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Terms and Conditions – Hawaii
Terms & Conditions
Ignite Holidays Pty Ltd ABN 86 119 314 377 ("Ignite Holidays Pty Ltd", "My Holiday Centre", "we", "us", "our"), a subsidiary of Ignite Travel Group Ltd, provides holiday packages.
The terms and conditions below will apply to your purchase and booking of a My Holiday Centre holiday. Please read the following terms and conditions carefully. You must be 18 years of age or older to make a booking. It is important you understand and agree with the following terms and conditions. You should not proceed with any purchase or booking unless you do.
We will rely on the authority of the person making the booking to act on behalf of any other traveller on the booking and that person will bind all such travellers to these terms and conditions. The person making the booking has ultimate authority over the booking, including amendments and cancellations.
We act as an agent only. We offer a range of travel services (which may include but are not limited to flights, accommodation, coach, rail and cruise liner services) on behalf of others who provide those services. Our duties to you are limited to arranging bookings on your behalf with those service providers. We are not responsible for providing those services to you, or for the standard of any service provided. If a service provider fails to provide you with a service, or you are not satisfied with the standard of any service provided, you agree that your only rights are directly against the service provider and not against us. You agree that we are not liable to you for any losses that you suffer in those circumstances, and that you will not claim against us (directly or indirectly) any refund, credit or other compensation. You agree that any money that you have paid to us will not be held on trust for you, but will be used by us to make payment to the service providers to secure the booking for your travel services.
We do not accept any liability, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, for any act or omission of travel service providers including their failure to provide a service whether through their negligence or otherwise. We do not make any representation about the standard of the services to be provided by travel service providers, and we accept no liability in that regard. We do not accept any liability, whether in contract, tort or otherwise, for any injury, losses, expenses, delays or inconvenience suffered by you in connection with your booking or your travel services, unless our liability is prescribed by legislation which cannot be excluded. Without limiting the foregoing, we will not be liable for any loss of benefit or change in status relating to any loyalty, rewards, frequent flyer or other program which result from the actions of a travel service provider, including a change in flights or a change in airline carrier. Where our liability cannot be excluded, our liability is limited to the amount that you have paid for your travel services.
Rates and prices quoted in print or on the website and quoted by our reservations personnel are subject to availability and can be withdrawn or varied without notice. The price is only guaranteed when final payment has been received by us. Price changes may occur by reason of matters outside our control which increase the cost of the product or the service. Such factors include but are not limited to adverse currency fluctuations, fuel surcharges, price increases made by our suppliers, taxes and airfare increases. Rates and prices do not include any costs incurred en route to and from the destination, meals and/or alcoholic beverages (unless specified), telephone calls, items of a personal nature, and personal services not specified as being included in costs on the relevant web pages for each supplier's product.
You will be required to pay a deposit or deposits when booking. Our consultant will advise you of how much that will be. Payment of a deposit merely holds the reservation and does not guarantee that the final payment amount will not change due to circumstances beyond our control as referred to in "Rates and Prices"
All deposits are non-refundable (including where you or we cancel the booking for any reason) unless the booking is cancelled due to some negligence or breach of duty by us.
Bookings Held Online
(i) Your $100 refundable deposit enables you to hold your preferred holiday package at the packaged price in your online itinerary (subject to changes in airline and accommodation surcharges & taxes) for 72 hours.
(ii) Should you cancel within the 72 hour period your $100 per person deposit will be refunded in full.
(iii) If your hold period expires your $100 per person deposit will be held as a credit for another 30 days and can be used towards any other booking. Should you not use your $100 per person credit within the 30 days, your credit will expire and your deposit becomes non-refundable.
(iv) Should you amend your held booking within the 72 hour hold period and providing the package is still available you may extend for a further 72 hours on one occasion. If you allow your second hold to expire, your $100 per person deposit will remain in credit for the remainder of the 30 days (calculated from the date on which the first 72 hour hold period expired). After the 30 days, your credit will expire and your deposit becomes non-refundable.
Payment by Credit Card
Credit card surcharges of 1.98% for Visa and MasterCard and 3.3% for American Express will apply. If you have paid any amount to us by credit card, you agree that you will not lodge any dispute with your credit card issuer about the validity of the transaction or the provision of goods or services by us, where a service provider fails to provide a service to you for any reason. You agree that your remedy lies against that service provider and not against us, and that by lodging a dispute with your credit card issuer you will be seeking a remedy against us in breach of these terms and conditions.
Payment by Cheque, Money Order or Cash
If you pay by cheque (including bank cheque), money order, Electronic Funds Transfer or cash, bookings can only be confirmed upon receipt of cleared funds. If you are paying by these methods, you will need to make payment at least 5 business days prior to the actual date due for payment. You agree not to stop payment even when you cancel a booking. You agree that we may apply the proceeds of the payment to satisfy any liability you have with us, including any liability in respect of cancellation fees, before refunding the balance to you.
For payments made by you (other than non-refundable deposits as referred to in the "DEPOSITS, HELD BOOKINGS & FINAL PAYMENTS" clause), if you cancel the booking we are unable to provide any refund to you unless and until we receive a refund of the amounts paid by us on your behalf to third party travel service providers. Cancelled bookings will incur charges. Travel service providers are entitled to impose cancellation charges, which can be up to 100% of the amount paid to them for the relevant service, regardless of whether travel has commenced.
If we receive any refunds from travel service providers, we will pass those refunds on to you. However, you agree that we shall be entitled to retain a minimum cancellation fee of $300 per person which you agree is reasonable compensation to us for the services that we have provided and expenses incurred by us in facilitating and booking your holiday, and processing the cancellation of your holiday.
Non-payment Fees:
Should you default in making any payment in accordance with the agreed trading terms all monies owing to us will immediately become due and payable. We will be entitled to charge interest at the rate of 3% above the 90 day bank bill rate as set by The Reserve Bank of Australia per calendar month on all overdue amounts from the date due for payment until the date of actual payment. We reserve the right to recover from you any expense and/or costs or disbursements incurred by us in recovering any outstanding monies including debt collection agency fees and legal costs.
Amendment Fees:
Booking amendments will incur a minimum fee of $55 per person, together with any additional amendment fees applied by the service providers.
Other Service Fees:
We reserve the right to apply other service fees in addition to those charged by airlines, resorts and other service providers, for any services provided by us in addition to those included in your holiday package. Some of these fees may include, but are not limited to, credit card surcharges, late booking fees, processing fees and urgent documentation delivery.
Australian departure tax is recorded on your ticket as being paid. All quoted taxes are subject to change until tickets are issued. There are still some countries where taxes are paid upon departure from the airport.
Reservations (even after payment of your deposit and final payment) are subject to us receiving confirmation from the service provider including ticketing from the airline provider. In the rare instance where a reservation request cannot be confirmed by the service provider, you will be offered the choice of alternative arrangements (which may be with an alternative service provider), which may be at an additional cost or alternatively a full refund provided where the service provider allows. You agree that we are not liable to you for any such additional costs.
All seating and meal requirements must be requested at the time of booking. We do not provide any guarantees in relation to these requests and they are subject to availability.
The airlines have the right to reschedule or cancel flights at any time. It is your responsibility to contact the airline prior to travel to ensure the scheduled departure time has not changed. We do not accept responsibility should changes occur nor do we accept responsibility for any additional cost incurred by you to make alterations to your booking to accommodate these changes as these are beyond our control.
Many of the bonus inclusions which are incorporated into various packages have no associated costs to your package purchase price i.e. they are 'free' inclusions. This includes, but is not limited to, bonus inclusions such as cruises, golf, massages, day tours etc. Should you elect to cancel any component of your package there will be no refund forthcoming or any reduction in the overall package price. Additionally, should any 'bonus' inclusions be cancelled by an operator or any such service not be provided to you, no refund will be forthcoming nor will any additional service or compensation be provided unless offered directly to you by the service provider responsible for that service. In such circumstances that the inclusion cannot be provided for any reason, we may elect to find an alternate date, supplier or inclusion.
We strongly recommend that you obtain travel insurance. The Australian Government also strongly recommends that all travellers obtain travel insurance prior to travel. We are an authorised representative of QBE Insurance (AFSL 239545), on whose behalf we are able to offer you a travel insurance product. You must obtain a Product Disclosure Statement relating to the travel insurance product you are considering purchasing and should read that documentation before making any decision about whether to acquire the product. Our reservations consultants can provide you with general information about travel insurance at the time of booking. If you do not obtain travel insurance either through us or another travel insurance provider, you acknowledge that you may be required to sign a disclaimer.
Travel Documents include (without limitation) airline tickets, hotel vouchers, tour vouchers or any other document (whether in electronic form or otherwise) used to confirm an arrangement with a service provider. Travel documents may be subject to certain conditions and/or restrictions including (without limitation) being non-refundable, non-date-changeable and subject to cancellation, re-issue and/or amendment fees. All Travel Documents are non-transferable. All airline tickets must be issued in the name of the passport/photo identity holder and some carriers will deny carriage if the name varies from the passport or photo identification provided and the booking may be cancelled. It is your responsibility to ensure you have all required Travel Documents prior to travel. We will not be held responsible for tickets and/or documentation lost by you or a third party. Any charges associated with re-issue and re-sending of tickets and/or documentation will be at your expense. An incorrect name on a booking may result in an inability to use that booking and the booking being cancelled. Any errors in names, dates and timings on your documentation will be your responsibility. Please advise us immediately of any errors.
Passports and Visas:
It is your responsibility to ensure that you have valid passports, visas and re-entry permits which meet the requirements of immigration and other government authorities. Passports are required by all passengers travelling internationally and are always the responsibility of the passenger. Many countries require travellers to have at least six months' validity remaining on their passports beyond the date of return, and immigration authorities may refuse entry if you arrive with less than this. Some countries require a machine readable passport.
If you are travelling to the United States (including Hawaii) please see https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov for information regarding compulsory pre-registration for their visa waiver program. Please note, you may not meet the requirements of ESTA and may be required to obtain a visa.
Health requirements are the responsibility of all individual travellers. Our consultants are not qualified to advise you on vaccinations. Please contact your own doctor or a specialist vaccination clinic.
Please advise your consultant of your frequent flyer membership details for inclusion in your booking. Please check your frequent flyer program for the specific terms of your membership. We cannot guarantee that the supplier will credit you with points for your booking.
We are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal information. Please click here to view our Privacy Policy. You hereby consent to and we reserve the right to obtain information from an insurance company about any claim made on an insurance policy issued in your name for which we have paid the premium referred to in paragraph 4.
All monies paid by you to us will be the property of Ignite Holidays Pty Ltd and will be a debt due and payable to the travel service provider once the service to which the money relates has been provided, except for monies paid for flights with an IATA airline which might be held on trust for that IATA airline. You agree and acknowledge that such monies will not be held by us on trust for and on your behalf and we may hold such monies in any account as we see fit, including with our own and /or other customer monies.
I acknowledge that I am 18 years of age or older and that I understand and agree with the terms and conditions above.


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A watch without a dial? The Masterpiece Square Wheel does not follow convention. It dispenses with a normal dial, instead revealing the move- ment bridge, effectively the chassis of the movement within.
The stainless steel case, measuring 43mm in diameter, provides the opti- mum size for the depiction of time, ensuring ease of readability.
The "Classic" features a black canvas on which to express time. Dia- mond-polished and faceted, luminescent Hours and Minute hands stylishly convey the moment. An alluring three-dimensional quality is accorded to the display. The applied indexes and power reserve indicator scale sit proud of the movement bridge interfacing with available light and enhan- cing legibility.
The "Vintage" employs a white lacquered dial imbued with a successful fusion of retro-inspired elements. The hands share the same appearance as the "Classic" model, but in this instance, interface with black printed indexes and power reserve indicator scale.
Both models feature two overlapping circular recessed areas, providing demarcation for the clover-shaped and square wheels. Moreover, the wheels are circular brushed to highlight their form and draw the eyes to their mesmerising motion.
- ML 156 mechanical movement, hand-wound - Developed in collaboration with HE-ARC, manufactured and assembled by Maurice Lacroix - Design patented (square wheel / clover leaf)About our movements
Fill up this form to join the Maurice Lacroix Club easily and freely.

subset: commoncrawl


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SOUTHWESTERN LACROSSE - A SPECIAL PLACE FOR 26 YEARS [8/28/09] For 26 years, through good times and bad, along with some great lacrosse, and some that was mediocre at best, the Southwestern Club Lacrosse team has strapped on the pads and traveled all over to play anyone at anytime for nothing more or less than the love of the game and their teammates. For 26 years, the players and coaches that have put on jerseys and roamed the sidelines have been been able to achieve greatness both on and off the field, and both as a team and as individuals. By doing so they have established what it means to be a lacrosse player at Southwestern. [more]
SITE IN STASIS [6/30/09] This is the official site of the Southwestern Men's Club Lacrosse Team, which has been upgraded to a varsity sport as of Fall 2009. This site will no longer be updated on a regular basis, but will remain in place for archival purposes. To visit the team's new site, go here.
Head Coach: Bill Bowman '92 (Southwestern)
Assistant Coach: Stacy Flood '89 (Southwestern)
Advisor: Monty Curtis
President: Robert Lockwood
Vice President: James McDonough
Treasurer: Ian Flechsig
Secretary: Fernando "Fern" Cespedes
Safety Officers: Connor Hanrahan and Thomas Mock
Head Field Technician: Ben Milovich
Asst. Field Technicians: Davis Thomasz, Sam Marsh, Luther Faulk
Website: John Kotarski
Location: Georgetown, Tex.
Home Field: Moses Field, Southwestern University Campus
Leagues: U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association


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n response to my failed attempt at knitting during the Kotaku Holiday Podcast, reader Austinpoet offered a link to KNiiTTiiNG, a project that teaches players to knit using the Nintendo Wii. Call it Knitting Hero.
KNiiTTiiNG is a collaboration between artist Rachel Beth Egenhoefer and scientist Kyle E. Jennings. Rachel's interest in the intricate hand-movements involved with the art of knitting together with Kyle's desire to create a program to interface with the Wii remote and nunchuck controls resulted in a knitting simulator that simulates the actions of knitting and purling. You rhythmically replicate the actions of knitting using the controls as symbols scroll on the screen - K for knit and P for purl.
While KNiiTTiiNG currently remains an unofficial project, I wouldn't be surprised if a publisher apt to get in on the growing mature female Wii-owner demographic didn't snap this up soon. Yes, I am serious.
Kniitting [Official Web Site - Thanks Austinpoet!]


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The Lady Bisons won game one 5-4 and lost game two 11-10 at Crockett Park on Saturday afternoon. The Lady Bisons are now 12-11 and the Flyers of Dayton are now 3-4.
In game one the Lady Bisons came from behind after being down 4-3 to score two runs in the 4th inning and take a 5-4 lead and the win.
In game one Heather Collins went 1-for-2 and hit her second home run on the season. Collins was also walked twice in game one. Collins is now batting .368 and is slugging .544 for the season.
Julia Davidson also had a great day at the plate as she went 2-for-4 and scored one run. Davidson improved her batting average to .303 and has a team leading slugging percentage of .591.
Starting right-handed pitcher Danielle Catalano pitched her sixth complete game of the season as she gave up eight hits and two earned runs and struck out six batters. Catalano earned the victory and is now 5-3 for the season with an earned run average of 2.20.
The Lady Bisons scored five runs off of 10 hits and committed three errors. The Flyers scored four runs off of eight hits and committed one error.
Game two was a high scoring affair as the Lady Bisons lost the scoring battle 11-10. Jessica Wilson smashed her first grand slam as a Lady Bison in the 2 nd inning and made the scored 6-7.
The Lady Bisons would take the lead in the 3rd inning after scoring three more runs to take a 9-7 lead.
The Flyers were relentless though and added on four more runs in the last 3 innings and hold off the Lady Bisons.
Alysha Forsythe led the way for the Lady Bisons as she went 3-for-4 at the plate and scored two runs. Forsythe slapped her second double of the season in game two and improved her batting average to .325.
Leigh Little, Candice McWherter, and Kate Richards each had two hits in game two.
Little went 2-for-4 and scored three runs and drove in one. Little leads the team in runs scored with 16. Little also stole two bases in game two and leads the team with four stolen bases for the season. Little has a team leading 23 hits and a team best .404 batting average.
McWherter went 2-for-5 at the plate and improved her batting average to .279. McWherter also hit her fifth double of the season in game one.
Richards went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored two runs and drove in one. Richards drilled her first double of the season and is now batting .123.
Starting right-handed pitcher Kim Jacobson had a tough outing as she threw for 1/3 innings and gave up five hits and four earned runs.
Allison Tyree relieved Jacobson and kept the Lady Bisons in the game as she threw for 6 and 2/3 innings and gave up nine hits and seven earned runs and struck out five batters.
The Lady Bisons are in Florida this week when they will play UCF on Tuesday in Orlando, Florida at 1:00 p.m.


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You are here
October 25, 2012
Feeling in an electoral mood, "Stacks" ventures into politics this month, though true to form into the politics of 1848. That year, the first in American history to have a single Election Day, saw an electorate certainly as polarized as the one heading into the Election of 2012, and perhaps even more so, due to a single monumental issue, namely the extension of slavery into territory acquired in the Mexican War, known euphemistically as "the sectional crisis." It meant nothing less than the proliferation of slavery or its destruction, members of Congress squared off in a contest that challenged loyalties and tempers alike. The issue tore both national parties into pieces, and they split along sectional lines: the Democrats, into Northern and Southern, and the Whigs into "Conscience" and "Cotton," and an antislavery Free Soil Party organized from these factions. Legislators took to arming themselves before entering sessions of Congress. So high were the stakes that the often violent language of the national legislature would descend into real violence finally in 1856, when Preston Brooks (D, S. Carolina), due to a perceived slur on his family, beat the Whig Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts very nearly to death with a cane right on the Senate floor.
Election broadside for the Whig presidential ticket of 1848. Taylor and Fillmore won the electoral vote handily (163 to 127) but gained less than 50% of the popular vote.
Into this supercharged partisan atmosphere strode the distinctly nonpartisan Horace Mann in 1848. Elected to serve out the term of the late great John Quincy Adams, who had died in office in February, Mann was chosen by the Massachusetts Whigs precisely because of his highly practiced political neutrality. Despite his staunch antislavery outlook, he had no history of agitation on that front, had insulted no proslavery men in public, and had no track record of opposition to the admission of Texas as a state or to annexation of the conquered lands known as the "Mexican Cession." The tactic worked, and in April Mann was elected to serve the Congressional Eighth District as its representative to Congress in a landslide.
It was the Whig party's nomination of General Zachary Taylor, a hero of the war with Mexico, as its candidate for president that prompted Mann's message to his constituents, reprinted below. "Old Rough and Ready" as Taylor was known was, much like his Democratic opponent, Senator Lewis Cass of Michigan, a compromise candidate who would do little to resolve the slavery question but was hoped to be able to win the presidency while keeping his respective party more or less intact. At least when it came to Boston Whiggery, the tactic most certainly did not work, and the local party was thrown into disarray over the prospect of a nominee who was barely a Whig and himself an owner of slaves. Mann saw Taylor's candidacy as just another instance of the North acceding to Southern demands to preserve the Union, as did his Whig friends in Boston, who wanted him to publicly denounce the nomination, renounce his party affiliation, and lead his fellow Conscience Whigs into a new antislavery third party. However, he saw Cass as a greater evil as well as the Free Soil candidate, former president Martin Van Buren.
Mann undoubtedly disappointed his constituents with this rather long explanation for why he had to keep his opinions about the election to himself, but it is pure Horace. Note the unassailable moral position of protecting the job of Secretary to the Board of Education from political pressure. Ever the lawyer, Mann makes a legal argument against slavery, which rang rather hollow within the context of crisis but was nonetheless fresher in his mind than usual as he was preparing to defend the sea captain Daniel Drayton for his role in "the Pearl incident," the largest attempt to free enslaved peoples in American history. Finally, his twin senses of duty and idealism, both seemingly unshakeable, seem to have taken a hit during his first few months in the cauldron that Congress had become, for he concludes with a plea to his district not to consider him for re-election in 1852. That year, by the way, he was elected first president of Antioch College.
Remember, your vote counts!
Hon. Horace Mann (Whig, Massachusetts), Eighth Congressional District. Photo by Southworth & Hawes, Boston, c. 1850
From The Roxbury Gazette, 2 Sep 1848
Fellow Citizens: I am frequently requested to express my opinions respecting the ensuing Presidential election. The relations of frankness, which I wish ever to sustain, seem to require that I should express these opinions, or give some valid reason for withholding them. Will you indulge me, therefore, while I make a brief statement of my position on this subject?
For twelve years, I have been annually elected by the Massachusetts Board of Education as its Secretary. When I first accepted this office, I resolved to disconnect myself wholly, as an active member, from all political organizations. Reserving the right to vote, as my conscience might dictate, I determined to do no other act of a public nature, which should connect me with any political party. This course was deemed just and necessary, in order to allay all jealousy, and to win the confidence and co-operation of all parties to the paramount subject of Education. To this position of neutrality, I felt bound both in duty and in honor to adhere; and I believe I can now say with unqualified sincerity and truth, that I have never, in a single instance, at any time, departed from it. Doubtless this is one of the reasons why the office has been continued in the same hands, in this State, for twelve successive years. While, in the last eleven in other States, where a similar office has existed, four years is the longest period during which any one person has filled it.
In February last, a vacancy occurred in this Congressional District. In April, I was elected to fill it. My office of Secretary was to expire in the following month of May. Immediately after my election to Congress, I wrote to Gov. [of Massachusetts George] Briggs, the chairman of the Board, declining a re-election as its Secretary.
In consenting to be a candidate for Congress, I explicitly declared that I could not accept the office as a party man. My only inducement was to participate in the then impending struggle, whether our vast western Territory should be rescued to perpetual Freedom, or doomed to eternal Slavery. –Either in a public or in a private capacity, I should have continued to labor in the cause of Popular education, but for this greater cause of Human Liberty. I had long been thoroughly convinced that that Congress has no power to create Slavery any where; and that, whether in the territories or in the District of Columbia, Slavery had only an actual, but not a constitutional existence. After the most careful study, and with the application of all the powers that I possessed, I had never been able to find that Congress had any more power to make a slave-owner than it had to make an emperor; or any more power to make slaves of the colored portion of the human race, because they descended, in the maternal line, from Africa, than it had to make slaves of the white portion of the human race, because they descended, in the paternal line, from Europe. When, therefore, Louisiana and Florida were ceded to the United States, by France and Spain, and the District of Columbia, by Virginia and Maryland, every bond of slavery was cut square off; because the government which made the cession had no power to continue Slavery after the cession, and Congress had no power to renew it. If a slave goes out of a jurisdiction where slavery is legalized, into a jurisdiction where it is not, it is acknowledged on all hands that he becomes free. The effect upon the slave must be precisely the same, when the jurisdiction that sustains slavery is removed from him, and a jurisdiction that does not sustain it is extended over him. The removal of the jurisdiction from the slave must have the same effect as the removal of the slave from the jurisdiction. When, therefore, now more than a dozen years ago, I signed a petition for the abolition of Slavery in the District of Columbia, I meant the abolition of practical Slavery, believing that legal Slavery had no existence in it. If Congress can create an owner of one slave, it can create the owner of a million slaves; and thus, as the despotisms of the Old World die out, they may be revived in the New.
It was under the above mentioned circumstances; --within about one month of the expiration of my official term as Secretary; disclaiming to be elected as a party man; and under the daily apprehension that the great question between Freedom and Slavery would be called up for a final decision; --it was under these circumstances that I yielded to what seemed to me to preponderating motive.
When the Board of Education met in May last, my letter was laid before them; but, not being ready to proceed to the choice of a successor, they declined to accept it, and by formal vote requested me to continue in the office until December next, and to close up the business of the current year. To this proposition, I assented.
Very soon afterwards, namely, on the 9th of June, the Philadelphia nomination for the presidency was made. This nomination has created a wide schism in the Whig party of Massachusetts and of this District. As always happens, in such cases, each division of the party strove to obtain as many adherents as it could. Among others it was natural that they should look to their representatives in Congress for sympathy and support.
I saw immediately the painful relation in which this posture of affairs, into which I had been so unexpectedly, and, in some respects, involuntarily brought, was to place me. If I entered the political field on either side, I could not consistently retain my office as Secretary of the Board; and, under the circumstances, I did not feel at liberty to abandon it. On the other hand, if I should retain the office of Secretary, I must abstain from the strife of politics, and thus doubtless incur the censure of zealous mean on both sides. Nor did it relieve the case at all, that I entertained views which, but for the restraints upon me by the Secretaryship, I should have been as ready to express as any body would be ready to hear. –In this conflict of duties, I deemed those which were connected with education to be paramount, and I have acted accordingly. It is far more important to have the duties of the Secretaryship performed, than it is to know what the incumbent of the office may think about the next Presidency. I have thus far, therefore, scrupulously abstained from taking any public part in the Presidential canvass; and while I continue to act as Secretary, I must continue to do so. All declarations, wherever and by whomsoever made, that I have avowed a purpose to act upon one side or the other, have been made without authority. My past conduct is open to inferences; but those inferences have been verified by no declaration of mine.
I have deemed this course to be due to the neutral position which the Secretary of our Board of Education, whoever he may be, ought to hold; and I hope the following reasons will make its propriety apparent to reflecting men:
- In order to save the cause of education from being ruined by political jealousies and strifes, it is indispensible that its executive officer should be free from all just imputation of political partizanship. If he enters the lists as a combatant, the cause of education will be drawn in after him; and there, worse than the fate of the belligerents on either side, it will be pierced by the darts hurled from both.
- The duties of the Secretary's office for the residue of the current year are to be unusually arduous and burdensome, so that whoever performs them will have no time to devote to any other object; and if this officer were to make an avowal of his opinions, he might reasonably expect to be called upon to defend them, and thus to withdraw a portion of his time and his powers from paramount duties, or he himself be obliged to suffer in silence under injurious imputations.
- In attending Teachers' Institutes, Teachers' Associations, and other educational meetings, (at many of which I have already engaged to be present,) if I am to be known in the character of a politician, instead of that of a promoter of education, all power of urging on the latter and nobler cause shall be neutralized. If, wherever I may go, I am to be exposed to the public greetings of the zealous advocates of one political party, as their friends, it would of course, draw upon me the public condemnation of the other party, as their opponent; and thus the cause of education would be in danger of being crushed between the upper and the nether mill-stone of political strife.
- Another reason consists in the importance of justly attaching to the conduct of any officer, when viewed as an example to his successors. While performing the duties of the Secretaryship, were I to suffer myself to be known as a political partisan, the precedent might hereafter be appealed to, to defend a departure from neutrality in cases devoid of the palliations of the present emergency.
- And finally, if any advocate of either presidential candidate thinks it a clear case, that my educational relations create no obstacle, and present no incompatibility to my coming out in favor of his side, let him ask himself if he would see as little objection to my coming out on the side of his opponents.
These, my fellow citizens, are the leading reasons for the course I have deemed it my duty to take, and to which I still propose to adhere. Doubtless there will be those whose minds these reasons will not appear as conclusive or peremptory as they do to mine. We are prone to think our own favorite cause superior to all other causes; and therefore to demand that all others, like the sheaves seen in the dream of Joseph, shall make obeisance to ours.
One word more, and I will close. From an experience in public life, now extending over more than twenty years, I have come to the conclusion that, unless one has some special object of public beneficence to perform, or of public evil to abate, a public life is by no means a desirable one; because the severity of men's judgments for honest differences of opinion far outweighs the honor of the most honorable office. From my brief acquaintance, too, with Congressional life, I have also found, that the adequate performance of the duties, even of the humblest member of the House, requires talents and attainments far greater than I possess. To avoid, therefore, the censures of those who do not approve the course which I have deemed it my duty to take, and to escape the regrets of an inadequate performance of high legislative duties, I shall earnestly request my friends, if any I have, not to bring forward my name as a candidate for re-election. This course may be mutually satisfactory; at any rate, I shall be sure that I have not deviated from my convictions of duty through hope of advancement.
Horace Mann
West Newton, August 28, 1848


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Waterfront residents will have tremendous shopping opportunities at their doorstep, with the adjacent Waterfront shops and sprawling Scottsdale Fashion Square at Camelback and Scottsdale Road.
This downtown Scottsdale district stretches along the south side of the revamped Arizona Canal on west Stetson?Drive. The creation of developer Fred Unger, Southbridge is a $41 million urban, pedestrian-friendly development notable?because it only has independently-owned boutiques and restaurants; there are no chains. Along with the Scottsdale Waterfront, it is one of the newest downtown Scottsdale revitalization projects. Although it is only 3 acres, Southbridge packs a lot into a few blocks. Part of the Southbridge Scottsdale district overlooks the Waterfront?park, its tree-lined sidewalks and open air courtyards give it a European flair. The Southbridge Scottsdale retail area is called The Mix. This bi-level center is an eclectic collection of shops.


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Angela8675312 necesitaba un nuevo diseño de impreso o envases y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 53 diseños de 9 diseñadores freelance.
WeightLoss Solutions Australia
Our medical practice specialises in weight loss surgery (bariatric) including Lap Band, Gastric Sleeve and Orbera Gastric Balloon. We are located on the Gold Coast Australia and have operated for 10 years, performing more than 3000 bariatric procedures and helping countless people reach their weight loss goals. Weight loss surgery is available to those classified as morbidly obese and has become a more widely acceptable method of weight loss in recent years. Each month we invite interested individuals to attend a seminar in our rooms to find out more information about which surgical proceudre is right for them. The options available range for those with a Body Mass Index of 27 - 35 (Orbera Gastric Balloon) to Gastric Band (Lap Band) or Gastric Sleeve for those with Body Mass index greater than 35.
Our target audience for this publication are women and men aged between 25 - 60. The medium for this ad is for a local free newspaper, so the people reading this are interested in either the local community or are looking at cost saving or interesting events. Our ad for this is therefore to promote attendance at our free information evening, with interested attendees to telephone to make a booking for the night. This ad will be reused each month with a change of date so it needs to be designed and provided in an editable format of the specified size so the changes to the date can be made by the newspaper publication each month without hassle.
Design of mono (BLACK & WHITE) newspaper ad, size of 200mm x 148mm wide.
The existing ad is attached here but we are after a fresh new look with an enticing layout drawing the eye to the Free Information Evening and the information about the evening such as the date and time to stand out. The picture is optional and I've attached some of the pictures we use if you want to give them a go, plus I have attached the logo in various formats.
It's important that the contact info and logo remain at the bottom.
Please be creative and think outside the box for this one.
The newspaper has asked the format to be provided in both PDF and the working file.
NOTE The last seminar for 2010 has obviously been held, the date to include for this one is 13 January 2011.
Think about cutting some of the text out and leaving only the bare essentials. If you can do this successfully you'll be half way to winning the contest.
Email me email@example.com if need be.


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1/2 C butter, melted
2 C graham cracker crumbs (32 squares)
1 8 oz. bag toffee bits
1 roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
1 12oz. bag chocolate chips
1 14oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 T butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
Grease 13x9 baking dish and heat oven to 350.
Have the roll of cookie dough sitting out for around 10 minutes to soften up.
In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the 1/2 cup of melted butter, 1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs and 3/4 cup of toffee bits. Pour mixture into the greased pan and press evenly until mixture covers bottom of pan. Refrigerate for around 15 minutes.
In a 2 qt saucepan, heat the milk, chocolate chips and the tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Stir frequently until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Spread the mixture over the graham cracker crumb mixture.
In another medium mixing bowl, break up the cookie dough and stir in the remaining 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs until blended. Crumble the mixture evenly over the chocolate layer and the sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup toffee bits on top.
Bake for about 25-35 minutes or until it's golden brown. Cool completely before cutting, probably around 2 or more hours.


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Meatless Monday Pledge
Eating vegetarian has made me feel so much better, healthier, and happier! I'm still a hardcore foodie but now I feel
about what I eat.
The prospect of giving up meat was daunting … until I tried it! I started with Meatless Monday and eventually transitioned to a fully meat-free diet, and I was surprised by how easy it was. There are so many plant-based food options everywhere I go.
Eating is one of the most basic ways we engage with the world around us and Meatless Mondays enables me to eat in a way that protects the environment and help prevent animal cruelty! It's the sustainable way to eat.
Reducing my consumption of meat was a lot easier than I expected, and Meatless Mondays is a great place to start! There are tons of great veg foods at grocery stores, and I still eat at the same restaurants as before. What do I eat? Veggie burgers, pasta dishes, vegetable stir-fries, roasted potatoes... so much more than just salad!


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The Diocese of Leeds has the largest church programme of choral music for young people in the United Kingdom. Our Choral Directors work with some 3500 children weekly (over 100 groups across 53 schools), returning to their bases to run our elite choirs; 6 boys' choirs, 6 girls' choirs, 5 mixed children's choirs, 2 youth choirs, 3 university choirs and an adult choir, all drawing their membership from our school sessions. more »
|page 1 of 40 Next> Last>>
All news stories and events for the Diocese of Leeds Music Department are now to be found on our Facebook site:
There is also a seperate site for the Leeds International Organ
Saturday 9 June 2018
David Pipe leads a workshop day on Fauré's ever-popular Requiem and Cantique de Jean Racine as part of the first Leeds International Organ Festival.
Singing sessions through the afternoon will culminate in a performance in the magnificent setting
Members of Bradford Catholic Youth Choir, based at St Bede's and St Joseph's Catholic College in Bradford, have excelled during a busy week and a half which has seen them perform at the launch of Bradford Council's Economic Strategy, sing for two BBC Radio 4 broadcasts and win all the youth
We're delighted to welcome Tom Carr as a second tutor for the Organists' Training Programme.
Tom studied Music at Huddersfield University, specialising in Piano Performance, and gained BMus and PGCE qualifications. Following several years teaching music in schools, he now combines
We are delighted to announced the first Leeds International Organ Festival, from 14th May to 9th July. The Cathedral's organ recital series welcomes several internationally-renowned artists: Christopher Herrick (international concert organist), Friedhelm Flamme (Detmold Academy, Germany),
The Diocese of Leeds Music Day - Plainsong and Polyphony
Saturday 3rd March 2018
10am to 1pm
Leeds Cathedral
John Duggan
Leeds Cathedral's internationally-renowned Composer-in-Residence
David Pipe
Director of the Diocese of More>>
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To join the choirs and for all other
enquiries please contact:
Music Administrator
Leeds Cathedral
Great George Street
Leeds LS2 8BE
Tel: 0113 244 8634
Email: click here


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Bonnie 'Prince' Billy | RUG632 | Released: 26/01/15
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy continues his endless march to the Singer's Grave with a third single from last fall's classic career highlight, Singer's Grave a Sea of Tongues, in which the same material that had been gathered to build 2011's Wolfroy Goes To Town was used, in a different time and under different circumstances, to make a different record, allowing the songs to impact in new ways upon the singers and the players - and, in time, our listening ears and restless minds.
RUG632 | Out nowOut of Stock
This item is not available in certain territories: USA
- Side A01. Mindlessness
- Side B02. Blindlessness


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Production of the Mustang started in Dearborn, Michigan on March 9, 1964 and the vehicle was introduced to the public on April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair. It is Ford's 3rd earliest nameplate currently in production. Initial sales projections predicted less than 100,000 units for the first year. This mark was exceeded in three months from rollout. Another 318,000 would be sold during the model year (a record), and in its first eighteen months, more than one million Mustangs were constructed.
Best Deals Buy Classic Ford Mustangs
All of these were VIN-identified as 1965 models, however numerous changes were made at the traditional opening of the brand-new design year (start August 1964), including the addition of back-up lights on some models, the introduction of alternators to replace generators, and an upgrade of the V8 engine from 260 cu into 289 cu in. In the case of a minimum of some six-cylinder Mustangs fitted with the 101 hp 170 cu in Falcon engine, the rush into production consisted of some unusual peculiarities, such as a horn ring bearing the 'Ford Falcon' logo design below a trim ring emblazoned with 'Ford Mustang.' These qualities made enough difference to require classification of the 121,538 earlier ones as "1964 1/2" model-year Mustangs, a difference that has actually endured with perfectionists. Mustangs For Sale in Russellton PA are easy to find now with online shopping.
The 1973 OPEC oil embargo brought with it more strict pollution laws and the desire for fuel-efficiency. This was also the first time in vehicle history that the Huge 3 were needing to compete with imports. The brand-new Mustang II was smaller sized than the first variation however, due to the added devices needed to satisfy new US emission and safety policies, was heavier than the very first model. Performance was minimized and in the first year only 385,993 cars were offered.
2nd generation Mustangs for sale in Russellton PA were readily available in between 1974 and 1978 and readily available in a coupe and hatchback variation. 1979 the Mustang was revamped a 3rd time. This time it was based on the bigger Fox platform and the interior was truly huge enough for 4 individuals. The trunk was bigger and so was the engine bay. The body styles available included a coupe, hatchback and in 1983 a convertible. In 1979 the Third generation Mustang acted as an Indianapolis 500 pace vehicle and Ford developed 10,478 commemorative reproductions. The 3rd generation Mustangs were produced from 1979 to 1982.


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Funds will help protect Salt Creek tiger beetle
Mayor Don Wesely announced today that the Nebraska Environmental Trust has awarded the City of Lincoln a $250,000 grant to help fund the first year of the Eastern Saline Wetlands Project. The Trust also approved $250,000 for years two and three pending availability of funds. The targeted eastern saline wetlands ecosystem is located primarily in northern Lancaster County and southern Saunders County near Little Salt Creek, Salt Creek and Rock Creek.
"The Eastern Saline Wetlands Project will preserve and protect the most imperiled natural community in Nebraska, which is home to the Salt Creek tiger beetle," said Mayor Wesely. "About 4,700 acres of saline wetlands still exist, and only 2,000 of the acres are protected. These saline wetlands are unique to this limited area of the state and are also the habitat for the endangered saltwort as well as other fauna and flora."
The project calls for protecting the saline wetlands in three ways:
Major partners in the grant include the City of Lincoln, Lancaster County, the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, The Nature Conservancy and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Each has contributed a total of $75,000 in matching funds over the three years. Other partners include the Cooper Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, the Nebraska Wildlife Federation, the Nebraska Sierra Club, USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Home Builders Association of Lincoln, the Wachiska Audubon, Pheasants Forever, and the Conservation Alliance of the Great Plains.
At the end of the three years, the participants plan to have a comprehensive strategic plan describing the most logical and permanent legal structures needed for acquiring, administering and operating the eastern saline wetlands as an integrated unit. The plan would include the financing sources appropriate and suitable for developing and maintaining the system.
Wesely said the project is consistent with the recommendations released in December 2001 by a local expert committee the Mayor named to study issues concerning the rare Salt Creek tiger beetle. Several hundred of the beetles live in the saline wetlands near the 27th Street and Interstate 80 interchange.
Wesely said the project will also provide an additional measure of flood control along the affected waterways. That's because the land acquired or protected by conservation easements would be largely in the flood plains and left in its natural state or used for limited agricultural purposes. The project would also protect the quality of the stream water and ground water from typical urban and agricultural pollutants.
Media Release


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Grimey! 8 Teens Arrested In Tape Beating Of 16yr Old Female (Invites Her Over & Then Beats Her Ass)
Courtest Of Fox News "Eight teenagers in Lakeland, FL invite Victoria Lindsay over and beat her up for things she allegedly said about them on the internet."&IP=126.96.36.199
Please click the "Report" button below if the video on this page is not working properly.
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Why self-driving cars will change the world
Autonomous technology is about to change the way we travel, and the world, for good.
A better way to travel
Self-driving cars will revolutionize society, boost global economies and transform the way you manage your time. It will be the biggest change to personal transport since the invention of the car nearly 130 years ago. We think there's a lot to look forward to.
Six ways that autonomous driving will improve your life
Reclaim your time
In a self-driving Volvo car you will be able to spend the time on your commute as you want. You will be free to read a book, work, watch a movie or even learn a new skill. With the average commute taking about 50 minutes, this will have a huge impact on our lives.
Save fuel
In autonomous mode a self-driving car is likely to use less fuel. It will know where it is and what's ahead, and be able to optimise the behaviour of the brakes, powertrain and transmission to make progress as smooth and efficient as possible.
Safer journeys
Fully autonomous cars will be even better at avoiding potential collisions than today's Volvos. Almost all road accidents are caused by human error, so journeys will be safer for everyone.
Sit back and relax
In an autonomous car you'll be able to truly relax. Your car will be able to drive the most boring parts of your commute for you and long journeys will be effortless, so you will always arrive fresh at your destination.
Always find a parking space
In the future, you'll be able to let your car park itself, while you get on with other things. Autonomous cars will be able to find and park in a space, and even drop you off where you want to go first.
Lower insurance premiums
Insurance premiums for self-driving cars could be much lower in the future. Autonomous technology won't get tired or distracted, greatly reducing the chance of a costly collision.


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de Pillis published in Journal of Diversity in Higher EducationUniversity of Hawaiʻi at Hilo
Director Media Relations
A professor of management at the University of Hawaii at Hilo has co-authored an article in the initial edition of a new journal published by the American Psychological Association and the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education.
Dr. Emmeline G. de Pillis of UH Hilo's College of Business and Economics and Lisette G. de Pillis, the Norman F. Sprague Jr. Professor of Life Sciences and professor of mathematics chair at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif., are co-authors of "Are engineering schools masculine and authoritarian? The mission statements say yes." The article appears in the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Vol. 1, No. 1, pages 33-44.
The co-authors, who are sisters, had business students read the mission statements of 20 engineering and liberal arts schools and then record their impressions of a hypothetical successful student at each institution. The hypothetical engineering students were assumed to be more forceful and less likeable than liberal arts students. In addition, for male subjects, the higher their own level of authoritarianism, the more likely they were to indicate that a successful student at an engineering institution was someone like themselves.
The authors conclude that some engineering schools have a culture of masculinity and hierarchy so deeply entrenched that they may have difficulty attracting and retaining a more diverse group of students.


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Mitos S.A. was founded in 1988 as a spin-off of the Foundation of Research & Technology, Hellas (FORTH) and is a member of the Science & Technology Park of Crete based in Heraklion, Crete.
Mitos S.A. is an exclusive company in Crete, specialising in conference management and organisation with over 24 years experience and expertise in technical production and event management for local businesses, universities, and local government and public sector agencies.
Mitos S.A. provides a service based on originality, passion, precision, enthusiasm and professionalism.Our experienced team is committed to understanding your specific needs and will ensure your event is smooth running, successful and meets your targets.
Mitos S.A. may organise and manage events for a vast range of clients in Greece and worldwide and with our expandable resource there are no limits to the number of events we can handle.
Mitos S.A. experienced specialist team is committed to deliver successful conferences and events with the assistance of a comprehensive network of suppliers and experts. They promise to bring all our energy, enthusiasm and expertise to your conference or event.
Why choose Mitos S.A.?
- We will work for you and with you.
- We will minimise your risk.
- We will bring your conference to the next level.
- We are committed.
- We are experienced.
- We are flexible.
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I'm open to suggestions on this, so please feel free to name a fantastic, inventive, hilarious show that has been treated worse by a network than NBChas treated "Community."
The obvious answer is "Arrested Development" by FOX, but that show at least had a more straightforward path to oblivion, whereas NBC seems intent on tormenting, sacking, and wringing all joy from Dan Harmon's quirky brain-child before leaving it to die in the gutter.
For those not in the know, "Community" tells the story of seven troubled, bizarre students at Greendale Community College who form a study group and follow the tropes and plot contrivances of every TV sitcom while assassinating them at the same time. "Community" is not the funniest show on TV or even NBC ("Parks & Recreation" and "30 Rock" being stiff competition) but it is without a doubt the most creative, clever, and innovative.
Whether it's the classic "paintball episode" or the "alternate timelines dice-rolling episode", the show continuously shatters, satirizes, and embraces all at once the dying sitcom form. If you haven't watched it, do yourself a favor and catch up on Netflix or Hulu Plus. Donald Glover as Troy, Joel McHale as Jeff, Gillian Jacobs as Brita, and Danny Pudi as Abed have all but guaranteed themselves bright futures with their turns.
Meanwhile, following rumors of cancellation last year, NBC put it on "hiatus" this winter (although it was never clear what was gained from this). Now it's renewed the series for just a short, thirteen episode season at which point it will probably replace all its original programming with Mormom sister wives who are sixteen and pregnant or whatever the hell reality trend people are watching. This season's final episode ended with the intriguing hashtag #sixseasonsandamovie, but six seasons seems like a long shot. Now they've also fired creator and showrunner Dan Harmon, who responded in this quite funny post on his Tumblr blog.
What is it about NBC that allows it to consistently discover and produce truly great television (its Thursday night line-up remains brilliant; they discovered Conan O'Brien) yet then makes it decide to blow up everything pretty it has and replace it with more pandering crap (at one point, NBC was threatening to cancel the three best comedies on network TV; they fired Conan O'Brien).
In aggregate, these incidents become troubling not because any particular NBC exec made this decision or that decision, but because of what it says about what's wrong with programming on "the idiot box" as a whole.
Like a poem or a novel or a film or a painting, television is just another way to tell a story—the way all art is and always has been since we started smearing paint on a cave wall. It has the potential to be more than we've seen from it thus far in its short existence, yet on network TV the profit motive has begun to reward useless crap celebrity singing contests and other unscripted artifice while the unorthodox and daring shows are smothered in their cribs or allowed to limp along under the threat of cancellation while fans have to waste our time going on idiotic "Save Our Show!" campaigns just to point out to the talentless hacks in charge of leading their network to a stunning fourth place that they have a really good product.
Having said that, a "Community" movie? Wha?! Yes, please.


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"Farmville 2" FREE Water 10x (August 11, 2015)
August 11, 2015 Farmville 2 Bonus No Comments
Claim it HERE:
Farmville 2 Team just giving away FREE water x10 to help out players with their farm. They can be use to water crops and trees in the farm plus also can used water in crafting.Water will help you to grow your crops and trees to produce more crops and fruits to get more resources. Before claiming your freebiee please make sure you have enough space in your inventory to grab this water.
Click below to get 10 FREE WATER!
Comment below and say Thank you to FarmVille 2 Team if you got 10 free water.


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Personal Finance Tag
by Him • Tagged: finances, humor
So we've been tagged. No, not vandalized. The Budgeting Babe tagged me to answer some questions, and ruined a perfectly good 3-day weekend. (just kidding)
Here are the rules:
- Post these rules
- Answer 11 questions from the person who tagged you
- Create 11 questions for the people you tag
- Tag 11 people and link them to your post
- Let them know you tagged them.
Okay, let's move on to the questions:
- Big or small, name one financial mistake you've made. – This one's easy. I got a payday loan. I wrote a hilarious story about it for ImpulseSave so that I could win a contest. I lost.
- What is the charity nearest and dearest to your heart? – I am a big believer in making high-quality education available to kid who don't normally have the opportunity to get it. As such, I have tutored for and donated to organizations that further this goal (anonymity is kinda important, but you get the idea).
- What's the best financial advice you ever got? – "It's only work." – My mom.
- If someone gave you $1,000 today and you had to spend it on something OTHER than paying down debt or investing it, what would you do with it? – iPad. It's an irrational want since I have an iPhone and a MacBook, Her has an iPod Touch.
- What's your favorite meal? – Whatever my mom cooks.
- What is the farthest you've ever run? – 13.1 miles. Before that it was probably 2 miles and away from the cops.
- Where is one place you'd like to visit? – Machu Picchu. South America seems so far but really isn't.
- Name one item on your bucket list. – Sail around the Greek islands as a part of a flotilla (group of boats that help each other in the journey).
- Could you live on half your income? – If Her quit her job, then we'd be able to live off of my income. If I quite my job, I think we'd have to consider some severe austerity measures.
- What did you spend yesterday? – Nothing. But my wife, Her….
- Are you financially independent? – Nah.
Now I have to pick 11 people to answer questions that I make up? Oooookay. Here goes: Newlyweds on a Budget, Couple Money, Fiscally Chic, Minting Nickels, Broke Newlyweds, Shopping Detox, Graduated Learning, See Debt Run, 3 Thrifty Guys, Don't Quit Your Day Job, and Well Heeled. Tag, bitches.
Answer these questions:
- Have you ever been ripped off and for how much?
- Do you have pets? Are they awesome?
- What is the air-speed velocity of an unladen swallow?
- Why are most childrens musicians terrible?
- What's the most offensive thing about the $5 bill?
- Prior to Jeremy Lin's current basketball greatness, he was staying on his brother's couch because he didn't have a definitive contract with the New York Knicks. Was the couch long enough to fit an out-stretched Jeremy Lin?
- What's the least you've purchased with $100?
- What's a reasonable amount of money to spend at a strip club?
- How much do you tip the bartender? Really? That's it?
- How much would you pay for the perfect hamburger?
- Is an iPad worth it?
Go forth and answer and entertain me!


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Looks like storm winds on Sunday. I've been wanting to get it on a S wind/w south swell for some time.
Any takers?
Stinson Sunday?
Local weather resources and topics.
Moderator: BayAreaKite
Stinson Sunday?
Looks like storm winds on Sunday. I've been wanting to get it on a S wind/w south swell for some time.
Any takers?
Hello Z! If you want to get some really fun south winds, I've got a spot I know you haven't tried. It's not the best waves...more open ocean swell but the wind is great and the boostiness off the jetty is insane. Try out Doran Beach! You gotta drive all the way to the end of the road and park at the Jetty. Launch right at the jetty and go out a half mile from there and you are in the middle of the bay with some nice swell. Butter flat water on the way in and out with elevator wind coming off the jetty. Biggest jumps of my life were 5 years ago off that jetty!
Gabe Brown
sometimes Gary Bronson...
Count me in. It's been too long since I've flown my 7. I think I'll bring my gloves this time. And my new hooded rashguard. Thanks as usual Z for the heads up.
I believe that HMB is your destination south of SF for storm kiting, but that's flat water not waves...
aka Pablito
It says 10M, but it's really a 9.
Dave - I'm with my big/little man, Jared, as Mom is w/Johanna training in Boreal, both skiing and 'dryland' - running, jumping, sit ups, push ups.....do you know how it feels when your 10 year old daughter can do more push ups then you can? embarassing....On sunday, I'm hoping that grandma will work with me and watch the big man for a few hours while dad kites? tbd.....
I'm not sure I'd call stinson 'the' place for storm winds, but.....it has a good S. exposure, which should mean good winds. There is a south swell forecast as well for sunday, so it could work....always been curious about it....I don't like to ride the bay after a bunch of oil went in there.....will take a bit more cleansing before I want to get emerged....
Gabe - man, if I had a bit more time on Sunday, I'd be all over that....love esploring.....are you free wed?
Stinson is game on.
aka Pablito
It says 10M, but it's really a 9.
Well it was until I got there anyway. Probably came back up after I left, too. Gabe's call for Bodega/Doran would have been a better bet.
FYI, the waves at Stinson today were a mess. I think I'd rather kite at OB; at least the big ones break farther from shore and give you a chance to get going before you have to jump them.
Hope others got some riding in; HMB and Doran looked like the places to be.
aka Pablito
It says 10M, but it's really a 9.
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|Interaction Lab
|Background & Motivation
|Summary of Approach
|Flow Chart
|Feature Relative Task Learning
|Experimental Validation
|Relevant Papers
|Contact Details
Modern robots are physically capable of performing complex and time-extended tasks, such as search and rescue and structure construction. A prime example is the iRobot Packbot mobile manipulator designed to withstand rough environments, and interact with complex objects with its six degree of freedom arm. As capable as such robots are, programming them to accomplish complex tasks in dynamic environments is extremely challenging.
Not only is it difficult for a roboticist to create control code, but in many situations skills from experts in other fields must be transfered to the robot. Programming by demonstration, also known as imitation learning, is one approach toward solving this problem of robot programming. Initially the robot acquires new skills and tasks by learning from a human teacher. Skills refer to motor control policies, such as grasping an object, and tasks consist of symbolic concepts, such as ``find object X''. Typically, a series of skills accomplishes a task.
This work takes an incremental memory-based approach to task learning from human demonstrations and practice. Assuming a robot has received no prior training, an initial demonstration of a task is performed by a human expert who tele-ops the robot. During the demonstration the robot monitors and records local features, which are defined a priori. The resulting ``memory'' of the demonstration serves as a baseline for further practice, which is accomplished through interactive reinforcement learning. The robot can reuse this experience in future training sessions to incrementally learn more complex tasks.
Generalization across similar environments is achieved through ego-centric features [Bentivegna, 2000]. These features refer to symbolic objects that can be observed by filtering sensor data. Example features include walls, corners, colored boxes, and a person's face. Task relevant features are defined prior to training. Future work will study methods to automatically determine relevant features from demonstrations.
Following a task demonstration, the robot has a time series of features from which to learn an action policy. Application of a learning algorithm to the entire feature sequence is not suitable, due to the complexity of a task. Instead the demonstration is decomposed into segments, where each segment is bounded by distinct changes in the feature sequence. The derivative of a feature's pose, distance and rotation relative to the robot, maintains constant during a segment. When the derivative alters significantly, most likely due to a change in robot's motion, a new segment is begun.
A regression learning algorithm is applied to each segment in order to learn the control function that maps features to actions. The result is a compressed representation of the feature sequence, in the form of small sequence of learned ``skills''. Segmentation further increases the applicability of the demonstrated task to various situations, as the pattern of features do not need to be identical between environments, and the robot can repeat and reuse learned ``skills''.
A single demonstration of a task is insufficient for a robot to learn a correct policy. Solutions to this problem include performing multiple demonstrations for the robot, at the expense of the human teacher, or significant automated practice trials. Instead of these two extremes, a middle ground is reached where a robot practices a demonstration with some guidance from a human observer. Using the initial policy to bootstrap the learning process, the robot then follows the reinforcement learning paradigm. By attempting to accomplish the demonstrated task autonomously, the robot is able to gather more information and further refine each skill. Also during each practice trial, a human observer is allowed to interject positive or negative reinforcement based on the robot's performance. The purpose of this interjection is to further reduce the time to convergence, and guarantee that the robot learns a correct policy.
In summary, the proposed algorithm will accomplish task level learning with minimal human demonstrations. Symbolic features provide generalization across similar environments, and are used to decompose the demonstration into segments. Policy refinement is achieved through interactive reinforcement learning, thereby reducing the convergence time and improving the end result.
Both learning by demonstration and life-long learning generate a policy, or state-action mapping, the robot should follow. This can be summarized as learning what actions to take in each state. Where state is comprised of various sensor data and internal information, and the actions are commands to effectors and actuators. This is a very robot-centric viewpoint of learning, and works well in many situations. However, it does not scale well to complex and diverse tasks and environments where the potential set of states and tasks become very large.
By approaching the problem in a slightly different manner one can overcome these difficulties. Instead of a robot-centric approach, take a feature-relative approach where all the actions a robot can perform are relative to some environmental feature. For example a robot operating indoors may ``turn a corner", ``cross a doorway", or ``traverse a hallway". A robot in an outdoor environment may ``approach a rock", ``follow a sidewalk", or ``cross a road". All these cases contain an operator and feature. Interestingly, the range of operators, or actions, for a mobile manipulator is relatively small. All operators move the robot or manipulator closer, farther, or at an angle to a feature. The set of operators can be defined to be reasonably small, and can be implemented with simple functions relative to environmental features.
By taking this feature-relative task learning approach all the low level motor commands are abstracted away. The robot no longer learns motor commands, but instead learns a few parameters for a function relating the pose of the robot to the pose of a feature. The motor controllers still must be present, however these can be programmed by a competent roboticist. One can also argue that such controllers should be programmed by a professional who know the intricacies of the robot, and can create a robust and full-proof controller.
Features within the environment must be recognized by the robot. The difficulty is that preprogramming a static set of features will limit the range and complexity of the environments within which the robot can operate. A better approach is to allow the robot learn what features are relevant. However, this is a non-trivial task and one that forms the crux upon which feature-relative task learning rests. The benefit is that learning a complex task policy is reduced to learning features, which can be reused in numerous tasks and environments. This formulation also conveniently merges life-long learning and learning by demonstration into a single framework. During demonstrations the goal of the robot is to recognize features, learn new features, and assign appropriate parameters to the action function.
This work will focus on mobile manipulators as this type of robot is a nice compromise between pure mobile robots and humanoids. Mobile manipulators are becoming very common in a variety of applications. The general platform morphology is relatively easy to use and comfortable for humans to understand and interact with.
The process of teaching a robot will take place through an abstract graphical interface. This will decouple the physical robot from the teaching process, thereby making it hardware independent. The instructor will only have information that is also available to the robot. This limits the person from using sensory data that the robot cannot detect to make decisions, and forces the instructor to teach in terms of the what can understand. A graphical interface method of teaching also create a single unified point of contact for human robot interaction. It is much easier to create a human friendly graphical interface than to design all robots to have the same characteristics.
This work will be validated on a mobile manipulator robot in two distinct tasks: search and rescue and human rehabilitation. Search and rescue involves finding an important object, usually a person, in an unstructured potentially dangerous environment. While the range of tasks the robot needs to understand is limited, the range of environments is vast. Human rehabilitation requires the robot to learn exercises from a nurse and teach them human. The robot must also monitor the person's progress and performance. This will take place in constrained hospital-like environments, however the range of exercises the robot must know will be large.
Demonstration-Based Behavior and Task Learning". In Working notes, AAAI Spring Symposium To Boldy Go Where No Human-Robot Team Has Gone Before, Stanford, CA, Mar 2006.(.pdf). "
Behavior-Based Segmentation of Demonstrated Task". In International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL), Bloomington, IN, May 2006.(.pdf). "
This project is funded by:


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Fourth/Fifth/Sixth Grade: Portal to Research
Contact library staff at 832-6189 to register.
Learn advanced techniques for Infosoup, our online catalog, to research topics important to you. This visit may consist of two parts. Part one; our School-Age Specialist Librarian, can visit your school to teach Infosoup techniques and introduce helpful library databases to your students. This visit lasts approximately 45-60 minutes. Part two; your classroom can visit the library to put the techniques into practice. Plan to spend at least 45-60 minutes doing research and exploring the Children's Services department. If you prefer, the entire program can be presented at the library.
This field trip meets W4.7, W5.7, W6.7 (OEU 2) Common Core Standards.
Getting library cards and/or checking out books are not a requirement to visit the library for a field trip.
Library cards may be obtained for your students if desired. This requires that completed library card applications be returned to the library at least 10 days before the visit, accompanied by a class list showing the students' home addresses. If you choose to check out books, please add 30 minutes to the amount of time you plan to stay at the library.
All library programs are free and school-age programs are taught by a professional librarian. Classrooms consisting of more than one grade may attend the program of their choice and the program will be appropriately modified. Please ask us if you would like help combining this fieldtrip with a stop at another Appleton downtown destination.
Send a Question or Comment to Appleton Public Library.


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Student or Learner
Could you check this proposal and tell me what would you change? I know it is a very poor one.
The purpose of this proposal is to outline the features of two venues suggested for a place for the end-of-year party, assess whether they comply with students expectations and recommend the best option.
River Boat Disco
Even though this venue offers all-you-can-eat buffet, which would be greatly appreciated by students, it only operates until 10.3opm. According to the students comments, it is clearly undesirable for the party to end too early. Therefore I would not recommend it.
Milford Comedy Club
While this venue has a disadvantage of not being situated in an easily accessible location, it has other features that should satisfy students demands. The entrance fee is lower and it provides entertainment in a form of four performers as stated on the leaflet. Above all it allows the party to last until 2am and that would suit the students preferences most.
Although it was not an easy decision, I am more inclined to choose .Milford Comedy Club for end-of-year-party. The major reason for my choice is that it stays open until late and therefore meets students expectations.


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I Have ADHD
A Child's Journey
for children aged 6-12 years
The story of Buzz a 9 year old boy who has ADHD. Through his story he takes you on a journey of ADHD with twists and turns, just like a roller coaster ride. As you read about him you will find out a lot about ADHD, the associated problems and various treatments including behavioural strategies and medicines. At the end you can enjoy doing a word search, quiz and lots of fun and games


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Report Highlights
Achieving the goals of federal education legislation depends critically on how federal funds are distributed and used. Since the enactment of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) in 1965, various federal programs have been created to support educational improvement and target additional resources to meet the educational needs of school-age children who are economically and educationally disadvantaged. This report presents findings on the targeting and uses of federal education funds for six federal education programs, based on 2004–05 data from the National Longitudinal Study of No Child Left Behind (NLS-NCLB). The programs studied are: Title I, Part A; Reading First; Comprehensive School Reform (CSR); Title II, Part A; Title III, Part A; and Perkins Vocational Education State Grants.1 This report describes how well federal funds are targeted to economically disadvantaged students, how Title I targeting has changed over the past seven years, how districts have spent federal funds, and the base of state and local resources to which federal funds are added.
To address these questions, the NLS-NCLB collected data on federal program allocations from FY 2004 appropriations (which provided funds for use primarily during the 2004–05 school year) from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The study also collected data from a nationally representative sample of 300 school districts on federal program allocations and expenditure data for the 2004–05 school year. From district records, the study collected fiscal and payroll data for a sample of 1,483 schools within the sampled districts. In order to examine changes since the 2001 reauthorization of ESEA, this report makes comparisons to data for the 1997–98 school year that were collected by the Study of Education Resources and Federal Funding (Chambers et al., 2000) and also uses longitudinal data from the NCES Common Core of Data.
The findings presented in this report indicate that federal funds were more targeted to high-poverty districts than state and local funds but did not close the funding gap between high- and low-poverty districts. For Title I, targeting has changed little since 1997-98, despite efforts to target more funds to high-poverty districts and schools, and the highest-poverty Title I schools continue to receive less Title I funds per low-income student than low-poverty Title I schools. Across the six programs in the study, most funds were used for instruction and instructional support.
Targeting of Federal Education Funds
Federal education funds were more strongly targeted to high-poverty districts than were state and local funds. Districts in the highest-poverty quartile, which serve 25 percent of the nation's school-age children and about half (49 percent) of the nation's poor school-age children, received 38 percent of all federal funds in 2003–04 and 21 percent of state and local funds. For the six federal programs included in this study, the highest-poverty districts received between 43 and 73 percent of the funds.
The higher level of federal funding in high-poverty districts was not sufficient to close the funding gap between high- and low-poverty districts. Title I and other federal programs are often viewed as providing additional resources to meet the greater needs of districts and schools with high concentrations of poor students. However, total revenue per student from all sources in the highest-poverty districts ($10,025) was 7 percent lower than for districts in the lowest poverty quartile ($10,836).
Targeting for the Six Federal Programs in This Study
Reading First and CSR funds were more targeted to high-poverty districts and schools than were Title I funds. In 2004-05, the districts in the highest poverty quartile received 58 percent of Reading First funds, 57 percent of CSR funds, and 52 percent of Title I funds; their share of the nation's poor children was 49 percent. Of the Title I funds that states reserved for school improvement activities under Section 1003(a) of Title I, 73 percent were allocated to the highest-poverty districts.
For Title II, Title III, and Perkins Vocational Education, the share of funds allocated to the highest poverty quartile (43 to 45 percent) was less than their share of poor children but greater than their share of all school- age children (25 percent).
At the school level, the highest-poverty schools (those with 75 percent or more low-income students) received 57 percent of Reading First funds, 50 percent of CSR funds, and 38 percent of Title I funds; their share of all low-income students was 30 percent. School-level allocations data were not collected for the other programs in the study.
The highest-poverty schools received smaller allocations per low-income student, compared with lower-poverty schools, for Title I, Reading First, and CSR. For example, the highest-poverty Title I schools received $558 per low-income student in 2004-05 vs. $763 in low-poverty districts. Within-district analyses indicated that low-poverty districts concentrated their Title I funds on schools that had high poverty rates for their district but were low-poverty when compared with schools in other districts.
Changes in the Targeting of Title I Funds
The overall share of Title I funds going to the highest-poverty districts changed only marginally between 1997–98 and 2004–05 (rising from 50 to 52 percent). The highest-poverty districts received a substantial increase in their average Title I allocation per poor child, after adjusting for inflation (from $1,037 to $1,579, a 52 percent increase), but this largely reflects the overall growth in Title I appropriations during this period (a 51 percent increase in constant dollars).
At the school level, Title I funding per low-income student for the highest-poverty schools remained virtually unchanged from 1997–98 to 2004–05, when adjusted for inflation. While the amount of Title I funds received by the highest-poverty schools increased, the growth in Title I funds basically kept pace with the growth in the number of low-income students served in these schools. In addition, there was an increase in the share of Title I funds retained for district-managed services and a decline in the share allocated to individual schools (from 83 percent in 1997-98 to 74 percent in 2004-05).
Distribution of Funds by School Grade Level and Other School Characteristics
Elementary schools received all Reading First funds and three-fourths of all Title I funds, while CSR funds were more likely to reach secondary schools. As a K–3 program, Reading First provides funds exclusively to schools serving those grades, so it is not surprising to find that all Reading First funds went to elementary schools. For Title I, elementary schools received 76 percent of the school allocations, considerably more than their share of the nation's low-income students (57 percent). Middle schools received 14 percent of Title I funds and enrolled 20 percent of all low-income students, while high schools received 10 percent of Title I funds and enrolled 23 percent of all low-income students. For CSR, the distribution of funds was closer to the distribution of low-income students by school grade level: 48 percent went to elementary schools, 34 percent to middle schools, and 19 percent to high schools.
Schools that were identified for improvement were more likely to receive Title I funds than non- identified schools, but they received smaller per-pupil allocations. In 2004–05, 84 percent of the schools identified for improvement received Title I funds, compared with 54 percent of the schools not identified for improvement. However, the average allocation per low-income student was 11 percent lower for identified Title I schools than for non-identified Title I schools ($556 vs. $624).
Schoolwide programs accounted for over two-thirds of schools' Title I funds in 2004–05. NCLB lowered the eligibility threshold for Title I schoolwide programs (from 50 percent low-income students down to 40 percent), and the number of schoolwide programs rose from 25,184 in 2000-01 to 31,445 schools in 2004-05. In 2004–05, schoolwide programs accounted for 56 percent of all Title I schools while targeted assistance programs, the original Title I service delivery model, accounted for the remaining 44 percent of Title I schools. Schoolwide programs received 70 percent of Title I funds in 2004-05, up from 60 percent in 1997–98.
Few districts (6 percent) that operated schoolwide programs actually consolidated Title I funds with other sources of funding to support a comprehensive, integrated approach to improving instruction. Most districts reported that they simply coordinated spending strategies, rather than actually consolidating the funds. Districts said state or district accounting rules and fear of potential audit exceptions were major barriers to consolidation of funding.
Uses of Federal Education Funds
Most funds for the six federal programs in this study were used for instruction. For Title I, Title III, and Perkins, the share of funds that districts and schools used for instruction was between 72 and 75 percent; for Reading First and Title II, the percentage used for instruction was 65 to 67 percent, while for CSR and Section 1003 it was 51 to 54 percent. In contrast, across all revenue sources combined (federal, state, and local), instructional expenditures accounted for 61 percent of total school district expenditures.
Most of the remaining funds were used for instructional and student support (18 to 42 percent), which includes professional development for teachers and other staff, reading coaches, libraries and media centers, counselors and health services, and parent involvement. Administrative costs (which also include facilities and transportation costs) accounted for 4 to 10 percent of district expenditures under the federal programs in this study.
Taking a closer look at instructional expenditures, instructional staff accounted for over half of total district and school expenditures for three programs: Title II (63 percent), Title I (59 percent), and Title III (55 percent). Districts also spent a considerable portion of Reading First (42 percent) and CSR (31 percent) funds on instructional staff. Other instructional expenditures (such as instructional materials and equipment) were the largest spending category for the Perkins vocational education program (45 percent) and also accounted for almost a third of Section 1003 spending (31 percent) and almost one-quarter of expenditures under Reading First and CSR (23 percent).
Instructional and student support was the largest spending category for Section 1003 (43 percent) and accounted for more than one-fifth of spending under CSR (39 percent), Reading First (31 percent), and Title II (19 percent).
Between 1997–98 and 2004–05, Title I schools decreased their reliance on Title I teacher aides and increased their reliance on Title I teachers to provide services. The number of full-time equivalent (FTE) teachers paid through Title I funds increased by 49 percent--from 66,002 in 1997–98 to 98,206 in 2004–05--while the number of Title I-funded teacher aides declined from 68,724 to about 61,952 (a 10 percent decline).
Among the six federal programs, Title I provided the most funds used for professional development ($1.0 billion, based on district fiscal records), followed by Title II ($518 million) and Reading First ($103 million). However, these figures may underestimate spending on professional development because district accounting systems may not always clearly identify such expenditures. An alternate approach based on a survey of Title II district coordinators found that districts spent $959 million in Title II funds for professional development rather than the $529 million estimated from fiscal records.
District spending on Title I supplemental educational services and transportation expenses for the Title I school choice option roughly doubled from 2003–04 to 2005–06. Estimated spending for supplemental services rose from $192 million in 2003–04 to $375 million in 2005–06, while spending for school choice-related transportation rose from $24 million to $56 million. The percentage increases in expenditures were comparable to increases in numbers of participants during this period. In 2005–06, spending per participant averaged $838 for supplemental services and $965 for choice transportation.
Comparability of State and Local Resources in Title I and Non–Title I Schools
This report does not examine district compliance with the Title I comparability and supplement-not-supplant requirements, because the nationally representative sample of schools does not include all schools within each sample district. It does, however, provide a national picture of how resources compare in Title I and non– Title I schools, as well as in high- and low-poverty schools.
Title I and non–Title I schools across the nation appeared to have a similar base state and local school personnel expenditure (i.e., excluding Title I and other federal funds). On average, the base state and local expenditures per student on both instructional and non-instructional school personnel were similar in Title I and non–Title I schools. High- and low-poverty schools also did not show significant differences in total spending on school personnel.
Teachers in the highest-poverty schools tended to have less experience, were less likely to have an advanced degree, and had lower salaries than teachers in the lowest-poverty schools. For example, teachers in the highest-poverty schools received salaries that were 10 percent lower, on average, than those for teachers in the lowest-poverty schools. However, the highest-poverty and lowest-poverty schools were similar with respect to their student-to-teacher ratios and the percentage of secondary English and mathematics teachers with a degree in the field they taught.
What Title I Adds to State and Local Resources at the School Level
Overall, school personnel expenditures from Title I amounted to $408 per low-income student, a 9 percent increase over the base of state and local per-student expenditures on school personnel. Title I added more dollars per low-income student to elementary schools than to middle or high schools. For elementary schools, Title I added a significantly higher amount of personnel resources per low-income student in the lowest-poverty schools than in the highest-poverty schools.
1 The first five of these programs are part of ESEA; the sixth (Perkins) was authorized under a separate law focused on career and technical education at the secondary and postsecondary levels. The Perkins program was reauthorized in 2006 as the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act.
Copies of this report are available at www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/opepd/ppss/reports.html. Copies of other reports in the series based on the NLS-NCLB and SSI-NCLB studies are also available at this website.