text:
Following a Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) housing report by Paul Jansson, assistant director of buildings and grounds, and a junior and senior high school consolidation scenario presentation by Dennis Mullen, director of secondary education, the Long Term Facilities Planning Committee (LTFPC) agreed Thursday there's the capacity to consolidate at the senior high level.
"Beyond the shadow of a doubt, the committee's opinion is that three senior highs can fit into two," said Superintendent Dr. Richard D'Agostino, head of the committee. "There are enough seats to adequately address the number of students."
At the start of the meeting, D'Agostino said it was important to have a clear understanding of building capacity before talking about consolidation.
Going by the School Capacity Regulation (SCR) guidelines, which recommend 174 square feet per student at the elementary level, D'Agostino said Cedar Hill, with 41,936 square feet of building space and an enrollment of 436, is 195 students above capacity, which would provide enough space for only 241 students based on the SCR guidelines.
With 26 classrooms, "that comes to nine students per classroom," he continued. "We would need to add on 20 teachers for 20 [additional] classrooms, which would be $2 million for just Cedar Hill."
Committee member Catherine Bonang said fire code regulations require 50 square feet per student in a lab or shop and 20 square feet per student in a classroom, which Jansson confirmed in his report based on data RIDE collected for the 2011-12 school year.
"Another way to calculate the maximum occupant of a school is to use the state building and fire codes, both of which calculate the occupancy based on the safe exiting of the occupants," he said. "The building code allowance for classroom space is 20 square feet [net] per pupil. The fire code states the same allowance. If these figures were used by RIDE, a 950-square-foot classroom might net 855 square feet, which would allow 43 occupants in the room."
Jansson said one of the shortfalls of the RIDE report and the SCRs is that the guidelines specify the maximum allowable square feet per pupil based on the housing aid reimbursement limitations, "but they do not address the minimum square foot per student, the impact on existing schools, nor do they define overcrowding."
"The guidelines basically set limits on reimbursement," he said. "They are not guidelines; the numbers are a limitation of RIDE's financial responsibility for housing aid."
Jansson explained under the SCRs, all new construction projects shall meet educational program guidelines that provide the basis for gross square footage per pupil allowances. According to the report, "the standards and any associated RIDE guidelines shall define prototype school design and space recommendations for each specified program eligible for housing aid. Projects that exceed gross square footage per pupil allocations will be reimbursed only up to the limits of the guidelines."
Schools' Chief Financial Officer Anthony Ferrucci explained the reason for the guidelines.
"Other communities, like Woonsocket, Central Falls and Pawtucket, built large facilities to be used as more than schools, such as community centers and recreation facilities, when there were no regulation guidelines in place and they were getting 90 to 95 percent reimbursement," he said. "That was the impetus for the new regulations in 2007," to prevent the same from happening again.
Jansson said it makes more sense to use reported capacity numbers, which is calculated by each school district as the number of seats in all educational spaces and applying limitations that may exist through union contracts and state building and fire codes.
With a reported capacity of 525 at Cedar Hill, the school is actually 89 below capacity based on Warwick's self-reporting. According to a sheet passed out at the meeting comparing the recommended space for a contemporary educational program and Warwick's self-reported capacity by school, using self-reported capacity numbers, every school in the district is below capacity.
In addition to speaking about building capacity, Jansson talked about building conditions. He said buildings are rated on a scale of 1 to 4, where 1 is good and 4 is poor. According to the report, a 1 rating means the building is in good condition and only requires a minimal amount be spent on asset protection, $3.30 per square foot; a 2 rating indicates the building is generally in good condition but minor renovations should be performed to preserve it, $86 per square foot; a 3 rating indicates the building is in fair to poor condition and is in need of moderate renovations, $147 per square foot; and a 4 rating indicates the building is in poor condition and needs major renovation or replacement, $273 per square foot.
Jansson said most buildings in Warwick are rated 2, but Aldrich and Gorton are both rated 3.
"We need to construct new buildings," said Robert Bushell, director of elementary education. "Most are in the 75-year range and are not suited for today's environment."
Using Wyman and Oakland Beach as examples, Bushell said the district could build in their large backyard areas without interrupting instruction in the front.
"When we have expanded in the past, there was no plan and the room went wherever it fit," D'Agostino said. "Why would we repair buildings with millions of dollars that are only half-full? We need to demonstrate we're using the money wisely and efficiently to continue to receive support."
Committee member David Testa said the district can only work with what it has.
"The two-junior high and two-senior high model makes sense, but the savings should go toward all-day kindergarten and the middle school model; we can look at building expansion down the road," he said.
Mullen began his presentation by providing current enrollments at each of the high schools and junior highs as of Aug. 28: 1,010 at Pilgrim; 913 at Warwick Vets; 971 at Toll Gate; 508 at Aldrich; 467 at Gorton; and 516 at Winman.
Using Aug. 2 enrollment numbers, the most up-to-date at the time, Mullen showed that three senior highs could be consolidated into two.
If Warwick Vets were to be consolidated, Pilgrim's enrollment would be 1,435 and Toll Gate would be 1,413; if Toll Gate were to be consolidated, Pilgrim would be 1,487 and Warwick Vets would be 1,489; and, using Aug. 28 enrollment numbers, if Pilgrim were to be consolidated, Toll Gate's enrollment would be approximately 1,476 and Warwick Vets would be 1,418. In each of the scenarios, the numbers are well below the reported capacities at each building: 2,228 at Pilgrim; 1,867 at Toll Gate; and 2,146 at Warwick Vets.
"Pilgrim was over 1,400 students when I was principal about nine years ago and it was comfortable," Mullen said. "The recommended capacity is 85 percent, so it would not be an issue."
Mullen said he would look at the availability of vacant rooms during instruction time and report back to the committee at the next meeting.
Using the example of an AP class that had four students at one school, and three at another, if the two were combined, D'Agostino said another teacher would not need to be hired.
"We need to examine those situations," he said, adding that Honors classes and AP classes are already combined in the same room but each group receives different instruction.
D'Agostino said the average class size at the secondary level is 17, while at the elementary level it's 19. He also said the average classroom size in the district is between 700 and 900 square feet, and kindergarten rooms are between 1,200 and 1,300 square feet.
Committee member Jacqueline Harris-Connor asked if a junior-senior high campus scenario had been examined.
"That was brought up at one of the other meetings, but an audience member said they were uncomfortable with the idea of a 12-year-old and an 18-year-old sharing facilities, like the cafeteria and gymnasium," said committee member Ed Racca.
D'Agostino reminded the committee that when Winman was built, it was designed to accommodate three grades, and even did house grades 7, 8 and 9 at one time.
"If Toll Gate was tight, we have the option of moving the ninth grade to Winman. Or we could look at moving the sixth grade to Winman," he said. "We need to keep looking at things, which hasn't happened for 20 years."
Following the meeting, School Committee member Eugene Nadeau said he never heard anyone talk about the district's 1,400 employees.
"That's necessary when you submit the findings, to also submit the reduction in teachers, WISE [Warwick Independent School Employees] employees and administrators because that's where the savings are," he said. "This is a good committee and they're very capable."
The next LTFPC meeting is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 9 at the Warwick Public Schools administration building, 34 Warwick Lake Avenue, Warwick.
School Committee allocates $170K for FY14 budget
During a special School Committee meeting on Aug. 25, the committee voted to approve fiscal year 2014 allocation of remaining funds in the amount of $170,000. Ferrucci said $100,000 will be for an evaluation fellowship as part of the teacher evaluation system, and the remaining $70,000 will be for a 4/5 math teaching position at Toll Gate.
Ferrucci said the exact amount for the teaching position is unknown until the hire is made because it depends on what step the teacher is, but because it is not a full-time position, he said the amount will not exceed $70,000.
How many students are projected out into 2023 and 2033. It seems we should be preparing to go to two and two at the top and keep reducing as we go. Better to get ahead of the pain and position ourselves for lean revenue years. Housing values in low lying and coastal areas are going to plummet with the coming changes to flood insurance. People better get used to the idea of fewer teachers, fewer fire houses, fewer cops, fewer municipal workers. These jobs are going boys and they ain't comin back to your hometown. With apologies to The Boss!
Re-open C. Rhodes as an elementary school, convert Holliman into Pilgrim High Annex and close down Vets and Tollgate. That would save the district tons of money.
Just remember we are not talking about the future of our city, just widgets packed into the schools. Pack them in tight enough to save money and the world will pass us by.
Whatever you do, do it quickly. There should have been closings years ago. Get on with it. Why can't school administrators do anything without studying it to death? MOVE!
Mr. Jansson is correct, the SCRs provide guidelines for total educational space, which are actually standards, for reimbursement. The reason for the recommended guidelines, and the reason the state will reimburse based on these numbers, even in difficult financial times,, is that when analyzing the functional space in a school facility, these are the modern day standards for educational space. When using the classrooms times the number of allowable students per class (either by union contract or fire code), you leave out all the educational programming and support functions needed (appropriate classrooms, classroom sizing and need for technology, project planning) level groupings, special services, special use areas such as library, gym, music, art, science, cafeteria, auditorium, storage, custodial space, technology, staff offices, meeting areas, parking, traffic circulation, guidance and assistance space, sports programming, medical space, etc.) These are the spaces required to make a building, a modern day school, and not just a single classroom environment. As South Kingstown school district's Long Range Facility Plan, developed by the same consultants that Warwick has used for its enrollment projections, concludes after their analysis of Current Operating Capacity (COC) vs. Planned Operating Capacity (POC), "Thus it is not enough to "count classrooms". The plan also outlines some of the programatic changes in education over the past fifty years that have led to the need for more space in our schools(hence, the RIDE SCR standards), examines each facility based on these modern day needs, and outlines deficiencies for each building. This long term approach to analyzing and planning for every school district facility at the same time is critical, even when the immediate focus is at the high school or junior high school level because changes in kindergarten or a junior to middle school model, or overcrowding/substandard space at any one level of education or school building, impacts the entire system. Cedar Hill is a perfect example of the need to look at all levels of education. Enrollment at the school over the past four years has been roughly between 400-450 students, at those levels, I have witnessed fire code issues, significant privacy concerns for both students and staff, and continued worries each year that the art or music room would not exist. There is one all purpose area used for grade level assembly, school assemblies, lunch, and gym. When you have a grade level of 75 students, and they have a project or performance, you cannot safely house the students, their projects, and invite both parents to view the grade's efforts at one time. School wide events cannot take place inside the school and there are constant scheduling issues trying to coordinate with Toll Gate and Winman events. There are no areas to get a grade level together during the school day without interrupting gym or lunch periods unless students go outside, to safely have a school music or instrument assembly and invite participating students parents to attend, you would need 3-4 assemblies to accommodate everyone, which interrupts gym for the day and creates issues around lunch. The traffic circulation at the school includes all the buses, parents cars, and pedestrians, and until three years ago when parents began volunteering everyday at the school to cross students in front of the bus lane and a substitute principal assigned a staff member to this post last year, small children were expected to cross in front of buses each day to enter the schoolyard. The teachers, staff, and parents at Cedar Hill put tremendous effort into managing these difficult space and safety issues everyday but it does not allow for the same educational experience as in other schools and takes valuable time away from everyone involved. The thought that the school could house up to 525 students, as the administration insists, is not feasible in present day education unless we, as a city, determine that our principles for education and the programming will be at standards set decades ago. As we embark on a facilities planning process, one of the first tasks should be an honest discussion of our educational values and their the space implications and those should be clearly defined before developing solutions. Bandaid, short term solutions should not be implemented without a long term plan for all the schools in Warwick. One critical principle that should be embraced throughout all planning is educational equity across all programs and school buildings in the city. I thought that the directive from the school committee was to develop a long term facilities plan but it seems we are continuing in the direction we have followed for decades of crisis management and short term focus. We need to follow our neighboring district's leads (South Kingstown, Newport, East Greenwich, etc.) and plan for our city's future through embracing city wide values for education. Warwick will not be sustainable in the future without updated school infrastructure and we will not obtain it unless we stop focusing on short term, 1-2 year focus and plan for the 20-30 years needed for significant change.


text:
Please contact firstname.lastname@example.com.
The Leading Global Resource in the LGBTQ Tourism Industry.
Filter Your Results:
Results count: {{getDisplayedResultsCount()}} out of {{totalResults}}
No results found. Please try another search.
IGLTA Partners
Get the latest LGBTQ+ travel news plus discover tours, events and specials.
A recent visit revealed a robust culinary and craft brewery scene, cultural and historical attractions, and an emerging LGBTQ+ community that's increasingly attracting regional and national attention.
Royal Caribbean International's Symphony of the Seas is the largest cruise ship in the world. The ship offers an amazing array of activities, shows, restaurants, shops, and bars that will delight guests of all ages.
The colorful city of Nice is a popular destination along the French Riviera and for the third year in a row, hosted the OVNi Festival, which collaborated with international artists to exhibit video-art works in hotels, cultural spaces and other unique venues throughout the city.
The International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association was founded in 1983 and is the world's leading network of LGBTQ-welcoming tourism businesses. We provide free travel resources and information while continuously working to promote equality and safety within LGBTQ+ tourism worldwide. IGLTA's members include LGBTQ-friendly accommodations, transport, destinations, service providers, Travel Advisors, tour operators, events and travel media located in over 75 countries.
Sign up for our travel newsletter, sent out every two weeks, and get access to planning tools, the latest LGBTQ+ travel news plus discover tours, events and specials from IGLTA members and partners
Sign Up Now
Have A Question? Contact us here.
Get access to a global network of successful businesses supporting LGBTQ+ tourism and an international database of LGBTQ+ travelers.
Join Now
Benefits of Membership About IGLTA

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Blog of Dr. Miland Brown that features different aspects of world history. Not everything can be covered but sites dealing with any historical issue or topic are possible future posts. Also includes sites which discuss teaching history. Dr. Brown is an academic in North America.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Top 3 Worst War Films
I found the discussion on this post inspiring. I can come up with three bad war films! My reasons are different from those who posted (I am not clever enough to recognize the wrong uniforms and planes in the films) but I do like well told stories that at least try to be close to historical reality. Poor or silly story lines helped me come up with a list of three.
My choices:
Wake Island (1942) - The ending of this film is entirely fictitious. The movie shows the Wake Island garrison fighting to the last man. In reality, they surrendered to the Japanese after repelling the first wave of the Japanese attack. They could have held out longer and may well have done so if the survivors had known what they were going to be in for at the hands of the Japanese. I do not find the film that well done well technically either. The film probably achieved the goal of helping encourage American men to enlist and to show that American soldiers were hard fighters, but the film is still bad history and makes the top of my list for bad war films.
The Patriot (2000) - This is not a bad action movie and do like Mel Gibson. However, the portrayal of the British in the film is unacceptable. They were not Nazis and did not participate routinely in the slaughter of children, women, and captured soldiers. They did not burn down churches full of civilians. And the Americans did not win the Battle of Guildford Courthouse. The British did. This film is just a really bad representation of the American Revolutionary War.
Independence Day (1996) - Ok, this film is not based on history. It is alternate history based on what might have happened if aliens bent on eradicating the human race had invaded Earth in the 1990s. It is not real history but it is a war film so I can include it on my list. The movie is exciting, has some good acting, and it technically brilliant. I actually loved the President's inspirational speech before the final climatic battle. However, how is it that a technologically advanced species that can travel between stars can lose dogfight battles with 90s era fighter planes? Why are their alien computers vulnerable to a computer virus? Is the evolution of computers on different worlds so similar that uploading a virus based on a human created programming language would have any chance of working? How is it that the aliens had such bad record keeping that they did not notice a ship missing for forty years (the Roswell crashed one!) attempting to dock on their mothership? And of course we also learn that an alcoholic dust cropper can learn to fly a fighter jet in under a day and win a battle almost all by himself.
If this topic interests you, go take a look at the post that inspired this at the Osprey Publishing Blog. Many films are nominated for a variety of reasons and it is worth perusing.
4 comments:
- Jennie W said...
I'm so glad you included The Patriot on your list. That is one is on my list of absolutely terrible movies! Besides all the inaccuracies on the war, Gibson's character would have never existed! A South Carolina farmer would have NEVER used freed African-Americans - that is just fiction to make us feel better about our founding fathers. Wealthy southern farmers were slave owners (if you want a non-slave owner you have to look at the northerners or non-farmers). Slavery was a terrible practice, but it is part of our history and need to acknowledge it so we can learn from it. Shoving it under the carpet and pretending it doesn't exist doesn't help anyone.
- The Minstrel Boy said...
Also glad you included The Patriot. for the same reasons it makes my list.
i had to add john wayne's The Green Berets.
i agree that apocolypse now was historically flawed. however, it, more than any other vietnam film evoked emotions for me that were comparable to the emotions i felt while in the field. it worked for me on that level. far more odious for me was the deer hunter.
- Wily said...
You missed "Pearl Harbor."
If laser cannons would have been added to the aircraft, perhaps the movie could have been marketed as Historical Parody.
However, the scene where a woman is listening to a live-action, running commentary of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo is...well, so fanciful, the director might as well have added WonderWoman's invisible jet to the raid.
: )
- War Movies said...
I thought The Last Drop (2005) was one of the worst I've ever seen. Not due to historical reasons, but mainly because the acting was terrible.


text:
- Inside Athletics
- Tickets
- Fan Zone
- Media Zone
- Social
- Shop
- Donate Now
DELAND, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2011) – After having a three-game winning streak snapped on Tuesday night at Troy, the ETSU men's basketball team will look to rebound as the Buccaneers begin play in the Atlantic Sun Conference with a road matchup with the Stetson Hatters Thursday night.
Tip time at the Edmunds Center is set for 7:00 p.m.
The Bucs (3-2) will face a Stetson team with a new head coach, as former Belmont assistant Casey Alexander has taken over for longtime coach Derek Waugh. ETSU split the season series with Stetson a year ago.
For more on Thursday's game, click on the game notes link to the right, or read the game notes below. For more on ETSU men's basketball throughout the 2011-12 season, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the men's basketball link.
We are "ETSU"
The ETSU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics would like to ask both the print and broadcast media to honor our request to be called "ETSU" ... East Tennessee State in first reference is acceptable, but subsequent references should be ETSU ... On TV graphics please use ETSU ... Our nickname is the Buccaneers, but Bucs is also acceptable.
Bucs bits
While posting its highest RPI since the 2003-04 season, head coach Murry Bartow led the ETSU men's basketball team to another successful season in 2010-11, a campaign that included 24 wins and ultimately ended with a run to the semifinals of the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament … Led by seniors such as Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Year Mike Smith (Vandalia, Mo.) and all-conference performer Micah Williams (Manchester), the Bucs enjoyed impressive road wins at Atlantic 10 Conference member Dayton and Southeastern Conference foe Mississippi State, while also finishing second in the A-Sun Conference standings … Along with Smith and Williams, fellow senior Justin Tubbs (Trussville, Ala.) continued to impress fans with his high-flying dunks, which twice landed him as the No. 1 play of the day on ESPN's SportsCenter and earned him a spot in the national slam dunk championships … Unfortunately for the Bucs, Smith, Williams and Tubbs have departed, leaving the team with the unenviable task of having to replace over 42 points of offensive production from a year ago – equal to 60 percent of the team's scoring in 2010-11 … The Bucs will begin looking for those offensive numbers from returning starters such as senior guard Adam Sollazzo (Tampa) and senior forward Isiah Brown (Miami, Fla.), while senior forward Tommy Hubbard (Boston) – a 2010 A-Sun all-conference and all-tournament performer – will return to the floor after taking a medical redshirt season a year ago … Other returning players looking to improve their production will include junior guards Sheldon Cooley (Tampa) and Jarvis Jones (Memphis), junior forwards J.C. Ward (Marietta) and Lukas Poderis (Tampa), and redshirt freshman point guard Ryan Woumn (Lynn, Mass.) … The Bucs have also added a talented recruiting class that includes three true freshman and one junior college transfer … As opposed to last season – when the team returned a bevy of talented and experienced players – the younger and more inexperienced Bucs will face more questions this season.
The series versus Stetson
ETSU has faced the Hatters 15 times and the Bucs hold a 9-6 advantage in the series ... However, Stetson won the last meeting between the two programs last season in Deland, Fla., as the Hatters won 55-54 back on Feb. 6, 2011.
Last time out against Stetson
DELAND, Fla. (Feb. 6, 2011) - The ETSU men's basketball team did not score for the final 5:38 of the game, giving up an 11-point lead over that time frame and watching as Stetson's Corey Walden sank a layup with 5.5 seconds left, handing the Hatters a 55-54 upset win over the Buccaneers in Atlantic Sun Conference play Sunday afternoon at the Edmunds Center. ... The Bucs had one last chance at the end, but sophomore Sheldon Cooley (Tampa) was called for an offensive foul as he ran down the lane for a potential game-winner of his own. ... As in past Stetson games, the Hatters attempted to slow down the pace and make it an ugly contest, utilizing an unorthodox 2-1-2 zone to stymie the Bucs. It worked early on, but a pair of 3-pointers from senior guard Mike Smith (Vandalia, Mo.) and a 12-3 run late in the second half helped ETSU to a 27-13 edge with 2:38 left before the intermission. ... The Bucs' advantage at the break was ultimately 27-17, and the real story for the first 20 minutes was ETSU's defensive effort, which held Stetson to just 17 points. It matched the lowest point total for an ETSU opponent this season, and was the same as when the Bucs met the Hatters back on Jan. 10. ... Stetson shot just 27 percent in the first half and was out-rebounded by the Bucs, 20-12. Smith scored 12 points in the first 20 minutes to lead all scorers at that point. ... After the break, it was a different story. ... Stetson put together an 11-2 run in the early going to cut the Bucs' lead to just 34-30 with 14:50 left. However, from there ETSU responded thanks to a quick five points from senior guard Micah Williams (Manchester) and a 9-0 run ensued to make it 43-30 with 12:08 remaining. ... Stetson did not go away, though, and was able to make another significant run at the Bucs, methodically cutting the ETSU lead down to just one at 54-53 on a free throw by Graeme Radford with 36.5 seconds left on the clock. ... Smith was fouled after Radford missed his second of two attempts at the line, but missed the front end of the one-and-one, giving Walden his chance to become the hero.
Last time out
TROY, Ala. (Nov. 29, 2011) – As the ETSU men's basketball team prepared for Tuesday night's road game against Troy, the Buccaneers' major concern was the Trojans' 3-point shooting attack. The Bucs apparently had good reason to be worried. ... Troy connected on 12 shots from long range and also took advantage at the foul line, as the Trojans avenged a loss to ETSU earlier this season with a 79-71 victory Tuesday evening inside Sartain Hall. The loss snapped ETSU's three-game winning streak, as the Bucs now stand at 3-2 on the season. Meanwhile, Troy improved to 3-3. ... The Trojans started the game on target from 3-point range, with six of their first nine made shots coming from beyond the arc. Those efforts led to an eight-point advantage for Troy, as the score stood at 24-16 with 8:18 left in the first half. ... ETSU got it back to within four at 24-20, but the Trojans bounced back to make it 31-22 on a three-point play by Emil Jones with 3:03 left before the break. Ultimately, the Bucs managed to make several defensive stops and went to the locker room trailing by a score of 35-28. ... In the first 20 minutes, Troy shot 45 percent from the field and 37 percent from beyond the arc, while the Bucs led the battle of the boards at 18-15. ... After the break, the Bucs managed to get within four points on multiple occasions, and trailed just 49-45 with eight minutes left in the game. However, from there Troy found their stroke from 3-point range once again, hitting on four long range shots over the next five minutes to power a 21-10 run and take a 70-55 lead with just over two minutes left in the game. ... ETSU got the game back to eight at 79-71 thanks to some desperation 3-pointers in the final minutes, but could get no closer.
Early season scouting report for ETSU
After playing five games so far this season, the Buccaneers have seen some statistical regularities -- some positive and some negative. On the positive side, the Bucs are holding opponents to just 39 percent shooting from the floor and have forced an average of 19 turnovers a game ... In addition, the Bucs are collecting 10.0 steals a contest and averaging 11 assists per game ... However, on the negative side, ETSU is shooting just 29 percent from 3-point range so far this season, and is being out-rebounded by an average of 2.8 rebounds a game ... The team is also shooting just 59 percent from the foul line.
Cooley among nation's best in steals
Junior Sheldon Cooley (Tampa) has been on a torrid pace this season, averaging 3.8 steals per game ... Through games as of Nov. 27, he ranked second nationally in steals.
Block party for Brown
With a block in last season's finale against Iona, senior forward Isiah Brown (Miami, Fla.) set a new school record for blocks in a single season, swatting away a total of 71 shots on the year ... For his career, he now stands fifth on the all-time list at 149, but is just 33 blocks behind the program's all-time leader Zakee Wadood ... In addition to those marks, Brown's six-block performance against Belmont last year also matched the program's single-game record ... At the time, Brown joined six other ETSU players who have had six-block games, including former standouts Brad Nuckles, Eryk Thomas, Jerald Fields, Zakee Wadood, Greg Dennis and Greg Hamlin.
Florida connection proving valuable to Bucs
For much of the past 10 seasons, the Buccaneers have enjoyed a pipeline of quality players coming from the "Sunshine" state ... A glance at this year's current roster shows that trend continuing ... Entering Thursday's game, these have been the contributions of ETSU's current Floridians:
Adam Sollazzo (Tampa) 11.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists
Sheldon Cooley (Tampa) 10.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists
Isiah Brown (Miami, Fla.) 12.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists
Lukas Poderis (Port Richey, Fla.) 4.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.2 assists
In all, ETSU's Florida players are averaging a combined 38.4 points,
20.2 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 6.2 steals per game so far this season.
Getting to the free throw line a key for the Bucs
In recent years, the Bucs have focused on playing stingy defense, but also driving to the basket on offense and trying to get "tough" points thanks to fouls ... One way for the ETSU coaching staff to determine how successful the Bucs have been is charting free throw attempts and makes ... Well if this statistic is a true indicator, then the Bucs did just as the coaches would like ... Last season, ETSU set a school record for free throw attempts, putting up a total of 856 free tosses ... The Bucs also made their share of those attempts, ranking second on the all-time list with 580 makes ... The 2010-11 edition of the Bucs came up just nine makes short of the all-time record, held by the 1991-92 Bucs at 589.
On their way to 1,000 points
As they begin their seniors seasons, ETSU's trio of Isiah Brown, Adam Sollazzo and Tommy Hubbard are all eying the 1,000 point mark for their careers. After the season opener at Virginia Tech, here is where each stands:
Isiah Brown........................................................................ 846 points
Tommy Hubbard ........................................................... 608 points
Adam Sollazzo ................................................................ 608 points
To reach 1,000, the three would have to average the following during the regular season:
Isiah Brown..................................................... 7.0 points per game
Tommy Hubbard....................................... 14.7 points per game
Adam Sollazzo............................................ 14.8 points per game
Bucs add to postseason resume
The ETSU men's basketball team has enjoyed its share of postseason success and ranks as one of the nation's most prestigious basketball programs ... The Buccaneers have earned berths to the NCAA Tournament nine times (1969, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010) and NIT twice (1983, 2007) ... In 2011, the Bucs made their first ever appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, winning twice and advancing to the semifinals of that event ... It was the program's 12th postseason tournament appearance all-time.
ETSU "only" A-Sun team picked among
nation's best "Prestige" programs
Since the beginning of the modern era for NCAA Division I-A basketball – marked by the expansion of the NCAA Tournament field to 64 teams in 1984-85 – the ETSU men's basketball program ranks in the Top 30 percent of the 300 programs that were eligible for the postseason at that time, this according to ESPN.com's "Prestige" ranking released back in 2008 ... Since that time, the Bucs have only added to their list of prestigious honors … The Buccaneers, who have enjoyed nine NCAA Tournament trips, one NIT berth, 11 20-win seasons, and a slew of conference regular season and tournament championships since 1984-85, ranked tied for 82nd out of 300 teams, meaning they were in the Top 27 percent of schools making the list. ETSU was ranked ahead of every current Atlantic Sun Conference team, as well as former Southern Conference rivals Appalachian State, Western Carolina, Georgia Southern and UNC Greensboro. In addition, the Bucs ranked ahead of SEC schools such as Tennessee, Vanderbilt, South Carolina, Mississippi State, Georgia, Mississippi and Auburn, as well as other major programs such as Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, DePaul, Bradley, Clemson, California and Florida State.


text:
FIFA Soccer 12
FIFA Soccer 12 brings to the pitch a new game-changing Player Impact Engine, which is a physics engine built to deliver real-world physicality in every interaction on the pitch.
FIFA Soccer 10
FIFA Soccer 10 brings back EA's soccer series for another year with updated rosters, improved graphics, and other enhancements.
MLB 09: The Show
MLB 09: The Show is back for the 2009 baseball season with expanded features.
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4
Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 is the fourth entry into the PS2's last great JRPG franchise.
Need for Speed: Undercover
Need for Speed returns for another installment of EA's street-racing franchise.
NHL 09 continues the evolution of the NHL franchise with several control enhancements for the new season.
Rock Band
Rock out with your friends as you perform music from the world's biggest rock artists using drum, bass, lead guitar, and microphone peripherals.
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas
Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas is the fifth title in the Rainbow Six series, and pits players against terrorists who have taken the city of Vegas hostage.
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII stars a princess named Ashe, who teams up with Vaan, an urchin, and several other characters to protect their homeland of Ivalice against invaders.
This beautiful adventure combines a uniquecontrol scheme, an engrossing story, and a visual design reminiscent of watercolor paintings.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence
Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence adds a six-player online mode, a new camera angle, and many more interesting extras to Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter continues Ubisoft's tactical shooter series.
MLB 06: The Show
MLB 06: The Show for the PSP suits up for the season with the all-new Career Mode for gamers to create a player and take them out to play anytime, ...
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
The Dragon Warrior series makes its debut on the PlayStation 2 with Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King. You can play as a young guardsman who must fight ...
Guitar Hero
Be a lead guitarist who plays for thousands of people in the unique rhythm game Guitar Hero. The game comes with a guitar-shaped controller.
Shadow of the Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus is an action game that squares a young boy against a group of towering colossi. You assume the role of a nameless hero trying to rid ...
Burnout Revenge
Burnout Revenge is a racing game in which your desire for destruction is as important as your ability to reach the finish line. The sequel to Burnout 3 adds some ...
God of War (2005)
In God of War, the dark world of Greek mythology comes to life right before your eyes. As you take the role of Kratos, a story unfolds with various plot ...
Brothers in Arms: Road to Hill 30
Set during the famous airdrop before the invasion at Normandy, Brothers in Arms tells the story of Sgt. Matt Baker and his squad of 101st Airborne paratroopers, who were scattered ...
NBA Street V3
The third installment of NBA Street advances the series by adding more customization, different game modes, and new gameplay features. Now you can build both your reputation and show-stopping Gamebreakers ...
World Soccer Winning Eleven 8 International
Featuring 136 club teams and 57 national teams, Winning Eleven 8 offers gamers control of up to 4,500 of the world's greatest soccer players.


text:
Care in Tanzania by Anthony Finn
I left Canada in the autumn of 2009 looking for an adventure; a chance to balance travel with service and volunteering. I had just finished my undergraduate degree at Queen's University and after a summer spent working and saving I was ready to see a little bit more of the world. With the help of Projects Abroad I was able to accomplish all of these goals. I was able to have my adventure, experience a new faraway place I'd only ever dreamed of visiting before all the while contributing and volunteering in a meaningful way.
I was placed with the Good Hope Orphanage and Children's Centre in Usa River just outside the town of Arusha in Tanzania. I wish I could say that I took to my Care Placement like a duck to water but the truth is those few first days I felt more like I was floundering than succeeding.
I had hoped to be able to combine some teaching along with providing an extra set of hands around Good Hope. To be honest my first lesson went horribly. Half the children already knew the answers and so I wasn't teaching them anything while the other half either fell asleep or wandered out of our little classroom. At this point I was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. Walking home from my placement those first few days I thought seriously about how I could have more of a positive impact.
To that end I started first by dividing the children into age groups. Most of them were on Christmas/summer vacation from school but still I thought they could benefit from a routine and a little stability as well as the chance to improve their English reading and writing skills.
Through a lot of trial and error the kids of Good Hope and I worked out a typical day that we all enjoyed. A "typical day" usually went something like this: I would arrive at the orphanage between eight and nine in the morning. My methods of transportation varied. On Monday it could be by foot; Tuesday by motorcycle taxi; and Wednesday, if I was lucky, the rare Dalla Dalla or mini-bus might pass me and I'd be able to hop on. I should mention that arriving by motorcycle was the kids' favourite.
Together we would all fetch water from the river to be used for washing or cooking. Afterwards I would start with the little ones or KG (short for Kindergarten) as the kids called it. "KG! KG! Time for KG! Sir, Sir! This one is not KG, sir." With the Kindergarten Class we read simple books that I had brought from Canada with the hope of teaching these little Tanzanians something about my home even as they were sharing theirs with me. While "The ABC's of Canada," and "Canada 123" were popular, by far their favourite book was, "Z is for Zamboni," which we read everyday – sometimes twice.
After KG it was time for Class 2. "Class 2! Class 2!" Class 2 was for slightly bigger kids that fell somewhere in between a Canadian grade 2 or grade 4 class. Together we worked on basic English grammar concepts like nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. We also had a few tests on these ideas to make sure they understand what we had covered the week before.
In the early afternoon I worked with some of the older kids on Geography covering subjects like longitude and latitude, continents, time zones, and volcanoes. This was all taken out of an English language Geography text book that had been supplied to me by Good Hope. It was the only text book for the class.
I tried to never keep any class longer than an hour. It was summer vacation after all.
After lunch there was time for arts and crafts. We made necklaces and bracelets using beads and pieces of string or twine. Around Christmas time we made paper chains and snowflakes using a bit of an assembly line procedure since the only pair of scissors we had were the pair I had brought in my first aid kid. I think I can say confidently everyone's favourite part of the day was the trip to the nearby field to play a little football, skip rope, and just have some fun.
I say that was a typical day but there was always more to do at Good Hope and some weeks seemed to have more atypical days than typical ones. Sometimes whole days were spent just doing the wash, or setting up for our Christmas party, preparing a special meal or sometimes the kids just couldn't stand to be in a classroom. I definitely learned the importance of having a lesson plan ready for tomorrow but also the importance of being able to abandon that lesson plan if it just wasn't going to work that day. A day at Good Hope might only be from nine to three but there were a few times it might be from eight to ten: six hours, eight hours, ten hours, eleven, twelve hours.
Whenever I was frustrated, whenever I felt like I wasn't making any headway I tried to keep one thing in mind. I promised myself that I would make sure to have fun everyday and if I was having fun then chances are the kids would have fun too. There was only so much I could do in a month; there was only so much material we could cover. But together, the amazing children of Good Hope and I, could always make sure we had fun.
I hope you will consider volunteering with Projects Abroad. This is an amazing organisation and they will send you somewhere that could really use your help. If there's anything I can tell you from my own experience it would be three things. Don't get too discouraged; it will take you a little time to get your bearings. Always be prepared to adapt; things won't always go the way you expect them to. And, most importantly, try and have some fun; you'll find if you do the people around you will have some as well.
Anthony Finn
+44 (0) 1273 007230


text:
La Casa del Barrio
Hostel+ Spanish School + Waffles & More
The best property & Location in Monterrey, La Casa del Barrio is a place where you can feel at home with a unique and homey rooms and Cafeteria through out an authentic Mexican atmosphere.
La Casa del Barrio gives a little taste of what Mexico can offer from its authentic 1900 beautiful colonial piece located in the heart of the city 'Barrio Antiguo' surrounded by a totally remodeled colonial neighborhood, only one block away our guests can enjoy and visit; museums, the cathedral, government buildings, as well as one of the largest squares of the world; La Macroplaza.
Our main purpose is to involve our guests into our culture by giving them first of all a nice and clean full equipped room, a colorful patio set as a cafeteria.
Please try our Cafeteria with Real Delicious Mexican Breakfast & our Specialty: The Golden Belgian Waffles, among other woodies......mmmm!
We also have lots of options for tours and sightseeing like mountain climbing, rappel, mountain biking, fishing, cave exploration, etc.
Please note:
Check in up to 22:00. If you arrive later, please contact the property.
Availability & RatesTo view availability and prices please select dates and click 'Update Dates'
B&B Facilities & Policies
- 24 Hour Reception
- Board Games
- Breakfast Not Included
- Ceiling Fan
- Child Friendly
- Credit Cards Accepted
- Free Internet Access
- Free WiFi
- Hair Dryers
- Internet Access
- Laundry Facilities
- No Curfew
- Restaurant
- Taxes included
- Towels Included
Cancellation PolicyThis property has a 1 day cancellation policy. Failure to cancel within this time will result in a cancellation charge equal to the first night of your stay.
Must-Read Guesthouse InfoThis property has specific Terms & Conditions.
Please note:
Check in up to 22:00. If you arrive later, please contact the property.
DirectionsShow MapHide Map
Diego de Montemayor 1227 Col. Centro Barrio Antiguo, Monterrey
- From Bus Station.
Take Colon Street, then turn right Pino Suarez Street, Up to Costitution Avenue to your left , exit on Zuazua Street,then turn right at Jardon Street, go straight 2 blocks and turn right at Diego de Montemayor Street.The Property is on the left side of the street.
Taxi Fare is aprox $40 Pesos or $4 usd; it takes around 8 minutes.
By Subway from bus station:
Walk 2 blocks east up to Cuahutemoc Station (Line 1) then get off Zaragoza Station, walk 2 blocks east, you will find Diego de Montemayor St (our street) turn right and look for number 1221.
Price tickets $4.5 pesos one way, it takes around 15 minutes.
By Bus.
Take Ruta 17 Relax the ride will take around 20 minutes the only stop you need to pay attention to get off is MARCO Contemporary Art Museum.
Price ticket $6 pesos.
- From The International Airport.
Tell the Taxi Driver to get off from Constitution Avenue on Zuazua Street, then turn right on Jardon Street, go straight 2 blocks and turn right at Diego de Montemayor Street.The Property is on the left side of the street.
Taxi Fare is aprox $255 pesos or $25 usd; it takes around 40 minutes.
Urban Modern Spanish at our Spanish School, to get more information please send us an email.
Located Near
almost all major museums, federal buildings
concert hall 'Arena Monterrey'
both convention centers CINTERMEX & CONVEX
4 Blocks from Paseo Santa Lucia RiverWalk
Parque Fundidora
galleries,night life,


text:
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Father's Day Football Koozie
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Father's Day, Football
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
chalkboard spoons to mark the plants. I added a tag and sent it on it's way so it has half a chance.
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Earth Day, Father's Day, Gardens, Homemade Gift, Mother's Day
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Skinny Mac and Cheese.....Really
Instructions: Cook pasta according to the instructions on the box. Drain. While noodles are cooking, place the contents of the bag of cauliflower and sauce package into a large microwaveable bowl. Cover and microwave for 12-16 minutes (until sauce is melted and the cauliflower is hot). Add cooked pasta to the cauliflower mix. Unwrap the cheese wedges, place in microwave in a small bowl for 30 seconds. Stir into the bowl of cauliflower mix. Mix thoroughly. Season to taste.
4 servings: 1 c.=202 calories or 5 pointsplus values
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Cheese, Light Recipes, Recipes, Side Dishes
Monday, May 28, 2012
Summer Bucket
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Gifts for Boys, Gifts for Girls, Homemade Gift, July 4th, Summer
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Make Ice Cream in a Jar
2. In a quart size bag, measure 1 T of sugar, and 1 t. of vanilla powder (I found this in the spice section of a gourmet grocery store, you can also buy it online. You can use 1 t. of liquid vanilla, but you would probably want to put this in a separate container so it doesn't mix with the sugar if this is going to be sitting around for any length of time).
3. Place 8 half and half packets in the jar.
4. When you are ready to make the ice cream, combine the powder and half an half packets in the baggie. Fill the remainder of the jar with ice and salt, and begin shaking for 8 minutes, or until ice cream has formed in the jar.
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 6 comments
Labels: Birthday, Favors, Homemade Gift, Ice Cream, In-A-Jar, July 4th, Summer
Friday, May 25, 2012
Malt Ball Nutella Brownies
And....if your (imaginary) doctor also requires you to eat Nutella on a regular basis....here's a great recipe to fulfill that prescribed life style...
Instructions: Preheat oven to 355 degrees. Line 8 muffin holes with cupcake liners. Mix Nutella, eggs, flour, and salt. Divide batter evenly in the cups. Press 4 malt balls into the batter and place on on top. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a crush is forming on the top, and a toothpick comes out clean.
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Fruit Dip
Posted by Christy Robbins at 8:30 AM 3 comments
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Malt Ball Cake
My Mom made the traditional 'yellow cake'....I'm pretty sure it has a flavor, but the color works fine, and a can of chocolate icing.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Zuchinni Chips
Instructions: Heat over to 225 degrees. Line a cooking sheet with foil, spray with a coating of spray (I actually used a pizza stone and didn't spray it down). Cut zucchini in thin slices, about the thickness of a quarter. Lay out on sheet in one layer. Spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with seasoning salt. It's true, a little goes a long way. I like a lot of salt, and I was a little over zealous thinking I would want more. Bake for 45 minutes. Turn the tray and bake for another 30-45 minutes. These are best eaten right away, they don't store long. One zuchinni only make enough for one person, maybe half a cup. They shrink up to about half their size. This is going to be one of my new favorite go to snacks for the summer.
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 1 comments
Labels: Light Recipes, Recipes, Zucchini
Monday, May 21, 2012
Zucchini Tots
Heat oven to 400. Spray mini muffin tins with non-stick spray. Mix the grated zucchini, egg, onion, cheese, and bread crumbs.
Divide zucchini into 12 muffin tins using a spoon. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the top is brown and set.
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 3 comments
Labels: Recipes, Side Dishes, Zucchini
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Coffee: Starbuck's Themed Bridal Shower
Above are the invitations. Sarah obtained some Starbuck's coffee cups, and I filled each with coffee bean shaped sugar cookies, and put the invitation information in a sleeve shape outside. I blogged those details here.
Below is the sign in. We had everyone sign a matted engagement picture of Amber and Josh outside of Starbucks. I made a banner using newspaper (which I used throughout....reminds me of 'coffee shops) and raffia....because I'm obsessed. Close up details here.
here), and cupcakes.
here) of coffee-ish desserts in the middle of each table.
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 4 comments
Labels: Bridal Shower, Coffee, Friends, Parties, Personal 'Stuff', Showers
Friday, May 18, 2012
Coffee: Donations for Favors
We chose a group called Hisbridgebuilders. This is run by an incredible man and those he has inspired with his faith and faithfulness to the inner cities-who sees a need, and has a plan to go into the inner cities of large locations like Dallas and help revitalize the neighborhoods and lives of those that live there. His testimony and the lives of those that have been touched by this organization is incredible. I could never do it justice, but the link above gives a pretty great description, and the donations will hopefully go a long way in honoring the new Mr. and Mrs. and the friends that love them and were able to attend the shower.
Posted by Christy Robbins at 12:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Bridal Shower, Coffee, Favors, Packaging


text:
23 August 2007
You Have Been Voted a "Droolworthy Blogger"...
10 comments:
Wow, thank you so much Valli! You really made my day (my week!). I'm glad that you've enjoyed the photos on my blog, I use a small "unprofessional" camera so it's always tricky trying to get a great shot. I will definitely pass on to other droolworthy blogs soon. I'll savour the award for now :-)ReplyDelete
::sniff::: I am honored..honored..and I promise to wear the droolworthy award with honor and serve tenaciously...and...ReplyDelete
you are hysterical Valli
OH gosh!! I am gushing here! I am so honored that you would consider me droolworthy! I have not been doing my Oak Cottage journal for very long, having spent over a year blogging on my other journal on AOL journals ( http://journals.aol.co.uk/mariealicejoan/MariesMuses/ ) At the beginning of this year I decided I wanted a journal that was mostly about food and so I started my blogger one. It was slow going at first as it took this technologically inept mind a few months to work the kinks out on blogger and figure out how to use it! (a process that is still ongoing I'll admit!) I truly am chuffed that in these somewhat very early days of my journal that you have seen fit to give me this award and I shall treasure it! Thanks!!ReplyDelete
Oh thank you!!! I'm touched!ReplyDelete
Thanks for the mention. There are some blogs on this list, I've never visited before... so I'm off to check em out....ReplyDelete
Thanks so much Valli!ReplyDelete
Awwww...that's so sweet, Valli! And no, I honestly wouldn't have guessed that droolworthy is an "official" word! Well, it certainly applies to your glorious blog, that's for sure! And thanks so much for including me on the list. :-)ReplyDelete
Thank you Val, that is a lovely end to a lovely day!ReplyDelete
Thank you so very much, Valli! :) You are so sweet! :)ReplyDelete
Valli, I am flattered and sheepish at the same time. I just found that you nominated me as droolworthy! A month ago!ReplyDelete
Mucho thanks...
Welcome to my home. Thank you for choosing to stay a while and for sharing our lives through food. I appreciate all your support, comments, suggestions,and daily encouragement.
This blog uses comment moderation therefore SPAMMERS, SELF-PROMOTERS and ADVERTISERS will be deleted.


text:
Dokra (Artificial) necklace set
Material :Artificial Dokra.
The beautiful Dokra necklace set is hand crafted and is unique and trendy designer jewelry blended with ethnic and traditional look.
Dokra is tribal art of India mostly practiced in West Bengal and Orissa. Dokra art is used for figurines and statues while dokra jewellery craft is also very famous and becoming popular among younger generation.
Need more information/pictures? Do you want to own this pair in colours of your choice? Can I custom make a Dokra set to complement the new dress you bought? Please write to me!
- Product Code: jewD0319
- Availability: In Stock
Rs. 390


text:
Photography, Digital Imaging, Stylist : Fifi Alvianto
For more photos check out www.casa-elana.com
For more photos check out www.casa-elana.com
Who says you can't combine hijab with ordinary clothes and make yourself look fashionable.
It's our idea of a relaxed look, comfortable, nice and simply modest design.
My journey as a mom. My thoughts and opinion written in Bahasa Indonesia.
All icons used in this template were downloaded from IconsPedia. Design by Fifi Alvianto.
You are not allowed to copy paste anything from here, without my permission.
© 2009-2012 · From Fifi Blog |
Enjoy the website and feel free to share your opinion here


text:
Alabama-Tennessee Natural Gas Company
Second Revised Volume No. 1
Contents / Previous / Next / Main Tariff Index
Effective Date: 09/01/1993, Docket: RS92- 27-005, Status: Effective
First Revised Sheet No. 174 First Revised Sheet No. 174 : Superseded
Superseding: ORIGINAL SHEEET NO. 174
In addition to the warranties set forth in Section 9 of the
General Terms and Conditions of Transporter's FERC Gas Tariff,
Shipper warrants the following:
13.1 Shipper warrants that all upstream and downstream
transportation arrangements are in place, or will be in
place as of the requested effective date of service, and
that it has advised the upstream and downstream
transporters of the Receipt and Delivery Point(s) under
this Contract and any quantity limitations for each point
as specified on Exhibits(s) A and B attached hereto.
Shipper agrees to indemnify and hold Transporter harmless
for refusal to transport gas hereunder in the event any
upstream or downstream transporter fails to receive or
deliver gas as contemplated by this Contract.
13.2 If transportation hereunder is pursuant to Subpart B of
Part 284 of the FERC's Regulations, Shipper warrants that
the service provided hereunder is on behalf of an
intrastate pipeline or a local distribution company within
the meaning of Section 311(a)(1) of the Natural Gas Policy
Act of 1978.
13.3 Shipper agrees to indemnify and hold Transporter harmless
from all suits, actions, debts, accounts, damages, costs,
losses and expenses (including reasonable attorneys fees)
arising from or out of breach of any warranty, express or
implied, by Shipper herein.
13.4 Transporter shall not be obligated to provide or continue
service hereunder in the event of any breach of warranty.


text:
New Community Site Live Preview
Looks like we won't be the only one with a new design this week. The new community site is live and is very similar to the one launched with Starcraft 2.
Blue Posts
Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment
Wow, their new site is awesome. They've integrated the armory, and you can actually see reforged gear.
Example: http://us.battle.net/wow/en/characte...ngsol/advanced
The new armory (or armory integration) is really nice:
I am trying to understand their changes to the battlerez system and will do my best to throw forth a good argument. I think this change caters more towards the extreme hard core raiders who would purposefully stack Brezzers to do certain encounters.This is counter to what blizz said about "bringin the player-not the class" But we all know hardcore raiders will do anything to down a boss easier and faster.
So if a reg fight is actually requiring brez to get through it, i don't think we should nerf brez but rather examine what is causing this to be required in the fight.I mean if brez was that important they would be dished out to every healer like normal rez...THEN they would have cause for legitemate concern.


text:
Christoph Naumann
Kronberg im Taunus, Germany
Class Year:
Prior Education:
Admission to the Bar of Frankfurt am Main, Germany (2007)
Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main, Second State Exam (2006)
University of Frankfurt am Main, First State Exam (2004)
LL.M. Eur, University of Frankfurt am Main (2002)
Certificate in Transnational Law, University of Geneva, Switzerland (2001)
What I Did Before Law School:
Thirteen months full-time social service in my hometown, providing elderly and disabled people with medical care, food and other services.
Why I Chose Penn Law:
Having represented a U.S. law firm on recruiting events at many top 10 law schools, I had the chance to visit various campuses on the East Coast and in the Midwest, and I liked Philly best. It's ideally located, not as expensive as other US cities, not too cold in the winter and much more vibrant than people think who've never been here.
My Best Experience at Penn Law:
The collegial atmosphere is outstanding! When I told my international friends doing LLM programs at other law schools that the JD's just gave us their outlines because they knew we can't typewrite with ten fingers, my friends simply couldn't believe it. And that's just one example of how friendly professors, staff and - most important - students are.
Professor Who Influenced Me Most:
Professor Aditi Bagchi's Labor Law class (the first Labor Law class she taught) was great - a small number of very interested students, and she wasn't only able to take very different views on ultimately political policy questions, but also made us discuss the issues in the same way.
My Favorite Course:
Real Estate Law together with Wharton students – having been an Associate with a "magic circle" British law firm working on real estate transactions, this class helped me to understand where those guys are coming from – and, moreover, getting at.
My Favorite Philadelphia Moment:
Hard to tell - both (i) when I left PHL to see my family and friends back home in Germany over Christmas and (ii) when I got back before New Years and my girlfriend picked me up at the airport.
What I'm Most Proud Of:
Besides my membership with the UPenn University Club (great lunch!): to have finally made it to UPenn Law School, despite the thousands of questionnaires, forms and applications one is encountering when applying from outside the U.S.
My Extracurricular Activities at Penn Law:
Research for my Ph.D. – and just relaxing and enjoying my year off after three years with large U.S and British law firms!
My Favorite Place or Activity on the University Campus:
Place: the Law School Courtyard; activity: having Sushi at the Houston Hall Market.


text:
I'm pretty sure Apple is planning to kill the mechanical keyboard in the near future. What's interesting is how they're going about it.
Apple has killed/"moved forward" a lot of tech by unilateral fiat, including the floppy drive, DVD drive, and of course various ports and cables. (Can we just stop for a minute and consider the collective internet brainpower wasted arguing about the merits of these moves? (Yes, I can appreciate the irony.).)
The strategy with the keyboard, however, is something different. For the past several design iterations, the keyboard travel has been getting thinner and thinner, to the point where the travel on the latest keyboards is pretty tiny. It's pretty easy to see that the direction Apple is headed is towards a future in which the keyboard has no mechanical keys, but is rather some sort of iPad like thing, perhaps with haptic feedback, but with no keys in the traditional sense of the term. (The force touch trackpad and the new touch bar are perhaps harbingers of this move.)
What's interesting is how Apple is making this transition. With the other transitions, Apple just pulls the plug on a tech (Firewire, I barely knew thee), leading to squealing by a small but not insignificant number of very visible angry users, modestly annoyed shrugs from everyone else, and a Swiss-Army-knife-like conglomeration of old projector adapters wherever I go give presentations. With this keyboard transition, though, the transition has been far more gradual—and the pundit class has consequently been far more muted. Instead of the usual "Apple treats their users with utter contempt!" "Apple is doomed by their arrogance!" and so forth, the response is more like "huh, weird, but you'll get used to it." Perhaps this reflects more the fact that there's no way to "transition" to a new port interface (there is no port equivalent to "reduced key travel", although perhaps microUSB qualifies), but still.
Why might Apple be doing this? There are three possibilities I can think of. First, one formal possibility is that there could be some convenience/cost benefit to Apple to doing this, like reduced component cost or whatever. This strikes me as unlikely for a number of reasons, not least of which being that it is almost certainly a pain in the butt to keep designing new keyboards. Another possibility is that the there is some tradeoff, most obviously with thickness: clearly, having a shorter travel will let you make a thinner computer. While this is a likely scenario, and perhaps the most likely, there are some reasons to question this explanation. For instance, why do the keyboards on the desktop Macs (remember those?) also have shorter key travel now? One could say that it's to maintain parity with laptops, but then again, anyone suffering through desktop Macs these knows that parity isn't exactly the name of Apple's game these days—frankly, the keyboard is just about the only thing that got updated on the iMacs in the last several years. Which leads to the third possibility, which is that having a non-mechanical keyboard (essentially a big iPad) down there would enable new interfaces and so forth. Hmm. Well, either way, I think we'll find out soon.


text:
Type in your postcode and select your preference of motorhomes, campervans, caravans or electric pop tops to find your nearest Avida RV dealership.
Or click on a popular searched region in the list below to find the nearest dealer to that location.
See Avida's entire range of new and used motorhomes at your dealer closest to Mackay, QLD.
Avida has the largest motorhome range for sale in Australia and New Zealand, and builds robust vehicles fit to tackle the tough conditions presented by Australian and New Zealand roads. We have over 50 years of experience manufacturing RVs in Australia and we build them right here in Australia for you to explore our magnificent country.
Come in and inspect our vehicles at your closest dealer to Mackay!
Your Location
Location: Mackay
State: QLD
Postcode: 4740
Country: Australia
Nearest Dealer Details
Avida Townsville
Address: 593 Ingham Road Mount St John QLD 4818 Australia
Phone: 07 4750 2900
Website: www.motocorv.com.au


text:
Mayor's Office
Mayor Chris Beutler today said the City will soon take bids on the 611-foot pedestrian bridge that will link the Pinnacle Bank Arena with the new festival space northwest of the facility. Beutler unveiled the conceptual drawings of the bridge, which was designed by Dimensional Innovations, an Overland Park, Kansas firm selected by the West Haymarket Joint Public Agency (JPA). The design incorporates the letters L-I-N-C-O-L-N which are visible from both sides of the bridge and from above.
"You can imagine what the bridge will look like from a blimp that may be flying overhead during a Husker football game," said Beutler, who chairs the JPA. "This bridge will serve as an iconic location within our City. It also will be a bridge that creates specific areas where some of Lincoln's unique stories can be told - a generational bridge. As you walk along the bridge you will want to stop by each letter and take a moment to read about some of the rich stories that define Lincoln." The City's historic preservation planner, Ed Zimmer, will assist with the text that will displayed on the bridge.
The bridge will be bid in two packages, first the structure itself and then the aesthetic elements. The JPA is scheduled to select the final contractors at its December meeting. Construction on the structure will begin next spring and is expected to be completed next summer. The aesthetic elements would then be added, with completion expected by September 2013. The bridge project is included in the current JPA budget.
More information on the arena and West Haymarket development is available at pinnaclebankarena.com and haymarketnow.com. More information on Dimensional Innovations is available at dimin.com.


text:
Research Country Contact (Personal Names, Addresses, Phone) Information (Netherlands)
Budget $30-250 USD
The context of this work is in relation to the country of Netherlands.
Please refer to the attached document full requirements with examples and general requirements.
Data Requirements
- Personal Names
- Make sure to describe all forms a name can take in official and non official documentation
- List of First Names ordered by popularity using native character set (if possible 1000, more is better)
- List of Last Name ordered by popularity using native character set (if possible 1000, more is better)
- Pattern Logic (Country specific)
- Describe any rules regarding composite names (eg, names separated by hyphens), either first or last. How many composites are allowed?
- For example, German might have a "von" prefix for some last names as in "von Ludwig"
- For example, U.S: Middle name would consist of similar names as First name list
- Context
- Different way name, first name, given name, last name, family name, maiden name is referred to in the country language
- What is the official way to address someone?
- Mr, Mrs, etc.. (also list the typical shorten forms that are used if different)
- Is some form considered disrespectful, preferred, etc...
- List of characters used in names (Upper case, lower case, romanized, other cases)
- Mailing Addresses
- Format (Structure) of Address (all possible combinations)
- Context - Ways any part of the address is referred to in the country language
- Examples of Address Form formats (image of form (physical or online) + typed out version in language with English translation)
- Pattern
- Pattern Logic
- Postal Codes structure broken up with their area code
- A list of common street prefix or postfixes with their abbreviation (For example, Street, St, Str, Road, Rd, Way, Path)
- A list of all States, Cities and Towns in possible for address
- Country specific logic
- For example, In Germany the postfixes might be joined as part of the street name.
- "Hauptstraße", where "Haupt" = Main + "straße" = "Street"
- Germany has different spelling names of cities in English which are also commonly used and cannot be converted directly.
- Give a list of all "München" = "Munich"
- Common patterns, Addresses with:
- Apartments
- PO Box
- On the Road (km instead of street #)
- etc
- Telephone Number
- Format
- Country Code
- Trunk Code
- Area codes for all locations within the country with their descriptions, eg in 212 is one of New York's area codes
- Subscriber numbers
- Mobile operators, do they have different dialing prefixes?
- Minimum and Maximum number of digits in a phone number.
- All possibly dialing prefixes.
- For example, is there a different way to dial a mobile number inside the country vs outside.
- For example, in US, to dial a mobile or a regular number is the same. However both can be prefixed with '1', the US country code. In Australia, the number format for mobile numbers and land lines differ. So dialing from outside the country is also different for each one.
- All common ways to write a phone number down in both official and non official documentation. Provide references if possible.
- Context - Different ways phone number, phone or handphone (cellphone, mobile) is referred to in the country language (For example, German "Handy", "Telefon")
14 freelancers are bidding on average $160 for this job
Greetings sir, i am an expert freelancer for this job and your 100% satisfaction is assured if you allow me to serve. Here is the reason. Why you should pick me? a) I am a very expert and have the same kind of ex More
Hello I can provide you Netherlands list .I have access to [login to view URL] Premium , there are 100% complete contact records including Name, Email, Company, Title,Phone number,Industry and etc. also Accurate contact p More
I have gone through the project details, attachments and understand what you are trying to achieve. We have completed a number of similar a projects to yours. And we are are experienced critical data research. ## A More
hi there , i am ready to start your job right now.i have a lot of experience about this [login to view URL] can trust [login to view URL] delivery and accuracy is my quality. thanks
Hi Greetings! Please come over discussion and clarify about the type of data and format of the template. I will give my best to complete the project. I will be available on your time, so, communication is not a p More
I have 10 years experience with Data Processing in Excel and Web Researching. I work with: Web Search Web Scrapping Excel Access PowerPoint Finance Management Statistics Data Processing Data Collect More
""""Lets start work with great accuracy and time deadlines, My aim is to satisfy my client by my [login to view URL]'s"""
Hi, After carefully reviewing the requirements of the job description, I feel that I am a suitable match for the job. Since I have helped multiple international brands in web scrapping & web research projects So you ca More
If you are looking for a best web scraper then welcome. i can scrape data from any web site.i have 4 year experience in PHP and javascript scraping. Thanks. Regards [login to view URL],
Dear Sir I am from Bangladesh.I would like to inform you that i am new Freelancer it is true, but i complete my training in [login to view URL] can bleave me. Though my training was about Social media marketing & Search More


text:
Name: bob
Gender: Male
Age: 26
Location: pa
(Never happened before) But I couldn't get it up tonight, and this chick was H OT. Now I'm not gay at all, but I haven't had sex in about 3 years because I was locked up…so I masturbated pretty regularly about 3 or 4 times a week. But I can't figure out why I was soft… the only thing I can think of is "I ate clams tonight and I've never had them before. Could it be that or should I get checked out?
It weren't the clams, my friend! And I don't think you need to get check out, either…at least not right away. If you could back away from the situation a little bit and stop freakin' out. I think you'd discover the source of your problem all on your own.
Here's the thing, while you were out of commission, there in the jailhouse, you relied on, as you say, jerkin' off. Ok, cool. We all gotta get by somehow. Now the first time you try to score after your release; you go soft. This tells me you have a mild case of performance anxiety. We all get that from time to time.
There's probably nothing wrong with you or with your johnson. You just got the jitters first time you tried to get you some fine pussy after bein' away, that's all.
The anticipation of bonin' this HOT chick, fueled by some predictable self-consciousness; what with just gettin out of the slammer and all, pulled the plug on your wood. No surprise there, right?
What I don't want to see happen is for you to replay the incident over and over in your mind's eye till that's all I can think about. Hey, maybe that's already happening. If it is, this proverbial molehill will, sure enough, become a mountain. You'll then bring all this anxiety to your next encounter. Setting you up for even more disappointment. You can see how this shit can snowball, right?
If you interpret every less than satisfying encounter as a failure, your fears will become self-fulfilling. You'll begin to avoid partnered sex and you'll develop a full-blown sexual dysfunction. Your self-esteem will take a nosedive too.
If you are preoccupied with your performance, it's less likely that you'll be fully present during sex with a partner. This pretty much fucks up your sexual responsiveness and any hope for spontaneity. Don't let this happen to you, Bob. Why not just relax into the whole sex thing and not try to prove your manhood or your sexual prowess with your pecker?
Good luck


text:
There was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for the Valparaiso University baseball team on Saturday night as the Crusaders defeated Hawai'i 7-2 to win the weekend series against the Rainbows before a sellout crowd of 4,494 at Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii.
"Coming over here and taking two of three against a good Hawai'i team shows what we are capable of doing," head coach Tracy Woodson said. "Some of the top teams in the country have come over here and not won series or have been swept. It's great to play in front of so many people like we did tonight."
Valpo jumped out to a 5-0 lead before Hawai'i even came to bat as the Crusaders chased rainbow starter Connor Little after just five batters. Kyle Gaedele (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect H.S.) and Steven Scoby (Delton, Mich./Delton Kellogg H.S.) led off the game with back-to-back walks and Chris Manning (Lake Forest, Calif./El Toro H.S.) loaded the bases with a bunt single. Will Hagel (Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect H.S.) delivered a two-run single to left-center, and moved to second when the outfielder bobbled the ball. Robbie Robinson (Brea, Calif./Olinda H.S.) made it 4-0 Brown and Gold with a triple to the gap in left-center. Little departed at that point, but two batters later Robinson scored on a squeeze bunt by Corey Thibault (Tustin, Calif./Foothill H.S.).
"Jumping out to that lead really set the tone of the ball game," Woodson said. "It relaxed everyone a little bit."
Damon McCormick (Louisville, Ky./Saint Xavier H.S.) was staked to the early lead, but gave up a lead off walk to Breland Almadova. After a single by Sean Montplaisir, Kolten Wong put the Rainbows on the scoreboard with a single to left.
Hawai'i (22-17) added a run in the third as Wong led off with a triple and scored two batters later on a ground out by Zack Swasey. That would be the last hit the Rainbows would get off of McCormick in his eight innings of work. The senior right-hander struck out 10 while allowing just two runs and four hits to earn the win (3-5). He allowed just the one triple after the first inning.
"Damon didn't have his best stuff tonight, but he showed guts pitching through the eighth," Woodson added.
Valpo added a run off of reliever Zach Gallagher in the fourth. Bobby Martin (Crystal Lake, Ill./Prairie Ridge H.S.) led off with a single. With two outs, Andrew Bain (Indianapolis, Ind./Park Tudor H.S.) singled to put two men aboard. Martin and Bain moved up 90 feet on a balk and the Rainbows intentionally walked Gaedele to load the bases. Scoby made them pay with a single up the middle to score Martin, but Bain was thrown out at the plate by Almadova for the final out of the inning. The Crusaders did increase the lead to 6-2.
Gallagher limited Valpo's damage in the middle innings, working seven innings after coming on in the first. He scattered seven hits and allowed just the one run while striking out four.
The Crusaders added one final run in the ninth as Gaedele tripled to lead off the inning off of the top of the fence in straight away center. Two batters later, Manning plated him with an infield ground out.
Karch Kowalczyk (Peru, Ill./La Salle-Peru H.S.) came on to pitch a 1-2-3 ninth to close out the game.
Manning finished the night with three hits while Gaedele and Hagel had two hits a piece as part of Valpo's 11-hit attack. Wong had two of Hawai'i's four hits.
Little suffered the loss (3-3) for Hawai'i, allowing five runs and three hits while walking two and not retiring a batter.
"The attitude of this team is unbelievable right now," Woodson concluded. "We're playing some pretty good ball."
Valparaiso (17-22), winner in 11 of its last 12 games, returns home to Emory G. Bauer Field on Tuesday afternoon to host Purdue. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.
Athletics-Recreation Center (ARC)
1009 Union Street
Valparaiso, IN 46383
Staff Directory


text:
Apple to Google Maps: Get Lost
Jun 6, 2012 9:10 AM PT
Since the iPhone debuted five years ago, it's always used Google Maps as the service behind the device's built-in Maps application. However, when Apple releases the next version of its mobile operating system, iOS 6, Google Maps will be out of the picture, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
"Although there have been strained relationships Apple has still used assets of Google to add to the Apple ecosystem experience," Ben Bajarin, a principal with Creative Strategies, told MacNewsWorld.
"But the cat's been out of the bag for awhile that there are hostile feelings, more from Google against Apple than the other way around," he added.
Aside from enmity between the firms, Apple may want to dump Maps because it thinks it can do a better job.
"Apple wants to deliver a better experience, and it gets to define what 'better' means," Yankee Group Research Director Carl Howe told MacNewsWorld.
Turn, Turn, Turn
Street View and turn-by-turn navigation are two possible sources of friction.
Google Street View allows a user to virtually walk around a location. Turn-by-turn navigation gives a user step-by-step directions to a location in real time. Both applications are available for Google's mobile operating system, Android, but not for Apple's iOS.
Why the iPhone doesn't have Google's turn-by-turn navigation is a mystery, according to Bajarin of Creative Strategies. "I don't know if that's because Google hasn't given them step-by-step navigation as a feature or if Apple has simply chosen not to implement it," he confessed.
In research he's done, he noted, Android users commonly cite free turn-by-turn navigation as a reason they chose their smartphone over the iPhone.
Holding Back
It's unclear whether Google is holding back technology from Apple to gain a competitive advantage for Android, which, according to a report released by IDC Wednesday, will ship 61 percent of the smartphones in the global market this year.
Nevertheless, Yankee's Howe noted, "One has to expect that Google has its own goals for its own products, and it's been doing a lot of work to integrate Google Maps pretty deeply with Android."
"It may be that the two companies may not completely agree on what experience is best for Apple users," he said.
"These companies have been competing with each other," he added. "We shouldn't expect that they will always work together seamlessly."
If Apple releases a Maps substitute, it may hold the answer to why Street View and turn-by-turn have been missing from the iPhone, according to Bajarin. "If Apple releases something akin to Street View and turn-by-turn navigation, then my guess would be that Google didn't give it to them and they wanted it and that's why they did their own thing."
Lining Up Its Ducks
Over the last three years, Apple has been building its intellectual property arsenal through acquisitions for a break with Google Maps.
In 2009, it purchased Placebase, a company known for enhancing maps with information from public and private databases. The acquisition was so below the radar that although it was done in July, it wasn't widely reported until October.
In 2010, Apple acquired Poly9, which develops a geospatial website similar to Google Earth.
And in 2011, it bought C3 Technologies. It uses technology developed by the defense industry to create 3D maps so artfully rendered that they look like photographs.
In addition, Apple has been gathering traffic data from its users since 2010 to build a database expected to form the basis of a traffic map app.
Give 'Em What They Don't Know They Need
What Apple's map offering will look like could be made public as early as next week, when it holds its annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC).
"When it comes to the phone, navigation and maps are extremely useful features for consumers, and I think Apple needs to be aggressive on that front to stay competitive," Bajarin maintained.
"If Apple can bring some things to the table that we haven't thought about yet or do what it does so well -- create stuff that we don't even know we need -- I think it will give it a huge leg-up just because of how important those services are," he added.


text:
CNH turnaround?
Things are looking sunnier for CNH (Case IH/New Holland) just weeks after a five-for-one reverse stock split and a debt exchange with primary stockholder Fiat. At least one analyst has upgraded CNH stock to a "buy" in recent days. The main reason for that upgrade is a drop in CNH equipment operations net debt to about $1.5 billion. And the company's net debt-to-capitalization ratio changed from 56 to 24%. The company now has more breathing room — time it needs to get its new tractors, combines and equipment out in front of farmers.
Fueling production costs
Higher diesel fuel prices are driving up the cost of producing an acre of corn and soybeans. The current diesel fuel price of about $1.50/gal. is $0.50/gal. higher than last year's price, reports Gary Schnitkey, University of Illinois Extension farm financial management specialist. Because most farms use 5 to 6 gal. of fuel/acre for tillage, planting and harvesting operations, production costs will rise $2.50 to $3.00/acre due to the extra $0.50/gal. diesel price. Schnitkey points out that other fuel needed for general use and grain hauling will raise the overall fuel cost to about $3.50/acre.
Farmland sells fertilizer assets
Koch Nitrogen Company recently purchased selected fertilizer assets from Farmland Industries. A federal bankruptcy court in Kansas City, MO, approved the sale.
The purchase was valued at $293 million. The assets included four fertilizer plants in Beatrice, NE; Dodge City, KS; Enid, OK; and Fort Dodge, IA; and 12 terminals in Aurora and Greenwood, NE; Barnesville, Murdock, and Vernon City, MN; Conway, KS; Farnsworth, TX; Henry and Mattoon, IL; and Garner, Sergeant Bluff, and Keota, IA. The purchase also included Farmland's 50% share of Farmland MissChem Limited, which owns an ammonia plant in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
Other purchased assets not included in the Koch Nitrogen bid were the nitrogen plant in Pollock, LA, purchased by Vanguard Biosynfuels LLC, and the ammonia terminal in Devils Lake, ND, purchased by CF Industries.
New corn herbicide
Sipcam Agro has received U.S. EPA registration for Stalwart, a new metolachlor herbicide. The selective preemergent controls annual grasses and broadleaf weeds in corn. The company did not divulge price information but said it is positioning the product as "a value-oriented choice" in metolachlor herbicide. The emulsifiable concentrate will be available in 2- × 2.5-gal. cases, 260-gal. mini bulk and bulk. The product label can be viewed at www.sipcamagrousa.com.


text:
A Durango family who took in a convicted sex offender says there is nothing to worry about, but neighbors arent so sure.
William Vollert, 25, has been labeled a sexually violent predator, one of three living in La Plata County. As such, he must register every three months as a sex offender, and authorities must notify the public of his permanent address, which they did last week through The Durango Herald.
Vollert was 20 when he had sex with a 14-year-old girl. He pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault on a child and was classified a sexually violent predator based on a psychological evaluation.
He was released from prison last month and is living freely at 10 Rio Vista Circle, a corner lot near 29th Street and East Fourth Avenue in north Durango. That puts him in close proximity to several parks, the Animas River Trail and within 1,000 feet of Riverview Elementary School.
He lives with Gerry and Lauren Geraghty, who have two boys, ages 7 and 9.
Im a Christian, and who did Jesus hang out with? He hung out with prostitutes, tax collectors and thieves, said Gerry Geraghty. We dont see him as a threat. We see him as very respectful. We trust Will playing with our children in a supervised situation.
But several neighbors are concerned. They are unsure why Vollert is allowed to live so close to a school and why Geraghty would invite a convicted sex offender to live with his children in the neighborhood.
I dont care how Christian you are how much you want salvation I really do believe that no matter what you believe, God really does look at brains every once in a while, said Jane Periman, 84, who lives on the same street.
Vollert said he is not the violent predator society has made him out to be. He wants a fair chance to prove himself and build a new life.
I dont want society to think, Oh, hes a bad person. Keep kids away, Vollert said. Im not a bad person. Im not a sexually violent predator. I am a sex offender. But I dont think inside I am a sex offender, but society has put that label on me.
Irrational fear?
Vollert grew up in Durango and attended Durango High School.
Geraghty worked at the high school as an in-school suspension teacher and oversaw a special-education program. He met Vollert in both of those settings.
Geraghty learned of Vollerts criminal case and decided to foster a relationship in hopes of setting him on the right path.
I was sending him different books and kind of mentoring him through the mail with the purpose of when he got out, we would have him in our home, because if he isnt here, hes going to be in a place like Spanish Trails or whatever, and hes not going to have a rehabilitative life situation.
Geraghty also arranged to have Vollert hired to work on a cleanup crew for bank-repossessed houses.
Will is working for a Christian man with other Christian men as part of the work crew, Geraghty said. So its not a bunch of guys that are drinking, smoking, looking-at-porno type of thing. Will is working with people who have good values.
Vollert moved into Geraghtys basement Jan. 18. He eats breakfast and dinner with the family every day. At their house last week, the family hosted a Bible study, which included five families and a boatload of kids, Geraghty said. None of the families was fearful of Vollert, he said.
The family recently watched an episode of Touched By An Angel, a TV series about an angel who visits Earth to help people though hard times. Geraghtys youngest son was scrunched up in a chair next to Will during the show, Geraghty said.
Two women showed up at Geraghtys doorstep last week after reading about him in the newspaper.
They said, Wow, its great that youre caring for him, but we dont want him in our neighborhood, Geraghty said.
It was a difficult position to be in, he said.
I think some people are really having a phobia, just because of that (sexually violent predator) title, he said. Were not going to put Will in a situation where were saying, Lets go walk by the elementary school, lets go play on the playground at the elementary school. Thats not healthy for anybody. Not that hes necessarily going to be dangerous.
The facts of the crime
Vollert admits to having a sexual relationship with his former girlfriend, a 14-year-old Durango girl. He said the girls father approved of the sexual relationship, and he thought that sufficed for consent.
But the girls mother, who was divorced from the father, thought otherwise and she notified police.
Vollert said he had sex three times with the girl. It was the first and only time he has had sex with a minor, he said.
At that time, it didnt seem that it was wrong to me because I had her dads consent, and she was my girlfriend, you know, he said. She wanted to sleep with me, too. Its not like I did it against her will.
Vollert added: I realize now that it was wrong, but back then, I didnt realize that it was wrong. She was my girlfriend. I was young, she was young. It was three months before she turned 15. Its not like I went after an infant or a child or somebody real small. She looked like she was a mature lady.
District Attorney Todd Risberg said 14-year-old girls cant consent to having sex with someone more than four years older.
Kids are much more suggestible, and we need to protect them in that sense, he said. Kids just dont have the resources to make good decisions when theyre that young. Thats why we treat them differently.
Vollert was charged in 2008 with sexual assault on a child. He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of attempted sexual assault on a child in a plea agreement with the 6th Judicial District Attorneys Office.
He was sentenced to 10 years of intense supervised probation for sex offenders, which included wearing a GPS ankle bracelet that allowed authorities to track his movements.
Vollert cut off the ankle bracelet and tossed it in a lake, said Cpl. Suess Beyer, who oversees the sexual offender registration program for the La Plata County Sheriffs Office.
He was sentenced to two years in prison and released on parole in 2011. He lived in various locations throughout La Plata County, including at Spanish Trails Inn & Suites on north Main Avenue in Durango.
He was caught drinking alcohol a violation of his parole and sent back to prison to serve the remainder of his prison term, about nine months.
Child sex offenders are at the bottom rung in the prison social order, Vollert said. He got into fights for refusing to show other prisoners his paperwork, which would have identified him as a sexually violent predator, he said.
A lot of stuff happens there to sex offenders because of that label, he said.
Having served his time, he now is free to live where he wants. He no longer is on parole and can be around children, Beyer said.
His only requirement is to register as a sex offender and keep authorities informed of his whereabouts or any significant changes to his appearance.
As long as we know where he is, thats 100 percent better than him disappearing because then you dont know where he is, Beyer said.
Vollert was required to take a psychological evaluation that helps probation officers better understand his behavior and risk for recidivism.
The probation department determined him to be a sexually violent predator, which is a legal recommendation that the judge can apply.
Vollert now is one of three sexually violent predators and one of 146 sex offenders living in La Plata County.
The label has little to do with his crime, Beyer said. Rather, it is based on a psychological evaluation.
It wasnt a violent crime, the deputy said.
Vollert said he always has been in special education and struggled with reading the questions on the risk-assessment evaluation law enforcement gave him.
I thought it was a regular test or whatever, so I just guessed on it, which ended up them saying I was a SVP sexually violent predator, he said.
Vollert can retake the test for about $1,000 to try to have the title removed, he said. He must register as a sexual offender for a minimum of 10 years before he can petition to be removed from the list.
Geraghty said the label is a misnomer.
Hes not a pedophile, he said. He has not been convicted of a crime as a pedophile. He didnt snatch a child off the street.
Where does he go?
Geraghty said he considers Vollert an orphan. He was given up for adoption and did a stint as a foster child. His birth dad once gave him a methamphetamine pipe as a birthday gift, he said.
Geraghty quotes Mother Theresa to explain his motives: The greatest disease and the greatest suffering is to be unwanted, unloved, uncared for, to be shunned by everybody, to be just nobody.
The neighbors who have questioned Geraghty about Vollert moving in seem almost threatening, almost like theyre not going to accept it, Geraghty said.
Where does he go? Does he go homeless? Does he go to Spanish Trails? If hes in Spanish Trails, he can still come over and rob your house. You dont have to be a next-door neighbor to do that, he said. Society says, Yeah, its great, but not in our neighborhood.
Hes a part of that society that is unwanted, he added.
Vollert said he heard his name on the radio, warning the community that he is a sexually violent predator.
By them doing that, it just makes me want to stay in my house and stay in my room because Im afraid to go out, he said.
He said the social stigma that comes with being a convicted sex offender is worse than a murderer or a drunken driver who has killed someone.
People look at me different, and people say, Hey, look, theres a sex offender. Keep our kids away from him. I dont get a fair shot to make it in society because of that.


text:
This is an urban latin rock track inspired by the Santana groove. Immediately catchy, designed to captivate and motivate your scene. Ideal for the fun, upbeat themes with an attitude. Features electric guitars, bass, drum kit and a host of Latin percussions. Prepare to shake it! Also includes verse loop and a no guitar solo version.
INCLUDED IN DOWNLOAD (3 files):
1. Santanatastic Rock Fusion – 2:58 (WAV file)
2. Santanatastic Rock Fusion_No Solo – 2:58 (WAV file)
3. Santanatastic Rock Fusion_Verse Loop – 0:26 (WAV file)
• Corporate Rock


text:
Roberto Mancini has urged his table-topping Manchester City side to start showing a more ruthless streak in-front of goal.
The Citizens have kept three consecutive clean sheets over the festive period, but scored only four goals in those games and failed to break the deadlock in a stalemate at West Bromwich Albion on Monday.
With arch-rivals Manchester United keeping up the pace with big-spending City, goal difference could be crucial at the end of the season, and Mancini is eager for his side to penetrate defence-minded teams at every opportunity.
"Every team has its plan, but in the first half we had three or four chances to score and maybe we were too slow in ball possession," said the Italian, reflecting on the Baggies style-of-play.
"We should maybe be quicker. In the second half we also had a chance but in the end they had players behind the ball. We knew when we played this game it would be difficult. It was difficult on Monday and it will be difficult in the next game because we play against teams who get players behind the ball.
"If you don't score when you have the chance - like at West Brom in the first half - afterwards it can be difficult. Sometimes you have to take risks.
"I was thinking on the morning of the match, that we always score. But I was saying two months ago that there will be a moment when we can't score and we don't know why. We have good strikers and good players but sometimes we can't score."
The imperious defensive record is a major positive for the Citizens though, with Mancini's previous managerial successes in Italy built on an ideology of not conceding goals.
That philosophy remains intact at the Etihad Stadium, and whilst flare players like David Silva and Mario Balotelli can turn the game in attack, clean sheets are priceless in a race for the title.
"When you can't score and concede one or two counter-attacks you can lose concentration and lose the game," added Mancini.
"The clean sheet is positive, but if we want to win the title we need to score.
"We can't score every game but we are on top, we are happy and we know that now we have another 20 games. They will be very difficult games."