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Gov. Tom Corbett will "very likely" propose cutting future pension benefits for current school employees and state workers in the state budget plan he will present to lawmakers next week, his chief budget adviser said Monday.
HARRISBURG (AP) — Gov. Tom Corbett will "very likely" propose cutting future pension benefits for current school employees and state workers in the state budget plan he will present to lawmakers next week, his chief budget adviser said Monday.
Budget Secretary Charles Zogby, all but confirming a cost-cutting approach that the administration first floated last fall despite questions about its legality, said decisive steps must be taken to rein in taxpayers' fast-growing share of pension costs.
"We've got to pay for our obligations and we need to look at a rebalancing of our pension obligations ... if we're going to meet our needs without inflicting deep cuts elsewhere in the budget," he said at a Pennsylvania Press Club luncheon.
The public's contributions to the state's two major public pension funds is expected to increase from $1.5 billion in the fiscal year that ends in June to nearly $3 billion in 2014-15 and more than $5 billion by 2019-20. The money comes out of a state budget that is less than $27.7 billion this year.
Officials are considering changing the way pensions are calculated. Options include reducing the multiplier, a percentage applied to an employee's years of service and final average salary; reducing or eliminating credit for overtime pay; and reducing future annuities for employees who withdraw their own contributions when they retire, Zogby said.
The plan would not affect retirees' pensions or benefits current employees have already earned, he said. But for active workers covered by the two funds — the Public School Employees' Retirement System and the State Employees' Retirement System — "there may well be proposed changes to your pension benefits going forward."
"This is the year to deal with pension reform," Zogby said. "If we don't manage it this year, we're going to have some very difficult years ahead of us."
Unions contend that any attempt to reduce current employees' right to earn future pension credits would violate the state constitution.
"It's setting the Legislature up for a train wreck, come spring," said Wythe Keever of the Pennsylvania State Education Association.


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JAAssets needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 130 designs submitted by 33 freelance designers.
Needs to be business professional logo. Colors will be light blue and white. Feel free to be unique but nothing too off the wall.
All markets and people. Business professional
Sorry guy that already submitted...it needs to be sign in once....sorry about that...looks good so far!!!
I thought about using the three letters with the company name under it but I am completely flexible as long as it is business professional and a bit more on the conservative idea. Also I would like to use this logo on tee shirts and other promotional items.
This must be produced in a high resolution software program!!!
photoshop at least.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.

subset: commoncrawl


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Smartphone & Monitor MockupShowcase your website, app or any other image. Layered PSD file, change background or move elements. Very easy to customize, open the smart objects, paste in your design and save file. Also a broken glass effect added, but that layer can be turned off.
- Layered PSD file
- 2000×1300px
- Smart objects
- Photoshop CS2 & above


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Message Board
William March Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that March has written!
Author March's Book Reviews
The Bad Seed
Rhoda Penmark is a sweet, tidy, well-mannered girl aged eight, and the pride and joy of her mother Christine. She seems absolutely perfect and full of charm which she can turn on at any time to get what she wants. At the same time she is apparently unable to make friends, and some people think there is something odd, even sinister, about her. In order to give her a new start, her anxious parents have just relocated to a new town where nobody knows the...


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Every young kid has wondered what they would ask for if they were granted a wish. There are obvious choices: money, toys and an open tab at the local pizza parlor. What about a teenager? In today's first reading, we hear of a young man, likely still in his teens, who was told by God, "Ask something of me and I will give it to you." Solomon was already quite blessed; His father, King David, had shaped the 12 tribes into a cohesive nation and then gained a formidable kingdom. He would soon succeed his father. What, then, would he request? More power? Increased wealth?
Solomon's reply was remarkable. He acknowledged he was "a mere youth" and admitted that he did not know "how to act," that is, how to be a king and a leader. He had probably learned much from his father, but he also understood how much more was needed to serve God and to serve God's people. Yes, he was to be king, but he was also "in the midst of the people." In short, he was already wise beyond his years — wise enough to admit his need for even deeper wisdom, for understanding so that he would know "what is right."
In the Old Testament, wisdom is described in many ways, ranging from the skill of a craftsman to cleverness to good advice. But the focal point of wisdom and real understanding was ultimately a humble knowledge of God resulting in a good life, marked by prosperity, good reputation and old age. "The beginning of wisdom is fear of the Lord, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Prv 9:10).
Solomon was given wisdom and understanding and things were perfect — for a while. But the once humble king began to change; He came to love "foreign women" (1 Kgs 11:1), who brought with them false gods. Rather than standing in the midst of the people and looking to God for guidance, he became detached and distracted. And "when Solomon was old, his wives had turned his heart to follow other gods, and his heart was not entirely with the Lord, his God ..." (1 Kgs 11:4). The heart, for the ancient Hebrews, was not merely the seat of emotions, but was the core of a man's intellectual, moral and spiritual life. Solomon's sins surely involved passion but, worse, they involved a willful rejection of God's ways and wisdom.
Wisdom, the apostle Paul told the Corinthians, has a name: Jesus Christ, who is "the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor 1:24). Jesus is the son of David who perfectly fulfills the promises made to Solomon. The Son knows the heart and mind of the Father perfectly. He is truly humble, having come and dwelt among us, forming a people of his own — not for his own glory, but for the glory of the Father (cf. Jn 14:13; 15:8; 17:4). He proclaimed and established the kingdom, again, not for his own sake, but for our sake. The kingdom, Jesus told the disciples, is like a buried treasure that brings joy once discovered. It is the pearl of great price; It is also like a net that gathers in fish, which are then separated.
So, there is joy, but also judgment, for joy and judgment are different sides, if you will, of the coin of reality, reflecting our choices for or against wisdom and life. Any of us, like Solomon, can receive God's gift and then fumble it away through folly, pride and sinful choices. But those who love God can, because of the perfect and selfless Son, be called, justified and gloried.
Carl E. Olson is editor of Catholic World Report.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.


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Starbucks has paid no UK income tax since 2009. If I hadn't paid my taxes since 2009, I'd have been up before the beak, fined, bankrupted, and probably sent straight to jail.
So, how the hell do Starbucks get away with it? Well, by shifting their profits outside of the UK, Starbucks has been able to claim they have made a loss in the UK "despite £3bn in coffee sales and opening 735 outlets," as Channel4 News reports:
'[Starbucks] paid just £8.6m in corporation tax - perfectly legal under UK law. In the past three years alone, Starbucks paid no tax on sales of £1.2bn because it reported losses.
Its nearest UK rival, Costa, recorded £377m sales last year, compared to Starbucks's £398m in 2011, and its tax bill came to £15m, or 31 per cent of profits.
Starbucks was able to legally pay such a low rate of tax by posting a loss in the UK in the last three years, meaning it was therefore not liable for corporation tax. But according to a four-month investigation by the news agency Reuters, the UK unit was effectively paying money to other parts of the business, such as royalty payments for use of the brand.
Reuters compared the losses filed by the company's UK unit over the years, with transcripts of conference calls made by the company's executives telling investors about how profitable the company was.
In the 2007 financial year to end-September, accounts filed by Starbucks's UK unit showed its tenth consecutive annual loss. But that November, Chief Operating Officer Martin Coles told analysts on the fourth-quarter earnings call that the UK unit's profits were funding Starbucks's expansion in other overseas markets.
The Seattle coffee chain has joined other US companies such as Facebook, Google, Apple and Amazon that have also avoided paying tax.
Richard Murphy, of Tax Research UK, told the Guardian:
"The [UK] government says that it has created a competitive tax system. The problem is that UK companies are paying the tax and the result is that it is an uneven playing field. UK businesses are disadvantaged against foreign businesses in the same market place. They are letting foreign companies do business here and not pay any tax."
While these companies have not have done anything illegal, their actions are a major "fuck you" to the UK citizens and businesses, who pay their taxes. Think of the hospitals, health care, schools, pensions, and alike, this lost revenue could have paid for.
All of which make it more than apparent the current posh boys in government are more than happy to allow tax avoidance on a massive scale, while crippling the ordinary citizens with harsh, austerity measures and taxes.
UK Uncut are taking part in the 'No cuts, no tax-dodging' bloc, at the Trade Union Congress (TUC) march, on Saturday, October 20th, in London. Details here.


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LAHAINA - Although a small congregation, Holy Innocents Episcopal Church in Lahaina has served our West Side community in a large way.
On Sunday, Nov. 25, it will celebrate the Feast Day of the Holy Sovereigns, King Kamehameha IV and Queen Emma, and 150 years of ministry in Lahaina.
Rev. William J. Albinger is the rector of the parish.
Article Photos
The original Holy Innocents' Church was built in 1872.
"There will be a 3 p.m. special service. We have invited the Royal Societies, because we are an historic church. The Episcopal Church is the only church that the kings and queens had invited to Hawaii. We have connections with the royal traditions," he said.
Community leader and retired Lahainaluna High School English teacher Penny Wakida is a devoted Holy Innocents parishioner.
On and off, for over 25 years, she has served on the church vestry.
Founding member of the Lahainaluna High School Archive Committee, Wakida considered it her charge to preserve the church's rich history.
"I did an inventory of the safe, and I organized the filing cabinets. There were written bits and pieces, and I put it all in one place," she explained.
"We have record books in there that go back to 1873, like baptisms. There are historic names in those registries," she added.
"One of the founding lay people of the parish was Henry Dickenson Sr.," Father Bill said. Dickenson was district magistrate in 1869.
"For a short time, there were no priests, and he led the morning services as a lay person," Wakida noted.
"Lani Hanchett was the first Native Hawaiian ordained a priest," Albinger added.
He served as the rector at Holy Innocents from 1952 to 1959 and went on "to become the first bishop when Hawaii became a stand-alone diocese."
The church was not always located at 561 Front St.
The first service in Lahaina was conducted by Right Rev. Thomas Nettleship Staley at Hale Aloha on Dec. 14, 1862.
"From there, we went to a ship chandlery's office on Canal Street; met and had services there. Then they built the church on the corner of Prison and Front. In 1917, they did a land swap," Albinger continued.
"The present building was built in 1927 and expanded in '59."
The strength of the church, however, is not in its structure. It's embodied by its congregation.
"I treasure the history and the spirit of this church... the principles that come with it and the people," Wakida affirmed.
Holy Innocents' has an open door policy.
"Historically, I think it has always been an opening, welcoming congregation to everyone. It has embraced the whole community," Father Bill commented.
"I think we have six 12-step meetings that meet on this property. (We're) the oldest AA meeting in Lahaina - we've been here for years," the parish rector added.
Monthly PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays) chapter meetings are held at the parish.
"The Free Church of Tonga, they worship here in the afternoons on Sundays and Wednesday nights," Albinger added.
"I think the biggest sin is that you have a building that is used for only two hours a week," he remarked.
Education is an integral part of the Holy Innocents experience.
In the archives, an unknown author penned: "The premises of Messrs. Bolles and Co. (a ship's chandlery) were leased (on the site of the present King Kamehameha III School) to use as church and boy's school Luaehu School.
"In 1865, the Sisters of the Devonport Society of the Most Holy Trinity came and started a girl's school."
HIPS (Holy Innocents' Preschool) opened its doors in the Parish Hall in 1974.
"We have sponsored that now for 37 years. I do chapel with them once a week - three and four years old - and, to me it is like payday," Father Bill said.
Holy Innocents was one of the founding parishes for FACE (Faith Action for Community Equity) three years ago.
"Father Bill was a real strong mover and shaker in the foundation of this organization," Wakida said.
The congregation is also involved in secular activities.
"We have been effective with Roz Baker, and Angus McKelvey has been very helpful," he said.
"We are able to get through the mortgage foreclosure legislation that saves a lot of homes here," Father Bill added.
Other issues of importance to the Holy Innocents community include immigration reform, affordable housing and better jobs.
"We have investment banker prices and hospitality industry wages. If we want to keep our kids here, we have to have decent jobs for them," he said.
In response to its parishioners, a 5:30 p.m. service was recently added to its Sunday worship schedule.
"They have reached out to us; it was parents that came and said, 'We got soccer, we got football, we got little league. All of this stuff happens on Sunday morning. Everybody is busy, busy, busy,' " he explained.
"We do a service at 5:30 on Sunday afternoon. Because everybody's winding down, I said one-half hour. Keep it short. Make the sermons understandable to the young people. It's a gathering for some prayers, read the lessons, a short sermon One Sunday a month, we do a potluck," Father Bill commented.
Over the years, Father Bill concluded, "The world has changed, and we've changed with it."


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Plateau State Information and Communication Development Agency, The Governors Office, Jos, Plateau State.
by phone: +234-909-741-2224
by e-mail: email@example.com
or fill in the form on our contact page
Jos is a city in the Middle Belt of Nigeria. The city has a population of about 900,000 residents based on the 2006 census. Popularly called "J-town"..


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Molly Ringwald to Perform as Part of the 2013 U.S. Trust Life is a Cabaret! Series at CenterStage, 2/14-17
Richmond CenterStage is excited welcome actress/author/singer Molly Ringwald as she performs as part of CenterStage's 2012-13 U.S. Trust Life is a Cabaret! Series: A Celebration of the Great American Song Book.
Ms. Ringwald will sing selections from her forthcoming album of jazz standards entitled "Except ... Sometimes," in CenterStage's Rhythm Hall beginning on Valentine's Day, Thursday, February 14. The show will run through a special Sunday brunch matinee on February 17.
"Except...Sometimes" was produced by Peter Smith and features Clayton Cameron on drums, Allen Mezquida on alto saxophone, Peter Smith on piano and Trevor Ware on bass.
An actress of both stage and screen, Ringwald was cast as Miranda in Paul Mazursky's film Tempest at the age of thirteen, a performance that earned her a Golden Globe nomination. She went on to star in numerous films, including the now-iconic John Hughes movies Sixteen Candles, The Breakfast Club, and Pretty in Pink.
Ringwald's career spans four decades and also includes foreign films such as Jean-Charles Tacchella's Tous Les Jours Dimanche and Toni Marshal's Enfants de Salaud, numerous television projects including the Emmy-nominaTed Allison Gertz Story, and an extensive theater resume that includes playing the legendary "Sally Bowles" in the Broadway production of Cabaret and the role Salome alongside Al Pacino.
Currently, Ringwald can be seen starring in the breakout hit The Secret Life of the American Teenager on ABC Family, and she is also on the road promoting her new novel, the national bestseller, When It Happens to You.
"We couldn't be more thrilled to welcome Molly Ringwald to Richmond for our special Valentine's Weekend cabaret performances," said Richard M. Parison, Jr., Executive Director of Richmond CenterStage. "Ms. Ringwald has proven herself to be a renaissance woman over her career, and I know our audiences will be thrilled to see her perform jazz classics live in this intimate setting! It is an honor to present her as part of our U.S. Trust Life is a Cabaret Series."
In addition to Ms. Ringwald's special engagement, the 2012-13 U.S. Trust Life is a Cabaret! Series will culminate in April with a weekend of performances featuring cabaret legend Amanda McBroom. Ringwald will perform at CenterStage's Rhythm Hall from February 14-16 at 7 p.m., with a special 12:30 p.m. Sunday brunch matinee on February 17.
Ticket prices for each performance of the U.S. Trust Life is a Cabaret! Series are:
Lounge Seating: $25
Reserved Ticket: $40
Inner Circle Ticket: $50
Tickets are now available at www.richmondcenterstage.com, at the CenterStage Box Office, or through E-Tix at 1-800-514-ETIX (3849).


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Ever since my first blog entry in this recent series on artificial intelligence, I've been highlighting the lesser, calculational nature of machine intelligence and learning-- as well as the valuable role it nonetheless can play in driving more effective human understanding and decisions. I've been doing this by articulating mainly what machines do, as that is the primary interest of mine and most who would read a developerWorks blog. Still, our interests will be served by taking an entry to discuss human learning as a counterpoint or contrast.
The multiple linear regression example in my last post is a good example to start with because it highlights the difference between accuracy versus understanding. If there is a linear relationship among the data, then an MLR can have a very high predictive accuracy, but it has no explanatory power whatsoever. The MLR model does not have, nor does it convey, any understanding as to why the relationship exists.
Let's see how this predictive accuracy rates in terms of human intelligence and learning. In this case, we can benefit from an instance of that delightful human propensity to apply ideas to themselves. Specifically, we humans have applied our learning abilities to the phenomenon of our learning abilities, with many useful results including Bloom's Taxonomy.
According to Bloom's taxonomy, the very lowest level of cognitive learning is the knowledge level, or the ability to remember and recall what is learned. When you think about it, you realize that an MLR model, like many predictive analytics, is really a storage mechanism for something that has been machine learned from data. In MLR, we store the constants of a linear formula as the representation of what has been learned from linearly related data.
The next higher level of Bloom's taxonomy is comprehension, which is where understanding and true explanatory power begin to surface. But human learning is so much more sophisticated than the knowledge level of machine learning that there are a number of levels above comprehension. There's the application level, in which we can use our knowledge to solve new problems, including being able to explain why the new solution works. The analysis level drills deeper into our ability to make inferences and generalizations. The synthesis level begins to get at our ability to be creative with what we've learned and come up with new ideas and solutions. Finally, the evaluation level gets at our ability to be subjective and judge quality and creativeness of ideas and solutions. We are beginning to see some faint glimmers of some elements of some of these levels in cognitive computing efforts like IBM Watson, but it is early days indeed.
While we're on the subject of human learning and Bloom's Taxonomy, it makes sense to digress for a bit and mention the IBM Social Learning product. This is a SaaS educational platform intended to help enterprises achieve a Smarter Workforce. A few reasons for the digression are
- this is a product I currently work on,
- both it and the whole Smarter Workforce initiative are being featured at the IBM Connect 2014 conference being held right now, and
learning is a key ingredient of how a human workforce becomes smarter.
The IBM Social Learning product has a very nice feature that enables educational administrators to implement Bloom's Taxonomy in their learning materials. A component of the product is the Kenexa LCMS, or learning content management system, which includes various subcomponents like a course designer and a metadata dictionary. The educational administrator can add any metadata tag, such as "Learning Goal", and any tag values, such as "Basic Knowledge", "Comprehension", "Application", etc. Once this is done, the educational administrator can use the metadata tag values to classify any learning item in the LCMS accord to Learning Goal. Once these classified learning materials are published, learners can use the "Learning Goal" as a new faceted search criterion in the platform's learning library. A learner would be able to isolate and focus on "knowledge" level learning in a subject area before proceeding to comprehension and then application, for example. This will enable learners to effectively use the natural way in which their learning blooms, i.e. Bloom's Taxonomy.
Finally, there is an aspect of human learning that goes beyond Bloom's taxonomy, and it's an area that is highlighted by the IBM Social Learning product. There is a very important word in the product title: Social. This is crucial because it underscores the central role of communication and collaboration in the human learning process. We are an order of magnitude more effective at learning based on our interconnectedness to others who think and learn, rather having access to just data. This is pertinent to the advancement of artificial intelligence because "social" goes quite beyond the computing architecture underlying a lot of today's machine learning efforts.


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Poem: 'Hanging Fire'
Robin Robertson
The full text of this poem is only available to subscribers of the London Review of Books.
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Vol. 20 No. 16 · 20 August 1998 » Robin Robertson » Poem: 'Hanging Fire'
page 22 | 174 words


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Another 11 tattoos inspiring you to travel the world
Sunday, 28 February 2016 by Juan Martinez
Tattoos are forever. So if you want to get one, it should definitely be the thing you love the most Tattoos remind us of memories, loved ones and experiences. It´s a symbol that represents your personality and passions. Over the past days I have been asking our readers to share some of their travel tattoos and
- Published in Travel Journal
Tagged under: arm, art, back, backpacking, brasil, colors, colours, compass, countries, discover, experience, explore, Germany, hearts, ink, instagram, leg, Love, maps, memories, passion, passions, passport stamp, personality, photo article, photograph, Photography, remember, represent, special, symbol, tattoo, travel hearts, travel ink, travel tats, travel tattoos, unique, wanderlust


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While we're all reading this magazine because we love European cars, not all of us reach this point by the same route. The hardcore enthusiasts claim to have never deviated from European manufacturers, but some of us haven't been so lucky…
Max Shapiro's untraditional background, for example, began at the ripe age of 15 with a Chevy Camaro as his first car. However, he's quick to point out the hunk of metal didn't last long before a string of VWs lead him to one of his favorite cars to date; a Mk4 R32.
Max enjoyed the R, enhancing it with a few mods until the summer of 2010 when he fell in love with an E46 M3 Convertible. "It was a great platform. Right out of the box it was a monster," Max said. "But as much as I loved driving with the top down, I knew I needed a coupe because I wanted to modify it."
A few months later the convertible was traded for an '04 M3 Coupe that now sits in his driveway. As predicted, he immediately attended to the stance, lowering the car on KW coilovers, stiffening the shell with a variety of Rogue Engineering components.
Seeking something unique to fill the arches, Max contacted Manu Gill at DPE Wheels. They were able to narrow down the size, design and even create a custom finish for him. This resulted in the 19" ST7 wheels here, with a staggered fitment of 9" front and 10" rear.
Manu suggested the wheel centers be brushed aluminum with a tinted clearcoat to create more depth than traditional finishes. The multi-piece wheels were then bolted together with polished step-lips before strapping on Continental DW tires.
Happy with the outcome, Max addressed the stock brakes, which had suddenly become an embarrassment. He added wheel-filling 355mm slotted StopTech rotors all round, with bright-red six-piston front calipers and four-pistons on the rear.
Giving the new wheels a special touch, DPE color-matched its limited-edition center caps to the new brakes.
Max wanted to flaunt the M3's natural lines, so fitting Vorsteiner's V2 CSL bumper up front gave it a factory look. A one-piece carbon lip then provided a bit more aggression.
Continuing the theme, a carbon Scorza CSL diffuser hung over the exhaust tips, and a double-sided carbon CSL trunk topped it off: the carbon weave was left exposed on the lip and around the license plate.
With the package coming together, Max took the M3 to a show in Charlotte, NC over the following summer. Meeting with Billy at Beemer Evolution, they installed a carbon-look vinyl roof on the M3. Visually, it matched the gills, kidney grilles and the carbon roundels, completing the black and silver concept.
Gen 6
Then the mailman delivered a large box from Active Autowerke in Miami. It was a Generation Six stage 1 supercharger kit. Putting his faith in the instructions, Max installed everything over a weekend, mounting the oil-cooled HKS GTS8550 supercharger along with a new intake manifold with its twin blow-off valves. The front bumper had to be modified to fit the huge front-mount intercooler, but it allowed him to introduce Maserati GranSport mesh into the main bumper duct.
Finally, Active Autowerke software persuaded the six-cylinder to release 435hp at the wheels with 10psi boost pressure. "It's really an amazing product and is always admired every time somebody looks into the engine bay. And the power it produces give me a grin from ear-to-ear every time!" Max laughed.
Any other modifications under the hood might be overshadowed but are certainly audibly present. They include custom headers as well as a Custom Performance Innovation exhaust with 200-cell cats finished with a Milltek muffler. "Its not super-loud, but you know it definitely means business at WOT!" Max laughed.
Shifting to the interior, Max wanted to match the aggressive exterior, so started with a pair of Cobra Misano Anniversary seats. The carbon-backed beauties were wrapped in black leather, then stitched with grey thread in a diamond pattern.
Additional parts included an AutoTecknic carbon shift knob and e-brake handle, along with an alcantara-wrapped steering wheel and shift boot.
At this point, with the performance dialed in, Max decided to treat himself to a Dynavin head unit front and center. The touchscreen has navigation and DVD playback, which was deemed vital for upcoming road trips along the East Coast, to car shows such as Bimmerfest East, which is where we first discovered Max and his marvelous M3.
Max is justifiably proud of his blown M3, even imagining that if BMW was to reproduce a factory-tuned E46, it would probably be the spitting image of his!
et Tech Spec
Owner: Max Shapiro
Location: Arlington, WV
Occupation: IT Consultant
Engine: 3.2-liter inline six-cylinder with Active Autowerke Generation Six stage 1 supercharger kit using HKS GTS8550 supercharger, AA intake manifold, dual blow-off valves, larger Bosch fuel injectors, oil cooler, front-mount intercooler and AA software, custom headers, Custom Performance Innovations exhaust system with 200-cell cats, Milltek muffler
Drivetrain: six-speed manual, Rogue Engineering short-shift kit
Brakes: StopTech six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers with 355mm drilled rotors all round, steel lines
Suspension: KW ST coilovers front and rear, Rogue Engineering one-piece Race strut tower brace, uprated rear shock mounts, Powerflex rear trailing arm bushings
Wheels & Tires: 19x9" front, 19x10" rear DPE ST7 wheels, polished step-lips, brushed aluminum centers with tinted clearcoat, 60mm VAC studs, Vorshlag lug nuts, 225/35 R19 front, 265/30 R19 rear Continental ExtremeContact DW tires
Exterior: Vorsteiner CSL V2 front bumper, one-piece carbon Race lip, Maserati GranSport mesh, black kidney grilles, Scorza double-sided carbon CSL trunk lid and carbon CSL diffuser, carbon-look vinyl on roof, LED angel-eyes, black side gills, smoked front corners and side markers, tint, carbon roundels
Interior: Cobra Misano anniversary edition seats in leather with diamond-stitched center panels, carbon backs, carbon dash trim, BMW pedal set, AutoTecknic carbon shift knob and e-brake handle, alcantara steering wheel and shift boot, Dynavin head unit, iPod connect, LED interior bulbs
Thanks: Manu at DPE Wheels, Sean at Scorza, Prit at EuroAutoWerx, Oakville Motowerks, Javed Gul at The Wheel Tour, Team Solo, Kevin at KC Image, Active Autowerke, Rus at Rsellos Photography, Billy at Beemer Evolution, Sean, Ryan, Josh and Bacon at Decadence Performance, Jack at CPI, D&V Autobody, Turner Motorsport, Phil


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Copyright in the digital age: US and UK perspectives will take place on 15 June 2017 at the Bird & Bird office in London. The event is organized by AIPPI UK and will have as speakers IPKat Eleonora Rosati and Maria Scungio. Also, a webinar for the event will be available only for AIPPI members. Register here and here (webinar).
Copyright Cortex will be launched on 20 June 2017 at the British Library in London. The project is a collaboration between CREATe at the University of Glasgow and Queen's University Belfast. It is aimed at becoming the principal point of reference regarding the impact of copyright law on the creation, access, and use of the digital cultural heritage. Speakers will be Lionel Bently (University of Cambridge), Jill Cousins (Europeana), Ronan Deazley (Queen's University Belfast), and Ben White (British Library). Attendance is free but registration is required. More information and registration here.
The World Youth Forum for Ethics in Innovation (WYF 2017) will take place on 23 and 25 June at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Munich. The WYF 2017 is a leadership-training workshop addressed to selected university students and young professionals. The theme of this year is 'Understanding and Promoting Ethics in Innovation in the 21st Century Global Village'. Speakers will be Rajita Kulkarni, Christoph Glaser, Mrinalini Kochupillai, Yvonne Feri, Arul George, Dr. Roland A. Stürz, Prof. Dr. Heinz Goddar and Dr. Prabuddha Ganguli. More information here.
Munich Conference Series on "Ethics in Innovation" will take place on 26 and 27 June 2017 at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office. This two-day conference will cover such topics as artificial intelligence, internet of things, digitization and innovation from ethical, scientific, educational and regulatory points of view. Speakers include Prof. Ferdi Schüth (Max Planck Society), Prof. Josef Drexl (Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition), Prof. Christoph Lütge (TU Munich), Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Ethics in Business), Jo Leinen (European Parliament), Jaan Tallinn (Skype), Robert Hansor (Huawei Technologies) and Prof. Dr. Luciano Floridi (University of Oxford). More information here.
Intellectual Property Wealth Generation will take place on 19 and 20 September 2017 at the University of Oxford. The two-day intensive course is organized by OxFirst and will cover the latest trends in IP management and valuation. The course is fully CDP-accredited and will have as course moderators Prof. Graham Richards, Dr. Roya Ghafele, and Patrick Terroir. More information and registration here.
Last but not least, on 9 and 10 May 2017, a delegation of the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) of Argentina visited the EPO in Munich. During the visit, the EPO and INPI signed a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral cooperation and discussed such topics as the Patent Prosecution Highway programme and the EPO's search tool EPOQUE Net. More information, here.
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The program is nasty. It deletes pictures and movies from your hard drive and then it teases you: "Even though Mr. Kaneko was found guilty, you are still using Winny. I really hate such people," taunts an animated woman on your screen.
Welcome to the age of localized malware.
Over the past two years virus writers have increasingly targeted their malicious programs to users in different regions of the globe, creating programs that are specially designed to infect users in countries like Japan, Brazil, China or Germany.
Take the taunting Trojan, which goes after users of the Winny file-sharing program. (Winny creator Isamu Kaneko was convicted of abetting copyright violations in late 2006) Winny is file-sharing software that is incredibly popular in Japan, but virtually unknown outside of the region. Still, it's been the target of several malware programs, according to Dave Marcus, security research and communications manager for McAfee Avert Labs. "Japan has some unique factors that we just don't see anywhere else," he said. "There are a couple of malware writers in Japan who don't like people who illegally share content."
Previously, attackers would write programs that would affect the largest possible number of users, but that's no longer necessarily the case, Marcus said. "What we've noticed over the last couple of years is that a growing amount of malware is localized."
McAfee believes that there are a few reasons behind this shift. For one thing, writers no longer want the worldwide attention and law enforcement action that was garnered by outbreaks such as Sasser and Netsky.
And with users becoming more wary, hackers have to be crafty with their attacks -- creating more targeted malware that victims are unlikely to have seen before. Another factor is that criminals are increasingly targeting their attacks to regions that have weak cybercrime enforcement, McAfee believes.
Regional attacks also cater to regional tastes. Online banking is widely used in Brazil, so much of the malware there tries to steal banking usernames and passwords. In China, online gaming is so popular that Chinese World of Warcraft password stealers are now the second-largest class of malware tracked by McAfee, Marcus said.
These regional attacks are part of an explosion of viruses and Trojan programs that is making life more difficult for people companies like McAfee that track and intercept the malware. In 2006, the company identified 53,537 unique pieces of malware according to data set to be published Thursday in Sage, McAfee's semi-annual magazine devoted to security issues.
Last year that number jumped 246 percent to 131,862, and it could double again this year. By the end of 2008, McAfee expects to be identifying about 750 pieces of malware per day.
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Walking into The Ice Cream Factory, the walls look good enough to eat. And that�s kind of the idea, say owners Chris and Bethany Casa.
The �factory� theme fits into the name of the Box Factory building where it sits on Main Street, Fairport. Local artist Lorraine Staunch created a colorful mural inside the shop illustrates this concept with gears made out of fruit slices and scoops of blue and green ice cream moving along a conveyor belt.
�I had someone come in and tell me, �This is the only place that really looks like an ice cream place,�� said Chris, 40.
The shop opened May 1 after longtime local favorite, Lickety Splits, closed in 2012. Although ownership has changed, Casa said the location on the Erie Canal couldn�t be better for foot traffic from pedestrians and families stopping for a sweet treat after spending time outdoors.
�There are so many events in the village that help business,� said Casa. �We have Canal Days and Music and Food Fest in the summer, the (crew) regatta and Scarecrow Fest in the fall � it�s always busy.�
This year, The Ice Cream Factory will be tentatively closing for the season in late September, depending on weather. Casa said next year the owners hope to add onto their kitchen space, and reveal their plans to make their business more versatile although what that means, exactly, is still under wraps.
� For now, you�ll find a steady stream of customers ordering the likes of red velvet cake, �Movie Time� (popcorn flavored ice cream with caramel) and other unique flavors, along with many old favorites.
The Ice Cream Factory: A new sweet spot
Walking into The Ice Cream Factory, the walls look good enough to eat. And that�s kind of the idea, say owners Chris and Bethany Casa.


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Lots of teens have questions about drugs. That's why each year, NIDA scientists spend a day chatting online with high school students and answering their questions.
At NIDA's last Drug Facts Chat Day, ham223 asked this question:
"What types of drugs are most used by high school students?"
According to NIDA's Monitoring the Future Survey—which looks at the different drugs that teens are using—alcohol is number one (yes, it's a drug), followed by tobacco and marijuana, which are pretty equal.
Turns out, though, that not many teens are using most illegal drugs. The survey shows that in 2008, fewer than 1 in 6 10th graders reported that they used any illegal drug in the past month. And the numbers are still going down.
Update: For the latest findings from the Monitoring the Future survey, check out this blog post.
Just because you passed your HSEE and you've taken all Honors and AP classes doesnt make you smart. and your pretty stupid if ya think it does. so everyone who says im wrong shut the hell up and go back to school
Stonerguy is right, The most used drug is weed. and no drugs arent good. but some people have good resons for using them.
addicts are nowhere decreasing, they are increasing.No serious step is taken by the authority.At the back of the cigarette packs it is mentioned that smoking is injurious to health but is the supply of these packs stopped...???
no....its not...so the no.of addicts will also not stop.
Hi, i'm a student in Canada
Alot of students around me were smoking marijuana, until late (last grades!)
I'm pretty sure if you stop them all at the exit of the school on a thursday or friday, you would get at least 20 to a 100 students with either marijuana, pills, mushroom and all kinds of other stuff...
And i was in a private school!!!
Anyway, my professors said Internet doesn't help either with the drugs being shown and used everywhere.
One wrote a research on the effect of internet on a learning process about a specefic subject who i found very interesting.
And inovision did NetSmartz, a little add-on that you enable and shows good (no drugs, s*x, violence, or least possible) content only.
PS:Hope this helps for your kids, i wasn't aware there was that much bad stuff on internet until i got my own computer and own appartment!
Thank you,
-proud smoke-free student-
It's cooler to say no!
were can i find a website that is on drugs
@libbie There's a lot of good information right here on Sara Bellum Blog. Check back frequently - we're always updating with new blog posts! For more info right now, you might also want to check out the NIDA for Teens site, especially for facts about prescription drugs: https://teens.drugabuse.gov/index.php.
Parents should monitor their son and daughter's activities maybe this could help fight against drugs to teens.
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right now im in high school, year 10, and i have seen many people going with drugs. i know many people that smoke cigarettes, and even some that have become addicted and smoke around 2 packs a week! and i remind you... these people are 13! another drug that is fairly common in my school and my previous school was alcohol. because alcohol is legal for people over the age of 18, it is made fairly easy access for high schooler and it has become a problem as people have parties on weekend and get very drunk to the point of vomiting, but also because they have started drinking during school hours by putting vodka in orange juice bottles. The last drug i have encountered was marajana. Although this is usualy less common in schools because it is harder to optain, it can still be a problem and can cause troubles if not used properly.
I have went to both a very private school and to a fairly public school, and although drugs are easier to find in public school, were around a third of the students who will get very drunk throughout the year, this doesnt mean you will be safe knowing you put your kid in a private school because they are still all there, just usually not a visible, and remeber, in every school there will be drugs and you cant just keep changing your kid from schools everytime you know there are drugs there because as fast as you run, the drugs will always be there, no, you must learn to trust your kid and teach him/her to say no and not to submit to peer presure. the easiest way to do this is to make alcohol and other drugs not seem like a very big deal, give him or her a sip once in a while, and like that they will learn to say no.
i think dat drugs are really bad for your health !! drugs make you have no self confidence and you are never yourself… soo even tho ive never taken drugs !! my advice is too any 1 to never ever take drugs … its not worth losing your family and fighting wit ur friends… [commercial link removed, per guidelines]
ok i have not done any "bad" drugs but i do drink and i do smoke the Mary Jane (marijuana), and i am a sophomore in high school. some people say that you will have your grads drop and you will have mood swings but no that is not the case with a lot of people, i know a bunch of people that do smoke the Mary Jane and they r the same all the time. i for one only smoke when there is no school or on the weekends with friends and i love it. and i am even thinkin bout experimenting with other drugs just to see ow it feels and what it does to me, any ways this is the time and age to do it.
@Special_K Hmm - not sure I agree. This may be the worst time to "do it," as you say, because at least until your mid-20s your brain is still developing and drugs of abuse can affect it—including your memory, your coordination, your motivation, all the things that help you succeed in school and, well, in life. Drugs are not the healthiest way to make you feel good. Developing hobbies, getting together with friends, listening to music are just a few activities that can put you on a path to feeling good - not just from the artificial chemical release that drugs create in your brain, but from having accomplishing something you might be proud of down the road. Can you think of other stuff you like to do that doesn't require altering your brain? Just a thought.
I'm a senior in high school at the moment, taking 3 ap courses and an in college class. I smoke marijuana daily since 10th grade. As of yet, the only harmful effect I've had was fluid build-up in my lungs. Which I stopped smoking for and took a couple weeks to clear up. Any other drug you can think of, I've done. Any snorted drug does terrible damage to your nose, I would wake up and take a shower only to bleed from my nose every day. Since then I've quit everything except marijuana and drinking. If you let drugs get out of hand, which I've seen happen, it can be very damaging no only to your body but your life in general. The key is to have and keep good friends that can let you know when they feel your habit is getting out of hand. And then not be to proud to get help if you can't quit on your own. I dont advocate the use of drugs, however I feel that simply saying that all drugs are bad for you is an extremist perception that instead of being helpful as intended, but harmful to the youth. People need to know what they can and can't do. Limits of will, mentality, and physical "strength" for lack of a better word, are easily tested by drugs. I'm nit saying either to go out and try to overdose on whatever drug you can get ahold of either, simply that if you try and enjoy a drug, find your limit, with sober supervision, slowly so that if you have the chance to do the drug again, you know how much to take. Again, I do not advocate drug use.
why do teenagers depend on drugs? is it to become popular at school or just to impress or friends
I've never tried drugs, and I dont want to. Most of my friends have either tried drugs or are addicted to them. I've seen what happens to them, and it's not usually pretty. It's hard to quit once you get addicted, but two of my friends have done it. My advice to any teenager is not to start drugs. Ever.
dont do drugs or the drug will do you
@fafa gals - no. teenagers do drugs because they are fun.
@daef you are sooo wrong. People in my schools use drugs just because all their friends do. When they see their friend with drugs they ask to try it. Sad how many people just follow what their friends do.
dont sdo drugs they are bad for you. my father is on bath salts and he does coaine and he is going nuts. he now talks to the underneath of the couch because he thinks people are under there spying on him
people do drug because they like the feeling...its not just because your trying to impress your friends its because we like the feeling
Teens do drugs for many reasons: peer preasure, curiosity, trying to be "cool", etc... The thing is, they are killing their brains. Yes, they give you a great feeling of pleasure, but there is a limit that the human body has before it basically loses that feeling. So, overtime, after continuous use, the body won't feel that pleasure anymore, and not just being "high", but pleasure period. When the user then loses that feeling, they use more of that drug to get that feeling back. From there, they get to a level of danger of OD and cause immense damage to the body they have left. Now, some say "That's will the drugs like heroin, cocaine, and meth." The truth is that it's with any drug that gives that pleasure, whether it be pot, crack, or even some over-the-counter drugs. Honestly, I think that today's society in general is ill-informed on the dangers of drugs, but don't care about them because apparently the search for pleasure in illegal methods is greater than trying to preserve the beauty of pure life.
ST is right. Don't lose out on the real pleasures in life for a mere lie. I know a guy who stopped using meth because he could no longer get high. He has depleted his neurotransmitter production and now he is in poor physical health in danger of death at age 47. I am 45 and spry as I was at 25. He is also anxiety ridden and depressed at the same time. He cannot make decisions, analyze information, remember anything! and is now a lowly chicken fry cook living with his drugged out sister.
I think drugs are horrible. it's not something that any one should do. it does make people different. It's not good. yes ive drank alcohol and yes ive smoked MJ twice and i AM NOT proud of that, but im almost twenty years old. Im in college and i think that YES!...people do try drugs to impress other people. it might not be to impress somebody to make them like you, but i do however think that if you and one of your friends are hanging out and your friend starts to do drugs any type of drugs, and then they ask you, that, that person would be more apps to say yes because of peer pressure. Honestly i think you have to be a pretty strong willed person to turn down anything a friend throw at you. Ive seen people who were close to me in my life, start doing different types of drugs then they start to change, it seems theyre more pron to cause problems or sneak around and hurt people. i think after a while they find plessure in hurting people. I live in the boondocks so out in the country its kinda hard to find things to do. you can get into the car and drive a few miles to get anywhere fun. you have to drive 45minutes to and hour to get to anything like a mall. So i think that people in small towns are more apps to just sit around and drink. I also know girls who are skanky when sober so throw in some alcohol or drugs and they get even worse. and i think its just an excuse! so i think that drugs are bad and i mean all drugs. i do drink every now and then im not gonna lie. and yes thats a type of drug but i know my point, and i honestly dont want to even think about my little sister trying drugs. alcohol isnt to bad but anything else it would break my heart.
this is very true i, doing a project on these types of drugs
I'm about to go into high school next year, and am currently doing a project on drugs. Even though I'm not a high school student yet I have a few things to say:
Stoner4Life as soon as you let yourself do drugs the drug is out of hand. sas is right, you do drugs and the drug will do you, it'll do you in cruel ways and you'll never be able to stop using. If you "only" do marijuana and alcohol that's too much marijuana and alcohol, escpecially scince your not even of age to drink alcohol. The amount of alcohol and pot you should be using is NONE. I'm not trying to lecture you, I'm trying to show to the truth.
k-GEE, just becaus eyour not a high school kid doesn't mean that it's not illegal and is ok for you to use. It doesn't matter if your "not using the hard ones" you shouldn't be using any at all!
BlAh, I tottaly agree with you, drugs are HORRIBLE. Just the thought of someone in my family breaks my heart and puts me to shame of them, let alone my older sister, who's also 20. I know I cant control her life, and she IS 20 (still doesn't make drugs ok) so she can do what she wants (Besides drugs, my mom would kill her whether she was 20 or 50) scince she's a leagal adult, but she's my only sibling, and we're really close.
Ocpsychmajor, that must really hurt, seeing a friend like that.
To any else I missed: DON'T DO DRUGS!!!! I dont care if your the next einstien or just a regular person, you will be labeled "Messed up" and "Needs help" in my mind.
my brother did drugs and my life was hell
@stoner4life: bro, were you stoned when you wrote that?lmfao. k, bro. you just keep on drinking and doin your thing. just cause you dont experience any harmful effects right now, doesnt mean you wont in the future. seriously, since 10th grade?!?!?!?!!? broosskii, where'd the hell did ya get all that money from? why would you waste your [expletive deleted] money on drugs on alcohol. seriously, it doesnt effing matter if your taking freaking ap, college classes. one day you're gonna get really hurt by drugs and alcohol. trust me bro, i lost my dad because of alcohol.
I have had to deal with many situations in my life where drugs can have a horrible effect on peoples lives thats why it is great that we all come together and bring awareness to this issues like we are doing with the new film defining instincts....
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awesome post and great to see people actually talking about it!!!
personally i think students do more drugs that what people expect. The fact is people in their teenage years are finding themselves trying out new things iv done most drugs my self never had bad experience always had fun still do my life isnt ruined its very good i am not addicted to any substance i do it when i want on my own terms a little self control goes a long way.
@ithinkyouworrytoomuch? Right, teenagers like to try new things, which can be good and bad, as everyone knows. And with drugs, while a little self control goes a long way, it's not always enough. Some people reach a point where they seek and take drugs, despite huge problems it causes for them and their loved ones. At that point, it's not simply a matter of self control.
My son is 33 years old and badly hooked on bath salts.Like the girl that wrote her dad talks underneath his couch because he thinks people are under there my son thinks someone lives in his attic and people are climbing the trees around his house and watching him.He has pawned most of the stuff in his house to get it.I have been thru his coke addiction with him and he was clean for three years,that was bad but candy compared to this.He has los hurt me when I refuse to give him money fort his job,his son he raised,most family & friends.All I can do for him is pray for him.I have changed my locks not because I think he will rob me but because I think he might hurt me if I refuse to give money.He is not the son I know.One other thing to look for the smell is alful when they smoke it he now surns insense and uses lots of air freshner.I will be praying for you all.
r his job,his son he raised,most friends & family.
@Dale So sorry to hear about the terrible circumstances and repercussions for your family based on your son's addiction to bath salts. For those who have not heard of this drug before, or for others who might think "bath salts" are something far less dangerous, please see our current post on Sara Bellum, Keep "Bath Salts" in the Tub: https://teens.drugabuse.gov/blog/bath-salts-tub/
Wow. I had no idea until today people r actually doing bath salts. A man on bath salts removed his own liver w/ a mechanical pencil while high on bathsalts...
Drugs can be fun,at first.
Kids know this.
But what they don't seem to know/realize is that eventually they control your life,and everything you do.
Drugs are bad dont do them
this is all crazy kids should not do drugs it messes up your future if you believe it or not eapecially if you get styarted too soon it messes up everything .. there is no need if you think you are cool for doing drugs you really aint grow up && stopp withh all the druggss.. NOO NEEDD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
people are stupied for doing drugs ans i know i cant tell them to stop but i bet have the people dont even know how the drug effect ur body in all different reason.DURGS ARENT ANY GOOD FOR U
DONT DO DRuGSS!!!!!!!
i think teenager are so stuipd for doing drugs they do it to make them slef look good will let me tell you something you look stuipd when you smoke you dont have to smoke to become cool or popular just be your slef and it ewill get you some where in love
Drugs don't ju, but most people effect you and your friends, but the other people around you they see you do it and then they wanna try it, so your basically killing some poor sweet mother child who she'll never see again and your the one to blame.
think about that!
love to all the people who loved ones die of drugs....
your not alone
Illegal drugs consumption is very dangerous to everybody.
I'm a junior and I go to a private high school that is very prestigious. In fact 98.7% of men (because it is an all boys school) who graduate go to college from our high school. I took a survey to see who smokes marijuana. My results were shocking in that 64% of men in my research smoked or use marijuana at least once a week. I also took results for GPA's and over 72% of the men I surveyed achieved a 3.7 or higher. I was surprised to see the results, even though I myself smoke marijuana at least once a week. My GPA is at 3.83 and I've gotten a 29 on my ACT. I've researched the effects of marijuana and found that ITS NOT THAT BAD FOR YOU. In fact, ITS NOT HARMFUL AT ALL if you use a vaporizer. It is only somewhat harmful if you smoke it because fluids and other bacteria can get into your lungs. Some people think you can get cancer from it, and that is proven to be wrong in numerous researchers' works. Overall, I believe marijuana is not bad for you, and if you disagree I ask that you do some more research.
I applaud you for your interest in research. I'm sure you realize that your limited sample is necessarily skewed. The new Monitoring the Future (MTF) Survey results, just released December 14, indicate that among 12th-graders, 36.4% reported using marijuana in the past year, and 6.6% reported using daily, or almost daily. The MTF is an annual survey of nearly 47,000 8th, 10th and 12th graders nationwide. More information is available at http://www.nida.nih.gov/newsroom/11/NR12-14.html. In response to the cancer reference – it is true that several studies have been conducted where they did not find a significant link between marijuana and cancer – but it has not been "proven to be wrong." Some studies have shown a potential link, others have not. It is a very complex issue and more research is definitely needed.
If people want to do drugs its their own decision, sure drugs can be harmful, but so is everything else in life? Saying that teens do drugs to "impress" is like saying people wear clothes to look popular. People do things for many reasons and no one actually has a right to say someone shouldn't do something. You're not the one doing it so stay out of it. Simple as. Also as a teen ive seen many people do drugs including myself, infact the smartest people at my school do weed and other such drugs. It hasn't seemed to effect them yet, they just use it as a sort of way to wind down. As much as you all say you care, your opinion doesn't mean much to a teenager, sorry.
Well I can't speak for everybody, but as a high school senior in AP Lit and AP Eco along with remedial algebra and regular physics in a pretty ethnically diverse high school of somewhat lower income that I'm not going to state the name of for obvious reasons I can vouch that drugs have crossed into every subculture, ethnicity, and background. I myself did not try drugs at first because of others, instead I wished to see how my own body reacts to certain substances, however I cannot say I am normal. I did try marijuana and am now a daily user because I saw others do it, and to fit in with friends. Most people know me as the kid that was coked out in 4th period. Or that kid who shot up smack during a lecture. So it is safe to say that I've done my fair share of drugs. I have done methamphetamines, amps, weed, heroin, crack, cocaine, alcohol, spice, ecstasy, piperazine, robbitussin, CCC, opium, air freshener, nos, whippits, air compressor, acid, shrooms, vallium, mescaline, DMT, GHB, salvia, oxycontin, adderal, and some pain relievers from when I had my wisdom teeth removed. Some would say a drug addict with this list is simply trying to impress friends, however no one other than me and I suppose others reading this comment know about most of these drugs that I have done. It was (for me at least) a personal journey. As I have said I am a daily toker, weekend piperazine popper, and a social coke snorter. However my favorite of all drugs is MDMA ecstasy, and I would quit everything for it. My pill count is 286 over a span of less than a year (my first drug was air freshener in 11th grade) unfortuanetly due to complications it is no longer available to me so I smoke. Anyways to get to my point, personally I regret not waiting till my education was over before trying drugs, as my grades did slip below a 3.0 average due to my increased drug habit. ....so yeah, those were my two cents.
@just a kid Thank you for sharing your story. If/when you feel like reaching out for treatment, you can find a facility near you by calling 1-800-662-HELP or visiting http://findtreatment.samhsa.gov.
Oh and I suppose to add to the discussion, at my high school the predominant drugs (I am aware of others using) are alcohol, marijuana (many smoke it in the bathrooms other buy THC pills), and cocaine. I am not sure if cigarettes habits are that high as I have my studies to focus on, rather than others' consumption of drugs.
if "all" drugs are bad explain to me why caffeine is legal, yet studies show caffeine can be detrimental in large amounts just like any drug. and 2nd marijuana is a plant not a drug, THC and CBD are the active compounds in marijuana and are proven to be therapeutic if used the right way. as a highschool student i'm embarresed to say i'm from america where people don't know the difference between right and write...
btw i'm in high school and i see no real harmful effect of using marijuana in limited amounts but if it was legalized and regulated it would be a great source of income and also would reduce crime rates and finally stop the growing problem of over-crowded jails.
@420reasonswhy "All" drugs are not bad, agreed, and the compounds in marijuana can be therapeutic if used in the right way. However, just because a drug is also a plant doesn't make it harmless (opium, for example).


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Mixing the tubular gene pool
Now here is something you don't see every day! My dear friend Michel, an old friend of Dubba's whom I was introduced to last year on our trip to za Motherland, sent me some spy photos. Yummy. Now, if any of you have seen Transitions 2, you know Michel is a master mechanic (especially when he tweeeeeaks Kashi's rear derailleur hanger in his garage by hand...creeeeek. Remember that! Ha!) but our boy Michel knows his equipment. He blew me away with his knowledge and advice during our mini campaign last January. He let us try some very rare custom made FMBs for the beach sand at Worlds last year and now, working with FMB, has come up with another sweet concoction: Challenge Fango's glued to FMB casings. Boing!
The Challenge casings are good out of the box...but FMB's are not unlike Dugasts.....suppleness on the extreme side. This pattern and those casings are likely 'ta die faw'. Reports on the Fangos this weekend here on the super slippery CO courses were great. I'm still waiting to try 'em out! But Michel, I'll promise to come back soon to try 'em out on the sweet Belgian peat I long to kiss again...
Enjoy these pictures with your coffee this AM:
And lastly, here is Michel himself railing it this past weekend in Limburg. Michel is a guy, readers, who I have on video mixing it up with Sven Nys and the rest of the Flahutes. Give 'em hell Michel!


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Joseph Grady, 62, of Stroudsburg, died unexpectedly, June 24, 2013, at his home.
Born in Scranton, he was a loving son of the late Joseph and Elizabeth Ann (Murray) Grady.
He is survived by his brothers: William Grady and his wife, Jackie, of South Fork; Paul Grady and his wife, Nancy, of Blandon; one sister, Deborah Koprowski and her husband, Chet of Wyomissing; and several nieces and nephews.
Friends and family may gather from 9:30 a.m. until the time of Mass Friday, June 28, at St. Mary of the Mount Church, 27 Fairview Ave., Mount Pocono.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Friday at the church. Burial will follow at St. Catherine's Cemetery, Moscow.
Bolock Funeral Home & Crematory
6148 Paradise Valley Road, Cresco
Joseph Grady
Joseph Grady, 62, of Stroudsburg, died unexpectedly, June 24, 2013, at his home.


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Suppose I have some smooth closed high-dimensional manifold $M$ acted on smoothly by a finite group $G$. By a metric averaging procedure, we can equip $M$ with a smooth Riemannian metric so that $G$ acts by isometries. I can't necessarily pick a $G$-invariant morse function $f:M\to\mathbb R$, but nevertheless, I can certainly pick a smooth function $f:M\to\mathbb R$ which, though perhaps not Morse, still has only isolated "nice" critical points in some precise sense. We therefore conclude:
There is a "handle" decomposition of $M$ (where I haven't said what I mean by "handle") which is preserved by $G$. Thus $G$ just permutes (and/or acts on individually) the handles.
I am interested in knowing to what extent this can be generalized to the case of an "action up to homotopy". More specifically, suppose we have $G\to\operatorname{Homeo}(M)/\text{homotopy}$. To what extent can we "decompose" M into simple pieces in a $G$-invariant way? If it helps, then it is OK to assume that the action of $G$ is "close to the identity" in a vague coarse sense.
(I am essentially just interested on the case of high-dimensional $M$, but of course the question makes sense in any dimension).


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Wednesday, January 21, 2009
In a simple timber home near the North Pine River, in the Colony of Queensland, Angelina gave birth to her little boy, who she named Ben. Her friend Mrs Fogg, whose husband owned the general store in Petrie town had come to help her; the older children were being cared for by a neighbour. It was mid-December, and the frequent storms and hot, humid weather had sapped her of her energy. She had felt the pressure of this pregnancy for many weeks now, as her body sagged under the strain of too many babies.
Mrs Fogg was not a midwife, but was a sensible woman who was trusted in the district. Her own child had died very young, and she had had several miscarriages, years ago. There was a midwife and even a doctor in Caboolture, or Redcliffe, but the distances were too great for most ordinary folks to contemplate.
For a couple of days after the birth Angelina had rested in bed, waiting for her strength to return. Mrs Fogg stayed with her, and brought food, and helped her wash. The baby was often fretful, and Angelina patiently nursed him at her breast. She remembered the early days after each of her births, as the babies eagerly took what they could. Then the milk came in, and a peaceful hush settled on the child and the home.
A few more days passed, and rather than feeling stronger Angelina became feverish, and was in pain. Her lochia had developed an offensive odour, obvious to anyone entering the room. The milk that had come in, dried up, and baby Ben became more demanding and unsettled. It was thought best that he be nursed by a young mother from the Church, whose own baby was a few months old. Angelina had encouraged her as she had faced her own challenges, and she was more than willing to do what she could.
By seven days Angelina was barely aware of what anyone said. Her husband James knew they faced a critical situation, and his heart was heavy as he went about his work on the farm each day, with the help of the older boys. He had watched this woman, his beloved wife of sixteen years, and had admired her strength and wisdom. He saddled his horse and rode several hours to find the doctor, who gave him some powders for the fever and pain, and promised to come as soon as he could.
It was Christmas eve, two weeks after the birth, when Angelina experienced a severe secondary haemorrhage. In her already weakened state, her gentle face was listless and ghostly pale. They had tried all the remedies and treatments available. As each minute, each hour passed, those who knew her prayed for her recovery. Two days later, as she ceased to breathe, her stricken husband gathered the children around him, and committed her spirit to their loving Heavenly father.
The Reverend C Clarke from the Presbyterian Church officiated at Angelina's burial the next day at the North Pine Cemetery. Other witnesses are recorded as John Todd, Archibald Hamilton, and Joseph Slater.
Several weeks later James again saddled his horse and returned to Caboolture with the documents, so that he could register her death. The cause of death was recorded as 'in child bed'. 'None' was recorded against the question 'Medical attendant by whom certified'.
Angelina's children's names are listed on her death certificate, and their ages: 14, 12, 11, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 2, 1 and 16 days. My grandfather, Frank White, was her four-year old son.
We don't know much about Angelina - most of the detail in this brief note is from her death certificate. It seems right to record the names of those who shared this journey with my great grandfather, my grandfather, and his brothers and sister. I don't know who attended to Angelina's needs in her last days: the role Mrs Fogg played is fictional.
The only photo we have of Angelina shows a strong young woman, dressed handsomely, next to a piano. Angelina, who was born to Samuel and Elizabeth Smith in London, probably came with her family to Queensland in the early 1860s.
In telling Angelina's story I want to value her as a mother; and as one whose mother-love and strength of character was passed on to her children's children, in spite of her too-early death.
3 comments:
- Sif said...
Joy, that was beautifully written!
I was just thinking about the "nature" of birth and death (and other milestones in life) the other day, and how far departed we are from those things these days, how little of nature and it's cycle we accept these days because we don't HAVE to accept it. In a way, we also don't honour that cycle because we write it all off as "needless tragedy" if it isn't to our liking.
I'm sorry your father lost his mother at such a young age, it sounds like she lived a very full life to the point of her death, that is something to admire!
- 12:16 am
- Joy Johnston said...
Thankyou for these comments Sif. You are right - we don't have to accept those parts of nature for which we have developed ways of circumvention. It was only 1847 that Semmelweis identified surgeons' hands as the route of spread of puerperal infection, and in 1865 Lister developed his system of hand washing and asepsis. Angelina died in 1883, and it is likely that the 'modern' ideas about germs and asepsis were not even known in the young colony.
Working in harmony with the natural processes today has very clear boundaries which would probably protect Angelina from the dangerous outcomes of post-birth infection, haemorrhage, and the whole large family scenario.
The knowledge of my great grandmother's life and death, and what I know of my mother, and grandmothers, has been significant in my personal development as a woman, a mother, and a midwife.
- 9:54 am
- Helen Barrington said...
wow Joy what a lovely yet so sad story/life. She was SO needed by all those children and yet she was taken!! wow.
My Great Grandmother was a Midwife in Tasmania. l have photos of her, she was very stern looking, not sure l would have wanted her at my births ?? She rode horse back to births and carried with her a kerosine latern !! Far cry from my hikers head torch !! And my speedy Commodore !! We have a lot to learn dont we ?
- 10:02 am


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Suhab's broad range of eco-products are helping users shift easily towards sustainable habits through smart and sexy products with minimum environmental impact. The Mexican brand describes their work as "little steps towards big changes" and accompanies its designs with campaigns that spread consumer consciousness about environmental issues and solutions.
The collective's members are a mix of environmentalists and designers that work together to create integral solutions that take into account the products' cycles and how its materials are obtained, used and reintegrated to nature when its productive life ends. Their products are targeted providing positive alternatives that promote recycling, composting and reusing. They work on different scales and materials, doing notebooks, bags, furniture and even compost bins for small residential spaces and gardens.
Products like Suhab's portable ashtray address common bad habits such as throwing cigarette buts and ash on the street. The small, portable metal cylinder has an opening where you can insert the ash and buts while you reach the next trashcan.
Other designs from Suhab fight against the use of plastic bags at the supermarket through fashionable cotton bags. The colorful designs are one of those simple solutions that can become positive consumer habits. The bags' prints range from Suhab's own designs to guest designers and artisans. By using striking infographic prints about the harm of plastic bags to the environment, Suhab effectively communicates a message that complements the purpose of the product.
Besides eco-products, the brand also integrates social design practices by collaborating with women artisans from the state of Chiapas and Huichol Indians from Nayarit on the brands' cotton bag line. These artworks and interventions are manufactured locally in their respective indigenous communities, preserving traditional techniques and providing a fair trade business scheme for them.
Suhab is constantly experimenting and creating designs that approach sustainability in everyday products, such as a portable USB drive made out of cork and recycled rubber. This incredible little device is Suhab's way of making a statement about the burning of tires. This design separates itself from their traditional crafted products mentioned before.
The mission that drives Suhab has had great results so far with a Mexico City showroom and collaborations with other designers and stores. Although today Suhab calls them "little steps", they are on their way of becoming tomorrow's big changes in Mexico.


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Mayor orders 104 neighborhood blocks to be rehabilitated
Mayor Don Wesely today announced that the pothole repair season is under way and that $5 million will be spent to repair major arterial streets and 104 residential blocks this year. Mayor Wesely reminded motorists to take extra care in driving around city crews filling potholes and repairing streets. The city Public Works and Utilities Department has been able to start making permanent pothole repairs as the asphalt mixture required becomes available from the manufacturer.
"We repair street potholes all year, but permanent repairs can only made in warmer weather," said Mayor Wesely. "Fortunately, our relatively warm winter has resulted in fewer potholes than last year. We urge citizens to report potholes that need attention."
Citizens can call the pothole hotline at 441-7646, or they can fill out a street service request form available on the home page of the city's web site at www.lincoln.ne.gov.
"Every year I've made street repair a priority, and for the last several years, I've ordered that more than 100 residential blocks be repaired or resurfaced," said Mayor Wesely. Wesely quadrupled the number of neighborhood blocks rehabilitated in 1999 and has continued that high level each year.
"Maintaining our city streets is a core service that affects every resident every day. It affects our economy and our quality of life," said Wesely. "Residential street repair is a priority because it has a positive impact on the appearance of neighborhoods, property values, traffic conditions and safety."
Potholes are created when water seeps into cracks in the pavement, freezes and expands. Bill Nass, Maintenance Coordinator in the Street Operations Division, said asphalt used to make permanent repairs can only be used in warmer temperatures so the plants that manufacture that type of asphalt close during the winter months.
"The recent warm weather has increased not just pothole repair work, but also clean up work such as street sweeping, cleaning storm sewers and getting debris out of ditches," said Nass. "We have been able to repair potholes reported on arterial streets within about three days and on residential streets within about four days."
The $5 million allocated for street rehabilitation this calendar year includes $2.9 million for arterials, $1.6 million for residential streets and another $500,000 for contingencies and engineering work.
Jim Visger, Design and Construction Manager, said a ranking system is used to determine which streets will be rehabilitated. The criteria include the current condition of roadway surface, the condition of the curbs, the type of base, traffic volumes and types of traffic. Visger said this is the third year the city is using a more durable asphalt, which is similar to that used on interstates.
A current list of street rehabilitation projects is attached. The list is also available on the city web site, www.lincoln.ne.gov, under Public Works and Utilities.
Media Release


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March 6, 2012 — A Washington bill (HB 2330) that would require health plans that cover maternity care to also cover abortion care appears defeated for this session, after it failed to advance to the Senate floor ahead of a Friday deadline, the AP/Seattle Times reports. The bill could be taken up in a special session.
The bill had cleared the full House, and Democrats expected to have the necessary Senate votes for passage. However, on Friday, two attempts to bring it to the floor were voted down after a contentious budget discussion. Three Democrats who sided with Republicans in the budget debate also joined them in voting against efforts to bring the abortion coverage bill to the floor.
Supporters of the bill say it would have ensured continued access to abortion coverage after the state establishes its health insurance exchange as part of the federal health reform law (PL 111-148) (Kaminsky, AP/Seattle Times, 3/2).


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Heat Wave: A Major Summer Killer
A National Problem
Heat kills by taxing the human body beyond its abilities. In a normal year, about 175 Americans succumb to
the demands of summer heat. Among the large continental family of natural hazards, only the cold of winter-
not lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, or earthquakes-takes a greater toll. In the 40-year period from
1936 through 1975, nearly 20,000 people were killed in the United States by the effects of heat and solar
radiation. In the disastrous heat wave of 1980, more than 1,250 people died.
And these are the direct casualties. No one can know how many more deaths are advanced by heat wave
weather-how many diseased or aging hearts surrender that under better conditions would have continued
North American summers are hot; most summers see heat waves in one section or another of the United
States. East of the Rockies, they tend to combine both high temperature and high humidity although some of
the worst have been catastrophically dry.
NOAA's National Weather Service Heat Index Program
Considering this tragic death toll, the National Weather Service (NWS) has stepped up its efforts to alert
more effectively the general public and appropriate authorities to the hazards of heat waves-those prolonged
excessive heat/humidity episodes.
Based on the latest research findings, the NWS has devised the "Heat Index" (HI), (sometimes referred to
as the "apparent temperature"). The HI, given in degrees F, is an accurate measure of how hot it really feels
when relative humidity (RH) is added to the actual air temperature.
To find the HI, look at the Heat Index Chart. As an example, if the air temperature is 96°F (found on the top
of the table) and the RH is 65% (found on the left of the table), the HI-or how hot it really feels-is 121°F.
This is at the intersection of the 96° column and the 65% row.
IMPORTANT: Since HI values were devised for shady, light wind conditions, EXPOSURE TO FULL
SUNSHINE CAN INCREASE HI VALUES BY UP TO 15°F. Also, STRONG WINDS, PARTICULARLY
Heat Index/Heat Disorders: Possible heat disorders for people in higher risk groups.
Heat Index of 130° OR Higher: HEATSTROKE/SUNSTROKE HIGHLY HIGHER LIKELY WITH
Heat Index of 105°- 130°: SUNSTROKE, HEAT CRAMPS OR HEAT EXHAUSTION LIKELY, AND
Heat Index of 90°- 105°: SUNSTROKE, HEAT CRAMPS AND HEAT EXHAUSTION POSSIBLE WITH
Heat Index of 80° - 90°: FATIGUE POSSIBLE WITH PROLONGED EXPOSURE AND/OR PHYSICAL
Note on the HI chart the shaded zone above 105°F. This corresponds to a level of HI that may cause
increasingly severe heat disorders with continued exposure and/or physical activity.
The "Heat Index vs. Heat Disorder" table (next to the HI chart) relates ranges of HI with specific disorders,
particularly for people in higher risk groups.
Summary of NWS's Alert Procedures
The NWS will initiate alert procedures when the HI is expected to exceed 105°- 1 10°F (depending on local
climate) for at least two consecutive days. The procedures are:
a Include HI values in zone and city forecasts.
• Issue Special Weather Statements and/or Public Information Statements presenting a detailed discussion of
• Extent of the hazard including HI values
• Who is most at risk
• Safety rules for reducing the risk.
• Assist state/local health officials in preparing Civil Emergency Messages in severe heat waves.
Meteorological information from Special Weather Statements will be included as well as more detailed
medical information, advice, and names and telephone numbers of health officials.
• Release to the media and over NOAA's own Weather Radio all of the above information.
• How Heat Affects the Body Human
• Human bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, by losing water through
the skin and sweat glands, and-as the last extremity is reached-by panting, when blood is heated above 98.6
degrees. The heart begins to pump more blood, blood vessels dilate to accommodate the increased flow, and
the bundles of tiny capillaries threading through the upper layers of skin are put into operation. The body's
blood is circulated closer to the skin's surface, and excess heat drains off into the cooler atmosphere. At the
same time, water diffuses through the skin as perspiration. The skin handles about 90 percent of the body's
heat dissipating function.
• Sweating, by itself, does nothing to cool the body, unless the water is removed by evaporation, and high
relative humidity retards evaporation. The evaporation process itself works this way: the heat energy
required to evaporate the sweat is extracted from the body, thereby cooling it. Under conditions of high
temperature (above 90 degrees) and high relative humidity, the body is doing everything it can to maintain
98.6 degrees inside. The heart is pumping a torrent of blood through dilated circulatory vessels; the sweat
glands are pouring liquid-including essential dissolved chemicals, like sodium and chloride onto the surface
of the skin.
Too Much Heat
Heat disorders generally have to do with a reduction or collapse of the body's ability to shed heat by
circulatory changes and sweating, or a chemical (salt) imbalance caused by too much sweating. When heat
gain exceeds the level the body can remove, or when the body cannot compensate for fluids and salt lost
through perspiration, the temperature of the body's inner core begins to rise and heat-related illness may
Ranging in severity, heat disorders share one common feature: the individual has overexposed or over
exercised for his age and physical condition in the existing thermal environment.
Sunburn, with its ultraviolet radiation burns, can significantly retard the skin's ability to shed excess heat.
Studies indicate that, other things being equal, the severity of heat disorders tend to increase with age-heat
cramps in a 17-year-old may be heat exhaustion in someone 40, and heat stroke in a person over 60.
Acclimatization has to do with adjusting sweat-salt concentrations, among other things. The idea is to lose
enough water to regulate body temperature, with the least possible chemical disturbance.
Cities Pose Special Hazards
The stagnant atmospheric conditions of the heat wave trap pollutants in urban areas and add the stresses of
severe pollution to the already dangerous stresses of hot weather, creating a health problem of undiscovered
dimensions. A map of heat-related deaths in St. Louis during 1966, for example, shows a heavier
concentration in the crowded alleys and towers of the inner city, where air quality would also be poor during a
heat wave.
The high inner-city death rates also can be read as poor access to air-conditioned rooms. While air condition-
ing may be a luxury in normal times, it can be a lifesaver during heat wave conditions.
The cost of cool air moves steadily higher, adding what appears to be a cruel economic side to heat wave
fatalities. Indications from the 1978 Texas heat wave suggest that some elderly people on fixed incomes, many
of them in buildings that could not be ventilated without air conditioning, found the cost too high, turned off
their units, and ultimately succumbed to the stresses of heat
Preventing Heat-Related Illness
Elderly persons, small children, chronic invalids, those on certain medications or drugs (especially tranquil-
izers and anticholinergics), and persons with weight and alcohol problems are particularly susceptible to heat
reactions, especially during heat waves in areas where a moderate climate usually prevails.
Heat Wave Safety Tips
Slow down. Strenuous activities should be reduced, eliminated, or rescheduled to the coolest time of the day.
Individuals at risk should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.
Dress for summer. Lightweight light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight, and helps your body maintain
normal temperatures.
Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods (like proteins) that increase metabolic heat production also increase
water loss.
Drink plenty of water or other non-alcohol fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids
even if you don't feel thirsty. Persons who (1) have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease, (2) are on fluid
restrictive diets or (3) have a problem with fluid retention should consult a physician before increasing their
consumption of fluids.
Do not drink alcoholic beverages.
Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.
Spend more time in air-conditioned places. Air conditioning in homes and other buildings markedly reduces
danger from the heat. If you cannot afford an air conditioner, spending some time each day (during hot
weather) in an air conditioned environment affords some protection.
Don't get too much sun. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult
Know These Heat Disorder Symptoms
SUNBURN: Redness and pain. In severe cases swelling of skin, blisters, fever, headaches. First Aid: Oint-
ments for mild cases if blisters appear and do not break. If breaking occurs, apply dry sterile dressing. Serious,
extensive cases should be seen by physician.
HEAT CRAMPS: Painful spasms usually in muscles of legs and abdomen possible. Heavy sweating. First
Aid: Firm pressure on cramping muscles, or gentle massage to relieve spasm. Give sips of water. If nausea
occurs, discontinue use.
HEAT EXHAUSTION: Heavy sweating, weakness, skin cold, pale and clammy. Pulse thready. Normal tem-
perature possible. Fainting and vomiting. First Aid: Get victim out of sun. Lay down and loosen clothing. Ap-
ply cool, wet cloths. Fan or move victim to air conditioned room. Sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue
use. If vomiting continues, seek immediate medical attention.
HEAT STROKE (or sunstroke): High body temperature (106° F. or higher). Hot dry skin. Rapid and strong
pulse. Possible unconsciousness. First Aid: HEAT STROKE IS A SEVERE MEDICAL EMERGENCY. SUM-
DELAY CAN BE FATAL. Move the victim to a cooler environment Reduce body temperature with cold bath
or sponging. Use extreme caution. Remove clothing, use fans and air conditioners. If temperature rises again,
repeat process. Do not give fluids. Persons on salt restrictive diets should consult a physician before increas-
ing their salt intake.
Source: http://www.nws.noaa.gov


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Lincoln Mayor Don Wesely today stood on a bumpy graveled portion of West Adams Street that leads to new homes in northwest Lincoln to drive home the need for impact fees to be passed Monday by the City Council.
"The washboard-like graveled West Adams Street is an example of how big the funding gap for extending arterial streets really is and why impact fees are needed," said Mayor Wesely. "The City has fallen so far behind that the City is not scheduled to pave this street for another six years. It's less safe than a paved road, it's dusty, and it's a daily problem for the residents.
"This is the wrong way to build our community. If impact fees had been in place, West Adams would have been paved much sooner because the street fees would have helped pay for the improvements.
"West Adams is one of the main arterial streets for the new housing developments in this area of Lincoln, yet it remains unpaved west of Northwest 48th Street. I wish the City had the money to build this road when the housing development started because it would certainly be better for these new homeowners. Impact fees would have required a contribution toward improving the nearby arterial road like West Adams Street." The City Public Works and Utilities Department will take steps to control the dust on West Adams until the street is paved.
The Mayor noted that there are many other examples of the backlog of arterial street improvements needed to serve new areas, including 14th Street south of Old Cheney Road and Pine Lake Road between 40th and 56th streets. As with West Adams, these areas developed faster than the City's ability to fund street widening to handle the additional traffic.
"Critics have said impact fees will stop growth," said Mayor Wesely. "What stops growth is uncertainty and the inability to pay for new streets, water and sewer systems and parks. Impact fees are not the whole solution, but they are a fair way to share the costs between the new development and the taxpayer.
Lincoln's proposed impact fee is a one-time charge for new construction. The fee does not apply to existing houses, where the infrastructure is already built. The impact fee for single family homes begin at $2,500. Mayor Wesely has appointed an Infrastructure Finance Committee to suggest additional recommendations to close the funding shortage.
Mayor Wesely also countered criticism that impact fees will drive development out of town by pointing to infrastructure fees in nearby communities:
Mayor Wesely said radio ads claiming the impact fee will prevent people from buying homes are scare tactics designed to mislead the public.
"First of all, if the fictitious couple in the radio ad buys an existing home, there is no impact fee," said Mayor Wesely. "If the home buyer is truly low-income, the proposal includes provisions for a reduced impact fee or no impact fee. What the radio ads also do not tell you is that unless we have impact fees, taxpayers will cover the entire cost of new infrastructure through higher taxes and utility rates.
"The opponents are willing to pay for these radio ads because they want the taxpayer to continue paying the vast majority of the infrastructure costs to serve their new developments.
"Will that couple in the radio ad be able to buy a home when faced with higher and higher taxes and utilities rates? The fact is that I have held the line on the City property tax rate, and the impact fee will help hold the line on taxes and utility rates.
"We have spent several years examining alternatives and crafting compromises," said Mayor Wesely. "The impact fee proposal has the support of the community, including the Chamber of Commerce, developers and neighborhood associations. It's time for the City Council to pass impact fees."
Media Release


text: To all our bald readers: we may have a new solution for you. Water Wigs is a new photography experiment by action photographer, Tim Tadder. The series consists of high-speed still frame images from a photo shoot that combines bald men with buckets of water. The images are snapped right at the moment the water hits the head to create a hair-like form. Take a look at some of our favorites from this extensive series after the jump.


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The Distributed Wind Energy Association (DWEA) has named Haley Estes Roberto, vice president at Harvest the Wind Network, to its board of directors. Roberto was selected to replace outgoing board member Jenny Heinzen and will serve a one-year term.
In addition to Roberto, the DWEA board welcomed three additional industry leaders – Dave Blittersdorf, Dan Juhl and Heather Rhoads-Weaver – who were re-elected last fall for the 2013 calendar year.
The DWEA board serves as a unified voice for the distributed wind industry, from manufacturers to installers. DWEA provides leadership and guidance to all members on federal, state and local policy, and is expanding its membership base through development of programs and business opportunities.