text:
A number of Civil Engineering workshops happen in Kochi. You can find and enroll in them below.
These are the past workshops organized in Kochi on Civil Engineering topics:
|14 Jan 2019
|Structural and Foundation Analysis
|Skyfi Labs Centre TEC Gate, Kochi
|12 May 2018
|Building Information Modeling (BIM)
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kochi
|21 Apr 2018
|Tall Buildings
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kochi
|31 Mar 2018
|Bridge Design
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kochi
|10 Mar 2018
|Construction Project Management
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kochi
|03 Feb 2018
|Bridge Design
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kochi
|13 Jan 2018
|Applications of GIS
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kochi
|06 Jun 2016
|Structural and Foundation Analysis
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kaloor, Kochi
|21 Dec 2015
|Structural and Foundation Analysis
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kaloor, Kochi
|14 Jan 2019
|Structural and Foundation Analysis
|Skyfi Labs Centre TEC Gate, Kochi
|12 May 2018
|Building Information Modeling (BIM)
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kochi
|21 Apr 2018
|Tall Buildings
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kochi
|31 Mar 2018
|Bridge Design
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kochi
|10 Mar 2018
|Construction Project Management
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kochi
|03 Feb 2018
|Bridge Design
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kochi
|13 Jan 2018
|Applications of GIS
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kochi
|06 Jun 2016
|Structural and Foundation Analysis
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kaloor, Kochi
|21 Dec 2015
|Structural and Foundation Analysis
|Skyfi Labs Center, Kaloor, Kochi
Kochi is a cosmopolitan city in Kerala with a bustling commercial port. Kochi is the financial and commercial capital of Kerala and, with a population of more than 2 million, the biggest urban agglomeration in the state.
A city born in storm, nurtured in rivalry and established as battling ground for European empires. This phrase makes perfect understanding of Kochi which was formed as an ancient port city after the Great Floods of the Periyar River in 1341. With partitioning of Chera Kerala empire in 14th century, this region came under control of a new dynasty, rivaled by other local feudal lords. With the advent of colonization, Kochi became the first major battle grounds of almost all European powers. However, least it made an impact over the fortunes of this city.
Kochi merchants began trading in spices such as black pepper and cardamom with the Arabs, Dutch, Phoenicians, Portuguese, and Chinese more than 600 years ago. This helped Kochi to prosper and to become the gateway to old India. It was from Kochi that the colonization of India started. Portugal was first to establish its base in Kochi, followed by the Dutch and English. The Anglo-Dutch treaty of 1814, compelled the Dutch to hand over Kochi to the British in exchange for Bangka Island in Indonesia. The British managed to establish their influence over Kochi, limiting their direct administration to a small enclave of Fort Kochi and British Ernakulam with their capital at Bolgatty Island. The rest of the Kochi Kingdom was administered by Kochi Maharajas from their capital at Thripunithura. However the real administration was done by Diwans (Prime Ministers), leaving the Maharajas to patronize culture, arts and focus heavily on public health and education areas.
The foundations of modern Kochi city started when Sir Robert Bristow, a senior Royal Navy Engineer felt need of a modern large port after the opening of Suez Canal. This made creation of largest man-made island of the country, the Willingdon Island to house new Kochi Port.
In the 1930s, the Kochi Maharaja joined the public outcry to form a common state of Malayalam-speaking people by merging with the Kingdom of Travancore and British Malabar. Kochi Maharaja Kerala Varma Raja was at the forefront of this agitation, and passed the Aykiakerala Resolution in the Kochi Parliament. In 1947, the Kingdom of Kochi and Travancore merged to form the Royal State of Travancore-Kochi. The Kochi Maharaja was amongst the first to advocate the state joining the newly formed Indian Union. Finally in 1948, the state of Travancore-Kochi merged with India. Since the formation of Kerala in 1957, Kochi has been the commercial capital of Kerala as well as the seat of the Kerala High Court. Since 2000, Kochi has revitalized its economy, with a focus on tourism, information technology and the port.
Kochi has a cosmopolitan culture, highly influenced by historical trading partners, Portuguese, Dutch, Arab, Chinese, and Japanese. Kochi is the seat of the Latin church of Kerala and has many Catholic churches and followers.
Kochi was traditionally a potpourri of various Indian and international communities. Syrian Christians started the first wave of immigration, followed by Jews between the 7th and 10th centuries. Arab merchants also made a strong settlement in Kochi. In the 15th century, Gujaratis settled in Kochi, especially on Mattencherry Island, where they played a strong role in spice trading and other areas.
Later, at the beginning of the colonial era, the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and British all made their settlements in Kochi. The Portuguese had a strong influence in Fort Cochin. British culture was strongly felt, lending Kochi a strong community of Anglo-Indians.
In the early 1970s, Punjabis settled here, focusing their strong presence on the local automobile industry. Tamilians, Telugus, Kannadigas have all formed small settlements since the days of royalty. Recently, students from Cambodia, Thailand, Korea, and Indonesia have settled down in Kochi for studies and research activities. Kochi has a sizeable expatriate population mainly from European countries who have settled in Fort Kochi. Most of them are senior citizens who settled down to enjoy retirement life and many run boutique hotels and restaurants in that area. Due to the rapid growth of the city, a majority of the local population are now immigrants.
Generally, Kochinites are modern and fashionable. Being a city that has a tradition of various cultures being given equal respect, a high level of tolerance exists. The city has a modern attitude, but some basic social modesty still prevails, especially in villages and rural areas.
Kochi has a typical tropical climate. Temperatures range between 30°C and 35°C during daytime and around 24°C during night. Kochi is one of the first places to experience the heavy Monsoon showers starting by mid of May. Kochi experiences heavy rainfall between mid of May to first week of September. Day time temperatures during the monsoon fall to between 25°C and 30°C during these months. From September to early February, the weather is fine, marked with cool winds and light showers in between. However by February, summer season starts. Though temperatures never touches 40°C, the presence of high humidity can make summers very harsh. This continues till early May. However frequent summer showers cool down the harshness of summer.
After rapid growth during the two last decades, Kochi is now one of the most densely populated town areas in India. Kochi city consists of:
The peak visitor season is often from August to February with December being the busiest month when there are many festivals and special attractions along with the famous Cochin Carnival and Christmas celebrations. Onam season (mid Aug-mid Sept) is also a busy tourist season considering traditional line up of various festivities. Recently monsoon is being promoted heavily by the tourism department as a rejuvenation season which also slowly becoming a popular season to visit to experience the heavy rainfalls. However it is always advisable to avoid March and April, considering the harsh summer, though it is primarily Indian domestic tourist season.
Free information and city maps are available at state run Kerala Tourism Development Corp (KTDC) offices at:
The India Tourism also has its office at Willingdon Island (Ph.No)+91 484 2668352. The District Tourist Promotion Council (DTPC) also helps in providing information to tourists about other parts of Kochi District, which can be reached at (Ph.No)+91 484 2367334, +91 484 2383988.
Kochi is well connected by air, road, rail and ferry from others parts of India, and to some other international destinations. As Kochi is a financial capital of India and possess commercial port, get in this city within short span of time is very easy.
Cochin International Airport (IATA: COK), General tel: +91 484 305-3000, Flight status and Airline desk transfer: (Tel.)91 484 2610115, +91 484 2611322, +91 484 2610033. Located in Nedumbassery, 29 km from the city center, this is the largest airport in Kerala and one of major gateway to India.
Regular flights to the Middle East and elsewhere in Asia. There are regular direct chartered services from Europe and the USA during tourist season, with scheduled connections there planned by 2011.
There is a duty-free area at the international terminal providing a good collection of international premium brand liquors, perfumes, chocolates and other items at competitive prices.
Transit and early passengers can use the airport guestrooms in Central Block on hourly as well as per night basis for Rs.750-2,000. The international terminal has good multi-cuisine restaurant which is reasonably priced as well as a terrace garden dining and lounge bar with BBQ facility. There are many cafes and snack corners in the waiting area. The Concourse have free wifi network, a small business center, free public telephones for local calls and large plasma televisions in the waiting lounge area. Premium lounges are available for first and business class passengers. Visa-On-Arrival for selected nationalities has started . The Airport has a full fledged Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), whose chief officer is empowered to grant visa extensions, fee waivers and other visa-related issues.
The airport has a good 18 hole golf course nearby. Golfers can register at the Airport Golf counter and pay green fees to use the facility. There is a small recreational center, an Olympic size pool as well as bar lounge at the golf club.
There are five major airport hotels, all located opposite to the airport terminal. These offer rooms on an hourly basis. There are also many budget hotels and restaurants near to the terminal.
The domestic terminal has a good shopping arcade selling mainly Kerala-unique items. Food is expensive and limited within the check-in lobby. There are somewhat cheaper options after security.
KSRTC operates four classes of bus service from the airport: regular, fast passenger, super fast express (operate every 10-20 minutes to most of the nearby towns and places). All the bus services stop only at the bus point located near departure gate of the international terminal (city-side).
KSRTC Orange Bus A/C Volvo service( locally called Low Floor Buses) operates every 30-40 mins to Kochi City via Aluva, Kalamassery, Vytilla and terminates at Fort Cochin. Cost is Rs.70 or less. The journey takes 1 hour 40 minutes.
To the airport, the Orange Bus leaves from the Fort Kochi bus area, near the Chinese fishing nets, at the following times: 7:25, 8:00, 9:45, 11:35, 12:00, 13:55, 15:30, 16:00 and 18:05.
All taxis operated from Cochin airport belongs to Cochin Airport Taxi Society (CATS)[1] which is a pre-paid taxi service. While outside taxis can drop-off passengers at airport, only CATS taxis are allowed to pick and drop passengers from airport. CATS charges government fixed rate and process is simple. Take a receipt from CATS counter in arrivals hall and walk to the prepaid taxi stand to find your taxi. For airport/city transfers, the standard charge is Rs.510 for non air-conditioned cab or Rs.650 for A/C cab, with an additional premium of 15-25% as night charges (7PM-6AM). It costs Rs.250 for a trip to Aluva. CATS also operates limo services as well as customized packages available for full/half day trips.
Many car rental companies operates counters in the arrival area of both terminals. Many hotels and travel agents provide free pick-up/drop-off services in their cars. It is safe to travel by these cars as those are operated by experience drivers and you will get some more information them while on the go.
The railway station near to airport is under construction and about to open very soon. However, other nearest railway stations are Aluva or Angamally railway station (15 km) where almost all major express & passengers trains to all over Kerala halts.
Three-wheeler autos are not allowed to ply inside airport, to protect interests of CATS Taxis. However its pretty easy to get an auto outside the airport premises which is ideal for budget conscious travelers. An auto ride from airport to nearest railway station like Angamally or Aluva costs less than Rs.50. Be prepared to bargain. Getting autos in early mornings and late nights is pretty difficult.
Pawan Hans, located in departure gate of domestic terminal, operates a wide range of helicopter services to almost all parts of city as well as state, which requires a prior booking. K-Air also operates air-taxi and private jets.
Cochin Airport recently started its own helicopter services with support of Bharat Airways. Scheduled and chartered helicopter services to pilgrimage centers like Sabarimala, Guruvayoor and major cities like Thiruvananathapuram, Kozhikode are available.
Kochi is well connected by train from all parts of India. Most Kerala-bound trains have a major stop here. There are two major rail terminals inside the city limits.
Kochi has many suburban railway stations where long distance trains stop, such as Aluva, Thripunithura and Angamally. Book in advance, as trains are usually crowded. Reservations are available from 3 months in advance of the travel date. Depending upon the season and day bookings may close up to several days prior to departure with all remaining travellers going onto a waiting list. You can also try using Tatkal which is an emergency booking system costing Rs.150 above the normal rate. The 'Tatkal service opens one day(excluding the day of journey from the train originating station) before the departure of the train.
One of the best ways to get to Kochi is to take the Konkan Railway train from Mumbai. The train ride is renowned for the breathtaking scenery and the natural beauty of the terrain.
Outside the Ernakulum Junction Station (South), there is a pre-paid taxi stand (in red) where you can stand in line for a receipt and take an auto-rickshaw to other parts of Kochi. The service fee is just 1 rupee. This is recommended for getting a fair fare and no haggling with the driver or scams. A pre-paid auto rickshaw to Fort Kochi cost 179 rupees as of March 2014.
Kochi is accessible from all southern parts of the country as well as other parts of the state, through the extensive state run Kerala Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) bus services and services of neighboring state transport corporations.
KSRTC operates 3 types of services; Super Fast (No Frills), Express (Standard non-A/C) and Garuda Hi-tech(Volvo premium). Karnataka State buses run daily services from Bangalore, Mysore and Mangalore with three types of services; the Rajahamsa (executive service, with reclining seats), the Airavat (A/c service, with reclining semi-sleeper seats), and Ambaari (A/c sleeper service). Tamil Nadu SETC operates superfast and executive services to many destinations like Madurai,Ooty, Coimbatore, Tirunelveli,Salem, and Trichy. Most inter-state buses start and end their journey from KSRTC Central & Inter-state Bus Station (CBS), located in the heart of the city at Rajaji Rd. To reduce congestion at CBS, some local route KSRTC buses start/end their services at KSRTC Boat Jetty Stand located in Park Avenue.
Apart from govt services, numerous private bus companies operates scheduled services to almost all major cities in South India as well as Mumbai, Goa etc. All these buses are executive or premium services offering air-conditioned travel with good facilities and higher prices to match. Several online bus booking sites like RedBus/ Ticketkaran/ Raj National Express/ KPN Travels/ Customer Needz/ TicketGoose.com Via.com helps to find right service.
Kochi is well connected by road from all parts of the state as well as other major cities. Three major national highways connect Kochi with other parts of country.
Kochi is well connected to other parts of state through various state highways.
Kochi can be reached by sea in yachts or the occasional cruise ship from Goa, Mumbai, Lakshadweep, Colombo and Male. Almost all leading international cruises on global voyages operate to Kochi from the US and Europe at Wellingdon Island Cruise Berth. Yachts can be anchored at Kochi International Marina or Yacht Club Marina. There is a direct ferry service between Kochi and Lakshadweep.
Getting around Kochi is not difficult. City transportation is not expensive as compared to other cities and you only have to follow proper directions to save your valuable time and money.
If you are planning to hire a private car, you can ask the driver about famous places to visit within the city so as to save your significant amount of time and give it visiting maximum places.
The main city arterial road is Mahatma Gandhi Road. Traveling inside the city at peak times (8AM-10AM, 1:30PM-2:30PM; 5:30PM-7PM) takes a lot of time, with frequent road blocks and traffic congestion. North and South Over-bridges are two of the major bottlenecks. Knowledge of side roads and crossroads is very useful to avoid traffic blocks.
Kochi has a typical Indian-style address system which is a bit confusing, as there is no sector or house numbering system. Most buildings have their own name which are commonly used along with the road name for the address, eg: Alappatt House, Diwans Road, Near Lakshmi Hospital.
Some up-market areas have their own house numbering system. Panampilly Nagar and Giri Nagar are divided into various zones and each house has its own zone number followed by a house number. Many residential areas have formed their own associations and established their own addressing system. In most of the residential colonies or areas, a map sign is located at the entrance. Fort Kochi has a more western-style numbering system, yet still locals use the nearby landmarks for addressing, rather than house numbers.
For communicating with auto/taxi drivers, you must know the nearby landmarks.
Kochi has an excellent public bus network with four types of buses operated by Govt-run KSRTC and private operators. The most common option is privately operated Red buses (also referred to as 'Line buses') which provides a cheap no-frills journey. Using these is not that difficult as many destination boards have English lettering in small and most bus conductors can provide assistance in basic English, though route numbers exists only on papers. Peak hours on weekdays can lead to overcrowded buses, particularly Route 1. Recently Govt-operated KSRTC launched no-frills city services Thiru-Kochi which also ply in same Red-Bus routes. Thirukochi buses can be distinguished from other buses with its blue-white livery. Most of Red and Thirukochi buses run primarily on the Big 4 Routes. These cover virtually all parts of the city. There are other feeder routes, which interconnect places between these Big 4 Routes. Recently Vytilla-Vytilla circular services have launched, covering most of the city core. The fares for all city buses are Rs.4 for the first km and 55p for every additional km. The average waiting time is 1-10 mins.
Apart from regular city services, KSRTC under JnNURM's funding operates 2 class of bus services which can be distinguished from other city buses with its distinctive livery and JnNURM logo.
For premium travel low-floor air-conditioned Volvo services known as Orange buses, connects many important destinations. The rates are Rs.10 for first 5 km and Rs.2 for every km thereafter. The average waiting time is 10-30 mins. These buses do stop anywhere on the route, as per passenger's request.
For standard travel, Green bus, which is non air-conditioned low floor services which virtually links all suburbs to city center. This is very ideal for budget tourists as connects to many far away tourist attractions while maintaining excellent standards. The rates are Rs.5 for first 5 km and 75p for every km thereafter. Currently only 3 lines are served, which would be increased soon. Like Orange Bus, these bus also stops anywhere on the route, as per passenger's request. Timetable for Orange/Green available at KSRTC site [2].
All city bus services start at 6AM and end by 10PM. A certain number of seats are allocated for women in the forward portion of each bus, and men must vacate them when a woman wishes to sit there.
It must be noted that different bus shelters/stops are used for bus plying different routes. Though route notices are put before each stop, it will be in Malayalam. Route notices for Orange bus lines are now recently posted in English also. A query with locals or bus conductors helps a lot. The important city bus stations where all services touch are:
Kochi does not have any local intra-city train service.A Metro Rail Project is under construction(as of 2014). However, many suburban areas are well connected via regular passenger and long distance express trains. The most used route is between Ernakulam and Aluva. Almost all regular passenger, express and intercity trains have a stop at Aluva. Regular passenger trains have 1 minute stops at Edapally, Kumbalangi, Angamally, and Aroor stations. Many long distance trains operate between Thripunithura and Kochi North station.
It is a good idea to take the rail during busy peak hours when buses are overcrowded. Equally good idea, to take rail to Aluva from city center which is the nearest point to Airport (12 km) from where a cab or Orange Route A bus can taken to avoid city congested traffic.
This is a cheap method of transport between attractions. You can find an auto stand at almost every bus stop, and at important places near junctions and residential areas. Make sure you agree on a fare with the driver before the journey. The govt fixed rates starts at Rs.10 for the first 1.25 km and Rs.6 per km thereafter with a premium of 15% at night (7PM-6AM). Pre-paid auto stands are available only in railway stations.
Taxis are convenient, comfortable, and safer than auto rickshaws. If you are alone or going to an unknown destination, this is a good option, even though the rates will be double that of an auto. Unlike in most western countries, taxis are not usually marked with signs on the top, and do not have taxi meters inside the cab.
There are two type of taxi services, regular and call taxis. Regular taxis are normally available at designated taxi stands located at places such as railway stations, the airport, boat jetties, major bus stations and in front of important hotels.
There is no need to negotiate prices, as most of them follow fixed rates. Regular taxis have tariff cards displayed on the dashboard. Call taxis have charges fixed by their respective companies (although they are normally uniform). The standard tariffs are Rs.50 for first 3 km, and Rs.8 per km thereafter. Add 10% for a cab with A/C, and 15-20% at night.
Many cab companies offer full or half day services. Most of them are fixed on ad-hoc basis, based on the negotiating skills of the passenger. Typical rates are Rs.1,100/1,500 for standard/AC cabs for a full day and Rs.500/750 for a half day. These rates are not available after 7PM.
Unless you are into adventure seeking, self-drive in Kochi is not recommended as driving discipline is almost non-existent. There are long stretches of roads passing through heavily populated areas that have no median breaks and most of them being bi-lane roads which are mostly congested. A few major roads like MG Rd, NH Bypass Rd and Marine Drive are two lane-dual carriageways with good medians. The speed limit inside city zone is 30 km/hr. Driving is on the left, and all foreign drivers need a valid International Driving Licence attested by the Road Transport Office (RTO). Driving outside the city limits is a fine experience with good scenery and far less traffic. Most of the bridges and few roads carry toll charges collected at manned toll plazas or checkpoints. Almost all tolls are uniformly charged separately for one/two way; 2 wheelers- Rs.3/5, 4 wheelers- Rs.5/10 and bus/minivans - Rs.15/25. Almost all the toll pass is valid for unlimited travel for a period of 24 hours, though a few bridges allow one time validity.
Car rental is not so popular among foreign visitors. Many car rental companies refuse to provide self-drive cars to Westerners. Normally a bank guarantee letter or security cheque/traveller's cheque to the value of the car or a passport are taken as security for renting the car. No security deposit is needed if the car is chauffeur-driven.
Most hotels with three stars or more provide private cars for their guests at rates slightly higher than elsewhere.
Kochi has an excellent system of cheap (2.5rs Park Jetty to Fort Kochi) inter-island ferries. The Ro-Ro (roll on-roll off) ferry service called Junkar between Fort Kochi and Vypeen is very popular. There are regular boat services operated by KSINC and other private operators, every 20-30 minutes, from Ernakulam to Mattancherry, Fort Kochi, Vypeen and Willingdon Island which are cheaper and in many cases faster, than buses. All services operates from 4:40AM-6:30PM with an exception to Fort Kochi-Vypin Junkar service which operates from 4AM-10:30PM. The major boat jetties are Ernakulam Main Jetty (located in Marine drive near High Court), Park Jetty (in Park Avenue next to KSRTC Bus station), Customs Embarkation Jetty in Willingdon Island, Fort Kochi Jetties. Do take a look at the map provided, as some ferries do not stop at all stops along the way. A few tourist oriented private ferries service non-scheduled routes during tourist seasons connecting mainly to Kumbalangi Tourist village from Ernakulam Main Jetty as well as from Aroor.
Main Boat Times :
Kochi is traditionally not a pedestrian friendly city, considering the humid tropical climate, poor state of pedestrian walkways and reckless traffic. Fort Kochi is one of the better places to walk, with elaborate colonial-style stone pavements.
Most of the famous destinations fall within the range of 10 km so it is good idea to cover them by foot.
Fort Kochi is a perfect place for cycling with dedicated tracks and walkways. There are several tourist firms that offers cycles and bikes on hourly basis. A popular option is Vasco Information Center in Fort Kochi (Ph.No)+91 484 2216215), which rents cycles for ₹ 7 on hourly basis. However, there are no separate cycling tracks on mainland city roads. Motorbikes are becoming a popular option for tourists to take a ride in other parts of city. Take extra care while biking in Kochi roads as road users can be reckless.
Cochin Royal Crown
The biggest highlight of Hill Palace, is the display of Royal Crown, crafted in pure gold weighting 1.75 kg with 95 diamonds and 2,000 other precious stones. It was a gift by the Portuguese to Veera Kerala Varma on his coronation day, which was regarded too extravagant for the Kochi Rajas, who were known for their simple lifestyle. This became a famous tradition that no Kochi Maharajas ever wore this crown, only to keep it on his lap as a testimony of his humility and simplicity. Nearly ten golden crowns were gifted to the Rajas by various colonial powers like Dutch, English, Chinese, Arabs which were never worn by the Maharajas.
See Festivals of Kerala for further details.
Kochi has got some good sporting facilities. Football is the official game here and is regularly played by locals in open areas. Cricket is extremely popular and regularly played by youngsters.
Major private gym chains include Ernakulam Men's Gym, South Railway station road, (Ph.No) +91 484 2378798, Destination Health, Edapally, (Ph.No)+91 484 4014353, Bio-rhythm Wellness and Spa center (Ph.No)+91 484 4099908, Talwalkars, (Ph.No) +91 484 2382696 and Women's World Muti Gym Health Club, Janatha Junction, Palarivattom, (Ph.No) +91 484 2349294). Many gyms are branded as Health, Wellness or Slimming centers to avoid the traditional association of the word gym with men only centres. Most are open 7AM-8PM.
Kochi has some good Cineplexes, featuring regular Malayalam, Tamil, English and Hindi movies. Most of the theaters have uniform movie timings with 4 shows fixed at noon, matine (afternoon), first show (evenings) and second show (late night), though modern multiplexes offers shows at multiple timings. Some of the recommended are;
Shenoys cinema (2screen), Sarita Theater, Savitha theater Sangeetha Theater are the other main theaters in Kochi.
There are many performing arts complexes across the city, offering a good experience of various artforms and culture. Kochi has the largest number of regular evening Kathakali theaters, offering the best insight into this traditional dance-drama artform of Kerala. Apart from Kathakali, many other events are regularly performed in Kochi.
Ayurvedic pleasure treatments are widely available. Some of the better spas and massage centres are:
Day-shopping is more popular than night shopping. All shopping outlets close by 8PM. During festive seasons, late night shopping (11PM-3:30AM) are organized to reduce day-time shopping congestion.
The Onam Festival (mid of Aug-Sept) is one of the best shopping seasons, when you get heavy discounts ranging between 10-50% for almost all items as well as regular consumer fairs. X'mas is the next best season. The Kerala Government has started the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (15 Dec-30 Jan), to promote Kerala as a shopping destination. Kochi is the main focal center of this festival and you get heavy discounts at participating stores and regular lucky draws.
The narrow strip sandwiched between Marine Drive and MG Road houses the celebrated Broadway Market which is one of the Kochi's oldest shopping corners where you can buy anything from from safety pins to motor scooters. A spice market operates inside, offering the best of Kerala's spices, saffron and various oils. There is also a cloth market, a jewellery market, a fancy items market, a vegetable/fruit market and an electronic/watch market. Also try at Mattencherry Old Spice market, which is one of the oldest spice markets in the country. There are nearly half dozen small markets, mostly run by Gujarathi and Konakanis where you can slice of Indian market flavours.
Jew town in Fort Cochin has numerous antique and craft stores. Most of the antique shops sell colonial era and heritage pieces, as well as Jewish items from the traditional Jewish homes of the area. You can also find many kinds of Indian sculptures, decor, interior artifacts and souvenirs. Bargains are available but be warned that many 'antiques' were probably made in the owners backyard. Shop with care and bargain hard. Never trust touts, who get hefty commissions from unscrupulous antique dealers.
Try at state run emporiums that offer high quality certified antiques/artworks, however there is no bargain or discount. Check at Kerala's state emporium showrooms, Kairali & Surabhi and Karnataka's Cavery, all located in MG Road.
Large western style shopping malls are new to Kochi and more than 30 are under construction in various parts of city, all scheduled to open between first quarter of 2010 and the end of 2013. Currently six are functional. Apart from shopping malls, there are numerous of shopping complexes in Cochin (a shopping complex in local terms is a large complex having many shops close to each other, selling mostly only one type of product).
Kochi also has many famous designer boutiques, mostly located in Convent Junction (between MG Road and Marine Drive). Panampally Nagar also houses many premium exclusive designer boutiques. MG Road (the arterial road) is lined with many premium brand stores, leading apparel shops and boutiques. The cloth bazaar in Broadway Market is one of the largest apparel market selling unbranded fabrics and apparels at lower rates. For dress and fabrics the best options are:
There are numerous of bookstores in Convent Junction as well as in the Fort Kochi area. Pressclub Rd in Convent Junction is a hot-spot for book lovers.
There are many shops selling footwear and luggage in all price ranges. For budget options, try the shops near both railway stations. Be aware that many of these shops offer cheap varieties which may not last a long.
Kochi is famous for its gold, silver, diamond and platinum jewelry. Most of the jewellers are concentrated at Jewel Junction (Woodland Junction), on MG Road near Hotel Woodlands. Normal gold purity in India is 22 carat. 24 carat gold ornaments (thankam) are not so popular, but are available. Lightweight collections in 18 carat gold have become popular among youngsters and teenagers.
For cosmetics and women's accessories, Convent Junction is the haven for the fairer sex. Many international cosmetics and personal care brands can be bought at prices lower than in western countries.
You can buy electronic gadgets at comparatively low rates, than most of other regions in India. For the latest technology, Kochi hosts many large consumer electronics fairs and every new technology gadget gets into store very fast. The Electronics Street (opposite Medical Trust Hospital in Pallimukku) and Kadavanthara are the prefect place to buy most of electronics gadegets. Penta Menaka and GCDA Mall are famous for mobile phones. Atlantis Junction and Ravipuram are well known for various computer/laptop hardware shopping.
Food shopping is mainly done at supermarkets and bakeries. Bakeries normally sell bread and branded food products, while most supermarkets sell household provisions and packaged food items.
Almost all national banks operate in Kochi and most have branches in MG Road, as do a few international banks such as HSBC, Citibank, Standard Chartered and Oman Bank. ATMs are uniformly spread across the city and most major shopping places have an adjacent ATM.
Most of the nationalized banks are authorised to carry out Forex activities. Western Union and Moneygram have many franchises in the city.
For the past 600 years, Kochi has catered to many visitors from around the world including Arabs, Chinese, Portuguese, French, English, Dutch, Russians and Japanese. This has made the city a melting pot of various cultures, and this diversity is evident in the cuisine.
Being a coastal city, plenty of fresh seafood is the local speciality. With the backwaters, freshwater fish is also popular here. Prawns, squids and shrimps are easily available and cooked in many styles. The most famous of Kochi's specialty dishes is Meen Molagitta Curry (smoked freshwater fish with chilly and coconut milk). The English popularized smoked fish with steamed bread and mashed potatoes. One of Kochi's traditional vegetarian specialties is Kurukku Kalan (a thick yogurt curry with toasted banana and hot rice). Packed Kurukku Kalan as well as Palada (a sweet dessert with rice flakes and milk) are sold in many supermarkets and food stalls, especially during festive times.
At Fort Kochi beach you can buy fresh fish and have it cooked at the nearby food stalls. Fishmongers will sell you a kilo of tiger prawns for around Rs.300 and a kilo of squid for around Rs.250. Food stalls will charge you Rs.40-50 per person to cook your fish (grilled, curry, whatever) and provide you with a serve of chips and salad. Conditions are reasonably hygienic.
Fried fish, Fish molly (a coconut milk sauce based curry almost like stew), Alleppey fish curry (traditional curry with tomato sauce and fish tamarind) and Fish Peera (chunks of fish toasted with grated coconuts with fish tamarind sauce), Varatharacha Kozhi curry (semi-fried chicken toasted with coconut and chilly) are the favorites, usually taken with rice or steamed tapioca (cassava). Also worth trying are the traditional rice based breakfast snacks, puttu and kadala, appam and stew.
Kochi has a variety of cheap restaurants all over the city. A full meal should cost less than Rs.50.
Thattukadas are streetside food hawkers, where you can get hot, fresh-cooked delicious food, costing a maximum of Rs.50 for a good filling meal. Most offer set meal combinations served from portable cooking trolleys with a few benches or chairs nearby. The most famous delicacies are stuffed or plain thattu dosas (thick dosas almost like pizza bread), hot Kerala porottas (flat bread of milled wheat), Kerala roast beef with chappatti and kanzhi (rice porridge). The main concern is the lack of hygiene and constant reuse of oil for frying.
Kochi has some home-grown fast food chains: KR Hot Chicken, 61 Pai Dosas, Luciya's Food Court, Potpurri, The Oven, Krispy Chicken, Arabian Treat, Papa Milano's and Breadworld Broasted Chicken have a presence in most parts of town. Foreign franchises such as KFC, Chicking, Noodle Kings, US Pizzas, Marrybrown, Pizza Hut and Domino's also have a presence here.
There are many street side Arabic restaurants offering shawarma and grilled chicken. Popular options are Real Arabia, Arabia Dreams and Grill Arabia, which are dotted all over the city. Most supermarkets and bakeries have a Shawarma Corner outside, which is a cheap, yet filling sandwich. most budget Arabic restaurants are open from 5PM-midnight.
Most of the restaurants in Kochi are mid-range and there are lots of them.
Most of the upscale restaurants are located inside hotels with 3 stars or more.
Keralites are well known for their drinking habit. Finding bars or pubs is not difficult in Kochi. For those who do not drink alcohol there are lots of excellent local options.
Finding a bar or pub is not difficult. Most of the budget oriented bars are located near the railway stations and in Kaloor and Edappally. Mid-market and high end bars are located all over. There are many beer and wine bars catering for foreign tourists at Fort Kochi. As elsewhere in Kerala, all bars and pubs have to close every first and second day of the month as well as on all state holidays. These are known as dry days. All bars have to close by midnight.
You can buy almost any brand of liquor from state-run Beverages Co stores, which have an extensive network of in Kochi, selling at competitive rates. Expect long queues, especially on the eve of dry days.


text:
Cart is empty
Track my order(s)
Certified Scale is a scale manufacturer building high quality scales in USA.
Enter your email address to receive special offers and promotions.
Quality products, great deals, excellent support - that is the DNA of Scale Depot. If you know what you need, the one-page checkout only takes a minute to order. If you are not sure what to buy, our scale professionals are here listening your needs and offering the best deals.
1455 S Campus Ave. Ste B
Ontario, CA 991761 USA
Tel: (855) 697-2253
Fax: (909) 614-8999

subset: commoncrawl


text:
House minority leader Nancy Pelosi will remain as minority leader.
"We have work to do," Pelosi said. "I have made a decision to submit my name to my colleagues to once again serve as the House Democratic leader."
Standing in a blue suit flanked by female House members, newly elected and veterans, whom she called her "sisters," Pelosi stressed the diversity of the Democratic caucus. "You are looking at the future," Pelosi said, a "future of empowerment of women in America."
Asked whether at 72 she should have stepped aside for a newer generation, Pelosi answered, "Next," supported by boos from her colleagues at the question.
"You always ask that question except to Mitch McConnell," Pelosi said, referring to the Senate Republican leader who is 70. "So you're suggesting everybody (over 70) step aside?
"For a moment, let's honor it as a legitimate question, although it's quite offensive, you don't realize it perhaps," Pelosi said. She said she has striven for a decade to elect "newer and younger people," especially women. She recounted how she waited first to finish raising her children before running for Congress in 1987, spending 14 years "getting the best experience" in diplomacy. But she said men who arrived in Congress at age 30 "had a jump on me" in the seniority ladder. She said she wanted to make sure younger women had a chance.
She said she made her decision just the day before on Tuesday, after consulting with her family and hearing a unified call from colleagues who told her "don't even think about" stepping down. She also strongly suggested that President Obama asked her to stay. Asked the question directly, she said, "My conversations with the president are not ones that I share, OK?"
Pelosi said the job's time commitments are enormous, that she can't find a way to squeeze any more hours from the day. "You can only sleep so much less," she said. Her children were supportive, but she said her brother Tommy had qualms.
"My brother Tommy was not as keen on it as my children were," she said. "He wanted more time," with her, she said, adding with a laugh, "My kids were busy."
Pelosi said that while she didn't retake the majority, 16 House Republicans were defeated, and 49 new Democrats elected. "After our victory at the polls, I wouldn't think of walking away."
In what might have been a Freudian slip, Pelosi declared, "We have the gavel," immediately correcting herself with a laugh, "Excuse me we don't…we have our own gavel," because Democrats remain in the minority. Pelosi served as House Speaker for four years until losing the majority in a GOP landslide in 2010. On Nov. 6, Democrats netted at least seven seats, but failed to gain the net 25 Pelosi needed to become Speaker again.
Today is the 10th anniversary of Pelosi's election as the first woman to lead a political party in Congress. Sources said she wants to continue to "play a crucial role in developing a responsible deficit reduction package – working with President Obama and our colleagues in the Senate – that protects Social Security and Medicare, the middle class and children, while asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share."
The San Francisco Democrat played a key role in the debt-ceiling negotiations two summers ago, forcing the military spending cuts that are now part of the "fiscal cliff," a combination of expiring tax cuts, including the Bush-era cuts, and big spending cuts including both defense and domestic, known as sequestration. Negotiations over the fiscal cliff started the day after the election that kept Washington in a status quo political division. That stasis paradoxically opened room for compromise on both sides. Pelosi wants to stick around for these huge negotiations that will set tax and entitlement (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid) policy for years.
Pelosi has scheduled leadership elections for the week after Thanksgiving. She will have to be elected by House Democrats but that is merely a formality. No one has challenged her. She is beloved by liberals, now known as progressives, who make up the bulk of the caucus and consider her their champion. Liberal allies were pressing her to stay.
Pelosi's decision is huge for San Francisco and California. Although in the minority, she sits atop the House leadership structure, has a direct line to the White House and plots Democratic strategy.
Pelosi's decade in the House leadership is the longest tenure since Rep. Sam Rayburn, D-Tex., died in office in 1961. He has a House office building named after him.
Former rival Steny Hoyer, D-Md., now Pelosi's loyal lieutenant, announced that he would make his own bid to remain at number two in the caucus leadership. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, is running against two opponents for the lowest step in the leadership ladder, vice chair.


text:
We were listening to Sunday's game, only a few short hours after having praised Gregg Zaun, and praying that the goateed one didn't make a fool out of us.
So much for that.
Zaun popped up with runners in scoring position and a prime opportunity to put the Jays up, then fired a throw into left field, allowing the insurance run to score in the Angels 3-1 victory.
It's probably worth asking why Zaun was playing on a day game after a night game. Let's face it: he's an old man, and the Jays should be making use of Curtis Thigpen for more than just the occasional pinch running assignment.
Other lineup questions
Now that we've officially began our efforts to run Reed Johnson out of town, we have to wonder why Gibby (who's been monumentally sharper in the second half) decided to play the diminutive outfielder with the microscopic OPS versus righties (.521) against a tough right-hander like Kelvim Escobar. Matt Stairs (15 HRs, .924 OPS versus righties) shouldn't be used exclusively as a pinch-hitter, or to sit on the top step of the dugout to intimidate Alex Rodriguez. He's proved his worth.


text:
Saturday, March 9, 2013 | 2:01 a.m.
View more of the Sun's opinion section
Another view?
View more of the Las Vegas Sun's opinion section:
• Editorials - the Sun's viewpoint.
• Columnists - local and syndicated writers.
• Letters to the editor - readers' views.
Have your own opinion? Write a letter to the editor.
Clean, fair and credible elections underpin a functioning democracy, so improving the way ballots are cast and counted ought to be a broadly embraced, wholly nonpartisan goal. The divisive 2000 presidential contest, with its drawn-out tally and infamous hanging chads, delivered a wake-up call both to the electorate and to election officials that improvements were needed, even in our mature form of representative government. Twelve years later, elections are unquestionably better administered, but there is still plenty of room for improvement.
Election difficulties have not been limited to one state, one region or one time period. Across the country, state and local officials have continually lacked clear information about how their methods and outcomes stacked up to balloting elsewhere. This was, in fact, a question I asked myself when I served as Kentucky's secretary of state and chief election officer, and one that I had put to my peers during my tenure as president of the National Association of Secretaries of State. For without factual and impartial comparisons, the nuts and bolts of running governments are bound to suffer.
Until now, that is. A recent study by the Pew Charitable Trusts, encompassing all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, provides exactly the kind of metrics and comparisons that could help elections officials figure out how they measure up. Most important, it offers a way for states to borrow the best ideas from one another.
Notably, due to the lack of consistent and quality data, the interactive Elections Performance Index steers clear of the rancorous issue of voter identification, which too often obscures meaningful discussions about how simply to make elections work better. The tool also moves away from using mere anecdotes to shore up points of view, a habitat that's as hard to break as it is unproductive. In addition, it allows users to customize the index to see how the rankings are affected by the inclusion or exclusion of different indicators.
Now, elected leaders and administrators have a real opportunity to make sure that what they do aids the process of democracy. It is precisely the sort of progress we've championed at Harvard University's Institute of Politics, which seeks to bridge the chasm between academics who study democracy and the policymakers who make a government operate.
The index reveals significant differences in how easy or difficult it is for Americans to vote, based on where they live. The best states for voting in both 2008 and 2010 turned out to be North Dakota and Wisconsin. Scores for most other states show mixed results, with many doing well in some areas but lagging in others. For example, my home state of Kentucky was close to the middle in both years, a combination of keeping better tabs on its own data but failing to help disabled voters.
A further glance demonstrates some interesting findings. A growing number of states, like Colorado, have improved elections by adding ways for voters to find information and devising secure online registration. Meanwhile, Florida, which always seems to be in the nation's spotlight during presidential election years, lands in the middle of the pack, despite its long lines in 2008.
One problem common to many states in the index is the inability to track their own data. That observation harkens back to a central concern: more states should know how they compare with their peers so they can improve. For instance, I used similar rankings when lobbying Kentucky's General Assembly to improve our campaign finance and our business organization laws.
My hope is that an index like this will empower state legislators, citizens and election administrators to examine how their states measure up — and then make the necessary changes to improve. And with the eventual addition of 2012 data, the index will become even more valuable.
Elections should vigorously test candidates and ideas, but the actual process ought to take place smoothly and cleanly. Making them work better can and must be a nonpartisan goal. If ballots are the building blocks of democracy, then transparency and credibility form the mortar that holds together the foundations of self-government.
Trey Grayson is director of Harvard University's Institute of Politics and served as Kentucky's secretary of state from 2004 to 2011. He was an external reviewer of the study mentioned in the article.


text:
Rising Phoenix Rep Continues Cino Nights with EAST COLFAX Tonight
Following the sold out performances and overflow crowds for its original Cino Nights presentations (including new plays by Gary Sunshine, Mando Alvarado, Courtney Baron, Florencia Lozano, Kristen Palmer, Emily DeVoti, Lucy Thurber, Jessica Dickey, Adam Szymkowicz, Laura Eason, Daniel Reitz, Megan Mostyn-Brown, Dael Orlandersmith, Keith Reddin, Crystal Skillman, Charlotte Miller, Brooke Berman, Cusi Cram, and Daniel Talbott), Rising Phoenix Rep continues the series with three new plays, starting tonight, January 27th with East Colfax by Diana Stahl.
East Colfax follows two pen pals as they discuss soul mates, Kerouac, Miller, food and marriage in a Colorado basement. East Colfax will be directed by Pirronne Yousefzadeh and features Clea Alsip, Joby Earle, Lesley Shires, and Micah Stock.
Inspired by Joe Cino and his Caffe Cino-one of the original birthplaces of Off-Off-Broadway theatre and early home to such writers as Doric Wilson, Robert Patrick, John Guare, Sam Shepard, Lanford Wilson, and William M. Hoffman-New York Innovative Theatre Award-winning company Rising Phoenix Rep has commissioned twenty-two playwrights to write new, full-length plays for the Seventh Street Small Stage, the intimate back room space at Jimmy's No. 43 in the East Village, where the company has mounted critically acclaimed and award winning productions of new plays for the past seven years.
Rising Phoenix Rep artistic director Daniel Talbott described the series as a place to tap into the raw, inspired, inventive, and pioneering work of the Caffe Cino, where the love of theatre and new plays was joined with a scrappy, do-it-yourself work ethic. All shows are rehearsed for a week and then fully mounted and produced, warts and all, for one night only with free admission.
The Cino Nights series celebrates the spirit of indie theatre as a home for new plays and theatre artists as well as hopefully honoring what has been said of the Caffe Cino: "the first studio of theater where playwrights can experiment as painters and poets have done for a century, free from the tyranny of audience, box-office, church, and criticism." The two other plays currently scheduled in the series are by Micheline Auger on February 24th and by Halley Feiffer on May 12th.
The New York Theatre Experience has published the first of two volumes of the Cino Nights plays, and they are available on Amazon, local bookstores, and online at Indie Theater Now.
Diana Stahl (Playwright) is from Milpitas, California and moved to New York to write and act in plays. Her play Associations of Hip was developed and produced by the Overturn Theatre Ensemble, directed by Kristy Dodson. Less Talk, More Efficiency performed as part of Rattlestick's Theater Jam III, directed by Melissa Chambers. Recently her play Helping People was read as part of Rattlestick's F*cking Good Plays series and will be performed this summer as part of IRT's 3B series, both directed by Melissa Chambers. She has assisted playwright Heidi Schreck, musician Suzanne Vega, and is a Literary Associate at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. As an actor she's worked with The Lark, New Georges, Rattlestick, MCC, OTE, Half Moon Theatre, StrangeMen & Co., and more. BFA Purchase College.
Pirronne Yousefzadeh (Director) has directed and developed new work at The Public/Joe's Pub, New York Theatre Workshop, Ars Nova, Soho Rep, Playwrights Horizons, The Woodshed Collective (The Tenant: Best of 2011, The L Magazine), Partial Comfort Productions, Noor Theatre, HERE Arts Center, New York Musical Theatre Festival, Ensemble Studio Theatre, The Lark Play Development Center, Dixon Place, The Wild Project, The Living Theatre, Atlantic Theater School, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Milwaukee Rep, and Hangar Theatre, among others. She is a Usual Suspect at New York Theatre Workshop and the Fellowship Coordinator, New Georges Affiliated Artist and member of The Jam, member of the Old Vic/New Voices Network, and an alumna of the Emerging Artist Fellowship at NYTW, Drama League Directors Project, Lincoln Center Directors Lab, Soho Rep Writer/Director Lab, and Ensemble Studio Theatre's Resident Director Program. Pirronne has been on faculty at Bard High School Early College, and is a directing mentor and guest director at Fordham University, guest director at Ramapo College, and teaching artist at Two River Theater Company. MFA, Columbia University. www.pirronne.com
2007 Caffe Cino Fellowship and New York Innovative Theatre Award winning Rising Phoenix Repertory was founded in 1999 by Artistic Director Daniel Talbott, and produces both in the Indie Theatre and Off-Broadway, in traditional spaces and site-specifically around New York City. Recent productions include the acclaimed, sold-out Off-Broadway runs of Elective Affinities (co-produced site-specifically with piece by piece and Soho Rep), Slipping (produced with piece by piece and Rattlestick), and Too Much Memory (also with piece by piece), which transferred to the New York Theatre Workshop's Fourth Street Theatre after winning the FringeNYC award for Outstanding Play in 2008. RPR produces an ongoing series called Cino Nights, inspired by Joe Cino and his Caffe Cino-one of the original birthplaces of Off-Off-Broadway theatre-for which the company commissioned nineteen playwrights to write new, full-length plays to be fully produced site-specifically in the intimate back room of East Village restaurant Jimmy's No. 43 on a shoestring budget. The first volume of plays from the series, Cino Nights: Plays from Rising Phoenix Rep, was published by The New York Theatre Experience and is available online at Indie Theater Now. Other recent productions include Ceremony, Afterclap, Birthday, and Don't Pet the Zookeeper (Seventh Street Small Stage); 365 Days/365 Plays (Jimmy's No. 43 and The Public Theater); What Happened When (HERE Arts Center); Fall Forward (part of the Sitelines/River to River festival produced by the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council); The Telling Trilogy (including The Ride, 2006 NYIT Award Nominee - Outstanding Original Short Script/Crystal Skillman), Rules of the Universe (Winner, 2007 NYIT Awards for Outstanding Original Short Script/Daniel Reitz and Director/Daniel Talbott), and Three Sisters (Seventh Street Small Stage); Gift by Mark Schultz and Ponies by Mike Batistick (FringeNYC). Rising Phoenix Rep serves as a home base for a company of theatre professionals that encourages an open exchange of work and ideas within the greater theatre community. The company is a proud member of A.R.T./New York, League of Independent Theaters/NY, and The Dish. www.RisingPhoenixRep.org.


text:
House of Commons
Session 2013-14
Publications on the internet
The Register of Members' Financial Interests: Part 1
As at 24th March 2014
ROSINDELL, Andrew (Romford)
4. Sponsorships
(b) Support in the capacity as an MP:
Name of donor: Romford Conservative Support Club
Address of donor: 58 Heath Drive, Romford, Essex RM2 5QR.
Amount of donation or nature and value if donation in kind: £5,804.34
Date of receipt: 20 September 2013
Date of acceptance: 24 September 2013
Donor status: unincorporated association
(Registered 24 September 2013)
6. Overseas visits
Name of donor: Office of the London Representative for Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Address of donor: 29 Bedford Square, London WC1B 3ED
Amount of donation (or estimate of the probable value): £1,092, comprising flights, accommodation, meals and related expenditure.
Destination of visit: Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus
Date of visit: 18-22 July 2013
Purpose of visit: to take part in a cross-party delegation of members of the House of Commons and Lords visiting the TRNC for Peace and Freedom Day celebrations.
(Registered 9 September 2013)
Name of donor: Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar
Address of donor: Government of Gibraltar London Office, 150 Strand, London WC2R 1JA
Amount of donation (or estimate of the probable value): £1,431, comprising flights and accommodation.
Destination of visit: Gibraltar
Date of visit: 7-11 September 2013
Purpose of visit: as a guest of the Government of Gibraltar for Gibraltar National Day celebrations
(Registered 24 October 2013)


text:
I quit my job two weeks ago. Tomorrow is my last day. I am moving back home and then joining the Air Force (or maybe the Army, I haven't decided yet). I will probably be playing a lot less once I get home (or maybe a lot more if I am particularly bored) and then not at all while I do basic training and then officer candidate school. My tanking career is definately on hold for a while and may be over for good. I was unceremoniously dumped down to Legacy status in my guild which basically means that I got put into the raiding retirement home.
I was starting to get pretty bored with raiding anyway so its not a bad thing. I never really raided for the loot (although it is pretty nice), I did it to see new content and be challenged. But we have been farming T6 content since Decemeber and it has become pretty monotonous. I can't imagine what it might be like for the really elite guilds who have been doing the exact same content since last summer.
I found lately that I really hate everything in WoW except arena and raiding. Doing daily quests is physically painful for me. I go crazy flying around looking for mining nodes. I am terribly overgeared to do heroics or regular 5 mans and I am accustomed to a high level of play from those around me so pugs make blood shoot out of my eyeballs. Alliance in my battlegroup just turns off their brain when they enter a battleground and sometimes it seems like they are actively working against their team. I have run Karazhan approximately 122394512341 times. I never liked ZA. I kinda like leveling characters so I might get a few of my mid level characters up to 70 over the next few weeks.
I just noticed that there is no as to who is making which posts. Maybe it is because I am logged in as an admin or something. Regardless, this is Rochelle :)


text:
GRAVITY LA Men's Clothing Shop
Sign up for our email subscription and be in the loop for exclusive
offers and updates!
your privacy is important to us.
620 1/2 S La Brea Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
GRAVITY LA - Lose Yourself, Find Your City
Amazingly comfortable, Los Angeles made Men's and Women's Clothing and Accessories
GRAVITY LA Men's Clothing Shop


text:
July 20, 2011
Scott Atkinson
Theme: Duck! — Words that end in LING are clued as if LING is a suffix intended to convey smallness, as it does in the word DUCKLING.
Theme answers:
- 17A: Very narrow fissure? (CRACKLING).
- 26A: Landfill in a toy city? (DUMPLING).
- 38A: Minuscule tattoo? (INKLING).
- 40A: Dollhouse dress adornment? (BOWLING).
- 49A: Where to wear a training bra? (BUSTLING).
- 62A: Very young hobo? (TRAMPLING).
- 67A: Waterfowl whose young inspired this puzzle's theme (DUCKS).
Did you notice the bonus non-theme theme answers?
- 60A: Mila of "Black Swan" (KUNIS).
- 8D: Swan constellation (CYGNUS).
I have to assume there was no way around GAMALIEL (10D: Warren Harding's middle name) because that's gotta be scored pretty low on the old word list. I remembered that Harding's middle initial was G but assumed the answer would be something at least vaguely resembling a name. I had to piece that one together cross by cross. The "I" was the last letter I entered into the grid. You're killing me, SMALLS! (48D: Some tees.)
- 16A: Hand-dyeing craft (BATIK). We just can't get enough of this particular craft, can we?
- 42A: Opposite of perfect pitch (NO EAR). I wanted TIN EAR here, but NO EAR is perfectly acceptable.
- 44A: Transp. group in the Loop (CTA). Chicago Transit Authority.
- 3D: Twinkie or Ding Dong (SNACK CAKE). Best entry in the grid. Great clue too. Man! those are silly names for food.
- 6D: Slip in a pot (CHIT). I always think this clue refers to, like, an onion or something, but it's an I.O.U. "slip" that's been added to the poker "pot."
- 7D: Strips of leaves (DENUDES). I'm pretty sure I've seen this word before but didn't know what it meant.
- 35D: Cardinal who was a foe of the Musketeers (RICHELIEU). See this is what I was talking about with GAMALIEL. I didn't know this name either, but once I put a few crosses in place I could infer it pretty easily because it looks like a name. GAMALIEL? Not so much.
- 39D: Unwanted playground game teammate (LAST PICK). Oh, I was so afraid this was going to be RUNT or LOSER or FAT KID or something horrible like that. Whew!
- 34A: Where eaglets hatch (AERIE).
- 2D: Calvary inscription (INRI).
- 11D: Asteroids maker (ATARI).
- 25D: Bur. of Prohibition employee (T-MAN).
- 41D: Brewer's kiln (OAST).
- 61D: Palindromic airline (SAS).
Everything Else — 1A: Birthday secret (WISH); 5A: "Back in Black" band (AC/DC); 9A: Visibly amazed (AGAPE); 14A: __ Domini (ANNO); 15A: Bodybuilder's supplement (WHEY); 19A: Vintage violin (AMATI); 20A: Michael Moore health-care film (SICKO); 21A: Melody (TUNE); 23A: Rock 'n' roll middle name (ARON); 24A: Didn't sell (KEPT); 28A: CIA part: Abbr. (AGCY.); 30A: Arthur Fiedler et al. (MAESTRI); 32A: Hamm of soccer (MIA); 33A: Ryder rentals (VANS); 43A: Composer __ Carlo Menotti (GIAN); 45A: Pago Pago people (SAMOANS); 48A: Did a farrier's job (SHOD); 52A: Lacking spice (TAME); 54A: Chain selling stacks (IHOP); 55A: Clue in a case (LEAD); 57A: Dip for a chip (SALSA); 64A: "Fear of Flying" author Jong (ERICA); 65A: Sneaky trick (WILE); 66A: Luke's sci-fi sister (LEIA); 68A: Black stone (ONYX); 69A: Enjoys a smorgasbord (SUPS); 1D: WWII auxiliaries (WACS); 4D: Game with sticks (HOCKEY); 5D: Pointy tool (AWL); 9D: The N.Y. Nets were its last champion (ABA); 12D: Spike for a mountaineer (PITON); 13D: Squeezing (out) (EKING); 18D: Keystone character (KOP); 22D: Ambulance VIP (EMT); 27D: Shrimp relative (PRAWN); 28D: Key with no sharps or flats: Abbr. (A MIN.); 29D: NFL Hall of Famer Marchetti (GINO); 31D: Zambia neighbor: Abbr. (ANG.); 33D: Like megapopular web videos (VIRAL); 36D: Wild about (INTO); 37D: "Zounds!" ("EGAD!"); 40D: Recycling vessel (BIN); 43D: Yuri who was the first to orbit Earth (GAGARIN); 46D: Wire measure (MIL); 47D: Punch sequence (ONE-TWO); 49D: Pedaled (BIKED); 50D: Freedom, in Swahili (UHURU); 51D: Part of SST (SONIC); 53D: "Antony and Cleopatra" killer (ASP); 56D: Tyne with a Tony and Emmys (DALY); 58D: Salon sound (SNIP); 59D: "What __!": "How fun!" (A GAS); 63D: Tex-__ cuisine (MEX).


text:
Our family road trips are normally punctuated by arguments between driver (me) and navigator (wife, who can't properly read a map). So, to decrease strife, and increase marital tranquility, I picked up one of these:
Now we've tried vehicular navigation with the Sportrack, with and without a laptop attached, and I must say that this is just so far above and beyond that there is no comparison. It can be used "hand-held" as well, but I think we'll retain the Sportrack for Geocaching activities.
I am very impressed with the speed that this gets a lock--the new Sirf III chip really makes a difference. There seems to be on lag time to get a fix, and none of the infamous sling-shot effect. A nice female voice cheerfully announced each upcoming turn and the display is big and bright. Of course, it has blue-tooth, an FM transmitter for traffic reports and an SD card slot.


text:
Use Orbit Downloader as RapidShare downloader - How to Download Files From Rapidshare, Megaupload,Yousendit and Sendspace?
Orbit downloader support HTTP POST method. So Orbit downloader can download files from Rapidshare.com or Rapidshare.de. Additionally, Orbit downloader can make your download faster, safer and more stable than IE. There is a Comparison in Orbit downloader and IE below:
Orbit downloader:
As you see, using Orbit downloader, I get more than 150KB/S when download. But the download speed is only 21KB/S when I use IE.


text:
What a difference 20 years has made for the head of the pot lobbying group, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, Norml.
In the old days congressmen would ask Allan St. Pierre about males developing breasts as a result of smoking marijuana— a la the government propaganda movie "Reefer Madness." Now St. Pierre has legislators calling him to help write bills.
"I wrote five last year," says St. Pierre.
Aaron Houston, five-year chief lobbyist for the Marijuana Policy Project, the other top D.C. pot advocacy group, agrees.
"It's really changed since last year, when [President George W.] Bush left office," he says. "My job has changed primarily because of the urgent need to regulate marijuana for all purposes, not just medical reasons. "
So has the argument of pot advocates: It's the economy, dude.
"Prohibition is a luxury we can no longer afford, lawmakers tell me now," St. Pierre says. "And just as the Great Depression sped up the repeal of the Prohibition on alcohol by decades, the current recession appears to be really speeding things up with respect to marijuana."
And that is keeping Norml and MPP, both headquartered in Washington, busy.
MPP is probably the most traditional lobbying organization of the three major pot lobbies.
"We have a PAC (as does Norml). We've played in federal elections, and I am plugged in to groups inside the Beltway of all political persuasions. Norml tends to be more of a consumer organization for marijuana users," says Houston.
In late March, even the National Republican Congressional Committee accepted a $5,000 check from MPP.
"The GOP leadership realizes that state-level regulation of marijuana is popular among their most active constituency right now, the tea party movement, whose members would like to see states decide the issue, like we do with alcohol," Houston told reporters. "There is a huge amount of bipartisan agreement on this issue."
The Opposition
That's certainly more the case today than in the 1970s, when Joyce Nalepka began her fight against drugs. The founder of Drug-Free Kids: America's Challenge, has been lobbying against marijuana at a state or national level since 1977, and reckons she's "met with every member of Congress" on the issue.
"It took me years to convince people it is our most dangerous drug because it's the one that people think isn't harmful,'' says Nalepka. "It's the gateway drug."
Her organization is a diverse international network of groups, including law enforcement, parental, educational, religious and civic ones, such as the Elks Club.
The Elks' drug awareness program page on marijuana states: "Legalization sends a clear message to youth that drugs are not that bad and that society is not willing to pay the cost to protect them."
Though anti-drug groups typically base their argument on ethical, as well as personal and public safety issues, they have little, if any, skin in the game.
That's not the case with the multi-billion dollar drug treatment industry, whose clientele includes marijuana users, many of whom do not check themselves in over concerns about abuse.
"Many people who end up going through treatment are put there because, say, you were driving and got stopped for a traffic light and you happened to have a joint, and you're told well, you are going to get arrested for this marijuana unless you go to this three-week outpatient anti-marijuana treatment," says Professor Jeffrey Miron of Harvard University, one of the nation's foremost experts on drug policy and economics. "The vast majority of such people have no need for any anti-marijuana treatment; it's just a handout to the treatment sector."
History: Grassroots To Policy Wonks
Norml was founded in 1970 by Keith Stroup, funded by $5,000 from the Hugh Hefner's Playboy Foundation. The organization successfully spearheaded efforts to decriminalize marijuana in ten of the 50 states In the 1970s,
The organization and its foundation have an annual budget of about $990,000, six full-time employees and a large grassroots network of 135 chapters. Norml formed a PAC in 2001, and has contributed $37,100 to date.
The Marijuana Policy Project was founded in 1966 by two ex-Norml employees, Rob Kampia and Chuck Thomas. It has 29,000 members, 36 staffers and an annual budget of about $6 million. The MPP board is headed by Peter Lewis, chairman of the Progressive Insurance Company, founded by his father.
The organization faces a challenging year. In January, Kampia was suspended for three months by his board after a sex harassment scandal came to light.
In the meantime, MPP cancelled its annual benefit at the Playboy Mansion, and discontinued a grant program that doled out $1.5 million in 2008 to groups including the Students for Sensible Drug Policy. In 2009, the grants were scaled back to $560,000 and none are scheduled this year.
Of the grant suspension, Kampia says, "It's based on the fact that [Peter Lewis] is getting fed up with negative publicity. He's getting more and more agitated and nervous about the lay of the land of this movement, and so he's cutting the grants program entirely, which is basically going to wipe out a number of our allies."
The third group, New York City-based Drug Policy Alliance was formed in 2000 by the merger of The Lindesmith Center, a think-tank, and the Drug Policy Foundation, a grant making organization. DPA is headed by Ethan Nadelmann, a professor of politics at Princeton University.
Contributors: Rich And Famous
In 1995-1996, global financier and philanthropist George Soros gave $1 million—more than anyone had committed to marijuana reform—to get medical marijuana on the California ballot. It was the first major change since decriminalization in the 1970s.
As St. Pierre remembers it, "The experts agreed that $5-6 million was needed for the effort to be successful. Soros called Peter Lewis, and they got John Sperling, founder of the University of Phoenix. If those three billionaires hadn't plunked down the money, we wouldn't be talking about this right now."
Their efforts were successful, and in 1996, California became the first of 14 states to make it legal to sell marijuana to people with doctors' prescriptions.
With money from Lewis—$3 million in 1997 alone—the MPP and its message have gained traction. Even Bob Barr, the tough-talking Republican congressman from Georgia who single-handedly blocked D.C. from implementing its medical marijuana initiative after voters there approved it, has become an MPP lobbyist.
He isn't pro-drug, he says, just against government intrusion, and he'll now lobby for the rights of states to set their own medical marijuana policy without federal interference.
The marijuana reform movement is clearly shifting away from Washington to the states. Though pot possession is still a federal offense, 14 states have legalized it for medical use. Fourteen more states are considering its legal medical use this year.
California voters will decide on a ballot proposition this fall to tax and regulate pot. A recent poll showed 56 percent of all residents approve of the idea, while all the major gubernatorial candidates oppose it.
Richard Lee, founder of Oaksterdam University, which trains students in the marijuana business, is spearheading the ballot initiative. George Zimmer, the head of the Houston-based Men's Wearhouse chain of clothing stores, who has given money to efforts to relax drug laws before, ponied up $20,000 for the cause.
Full-legalization ballot initiatives are also well under way in Oregon, Nevada and Washington.
"We are becoming more and more decentralized," says Houston. "The sheer volume of supporters dictates that a top-down strategy would not work at this point. Decentralization is a critical component to tactical success."
"You can't have a true social movement funded by three billionaires," says St, Pierre.
California Vote: Fault Line
On April 20, which has grown to be a sort of "cannabis holiday" over the years, Norml will make a big announcement, says St. Pierre. "We'll launch a major effort in which we'll try to redirect every dollar out there to California to help with the legalization effort this year."
Opponents have much the same thing in mind.
"There's going to be a very broad coalition opposing this that will include law enforcement," says John Lovell, a Sacramento lobbyist who represents the California Police Chiefs Association.
St. Pierre thinks national legalization is in the offing, led by the California vote later this year.
"We've got the baby boom generation in power, a crushing recession and an Internet that allows us to get around a lap-doggish national media," he said. "We've never had the support of more powerful people in this effort."
President Obama, for instance, supports the concept of medical marijuana.
The current environment may be as good as it gets for the marijuana movement.
That may explain why "Esquire" Magazine made marijuana lobbyist number seven in its list of ten New Jobs For Men 2010: "As pot reform becomes a larger part of the national debate, these are the people at the forefront of the movement to de-stigmatize the drug. Just like other lobbyists, they glad-hand with politicians and policy wonks..."
"I have meetings at the Capitol. I had a meeting at the White House a couple weeks ago," says Houston.
The new Norml—so to speak.
This article is part of a series originally published on CNBC.com


text:
Washington D.C., Nov 9, 2012 / 04:11 am ().- Despite pro-life setbacks in the Nov. 6 election, there is still hope and ample opportunity for progress in promoting a culture of life in the coming years, pro-life advocates are saying.
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, explained that the election "confirmed for every pro-lifer that we cannot rely on politicians to abolish abortion."
"We first must change the culture and then the culture will shape our politicians and laws," she told CNA.
On Nov. 6, President Barack Obama was elected to a second term by the American people after committing himself to furthering tax-payer funded abortion without restrictions.
Deep political divisions between the U.S. House and Senate also make it unlikely that major federal pro-life legislation will pass in the coming years.
At the state level, a Florida measure that would have prevented taxpayer funds for paying for abortions failed, while a parental notification law for girls under 16 seeking an abortion in Montana was passed. An attempt to repeal the death penalty in California also failed to win voter approval.
But Hawkins believes there is still important work to be done in changing minds and hearts across America.
The election "showed that we can't be afraid to talk about these 'hard issues,'" she said, pointing to the Democratic Party's strong emphasis on abortion at its national convention and throughout the campaign.
The Republican Party failed to respond with an equally strong emphasis, she said, and exit polls indicate that "there were a lot of pro-lifers missing" on Election Day.
"We need to march forward, courageously, doing what we have been doing for the past four years," Hawkins asserted. She listed her priorities as reaching out to women in need, spreading the pro-life message and working through local efforts to expose and de-fund Planned Parenthood and remove its presence from schools.
"We need to work to develop better alternative and resource centers in our communities, so no women is ever forced to sacrifice her kids to and to put her life in the hands of Planned Parenthood," she added.
Hawkins also stressed the importance of reaching out to young people. While support for Obama was down from 2008 among young voters, the president still captured a significant majority of the youth voting bloc.
"There is much more work to be done educating young people about abortion," she said.
While Gallup polls indicate that this generation of young people is pro-life, it can be difficult for them – having been taught all their lives that truth is relative – to move from the understanding that abortion is wrong to the conviction that abortion should be illegal, she explained.
"We must continue forward, speaking to our young people about their worldview, why life is intrinsically valuable, and how making a horrific act such as abortion illegal is the morally right thing to do," she said.
Charmaine Yoest, president and CEO of Americans United for Life, agreed that there is a need to continue building on the "dramatic success" achieved in the past decade.
The election was definitely a loss for the pro-life movement, she said, but the good news is that groups like Americans United for Life have a "clear, direct and strategic plan" for moving ahead.
Despite the hostile atmosphere at the national level, there is significant hope for pro-life advances at the state level, she explained.
In the past four years, Americans United for Life has promoted the passage of nearly 100 pieces of pro-life legislation in states across America, including sonogram laws, clinic regulations and other abortion restrictions.
"We're seeing a tidal wave of pro-life legislation sweep across the country," Yoest said, noting that the "accumulation of victories" is encouraging.
While she acknowledged that it would be good to have Supreme Court justices who respect the right to life, she added that it is still possible to navigate around the court's infamous 1973 decision and "start legislating for a post-Roe America."
Yoest also pointed to the importance of changing minds and hearts through one-on-one engagement with women in need.
She cited efforts to partner with pregnancy care centers to show women that although abortion may be a legal option, it is not a good option.
"By working with those women, we shape the culture," she explained.
Tags: Pro-life, 2012 election
You may also like »
Glendon: economic, cultural concerns make 2012 election historic
Mary Ann Glendon, the former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, believes that the 2012...
Life Prizes to honor six pro-life leaders and groups
The six winners of the Gerard Health Foundation's annual Life Prizes have been announced. The...
Pro-life leaders hold international conference in Rome
Leaders in the movement to protect human life from conception to natural death held a...


text:
I spent a couple days in New York last week meeting with two very good publishers, one of whom, a veteran and very smart editor, asked whether I'd thought about how busy people can actually integrate real cooking and real food into their daily lives. He wasn't talking about the crispy pig I had at Maialino hours later. That, as you can see, is real food and real good. (Two standbys for me in NYC, where I go just to feel good, because NYC makes me all jittery and my eyes go out of sync like that Mad-eye guy in Harry Potter but not in a useful way: Bar Boulud and any one of Danny Meyer's restaurants. It's not just the food, it's the service [and yes, I paid full price, even left my VISA the check fold, and they were kind enough to mail it on! It's a measure of my respect for them that I didn't even bother to put a hold on my card]. They put you at ease. And it's not just because it's me, it's because that's their business—service—and they know it.)
But I said to this veteran editor, who lives and works in books and probably doesn't cook a lot but wants to be able to put a decent meal on the table when called upon even if the day has been crunched, "Yeah, I think about it all the time, because it's important, and it's not easy." Especially in Manhattan, but they're an unusual case—most people live like me—that is, not in LA or NYC.
Mainly it's a matter of planning ahead, just like anything else. If you're not a plumber and the toilet's leaking, you don't just go in there and wing it. It takes some planning and some work. But in the kitchen, after you do it once, it just gets easier and easier. You need a few techniques, five or ten, maybe twenty if you're ambitious, and the ability to make a list of stuff to buy ahead of time. That's it.
But this editor was obviously on to something. People like him do want to know.
Having hours to kill at Newark, waiting for my direct United Airlines flight to CLE, I read most of Peter Kaminsky's fine book published this week called Culinary Intelligence.
Peter, a fellow jack-of-all-trades—fly-fisher, cook, ghostwriter, television producer, author, etc.—eats as part of his occupation and found himself, in later middle age, getting plump, and not liking it. In the book he talks about being smart about food, thinking sensibly about cooking and eating. Getting middle-aged and plump myself, it was my kind of book (the subtitle says it all). And for parents who want to raise food-thoughtful kids who eat real food, there's this, from the publisher I met with before I met with the aforementioned: French Kids Eat Everything.
Well, when it comes to matters of sexuality and food, DKS aberrations excluded, the French know how to live. Again, the subtitle says it all. It's not a cookbook, it's a thoughtful book.
Thoughtful readers, I'd love to hear from you. What are your strategies for integrating real food and real cooking into your lives? Donna and I live and work at home, so we've got it easy. I'd love to hear from couples of families where the partners both work outside the home. How do you do it? In fact, I'm so interested in this subject, if I get more than 50 comments, I'll choose one at random and send you a signed copy of Ruhlman's Twenty (or any book of mine you'd like). Seriously, this is really important to me. (Update: 50 comments have been surpassed so one lucky commenter is going to get that signed copy of the book. Comments must be posted by 8 a.m. tomorrow, 5/4, and only U.S. readers are eligible, sorry!)
So glad to be out of NYC. But all of it—Meyer and Boulud, two smart publishers, two smart authors, a country hungry to make good, delicious choices—it makes me hopeful. Just nobody make me go to Skyline Chili in Lyndhurst with Bourdain again, please.
If you liked this post on April in NYC, check out these other links:
- My posts on the Breslin's Pig Foot from April Bloomfield.
- Donna's lunch at Thomas Keller's Per Se.
- NYC Food Truck Association has info on many delicious mobile meals in the Big Apple.
- Danny Meyer's Shake Shack is a great place to have a burger and a custard.
© 2012 Michael Ruhlman. Photo © 2012 Donna Turner-Ruhlman. All rights reserved.


text:
Your browser does not support iframes.
Voters will have the chance to vote on two amendments to the state constitution on Tuesday that could affect retiree benefits in South Carolina.
Amendments 2 and 3 focus on "post-employment benefits," which are benefits provided to state and local government retirees. These benefits usually take the form of health insurance. Amendment 2 focuses on state government and school district retirees, while Amendment 3 focuses on local government post-employment benefits.
Long lines are expected on Tuesday, as voters get the chance to choose not only a new president, but local politicians to represent them as well.
Precincts are expected to be packed with voters who are participating in a presidential election that will make history with either the first black president or the first woman vice president emerging as the winner.
After four years of helping abuse victims find help in their hour of need, the Safe Passage Shelter has closed its doors in Lancaster.
The shelter opened in 2004 and has provided assistance to hundreds of victims, including men, women and children.
Safe Passage has sheltered more than 100 people this year, with 38 of those people from Lancaster County. Victims will now be directed to shelters in York and Union counties.
As thousands of Lancaster County residents get ready to vote Tuesday, the Lancaster County Voter Registration and Election Commission is taking measures to make sure the day goes smoothly.
Rick Crimminger, chairman of the local commission, said that while there were some glitches with machines in the election two years ago, he expects this election to go as smoothly as the primaries went earlier this year.
Phil Cleveland and Michael Windhorn are vying for one open seat on the Lancaster County Soil and Water Conservation Board in Tuesday's election.
The soil and water conservation district aims to increase awareness of local natural resources by talking about conservation and environmental issues to schools, community leaders and other residents.
The commissioners attend monthly meetings in the county and receive training at statewide functions. The seat is countywide, non-partisan and comes without pay or benefits.
Watershed boards
A helicopter circled above Lancaster County on Thursday as the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office rounded up suspects on drug warrants.
The sheriff's office concluded Operation Rolling Thunder, the second part of this year's major drug operation, as teams of deputies searched the county with warrants in hand for about 50 suspected drug dealers.
The charges are based on undercover drug buys made throughout the county.
The Lancaster County Sheriff's Office has charged two men in connection with a shooting on Crenson Drive on Oct. 4.
Allen Wesley Massey, 21, of 422 Helm St., and Timothy Blair, 22, of 2206 Pardue St., were arrested Wednesday and have been charged with assault and battery with intent to kill, said sheriff's office spokesman Tom Holland.
According to an incident report, the 32-year-old shooting victim had just pulled into the driveway of his Crenson Drive home when a man opened the passenger side door and demanded money.
County Council will consider more requests to accept roads into its maintenance system Monday night.
There has been debate recently about what roads Lancaster County will accept for maintenance. County officials say the county has little money for road maintenance.
Council will consider a request Monday to accept roads from the Arlington and Clairemont neighborhoods in Indian Land.
There was some question earlier this year about whether the county would accept roads from Sun City Carolina Lakes.
It was once a question of "if" Lancaster County would build a courthouse using a 1-cent sales tax.
That was before a fire, set by an arsonist, destroyed the second floor of the 180-year-old Lancaster County Courthouse on Aug. 4.
Now, County Council has decided the county can no longer postpone building a new courthouse.
Council approved an installment-purchase plan to build a $33 million courthouse this fall and decided to pay for it with a penny sales tax or an increase in property taxes.
How it's paid for will be decided in a referendum on Tuesday's ballot.
Copyright © 2019
The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..


text:
February 10, 2002 - Boston Globe: Mark Gearan - The Promise of Citizen Service
Peace Corps Online
Peace Corps News
Peace Corps Headlines - 2002
02 February 2002 Peace Corps Headlines
: February 10, 2002 - Boston Globe: Mark Gearan - The Promise of Citizen Service
Admin1 (admin)
Tuesday, February 12, 2002 - 8:56 am
Edit Post
Mark Gearan - The Promise of Citizen Service
Read and comment on this op ed piece from the Boston Globe by Former Peace Corps Director Mark Gearan where he argues that would be a mistake to let the individual identities of organizations like the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and others be swallowed up by a separate umbrella organization at:
The promise of citizen service
This link was active on the date it was posted. PCOL is not responsible for broken links which may have changed.
The promise of citizen service
By Mark Gearan, 2/10/2002
IN HIS STATE of the Union speech, President Bush issued an eloquent call to service that should be embraced by every American.
The attacks of Sept. 11 have reinforced the spirit of citizen service that is part of our national character and culture. The president should be applauded for proposing a variety of ways to expand the private and public institutions that give Americans the opportunity to volunteer their time and skills to a greater cause.
As director of the Peace Corps, as a board member of the Corporation for National Service (which governs AmeriCorps and other domestic service programs), and as a college president, I have had the privilege of seeing first hand the depth of our nation's commitment to public service, especially by America's youth.
Public service engages people in matters beyond their own. It strengthens the fabric of our society. And it can solve vexing problems - keeping a neighborhood drug-free, teaching a child to read, or helping African villagers earn money by marketing their weavings. It is amazing what people will do on their own and the inspirational effect they can have on others without the incentive of profit.
The centerpiece of President Bush's call to service is the establishment of the USA Freedom Corps. If the primary purpose of the USA Freedom Corps is to foster greater collaboration among the government's volunteer programs and develop more opportunities for more Americans to serve, it can be a positive step.
But it would be a mistake to let the individual identities of organizations like the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and others be swallowed up by a separate umbrella organization. The last attempt to consolidate government volunteer programs - ACTION under President Nixon - failed, in part, because it blurred the distinctive nature of each agency's mission.
For the Peace Corps, the preservation of its unique character and mission - and its independence - is particularly important. Over the last four decades, it has earned a rare, nonpartisan space in our public life. Peace Corps volunteers themselves have built a worldwide reputation as representing the best of the American people, not as official representatives of the US government or its policies. This was the brilliance of the program - to sponsor citizen service that is altruistic and focused on solving real problems, while being divorced from political considerations and strategic foreign policy objectives.
Though subtle, the basic character and image of the Peace Corps is the root of its success, both in the public's eye and in Congress. In 1999, President Clinton and a Republican Congress authorized a 50 percent increase in the number of volunteers - to 10,000.
When President Clinton first proposed establishing AmeriCorps, it was the subject of fierce partisan debate. Today, it has support from both parties in Congress, and President Bush wants to further expand the program. The president's call to service struck a deeply responsive chord among many Americans. By calling for broad expansions in the Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, and other volunteer agencies, the president honored the service of hundreds of thousands of Americans and reaffirmed the wisdom of government support for these programs. With his leadership, there is great potential for people of every background to solve problems in our communities, strengthen international understanding overseas, and ultimately lift the hopes of the less fortunate through volunteer service.
However the USA Freedom Corps is ultimately defined, growing the Peace Corps and its Crisis Corps as well as AmeriCorps is a great idea. But the administration and Congress must retain the qualities and traditions that have made them so successful.
Mark Gearan is president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y.
Some postings on Peace Corps Online are provided to the individual members of this group without permission of the copyright owner for the non-profit purposes of criticism, comment, education, scholarship, and research under the "Fair Use" provisions of U.S. Government copyright laws and they may not be distributed further without permission of the copyright owner. Peace Corps Online does not vouch for the accuracy of the content of the postings, which is the sole responsibility of the copyright holder.
Add a Message
This is a public posting area. Enter your username and password if you have an account. Otherwise, enter your full name as your username and leave the password blank. Your e-mail address is optional.


text:
The city owns not only the sports arena property, but also the properties on either side of it, including the commercial strip where Red Lobster and Phil's BBQ are, the commercial area where SOMA nightclub and Kobey's Swap Meet's corporate offices are, down to Dixieline and Pier One Imports. The long-vacant, deteriorating Black Angus restaurant site is also east of the sports arena.
Community planners were told that the Valley View Casino Center's (formerly the San Diego Sports Arena) lease is up in 2020 and that Phil's BBQ's lease runs out in 2018. It was pointed out that most other area leaseholders are month-to month, a situation that has caused consternation among merchants because of uncertainty over their future. NBCPG chairwoman Melanie Nickel said it's paramount that the city begin renegotiating leases with surrounding leaseholders because "we don't want derelict properties. We want coordination so all the leases come up at once, not this scattershot approach."
John Ly of District 2 City Councilman Kevin Faulconer's office, whose district includes the sports arena area, said it's been the policy of the city's Real Estate Assets Department to put a "hold on these properties because they want to put together a master plan."
If the NBCPG wishes, Ly said Faulconer will work with city real estate assets to "see things (leases) get extended so we don't have a ghost town."
Chuck Pretto of Kobey's Swap Meet said he signed a new lease recently to move out of his existing company headquarters at 3350 Sports Arena Blvd., Suite K.
"We're moving over near Phil's BBQ in the Sports Arena Villa, taking the old city regulations office suite," Pretto said.
Dixieline Lumber Co., at 3250 Sports Arena Blvd., is in the process of remodeling its existing site with the expectation that its current lease — set to expire in a matter of months — will be renewed.
In other matters, Tait Galloway from the former city Planning Department that has now been renamed the Neighborhood Restoration Department, also has a new director. Urban planner Bill Fulton, a former mayor in Ventura, will assume the new role.
Galloway said he's been working on North Bay's community plan update.
"We'll have a working draft to share with the planning group at your next meeting [in September]," said Galloway.
Nickel said the group's entire meeting on Sept. 18 will be devoted to the community plan update.
The Midway/Pacific Highway Corridor Community is made up of the central Midway area and the narrow, linear-shaped Pacific Highway Corridor. It has an urbanized commercial core containing numerous shopping centers and institutional facilities. There are a few multi-family residential complexes located in the western portion of the community adjacent to Point Loma. The planning area is generally characterized by a variety of commercial retail activities and wide, multi-directional traffic intersections.
The NBCPG meets the third Wednesday of each month at 3 p.m. at San Diego Community College's West City Campus, 3249 Forham St., in Room 208.