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Check back next week for my full interview (featuring some awesomely ridiculous stories) with Channing Tatum about"Magic Mike," opening June 29. For now, a small snippet of the actor's thoughts on ...
Avoiding full-frontal nudity in "Magic Mike": "Yeah, we didn't want to have a bunch of penises flopping around. I don't think that was on our bucket list for this movie. I just think it's distracting whenever you really see stuff like that. It's like sex scenes in a way or full nudity scenes. All of a sudden, for me personally when I'm watching a movie, and I see an actress butt-naked or something, I'm just like, 'Oh my god!' I forget about the character and I'm like, 'There's Angelina Jolie, and she's beautiful and she's naked in front of me.'"
Two former stripper co-workers claiming he stole their stories for "Magic Mike": "[Laughs] Yeah. I've heard about this. Somebody texted me about it this morning … I think it's the same guy that sold the video the first time. There's a video of me dancing, that's how this all sort of came around. They're just coming out the woodwork. All the people that I essentially danced with, they're all good guys, man, and I wish them the best. I don't really know what to say. This has nothing to do with anyone's life. This has nothing to do with real fact. The only thing that has to do with fact is there's an 18-year-old kid with a sister. Very little. That's it. We specifically made it vague for that reason because we didn't want anything like that to happen because we knew that it was going to. I haven't watched these things yet, but I'm going to watch them because it's just hilarious. It's funny to me. But I'm really appreciative that--we need other people promoting this movie, so thank you, guys. [Laughs]"
Why it's fun to impersonate Matthew McConaughey: "He's such a character. He's a larger than life character. I think everyone sort of wishes that they had something like that in them. I don't know if I've ever met very many people that are as special as he is. He is a one of a kind thing."
If everyone walked into a room saying, like McConaughey, "All right all right all right": "I think a lot more people would enjoy their lives if they would do that. He's such a dude. He's such a suave, swaggering character. I think wherever he had grown up, he'd have just been that guy. Because he's just that guy. I don't even know how to explain it."
Watch Matt on "You & Me This Morning," Friday at 7:30 a.m. on WCIU, the U
firstname.lastname@example.com. @mattpais


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so the uri and other opposition parties have been pushing this vote back as much as they could by whatever means possible, but the GNP leader apparently gave them an ultimatum of getting party support cut off for any non-showing reps for this day. it'll open korean markets to US agriculture, which is good for us, not so good for korean farmers. opposition members from one of the smaller parties even tried to use tear gas grenades to get everyone out of the chamber before the vote could happen. dude's got balls.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/11/22/busin ... index.html
Despite scuffles and a tear gas attack in parliament, South Korea's governing party rammed through a free trade agreement between Seoul and Washington Tuesday after painstaking weeks of negotiations.
An opposition lawmaker threw a tear gas canister shortly before the vote in his effort to stop the vote but failed as the bill was passed by a vote of 151 to 7.
The ruling Grand National Party (GNP) surprised lawmakers with a vote two days before it was expected on the hotly debated agreement, which was waiting final approval from the Korean National Assembly before it goes into effect.
Washington ratified the agreement with South Korea in October, adding pressure on Seoul to pass the trade deal.
Opposition parties resisted for weeks by blocking conference rooms so the government could not get committee approval for the bill. In the end, the speaker introduced the bill directly on the floor of parliament.
S. Korea looks at positive in trade deal
Civic groups and opposition lawmakers opposed the ratification of the deal, saying South Korea will lose its economic sovereignty.
By Seoul's estimates, the trade deal will boost the country's gross domestic product by 5.6%. However, the farming sector is expected to suffer a loss of anywhere up to 2.28 trillion won (nearly $2 billion) in production, according to the Korea Rural Economic Institute.
The U.S. International Trade Commission estimates that the lowering of Korean tariffs and tariff-rate quotas on goods alone will add $10 billion to $12 billion to annual U.S. GDP and around $10 billion to annual merchandise exports to Korea.
The American Chamber of Commerce in Korea welcomed the ratification of the bill.
"With the ratification of this historic free trade agreement, transparency, consistency and predictability will become greater strengths of the Korean economy, and will help draw many more investors to Korea," said Amy Jackson, president of AMCHAM Korea.

subset: commoncrawl


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Discover Parrano
Parrano is an unforgettable cheese with a distinctly Italian temperament. It has the alluring nutty flavor and buttery aroma of a fine aged Parmesan with the smooth creamy texture of a young Dutch Gouda. Aged to perfection, Parrano is perfect as a snack, on its own, or added to any of your favorite recipes.
Ways to Enjoy…
- Serve Parrano on an antipasto platter with olives and cured meats.
- Melt Parrano in a tortilla with some salsa or chopped peppers for a quick quesadilla.
- Enjoy Parrano with ripe strawberries or grapes for an easy fruit platter.
The good life….
- Parrano pairs perfectly with bold reds such as Chianti or Pinot Noir.
- For the ultimate indulgence, enjoy Parrano with a glass of Port.
- Light, fruity wheat beers complement the flavor of Parrano.
Bring Parrano home….
- Parrano is available nationally at large retail grocery stores such as Whole Foods Market, Safeway & Kroger as well as gourmet food stores and cheese shops.
- Introducing Parrano for slicing now in your local Deli Deparment. Perfect for sandwich and Panini making.
Design your own basket…
- Decadent Dessert basket with: Parrano, chocolate, fruit, honey, and cookies.
- Viva Parrano basket with: Parrano, pesto, prosciutto, sundried tomatoes and Chianti.
- Tapas Picnic basket with: Parrano, olives, chorizo, almonds, fig jam and sherry.
What's your favorite way to use Parrano?
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No, Searching for a New Job Is Not an Appropriate Use of Your '20% Time'
Google's mission–to organize the world's information-technology workers and make them financially successful–is growing more difficult these days as key employees exercise their options, stuff their pockets to bursting with the proceeds and move on. And who could blame them when options granted in 2003 with an average strike price of 49 cents are trading well north of $500, and upstart ventures like Facebook offer an opportunity to hit that sort of Google-sized upside a second time. "There are lot of people [at Google] who are talking about leaving now and what they want to do next," Facebook co-founder and Engineering Vice President Dustin Moskovitz told The Wall Street Journal.
Comments like Moskovitz's are a far cry from the accusations of talent-hoarding leveled at Google just a few years back. "Google is doing more damage to innovation in the Valley right now than Microsoft ever did," LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman told the New York Times in 2005. "It's largely that they're hiring up so many talented people, and the fact they're working on so many different things. It's harder for start-ups to do interesting stuff right now."
Quite a contrast in perceptions, yeah? Funny, how quickly the hottest-of-hot Valley companies can begin to lose currency in tech's talent pool. Not that we haven't seen this sort of thing before. "Twenty years from now, Google … will essentially become the Microsoft of today," said management consultant David Goodenough. "This is the norm."


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45 photos of stars on the 2018 Logies Red Carpet
It might have been a red carpet, but gold was the colour on everyone's lips as the celebrities started to arrive at the 60th Logie awards.
From Gold Logie nominees to the balmy Gold Coast location, there was no avoiding the shiny hue on Sunday night.
While A Current Affair's Tracy Grimshaw is the frontrunner to take out the major award, a last-minute surge for Family Feud host Grant Denyer is gathering momentum.
"Tom Gleeson got involved and picked up my campaign without even asking and just went nuts with it, so he's promoting #DenyerforGold, Russell Crowe has kind of weighed in. It's all getting pretty serious," Denyer told AAP.
"To have him on your side, you know you've got half a chance."
The Project host Waleed Aly, a former Gold Logie winner, reflected on his win at Sunday night's red carpet.
"Every now and again I get reminded that I've won it and it's a lovely reminder," Aly said.
He was joined on the carpet by his Project co-hosts including Carrie Bickmore and Lisa Wilkinson.
Karl Stefanovic also made an appearance after previously saying he would boycott the event when it was announced it was moving from Melbourne to the Gold Coast.
Hollywood royalty arrived in the form of NCIS star Wilmer Valderrama who didn't rule out the possibility of filming an Australian episode of the police drama.
"I can't confirm that... but I definitely wouldn't be opposed to it," he told AAP.
ABC TV's War On Waste host Craig Reucassel proudly showed off his op-shop suit, complete with its Salvation Army tag.
"I'm wearing op-shop clothing only. I still can't believe what you can find in an op shop," he said.
Another Gold Logie favourite Amanda Keller opted for a white dress
"I did feel a bit like a bride getting dressed today," Keller told AAP.
"It's been a strange week leading up to it, it's very hard to spruik yourself. It's very hard to sell yourself so I'm really glad the night's here and what will be, will be."
Former Gold Logie winner, actress Jessica Marais, is once again up for the big gong but pulled out of the awards night citing health reasons.
The other contenders are Doctor Doctor actor Rodger Corser and Selling Houses Australia host Andrew Winter.
Comedian and radio host Dave Hughes will open the ceremony for the fourth year in a row while TV personalities Carrie Bickmore, Julia Morris, Scott Cam, Hamish Blake and Andy Lee will be among the celebrities to present awards on the night.
British singers Jess Glynn and Dan Caplen, Australian singer Conrad Sewell and Kelly Rowland alongside The Voice winner Sam Perry will all be performing.
Australian Associated Press


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To the casual motorist driving west on Wilshire from downtown Los Angeles, MacArthur Park comes as a pleasant surprise. With its wide lake and palm trees, the 32-acre park looks like an oasis in the heart of the teeming Pico-Union district, the most densely populated neighborhood west of New York City. But there's nothing very bucolic about life in MacArthur Park--the main activity is selling drugs. Today, the police are selling drugs, too.
Just east of the park, on Alvarado Street, three plainclothes officers are taking orders from eager customers. Cash is exchanged, and then the buyers are sent to pick up their purchases in the parking lot of a nearby McDonald's. But instead of getting their drugs, the customers are arrested and taken to the local police station to be booked. In most places, an undercover buy of this sort would normally "burn out" an area quickly, as word of the sting spread. Not in MacArthur Park. So many customers come here from so many directions that there's no way for all of them to get the word. By the end of the day, the LAPD will have arrested about 80 people.
The purpose of today's operation, however, is not to rack up drug arrests. Rather, it's part of a concerted effort to apply the precepts of "quality of life" policing--"broken windows" policing, as it's commonly known--to an area that has long been one of the West Coast's premier drug markets. Instead of the traditional approach to narcotics--the occasional massive sweep, the elaborate sting operation--the LAPD is putting officers in the park on a daily basis with the goal of establishing new baselines of routine behavior. Today's operation was designed to send a message to users that MacArthur Park is now a dangerous place to score drugs--not just when a major sting is in progress but on seemingly routine days as well.
Meanwhile, in a further effort to improve MacArthur Park's quality of life, police are targeting minors under the influence of drugs or alcohol and discouraging homeless people with shopping carts from taking up long-term residence. The multi-faceted campaign to reestablish order has already led to a sharp reduction in violent crime in the neighborhood, and police say they're determined to keep the pressure on. "Right now, everyone is waiting for us to leave," says Captain Charles Beck, the officer in charge of MacArthur Park. "Well, we're not leaving this time."
Cleaning up MacArthur Park is the opening salvo in an ambitious campaign by Mayor James Hahn to make Los Angeles, which last year was America's murder capital, into the safest big city in America. To take on this Herculean task, Hahn has turned to the country's most famous cop, former New York police chief William Bratton.
When he arrived in Los Angeles in October 2002, Bratton brought with him a record of both striking success and continuing controversy. During the mid-1990s, at a time when most criminologists maintained that the police could do little to prevent crime--their job was responding to it--Bratton argued exactly the opposite. He insisted the cause of violent crime was criminals, and that police properly deployed and wisely used could discourage them, get them off the streets and drive crime down.
As a mark of confidence in his ideas, Bratton vowed to cut crime in New York City by 40 percent in three years. Critics scoffed, but two years later, homicides were down 39 percent, and Bratton had become the toast of New York. His picture appeared on the cover of Time magazine. At that point, however, perhaps as a result of his sudden celebrity status, Bratton fell out of favor with his boss, Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. In March 1996, America's most successful and innovative police chief walked out of Manhattan's One Police Plaza for the last time.
By then, however, Brattonism was turning into a national phenomenon. Former aides took his techniques, particularly the computerized crime- mapping system known as Compstat, to departments in Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New Orleans. These transplants achieved quick, sometimes dramatic, success. However, none have matched the sustained crime reductions of New York City. At the same time, the country as a whole began to experience a sharp reduction in crime. Even cities such as Los Angeles that failed to change their policing methods saw significant reduction. Between 1990 and 1999, the number of murders in Los Angeles went from 983 per year to 425.
As crime fell almost everywhere, regardless of policing techniques, questions about Bratton's accomplishment in New York and his philosophy of crime reduction began to reappear. University of Cincinnati criminologist John Eck summed up the resurgent conventional wisdom: "The bottom line is that one can't really give a lot of credence to the strong statement about the police having a huge independent role in reducing crime, particularly homicide." In the view of Eck and other mainstream criminologists, crime rates are a function of demographics, economic conditions and the changing nature of drug markets (such as the end of the "crack" cocaine epidemic).
While academics discounted his achievements, Bratton wrote a book, hit the lecture circuit and tried to find his niche in the private sector. By the late '90s, he was eager to get back into public service. He briefly considered running for mayor of New York, then backed losing Democratic candidate Mark Green in hopes of becoming deputy mayor for public safety.
Ultimately, however, Bratton decided he wanted to be a police chief again, and in Los Angeles, he found perhaps the ideal opportunity--a stage as big as New York's and a mayor who didn't mind a high-profile chief. Soon after selecting Bratton, Hahn said he would be delighted to see him on the cover of Time magazine.
To win that sort of national acclaim again, Bratton will have to solve problems unlike any he has dealt with before. In an odd way, the LAPD is more like a state highway police force than a normal big-city department--it's small, car-dependent and forced to cover a huge area it doesn't know very well. Moreover, it patrols some of the most dangerous territory in the industrialized world. Residents view the police with suspicion, gang members occasionally open fire on police officers with automatic weapons, and memories of civil unrest are fresh in everyone's mind.
"This is basically my Rubicon," Bratton says, "my opportunity once and for all to make the case that a philosophy I have helped champion, that I am famous for espousing, works."
The philosophy is "broken windows," first put forward more than a decade ago by the criminologists George Kelling and James Q. Wilson. In the years since then, it has become one of the most familiar ideas in the world of public safety. It is also one of the most misunderstood. As originally articulated, "broken windows" held that seemingly minor signs of disorder--graffiti, vandalism, even broken windows--if unattended give rise to more serious offenses and greater disorder. In many places, the broken windows idea has been equated with a "zero tolerance" approach to minor crimes. But in New York, broken windows was never about zero tolerance. It was primarily a tool for finding gun-toting criminals and taking them out of circulation. It turned out that when the police arrested vandals or turnstile jumpers they found a lot of ex-felons who were also carrying guns or skipping out on warrants. By getting to these people early, the police were in effect disarming them. Nothing in the theory requires that the incidence of minor crime be brought down to zero--it merely requires that minor criminals be apprehended before they graduate to major lawlessness.
In the mid-1990s, as New York began to crack down on "quality of life" criminals, and crime rates fell, these ideas attracted notice all over the country. But there was another equally important if less noticed ingredient to Bratton's success in New York--thousands of new police officers. Bratton arrived at the NYPD at just the moment when hundreds and later thousands of additional officers were entering the force. With so many new recruits on hand, Bratton could flood hot spots highlighted by his elaborate databases and deny criminals a base of operations. In Los Angeles, he doesn't have the resources to do that.
"In New York, you had the luxury of being relatively smart and getting it done," says John Miller, the LAPD chief of counterterrorism. "Here you have to be a goddam genius."
The West Coast is generally more lightly policed than the East Coast, where police jobs were once important parts of political patronage machines. Los Angeles, however, takes the West Coast's penchant for small forces to an extreme. To police a city of 3.8 million people, the LAPD relies on approximately 9,200 officers--half the number per capita that New York City has. Moreover, these officers patrol an area nearly twice the size of New York. All in all, Los Angeles neighborhoods have only about one-quarter of the police presence that New York's neighborhoods do.
The small size of the LAPD has had a dramatic effect on the organization's culture. In New York, if an officer gets into trouble and calls for backup, he can expect a dozen cars on the scene in five minutes or less. In L.A., help may take three times as long to arrive. According to John Linder, a consultant who has worked closely with Bratton in both cities, understaffing in L.A. has over time created a police force whose officers worry more about personal survival than about community relations, and who go into every situation hard, fast and expecting the worst.
For years, young black men stopped by the LAPD were routinely "proned out"--forced to lie on the ground with their arms and legs spread while the police patted them down. Neighbors who asked for information at crime scenes were sometimes accused of "loitering" and threatened with arrest. For many inner-city residents, particularly black men, a bad experience with the LAPD was part of growing up.
These techniques succeeded in maintaining a semblance of order, but at a price. The price was massive resentment and distrust toward the police, particularly in the African-American community. In 1992, after an all-white jury acquitted four LAPD officers in the beating of African-American motorist Rodney King, that resentment erupted in six days of rioting. In the aftermath of the riots, it became clear that the price for keeping order in the traditional way was too high for the city to accept. Chief Daryl Gates was forced out. However, the culture of the LAPD has proved extremely difficult to change.
Willie Williams, Gates' immediate replacement, was widely viewed as a hapless and ineffective chief. The next selection, 30-year LAPD veteran Bernard Parks, was unsuccessful in a different way. Soon after his arrival, the department experienced the greatest scandal in its modern history. In 1999, LAPD internal affairs discovered that several members of the Rampart anti-gang unit (responsible for, among other areas, MacArthur Park) had themselves been shaking down dealers, providing protection and peddling dope.
Chief Parks responded angrily and harshly. He abolished the anti-gang units and imposed new complaint procedures. But while such actions staved off a threatened federal takeover of the department, they ultimately cost him the support of his officers. A survey of the force in 2000 found that only 18 percent of officers were confident that Chief Parks was leading them in the right direction. Seventy-nine percent were afraid of "being punished for an honest mistake," and 57 percent expressed the desire "to leave if they could."
In fact, hundreds of officers did leave during this period, reducing the size of the already overstretched force precipitously. Many of those who stayed essentially stopped trying very hard. As one patrol officer explained, "if everyone you arrest says 'it's not mine' and files a complaint against you, what are you going to do? You're going to say, 'Screw it. I'm not going to look that way next time.'"
The result of this spreading cynicism was predictable--crime began skyrocketing again. In 2000, at a time when homicides nationwide were falling slightly, L.A.'s murder rate jumped to 550, an increase of nearly 23 percent over the previous year. The following year, the number of murders rose again, to 588. In 2002, Los Angeles edged out Chicago to become the murder capital of the United States with 654 homicides.
Faced with an escalating crime problem, newly elected Mayor James Hahn made a risky decision. Although much of the support that elected him had come from L.A.'s African-American community, Hahn decided to accept its displeasure and deny Parks a second five-year term as chief. In the fall of 2002, a few months after becoming mayor, Hahn decided to take a chance on America's most famous police chief of the 1990s.
Bratton got off to a strong start. Front-line officers cheered the arrival of a boss with a reputation as a cop's cop--and celebrated the dismissal of Parks, whom they did not trust. Bratton appealed to his officers to take on the city's "gangbangers" and announced his intention to get his officers the powerful and highly accurate Glock 9 pistols. He toured neighborhoods, attended community meetings, unleashed his trusted team of East Coast consultants on LAPD management, introduced Compstat, and redeployed officers to areas of the city most affected by violent crime, notably South Los Angeles. (The name "South-Central" had come to conjure up such images of violence that the city had abandoned it altogether in favor of the more neutral sounding "South Los Angeles.") Arrests increased sharply, and violent crime began to drop. Los Angeles, always a city that likes a star, was fascinated with its new top cop.
In fact, however, it was not nearly that simple. While crime fell sharply in South L.A. during Bratton's first year on the job, crime in other parts of the city did not. In order to add approximately 80 officers to the South Bureau, Bratton had to transfer officers out of the San Fernando Valley--a risky move politically, given the Valley's deep-rooted feelings of neglect. But he felt he had no choice. Unlike in New York, there were no extra resources to bring on line.
Bratton had long believed that L.A. was underpoliced. Now he came to the firm conclusion that he needed another 3,000 officers to accomplish the mission he had been hired to carry out. Mayor Hahn agreed with him. This spring, the two men teamed up to ask the city council for 320 more recruits. In many cities, such a request would not even have been necessary; the mayor would have been able to find a way to bolster the force on his own. In Los Angeles, however, the council has the final word, and the council balked.
Bratton responded by going on the offensive, and not very subtly. He suggested that council members might consider attending the funerals of some crime victims, and said a vote against more officers would be tantamount to inviting Osama bin Laden to come to town. The council was unmoved. In June, it voted to reject the request.
Likening elected officials to Al Qaeda supporters is not normally a way to make friends in high places. Remarkably, however, Bratton's criticisms of the council have not prevented its members from lavishing praise upon him. "I think he has lived up to everything we would have wanted and more," says Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, the head of the public safety committee. She and most of her colleagues view the Al Qaeda comment as a rookie error by a chief who didn't understand that in Los Angeles power rests with the council, not with the mayor.
In his campaign for more resources, part of Bratton's problem may be that he has done too well too soon. Crime hasn't come down all over the city, but it is down substantially in the areas viewed as most dangerous. Since Bratton took over, the homicide rate citywide has fallen by more than 20 percent and total crime by nearly 5 percent. After two years of double-digit homicide increases, those kinds of numbers suggest to some that Bratton is already working his "magic" in L.A. "It comes down to the numbers, and the numbers are good," says Police Commission President David Cunningham.
Indeed, Cunningham says that Bratton's successes have completely changed his views and the views of the Police Commission about how to reduce crime. "I now believe that you can reduce crime without necessarily saying it is directly tied to the economic issues and just the at-risk population," he says. "That's not to diminish the importance of those things, but when you talk about Bratton's style and approach to crime fighting, it was different, it was new, and I have to say it works."
But within the LAPD itself, there is less confidence that the numbers herald a true turnaround. Some point out that the violent crime rate in L.A.'s problem neighborhoods was abnormally high when Bratton came in, a function of less focused and aggressive policing under Chief Parks, and has simply returned to "normal" in the past year. To achieve a more lasting improvement, they believe, and to prevent the numbers from spiking again, the LAPD will have to do what virtually no police department in the United States has done before--solve the problem of gang violence.
The close connection between violent crime and gang membership is, of course, nothing unique to Los Angeles. But the scope of the problem in L.A. is far beyond almost any city's experience. Police officials estimate the total number of gang members in Los Angeles to be about 60,000. Of the 654 murders that occurred in Los Angeles in 2002, approximately half were gang-related.
From his headquarters at the 77th Street station, Deputy Chief Earl Paysinger has the unenviable task of patrolling 69 square miles that he describes as "the most dangerous real estate in the free world." Its residents include some of the most violent gangs in the world, such as the Rolling 60s, the Five Deuce Hoovers, 18th Street and the 8 Tray Gangsters. L.A.'s South Bureau alone has 24,000 active gang members in its database. To cope with them, Paysinger has about 80 officers out on patrol at any given time. That's barely one cop per square mile.
What works against gangs? Basically, no one knows. Civil injunctions that prohibit gang members from congregating in certain areas seem to have some effect, but by all accounts it is a minor one. Only one city, Boston, has managed to tackle gang violence with any success. But in Boston, a group of two dozen people might constitute a very serious gang. In Los Angeles, says Paysinger, "that's a community meeting, not a gang." The Rolling 60s, based in L.A.'s South Bureau but active throughout the city, has 1,259 members that the police know of.
In the eyes of many experts, gangs constitute the single greatest threat to Bratton's doctrine that policing in itself can reduce the crime rate on a lasting basis. Gangs, to many who work with them, are a problem that even the best policing cannot solve without community help.
"The community has failed miserably in its responsibility to police themselves," says Deputy Chief Paysinger. "They cannot abdicate responsibility to somebody else, to the police. Gang members recognize abject apathy and when it occurs, it's almost like the community ladling chum into the water and gang members feeding on it."
Even so, Paysinger insists that with more officers, the police could make a difference. "If the staffing pixie gave me another 150 or 200 cops, I could stand crime on its veritable ear," he says. That estimate may be optimistic. What does seem clear, however, is that it will be difficult, if not impossible, to reduce gang-related violence significantly without some increase in the size of the force. Bratton's ability to get those officers may ultimately determine whether he is a success or a disappointment.
City council members say that, despite their refusal to agree to Bratton's request this summer, they recognize the need for more officers. But they don't recognize as much need as Bratton does. He wants 3,000 more officers. The majority on the council thinks the most he will get under any circumstances would be another 800, to bring the total size of the force to about 10,000.
"The truth is the police force in L.A. has historically been small," says Councilwoman Miscikowski. "Smallness has been its pride and its toughness. We could do with fewer because we were so good at what we were doing. That has stood us well. Having said that, we want to build it. During the Riordan administration, his big thing was we are going to build it to 10,000." But, she notes ominously, "in the best, most flush times, we never got to 10,000." Even if the council does come through with more money, after hiring and training, new officers wouldn't actually arrive on the force until 2005. That means the chief will have to make do with the force he has for at least the next two years.
Such sentiments are frustrating for Bratton loyalists. "The murder of children that drove so much of the crime story in New York happens here every day and just does not seem to resonate," says counterterrorism chief John Miller. "It raises a question of conscience. Where is the conscience of the larger city?"
Talking with officers, there can be no doubt that the LAPD is changing for the better. Bill Bratton is clearly a talented leader who is making a difference. For the first time in years, there is hope and pride at department headquarters. "A lot of people believe he's the real deal, that we have a real chief," says Bob Baker, the head of the police union. But more than at any time in his career, Bratton's success rests in hands other than his own. The results to which he is accustomed may come only if the city's political establishment can muster the will and scrape up the money to hire more officers.
What does that mean for the city? Somewhat uncharacteristically, Bill Bratton isn't making bold predictions. "I look at next year as more of a struggle," he says. "We've picked the low hanging fruit this year." A chief who is accustomed to triumph may have to settle for modest success. That may be enough for the elected leadership of Los Angeles.


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Authorities are searching around Ellenwood, Georgia for 14-year old Ayvani Hope Perez, who was abducted in a home invasion Tuesday morning. NBC's Andrea Canning reports.
Authorities are searching for a 14-year-old Georgia girl kidnapped by two gunmen during a home invasion that has put the neighborhood on edge and devastated the girl's family.
A nationwide Amber Alert has been issued for Ayvani Hope Perez, who was snatched at about 2 a.m. Tuesday after two armed men broke into her home in Ellenwood, a suburb of Atlanta, after prying open the back door.
Perez's mother hid with her two children and the family poodle, according to Clayton County police Officer Phony Nguyen — but the intruders found them, and demanded money and jewelry.
When the mother said she didn't have any cash of value, the gunmen shot the dog and abducted Ayvani, who was last seen wearing blue and gray Star Wars pajama pants and a superhero shirt. Her 15-year-old brother was not harmed, police said.
The family took the dog to the vet, but it did not survive.
"We do believe the young lady is in harm's way," Clayton County Police Lt. Marc Richard said Tuesday afternoon.
"We've been receiving numerous tips," he said. "The investigation is fluid."
The FBI was brought in to assist.
Suspect in the abduction of Ayvani Hope Perez.
Police said the armed suspects were driving a dark-blue Dodge or gray Chevrolet Impala.
About 50 of Ayvani's friends and classmates held a prayer vigil for the teen's sage return Tuesday evening at Dutchtown Hgh School, according to NBC affiliate WXIA.
Her peers described her as a good-natured, warm presence.
"She's always the type of person to make somebody laugh, if you're down," her friend Olivia Wagner told TODAY. "She's a really bubbly person."
And one of her teachers said that despite Ayvani's size — she stands at 4-feet-9-inches and weighs 93 pounds — she is resilient.
Suspect in the abduction of Ayvani Hope Perez.
"She's a really good kid," Lori Burroughs, who taught Ayvani at Dutchtown Middle School, told NBC News on Tuesday.
"She's really tiny, but she can be feisty — so I think that could be a good thing in this situation," she said.
Her grief-stricken mother told TODAY that she just wants to see her daughter "safe at home."
In a plea to the kidnappers, she said: "Please bring her home safe and sound. That's all I ask of you."
NBC News' Victoria Moll-Ramirez and Daniel Arkin contributed to this report.
Georgia police and the FBI are searching for a 14-year-old girl after home invaders reportedly abducted her from her house south of Atlanta.
This story was originally published on Wed Sep 18, 2013 7:54 AM EDT


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Donald Trump unveiled a new version of his economic plan Monday, calling for cutting business taxes, eliminating regulations and boosting domestic energy production.
Speaking at the prestigious Detroit Economic Club, Trump began his policy speech by unleashing a blistering attack on Democratic rival Hillary Clinton's approach to the economy while promising he would provide deep tax cuts and jolt middle class workers back to work. The Republican presidential nominee said Clinton supports policies that have shipped jobs overseas.
"The one common feature of every Hillary Clinton idea is that it punishes you for working and doing business in the United States," Trump said. He said he wants to "jumpstart America" and added, "It won't even be that hard."
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Delivering his speech from a teleprompter at a downtown convention center, Trump was interrupted every few minutes by protesters — all women — who stood on chairs and shouted at him before being pulled out of the room by security guards. Though their chants were inaudible, the protests appeared coordinated, and Trump varied between powering through his speech and acknowledging the interruptions.
"It's all very well planned out," Trump said of the protesters. He added at one point, "I will say, the Bernie Sanders people had far more energy and spirit."
Seeking to reset his campaign, Trump delved into a subject — the economy — that is seen as one of his strengths. It also was aimed at showing that Trump is a serious candidate despite a disastrous stretch that has prompted criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike. But his speech was void of the details many were hoping the candidate would finally divulge.
Trump says he wants to simplify the current seven-bracket tax code to three: 12 percent, 25 percent and 33 percent of income. It's a change from September 2015, when he proposed four brackets during the primaries that would pay zero, 10 percent, 20 percent and 25 percent.
He also said he will eliminate the carried interest deduction and "other" special interest loopholes "that have been good to Wall Street and people like me but not for average Americans," without detailing which ones.
"In the coming weeks we will be offering more details on theses policies," Trump said, who noted his daughter Ivanka Trump was helping him put together his economic agenda.
Trump also called for a 15 percent cap on business income tax and said he'd place a temporary moratorium on federal regulations, calling them the "anchor dragging us down" while vowing to "massively" cut them down.
In a new proposal, Trump called for allowing parents to fully deduct the average cost of childcare from their taxable income. It's a theme Trump and his daughter, Ivanka, first introduced during the Republican National Convention as his campaign seeks to broaden its appeal to Democratic voters ahead of the general election.
The current Child and Dependent Care tax credit includes caps for qualifying expenses that Trump's plan would eliminate, though a senior campaign aide said there would be an income limit for eligibility.
Detroit, with its devastated real estate market and dearth of jobs, has come to symbolize the nation's broader struggle to recover from the recession and restore manufacturing jobs. But Democrats have touted the comeback of the auto industry during the Obama administration as a mark of success for the types of economic policies Clinton is supporting.
"In short, the city of Detroit is the living, breathing example of my opponent's failed economic agenda," Trump said, referring to Clinton. He called her "the candidate of the past."
While polls have shown that voters have deep concerns about Trump's temperament and fitness for office, he fares better on the economy. On that topic, recent polling puts him ahead of or on par with Hillary Clinton.
The Democratic nominee is also focusing on the economy this week as she lays out plans for what her campaign describes as "the biggest investment in good-paying jobs since World War II." Clinton has argued that Trump is focused only on the wealthiest Americans. She has questioned his commitment to creating U.S. jobs, given the history of outsourcing at his companies.
On Monday, Clinton will visit the battleground state of Florida, where she will tour a small brewery and hold two rallies. On Thursday, she is set to deliver her own economic speech in Detroit, a city that has symbolized the nation's manufacturing plight.
Trump also revisited his opposition to current trade deals, including his plan to renegotiate the NAFTA trade agreement with Canada and Mexico, and vow to improve intellectual property protections.
Clinton has proposed raising taxes on the highest-income earners, including a surcharge on multimillionaires, but analysts have found lower-income earners would see little change beyond measures such as additional tax credits for expenses like out-of-pocket health care costs.
This won't be the first time Trump lays out his economic vision. He first unveiled his tax plan last fall, framing it as a boon to the middle class. "It's going to cost me a fortune," the billionaire businessman told reporters as he vowed to lower taxes across the board without exploding the deficit.
But a host of independent groups crunching the numbers soon concluded otherwise. The plan, they said, dramatically favored the wealthy over the middle class and would increase the debt by as much as $10 trillion over the next decade.
Trump had promised at the time that he would make up for lost revenue by closing a slew of loopholes. But like so many of his plans, he declined to provide specifics. And a companion plan on reducing government spending, which he had promised would follow, never came.
Trump's running mate, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, called the real estate mogul a "refreshing" change and argued he'd never forgotten the workers who made his projects possible.
"He's a dreamer. He's a builder. He's a driver," Pence said. "And he is a man who speaks his mind."


text: Toddler Occasions Happy & safe kids at birthday parties: Tips The last thing you want on your child's special day is an epic tantrum that turns the entire mood upside down. Careful and safe planning will keep your child's birthday party full of smiles and help avoid any major melt-downs. Here are five tips for a fabulous birthday party that'll keep your worries at bay.1. Have Plenty of Entertainment This doesn't have to mean scheduled games every half hour (although that helps), just be sure that there are plenty of things to do. Supply kid-friendly activities like crayons, paper, clay and small toys like cars and dolls. Remember: Young children have short attention spans, so keeping things varied is not a bad idea.Having too many activities isn't a bad thing—just be sure to follow our next step to keep things safe.2. Recruit Help from Other AdultsRecruit close friends and family members to help the day go smoothly. Assign adults to monitor each play area and have another adult keep a running head count. The more help you have on hand, the better! 3. Stay EncouragingKeep an eye for kids who seem uninterested and not willing to engage in certain activities. Encourage them to play, even grab a few kids to help you. Creating a warm and welcoming environment is also key to keeping spirits high and melt-downs at the minimum (hopefully zero!).4. Offer a Variety of Snacks and DrinksKeep fussy eaters in mind here! Don't forget to ask parents prior to the party if their child has any food allergies. This could be as simple as tagging on a line to the invite. Make sure there is a healthy variety of both snacks and drinks—and be sure to have enough on hand! Childproof the AreaBefore all the kids arrive, be sure to do a thorough sweep of your house or party venue. Make sure that any small or hazardous things are hidden away instead of out on the surfaces. Anything small – even pennies and pen lids – can be a serious choking hazard. If the party takes place outdoors, be sure to check for low-hanging branches or any garden hazards or equipment that could be found by a little one. You might also like:


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I found a very cool video on YouTube which seems to be the test footage of XBomber.
PPA is missing his wild flailing arms.
Kirara makes a pass as Shiro.
Makara has a talk with Gelma on a video monitor, this is very Tatsunoko style.
I'd Love to get this footage and the stuff in the Go Nagi special and fuse it with Blaze's remastered first episode.


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Age of the Earth
Another episode of Chatting with Charley concerning how old the earth really is in relation to creation vs. evolution.
Christian Music Videos
Inspirational Videos
Comedy Videos
Cute Videos
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for When You Feel Stuck - Your Daily Prayer - July 14
I think my problem with stuckness has a lot to do with communication.
Top Music Videos
Christian News
The latest news and hot topics trending among Christian music, entertainment and faith life.
Christian Songs About Healing: 8 Favorites
As we wait for the healing that comes only from the Master Healer, our Heavenly Father, often times a great Christian healing song eases our pain. Here are my 8 favorite Christian songs about healing; they include a mix of great hymns of faith and as well as some more recent contemporary songs.


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I think I've made it pretty clear in past post that I wasn't real happy with my raid situation. After FBI tanked, I moved to AA where me and a group from FBI formed their 2nd 25 man raid. In the beginning, things were good. We downed Festergut and Rotface then council. After a few weeks Professor went down. Blood queen followed shortly there after in 10 man. That's where it stopped though. No more progression, hell we weren't even trying to progress any more. More than half of the group was original AA alts, who were there just to get gear. They had no interest in wiping over and over on bosses they've already downed.
Thankfully, my raiding issue has been resolved thanks to Matticus. I have moved over to the Ner'zhul server and joined Conquest. While I've only been in the guild for 3 days, I've already gotten a shot at 10 man Arthas and 25 man Sindy. So far, I love this guild. Matticus has created a super professional and streamlined approach to raiding. The raids last 3 hours and somehow they manage to get more attempts on a boss in that time than I ever have in 5 hours of raiding. Extremely impressive.
The down side to all of this…I feel like I'm under a microscope, even though I probably shouldn't. It's just such a different situation than what I'm used to. While in FBI, I was THE tank, now I'm that new guy. I went from being the backbone of a guild to being an unknown. I was a loud mouth, shouting orders now I'm being asked to speak up in vent. It's not all bad though, while it may only feel like I'm being judged by conquest, I'm really judging myself. I'm working harder, really monitoring the raid, my situational awareness and the abilities I use.
As far as the future goes, I'm working hard to get my mage up to level 80 because that's what the guild needs right now. I think I've impressed enough to at least get a hard look at tanking the Sunday 10 man and even filling in for an absent tank in 25 until the mage is ready. Not much will change here on the blog, I'll keep it a warrior/tank/raiding deal and try to get a more constant update schedule going. I'm actually fighting a post about AOE tanking now, I've re-written it 3 times already. At this point, it may make it live just after Cataclysm releases…


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Publicity Tour
|Publicity Tour
Jezz Torrent telling Tommy Vercetti that the psycho who had previously tried to kill them is back.
|GTA Vice City
|Love Fist
|Drive Love Fist to the concert
|Downtown, Vice City
Death of Tommy Vercetti
Arrest of Tommy Vercetti
Death of Jezz Torrent
Death of Dick
Death of Percy
Detonation of the bomb (this also kills Tommy Vercetti and Love Fist as well)
Destruction of the Love Fist Limo
Love Fist Limo spawn point (except in the original PlayStation 2 versions)
|Unlocked by
Psycho Killer
Hog Tied
Publicity Tour is a mission in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City given to protagonist Tommy Vercetti by rock band Love Fist from the V-Rock recording studio in Downtown, Vice City.
Tommy Vercetti, having got Mitch Baker to provide security for the upcoming Love Fist concert, returns to the V-Rock station to tell Kent Paul of the news. Jezz Torrent, however, tells Vercetti that The Psycho, who had attempted to kill them before, had managed to survive Vercetti's attempts to kill him and was looking to kill them again. The band members ask Vercetti to accompany them on their way to the concert one hundred yards away and they leave and get into their limousine. Percy asks Vercetti to put a tape into the casette player, which is a message from The Psycho, who informs them that the limousine will explode if driven at low speeds.
Vercetti then drives across the city at high speed to prevent the bomb from detonating and the band members manage to defuse the bomb. Vercetti then drives the band members to the concert and accompanies them on to the stage shortly before their performance.
The reward for completing this mission is $8,000. The Love Fist Limo also starts spawning outside the V-Rock station, except in the original PS2 version.
- In the original PlayStation 2 version, the Love Fist limo is not unlocked after this mission. In later versions it is.
- The weather during the beginning of this mission is scripted to always be stormy with rain and thunder. This is possibly to make driving slightly harder as the roads become wet.
- The mission is based in the 1994 movie Speed, where police detective Jack Traven tries to deactivate a bomb that will blow up if the bus goes less than 50 mph (81 km/h). Similar missions exist in the games Mafia and the Joe's Adventures DLC for Mafia II, namely "Speed Explosive Truck" and "Bomb Under the Seat", respectively. Both missions also involve driving a vehicle to a destination, while under the threat of a car bomb exploding if the vehicle goes too slow.
Tommy Vercetti and the Love Fist band members listening to the casette tape from The Psycho.
Tommy Vercetti and Love Fist about to arrive at the concert.
Tommy Vercetti, Dick, and Percy at the concert.
See also
Video walkthrough
|PC Version - GTASeriesVideos


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401 West Fulton St. 428C DeVos Center Grand Rapids MI United States 49504
Master of Education in Instruction and Curriculum with an Emphasis in Early Childhood Education-ZS
Brian Johnson
Office: 430 C DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6496
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Cheryl Kaletka
Office: 428 C DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6238
Email: email@example.com
Dr. Linda Pickett
Office: 432 C DeVos
Phone: (616) 331-6663
Email: email@example.com
Interested in this program? Apply now or contact the College of Education's Student Information and Services Center for additional information at 616-331-6650 or email@example.com.
This program prepares teachers, supervisors, and directors in preschools, day care centers, child development centers, Head Start programs, and kindergartens/early elementary classrooms as well as researchers and program specialists in the field for general and high-risk students.
New standards approved September 9, 2008, reflect the knowledge and skills identified to teach children from birth to age 8 in general education settings, as well as significant knowledge and skills for teaching children with disabilities. The revised standards led to a new endorsement name, Early Childhood ZS (General and Special Education). This change in the endorsement was approved by the State Board of Education October 12, 2010.
Program Requirements
Social Foundation Courses. Select One (3 credits):
EDF 671 Educational Policy and Practice
EDF 672 Social & Cultural Foundations of Education
Research Foundation Course (Prerequisite to ED 693/695) (3 credits):
EDF 660 Educational Inquiry and Evaluation
Emphasis Area Courses (21 credits):
EDI 610 Advanced Studies in Child Development Ages 0-8
EDI 611 Assessment of the Young School Child
EDI 612 Curriculum Development for Early Childhood Education
EDI 613 Administration and Supervision of Early Childhood Education
EDI 614 Infant and Toddler Development and Curriculum
EDS 646 Family & Community Collaboration in Early Childhood Education
EDS 647 Preschool Special Needs Child
Practicum/Graduate Field Experience. (Application form and advisor approval required. Apply in advance. Both courses are required if you are seeking the ZS endorsement. Two different age settings out of three choices: Primary (K-3rd), Preprimary (age 2 1/2 through age 4), and Infant-Toddler (birth through 2 1/2). (6 credits)
EDI 685 D Early Childhood Education
EDS 685 J Early Childhood Developmental Delay
Capstone (Application form required. Apply in advance. Advisor approval required.) (3 credits) (Select One):
ED 693 Master's Project
ED 695 Master's Thesis
Application deadlines (Practicum/Thesis/Project): February 15 for spring/summer, May 15 for fall, September 15 for winter semester.
Students desiring only the Early Childhood Endorsement (ZS) endorsement, must complete the following program requirements, for a total of 27 semester hours: EDI 610, 611, 612, 613, 614, EDS 646, EDS 647, EDI 685D and EDS 685J; have elementary certification, pass the Michigan Subject Area Test, and maintain a 3.0 G.P.A.
Three hours of the appropriate undergraduate experience may be used for the endorsement contributing to the 27-hour program requirement. To waive a field experience in early childhood education, the candidate must:
1. Hold degree seeking status in Early Childhood Education.
2. Have an approved Planned Program of Study on file.
3. Complete the following process to validate prior experience.
Obtain a Petition to Waiver/Appeal form and Verification form from the College of Education website.
If you are requesting a waiver of a GVSU student field experience: Complete the Petition to Waiver/Appeal form and then schedule an appointment with your advisor. The advisor will then submit your form to the Student Information and Services Office. Students requesting the waiver of a GVSU field experience will not have to submit the Verification form.
If you are requesting the waiver of a Non-GVSU student field experience: a) Contact your field experience supervising institution and request completion of the Verification form and b) schedule an appointment to provide your advisor with the signed Petition to Waiver/Appeal form together with the Verification form. The advisor will then submit your forms to the Student Information and Services Office.
The Student Information and Services Office will distribute the form(s) for official review and approval.
ED 693 - Master's Project
ED 695 - Master's Thesis
ED 696 - Continuation of Master's Thesis
EDF 660 - Educational Inquiry and Evaluation
EDF 671 - Educational Policy and Practice
EDF 672 - Social/Cultural Foundations of Education
EDI 610 - Advanced Studies in Child Development Ages 0-8
EDI 611 - Assessment of the Young School Child
EDI 612 - Curriculum Development for Early Childhood Education
EDI 613 - Administration and Supervision of Early Childhood Education
EDI 614 - Infant and Toddler Development and Curriculum
EDI 685 C - Early Childhood Education
EDS 646 - Family & Community Collaboration in Early Childhood Education
EDS 647 - Preschool Special Needs Child
EDS 685 D - Early Childhood Developmental Delay


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when ipods fall in love
Posted by Mackenzie on Thursday, September 28, 2006
*singing in best Nat King Cole voice*
When ipods fall in love, It will be fooooorever..."
*no longer singing*
I think these his and hers ipod covers from Technocutie are, well... There is only one adjective for what they are. And sadly, I am not allowed to use it. Let's just say they are indeed loveable in the same manner as kittens and puppies. Adorable. Fuzzy. "C" to the "yewt". I DIDN'T SAY IT! Check them out.


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The debate over where to relocate the Supervisor of Elections Office has been narrowed down to three spots.
"Now we have three and I think we should evaluate all to see what's best deal for the city," said City Councilman Matt Schellenberg.
Schellenberg is pushing forward legislation to find a new home for the SOE, which is currently located in the Gateway Mall. Schellenberg told Channel 4 that the man has not been the greatest landlord for the city.
Schellenberg said he thinks a move to one of two spots, either Southgate Plaza or at a site on Imeson Place, would be beneficial.
"Have they lowered rent to what they said they might do, and have they done improvements? The answer is 'no' to either of them," said Schellenberg.
Some supporters said the Imeson site will save taxpayers more than $600K a year, but not everyone feels that way. City Councilman John Crescimbeni told Channel 4 earlier this year that the current location has its benefits and he was surprised by the Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland's desire to look at other sites.
"We've spent a lot of money, not just on rent but millions on renovations," Crescimbeni said in January. "And we've only been there 6 years, now he wants to do something different, I find that a little bit upsetting."
Holland has been vocal in the past about the conditions at the Gateway site.
"Whichever one they determine is best deal for the taxpayers, we support that," said Holland.


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I am so excited that 'folk' design is starting to become trendy again! I don't know what it is about it, but it just makes me all warm and fuzzy! I've been seeing Russian nesting dolls popping up here and there on Etsy and on some online fabric stores and was SO excited to see these images for the first time as a stamp! I was at Archivers the other day and saw these clear images by Hero Arts. (I'm still crossing my fingers that my friend Kim Hughes will draw some up for a set one day! I think her's would be THE ultimate nesting doll design! Mmmm! Can't you just see it now?!?)
I wanted to try something different, so I stamped this image directly onto Claudine Hellmuth's Sticky-Back Canvas & then added color with Copics. Just to antique it a bit, I sponged Tea Stain Distress ink on top of the canvas. This stuff is really fun to use! I can't wait to play around with it a bit more!
If you'd like to see this tag a bit closer, please click on the picture above. I added a little Jenni Bowlin floral embellishment to her hair. :) And... I added stitching everywhere!
I found TONS of Martha Stewart ribbon on clearance at Michaels for 50 cents each! Whoot!!! The 'skirt' of this tag was made by some of the wide ribbon. I just kept gathering it together as I sewed. And... to top it off, I ripped a strip of my son's jeans to embellish it more. (Don't be scared! He wore a HUGE hole in these pants months ago, and I've been using bits and pieces of it here and there. I think I've gotten more use out of them than he did!)
Thanks for checking out my tag! :)
Stamps: (clear design) Dolls (Hero Arts)
-Tuxedo Black Memento (Tsukineko)
- Tea Dye Distress ink (Ranger)
Cardstock: Parsley (Memory Box)
Printed Paper: Amy Butler Lotus Tea Box collection (K & Company)
- Claudine Hellmuth's Studio Sticky-Back Canvas (Ranger)
- Maraschino Pearl Flowers (Jenni Bowlin)
- Jumbo Eyelet (Stampin' Up!)
- 1 1/2" Brick Wood Grain ribbon (Martha Stewart)
- markers (Copic)
- Friendly Forest Epoxy Accent (Colorbok)
- denim
- Melissa Frances Vintage Transfers rub on (Heart & Home Collectibles)
- Sewing machine + red & white thread
- sandpaper


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Negotiators for Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Teachers Union failed to come to a contract agreement despite weekend bargaining sessions, though both sides agree progress has been made.
Teddy Bridgewater threw for 281 yards and two touchdowns, and the Saints improved to 5-0 without their injured star quarterback by beating the Chicago Bears 36-25 on Sunday.
The Chicago Board of Education is postponing its regular monthly meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, until the teachers union and SEIU Local 73 end their ongoing strike. In a statement, the board said this allows district leadership to focus on negotiations.
Writers Theatre's production of "A Doll's House," cannily but faithfully adapted by Sandra Delgado and Michael Halberstam, and featuring a bravura performance by Cher Alvarez, brought the play back to life in the most unexpected ways.
Watch the Oct. 21, 2019 full episode of "Chicago Tonight."
Chicago Animal Care and Control says its renovated facility and new medical equipment will allow staff to evaluate animals more quickly and carry out surgical procedures that will ultimately lead to more adoptions.
President Donald Trump lashed out Monday at critics who prompted him to move next year's Group of Seven summit from his private golf club in Florida, claiming he would have hosted it for free and now it will end up costing taxpayers "a fortune."
With near record high water levels, Lake Michigan swallowed up beaches, piers and sidewalks across Chicago and the region this summer. An Army Corps forecast shows those levels may persist into next year.
The Ford plant on the city's Far South Side has been causing some big headaches for the automaker, which is expected to report lower profits this week in a third quarter earnings report.
For more than 50 years, vending machines scattered throughout Chicago-area zoos and museums have sold visitors souvenirs made of melted plastic. Meet the man keeping the vintage technology alive.
Parents across the city again have to figure out what to do with their children who attend Chicago Public Schools. We check in with four parents of CPS students who joined us last week ahead of the expected strike.
The hulking Old Post Office building that lay empty for the best part of two decades – and that many feared might never be redeveloped – will soon reopen. Chicago Tribune architecture critic Blair Kamin weighs in on the landmark.
In a letter sent Monday to CTU President Jesse Sharkey, Mayor Lori Lightfoot urges the union to halt its work stoppage while negotiations continue because "our students and families are sacrificing a great deal that cannot be recovered."
The exceptional breadth, depth and variety of Chicago theater was on full display Monday night as the winners of the 2019 Jeff Equity Awards were announced. Here are the highlights.


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This large, beautifully furnished gallery suite features a king bed, a spacious parlor, a wet bar with refrigerator and microwave, a spa tub for two, a separate daybed, double vanity and separate shower. The balcony overlooks the mansion and grounds and offers a splendid view of the Mississippi River.
Rate: $200 / $220
Cedar Grove Mansion Inn & Restaurant
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Fans of "Glee" will have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season.
According to Billboard, the show will issue not one, but two albums in November and December featuring the numerous songs from the show as "Glee: The Music" volumes 1 and 2.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Hot Shots Of The New Shows & Stars Of Fall 2009 Television
A new Christmas single, a cover of Wham!'s "Last Christmas" that won't appear on the show, will also be released. A cast tour is reportedly in the works for summer 2010.
And, the mag reported, solo albums for the series' stars could be in the works as well.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: Rising Star: Lea Michele
"Lea [Michele] has tried different songs and already thought, 'Maybe I like doing rock,'" "Glee" showrunner Ryan Murphy told the mag. "Her album is not going to be Broadway stuff. She'll sit with producers and come up with her own concept."
And Lea herself said she's not sure if her co-stars have plans for their own solo discs, but there's one she can't wait to hear.
"I have no idea, but all I know is that as soon as Amber Riley [who plays Mercedes] makes her album, I'm going to be the first one buying it," Lea said.
VIEW THE PHOTOS: The Glorious Cast Of 'Glee'!
Songs from the show have sold over 1.8 million digital downloads, the mag reported, with the "Glee" version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" selling 522,000 downloads overall and entering the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 4 in its first week of release.
Related Content from AccessHollywood.com:
PLAY IT NOW: 'Glee' Can't Help But 'Bust A Move'
PLAY IT NOW: 'Glee' Gets Racy (Again) With The 'Thong Song'
MORE ACCESS ON THESE TOPICS: Glee - Music - TV - Rock - Broadway


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Learn about and manage your OMERS defined benefit Pension Plan
The Plan
Learn about the OMERS Plan and the strategy that drives it.
Learn about how OMERS invests.
About OMERS
Learn about our two boards, which represent our members, employers and sponsors.
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Secure and convenient online access to your pension information.
Results of the 2020 Plan Review and COVID-19 Amendments Vote
Learn more
The Technology Committee received updates on various matters, but no final decisions were made by the Committee at the meeting.


text:
Ben Meadows:
- Quantity
- Price
- 1+
- $79.95
- 5+
- $74.25
- Description
- Specifications
- Reviews
Made of 100% polyester, this vest features a cool, comfortable mesh back. The special compartments include a field notebook pocket, pencil slots, a compass pocket with grommet, a flagging tape pocket with grommets, and inside pockets. Plus, there is an exterior radio mic clip.
We encourage our customers to let us know what experiences they have had with our products, whether good or bad. By submitting a review, you can share your experiences with others and also provide valuable feedback to us as well. With just a few simple steps, you can add your review of this product.
Ask a Question
This vest does not have a large map pocket on the back. If you are looking for a similar vest with a map pocket please view the Jim-Gem 8-Pocket Class 2 Mesh Vest.


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An enormous effort to implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is underway in more than 40 states and the District of Columbia. Districts are training staff, field-testing assessments, and evaluating technology requirements. Teachers are rewriting curriculum and instruction to prepare students for more rigorous coursework. Some states are further ahead than others. And as the 2014 – 2015 implementation deadline draws near, it's likely that the road has been—and will continue to be—a bit rocky. But schools are forging ahead with the initiative—even as it faces opponents who are determined to mislabel the effort as everything from "Obamacore" to a "national curriculum." The Common Core is a set of voluntary K–12 standards in English language arts/literacy and mathematics. The White House did not create the initiative, nor is it leading it. The standards were developed by governors and state school officials, with input from a wide range of educators, content experts, national organizations (including NEA), and community groups.
The challenges surrounding implementation, however, are formidable. Teachers are concerned about adapting their classrooms to the rigorous new standards and receiving the proper training. Many are also wondering about the role of new assessments. But they also recognize the enormous opportunity that lies ahead.
"Educators desperately want to reclaim the joy in teaching—which means creative lesson plans, meaningful exploration of topics, and inspiring the joy of real learning in our students," says NEA President Dennis Van Roekel. "Common Core could help achieve that if the implementation is done correctly."
To reach that goal, all stakeholders must work together and take a leadership role in educating each other and the general public about the Common Core. It's a complex subject. The following facts are intended to clarify key points, allay concerns about what the Common Core isn't, and—most importantly—highlight how the standards can be the game-changer students need.
1. Most NEA Members Support the Common Core
Are many teachers anxious about the Common Core? Absolutely. Are some die-hard critics? No doubt. But there is no massive groundswell of opposition to the Common Core among NEA members. An NEA poll conducted in July by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research found that 75 percent of its members—teachers and education support professionals —supported the standards outright or supported "with reservations." Whether it's tighter content focus or opportunities for deeper critical thinking, the majority of teachers see the new standards as something to get excited about. Another poll released by the American Federation of Teachers revealed similar levels of enthusiasm, again indicating some educator anxiety, but confirming that AFT member support of the Common Core is strong.
2. "Drill and Kill" Curriculum Could Be History
The standards don't dictate how teachers should teach. Quite the opposite. Teachers who support the Common Core—like Colorado educator Jessica Keigan—understand that teachers and their schools will determine how to help students meet the standards. "I understand the anxiety that many teachers may have," Keigan says. "What I remind myself of is that teachers are making the standards work in the classroom. We're taking the lead." For Sue Yokum of Pennsylvania, the creativity the standards allow will make her final year of teaching a memorable one. "The Common Core gives me guidance, but it does not tell me what materials to use. That's up to me," explains Yokum. "It allows me to do something different this year and next year so that when I go out at 40 years, it'll be the best year I ever taught."
3. The Standards are Designed to Help all Students
Students from economically disadvantaged communities are often consigned to larger classes where they face an undemanding curriculum and outdated resources. As a result, too many students graduate without the basic knowledge and skills they need to successfully complete college or enter the workforce. Properly implemented, CCSS will ensure that all students— no matter where they live—will graduate prepared for college, careers, and citizenship. "The standards make things equal for all children in the U.S.," says Colorado teacher Cheryl Mosier. "We're not going to have pockets of high-performing students in one area compared to another area. Everybody will have a very high bar to meet, but it's a bar that can be met—with supports [in place] for all teachers."
In addition, alternative assessments are being designed to measure the growth of every student population. The World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment, for example, is a collaborative that advances the needs of English language learners. They have ensured that the new standards support and do not replace existing English language proficiency standards. Implementation of the standards should also address the needs of students with disabilities. The current plans for implementation should not in any way diminish access to the range of supports that students might need in order to learn.
Critics charge that the standards crowd out high-quality fiction, poetry, theater, and other imaginative texts in favor of nonfiction, "informational texts" believed to be an essential canon in the "college ready" arsenal. The standards explicitly say, however, that Shakespeare and classic American literature should be taught. While the standards do require increasing amounts of nonfiction, this provision refers to reading across all subjects, not just English.
5. Common Core Promotes Cross Curricular Learning
For Arkansas English/language arts teacher Kathy Powers, it's not about fiction vs. non-fiction reading. It's about integrating them with other disciplines, like English and social studies, or literacy, math, and science. "The CCSS will change my classroom teaching practice because I'll infuse more of my instruction of non-fiction texts with fiction so the students get more of a content knowledge background," Powers explains. "I work with our social studies teachers to bring in more of their content and vice versa." The CCSS are designed to support cross-curricular learning and social studies, history, science, and PE teachers can and should be part of the effort. Many teachers already plan across subject matter, but the standards present a great opportunity to collaborate with colleagues in different classrooms. This will be a welcome change for many teachers—especially those who are new to the profession—who long to break out of classroom silos.
6. Success Depends on Better, Balanced Assessment and Accountability Systems
The next generation of assessments will provide better and more usable feedback for teachers, students, and parents. Most states that have adopted the CCSS belong to one of two assessment consortia, Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) or the Partnership for the Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). No one expects the transition to be easy, says Jim Meadows of the Washington Education Association. "It'll take some time for the system to realign to support student learning tied to the Common Core. The standards are more rigorous but they're also more focused. So the assessments are going to be different and there are going to be growing pains. When the initial assessment results come out, they may be lower," explains Meadows.
Teachers overwhelmingly support an implementation schedule that will enable them to get up to speed before these new assessments are used to evaluate performance. NEA has long called for an end to high-stakes testing consequences, particularly during the Common Core transition period. In 2013, NEA, AFT, and 12 national education groups called for a moratorium of at least one year on high-stakes decisions based on new assessments aligned to the new standards. Over the next year, NEA and its affiliates will make it a top priority to work with policymakers across the country to improve the assessment process.
7. Implementation is a Work-in-Progress
Critical investments must be made to ensure educators have the time and resources to collaborate and make adjustments to classroom instruction. This includes more effective and sustained professional development—not just one-stop shop workshops and training videos, but the time and structure to collaborate with colleagues. Additional resources must be allocated to bring schools' technology up to speed. Sound and effective policies will reinforce the standards, and teachers, education support professionals, and parents must work together to ensure the best possible implementation occurs so students can reap the benefits of that collaboration.
8. Teacher Leadership is Essential
As states begin implementation, teachers are advocating for the things that lead to success: resources, professional development, and time for collaboration. Teacher leaders are essential to the successful implementation of the Common Core. For this reason, President Van Roekel appointed 56 educators to an NEA Common Core Working Group last fall. The move is part of a nationwide effort to prepare educators to implement the standards. The group will ensure that teacher voice is prominent throughout Common Core implementation; facilitate communication about the standards; and assist in the development of engaging and relevant resources.
"This is an opportunity for teachers to discuss what isn't working," explains Kathy Powers. "We can use our voices collectively to critique areas of the Common Core that may need a little polishing."
Parents have always played a huge role in helping students learn, and the success or failure of Common Core implementation depends largely on collaboration between educators and parents. But results of a recent Gallup poll indicate only half of public school parents had even heard of the standards. Parents and community leaders should increase their knowledge of the standards and work together to ensure fair and successful implementation. Educators should reach out to parents and pressure lawmakers to provide the resources and to make implementation easier for teachers and students.
10. Resources for Teachers Abound
A wealth of online tools and resources are available to broaden educators' knowledge about Common Core content and the new assessments and provide sample lessons and links to individual state resources. NEA has released a Common Core toolkit designed to help educators prepare for implementation. The toolkit provides general background about the CCSS, separates truth from fiction about the standards, and offers hands-on practical assistance to help educators prepare for implementation. Users can download editable materials and presentations in small chunks that may be used in a variety of settings. Video resources suitable for use by individuals and teams are also available.


text: Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums :: View topic - My strict father! Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in My strict father! Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Family View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message Park Jin-heeJoined: 05 Dec 2003Posts: 2 Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2003 8:57 pm Post subject: My strict father! My father is very strict. He dosen't smile well. When I go to school, he always shouts," Hey! come back home early! Don't drink at all!!!OK???" And he doesn't like me to watch TV drama. He thinks that watching TV drama isn't helpful at all. But I like most watching TV drama and I like to drink very much. So I often quarrel with my strict father. Back to top liebeJoined: 16 May 2003Posts: 117 Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2004 10:56 pm Post subject: I don't think your father knows a lot about children and their psychology. I remember that when I was younger my mother would never allow me to watch movies where there's sex. Whenever someone would kiss, she would tell me to close my eyes or to go to my room. So I rebelled by watching many adult movies about sex... Many parents don't realize that by being strict to their children, they actually make it worse for them. My advice--use your own judgment. Drink if you like it, but make sure you don't become an alcoholic. Watch drama if you like it. But please, don't shoot other people only coz your dad prohibits you to! Ignore your dad, keep telling him "ok dad" and "sure dad" and do what you want to but use common sense! Don't do stupid things only to rebel against your father! Back to top MaxX7Joined: 24 Jun 2004Posts: 49Location: Home Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2004 9:21 am Post subject: you know what buddy its not like your father hates you or something first is he your step father? if no then whatever he is doing its what he thinks that its for your betterment he will always think right for you but you think that he is strict but all in all he loves you if he aint your step father but if he is then i cant say anything about it_________________you dont know who i am; but you can know who i am ; only if your are my friend ____________________ http://simpleshout.co.uk/shoutbox/shoutbox.php?u=Max talk about anything here it my shout box Back to top hilokyonJoined: 02 Jul 2004Posts: 1 Posted: Fri Jul 02, 2004 8:57 pm Post subject: My father When I was a young gile my father allways said me " Your looking is not good. So you should be chirful! Smil-face helps you good." It is totally true, I think. But in fact I lost my confidence. Now I have children. I've never said such things. Because I think they have to self-esteem. it is very improtant to live. Back to top laishJoined: 22 Jun 2004Posts: 3Location: china Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 12:27 am Post subject: I think a great father must been a friend when He face his children. Back to top lionessJoined: 20 May 2004Posts: 52Location: Poland Posted: Tue Jul 13, 2004 5:14 am Post subject: In my opinion he tries to protect you from a bad influence of this world. Unfortunately he chose the worst way to do it. Try to prove him that you are a responsible, young person, who knows how to avoid unnecessary risk. However it is very possible that you never satisfy him. I was the best student in my high school, yet my mother's greatest worry was... my marks. My friend's mother had an extremely strict father (he used to say that television was Satan's invention...). When she wanted to go outside she had to escape through a window Now she is an alcoholic _________________Młodości, dodaj mi skrzydła... Youth, give me wings... Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Family All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Student Forums----------------ComputersCurrent NewsCultureEnglish SchoolsFamilyFilm and CinemaFoodHealth and FitnessHelp CenterHobbiesHolidaysLearning EnglishLiteratureMaking FriendsMusicOpinionsPetsScienceSportsThe Strange and MysteriousTOEFL and Other English ExamsTravel You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Dave's ESL Cafe is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Banner Advertising | Bookstore / Alta Books | FAQs | Articles | Interview with Dave Copyright © 2018 Dave's ESL Cafe | All Rights Reserved | Contact Dave's ESL Cafe | Site Map Teachers College, Columbia University: Train to Teach English Here or Abroad Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group


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Snippet Name: Add random numbers to columns
Description: Add random numbers within a pre-selected range to a given column.
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Language: MYSQL
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