 11 games in his rookie season, leading the team. He ranked second among all Major League rookies with 193 2/3 innings pitched the third-highest total ever for an Astros rookie. He was the only NL rookie to throw a shutout.
The Astros became just the second team since 1991 to throw three consecutive shutouts by blanking the Brewers on Sept. 30 and the Cubs on Oct. 1 and Oct. 2. They didnt allow more than four hits in any of those three games.
For the majority of the 2012 season, the Astros had the youngest roster in the NL. They used a club-record 50 different players, including 25 pitchers.
The Astros first season in the American League had its ups and downs for the Astros, who dropped their final 15 games of the season to finish with a club-record 111 losses. For the fourth year in a row, the Astros traded away veteran players in July pitchers Jose Veras and Bud Norris in exchange for prospects as they continued to build their Minor League system into one of the best in baseball.
First-year manager Bo Porter said much of 2013 was spent identifying players who could make an impact for the club down the road. No player had a bigger breakout season than catcher Jason Castro, who made the AL All-Star team and was twice named Player of the Week and wound up hitting .276 with 18 homers and 56 RBIs in only 120 games.
Second baseman Jose Altuve was again one of the teams top offensive performers, hitting .284 with 52 RBIs while stealing 35 bases. The Astros got a big lift from third baseman Matt Dominguez, who was second on the team behind Chris Carter with 21 homers and 77 RBIs while playing a terrific defensive third base. Youngsters like L.J. Hoes (outfield), Brandon Barnes (outfield), Robbie Grossman (outfield) and Jonathan Villar (shortstop) got their feet wet.
By the end of the season, the Astros youth was very apparent in their starting rotation, where Dallas Keuchel (25), Jordan Lyles (22), Brad Peacock (25), Brett Oberholtzer (23), and Jarred Cosart (23) provided hope for the future. Young arms like Josh Zeid, Josh Fields, Kevin Chapman and Chia-Jen Lo made good impressions in the bullpen, too.
The Astros took a huge step forward on the field by going 70-92 in their second year in the American League, which was a 19-game improvement from 2013. While the starting rotation showed promise, the Astros improved across the board offensively thanks to big seasons from second baseman Jose Altuve and designated hitter Chris Carter and the arrival of highly touted rookie George Springer.
Altuve made his second All-Star team in three years - first in the AL - and enjoyed a breakout season in which he led the Major Leagues in batting (.341) to become the first Astros player to win a batting title. He led the Majors with 225 hits, smashing Craig Biggio's previous team record of 210 set in 1998. Altuve also led the AL in stolen bases (56) and the Majors in multi-hit games.
Springer, one of the club's top prospects, made his debut in April and was named AL Rookie of the Month for May, during which he hit seven homers in a seven-game span. A quad injury cost him the final two months of the season, but he still hit 20 homers and drove in 51 runs in only 78 games.
Carter, meanwhile, finished tied for second in the Majors with 37 homers, 23 of which came in a 52-game span between July 4 and Sept. 5. He batted .296 and led the Majors in slugging (.678), homers and RBIs (55) in that stretch.
On the mound, rookie Collin McHugh, a waiver pickup, went 11-9 with a 2.74 ERA in 25 starts, falling 7 1/3 innings shy of qualifying for league leaders in ERA. Lefty Dallas Keuchel did finish seventh in the AL in ERA (2.93) and led the league in complete games (five) while going 12-9 in 200 innings. Keuchel also won a Gold Glove.
Tom Lawless, a Minor League instructor, managed the club in September after manager Bo Porter and bench coach Dave Trembley were dismissed.
Under first-year manager A.J. Hinch and only two years removed from losing 111 games, the Astros broke through for their first playoff appearance in 10 years by winning the second American League Wild Card, going 86-76. The Astros surprised the baseball world and jumped out to an 18-7 start and wound up spending 139 days in first place in the AL West.
The Astros beat the Yankees behind a gem by starting pitcher Dallas Keuchel to win the AL Wild Card at Yankee Stadium before losing in five games to the eventual World Series champion Kansas City Royals in the AL Division Series. The Astros led in all five games and were six outs away from eliminating the Royals in Game 4 before squandering a four-run lead in the eighth inning.
Keuchel went 20-8 with a 2.48 ERA in 33 starts and became the third Astros pitcher to win the Cy Young Award. He also won the MLBPA Players Choice Award for the AL Most Outstanding Pitcher, the Warren Spahn Award, which is given to the top left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, and his second consecutive Gold Glove Award.
Top prospect, shortstop Carlos Correa, made his long-awaited debut on June 8 and wound up winning the AL Rookie of the Year award after hitting .279 with 22 homers and 68 RBIs, setting a club rookie record for homers and a team single-season record for homers by a shortstop. Meanwhile, Jose Altuve became the first Astros player in history to have multiple 200-hit seasons, hitting .313 with 15 homers, 66 RBIs and a league-high 38 steals in addition to winning his first Gold Glove.
The Astros finished second in the Major Leagues in home runs and had a Major League-record-tying 11 players reach double-digit homers, led by designated hitter Evan Gattis (27), third baseman Luis Valbuena (25), outfielder Colby Rasmus (25), first baseman Chris Carter (24) and Correa. They turned a rare triple play on May 23 against the Tigers and on Aug. 21 saw pitcher Mike Fiers throw the team's 11th no-hitter in franchise history, against the Dodgers.


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Cookie Recipes For Kids Recipes
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Cranberry Apple Pinwheel Cookies
12.07.09 by Jackie
After all the cranberry apple dishes I've made so far, I incorporated the same flavors and created pretty pinwheel cookies. The swirl is a lot easier to make than it seems. All you need is sugar cookie dough to roll around the filling. My choice for the filling was cranberry apple butter but you can use any other filling you like.
Don't get scared by the yield of this recipe! We're getting prepared for Christmas and make our logs of cookie dough in advance and store them in the freezer. They make great gifts, and the cookies are small and delicious, so they'll disappear very quickly.
Full Recipe...


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The Safe Injection Practices Coalition created an insulin pen poster and brochure for healthcare providers as a reminder that insulin pens and other injection equipment are meant for one person and should never be shared. PDFs of these educational materials are linked below:
Available to Download or Order: Specific Materials for Safe Use of Insulin Pens - for Clinicians and Patients
- Poster
- Brochure
- Click here to order free copies of these materials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (publication numbers 22-1501 and 22-1503).
Medscape Commentary - Don't Do It: Sharing Insulin Pens Jeopardizes Patients
Medscape Commentary (February 21, 2012)
Dr. Melissa Schaefer, Medical Officer in the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), discusses key points on the safe use of insulin pens in this CDC Expert Commentary hosted by Medscape.
Additional Resources
- VA Patient Safety Alert: Multi-Dose Pen Injectors (Department of Veterans Affairs, January 2013)
- CMS Survey and Certification Letter: Use of Insulin Pens in Health Care Facilities (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, May 2012)
- CDC Clinical Reminder: Insulin Pens Must Never Be Used for More than One Person (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January 2012)
- FDA Information for Healthcare Professionals: Risk of Transmission of Blood-borne Pathogens from Shared Use of Insulin Pens (Food and Drug Administration, March 2009)


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Kathryn Rae Mattingly and Michael Daniel Webster were united in marriage at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, June 9, 2012 at My Old Kentucky Home State Park. The Honorable John G. Mattingly II officiated.
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The Administration on Aging (AoA) is the Federal agency responsible for advancing the concerns and interests of older people and their caregivers. AoA works with and through the Aging Services Network to promote the development of a comprehensive and coordinated system of home and community-based long-term care that is responsive to the needs and preferences of older people and their family caregivers. AoA is part of the Department of Health and Human Services and is headed by the Assistant Secretary for Aging, who reports directly to the Secretary.
Review Date: Thursday, July 28, 2011
List reviewed web resources
The National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA) serves as a national resource center dedicated to the prevention of elder mistreatment. First established by the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) in 1988 as a national elder abuse resource center, the NCEA was granted a permanent home at AoA in the 1992 amendments made to Title II of the Older Americans Act. To carry out its mission, the NCEA disseminates elder abuse information to professionals and the public, and provides technical assistance and training to states and to community-based organizations.
Review Date: Thursday, June 30, 2011
NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people. Subsequent amendments to this legislation designated the NIA as the primary Federal agency on Alzheimer's disease research.
The Institute's mission is to:
•Support and conduct genetic, biological, clinical, behavioral, social, and economic research related to the aging process, diseases and conditions associated with aging, and other special problems and needs of older Americans.
•Foster the development of research and clinician scientists in aging.
•Communicate information about aging and advances in research on aging to the scientific community, health care providers, and the public.
Review Date: Monday, July 14, 2014
Health Information publications from the National Institute on Aging can be ordered online. You can search or browse to find titles at http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications.
Review Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2015
NCCAFV is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation serving all fifty states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NCCAFV's commitment is to intergenerational family violence prevention -- of child abuse, domestic violence (spouse/partner abuse) and elder abuse. NCCAFV provides public awareness and education materials, program and resource development consultation, and technical assistance and training in the United States and internationally.
Review Date: Thursday, April 14, 2011
The National Organization for Victim Assistance is a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization of victim and witness assistance programs and practitioners, criminal justice agencies and professionals, mental health professionals, researchers, former victims and survivors, and others committed to the recognition and implementation of victim rights and services. NOVA serves as a national forum for victim advocacy in support of victim oriented legislation and public policy. In addition, NOVA serves individual victims and witnesses of crime, supports local victim assistance programs, and sponsors conferences and forums on victim assistance issues. The organization is supported by grants and membership fees and the sale of pamphlets and books from its information clearinghouse. NOVA also provides training and direct support to victims and survivors of disasters via its National Crisis Response Team project.
Review Date: Monday, December 27, 2010
The National Resource Center (NRC) for American Indian, Alaska Native & Native Hawaiian Elders is a grant project of the U.S. Administration on Aging. The goals of this project are to: assess the current status of Native Elders in Alaska; develop an understanding of the cultural values that drive expectations and perceived needs for care; and document "best, promising and emerging practices" that are in current use. Additional goals include soliciting recommendations for community responses to elder abuse, exploitation and violence that are appropriate to Alaska Native cultures and providing education to medical providers.
Review Date: Thursday, October 13, 2011
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In a documentary shot in waters all over the globe, director Dana Brown takes on tall waves and surfers who live to challenge them. The film treks from the Irish coast, where a trio of American brothers take on the Atlantic surf, to Rapa Nui in the Pacific, where the Easter Island statues gaze out at board-riding daredevils. Brown also finds good surfing in unlikely places, like Wisconsin and Texas, and charts the rise of female surfers in a sport traditionally dominated by males.
9:30 p.m. at our outdoor stage — bring a picnic and join us for a summer night on the lawn
free | open to the public | family + dog friendly


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Little Label, trading name of
A range of super-chic and contemporary designs, carefully crafted to incorporate key trends are brought to you season-after-season; making Ravel the number one choice for young women who know how to look good!
Are you sure you want to navigate away from this site?
If you navigate away from this siteyou will lose your shopping bag and its contents.


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September 2008
The guide was developed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Innovation and Improvement. Sharon Horn was project director.
An external advisory group provided feedback to refine the study scope, define the selection criteria, and clarify the text. The advisory group members and the position they held at the time the meeting was conducted included: Mary Ellen Elia, Superintendent, Hillsborough County Public Schools; Caroline Massengill, President of Magnet Schools of America; Mary H. Metz, Professor Emeritus, School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Becky Smerdon, Senior Associate, Education Policy Center, The Urban Institute; and Karen Steele, Principal, Carver Center for Arts and Technology.
Staff in the Department of Education who provided input and reviewed drafts include Sue Betka, Steve Brockhouse, Tom Corwin, Kate Devine, Lorenzo Esters, Richard Foster, Margaret Guenther, Ellen Kendrick, Holly Kuzmich, Meghan Lerch, Greg March, Richard Smith, Tiffany Taber, Linda Wilson, and James Woodsome.
Representatives of the eight schools participating in the development of this guide and the case studies on which it is based were generous with both their time and attention to this project. We would like to thank those who were instrumental in coordinating and participating in the site visits.
Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School
1200 N. Cornwell Street
Los Angeles, CA 90033
Maria Torres Flores, Principal
G.W. Carver Magnet High School
2100 South Victory Street
Houston, TX 77088-7699
Thomas Colwell, Principal
Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences
865 East Third Street
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Steve Ball, Principal
Design and Architecture Senior High School
4001 NE 2nd Avenue
Miami, FL 33137
Dr. Stacey Mancuso, Principal
Galileo Magnet High School
230 South Ridge Street
Danville, VA 24541
April Goff, Principal
Metropolitan Learning Center
1551 Blue Hills Avenue
Bloomfield, CT 06002
Anne McKernan, Principal
Northeast Magnet High School
1847 N. Chautauqua
Wichita, KS 67214
Joel Hudson, Principal
Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts
2501 Flora Street
Dallas, TX 75201
Tracie Fralie, Principal


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US Secretary of State John Kerry flew into Geneva yesterday to hear Russia's plans to disarm Syria of its chemical weapons and avert US-led military strikes, an initiative that has transformed diplomacy in the two-and-a-half year old civil war.
Kerry would insist any deal must force Syria to take rapid steps to show it is serious about abandoning its chemical arsenal, senior US officials said ahead of Kerry's talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Among the first steps Washington wants, one US official said, is for the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to make a complete, public declaration of its chemical weapons stockpiles quickly as a prelude to allowing them to be inspected and neutralized.
This week's eleventh-hour Russian initiative interrupted a Western march to war, persuading US President Barack Obama to put on hold a plan for military strikes to punish al-Assad for a poison gas attack that killed hundreds of civilians on Aug. 21.
Syria, which denies it was behind that attack, has agreed to Moscow's proposal that it give up its chemical weapons stocks, averting what would have been the first direct Western intervention in a war that has killed more than 100,000 people.
A version of the Russian plan leaked to the newspaper Kommersant described four stages: Syria would join the world body that enforces a ban on chemical weapons, declare its production and storage sites, invite inspectors and then decide with the inspectors how and by whom stockpiles would be destroyed.
In the past Syria had not confirmed that it held chemical weapons. It was not a party to treaties that banned their possession and required disclosure, although it was bound by the Geneva Conventions that prohibit their use in warfare.
While the diplomats gathered in Switzerland, civil war ground on relentlessly in Syria itself. Activists said warplanes bombed one of the main hospitals serving rebel-held territory in the north of the country, killing at least 11 civilians, including two doctors.
Video footage showed the limp body of a child being carried out of the hospital by a man. Another boy lay on the floor, blood on his head and dust covering his body.
Rebels say the US climb-down from strikes — and the shift in emphasis in Western diplomacy from demanding al-Assad's removal from power to the narrower aim of forcing him to relinquish chemical weapons — emboldened his forces to take the offensive.
Al-Assad's opponents are also accused of atrocities. An anti-al-Assad monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, yesterday said that Sunni Muslim Islamist rebels had killed 22 members of al-Assad's Alawite minority sect in a massacre after storming a village east of the city of Homs.
The sudden pull-back from the brink is a blow for rebels who have listened to Obama and other Western leaders declare in strong terms for two years that al-Assad must be removed from power, while wavering over whether to use force to push him out.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, one of the main opponents of al-Assad within the region, dismissed the Russian plan.
"The [al-]Assad regime has not lived up to any of its pledges. It has won more time for new massacres and continues to do so," he said. "We are doubtful that the promises regarding chemical weapons will be met."


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Dec 27 (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co plans to invest more
than $773 million on new equipment and capacity expansions
across six U.S. manufacturing plants in southeast Michigan.
The plan is part of its commitment to invest $6.2 billion in
U.S. plants by 2015 as part of the agreement reached in October
2011 with the United Auto Workers union, the automaker said on
Ford said the investments will create 2,350 hourly jobs and
allow it to retain another 3,240 hourly jobs. The new jobs are
part of the 12,000 Ford previously said it would add or retain
in the United States by 2015 under the UAW deal.
Some of the new jobs will earn entry-level wages, which
start at just under $16 an hour. Traditional nonskilled UAW
workers at Ford earn an average of just over $28. This year,
Ford has added more than 6,500 hourly jobs and most of those
were filled by people hired at the entry-level pay rate.
Over the next six months, Ford said it will upgrade stamping
operations at Michigan Assembly Plant and Dearborn Stamping
Plant, as well as finish work at Flat Rock Assembly Plant to
build the new Fusion sedan. Some Fusion production was shifted
from Mexico under the four-year pact with the UAW.
The work will include $59.4 million to expand the stamping
press line at Michigan Assembly, $305 million for plant
modernization and new equipment at Dearborn Stamping, and $161
million for new equipment in Flat Rock.
The investments also will include $86 million at Sterling
Axle Plant, $87.7 million at Van Dyke Transmission and $74.7
million at Livonia Transmission, all for new equipment.


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Deficit-Cutting: Not If, But When
The case for government austerity has taken some hits lately. David Wessel has his take on The News Hub.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the the ... when it comes to govern belt tightening it's a question of when not if ... Wall Street Journal's economics of the Senate was told joins us from Washington to explain ... that it ... alright ... I'm on finds a bid to ... win it but not its aam aches explain your your your thoughts in your column and explain its loss ... well I think that one thing we seen in the past several weeks is the case for me and instead austerity ... British style has really been eroded ... it's been eroded by how Chorley the British economy has done ... this is an economy with an independent central bank which has been able to de value its currency ... I've read a very tight fiscal policy ... and they had negative growth for five the last ten quarters ... has been eroded by this graduate student who ... I've base of the shredded the Rhine upgrade Hargrove up view that ... ninety percent of ... debt to GDP was some kind of danger zone ... has been eroded by the comments from the IMF and the Federal Reserve ... and things like that so the case that the only way to deal with today's problems is belt tightening is basically been weakened substantially ... but in the Konica point ... that doesn't mean ... that doesn't mean that we can ignore deficits altogether ... it's it's really hard to explain to people why countries like Germany and the US ... probably could do less deficit reduction now if they took steps now that would reduce future deficits when the economy strong ... and and that's obviously a very hard thing thing thing today what one other things that you point out ... not be in your column is that I'm that close to twenty five cents or up to twenty five percent of the of young people ... globally unemployed or underemployed my nominees is a huge mom bought ... it's it's very hard to press the case for taking away future benefits right which is what you're talking about ... well I website that way if you have a period of time where ... one quarter of the people between fifteen and twenty five ... are neither working nor study ... a whole generation has been sidelined by a lousy economy ... you have two choices ... do you wanna make life worse for them by raising taxes and cutting spending in their countries and further putting downward pressure on their economies ... or you wanna say they will do little bought up whenever public works whatever infrastructure spending now ... even for widens our deficit and at the same time we're going to take steps so that ... their future retirement benefits aren't as generous as the current generation ... I think most of those people if you get Matt Joyce ... would trade a job now for slightly lower benefits than their parents are getting ... but they're not being offered the choice to very many but it's an intended to use and very quickly to think that will be offline because of ... that sent an appealing choice to any anyone who's in that age group about itself ... no I don't think of the offer I mean if I wrote a column ... that we've developed this bizarre ideology ... where you either have to be for austerity now ... forgive forget about the deficit ... and beat those two sides have fought themselves to a drop ... and it means that we're not having fiscal policy is doing very much I need a thing it's not doing very much to help today's economy and it's not doing enough to reduce tomorrow stepped out that will hopefully entity reach a calm everyone accounts anyway thank you my much David Wessel Lewis Macdonald ...