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RI's Beisel Named Captain of Women's U.S. Olympic Swimming Team
Thursday, July 21, 2016
She was one of three captains selected, serving alongside Cammile Adams and Allison Schmitt.
Now competing in her 3rd Olympics, Beisel is coming off of a silver medal in the 400 IM and a bronze medal in the 200-meter backstroke at the 2012 Summer Olympics which took place in London.
The 2016 Olympic games open on August 5 in Rio.
Elizabeth Beisel
Beisel was born in Saunderstown, Rhode Island and graduated from North Kingstown High School in 2010.
Following high school, Beisel went to the University of Florida where she won 9 Southeastern Conference (SEC) individual championships.
She was named SEC Female Swimmer of the Year in 2012.
Related Slideshow: 25 Olympians from Rhode Island
Marissa Castelli
Figure Skating
Born in Cranston, Castelli will be competing with her partner Simon Shnapir at the upcoming 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. Despite initially beginning her skating career as a single skater, Castelli partnered with Shnapir in 2006. Since then, the pair has won numerous accolades, including the gold at the 2012 Ice Challenge and the Grand Prix medal at the 2012 NHK Trophy international competition.
Castelli and Shnapir have also won two U.S. national championships (2013 & 2014). In fact, the duo won their second national championship earlier this month at the TD Garden, which earned them a spot in the 2014 Olympics.
Castelli currently studies at the Community College of Rhode Island.
Ellison "Tarzan" Brown
Men's Marathon
Brown, known as "Deerfoot" among his native Narragansett tribe, was a popular and highly-accomplished distance runner during the 1930's and 1940's.
Brown competed in the marathon in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, and would have competed in the 1940 Olympics in Helsinki were it not cancelled due to World War II. But his greatest exploits were during the Boston Marathon. In the 1936 marathon, Brown took off so fast that the press chose instead to follow the number two runner, John Kelley. Eventually the two ended up neck-in-neck, but Brown "broke Kelley's heart" to take the final lead on the last hill in Newton, inspiring reporter Jerry Nason to coin the term "heartbreak hill."
Brown was raised in poverty on a Narragansett reservation in Charlestown. He worked as a stonemason and shell fisherman until he was run over and killed by a van in 1975. There is a road race named after him in Mystic, Connecticut.
Doris Brennan (Weir)
Women's Swimming
A native of Providence, Brennan dominated the swimming scene in the late 1930's and 1940's, holding twenty national and world records. Unfortunately, though, she would never get to realize her Olympic dream. After just missing the U.S. team in 1936, she earned a spot to compete in the Helsinki Olympics in 1940, but they were cancelled due to the outbreak of World War II.
Brennan graduated from Boston University's Sargent College in 1942, later earning a spot in the University's Hall of Fame in 1989.
After college, she went on to work with multiple youth clubs, and was instrumental in the construction of swimming facilities in Warwick.
Michael Barrowman
Men's Swimming
Although he was born in Paraguay, Barrowman began his swim career as a youngster at the Cumberland-Lincoln Boys Club. For Olympic fans, he will always be remembered for his gold medal winning performance at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games in the 200-meter breaststroke. In fact, Barrowman set the world record in that event and was named American and World Swimmer of the Year in 1989.
In addition to learning to swim in RI, Barrowman set numerous state and New England records as a youth. He was inducted into the Rhode Island Aquatic Hall of Fame in 2000.
Elizabeth Beisel
Women's Swimming
A native of Saunderstown, Beisel is a two-time Olympian competing in both the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing and the 2012 Games in London. Beidel did not medal in 2008, but she managed to earn a silver medal in the 400-meter individual medley and a bronze in the 200-meter backstroke in 2012.
Beisel currently swims for the University of Florida in Gainsville, Florida. As a Gator, she has received nine All-American honors and earned first-team Academic All-America recognition. Beisel was honored as SEC Female Swimmer of the Year in 2012. She is currently in her senior year.
Bob Bennett
Men's Athletics
Bennett won a bronze medal in the hammer-throw at the 1948 London Olympics. A native of Providence and a 1948 graduate of Brown University, Bennett set the Brown track record of 179'8" in the hammer and earned All-American honors.
Bennett went on to coach at West Point and later at Brown University as an assistant track coach.
Henry Dreyer
Men's Athletics
Dreyer, a Providence native, participated in the 1936 and 1948 Olympics, and was the only American to make both squads. He finished in ninth place each time.
Between 1934 and 1952, Dreyer held twenty-one national championships in the weight throws. Dreyer, who competed for URI, was an AAU hammer-throw champion four times, 35-pound weight champion ten times, and 56-pound weight titleholder six times. He was also the NCAA hammer champion in 1934.
Demetrius Andrade
Men's Boxing
Hailing from Providence, Andrade represented the United States in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Andrade did not medal at the 2008 Games, but he did win silver at the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio and gold at the 2007 World Amateur Championships in Chicago.
Andrade is currently 20-0 as a professional boxer and the current World Boxing Organization Light Middleweight Champion – a title that he won in November.
Janet Moreau
Women's Athletics
Born in Pawtucket, Moreau competed for the U.S. team in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, where she won the gold medal in the 4x100-meter relay with a world record team time of 45.9 seconds. She was also a national champion in the 50-yard dash, the 220-yard dash, the standing long jump, and the 4x100-meter relay.
A consummate athlete, Moreau even excelled at swimming. In 1948 she became the junior national swimming champion in the 100-yard freestyle. She was inducted into the Boston University Hall of Fame in 1978.
Dave Gavitt
Men's Basketball
Although he is best remembered locally as the former basketball coach and athletic director at Providence College, Gavitt also coached the U.S. Men's Basketball team at the 1980 Olympic Games.
A native of Westerly, Gavitt was also the first commissioner of the Bog East Conference and a member of the committee that created the 1992 Olympics Basketball "Dream Team." He was also the CEO of the Boston Celtics from 1990 to 1994. In 2006, he was inducted into the Baketball Hall of Fame.
David C. Hall
Men's Athletics
A bronze medalist in the 800-meter run at the 1900 Paris Olympics, Hall was Rhode Island's first Olympic medalist. During his trial heat in Paris, Hall set an Olympic 800-meter record time of 1:56.2, but he ended up missing the gold in finals when a competitor stepped on his heel, causing him to lose a shoe. He finished third, despite the handicap. The winning time in the final heat was a full five seconds slower than Hall's qualifying time.
After graduating from Brown University in 1901, Hall earned a doctorate in medicine at the University of Chicago, going on to teach as a professor at the University of Washington. He would interrupt his teaching career to serve as Lt. Colonel in World War I, where he was highly decorated by the nation of Italy for his service. Hall died in Seattle in 1972, at the age of 97.
Dudley Richards
Figure Skating
A Pawtucket native, Richards was a nationally prominent figure skater who competed in the 1960 Winter Games in California. Richards and his partner Maribel Owen won the bronze at Nationals in 1958 and 1959, and silver in 1960.
In 1961, at age 29, Richards and other members of the U.S. figure skating team, died in a plane crash. The plane was en route to the 1961 World Championships. Owen, who was just 20, was also on board.
Harriet Metcalf
Women's Rowing
This Rhode Island native won a gold medal in rowing at the 1984 Olympics held in Los Angeles. In addition to her Olympic gold, she won three silver and one bronze world championship medals between 1981 and 1987. As a coach, Metcalf won a silver medal at the 1990 world championships.
Metcalf founded We Can Row (formerly Row As One Institute) in 1993 – an organization designed to allow breast cancer survivors to reorient themselves with their bodies, giving survivors a healthy expression of control and putting them in contact with other women of similar circumstances.
Chris Terreri
Men's Hockey
Born in Warwick, Terreri was the goaltender for the U.S. Hockey Team at the 1988 Winter Olympics. He also played for the U.S. at the Worlds Championships from 1985-1987 and again in 1997.
Terreri also served as goaltender for Providence College from 1982-1986 – winning the 1985 NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship MVP. He would go on to play 14 years in the NHL and win two Stanley Cups.
Jason Estrada
Men's Boxing
Nicknamed "Big Six," this Providence boxer represented the United States at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Estrada did not medal in the Olympics, but did win the gold at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo. Estrada is currently 20-4 with 6 wins coming by way of knockout.
Estrada currently owns Big Six Boxing Academy in Providence and is part owner of the promotional company Big Six Entertainment, LLC.
John Collier
Men's Atheltics
A Providence native and Brown University graduate, Collier won a bronze medal in the 110-meter high hurdles in the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.
A son of noted Brown historian Theodore Collier, he was the long-time Brown record holder in several hurdles events. Collier, who was equally impressive academically, was a Phi Beta Kappa student while at Brown.
David Emma
Men's Hockey
A graduate of Bishop Hendricken High School, Emma played for the U.S. Men's Hockey Team at the 1992 Winter Olympics. He also represented the U.S. at the World Championships in 1991 and 1999. Emma went on to play five seasons in the NHL for the New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers, and Boston Bruins.
Emma, a native of Cranston, is currently the Managing Director, Partner at Masterson, Emma and Associates at HighTower.
Michael Parkhurst
Men's Soccer
Parkhurst played right back for the U.S. Men's Soccer team in the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. In addition to his Olympic appearance, this Providence native also plated the New England Revolution from 2005-2008. Parkhurst was named the 2005 MLS Rookie of the Year and 2007 MLS Defender of the Year. He currently plays for the Columbus Crew.
Highly regarded off the field as well, Parkhurst was twice named the MLS Humanitarian of the Year in 2006 and 2008.
Alex Ottiano
Men's Judo
Ottiano represented the United States in two consecutive Summer Olympics beginning in 2000. A native of Providence, he twice won the bronze medal at the Pan American Games in 1999 and 2003.
Ottiano currently works in the business sector and lives in East Greenwich.
Aileen Riggin
Women's Swimming
Born in Newport, Riggin won a gold medal in three-meter springboard diving at the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp and a silver in the same event four years later in Paris. She also took home the bronze at the Paris Games of 1924 in the 100-meter backstroke. Riggin was just 14-years-old when she made the 1920 Olympic team.
Amazingly, Riggin continued was an avid swimming into her 90s. In fact, she swam three miles per week in the ocean off Honolulu where she lived. At the age of 85, she broke six world swimming records in the worlds masters championships.
Aside from being an accomplished athlete, Riggin appeared in five films and wrote a sports column for the New York Evening Post. She passed away in 2002 at the age of 96.
Note: Riggin is pictured on the left.
Jill Craybas
Women's Tennis
Born in Providence, this former professional tennis player represented the United States at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She is best remembered for defeated Serena Williams at Wimbledon in 2005.
During her professional career, Craybas won one WTA title and four ITF titles. She achieved her highest professional ranking of No. 39 in the world in 2006. Upon retiring in 2013, Craybas had won approximately $2.5 million in prize money.
Keith Carney
Men's Hockey
Born in Providence, this 17-year NHL veteran was a defenseman for the 1998 Men's Olympic team that competed in Nagano. One of just 29 players to appear in 1,000 NHL games, Carney retired in 2008 as a member of the Minnesota Wild.
As a college athlete, Carney was named to the NCAA East First All-Star Team for the 1990-1991 season and the NCAA East Second All-American Team for the 1989-1990 season.
Martha Rockwell
Women's Skiing
A pioneer in the sport of women's downhill skiing, Rockwell competed for the U.S. at the 1972 and 1976 Olympic Winter Games. Although she did not medal in the Olympics, she won multiple titles from 1969-1975 and was inducted in to the U.S. Ski Hall of Fame in 1986.
Born in Providence, Rockwell would later coach women's skiing at Dartmouth. Rockwell, and her partner Laurie Levenger, were one of the first gay couple to marry in Vermont after civil unions were approved in 2000.
Geoffrey Mason
Men's Bobsled
A gold medalist in the five-man bobsled race in the 1928 Winter Olympics. Mason was a Philadelphia native but a long-time Rhode Island resident. He was a graduate of Bowdoin College where he starred in several winter sports.
Mason was the personnel manager for the Newman Crosby Steel Company of Pawtucket for many years. He was a volunteer for the Rhode Island Institute for the Blind where he made many audio cassettes of books. He passed away in1987 at the age of eighty-four.
Sara DeCosta
Women's Hockey
Born in Warwick, DeCosta won a gold medal at the 1998 Winter Olympics and a silver at the 2002 Winter Games. A graduate of Toll Gate High School and Providence College, DeCosta posted impressive statistics in the '98 Olympics recording a 1.59 goals against average and a .875 save percentage as goaltender.
Decosta was named the USA Hockey Women's Player of the Year in 2000 and 2002. In 2002, she was named a Sports Ethics Fellow by the Institute for International Sport. DeCosta currently lives in Warwick with her husband and three children.
Related Articles
- NEW: Beisel Wins Silver in 400-Meter Individual Medley
- Where To Watch Saunderstown's Beisel Go for The Gold
- Fundraiser To Send Beisel's Family To Olympics For First Time
- EXCLUSIVE: Hometown hero Elizabeth Beisel's playful poolside performance
- NEW: Beisel Picks Up Bronze in 200-Meter Backstroke


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After weeks of anticipation, the Murano glass pieces we had ordered have finally arrived.
And the verdict?
They are absolutely incredible. I mean, we knew that – after all, we fell in love with his work when we came across them this summer. But seeing all of the masterpieces in person, again reminded us . . . → Read More: Exquisite Murano Glass Pieces by Master Imperio Rossi

subset: commoncrawl


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Earlier this week, Nat Brown, one of the original Xbox team members at Microsoft, wrote a piece on the present and future of gaming, and Apple's potential to shape it. From iLike.code:
Apple, if it chooses to do so, will simply kill Playstation, Wii-U and xBox by introducing an open 30%-cut app/game ecosystem for Apple-TV. I already make a lot of money on iOS – I will be the first to write apps for Apple-TV when I can, and I know I'll make money.
M.G. Siegler, who has good sources on Apple, says that while he hasn't heard anything about an Apple TV SDK specifically, he does believe that something is on track for the fall. From TechCrunch:
This is all speculation, of course. But while everyone is busy focusing on the hardware, they're looking past the obvious software advantage of anything Apple does in the living room. The 800,000 apps won't translate directly, but in two categories in particular: video and video games, Apple is going to dominate where their rivals cannot simply because of the support of small, third-party app developers.
Just like with power users vs. empowered users, hardcore gamers would likely lament the death of the dedicated console market, but their numbers and concerns would be dwarfed by the influx of casual, mainstream gamers.
Read both posts, it really would be a "delicious twist".
Source: iLike.code, TechCrunch


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dot2code needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 61 designs submitted by 16 freelance designers.
Allenta Consulting S.L. is a company focused in providing infrastructure IT services based in Linux and UNIX. We are system administrators, most of the components of the technical team are skilled sysadmins with many years of experience, and we offer the following services related to infrastructure systems:
* Design and deployment (also called "DD contracts")
* Maintenance, support and advice (also called "MSA contracts")
* Complete outsourcing
The current website http://www.allenta.com was designed in the early beginnings as something that "we had to do" and nowadays it's far below what it should be in terms of content and design. We need to change this *radically*.
The general structure of the design, although open to suggestions, are pretty well defined in the "Extended design brief" document.
In any case, the basic structure of the site is as follows:
* Who are we?
o Brief history
o The team
* What services do we provide?
o What can we do for you?
o Who works with us?
* What are our areas of expertise?
o Base technologies
o Elements of systems
o Use cases
* How to start?
o Contact us
Our target are CTOs and IT staff at organizations directly or indirectly in charge of one or several datacenters.
We want a clean, simple, "web2.0-ish" and eye catching site for current and prospective clients according to the descriptions in the "Extended design brief" document.
The *main components* to be designed are:
* The landing page, which has to provide basic info or a minimal digest about the other four second level pages. Also, it has to provide some way of extending a "all purpose space" in case we want to show some headlines, twitter lines or tech highlight.
* The layout for the first level pages: "Who are we?", "What services do we provide?", "What are our areas of expertise?" and "How to start?".
* The layout for a "use case" page, which has to have three sections: scenario, problem and solution.
* The layout with generic sections/subsections to fit the list of "base technologies" and "elements of systems".
People in the contest should contribute at least a couple of the components to be designed. The winner of the contest must deliver layered PSD files of the design components.
Feel free to contact us here or directly at email@example.com. We would be pleased to help you with any questions about the design.


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The Emblem of the Hawk and Owl Trust, the Peregrine (Falco peregrinus) is the Largest Falcon Breeding in Britain
Status in UK
1,400 pairs, increasing; AMBER listed; resident and passage/winter migrants from Scandinavia
Population Trends
Before the Second World War the population was stable at c.700 pairs, suppressed by persecution and restricted to the north and west. During the War half the population was killed to protect homing pigeons carrying military messages.
The population recovered to pre-war levels by the 1950s, only to collapse to some 400 pairs due to the effects of persistent toxic agricultural chemicals such as DDT. These also caused less than a fifth of those remaining to breed successfully. The persistent chemicals accumulated in the food chain and concentrated in apex predators, at the top of the food chain, such as peregrines and other birds of prey, causing increased adult mortality, eggshell thinning and reduced breeding performance. By the mid 1960s 80% of the UK peregrine population had perished. Only birds in the remoter parts of Scottish Highlands were unaffected.
With the restrictions in the use of these chemicals, the population has steadily increased. The birds have re-colonised old sites and moved south. They have also begun to breed on buildings in urban areas, where natural sites are not available. Structures such as cathedrals and high building which are surrounded by a plentiful food source in feral pigeons mimic the peregrines natural clifftop breeding ground. By the late 1990s numbers reached pre-decline levels over much of their former range, but in the south east and east of England the recovery has been slow, and the range is now contracting again in northern Scotland. Persecution still occurs with eggs and young taken and adults killed.
The Hawk and Owl Trust and its local groups organise wardening of nest sites and set up observation points for the public such as the famous watchpoint at Norwich Cathedral, allowing city dwellers to view this fabulous wild creature up close. Click Here for more information on our Urban Peregrine Project at Norwich Cathedral.
Habitat and Distribution
Peregrines are found in open country, including moorland, farmland, wetlands and the coast.
They breed throughout Scotland, Wales, the north and south-west of England and coastal areas of Northern Ireland. They now also breed in several major cities. In winter they can also be seen along the south and eastern coastal areas of England.
Pairs return to traditional sites on cliffs and inland quarries. The species also uses ledges on high buildings in many of our cities.
Peregrines mostly take birds in flight, from goldcrests to grey herons and even geese. Prey reflects those available, but feral pigeons are especially favoured, as well as starlings and thrushes; seabirds are important on the coast.
Other Diurnal Birds of Prey


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What can I do to curb nuisance barking?
The first and most important step is to properly identify the cause. Barking is a perfectly normal behavior and dogs bark for many reasons. However, excessive or nuisance barking may be
due to boredom or loneliness. For some dogs, it is a "learned" behavior, reinforced and rewarded with attention or treats that owners mistakenly think will pacify the dog. Determine the events that trigger nuisance barking and remedy the situation.
If that is not feasible, a bark control device may be an option.
How do bark collars correct nuisance barking?
There are 3 correction methods: tone, stimulation, and citronella spray correction. They are all based on the same principle. The collars activate when your dog barks and introduce a corrective stimulus that disrupts barking. Your dog will then associate this correction with barking and learn to curb nuisance barking.
What bark control products are available?
Choose from three types:
How effective are bark collars?
The time it takes to curb nuisance barking will vary from pet to pet. A survey conducted by PetSafe concluded electronic training devices, including bark collars, are effective. Over 2/3 of the 1,025 dog owners responded that their dogs' overall behavior
had, in fact, improved since using the electronic equipment.
Will my dog need to wear a collar forever?
No. Once training is complete, you should be able to remove the collar, though retraining may be necessary with some dogs. Complete training instructions are provided with each collar.
Which bark control device is right for me?
There are two basic models: automatic units and handheld units. Both are equally effective but their applications differ. Remote units, such as bark collars, are ideal when inappropriate barking occurs when the owner is absent or when barking takes place in
random or unpredictable locations. Handheld units are effective when the owner is present to correct the barking.
Are Citronella collars as effective?
Many customers are satisfied with the results from spray collars. Our favorite for consistent training and control are the electronic collars.
Are stimulation collars safe?
Absolutely. They are used by thousands of pet owners every day. Multiple stimulation levels let you choose the lowest level needed to correct behavior. Some units allow for a very low "warning" correction and then increase stimulation level only if barking continues.
Will other dogs barking set off my dog's collar?
No. All our collars sense vocal cord vibration to initiate correction.
I have a sensitive dog; will I be able to use a bark collar or will it hurt her?
All training collars, including bark collars, are designed not to hurt or punish your pet. The correction stimulation is comparable to the static generated from walking through carpet. We recommend the PetSafe Deluxe Collars as they have a patented technology that detects vibration and sound to ensure precise activation. Safely control your littlest dog's big barks with the PetSafe Deluxe Little Dog Bark Control Collar.


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Peter Moore necesitaba un nuevo diseño de logotipo y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 64 diseños de 28 diseñadores freelance.
We are an online gambling affiliate company. We promote casinos, poker rooms, sportsbooks & bingo rooms. (Site is not yet complete, as you can see)
We want the design to be fun, but professional, and not "cartoony".
We market to an english speaking, mostly north-american audience. We market to the 21-65 age group. Obviously, they're gamblers, and are generally a more female than male audience.
We need a logo, but one which can grow with us. We'd like to update the header on our website with a revised logo for certain times of the year. Think google, and how they do their logo. Snow on it during the winter, leaves around it during fall. Please note that this project is for the "base" logo only. We'll make arrangements for the secondary logos with the artist directly.
We would also like the logo to be flexible enough for an "icon version" of it.
Obviously, gambling is the theme, but please nothing which uses hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds. Waayyy to cheesy and already overdone in the industry.
Colors are up to the artist, but must blend well with the existing color scheme on http://www.depositbonuses.com
The files we will require are:
Print file format - .ai (CMYK)
Web file format - .jpg and layered .psd (RGB)
Please do not use any stock images or clip art in the logo
Descubre cómo funciona un concurso de diseño u obtén más información sobre nuestros servicios de diseño de logo.


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Such a fun dinner idea for a snow day, the holidays or any winter day. Let kids help make their own Snowman personal pizza. It's a fun family activity and a great party idea for the kids.
Items needed:
- Dough
- 3 ½ Cups whole wheat flour
- 1 Cup white flour
- 2 Tsp. active dry yeast
- 1 Tsp. sugar
- 1 ¼ Tsp. salt
- 1 ½ Tsp. olive oil
- ¼ Tsp. garlic powder
- 2 Cups water
- ¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese
- Other Ingredients
- Tomato sauce
- Mozzarella cheese
- Pepperoni
- Capers
- Carrot
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Slowly add water, a little at a time, knead until dough is firm and smooth. Using olive oil, grease bowl and place dough ball in bowl, turning once so all surfaces are oiled. Cover with a cloth or plastic wrap and let rise in a warm spot until double in size, usually about 2 hours.
Place dough on a well-floured surface and roll dough to about ¼ inch thick. Cut out three different sizes to form each snowman, by hand or using pastry cutters. Assemble snowman on baking pan, attaching "balls" by pressing together. Add sauce, cheese and Snowman decorations. Cut pepperoni into scarves, piecing two pieces together, if necessary. Make noses by cutting tiny carrot triangles.
* Let kids roll dough, make snowman and add sauce, cheese and pepperoni.


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Thursday, April 1, 2010
The chair is sizzling
Though I agree with this "knowledge point", I believe criticism should be constructive instead of random and destructive. Unfortunately the "hot chair" was more an exercise in which the teacher vented all his/her unresolved power issues and frustrations, and the participants their aggression and fears. By the end, the participants were broken down, vulnerable, demoralized, some traumatized, perfectly ready to be manipulated and brain-washed (a common exercise done in cults).
I remember a woman being yelled horrible words, including "slut!!! bitch!!!" just because she has big breasts. A gay man was called, "Fagget!" and many other demeaning things related to his sexuality. Another, who confessed she had been beaten up by her husband and had an abortion, which she still, 20 years later, felt guilty about, was yelled, "You deserved to be beaten up! Look at you! Who would want to be born to you! You deserved it! You bitch!" Can someone please explain how this can help anyone in a positive way? Definitely, neither the one criticized nor the one criticizing. It is not criticism, it is insulting. Worse, insulting in the name of knowledge, spiritual growth and "your own good"!
Teachers often misused their power and this exercise in various ways. I remember, for example, there was a teacher who wanted to get rid of someone. She thought this man was not worthy of being a teacher (although he had been made one) because he was "gay, fat, ugly and poor" (her words). She, the head in her community, gathered the rest of the teachers and the board just to put the man on the "hot chair". It was demoralizing and abusive. I reckon the person had a lot more studies, knowledge and centeredness than many other teachers of the area. Unfortunately, they simply did not like him, felt threatened by him and were jealous of him. Not only did this person leave the AoL but it took him years to overcome the trauma it caused.
Looking back I see love was often used as an excuse to abuse someone. "This is all for your growth, to make you stronger, see how much the guru loves you." Whenever one was abused, one was given that explanation. I guess, love can kill too.
I remember once the organization and the guru had done something horrible. My students, confused, asked a senior teacher why they were treating me so poorly. Her explanation was, "Understand that the more you are attacked and suffer in the AoL the more it means you are evolving." For heaven's sake! Some twisted thinking we followed!
I remember always asking, even when I became a teacher, how come so many senior teachers were still so nuts and mean if they had dedicated so many years to the path. The answer would be, "Oh, but you should have seen how he/she was before!" Funny, I found myself giving the same answer many years later, when perhaps, the correct one was, "this is just a sect, there is no growth here, it is all an excuse."
Someone who was beaten up by the man RS told her to be with, was told she had to observe her own violence because she obviously was provoking the beating. The point about "we attract violence because there is violence within us" (the famous Gandhi example Shankar makes: Gandhi, the man who preached non-violence, died in a violent way because he was violent to his wife and to himself) is not always valid. Everything needs to be applied with logic and reason, rather than to justify "the means to the end". What was so violent about Tibetans before the Chinese took over, tortured and killed? What is so violent about a child who is raped and killed? Of course, I can almost hear someone whisper, "past life karma." Come on!
Anyway, some wicked lousy arguments we listened to and followed! Challenging them made one a rebel, with shaky faith, no devotion, lacking surrender.
What is even more funny is the man who preaches about the value of criticizing and being criticized cannot and does not like to be on the chair himself. If you never want to be in bad terms with Ravishankar, NEVER tell him you disagree with him or that something he did is wrong. Like, never tell him his organization lacks ethical practices and values, or that his teachers are bad, or that the Silver Jubilee was not really that successful and people were unhappy, or that an article someone wrote about him with some negative remarks were actually quite accurate. In any case, failures and mistakes are always ours, and achievements and glories always his.
I am often surprised by the reactions of AoLers leaving comments in this blog – aggressive and quite off-centered, and the fact that RS is apparently worried about the existence of it. Is this what I think is happening? RS is shaking on his hot chair! Yet he still does not and cannot understand this blog is not interested in destroying his organization, but rather to offer people a space to express themselves and find healing. Not everyone needs to agree with AoL/RS or think AoL/RS are the best. If they see it as a criticism of their actions and people, there is a lot I guess they should ponder about their own ego, maturity and hidden agenda.
Apparently the head of the AoL marketing department (what a joke) and the US board are planning a meeting with RS to discuss how the blog has become a virus for the organization. Apparently even teachers are disturbed and having doubts after reading the blog.
1. If none of these stories resonated a little bit with ones experiences, then one would neither have doubts nor feel disturbed. On the other hand, many who have left, actually find healing with the blog because they identify with many stories.
2. If the organization really was about spirituality and its guru so great, then why even discuss "the blog" at the board level or at all? If a program is good, no virus could affect it. (I wonder if Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have a board meeting to discuss all the news published about them. Imagine then Berlusconi would be in meetings only to discuss the press!).
3. The blog is overflowed by comments and emails from AoLers "daring" and "demanding" to be published. They are full of rage, hatred, often, quite imbalanced. Beloved ones, we left an abusive relationship and we will not enter another one, especially with mini-SriSris, thus, please don't boss us around and tell us what to do. So far we posted every comment, unlike Bawa and Dinesh who only post those in favor of their voice. However, there is no room in this blog for AoL abuses nor demanding tone. Having been slaved and slapped around for whatever time was enough. On the other hand, we have received many messages from former members thanking the blog and requesting we keep this going as well as the space for healing. Thus, this is what will be respected.
4. If the organization really was about spirituality and the teachings effective, why do their followers write with so much rage, hatred and off centered? Why do they even check out the blog? Why do they perceive it as a personal attack towards them? Why are they even sending damage control teams to police activities of freedom of speech? We are all free to believe whatever we want, and it is OK if not everyone thinks AoL and RS are the best. It is time to grow up and realize it is OK.
5. It is interesting, when one is in disagreement with "them", they label it as "bad energy" or "negativity." But if they are in disagreement with "us", they are "righteous and evolved."
6. By the way, they have even tried to "hack" the account by sending faking an mail from "Gmail" requesting our full name, password, phone number and country within 7 days, otherwise, our account will be closed. Unbelievable. Why all this fear? If it is that good, why fear anything at all? It is more a mafia than a spiritual organization. Where did the spirituality go?
Can someone please find logic to any of these points?
What about you don't see intentions behind my actions and I accept you as you are?
What can I say? It seems not even Ravishankar lives the knowledge and certainly his asana is sizzling. But don't worry, as we were often told, "It will be good for your ego and your growth. We love you."
26 comments:
Klim, don't care and give a damn to any pressures and threats. Let everyone realize that democracy prevails atleast outside AOL !!. I think you should start publishing or others should start contributing real events which have happenned at AOL involving SSRS also. That only should be the befitting reply by you.
- April 1, 2010 at 12:05 PM
very well written.. open al the stories abt aol .. hahahaha ..let them go to police.. anywhere .. bt plzz plzz plzz dont stop writing ... this is he best way to kick their asses..
- April 1, 2010 at 12:43 PM
One of the very well written article in this blog. I would like to thank you for asking very thought provoking questions. Please continue this effort. This is a very helpful initiative for all the regular readers of the blog, people who may have had experiences with AOL and those that are planning to take some of their courses.
In the process, that you mentioned in this article, have you ever wondered as to "who" is getting "insulted" ? Please think about it.
Let us hope that people who "manage" AOL, live up to knowledge that they are trying to sell.
- April 1, 2010 at 1:39 PM
well written klim. compliments.
....... its surprising that a person like you with so preserved and developed reasoning and critical thinking as evident from your writings could be sucked in AOL for so long.
....It seems DSN is the turning point AOL life, a milestone after which you are 'destroyed' and coming out becomes more and more difficult.
- April 1, 2010 at 2:00 PM
It seems DSN and TTC takes out remaining reasoning and even common sense from teachers. course by course you become more and more measurable, dependent and 'empty' from within.
.....All this you are 'evolving' and reaching higher state of 'enlightenement'.
- April 1, 2010 at 2:07 PM
this blog will save millions of possible new recruits in this information age from evil clutches of AOL. they can now know the other side of the coin.
Even those in early phase of AOL journey will have access to facts, truthfulness of which which they themselves can judge before it is too late.
- April 1, 2010 at 2:19 PM
All things written by you are so true. I was on this "hot chair" myself. It was then, that I completely realized that the creator of such practices is an abusive person Himself, because you teach what you really are. What kind of spiritual growth or strength may come out of being insulted and insulting other? But, as most of things are twisted in AOL and white becomes black (black becomes white), it is sometimes difficult to see the Truth, especially if you were already brain-washed during Basic and Advanced Courses. DSN course finishes the process, and human beings with multiple opportunities for inner growth become SSSR slaves. Spiritual slavery is the worst kind of slavery. It is the most destructive for YOU, as it is self imposed, of course, with a knowledgeable guidance of a manipulator. Yes, you are an obedient and perfect slave now, just a mechanical part of AOL. But at what cost? You sacrificed your intelligence, sensibility and individuality. You are so obsessed with the "hand pointing to the Moon" that you forgot about the MOON. It's a pity.
- April 1, 2010 at 2:35 PM
The chair, if sizzling, in not because this blog writes against AOL but because they know and fear the contents are true.
My prediction is history will remember how a simple blog, can cause downfall of an organization as large as AOL, though not originally started for this.its a matter of time.
- April 1, 2010 at 2:40 PM
Till sometime back it was surprising to see very few anti AOL stuff on net. RS/ AOL somehow managed it nicely. though the international list of CULTS includes AOL the world knew only the unilateral facts about it.
RS still enjoys good rapport with mainstream media.Blogs like this though do not have mass reach but can make a dent in long term.
- April 1, 2010 at 3:03 PM
- Lakshmi said...
KLIM, Great job! I certainly believe this blog has done its part in healing some small wounds in my psyche. Although I was never damaged to the same extent as others, as my exposure was limited to two basic courses, and an advance course with his holiness himself. The way AOL works is very subtle.
I was first exposed to AoL in 97 as a performance obsessed sophomore engineering student. The local marketing rep (AoL teacher) had elite degrees from elite institutions, and was an effective evangelizer for naive ones like us. A group of about 12 friends joined the course and we mostly enjoyed amongst ourselves during the course. I realized during the the first course itself that the course teacher (Marketing guy's wife, high level indian civil service officer, and an equally accomplished lady) had serious issues with handling divergent views. Still, we enjoyed the course, and looking at the academic achievements of the dynamic husband-wife due, took SK quite seriously. I remember I did it almost for one full year without missing more than a few days. We regularly attended the long kriya sessions come what may, hail, rain, or severe wind chill of north India. I feel it helped my academic performance. My IQ certainly increased during the period, and I aced any standardized tests I took. During that time (1997-2000), we never saw any advertisement of Sri Sri's so called siddhies. There was no fee for repeating basic course. Advance courses were reasonably priced. There was very little of the divine shop stuff. In general, there was much less emphasis on Sri Sri as a person, and more on knowledge. I tried to recommend the course to as many people I could without any AoL coercion.
Fast forward two years, in 2002 I encountered AoL again, this time as a graduate student in US. I was very happy to find it again, and promptly sought to join basic course to renew the knowledge. Repeating the course was still free, but a strong pressure to donate was there. Here I encountered the tales of Sri Sri miracles for the first time, and saw a lot more emphasis on personality of the Guru. Within next three years, AoL changed very rapidly. Fees went up at the rate much higher than inflation. Every AoL meeting started converting into a marketing event. Divine shop gained a lot more visibility. More and more courses were advertised and sold, but things were still normal. I didn't like the emerging direct marketing environment and moved away. All the "Karma" talk also emerged in this period. People became "karma" accountants, It is good karma to do DSN, advance course etc, bad karma to question the guru, missing seva opportunities etc. I could sense something was wrong, but couldn't articulate it. Group dynamics alienated true believers from "also rans". Skeptics were made to feel deficient and scared with implied supernatural attacks on their karma. I saw many bright people neglecting their careers and finances to join as many courses as they could. Tall tales of how just the intent of taking a particular course paved ways for cheap airfares and vacation approvals from tough bosses started to abound.
- April 1, 2010 at 3:59 PM
- Lakshmi said...
Fast forward to 2006, and things started to go wrong seriously. A number of friends converted to some sort of teachers. It became hard to keep relations with acquaintances, as every social event was converted into a venue for sales pitch for upcoming course. I seriously started feeling that something was wrong with me, Why did I not enjoy this fun, high energy, everlasting laughter. Was something really wrong with my Samskaras? But this phase didn't last long as well. Recently, I noticed a kind of extreme pressure in the eyes of the Nouveau teachers as if they breaking under the strain of maintaing false pretenses. Surprisingly, suddenly websites and blog posts critical of AoL started to become more visible on google. Reading KLIM's website, I felt much lighter that my experience was a shared one, and I was not wrong in spurning the AoL web. I believe there might be very many folks who are carrying subtle pressure points within them due to abusive and expansionist AoL tactics and
- April 1, 2010 at 3:59 PM
Dear Friends
This blog is really a blessing for those who intend to join full time in AOL or related cultish organizations .I am not against AOL or any Organizations or against people joining them . I want everyone to be well informed before taking such a step and this blog will help clarify many people about how manipulations are being done by many Organizations to seduce people in .Please enrich yourselves by learning Yoga , Meditations , Pranamaya etc but do not get trapped in cultish Organizations . Reality is in front of you and do not escape from it by running away from reality and joining such cultish organizations .
- April 1, 2010 at 9:34 PM
Delurking. I think this is a well written blog.
As an Indian who has steered clear of any gurus, I always wonder what it was that attracted people to cults- especially AOL.
You see, I believe that people flock to cults in no small measure do to the charisma of its figurehead/founder and in some measure due to the uniqueness (not quality) of the philosophy. In this case the founder has zero charisma (instead a sly & nervous look and a weak feminine voice to boot) nor are his ideas unique. Such a mystery.
As a charisma challenged person myself, I take hope in the fact that one can still be successful even if you do nothing right!!
- April 1, 2010 at 11:04 PM
It is RS who has such a bloated ego . No wonder his aggression spawns just that.
It was OTOH who wrote from his/her heart without a trace of embroidery all about RS. How ruthless & compassionless a person he actually is. Plus all details about his family background , the manufactured educational degrees which were reremodified & corrected several times.
It is all deja vu like all the charlatans around.
Keep it up Klim.
Good decision you took of not posting comments by his footsoldiers.
- April 2, 2010 at 2:38 AM
Well well well, lots of stuff has happened, Chris is here, no worries everybody. KLIM, I am shocked that people use such words as slut and bitch in these so called courses. Wow. Shocked.
That should be reason enough for people not to join the fake org. I mean, it's okay to hook up with somebody spiritual if it leads to a good marriage,etc. but sleeping around, having multiple affairs even while married,etc. do not bring anybody to God. What the F is going on in this org.? Please, please people, don't fall for this crap. Just LEAVE. My deepest sympathies with all the victims. As for the aggressive AoLers, you can go * your *, if you know what I mean. Leave KLIM alone, he/she's doing a great job.
- April 2, 2010 at 4:31 AM
I think this hot chair you describe is the kind of warped thinking that defines a cult. They take good ideas for helping people and twist them so terribly that it becomes abusive and they call that spirituality and opportunity for growth. Landmark Forum does similar stuff if they're even still around--I hope not. Cults are masters of distorted thinking.
I noticed Bawa and Dinesh didn't post all comments on their blog. I read the comments and they were all "jai gurudev" "I love you Gurudev". There was literally no thoughtfulness behind any of the comments. They seemed like they were posted by young children or zombies. I thought maybe they are kids who took the YES course. I'm not sure which is worse, sounding like a child when you are an adult or being a child and being exposed to a cult and it's terrible leader.
Klim, I know this blog was not designed to "bring down" or attack AoL or SSRS. But, honestly, I felt happy that the board was meeting about this blog. I have to say personally, I would love to see them face reality and stop their abuses. I'm glad some teachers are taking this blog seriously and reading it and questioning SSRS and AoL.
I also think that SSRS is not all-powerful. The board is meeting most likely because they know it's a problem and SSRS is ultimately a weak and fearful human being. He seems like an almighty leader but he's probably a hair away from cracking. People who live as cult leaders and harm so many people (regardless of how many people they may help) are incredibly weak under their mask of serene spirituality. I bet he's shaking in his boots!
- April 2, 2010 at 8:49 AM
I always felt he is a weak creature.he is weak scientifically, may be spiritually,ethically, and what not.
He controls people weaker than him;
weaker s are being controlled by weak.what the hell rest of the world do about it. just watch as we are doing.
But many millions who do not know the bait can be saved.
May god give CLIM and others the strength and courage to save the unsuspected,'normal' and less evolved homo sapiences.
- April 2, 2010 at 2:54 PM
I always felt he is a weak creature.He is weak scientifically, ethically, may be spiritually, and what not.
He controls people weaker than him.
weaker s are being controlled by weak. what the hell rest of the world do about it? Just watch as we are doing.
- April 3, 2010 at 4:46 AM
- Prairie Princess said...
I met one woman who walked out of DSN because she thought the international teacher was a blow-hard and "too rah-rah marketing " aol. Do people ever walk out of the other courses?
My encounter with aol was brief. I simply stopped and left it behind, Too many of the people I met seemed to be totally without critical though when it came to the organization..almost like they were on drugs. Too bad because I did meet some lovely souls that I trust I can know again when they get clean of the drug of this cult.
Thank you for your blog. It confirms my thinking about the mind numbing effects of aol. BTW, I have gotten some of those same requests for information about my account information. It is spam and should be treated just like letters from Nigeria indicating that one is the heir of millions and millions of dollars but you need to send bank account information (so they can loot your bank account). aol just wants to loot your mind at this point.. then they will get the bank account anyway.
- April 3, 2010 at 8:04 PM
I was an AoL-er for many years. Did the DSN two times. Yes, I was mad, but I was greedy for "spiritual growth".
As an ex-insider, I can share some insights into the hot-seat at DSN. Much of what happens depends on the teacher. My first course was quite good for me, because the hot-seat truly and honestly helped me develop a thick-skin. Comments and criticisms were to the point but civilized, and I understood what it was trying to help me achieve.
It worked nicely because the teacher moderated the criticisms and comments, and did not let things get out of hand.
The second course was the opposite. It was literally a free-for-all. The teacher sat mute. Did nothing when the insults escalated and reached the zone of complete douchebaggery. Thanks to the earlier experiences, I was able to take it in stride, but many others couldn't. People broke down, ran out of the room, threw up ... it was not nice.
That disgusted me. You're paying them good money to get called nasty names and insulted?
- April 4, 2010 at 1:40 AM
The 'hot chair' technique is not an original technique of AOL or some revelation of Ravishankar from his enlightened somnambulism. This is actually a straight lift from the Landmark Forum's program. Werner Erhard used to teach this in his EST in his 1970s. Osho used to use these kinds of techniques in their therapy sessions. AOL is using a mild version of these practices.
The whole DSN program is a straight lift from several previous mind control programs. It is essentially an initiation into cult behaviour and make people into unthinking robots like how most people in AOL are.
- April 5, 2010 at 10:37 AM
Is this true that DSN was developed by Rishi Nityapragya?
- April 8, 2010 at 6:23 AM
- Atul said...
This "hot seat" must have been added later on. When I did DSN course in 2004 no such practice was followed
- April 9, 2010 at 8:42 AM
- KLIM and CO. said...
Atul, this process was there since the beginning of DSN. Maybe you "lucked" out or maybe you "checked" out or maybe your teacher did it a lot simpler, like, for example, having people form groups of 10 people and do it among 10 people lightly. In any case, it doesn't matter when it was introduced, what matters is it is an abusive process a lot of people suffered with in the name of "spiritual growth".
- April 9, 2010 at 10:00 AM
I have enough damaging information on AOL that can raise a lot of nasty questions.....
I am biding my time....
If anything or anyone threatens the this blog, I will take it personally....it would represent a threat to my own freedom of expression and life...
I wonder how many more like me that frequent this blog.....
- April 11, 2010 at 11:04 AM
"Though I agree with this "knowledge point", I believe criticism should be constructive instead of random and destructive. Unfortunately the "hot chair" was more an exercise in which the teacher vented all his/her unresolved power issues and frustrations, and the participants their aggression and fears. By the end, the participants were broken down, vulnerable, demoralized, some traumatized, perfectly ready to be manipulated and brain-washed (a common exercise done in cults)."
I agree that this is a very powerful tool that you need to be trained how to use. It is not wrong in itself, but you have to know what you are doing.
- April 13, 2010 at 5:13 PM


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Andrew Young III Reflects on Obama, King
Andrew Young III, son of civil-rights pioneer Andrew Young II, reflects on the inauguration of President Barack Obama on Martin Luther King Day. Photo: Getty Images.
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... I ... helium three on ... Third joining us now from Atlanta you know the this is interesting because in their youngsters father was a ... close associate of Martin Luther King ... aam and interesting attributing here then in eighteen sixty five Abraham Lincoln ... in his second inaugural ... oh who oversaw the first inaugural which African Americans participated ... aam and ... that was came in all that was it a prelude to what happened later which was ... the role of corn roll them are taking place in American life and clean like a Brock Obama ... I think we're joined the injury on the third now to talk about that a little bit ... aam ... Mr young things for being with this ... year ... you notice in the speech that ... the key name was prominent talk a little bit about what you ... saw in that in in what it meant to see you as you heard that ... what should ... the president is Dr came by adding a second operation ... on the King holiday ... she said how important ... and wrote ... down the chain still this aam in the lives of America today ... the Kings focus was property which we now saw the whole economy but it's though ... he is the issue ... so uploading ... which the president mentioned is in his speech is well ... on you think Abitbol that present Obama has estimated turning point in being a post racial leader that transcends race ... aam and this communist country in this time ... the course of the state's you'll know that people who voted for President Obama voted for him because they didn't tell you the best candidate for the job and then they ... overlooked ... on his race clear that it and voted for the person who is best to ... you know there's a question about what poverty anti poverty agenda really amounts to these days I think what the president seem to be saying was ... working to preserve this the safety net of the year career suggests that is getting more than a half to be business opportunities entrepreneurial opportunities for people in all economic spheres do you think that the trend line is moving in the right trucks and anything happened today ... that encourages your discourages you on that front ... we as individual Americans need to step up into our car to ... eradicate poverty ... in any way possible I will will tune in to vote later this week shows a ... tech start up and a product that some people are now relying on government ... without popular ones he usually don't rely on to the charity ... we know that there are ... millions of Americans out there wanna know one another ... to help a friend or help a neighbor ... and give Oakley ... it's that wouldn't ... be able to stop ... misty and what do you want to see it ... happen in a last second ... I think the issues that ... are most important to Americans on the economy ... and ... the issue of the debt ceiling and banks were ... just focus needs to live and on ... get off on tangents about other things I think sometimes he wants the offing so people ... and ... will then be just a little more focused ... on it ... well thank you ... enough ... the question well ... but that's no thank you Brian much so impatient Evista ... Andrew young ... son of civil rights leader Andrew ... Jackson young ...


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West Virginia Purchasing
Non-Competitive / Exempt List of Commodities and Services
In accordance with §5A-3-10 of the West Virginia Code:
"...a purchase of and contract for commodities, printing and services shall be based, whenever possible, on competitive bids."In accordance with the Code of State Rules 148CSR1-4,
The Director shall:
(a) Ensure that purchases and contracts for commodities, services or printing are based on competitive bid where possible. The Director may establish a list of commodities and services that are not possible to submit for competitive bid. The Director shall approve the list before the beginning of each fiscal year and shall make the list available for public review. Spending unit may purchase the commodities and services on the list directly from the vendor and are not required to have contracts for purchase of those items approved by the Purchasing Division. A spending unit's request to add commodities and services to the list must be accompanied by written justification and an explanation of why competitive bids are not possible. Nothing in this section supersedes or replaces the Attorney General's authority to approve contracts as to form.
In accordance with West Virginia Code §5A-3-10 and the West Virginia Code of State Rules §148-1-4, the Director has determined that it is not possible to obtain certain commodities and services through the competitive bidding process. The Director has identified those items that cannot be competitively bid in the Non-Competitive/Exempt List of Commodities and Services (hereinafter "Exempt List") shown below.
Purchasing Division approval is not required for these Exempt List procurements, unless specifically noted. Vendor registration and all other requirements for the dollar amount of the purchase are mandatory for contracts for these commodities and services; however, under the authority granted by the Director of Purchasing in the West Virginia Code of State Rules 148-1-4.17, the director has determined that waiving the vendor registration fee for all vendors providing commodities or services under Section 9 is in the best interest of the State. Accordingly, the vendor registration fee is waived and, therefore, not required for a vendor providing commodities or services under Section 9.
Except as outlined in the preceding paragraph, spending units purchasing from vendors under the Exempt List must continue to observe the standard purchasing procedure associated with a normal (non-Exempt List) purchase of the same dollar amount. For example, the use of a purchase order is required on all purchases over $2,500. Similarly, spending units must continue to submit contracts to the Attorney General's office for approval, as to form.
Vendors providing commodities and services under the Exempt List must complete the necessary vendor registration forms; but the vendor registration fee is waived if the vendor only provides commodities or services to the spending unit under the Exempt List.
The following items comprise the non-competitive/exempt list of commodities and services that may be purchased directly by spending units without advertisement or bid.
1. Advertising: This exemption includes any advertisement placed directly with newspapers, trade magazines, internet publications, etc. This exemption does not include broadcast television, cable television, or radio, with the exception of statewide radio advertising purchased directly from the broadcaster. It also does not include any indirect placement, promotional items, advertising consultant services, broadcast of Lottery prize drawings, etc.
2. Artwork and Historical Items: This exemption includes the purchase of and service to artwork and historical items, i.e. restoring governors' portraits, refurbishing chandeliers, etc. An agency attempting to procure commodities and services under this exemption must obtain written approval from the Purchasing Division prior to making any purchase.
3. Attorneys and Law Firms: This exemption includes attorneys, law firms, temporary hearing examiners, administrative law judges and court reporters for any agency. The term of a contract made pursuant to this exemption for temporary hearing examiners, administrative law judges or court reporters shall not exceed one year. The selection of attorneys and law firms must be pre-approved by the West Virginia Attorney General's Office. Such pre-approval is not required for hearing examiners, administrative law judges or court reporters; however, approval "as to form" by the Attorney General's Office is required for hearing examiners and administrative law judges. The selection of bond counsel is exempt.
4. Aviation Fuel: This exemption includes the purchase of aviation fuel, but excludes bulk purchases for delivery to state dispensing stations.
5. Cash Advances: In accordance with the West Virginia Code, §5A-3-17(2), the head of any spending unit, or the financial governing board of any institution, may, with the approval of the Purchasing Director, make requisitions upon the State Auditor for a sum to be known as an advance allowance account, in no case to exceed five percent (5%) of the total of the appropriations for any such spending unit, and the State Auditor shall draw his warrant upon the State Treasurer for such account; and all such advance allowance accounts shall be accounted for by the head of the spending unit or institution once every thirty (30) days or more often if required by the State Auditor or Purchasing Director.
6. Contracts Between Governmental Agencies: This exemption includes any contract between a state agency and any other governmental agency (state, local, federal) where no competition is available and the other governmental agency directly or indirectly provides the service. Examples include water line projects with local communities and environmental studies with federal agencies. This exemption does not include piggybacking existing contracts or any contracts with research corporations.
7. Court Ordered Placements: This exemption includes when placing children at various educational and/or behavioral centers when ordered by West Virginia courts or the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
8. Employee Expense Accounts and Reimbursements: This exemption covers payments to employee expense accounts and to employees as reimbursement. All vendor registration requirements are waived unless the employee is working as a contractor for the agency.
9. Entertainers: This exemption includes individuals and/or groups contracted at the request of the state to entertain or to assist in the production of entertainment.
10. Fees Imposed by Other Government Entities (i.e., licenses, permits): This exemption includes payment of fees imposed by other governmental entities (i.e., licenses, permits, etc.)
11. Governor's Mansion Furnishings: This exemption includes the purchase of any unique or handmade items used in the mansion purchased with public funds, donated, or that remain in the mansion for subsequent administrations. This exemption does not include commercially available items from more than one source.
12. Grants: Grants and Cooperative Agreements as defined in Section 2 of this Procedures Handbook are included in this exemption if the Grant or Cooperative Agreement meets the following requirements: (1) the principal purpose of the relationship must be the transfer of money, property, services or anything of value to the local government or other recipient in order to accomplish a public purpose of support or stimulation authorized by federal and/or state statute, (2) the relationship must not be to facilitate an acquisition, by purchase, lease or barter, of property or services for the direct benefit or use of the state government, and (3) the Grant or Cooperative Agreement must be targeted at specific recipients thereby making competition unavailable.
13. Hospitality: This exemption includes food, beverages, facility rental, entertainment and other expenses relating to conducting state business. A Request for Hospitality Form TMO 3.0, signed by the agency head or designee, must accompany the invoice regardless of the amount. The Purchasing Division does not need to approve TMO.3
14. Media License Fees: This exemption includes program license fees for radio or television.
15. Medical Fees: Included in this exemption are fees for medical services (behavioral and physical) from individual doctors, dentists, clinics, hospitals, laboratory testing facilities, audiologists, county medical examiners, physical and occupational therapists, behavioral counseling and evaluations, etc. for individual patients, inmates, students and clients where the state is responsible for payment for this one-time service. This exemption also includes programs designed for indigent patient care on an individual basis provided that the program is open to all service providers. Also, included in this exemption is body transportation for corpses and indigent burial expenses and sole source medical and psychological consultants for the purpose of determining Federal Social Security Administration Disability by the Disability Determination Services of the WV Division of Rehabilitation Services. This exemption does not include inmate health care management, hospital management, consulting services or agreements to provide services for groups of patients, inmates, students or clients, etc. for state agencies.
16. Medical Fees, Emergency Trauma Reimbursement: This exemption provides for the Department of Health and Human Resources to remit fees to State of West Virginia Level I or Level II Emergency Medical Services trauma physicians for services rendered to supplement insurance premiums and other costs when required to maintain certain levels of certification. Limited to qualified trauma physicians that meet the overall trauma performance requirements determined by the Office of Emergency Medical Service guidelines. The physicians to be contracted with will have credentials to meet the identified needs of a Level I or Level II trauma center.
17. NASCAR: This exemption only applies to NASCAR licensing or license plate manufacturing for West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles.
18. Postage: This exemption includes stamps, metering, overnight services (i.e., Federal Express, Airborne, UPS, etc.), but this does not include postage available from statewide contracts.
19. Professional Association Dues: This exemption includes membership fees or association dues for professional associations (i.e., West Virginia Bar Association, West Virginia Board of Accountancy, etc.).
20. Railroad Car Hire Fees: This exemption includes national association fees required from all railroads to monitor the location and use of railroad cars for the owners. Bar codes on railroad cars are scanned into a computer database which in turn notifies the owner of the location and remits the user fees to the appropriate owner.
21. Resale Items: This exemption includes items that are acquired specifically for resale by the state agency to the general public (or for use by Correctional Industries in producing items for resale) that should be selected on the basis of quality and delivery constraints due to customer demand.
22. Shipping Charges and Freight: This exemption applies only to shipping charges and freight for items shipped or received that are not included in a contract or purchase order.
23. System Maintenance: This exemption applies to maintenance on all non-competitive proprietary software or bundled hardware/software system maintenance. This exemption does not include the purchase of new software, and does not apply to hardware or software maintenance, where multiple vendors are authorized by the manufacturer to provide service without voiding system warranties. The Office of Technology must pre-approve any purchase under this exemption.
24. Student Activities: This exemption includes lecturers, entertainers, athletic events, referees, teachers [for services requiring teacher certification by the West Virginia Department of Education], etc.
25. Investigative Services; Subject Matter Experts and Witnesses: This exemption includes obtaining investigative services and the services of a subject matter expert or witness for administrative hearings and legal procedures. This exemption does not include agency consulting services or former employees retained by their agency or hired by another agency.
26. Subscriptions and publications: This exemption includes newspapers, textbooks and publications electronic and hard copy purchased directly from the publisher.
27. Training Activities: This exemption includes lecturers, honorariums, copyrighted test and training materials, test monitors/examination proctors, etc., where competition is not available.
28. Tuition, Stipends, Accreditations and Registration Fees: This exemption includes payment of tuition, stipends, accreditations and registration fees. This exemption also includes students who are receiving monetary awards by a state agency.
29. Utilities (Regulated Services by the Public Service Commission): This exemption includes natural gas, water, sewage, electric, telephone, garbage, cable television service, connection fees, trash hauling and dumpster rental [if only one PSC approved hauler is in the area]. An Agency Purchase Order, Centralized Purchase Order or Agreement, WV-48, is required for cable service and trash hauling in excess of $2,500 per year. This exemption does not include propane gas and coal, both of which must be competitively bid.
30. Department of Agriculture Exemptions: Approved exemptions for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture include purchase of livestock for sale to state institutions and the acquisition of bees for repopulation purposes.
31. Court Ordered Payments: This exemption includes court order payment. A copy of the court order must be maintained in the agency file, unless sealed and restricted by the respective judge. If the order is sealed and restricted, an explanation must be maintained in the agency file referencing the court order.
32. Intellectual Property: This exemption includes the West Virginia Lottery�s purchase of licenses to intellectual property, such as copyrighted or trademarked material, for creative use in the development of lottery products, promotions, or advertising when the license can be obtained from only one source. This exemption in no way applies to software.
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text:
As I sit here attempting to run my computer off a hand-cranked generator and contemplating eating dog food as my city falls into snow-covered chaos, all I can think about is how much I'd rather be snow-drifting a Porsche 911 like this guy.
Help me out, Jalops. Why don't you help me take my mind off the inevitable collapse of Western civilization brought on by this nightmarish winter? Why not post some great snow drift videos?
A good example is this video from Sport Auto. The lucky bastards took a Carrera S and a Carrera 4S to Hockenheim and had some good fun in the white stuff. Wouldn't you rather be drifting right now?
Hat tip to Cynical in Oppo-land!


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Get your stay free!
From R4202 unit
"This amazing house has been designed with
Relaxation in mind. Offering complete privacy &
Rented exclusively to one group at a time. "
Self catering & Full board options are available.
"Conve... Read More
We found some more establishments that you may be interested in. These establishments may not match the accommodation type or location that you requested.
Alis Motel accommodation is situated in the centre of Livingstone, Zambia allowing easy access to various places of interest including the Victoria Falls, local business districts and the general vibr... Read More
From R462 unit
The welcoming atmosphere at LePatino is unforgettable. The Guest House is only five minutes from town, the Livingstone Museum and the main hospital. Spacious double rooms all fitted with modern air co... Read More
From R70 unit
We offer affordable accommodation (camping, dorms, privates) in a friendly atmosphere. Whether you want to have a party, relax in a hammock in the garden or cool down in the swimming pool, you will ha... Read More
From R560 unit
White Rose Lodge opened its doors to guests in September 2011. It caters for both local and international clients. It has 12 spacious, well designed, self-contained, and air-conditioned rooms all with... Read More
From R450 unit
Looking for an unforgettable vacation. Stay with us at the Stone Guest House only 8 kms from the magnificent Victoria Falls. We offer standard and luxury Bed & Breakfast Accommodation, 1.5 kms from th... Read More
From R2535 unit
Afro-centric in design, our lodge has many innovative features for the culture enthusiast and the environmentally-conscious tourist. We welcome local and international visitors.
We are strategical... Read More
From R650 unit
Kays Guesthouse is conveniently located between the Livingstone International Airport and the Livingstone City centre.
It is suitable for both business and holiday makers alike. It has a combinati... Read More
Is Conveniently located just 15 minutes from the mighty Victoria Falls & Livingstone, yet far enough away from the hustle & bustle of town to truly relax, unwind & rejuvenate in this very special corn... Read More
The Victoria Falls Safari Lodge is set high on a plateau, which forms a natural boundary to the unfenced Zambezi National Park, and is just four kilometres from the majestic Victoria Falls. ... Read More
Broadcast your accommodation requirements to our database of hotels and lodges.
Zakariya Paul won a booking to the value of R950 at Daisy Country Lodge
Totally Unexpected. What an amazing place to stay. Staff is very friendly and the accommodation is FANTABULOUS!!!
How can you Win Free Accommodation?
Price Range comparison
When Homes and Villas are selected as the search criteria, the full daily rate for the unit is used for price comparison and display irrespective of the number of people the unit sleeps.
Bases on4 reviews of Livingstone CBD Accommodation.
Livingstone CBDThe town is next to places of interest and all you need is available (shops, banks, taxis etc.) - Molatela Mamabolo
Livingstone CBDGood to see that there are still old Colonial buildings standing. The place seemed clean and people friendly. - Jessica Lissaman


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Lexus GX SUV
2019 |Utility/Offroad
Lexus GX460 SUV
2018-2010 |Utility/Offroad
The Lexus GX460 is a luxury crossover sport utility vehicle introduced in 2010 as a replacement for Lexus's capable but gas-guzzling truck-based SUV, the GX470.
Lexus GX470 SUV
2009-2003 |Utility/Offroad
The Lexus GX470 was a well-equipped midsize luxury SUV based on the mechanics of the popular Toyota 4Runner.
Lexus LX SUV
2019-2018 |Utility/Offroad
Lexus LX450 SUV
1997-1996 |Utility/Offroad
The Lexus LX450 is a luxury SUV model the brand produced for just two years between 1996 and 1997.
Lexus LX470 SUV
2007-1998 |Utility/Offroad
The Lexus LX470 is a full-size luxury Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) manufactured by Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota Japan.
Lexus LX570 SUV
2017-2013, 2011-2008 |Utility/Offroad
The third generation of this line's SUVs is known as the Lexus LX570.
Lexus NX SUV
2019 |Hybrid, Utility/Offroad
Lexus NX 200t SUV
2016 |Utility/Offroad
Lexus NX200t SUV
2017-2015 |Utility/Offroad
Lexus NX300h SUV
2017-2015 |Hybrid, Utility/Offroad
Lexus RX SUV
2019-2017 |Hybrid, Utility/Offroad
Lexus RX300 SUV
2003-1999 |Utility/Offroad
First introduced in 1999, the Lexus RX300 is a midsize crossover SUV that the brand produced until 2003.
Lexus RX330 SUV
2006-2004 |Utility/Offroad
The Lexus RX330 is a midsize luxury crossover sport utility vehicle (SUV) manufactured by Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota Japan.
Lexus RX350 SUV
2016-2007 |Utility/Offroad
While the Lexus RX350 looks similar to the 330, a notable upgrade in the quality of the materials improves its appearance from earlier models.
Lexus RX400h SUV
2008-2006 |Hybrid, Utility/Offroad
First introduced in 2006, the Lexus RX400h is a midsize crossover luxury hybrid SUV.
Lexus RX450h SUV
2016-2010 |Hybrid, Utility/Offroad
The Lexus RX450H is a five-passenger midsize hybrid luxury crossover SUV manufactured by Lexus, the luxury division of Toyota.


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Energy efficiency a growing requirement among home buyers
Green homes can generate owner satisfaction, cut long-term costs
When Linda Connolly started selling homes in Fairfield County 18 years ago, green house equated more to plants growing in a glass structure than an energy-efficient dwelling.
Now, homebuyers want to limit their household expenses and are increasingly demanding the home they purchase features some levels of energy efficiency, according to Connolly, a real estate agent with the William Raveis office in Danbury and president of the Northern Fairfield County Association of Realtors.
Technology like solar panels, geothermal energy and energy-efficient windows and insulation impress some buyers, and there seems to be a trend in that direction, she said, but buyers she has seen still seem to be focused more on standard priorities such as location, size and price.
"I haven't had anyone come to me and say `I'm not looking for anything without green features,' but I think there are people looking for features like energy-efficient HVAC (heating, ventilating and air conditioning), energy-efficient appliances and ways to save water," Connolly said.
Long-term value
Connolly has not sold a home with energy-saving features like geothermal and photovoltaic solar arrays, but she said she understands why a buyer would be interested, understanding the long-term value.
"It could be a selling point for some people. They might be able to get more for their home if they advertise it as a green home," said Connolly, who represents residential properties in 14 communities in northern Fairfield County.
Realizing more homebuyers want energy-efficient features, she plans to take classes on green-home technology offered by the Connecticut Green Building Council.
Michael Trolle, owner of BPC Green Builders in Wilton, incorporated many of those technologies into his Danbury home, and the results have been impressive.
"We moved in November of 2013. This past winter was the first in the house, and in our first winter we spent $200 for electricity, and we kept the house at 70 degrees," said Troelle, who has been building energy-efficient homes for 15 years. "It's been my goal to bring green to the marketplace. We've done a lot of jobs that are LEED certified. Green building has gone mainstream."
LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is an energy-efficiency rating assigned by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Deep energy retrofits
Because of tree coverage, Trolle has not been able to install solar panels on his 1,650-square-foot house on Carol Road, but he is using other technology to reduce costs.
"I attribute it to how well insulated the house is and that it's airtight and to the efficiency of the mechanical equipment," Troelle said, the installation of an energy-recovery ventilator is essential. "Every house we build has one."
Elizabeth DiSalvo, principal architect in Trillium Architects in Ridgefield and a member of the Connecticut Green Building Council Board of Directors, has worked with Troelle on several houses.
Increased has interest in building and buying energy-efficient homes, according to DiSalvo, who focuses on designing green properties.
"There are people who want to save money and think it's cool, and there are others who just want the greenest home possible," said DiSalvo, who helped organize a tour of green homes across the state hosted by the Connecticut Green Building Council during two weekends last month.
They ranged from a house where all work was done by the owner to deep energy retrofits, according to DiSalvo, to new homes "over the top" in energy efficiency.
Among the homes on the tour were several in Fairfield County.
"Right before the recession in 2008, people started asking for it (energy-efficient homes), and then the recession threw it off," DiSalvo said. "As soon as the recession ended, people were totally into it."
Assessing resale value
Philosophy differs among the professionals who design and build energy efficient homes, compared with those who construct homes using more conventional strategies, she said.
"We try to assess the resale value with clients," DiSalvo said, adding the Connecticut Green Building Council wants to educate real estate agents about the benefits of energy-efficient properties and the technology involved.
"Our council is starting to green the MLS (Multiple Listing Service)," she said. "The MLS is starting to recognize energy efficiency. Every house we do has solar panels and a version of geothermal."
Some level of green is being incorporated in most home construction, according to Katherine Pancak, professor of finance and real estate at the University of Connecticut.
"There is a growing interest in homebuyers that want to buy a green home," she said.
"Reasons vary, including wanting a home that is healthier, has lower utility and maintenance costs and leaves less of a carbon footprint on the environment.
"While a perception is green homes are expensive to build, the U.S. Green Building Council reports that energy-efficient green homes can be built for the same cost or less than conventional homes.
"The USGBC reports that just under 50 percent of new construction homes that they certify are in the affordable housing sector, indicating that green technology is being incorporated at all housing levels."


text:
Message Board
Gennita Low Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Low has written!
Author Low's Book Reviews
Facing Fear
Avon Mar 2004, 5.99, 384 pp. ISBN: 0060523395 As the Chief of Operations for the CIA Tiara Task Force Two, Ricardo Harden knows that Internal Investigations (Eyes) will look closely at his activities since arresting his superior Gorman for treason. Though he is innocent, he realizes he will be the fall guy and probably deserves to be so as he ignored signs of sedition so he could be the safe bureaucrat. Nikki Taylor is assigned to investigate...
Into Danger
Avon, Apr 2003, 5.99, 384 pp. ISBN: 0060523387 CIA team TIARA Task Force Two abducts the man hired to chauffeur the mythically renowned assassin Marlena Maxwell. They replace the captured driver with US Navy Seal Steve McMillan whose assignment is to learn the identity of Marlena's next victim. From the first moment when Marlena manhandles Steve, he finds himself quite attracted to her. Shocking to the proficient killer, Marlena finds she is...


text:
Just in time for Tuesday!
Well, you know how you just sometimes have one of those days?
This was one of mine.
I am still analyzing the full extent of my stupidity and incompetence (and I fear the results may be classified).
But I can say this:
First of all, thank you, John Scott, for being available and so, well, non-judgmental, as you once again bailed me out.
Second, we now do hope and expect that the website will stay up and you can take your quizzes. I will look into extending what is now yesterday's quiz so it can be played today as well (an excellent idea urged by Iudith Mentzel).
My apologies for inconvenience and any mental anguish,
Steven Feuerstein
16 December 2013
PL/SQL Challenge Website Now Available
Posted by Steven Feuerstein at 23:57
2 comments:
Hello Steven,ReplyDelete
Thanks a lot if you could adopt my idea for the future, letting EVERY quiz to be opened
for at least 2 days .
For this one I think it is already too late, after the answers were already published ...
Best Regards,
Yes, Iudith. I agree we should do that. I thought about doing it for yesterday, but it must be tested a bit first.ReplyDelete
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
[ YouTube link for mobile viewing ]
Since the launch of the Native SDK for BlackBerry® Tablet OS closed beta, game developers have been able to leverage rich tools to take advantage of the power within the BlackBerry® PlayBook™ tablet. With the general availability launch of the NDK, along with the Scoreloop NDK beta availability, leveraging the full capabilities of the BlackBerry PlayBook is now easier than ever.
The video above highlights some great examples of gaming experiences on the BlackBerry PlayBook, including apps like Dead Space for BlackBerry PlayBook, Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD, and N.O.V.A. 2 HD (full list below).
Spacelings by HotGen Limited
BattleBallz Chaos by Pocketeers Limited
Raging Thunder by Polarbit
Bejeweled 2 for BlackBerry PlayBook by Electronic Arts Inc.
THE GAME OF LIFE for BlackBerry PlayBook by Electronic Arts Inc.
Dead Space for BlackBerry PlayBook by Electronic Arts Inc.
Asphalt 6: Adrenaline HD by Gameloft Inc.
N.O.V.A. 2 HD by Gameloft Inc.
Let's Golf 2 HD by Gameloft Inc.
ToFu by HotGen Limited


text:
27 lettered loons go by
The game to illustrate either:
How wildly eclectic your taste is… or,
How perfectly streamlined it is.
I will post a letter of the alphabet
all BANDS or ARTISTS must begin with that letter.
Artists letter is determined by the letter at the beginning of their SURNAME (if they use it) – ignore the use of 'The' in a bands name.
up to 13 songs are allowed – fewer if you wish.
All can be the same artist if that represents you perfectly or all the same genre.
Just make them great tunes.
Make a youtube playlist (if you like) and link to it – just link to it – don't overload the thread.
Cut and paste the band names and tracks (in a joyous list style) in the comments.
Then we can chat about the choices – add some waffle if you want (about how narrow or varied those choices are) … but above all, have fun.
It's all over and I'm standing pretty
In this dust that was a city
If I could find a souvenir
Just to prove the world was here