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Laser leveling, shortened irrigation runs, furrow bullets and a host of other technologies have combined to make California row crop growers the most efficient furrow irrigators in the world.
However, irrigation efficiency in the 70 percent range is no longer good enough as California agricultural water supplies dwindle and water quality deteriorates.
University of California Extension cotton specialist Bob Hutmacher and UC Cooperative Extension farm advisors Dan Munk (Fresno County) and Blake Sanden (Kern County) say all cotton growers will need to raise irrigation efficiencies to even higher levels to keep cotton profitable.
It is all about producing the most cotton for the least amount of water. This could mean reducing acreage to maximize available water supplies. It could mean not taking a crop full season to reduce water use and cost. It is already meaning reduced pre-irrigation and looking more closely at deficit irrigation without reducing yields. The later may not be that bad, according to Hutmacher who has shown that a little stress may not only save water, but it can increase yields.
Where three to four acre feet of water were the norm for producing a cotton crop in years past, as little as 24 inches of applied water is producing a normal crop today.
Not everyone can grow cotton on so little water, Hutmacher, Munk and Sanden told growers and consultants at the recent annual winter cotton grower meting held in conjunction with the California Cotton Growers Association annual meeting in Visalia.
However, most could get close with new irrigation systems, particularly drip irrigation.
Row crop drip system installations have picked up dramatically in the past five years on the West Side of the San Joaquin Valley, mostly targeting higher value crops like tomatoes, lettuce, garlic and onions. However, cotton has benefited from the efficiencies and low water use of drip primarily because ground is rotated to cotton from high value crops. Lately growers have been installing low water use drip for cotton because systems have become cheaper.
Hand move sprinklers have also been used more recently in pre-irrigation and early season irrigation to save water. Now mechanical irrigation, center pivots and lateral moves, are being installed in the valley.
Munk said 20 160-acre center pivots have been installed in Western Fresno County within the past six months.
A few lateral and center pivot mechanical irrigation systems have been installed over the years in California. However, they have not caught on like they have in other parts of the country for a variety of reasons.
Munk said today's mechanical systems are more reliable with lower maintenance and are more adaptable to intensive Western irrigation. Drop nozzles and socks and irrigation furrow dikes also are making the systems more suitable for Western irrigated agriculture. They are also more attractive to growers because they can be used to apply herbicides, fertilizer and can be modified for variable rate irrigations based on soil types across a field. The cost and availability of labor to irrigate crops is another reason growers are installing mechanical systems.
In an Australian test of a lateral move versus furrow irrigation, Munk said there was a 37 percent water savings with the lateral and a 10 percent yield increase for a 70 percent increase in water use efficiency.
In a trial in Kern County, Sanden compared furrow, hand-move, solid set sprinklers, drip and sprinkler irrigation for germination followed by drip irrigation during the season. Non-furrow irrigation systems cost more per acre, almost double in some cases. However, irrigation efficiency increased from 70 percent for furrow to up to 90 percent for drip.
It would take up to a half bale more per acre to justify the costs of the pressurized lower water application systems, but Sanden said moving from lower efficiency to more expensive higher water use efficiency systems will pay off.
Using $30 per acre water, Sanden said cotton revenue from subsurface drip with a production cost of $750 per acre still netted from $210 per acre to almost $1,200 per acre over three crop years.
Hutmacher says too much water early actually can set back cotton yields. Slight water stress early could result in a beneficial, smaller plant that would be more amenable to late season water stress due to water shortages or higher water costs.
Hutmacher said stressing cotton 1.5 to 2 bars in leaf water potential with delayed irrigation has helped manage cotton without a major impact on yields.
"We are talking about stressing to 16 to 18 bars," he explained. Taking it to the 22 bar level is too draconian and could hurt yields.


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Bloomberg: Hard Hit Communities Still Suffering
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg described recent visits to communities in the Rockaways and Staten Island to assess damage and relief efforts in the hardest hit areas of the five boroughs.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... our sympathies are with those who lost their homes and forced to leave because of flooding ... we believe the businesses have been hard hit ... but to many of those who use to ... have gone back to their homes gone back to find the power is still out and many will remain without power in the days ahead ... one of the great she is we have this with cold weather coming ... now we have to make sure that people can stay warm ... and ... among the hardest hit their the Rockaway is in Staten Island ... a lot of places that don't have electricity ... but are going to experience the call ... I'll talk about that in a minute but that is the next big problem for us ... ROC boys yesterday morning and talked with many concerned residents assure them over everything possible to get power back on ... our team has been working with the long Island power Authority which provide select full service ... on the Rockaway is the rest the city is pre much taking care of my content ... we urge them to commit more resources to getting power back ... to the Rockaway is faster and I'm glad to report that we are seeing some progress ... at midnight there was something like twenty five thousand customers in Iraq was without power ... we think it's down to something like nineteen thousand now ... long waits to Goebel going in the right direction ... Micah has agreed to a request and more crews to this job ... that should speed up the process ... they've also delivered ten generators to him on houses of public housing development visited yesterday ... and Wilkinson will continue to provide life with all the support we can ... some twenty five thousand public housing residents you should know live in coastal areas designated as on a ... many of them in metropolis ... so we're going to take care of immediate needs for ... food water watch and safety ... and we've also started to address the process of long term recovery ... it's morning I went to Staten Island ... at Steinour hospital I visited and talked with the city sanitation worker ... who received an electric shock from a downed power line while he was on a sanitation with this morning ... his name is Michael Lou Reed ... his condition is stable in the accident he suffered shows that there is still dangerous conditions out there ... and despite these changes say workers like Michael are out there working on our behalf around the clock ... and they really do deserve our gratitude ... by the way ... will release a new door on Staten Island in his home was severely damaged ... but that did not keep him from serving his fellow New Yorkers and New Staten Islanders ... and he was on the job helping to clean up the debris ... from President John Monaro States and in the Lancet comes venturing out on my walk the streets of Maitland Beach ... we saw some of the damage done by Hurricane Sandy to homes there ... and also the massive cleanup efforts that being led by the Department of sanitation transportation parks ... the NYPD SBNY and other city agencies are also members of the National Guard ... I have a cup of coffee a little while ago with General Tom Boston ... and his team learning from the Army Corps of engineers ... they are helping to pump water and provide a resort power ... they are ... people that know how to deal with disasters and it's great to have them here they're helpful ... we also went to a food distribution center and met with Monty is ... four of them had been there for forty eight hours straight without sleep ... we talk with residents whose homes have been badly damaged ... when inside if you look and see what to the basement looked like ... we visited the awaits is Christian Center where volunteers were handing out food and supplies I thank them for their efforts ... we have a lot of runners who come here to run the marathon ... and now live on sharing ... sharing stuff delivering doing everything we needed ... Stephen L was were getting help from city workers ... and since the social agencies also the staff of the Federal emergency Management Agency ... city service volunteers and National Guard are also there ... and that the disastrous assistants ... service centers ... hard at work providing food water a flashlight batteries blankets household items ... another critical supplies to people who are still without power ... yesterday people who ... were without power and he also came to Miller field to ... catch a place the shuttle bus for shelter where they can spend the night safely ... this evening and buses at the city's five disaster assistance centers in several locations in Manhattan the Bronx ... well again to help people get to shelters ... and again this evening NYPD control offices would use ... loudspeakers urge people to go where they can be worn safe and tell them how to get there ... helping people people on about our initially Knight's is also become a focus of the food distribution centers were operating in communities without electric power ... the site's good food and bottled water to residents Sephardic communities ... what still without electric power ... to all sites are distributing blankets and many of the spring flashlights and baby supplies ... such as disposable diapers and baby formula ... and we ask you to please bring bags if you go to get some of these items and bags to carry stuff away ... trial sites in the open today some of today's teams won and are scheduled to close at five ... many of them have stayed open much later when people were lined up ... they'll be open tomorrow from noon until four remain open ... as long as they needed in the days ahead ... there are more than a thousand NYC service volunteers involved in this cleanup ... in cleaning storm drains and other work about half of them are going into it and or the affected communities to checking in Oklahoma ... letting everyone know when they can go to stay one night ... that it is an enormous outpouring of people the donating clothing ... and food ... I think at this point the centers have more than they can really realistically ... distributors we need more we can certainly put out another ... call for ... help but to what would be the most helpful is donations the Mayans fund to ... help the or and to them will be a believes that money to ... help people get back on their feet ...

subset: commoncrawl


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Master of Public Administration (MPA)
The Rockefeller College MPA program develops leaders, managers, and advanced analysts who excel in public service within government and across sectors. We provide pre-service and mid-career students with a comprehensive core curriculum in public affairs and a diverse selection of electives to further tailor their training and prepare them to solve difficult administrative and policy problems in local, state, national and global communities. Our curriculum emphasizes the development of technical and managerial skills toward the responsible and ethical uses of discretion in the pursuit exemplary personal and organizational performance.
Our academic and professional faculty
- are accomplished researchers and practitioners,
- draw on many years of experience,
- produce high quality academic and professional research, and
- address significant issues in public management and policy.
Rockefeller's MPA may be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. Full-time students should plan to commit two years to complete the program and required internship. Part-time, working professionals can take advantage of evening courses to complete the degree. The MPA is a 49 credit hour program that allows students to focus the degree towards their personal career goals. The three components of the Rockefeller MPA are:
- A core curriculum including public management, analytic methods, financial management, and microeconomics (29 credits)
- Concentration area(s) consisting of five elective courses chosen from Rockefeller College and across the University (15-20 credits)
- An internship or career experience
Core Curriculum
PAD 500: Institutional Foundations of Public Administration
PAD 501: Public and Nonprofit Financial Management
PAD 503: Principles of Public Economics
PAD 504: Data, Models, and Decisions I
PAD 505: Statistics for Public Managers and Policy Analysts
PAD 506: Foundations of Public Management
PAD 507: Professional Applications I
PAD 508: Professional Applications II
PAD 509: Career Capstone Experience
Concentration Areas
Students take at least five concentration courses, which should be chosen based on long-term professional interests. Depending on the concentration, students can choose to take two, three, or five courses within one or more concentrations. Students should choose concentrations based on their career goals and should work closely with an advisor to determine which concentrations best match their professional interests and to identify the specific courses they will take within a concentration. Where appropriate, a student working closely with his or her advisor may design a unique concentration.
- Environmental Policy & Politics
- Financial Market Regulation
- Global Affairs
- Government Information Strategy and Management
- Healthcare Management
- Health Policy
- Homeland Security
- Human Resources Management
- Local Government Management
- Nonprofit Management
- Organizational Behavior and Theory
- Policy Analysis
- Public Economics and Financial Management
Other Substantive Public Policy Areas
- Information Policy
- Crime and Justice Policy
- Education Policy
- Global Affairs
- History and Policy
- Urban Planning and Policy
- Social Welfare Policy
- Women and Policy
Concurrent Certificate Options
- Public Sector Management
- Women and Public Policy
- Nonprofit Management & Leadership
- International Health & Human Rights
- Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security & Cybersecurity
Internship or Career Experience
Homeland Security
- New York State Office of Counter Terrorism
- NYS Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Local Government
State Government
- New York State Assembly Ways and Means Committee
- New York State Department of Civil Service
- New York State Senate Finance Committee
Public Finance
Federal Government
Health Policy
- New York State Association of Health Care Providers
- U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
- Home
- About Rockefeller
- Academics
- Public Administration
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- Admissions
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Your Degree
- Visit
- Admitted Students
- Career Development
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- Centers & Institutes
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- Giving
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- Learning Objectives
Students participate in more than 200 student clubs and honor societies, and enjoy a busy calendar of campus events.


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The F-Type showcases supercharged Jaguar engines, using a 3-liter supercharged V6 in 340hp and 380hp (V6S) versions, as well as the 5-liter supercharged V8 in the F-Type V8 S with 495hp and 460 lb-ft of torque.
All engines equipped with an Intelligent Stop/Start system to enhance fuel economy. The new flappy paddle eight-speed "quick-shift" automatic transmission will be the only drivetrain available.
The entry model F-Type supercharged V6 is rated at 340hp and 332 lb-ft of torque at 3500-5500 rpm. The engine debuted in the 2013 XJ and XF sedans. And clocks in a 0-60mph time of 5.1sec, with a top speed 161mph, and overtaking speed from 50-75mph in just 3.3sec.
The F-Type S has an enhanced supercharged V6 with 380hp, 339 lb-ft of torque at 3500-5500 rpm. Zero-to-60mph is hit in 4.8sec, while top speed is bumped to 171mph, and passing speeds from 50-75mph is accomplished in 3.1sec.
The twin-vortex supercharger is mounted in the engine's "V" and a water-cooled intercooler reduces the temperature of the intake air to optimize power and efficiency. The supercharged V6 uses a higher compression ratio than the V8, at 10.5:1 vs. 9.5:1.
The V8 produces a broader torque curve, with 495hp and 460 lb-ft produced from 2500-5500rpm. The performance figures include 0-60mph in 4.2sec (0-62mph in 4.9 seconds), a top speed of 186mph, and passing ability from 50-75mph in a blistering 2.5sec.
The V6 and V8 engines combine high compression, direct fuel injection, dual independent variable cam timing (DIVCT) and spray-guided direct injection that delivers precisely measured quantities of fuel directly into the center of the combustion chambers at up to 2175psi.
The new Intelligent Stop/Start system will offer fuel economy benefits under certain urban driving conditions. Stop/Start uses a twin solenoid starter, enabling the system to restart the engine quickly as the driver's foot moves from the brake pedal to the accelerator. There is also a strategy for engine stop-start "change of mind" scenarios.
This will bring the engine back up to speed even during its run-down phase if, for instance, the car is coming to a halt at an intersection when the driver sees an opportunity to join the traffic flow. As the engine is shutting down, but before it has completely stopped, it can rapidly restart by injecting fuel into the cylinders.
Standard equipment on the V6 S and V8 S models (optional for the V6) is an Active Exhaust system to enhance the exhaust note. It uses an electronically controlled bypass valve in the rear section of the exhaust that open under hard acceleration, a feature shared with the high performance XKR-S.
The Jaguar F-Type S offers a Dynamic Launch Mode for track-driving junkies. When the car is stationary, the driver depresses the brake pedal while simultaneously building engine revs with the accelerator until a message reading 'Dynamic Launch Ready' appears in the instrument panel. You then release the brake, unleashing exhilaration.
A mechanical limited-slip differential is fitted as standard to the F-Type S, which offers driver the opportunity to explore the car's superb balance and outer limits of its grip within a progressive handling envelope. The V8 S is fitted with an active electronic differential to maximize traction and offer even greater control.
The three versions of the F-Type will have progressively more powerful braking systems, all with the high levels of pedal feedback required for accurate modulation.
The Jaguar Performance system fitted to the 340hp F-Type has 13.9" (354mm) front and 12.8" (325mm) rear brake rotors with silver painted calipers. The F-Type S uses larger 15" (380mm) brake rotors at the front. The F-Type V8 S has the Super High Performance braking system with the largest rotors ever fitted as standard to a Jaguar production car, including the 15" (380mm) front and 14.8" (376mm) rear. All cars are fitted with ABS, Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Emergency Brake Assist.
To make the steering more responsive and to increae feedback, the F-Type uses an alloy front subframe with stiff front knuckles, also constructed of aluminum. This arrangement allowed the quickest steering rack ever used on a modern Jaguar to be fitted, giving the driver a connected feeling.
The switch-operated Dynamic Mode enables the driver – at the push of a button – to emphasize the sporting character of the car by sharpening throttle response, increasing steering weight, perform faster gear changes at higher revs and raising the threshold for stability control intervention. Dynamic mode also prevents automatic upshifts when the transmission is in manual mode.
The F-Type S and V8 S models are fitted with the Jaguar Adaptive Dynamics suspension, with variable damping that controls vertical body movement, roll and pitch rates. The system continuously monitors driver input and the attitude of the car on the road, adjusting damper rates accordingly up to 500 times a second to optimize stability and agility.


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- January 27: Four More Audi Managers Indicted in the U.S. news | 27 days ago
- January 3: Audi and VW Timing Chain Warranty Extended news | 51 days ago
- December 26: Subaru Starlink Lawsuit Says Updates Have Failed news | 59 days ago
- December 19: Audi TT and A3 Vehicles Recalled Over Fuel Leaks recalls | 66 days ago
- December 18: VW Sold 'Test' Cars That Should Have Been Destroyed news | 67 days ago
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Life doesn't always turn out like you expect and, in the mature years, that reality can be disappointing. Benedictine Father Vernon Holtz calls those letdowns disillusions, but, he said, "They don't have to be the end of the world."
Instead, shattered dreams can be the foundation for a spiritual transformation.
"We used to call these things midlife crises, but I call them midlife transitions," he said. "When you are shattered, you come to a new belief about who you are. Shattering is only the first part of the process."
Father Holtz, 82, previously chaired the psychology department at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa., and still teaches one class. He holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from Duquesne University, and has a small private practice.
Resolving issues
Most of Father Holtz's clients are middle-aged or older, and many are trying to make their remaining years meaningful.
"They want to know how to overcome regrets and disappointments, and they seek an acceptance that will enable them to move on with a new hope and a new life," he told Our Sunday Visitor. "If they don't resolve those issues, they can become bitter and unhappy."
Father Holtz addresses those changes in a series of lectures on spirituality and aging at the college, which cover topics such as spiritual growth, friendship, relationships and regrets that surface amid life changes.
"You lose your job and so you lose your identity because you used to identify with your job," he said. "You are married and think that your spouse loves you and doesn't, or your spouse dies, and you identified with your marriage. You believed in God in a certain way and then you understand that God is not who you thought he was, and your whole idea of religion changes. Regret is looking back and trying to explain what we did or didn't do and trying to justify it. Why didn't I take that job? Why didn't I move?"
The key to not becoming bitter, he said, is to look at disillusion as a process of becoming "dis" illusioned, or losing illusions that are creating unrest and stifling growth.
"Your partner or your kids didn't turn out exactly the way you wanted them to, but can you still love them and care for them?" he said. "Can you realize that you have made mistakes or haven't been living correctly? Or that you weren't believing correctly? For example, if you were raised to believe that God is all-knowing and omnipotent, and then 9/11 hits us smack in the face, you have to acknowledge that God didn't stop it. How can you reconcile that with a loving God?"
Courage amid suffering
Mature adults may begin to question their worth in the face of painful changes and losses.
"Initially, we try to get rid of suffering and pretend that we are not suffering, and that we are not going to suffer," Father Holtz said. "We are determined to overcome the arthritis or the cancer, and we wonder, how can this happen to me? But there comes a point when you have to acknowledge and accept that you might not get better. ... If you haven't been taught that there is a role in suffering, it's devastating. Someone who hasn't identified with Christ will find it hard to accept that we all suffer."
We can either accept disillusionments and suffering and integrate them with our faith, or choose to be bitter. In many instances, faith is stronger in people as they age because they are past the earlier years of questioning their faith, he said, and from that can emerge a courageous spirituality.
"That can enable us to live creatively and come alive and have the courage to be all we can be, even in old age," he said.
Maryann Gogniat Eidemiller writes from Pennsylvania.
Additional articles from our Senior Living Special section:
Copyright © 1996-2019 Our Sunday Visitor, Inc.


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Leaving A Legacy
Thanks for visiting the Oral Roberts University stewardship and estate planning site! It is our personal prayer and passion that this be a tangible ministry in your life.
We are told that a staggering 70% of Americans do not have a current will. Wow! The ramifications of this on children, surviving spouses, and on taxes and fees is immeasurable.
There are probably many reasons for this. Fear of dying, procrastination, confusion about the estate planning process, the cost of creating a will…and more.
We, at Oral Roberts University, want to provide some "layman friendly" estate planning information that can enable you to protect your family and be a wise steward of what He has entrusted you with.
We are always available to discuss any aspect of planned giving or estate planning. For your privacy, we have made special arrangements for you to explore estate planning and planned giving strategies with the help of an independent group called PhilanthroCorp, a nationally known charitable planning firm that works exclusively in the areas of estate and gift planning.
We have partnered with PhilanthroCorp in this important endeavor and in most cases there is no cost for their services. Throughout the pages there are contact forms where you may select whom you wish to respond to your request, ORU or PhilanthroCorp.
So, grab a cup of coffee or tea, kick off your shoes and browse around. If you just want to get down to business, you can click on the Estate Plan Organizer on any page and walk yourself through a tutorial/data gathering process. At the end, you can print it at home or ask for help. All of the information you log in is confidential. The Estate Plan Organizer does not ask for social security numbers or bank account numbers. No one will see your entries unless you submit at the end and ask for help.
In that case, we will be in touch to serve you in any way they can.
So, be blessed and make yourself at home!


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sklep online
Budget zł750-2250 PLN
sklep internetowy
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Welcome, I'll be writing about the History of The South from the Colonial Era to the Present. I'm a Historian and Genealogist, as well as the Author of the popular bilingual "Rosales' History of The South" Newspaper Column and Radio Show and also the Author of various books and articles dealing with Southern History and Genealogy. I will be happy to assist you in finding your Southern, Confederate or Hispanic Ancestors, so feel free to email me at email@example.com
Saturday, December 11, 2010
New Episode of "Rosales" History of The South" Radio Show (Show # 4, 30 Minutes Long).
We did a new episode of "Rosales" History of The South" Radio Show, you can listen to it by clicking on the link below. Topic's include "Sephardic Jews along the Gulf Coast", Confederate (Mexican) Captain Refugio Benavides and Forgotten Confederate Frenchman Joseph Valle, as well as other topics. We hope you enjoy it !! http://www.blogtalkradio.com/rosales-history-of-the-south/2010/12/09/rosales-history-of-the-south-show-4
Posted by John O'Donnell-Rosales at 9:34 PM
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Mayor Don Wesely will participate in the "roof raising" of Lincoln's newest Habitat for Humanity house at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 9 at 1608 West "C" Street. This is the second Habitat for Humanity house sponsored by Wells Fargo Bank in Lincoln, and about 20 bank employees will be working on the house.
"This outstanding program not only makes the dream of home ownership a reality for families, it also gives them new hope and a greater stake in the community," said Mayor Wesely. "We are fortunate to have such an active local Habitat affiliate and businesses like Wells Fargo which are willing to partner on these homebuilding projects."
Habitat for Humanity has built 60 homes in Lincoln since 1988. Habitat for Humanity International, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, is an ecumenical Christian housing ministry that works with people of all faiths. Those in need of housing work side by side with the volunteers to build the homes. The organization has built more than 100,000 homes around the world since 1976.
The family that will own the newest Habitat home in Lincoln is Catrina and Danny Berk and their seven children.
Media Release


text: While soaring through the sky in their fabulous Dreamship, Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion have suddenly had their ship wrapped up by something strange as they float above Balloon Town. A friendly turtle known as the Bubble Wrapper explains that the Dreamship is being brought to the Pointy Palace, where ll objects with points or sharp edges are stored there to protect the balloons. Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion head towards the Pointy Palace to reclaim their Dreamship, but first they must wake up the sleeping bull that blocks the Pointy Palace path. Join Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion as they bounce around Balloon Town in search of musical instruments that they can use to wake up the bull. As you explore the sights and sounds of Balloon Town, help Reader Rabbit and Sam the Lion solve puzzles to collect these musical instruments. Reader Rabbit Kindergarten has been designed to interest children and encourage learning of basic kindergarten skills such as mathematics, phonics, reading, and listening in multiple contexts. This Reader Rabbit series is comprised of grade-based and subject-based titles aimed at children from infancy through second grade. Reader Rabbit is the main protagonist and goes on various adventures usually involving educational mini-games.


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9:30 pm
No Going Back: Women and the War North of the Mason-Dixon Line, the Industrial Revolution of the mid-19th century drew increasing numbers of women out of the home and into the factories. In the agrarian, antebellum South, no such exodus occurred.G
10:00 pm
Seeking The Greatest Good Although born of wealth and privilege, Gifford Pinchot (1865-1946) dedicated his life to public service - advocating for the sustainable management of natural resources. He championed the establishment of the National Forests and the U.S. Forest Service, where he served as its first chief under President Theodore Roosevelt. D
11:00 pm
Ripple of Hope A RIPPLE OF HOPE captures an extraordinary and uplifting event against the backdrop of one of the most volatile and memorable Presidential campaigns in U.S. history. On April 4, 1968, Robert F. Kennedy - a contender for the Democratic nomination for President - was en route to Indianapolis to make a campaign stop in a predominantly African-American neighborhood. D


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Genome Statute and Legislation Database SearchStart a New Search Glossary of Terms
|Citation/ Title
(link to state's page)
|2010 State Bills:
|Health Insurance Nondiscrimination
|As described in the supplemental bill note, this bill establishes additional restrictions on insurance companies that require larger premiums for coverage based on obtaining a genetic test or the results of a genetic test, or that adjust premiums based on obtaining a genetic test or the results of a genetic test. The bill also specifies that the genetic testing provisions in law would apply to group policies and certificates of coverage or individual policies that provide hospital, medical or surgical expense benefits. Approved by the Governor April 15, 2010.
Last Reviewed: May 25, 2018


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Nashville, Tenn. - The Tennessee State University men's and women's track & field programs resume the 2012-13 Indoor season by hosting the TSU Invite on Saturday, Feb. 2 at the Gentry Center. Field events are scheduled to start at 8 a.m. with running events beginning at 8:30 a.m.
The Flying Tigers and Tigerbelles compete in their fourth meet this season and the squad's second, and last at home. The teams' most recent event was the Gadstein Invitational in Bloomington, Ind. on Jan. 18.
At the Gladstein Invitational, the Tigerbelles were led by sophomore Ashontae Jackson who won the long jump at 19 feet, 7.5 inches. In the triple jump, a distance of 39 feet, 1/4 inches gave Ja'Lyn Burr third place, while Quanisha Sales' also claimed third with a time of 25.22 seconds in the 200 meters.
Jackson is 29th in the country in the Long Jump with a best distance of 20 feet, 0.5 inches.
The highlights for the men came in the high jump and long jump. Daryl Rice cleared 6 feet, 8.75 inches to finish first in the high jump, two inches higher than second place. In the high jump, junior Royce Dates came in third with a distance of 23 feet, 4 1/2 inches.
Dates is 22nd the country in the Long Jump with a best distance of 24 feet, 10.5 inches.
A total of ten NCAA Division I universities will compete in the TSU Invite, including in-state programs Austin Peay (women only), Belmont (women only), Fisk, Lipscomb, Tennessee Wesleyan, Trevecca, and Victory University. The only out of state opponents participating in Saturday's event are Alabama A&M and Chattahoochee Tech.
The field events start with the high jump at 8 a.m. and conclude with the weight throw. The mile run is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. The 55-meter Hurdle preliminaries will start the remaining running events approximately at 10:30 a.m. and the meet will conclude with the thrilling 4x400-meter relay.
Admission to Saturday's meet is free and open to the public. Results from Saturday's meet will be posted online at TSUTigers.com.
Tennessee State Track & Field Sprinter Osafa Hippolyte spends a few minutes with TSUTigers.com to talk about the upcoming TSU Invite on Feb. 2nd, 2013.
--TSU Tigers--


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Accreditation and CLE Rules for Illinois
National Academy of Continuing Legal Education is an Accredited CLE Provider in Illinois. The MCLE Board of the Supreme Court of Illinois maintains an Accredited Provider directory on their website. Illinois attorneys can satisfy their entire CLE requirement with us in a variety of formats including our DVDs, Audio CDs, Online & iOS/Android App..
The MCLE Rules require the completion of 30 hours of CLE activity in a two-year reporting period. An attorney's reporting period depends on the first letter of the attorney's last name as it appears on the master roll of attorneys. Illinois attorneys with last names beginning with A-M are due on June 30 of each even numbered year and attorneys with last names beginning N-Z are required to complete their requirement on each odd numbered year.
Beginning with the July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019 and July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2020 two-year reporting periods, attorneys must continue to complete 30 total hours, including at least six hours of PR. However, of those six hours, Illinois attorneys must complete one hour of diversity/inclusion PR CLE and one hour of mental health/substance abuse PR CLE. Please refer to the Commission on Professionalism's FAQs for additional information."
Attorneys must self-report completion of CLE to the MCLE Board of Supreme Court of Illinois. The Certificate of Completion issued by National Academy may be used to verify attendance. Up to 10 hours, including ethics hours may be carried over to the next reporting period.
The deadline to report is 31 days after the end of the attorney's reporting period. Attorneys can Report Online.
The MCLE Board of the Supreme Court of Illinois
200 West Madison Street
Suite 2040
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(t) 312-924-2420


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The Christmas Pageant
Reenact the birth of Jesus with your very own theatrical production!
This adorable Nativity set by Bendy Carter includes 15 pieces plus Baby Jesus and a manger. All designs are made using size 10 crochet cotton and various yarns. Each design fits 5" Lots to Love Babies®. Pattern includes many color photos and instructions. 51 pgs.
Overall rating:
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The Christmas Pageant
Susan H
December 31, 2014
December 31, 2014
Awesome. I am going to have the most unique nativity scene ever.
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$6.99 - $7.99


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Allan Grant needed a new web page design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 70 designs submitted by 8 freelance designers.
Be Great Organization
Be Great, the Five Foundations of an Extraordinary Life in Business - and Beyond is a best-selling book by Peter H. Thomas. Be Great Organization is an organization formed around the book to help people achieve greatness in their life and to give back to charities.
A large portion of the book sales are donated to charities. We also partner with charities so they can award the book to donors that make a minimum donation, enabling the charities to raise additional funds in this way.
We're looking to design a new website to replace the site that's currently located at begreatbook.com.
Our tagline is: Being Great for the Greater Good
We're targeting potential readers of Be Great -- entrepreneurs, executives, business people, politicians, students. Also we're targeting non-profit organizations, their managers, and their donors.
We're looking for a home page design, a general sub-pages design, and a unique design for one particular sub-page (either our team or join be great organization). Please do just the home page design at first. When we select the finalists for the home page, we'll ask you to do two sub-pages to match the homepage.
The design should reflect this sitemap:
About the Book
Five Foundations
Buy it
About Peter H. Thomas
Be Great Organization
Be Great University
Our Team
Publications and News
Members Only
The homepage should be a sales page with a link to buy the book (you can take content from begreatbook.com), a form to sign-up for the newsletter, and a link to join Be Great Organization.
Please use the included logo and keep in mind the look of the book cover (as seen on begreatbook.com), but otherwise you have freedom with the style of the website.
Good luck!


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Adobe is pleased to announce the immediate availability of Adobe AIR 2.6 for Android smartphones and tablets. AIR 2.6 for Android adds support for Android 3.0 and the latest Android tablet devices – including the Motorola Xoom – as well as improvements to performance and GPU-based rendering, updated Android gesture support, and improved handling of HTML content within AIR apps.
AIR 2.6 for Android provides the foundation for the new Content Viewer for Android, part of Digital Publishing Suite. Content Viewer for Android uses AIR 2.6 to enable publishers to author immersive, engaging publications and deploy content across platforms and different devices. Major publishers using Digital Publishing Suite are on board to create and distribute content using Content Viewer for Android. Condé Nast, National Geographic and Dennis Publishing are among the first publishers to indicate they will use this new viewer to amplify the reach of their iconic titles.
AIR 2.6 for Android can be downloaded from the Android Marketplace and is available on devices running:
- Android 2.2 (FroYo)
- Android 2.3 (Gingerbread)
- Android 3.0 (Honeycomb)
A list of mobile devices that meet the AIR system requirements can be found at http://www.adobe.com/flashplatform/certified_devices/.
AIR 2.6 for Android performance improvements include:
- Up to 20% faster scrolling performance
- H.264 video decoding at 30fps
- GPU-based animation and games at up to 50FPS
AIR 2.6 for Android functional improvements include:
- Support for the latest Android system gestures
- Bitmap Capture for StageWebView, which provides tighter visual integration between Flash and HTML content
- Asynchronous Bitmap Decoding, which improves the performance of transitions in image-intensive applications
Applications developed with the Adobe AIR 2.5 SDK are compatible with the Adobe AIR 2.6 runtime. Adobe is on target to deliver the AIR 2.6 SDK and desktop runtime before the 2nd half of 2011.
Update 02/25/2011 6:10PM PST
Motorola Xoom users who are using the Restore Applications feature of Android to transfer their content and apps – including the AIR and Flash Player runtimes – from a different Android device may experience the following as AIR 2.5 and Flash Player 10.1 are not supported on Android 3.0:
- AIR apps are not able to launch. To resolve this, please go to Android Market, search for Adobe AIR, and select 'update' to upgrade to AIR 2.6. You won't need to update or re-download your existing set of apps unless there is an update to the app itself.
- Content developed for Flash Player will not display in the browser. Flash Player 10.2 with Stage Video and other new performance features will support Android 3.0 and address this. The runtime will be preinstalled on some devices or provided via OTA download for others like the Motorola Xoom within a few weeks of device availability.
* How to publish your AIR application to the Android Market
* Learn how to get started building applications and content for mobile and devices
* Tell us about your AIR app for Android after you've posted to the Android Market at email@example.com


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NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — The main question hanging over financial markets right now is when and how the Federal Open Market Committee will scale back its bond purchases, seen as one of the biggest drivers for investment moves this year.
After a two-day meeting, the FOMC will release its monetary-policy decision on Wednesday and afterwards Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke will answer reporters' questions at a news conference.
That's why Wednesday is shaping up to be a big markets day. MarketWatch reporters analyzed how various asset classes may react, depending on the message the Fed sends to the financial markets. Read: Here's proof that Bernanke's news conferences impact markets.
U.S. stocks
Expect the recent volatility in the U.S. stock market to continue on Wednesday in the wake of the Fed announcement.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA, +0.03% has made triple-digit moves in six of its last seven sessions, with uncertainty over Fed moves cited as the largest underlying factor. The FOMC's policy decision typically draws a knee-jerk reaction from the U.S. stock market, with equities often revising their initial move, sometimes multiple times.
Strategists say they do not expect the central bank to signal any immediate change in policy, and the market has already priced in expectations that the Fed will hold its federal-funds-target rate near zero and continue its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases.
Given the market has rallied this week ahead of the Fed's decision and Bernanke's news conference, there's a strong argument to be made that Wall Street will relinquish at least some of its recent gains if the Fed chief manages to calm investor worries about the central bank's policies.
Tampa, Charlotte among gainers.
• U.S. homeownership at 18-year low
U.S. stocks rallied Monday and Tuesday "in anticipation that Bernanke is not going to taper soon. If he does what we think, the market is going to give up some ground, because what he is going to say is going to be fully priced into the market. When you anticipate good news, you buy stocks; when you finally get the good news, you sell," said Hugh Johnson, chairman of Hugh Johnson Advisors. The S&P 500 SPX, +0.15% is up 1.3% so far this week.
And, should the FOMC and/or Bernanke do the unexpected and signal tapering — or a scaling back of bond purchases — is imminent, equities would give up far more than two days of gains.
— Kate Gibson
The Treasury market has become highly sensitive to any suggestions the Fed may act to slow bond purchases. That has pushed the 10-year Treasury note US:10_YEAR yield up roughly half a percentage point since the beginning of May, bringing other sectors of the bond market higher along with it.
But the market has by now largely priced in the assumption that the Fed is likely to begin tapering at its September meeting. Bond-market reaction Wednesday will hinge on whether the Fed diverges from that outlook.
"A greater indication that [the Fed] will be less easy than the market has priced in, and the rates would likely move higher. And indications that the data hasn't moved up as much as they would have liked, and we could rally," said Michael Pond, head of global inflation-linked research at Barclays.
— Ben Eisen
Providing critical information for the U.S. trading day. Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Need to Know newsletter. Sign up here.


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Topics impacting public lands and access to those lands
Use this control to limit the display of threads to those newer than the specified time frame.
Allows you to choose the data by which the thread list will be sorted.
Order threads in...
Note: when sorting by date, 'descending order' will show the newest results first.
Forum Rules


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Gardening is the practice of growing ornamental or useful plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance. Useful plants may be grown for consumption (vegetables, fruits, herbs, or leaf vegetables) or for a variety of other purposes, such as medicines or dyes.
Gardening ranges in scale from fruit orchards, to long boulevard plantings with one or more different types of shrubs, trees and herbaceous plants, to residential yards including lawns and foundation plantings, to large or small containers grown inside or outside. Gardening may be very specialized, with only one type of plant grown, or involve a large number of different plants in mixed plantings. It involves an active participation in the growing of plants, and tends to be labor intensive, which differentiates it from farming or forestry.
Sign up now for your free UK gardeners email address and webspace!


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Brett Bruneteau
San Francisco California
Eligible for draft:
4th round (108th overall), 2007
183 lbs.
Prospect Talent Score
Probability of Success
2006-07: Brett Bruneteau skated in 55 games for the Omaha Lancers in his second USHL season. He scored 12 goals with 28 assists and was plus-10 with 55 penalty minutes. The Lancers finished first in the West Division but were upset in the first round of the playoffs. Bruneteau had 1 assist and was minus-one with 6 penalty minutes in five playoff games. Bruneteau committed to playing college hockey at North Dakota in 2008-09 and was selected by Washington in the fourth round (108th overall) of the 2007 NHL Draft.
2007-08: After being traded from Omaha to Indiana over the summer, Bruneteau began the year with the Ice; appearing in 14 games and scoring 1 goal with 7 assists and going plus-1 with 8 penalty minutes. In November he was traded to Des Moines in exchange for defenseman and fellow North Dakota recruit Ben Blood. Limited to 21 games with the Buccaneers due to injury, he scored 4 goals with 5 assists and was minus-11 with 13 penalty minutes. Des Moines finished last in the West Division.
2008-09: Bruneteau returned to the USHL rather than beginning his college career and skated for Des Moines in his fourth USHL season. He was one of the few veterans on a young Buccaneers squad that would finish with the league's second-worst record. The 19-year-old was the team's third-leading scorer with 15 goals and 28 assists and was minus-22 with 65 penalty minutes.
2009-10: Bruneteau played in 27 games for North Dakota as a freshman. He scored 1 goal with 4 assists and was minus-two with 6 penalty minutes. The Fighting Sioux captured the WCHA's Broadmoor Trophy playoff championship after finishing fourth during the regular season and faced Yale in the NCAA tournament.
2010-11: Bruneteau appeared in just four games for the Fighting Sioux in his sophomore season. He had no points nor penalty minutes. Bruneteau completed his degree at North Dakota and announced he was transferring to Vermont, where he would be eligible to play immediately as a graduate student.
2011-12: Bruneteau joined his younger brother Nick Bruneteau, a sophomore defenseman, at the University of Vermont. He skated in 33 of 34 games for the Catamounts, scoring 4 goals with 6 assists, and as minus-15 with 25 penalty minutes. Vermont finished last in Hockey East; winning just six games.
2012-13: Bruneteau skated in 33 games for Vermont in his senior season. He scored 6 goals with 7 assists and was -6 with 14 penalty minutes. The Catamounts finished tied with Maine for seventh in Hockey East and lost to Boston College in a Hockey East quarterfinal series. Bruneteau was not signed to a contract by Washington in August 2013: becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Bruneteau was not tendered a contract by the Washington Capitals prior to the 2013-14 season, and currently is not playing pro hockey.


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$7.7 million to go to Sandy Hook families
NEWTOWN -- The families of the Sandy Hook shooting victims and 14 others most affected by the tragedy will share about $7.7 million of the donations that have poured into the community in recent months, The News-Times has learned.
The Newtown-Sandy Hook Community Foundation board met earlier this week and decided that families would receive a one-time distribution from the $11 million in donations in the organization's coffers. The board also created a three-member distribution committee that is charged with distributing the money.
The foundation oversees the largest fund of about $15 million that's been donated to dozens of organizations since the Dec. 14 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
The foundation sent an email to families late Wednesday about the board's decision, a copy of which was obtained by The News-Times.
The email states that the distribution committee formed by the board will decide by May 23 how much of the $7.7 million will be given to each of the 40 most impacted families -- relatives of the 26 people slain at the school, the 12 students who escaped from the classrooms where the shooting occurred, and two injured educators.
A series of hearings, open to the public, will be held next month to gather input on that decision.
Ken Feinberg, a nationally known victims' fund administrator, will assist the committee in making its decisions, the emailed statement to families said.
Feinberg said in the statement that, "my sole objective is to distribute available compensation by May 23, 2013, to all eligible claimants without any restriction or precondition.
"I look forward to working closely with the committee in their efforts to help the healing process for the families most severely impacted by the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting and the greater Newtown community," he said.
Feinberg is aiding the committee without compensation, according to the email. Family members, who met with Feinberg earlier this month, have been urging the foundation to bring him onboard.
The distribution committee consists of former federal judge Alan Nevas, senior Citigroup executive Joseph Smialowski and John Woodall, founder of the Unity Project Inc., the News-Times has learned.
The remaining money from the $11 million, according to the emailed statement, would be used for both short- and long-term community needs, and there would be no additional direct payments to the families. A second distribution committee is to be formed to determine how the remaining funds are distributed.
Earlier this month, after pressure from Gov. Dannel P. Malloy's office and the Sandy Hook families, the foundation announced it would distribute $4 million to the 40 families and to first responders, and that there would be additional future distributions.
Family members, however, said they objected to the announcement and asked that any money given to the families be done in one distribution rather than several. There was no mention in Wednesday's statement about how much first responders or teachers might receive from the fund.
email@example.com; 203-731-3358; www.twitter.com/DirkPerrefort


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Tel: 01503 232737 Email: email@example.com
Opus 35mm Oak Ball Finials
See full information for Opus Studio products here
Need to know more about component dimensions? Check out all Opus Studio Component Dimensions here.
Opus Studio 35mm Diameter is available in 7 size options up to 420cm and suitable for medium weight curtains up to 11kg.
See all colours and diameters for Opus Studio here.
SAMPLING SERVICE: Request free colour sample here.
SPECIAL NOTES: The colour stated on all curtain pole products refers to the colour finish on the product and not to the material used unless otherwise specified.
MANUFACTURERS COMPONENTS: e.g. brackets, rings finials and colours may look similar but may not be compatible with each other.


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How do I change my SOAR date?
If you need to change your SOAR date, call the Office of Admissions and they will schedule a SOAR date that works better for you.
How do I change my major?
Students will meet with their advisors during SOAR to confirm their class schedule for the fall. If they want to change their major they can do so during this time and can also change their classes if necessary.
What is the foreign language placement test?
Transfer students and incoming freshmen who have studied a foreign language in high school or at another college/university and want to continue study in that language at Berry College need to take the
WebCAPE Online Placement Exam. This online exam is available in French, German and Spanish. You should take the online placement exam before coming to Summer Advising and Orientation (SOAR) so that you will know the foreign language class in which to register.
Will I get to meet my roommate at SOAR?
If your roommate for next year attends the same SOAR session as you, you will room with them during SOAR so that you can get to know them and discuss plans for your room.
Will I get to see my residence hall room while I am at SOAR?
The residence halls at Berry are used to accommodate a number of events on campus during the summer so most students will not be able to see their actual room. Residence Life will provide floor plans for all residence halls. You might also want to check out Residence Life's web page for more information on what to bring, room layouts, etc.
What do I need to bring to SOAR?Downloadable PDF
What should I wear?Dress is casual so it is not necessary to dress up for the banquet on the first night. Dress for hot weather and be prepared for possible rain.
Are my meals provided?
You will have to get breakfast and lunch on your own the first day of SOAR. Your orientation fee covers the cost of the dinner banquet for you and two parents as well as breakfast and lunch on the second day.
What are the overnight accommodations?
All students will be staying in an assigned residence hall room on campus overnight. Parents will need to make arrangements for accommodations from the list of recommended Rome-area hotel/motels.
Do I still stay overnight on campus if I am a commuter? All students are encouraged to stay on campus overnight during SOAR, even if they will not be living in the residence halls in the fall. This gives every student the opportunity to participate in the late-night entertainment, socialize with the other incoming students, and get to know their SOAR leaders better.
What kind of transportation is available to get to Berry from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport if I don't have a car?
During the academic year, there are a number of students who travel to the airport or to Atlanta from Berry, so it might be most convenient to ask a friend. Otherwise, there is a couple of safe and affordable shuttle services that provide services to and from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
Shuttle Tran Best Journey
1-800-556-5466 706-234-7337


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Our Fitness Blog
Do You Have a Holiday Hangover?
It's time to face reality. The holidays are finally over, and all of the bad habits that were formed have officially sunk in. We eat less healthy foods and more foods with extra sugars and extra salt! Even the most disciplined people go outside of their normal routine when it comes to the holidays so don't let it get to you. Nobody is perfect, and we all have our moments when we indulge in those bad foods but it is how we choose to bounce back that matters most.
The longer you stay off track the more difficult it will be for your body to go back to a normal routine and the body you worked so hard for all year. Don't allow yourself to get into a habit of eating less healthy and exercising less. Due to the lack of routine, we slowly begin to gain weight and become bloated.
So what can you do to bounce back? Sweat. Sweating detoxifies your body. We already know how beneficial sweating is for our skin, but it is also a tool for weight loss. If you are sweating during an exercise, you are burning calories!
I know it can be difficult to get into your normal routine, but consistency is the key. You may feel like it's impossible to lose any weight gained during the holiday, but that is only if you tell yourself that. Positive thoughts will motivate you, and we must give ourselves time to get back into the swing of things or to adjust if you are just beginning your fitness goals.
Get that push you really need with your 9Roundworkout, and your 9Round Nutrition Guide. Their 30 minute workout will have you DRENCHED in sweat (remember… that's a good thing!) and feeling like a new you all over again. The Nutrition Guide will help you make the right decisions so that you will never have that "guilt" from what ate over the holidays!
Try to remember how important consistency is to reach your fitness goals and to get back on track. Your goals won't be reached overnight, but if you continue to stick with a healthy and active routine, you will notice a change. When you and others around you notice that change, you will realize it was worth it!


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Annapurna needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 62 designs submitted by 14 freelance designers.
Jackson Creek Alpacas is a small farm in the mountains of southwestern Montana. We breed alpacas and use their fleece for knitted and woven products. I am looking for a logo with an image of an alpaca (or several) with mountains, creek and rolling pastures.
Jackson Creek Alpacas
Simple, clean, business name included in logo. We would like EPS illustrator files and a color and black/white or grayscale version.
Elements to include: Alpaca, mountains, creek/stream, mountain (not necessarily all of them, but the Alpaca and mountain parts are very important.
I do want the logo to reflect a professional image as I breed and sell alpacas and their fleece. Clean, cutting edge/contemporary design, simple...
Rainbows, cartoony alpacas, typical symbols of pine trees/streams or rivers, pastel colors
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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How We Do It: Channel Distribution From Computime
Delivering Technology Sales & Channel Distribution Solutions Since 1980
Computime is your trusted source for technology sales and channel distribution for more than 30 years. We are proud of our long-standing relationships with companies, government, organizations and institutions in every industry – customers that demand broad expertise, no-excuse service and reliability in an ever-changing marketplace.
Equipped with years of experience in channel distribution, state-of-the-art systems and facilities, and the best possible people, Computime can address your needs in product consultation, materials management and technical support. We recognize that we have a stake in your project's success – and we take that very seriously.
Valued Partners Equal Satisfied Customers
Our experience tells us that valued partners equal satisfied customers. The rapidly expanding global marketplace has enabled Computime to develop and sustain both reseller and end-user customer relationships in more than 110 countries. Computime works closely in support of our growing distribution channel of partners who add value to the products we fulfill in the form of software, systems integration or logistics support of an end user rollout.
Computime is constantly looking for new partners to help serve our growing customer base.


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FORT WALTON BEACH � Voters who are ready for a break from state and national elections might be surprised to learn that municipal contests are just around the corner.
FORT WALTON BEACH � Voters who are ready for a break from state and national elections might be surprised to learn that municipal contests are just around the corner.
In Okaloosa County, candidate hopefuls are pre-filing for a long list of local offices from Laurel Hill to Shalimar.
Niceville voters will head to the polls Jan. 22 for a special election, while voters in Fort Walton Beach, Shalimar, Cinco Bayou, Crestview and Laurel Hill will cast ballots March. 12.
Interest generated by the recent presidential election does not necessarily translate into a high turnout for local races, said Okaloosa County Supervisor of Elections Paul Lux.
�It really depends on who�s running and if people are really energized about getting a particular individual elected or keeping someone from getting elected,� he said. �Like a lot of things, it really, truly depends on candidates and issues.�
Lux cited Laurel Hill, which is considering placing a referendum on the ballot to dissolve the city.
�In Laurel Hill, they�ve only got about 350 registered voters in the city, but a referendum � is bound to draw a lot more attention,� he said.
Lux said he finds it interesting that local elections often generate low interest.
�I always tell people these local municipal races � your county commission and school board races � these are the people who have their hand on your wallet,� he said. �Much more so than the people in Washington do. � People should be turning out in droves for the local races.�
In Niceville, voters will elect a City Council member to replace Bill Smith, who resigned to run for the Okaloosa County Commission. Smith left the council Nov. 20, City Clerk Dan Doucet said.
�We haven�t had many inquiries,� he said of he open seat. �I�ve got 10 packets ready, but you never know.�
Smith�s term ends July 13.
Qualifying for the Niceville election is from noon Tuesday to noon Friday.
In the March 12 election, Fort Walton Beach voters will elect a mayor and four City Council members.
Former City Councilman Mike Holmes has pre-filed to run for the seat left vacant by Dennis Reeves, who resigned to run for the County Commission. Councilmen Bobby Nabors and C.H. �Bull� Rigdon also have prefiled to run for their seats.
In Shalimar, voters will elect a mayor and two town commissioners. In Cinco Bayou, voters will elect three Town Council members while Crestview voters will elect a city clerk and three City Council members.
Crestview City Councilman Charles Baugh and City Clerk Elizabeth Miller Roy have prefiled to run for their seats.
In Laurel Hill, voters will elect a mayor and two City Council members.
Qualifying for the March 12 election begins at noon Dec. 31 and runs through noon Jan. 4.
�It�s kind of strange because we�re interrupted by a federal holiday, and there is no provision in the law to extend it to accommodate for that holiday,� Lux said.
Elections offices in Fort Walton Beach and Crestview will be closed on New Year�s Day, he noted.
Potential candidates in Cinco Bayou, Fort Walton Beach and Shalimar can pickup qualifying packets at Lux�s office in the county Water and Sewer Administration Building at 1804 Lewis Turner Blvd.
Qualifying packets for the Crestview and Laurel Hill elections are available at his office in the Buddy Brackin Building at 302 N. Wilson St., Suite 102 in Crestview.
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari Barlow at 850-315-4438 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.


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The people behind the always very indi friendly and well renowned commercial Torque 3D engine announced a fews weeks ago that they will release the quite fully featured engine and tool-box under the very liberal and FOSS MIT license.
Well, and today they made an release announcement and opened up their repositories!
Some of you might remember the engine from the good old days of Tribes 2, but as you can see it has advanced quite a bit since then. Sadly it also lost its Linux and MacOS ports along the way, which is something the creators hope to have restored more quickly in the open-source version. Other show-stoppers on non-Windows platforms are a few remaining to be removed propitiatory qt-lib in the editor framework and so on. So if you think you can help them with either or those problems, have a look at their git repo here (click on "zip" to download you local copy).
Hmm... what does that mean for the FOSS gamer (besides some commercial game ports to Linux probably soon)? Well Torque is a really good tool-set to create new FOSS games, and they really tried to keep the entry barrier low, which is something that sadly can not be said for most other FOSS 3D engines. So in the longer run there might be some cool new games utilizing it. But for now I hope to see a fully FOSS version of this little gem soon ;)
As always... we will keep you updated with our irregular posts ;)


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Giving Cash Unconditionally in Fragile States
There have been many recent press articles, a couple of potentially seminal journal papers, and some great blogs from leading economists at the World Bank on the topic of Unconditional Cash Transfers (UCTs). It remains a widely debated subject, and one with perhaps a couple of myths associated with it. For example, what is cash from UCTs used for? Do the transfers lead to permanent increases in income? Does it matter how the transfers are labelled or promoted? I am particularly interested in whether UCTs could be a useful instrument in countries with low institutional capacity, such as fragile and conflict-affected states (FCS).
Why UCTs in FCS? UCTs present a new approach to reducing poverty, stimulating growth and improving social welfare, that may be the most efficient and feasible mechanism in FCS. A recent evaluation of the World Bank's work on FCS recognized, "where government responsiveness to citizens has been relatively weak, finding the right modality for reaching people with services is vital to avoiding further fragility and conflict". Plus there is always the risk of desperately needed finances being "spirited away" when channeled through central governments. UCTs may present a mechanism for stimulating the provision of quality services, which are often lacking, while directly reducing poverty at the same time. As Shanta Devarajan's blog puts it, "But when they (the poor) are given cash with which to "buy" these services, poor people can demand quality—and the provider must meet it or he won't get paid." We should explore more about this approach to tackling poverty: where and when it has worked, what made it work, and whether we can predict whether it will work in different contexts.
There is already a large literature on conditional cash transfers (CCTs) that I will not attempt to cover here, so let us instead consider the potential benefits for making transfers unconditional, rather than conditional. First is feasibility. Many FCS countries simply do not have the service infrastructure in place to condition transfers. For example, conditioning transfers on attendance in school is only feasible if there are enough places in schools to accommodate all the potential students, without a detrimental impact on the quality of education. However, as Devarajan suggests, providing unconditional transfers may catalyze service delivery by private providers, and provide the right incentives to these providers to maintain quality. Second is targeting. By making transfers unconditional we may be able to increase the likelihood that we reach the recipients who would most benefit from the transfer – not just the ones who face the lowest costs of reaching conditions, or who would have met conditions anyway. Often, the poorest households live furthest away from schools and healthcare centers. Conditioning the transfer on specific outcomes may mean the poorest are less likely to receive the transfer and miss out on its long-term benefits. Third is transparency. By making the transfers unconditional the process of allocating the transfers will be simplified, increasing the scope for the use of automatic electronic transfer mechanisms (e.g., the use of m-Pesa in Kenya or pre-loaded ATM cards for Syrian refugees in Lebanon). Electronic transfers create a paper trail enabling better tracking of the cash to recipients and onto purchases, which could be useful for reducing leakage, detecting corruption and learning about the consumption of the recipients.
Furthermore, there are arguments for re-thinking the targeting of transfers. Recent studies have shown inaccuracies in the use of proxy indicators to target poor people. In Indonesia, a proxy-means test mimicking the government's standard practice incorrectly excluded 52% of truly poor households and incorrectly included 20% of non-poor households, based on their consumption levels. In addition, these methods of identifying the recipients are often costly and reduce the amount left to distribute. The standard features of CCTs, targeting and conditionality, have been estimated to account for 60% of the administrative costs of PROGRESA, 49% of the costs for RPS in Nicaragua, and 31% for PRAF in Honduras. Perhaps it is worth considering universal UCTs in specific geographic locations – for example, rural areas with a high proportion of the population below the poverty line - where the lower costs of universal transfers outweigh the benefits of more accurate targeting. There may also be a case for making transfers universal in fragile situations where any kind of targeting may exacerbate existing tensions.
Despite the potential benefits of UCTs, there are concerns. Will the recipients of transfers use them for productive purposes? Will UCTs be the most efficient and economical way of using aid to reduce poverty? Fundamentally we would like to see the recipients use the transfers to choose investments that give them the best chance of escaping poverty (and hope that this will coincide with maximizing their welfare). However, this is a really difficult problem to solve, and I would bet that many of us well-educated working professionals are not even fully optimizing or on our own production possibility frontiers! Yet, there has been recent evidence that recipients of UCTs use them productively. New research has found that the recipients use them to make investments and improve their monthly earnings, and in another paper focusing on transfers to teenage girls in Malawi, UCTs had an important impact on lowering marriage and pregnancy rates, helping to empower these women. While these papers provide only a partial picture of the potential outcomes of UCTs, their initial positive results suggest that it is an area the World Bank and other development agencies should explore further.
And UCTs need not be implemented in isolation: finding ways to equip recipients with information on their investment choices are important parallel interventions. As Richard Thaler points out, "in some cases (giving UCTs) will work great. When people have a good sense of how to make use of that money." He is an advocate for creating nudges to help people make the right decision and advises the British Government, which now has its own "Nudge" unit. Simply labelling UCTs with a productive investment choice may be possible approach. A recent paper found that a cash transfer labelled as an education support program was sufficient to increase school participation even though no conditionality was imposed. In Poor Economics, the authors note, "It is not easy to escape from poverty, but a sense of possibility and a little bit of well-targeted help (a piece of information, a little nudge) can sometimes have surprisingly large effects".
What do you think? Can UCTs provide the resources and, assisted with "a little nudge", can they work to reduce poverty, spur growth and improve service delivery in FCS?
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Well done, Laura - great
Well done, Laura - great synthesis on UCTs. So, I know you're a fan of (or at least a skilled user of) large-n studies, so are there any large-n studies on UCTs in the works on your end? I'm all for shifting some WBG aid from projects to UCTs, maybe partially conditional on its recipients providing some feedback on the use of those UCTs.
Thanks Alison - when you say
Thanks Alison - when you say large-n studies do you mean large sample sizes or meta analysis of existing studies? For the two UCTs referenced in the post, Haushofer and Shapiro have a sample of 1440 households, while 535 individuals in the Blattman, Fiala and Martinez study. As yet, to my knowledge, there have been no meta-analysis of the impacts of UCTs.
Laura thanks, it is great
Laura thanks, it is great that you bring this issue in the open for discussion. I always thought that there was a naive enthusiasm about UCT and its benefit in FCS or any country with weak institutions. The idea that you put money in hand of people and that it will automatically empower them and they will require the State to behave in a better way is certainly naive especially when there are no services to speak of provided to communities and that the community is already paying for what ever services offered. At the same time we have so few instruments that allow communities to sense some form of beneficial presence of the State in situations of conflict and social and political tensions. As you say the issues ar two fold: how can you distribute cash benefits fairly and equitably when you have no real institutions and how can you avoid political capture of the process when there are so few checks and balances. Also we know that war economies have their own logic and that an unsecure environment creates all sort of incentives. urchasing weapon will be the first priority of a community that feel unsafe (and it might be good in teh short term for teh community). Racket is extremelly high in situation of conflict and I would imagine than jihadist and local milicias would love to see the community they control by night with a bit cash in their hands. There is nothing more market oriented than a war economy and the cost of going through road blocks or for purchasing essential goods would immediately go up with cash in the communities. So this makes me at the best sceptical of UCT in FCS unless this is really thought through extremelly carefully.
Dear Alex, Thanks for your
Dear Alex, Thanks for your insightful comments. Indeed, there will be considerable risks that must be thoroughly thought through before implementing any type of development policy in FCS, and with UCTs you rightly question: (a) whether the cash would increase the risk of violence if they are spent on weapons, and (b) whether the cash may make recipients more vulnerable to extortion. I think for (a) we would need more information on the preferences of the recipients to know if they would really spend it on weapons, and whether if security could be provided in another way this preference would still prevail, i.e., with a parallel policy on security could recipients be nudged towards more economically productive and less defensive investments? On (b) investigating ways to make transfers secure and less vulnerable to extortion is a must, but not making communities better off, in case they may then become more vulnerable does not seem the right argument for in action.
A nice literature review and
A nice literature review and I guess the question at the end of the long blog is "can a nudge, get people to budge?". Well, I am sure it can't hurt but by the time you get to making that decision you need a system in place to deliver the cash to the right people. While the writer is good at telling us about the "what" part of the story, it would be useful to hear a bit more about the "how" in specific contexts. How does one overcome resistance to what appears like throwing money out the door? How does one sell the idea of universal UCTs in specific locations? Even refugees engender resentment, so what can one practically do to allay fears by others? As always there are winners and losers - empowering one community or group may be seen as disempowering another. A bit more on how these and other challenges were actually overcome would be great.
Laura, many thanks for this
Laura, many thanks for this very interesting overview. While noting that I am an expert neither in UCTs nor tax policy, one initial thought that came to mind is the similarity between a UCT and a tax rebate, such as the earned income tax credit (EITC) in the US. Through the EITC, people earning low incomes are credited back a portion of the taxes they paid. This seems to me to be related to a UCT - there is the condition that you have to have earned an income, I suppose, but other than that the government is effectively giving people an unconditional transfer to spend however they'd like based on one poverty indicator (salary level). There is of course the difference that the tax credit was previously the individual's money in the first place; but come April 15 in the US, this still represents a transfer from government to individual. You mention relevant concerns raised about UCTs, such as whether people will use them productively; in terms of politically selling the idea of UCTs, perhaps the experience of these kind of tax rebate programs in developed economies could be considered.
Dear John, Thanks for your
Dear John, Thanks for your comments - they seem to speak to Benim's comment about how to make UCTs politically feasible, and is a concept worth further consideration. The constraint I envision in FCS will at least in part be how to track poverty levels of recipients. Perhaps with electronic cash transfers through mobile phones it will be possible to both track transfers and collect information on income levels (through electronic expenditures) so that in the future a contributory welfare system can be further developed.
Your thought-provoking post
The Economist contrasted UCTs and CCTs in their article 'Pennies from Heaven' (26 Oct 2014). Your thought-provoking post reminds me of their analysi. They conclude, however, that "UCTs work better than almost anyone would have expected. They dent the stereotype of poor people as inherently feckless and ignorant. But CCTs are usually better still, especially when dealing with the root causes of poverty and, rather than just alleviating it, helping families escape it altogether". They also look at a radical form of UCT to poor households of Kenya and Uganda identified by satellite imagery with no involvement of government. More at:
Thanks Alan for these links.
Thanks Alan for these links.
Can you tell us more about
Can you tell us more about this? I'd care to find out some additional information.
I just like the helpful
I just like the helpful information you provide for your articles.
I'll bookmark your blog and test again here regularly. I'm quite certain I'll learn many new stuff right here. Good luck for the following!
India probably leads the
India probably leads the world in terms of the sheer diversity and the number of schemes, projects and programs for extending some sort of social welfare or the other. However, the administrative cost and leakages are extremely high.
While the biometric ID Aadhaar with 600 million enrolments already can be an enabler in enhancing the efficiency of targeting, the unconditional transfers can make the whole process even more efficient as was seen in some field trials as well. See http://www.guystanding.com/files/documents/Jhabvala_Standing_EPW_2010.pdf
I think this article risks
I think this article risks confusing the benefits of UCTs at large with UCTs in the specific context (FCS). Perhaps a better approach would be to enquire whether UCTs can address the challenges inherent in FCS.
Two FCS specific challenges are security and divisions within the population. The 2011 World Development Report suggested sequencing different efforts and reforms over time - my takeaway from this is the vital important of security as an enabler for other efforts - security comes before "service delivery." I don't see how UCTs contribute to solving the security challenge.
Some of the OECD's Principles for Engaging in Fragile States speak to the second challenge- specifically, "avoid pockets of exclusion" and more generally the "context as the starting point" and "do no harm" principles. Again, my takeaway of the underlying idea is that it is very easy to make things worse by favouring (or appearing to favour) one side over another. It's not clear to me whether UCTs can help solve this challenge, and I have very strong doubts about the mechanisms that are suggested:
"Perhaps it is worth considering universal UCTs in specific geographic locations – for example, rural areas with a high proportion of the population below the poverty line - where the lower costs of universal transfers outweigh the benefits of more accurate targeting. There may also be a case for making transfers universal in fragile situations where any kind of targeting may exacerbate existing tensions."
Immediate thoughts about that quote:
1. How do you define "universal"? Are refugees (plus internally displaced persons and migrants) excluded? How do you stop people from moving around and generally defrauding the system?
2. How do you deliver this cash transfer service, sorry, enable individuals to 'buy' this service? (Only partly tongue-in-cheek)
3. Overcoming the challenges of 1 and 2, wouldn't a truly universal transfer just result in inflation (of assets/land if not goods)?
4. Would benefits be only transitory? Will there be any sustainable improvements? (Apart from setting up the cash transfer delivery mechanism ;-)
For the last point, looking at existing efforts (which aren't cash transfers, but similar) might shed some more light on this issue. For instance, the Afghan NSP impact evaluation found no lasting economic effects (there were apparently positive non-economic effects plus temporary effects from the cash injection into communities).
In conclusion, I'm inclined to think that UCTs provide a strong set of incentives for fraud which would undermine their effectiveness in many FCS. A truly universal UCT seems like a potential solution, but I suspect its effects will disappear through inflation of goods and asset prices.
Thanks Vivek for your
Thanks Vivek for your comments. One of the arguments for UCTs in FCS is that it is a more direct way of reaching the poorest in these countries. Security and developing cohesion/mitigating divisive populations are two other very important goals in FCS, and UCTs are not directly asserted to address these goals. However, given the correlation between poverty and fragility, perhaps UCTs may help alleviate the causes of conflict.
Re. inflation - yes. it's worth further thought. Fundamentally it will depend on the laws of supply and demand - if there are big jumps in demand for particular goods or assets there could be price increases, but soon supply should respond and increase.
Also it's hard to imagine that given the likely size of transfers and heterogeneity in demand preferences, that such price changes would occur even in the short run, but for sure, before implementing an UCT, it would be very important to study consumption patterns and the flexibility of supply. Related to this, that is why I suggested possible "nudges", as well as understanding what recipients would use cash on. We might want to consider complementary activities to increase the chance that these cash transfers are not transitory but are invested and lead to long term increases in income
Thank you for this post Laura
Thank you for this post Laura. It's come at a perfect time as I am researching the efficacy of UCTs versus CCTs in FCSs for a masters thesis. Your links and references have been invaluable. Thanks a million for this brilliant synthesis.
Thank you for a very much
Thank you for a very much thought-provoking piece, Laura (If I may). I think provision of universal UCT is a great idea, but feasibility issue still remains, as some comments already mentioned. Making universal social provision genuine and meaningful in terms of coverage at least,demands a wide range of supportive institutions and policies in political, economic and social dimensions. Given the heterogeniety of the contexts and group dynamics including different degrees of vertical and horizontal inequality in the FCS, establishing institutional complementarity and synergies between universal UCT and other institutions and policies in appropriate way would be the key to addressing and overcoming various constraints of structural, institutional and individual levels. This also demands a long-term planning for development or transition from humanitarian aid to development assistance, which will involve multi-year and concerted efforts of various donors. I understand one of the major themes of the World Humanitarian Summit 2016 is particularly related to this humanitarian and development aid nexus, and your thought about universal UCT can be an excellent entry point through which we can enrich discussions on the nexus issue. I am very much interested in the role and functions of social policy in harmonising humanitarian aid and development assistance goals in FCS, and I hope to see your idea on universal UCT further develop.


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Since the July 22 terrorist attacks in Oslo and Utoya island by confessed perpetrator Anders Behring Breivik, countless foreign media have sought my opinion. They all ask the same questions: What will happen in Norway now? Will we be able to recognize Norway after this? Could something similar happen in other countries?
At first, I answered that Norway will continue to be an open society characterized by tolerance and the fight for human rights and peace. I still believe this.
But as I learned more about the terrorist, I began to add that I also hoped Norway would not be recognizable in quite the same way.
We need to become more aware of what terrorism is, where it comes from, and not least, how we speak about it.
It should be possible, for example, to no longer refer to terrorism committed by Muslims as "Islamic terrorism." No one would dream of calling Mr. Breivik a "Christian terrorist," just because he has described himself as Christian. We have never called the terrorism of the IRA in Northern Ireland "Christian."
When it comes to Muslims, however, their actions are immediately associated with Islam as a religion. The term radical Islam has flourished in Norwegian debate. Does Breivik represent radical Christianity?
No. There is nothing in either Christianity or Islam that can justify terrorism.
When, through our choice of words, we link Islam to terrorism, we polarize the debate. The fear of Muslims and Islamization currently rampant in Europe is, in my opinion, the greatest internal threat we face.
Political leaders talk of multiculturalism having failed. Needless to say, the consequences of such a view must surely be that Muslims and all others who do not fit in are expected to leave. One French minister has even said that it has become difficult to take the bus, because of all the Muslims. What exactly did he hope to achieve by this? In the minds of fanatics like Breivik, it invites the answer he has given. Breivik sees himself as an idealistic savior. He takes life to save all of us from the Muslim threat.
Breivik's terrorism and Al Qaeda's terrorism come from the same thing: the desire to rid one's environment of intruders.
The methods are the same, too: the ruthless violence, even against one's own – the traitors; terror directed at one's own ranks, against those who work with foreigners. Breivik did not direct his attack against Muslims, but against those who want them here.
Let's not link the crusaders to religions through our use of language. All religious leaders working for reconciliation between religions must support and encourage one another.
And political leaders must assume much greater responsibility. This was the reason why, as secretary general of the Council of Europe, I appointed a "group of wise persons" last summer to analyse and advise on what can be done to help us live together in a multicultural world. (The council's 47 member countries promote democractic principles based on the European Human Rights Convention.)
On my visits to European capitals presenting the report, it struck me how much weight everyone gave to the responsibility of political leaders and the media. They complained of opportunism among political leaders and a media bias toward conflict.
They underlined the responsibility one has to explain to people the real situation. Namely, that multiculturalism is here to stay. Europe has always been a continent of many religions and ethnic groups. Whenever we have not been able to live with that, the worst disasters have ensued.
We must not only accept the multicultural, we must take advantage of it. We need to change our mindset, our mentality, and we must value the advantages we can draw from our diversity.
I have advocated expanding the European security concept beyond its focus on military matters. I call it "deep security." It has to do with how we can live together without escalating conflicts: security deep down within the society.
The values that bind us together are the basis for this deep security. They are enshrined in the European Human Rights Convention. It contains the rights of individuals, and their obligations. You have no obligation to give up your religious or ethnic identity. But you have an obligation to respect common European values.
Europe has received a clear warning from Norway. Perhaps Breivik operated alone. But I am afraid he has started a new trend. A new form of nationalism emerges, but the old adage applies: All nationalism comes from something bad, and leads to something bad.
As German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said, hatred of foreigners is a European challenge.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg gave an opposite signal to that given by the American president after Sept. 11, 2001: "You're either with us or against us in the fight against terror." It divided the whole world. President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, among other things, because he immediately started to build bridges.
Prime Minister Stoltenberg has set a course that Europe should now follow. It aims to build bridges within societies, helped by democratic institutions. We cannot change Breivik. Our safety lies in the human relationships we are able to build.
Thorbjorn Jagland is the secretary general of the Council of Europe. He is also chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee and was the former prime minister of Norway from 1996-97. A version of this article appeared July 29 in the Aftenpost, a daily Norwegian newspaper.


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