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|Birth Date:
|July 30, 1992
|Miami, Fla.
|High School:
|Carol City
|Criminal Justice
His play in a reserve role as a true freshman during the 2010 season paid off for Jordan, who enters is second season listed as the starter on the depth chart in the middle of the defensive line...worked extremely hard to increase his strength and quickness...also a real student of his position, improving his technique...earned a starting spot in the lineup in 2011...has made two appearances on the Athletic Director's Honor Roll.
AT TECH (In 2011): One of 12 Golden Eagles to start all 11 contests for Tech on the d-line...logged 40 tackles on the season, 3.5 tackles-for-loss for 12 yards...had a half-sack against Maryville College for a loss of four yards...recorded one quarterback hurry and one pass breakup...
AT TECH (In 2010): Jordan got a taste of college football as a true freshman, working his way onto the field in a backup role and seeing action in nine games...finished with six total tackles, including two against both UT Martin and Jacksonville State.
HIGH SCHOOL: A second-team Florida All-State selection and a two-sport standout at Carol City High School, Jordan Johnson was an effective defensive lineman for the Chiefs and coach Harold Barnwell...posted 56 total tackles as a senior, including 16 tackles-for-loss and eight quarterback sacks, on his way to earning selections to two all-star games, including The USA vs. The World All-Star game in Ft. Lauderdale, where he helped claim a 17-0 victory and registered 1.5 tackles-for-loss...named the Defensive Lineman of the Year for his team...four-year letterwinner in both football and track & field.
PERSONAL: The guardian of Diane Johnson ...birthdate is July 30, 1992...full name is Jordan Ross Johnson...majoring in criminal justice.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Banks and Travelers: What Sends Customers Packing
Jul 5, 2012 5:00 AM PT
Travel always seems to elicit great customer service stories -- that is, great stories from my perspective as a person who writes about CRM; not great as in "my experience while traveling was wonderful, stress-free and restored my faith in humanity."
As fodder for columns, they're great. They're object lessons in how to sabotage customer relationships, because these service failures take what was supposed to be a relaxing time and make it exactly the opposite. They leave people high and dry thousands of miles from home. And they expose the deeply rooted service problems that could be solved if businesses bothered to think like customers once in a while. I get to hear many of them. The latest came from a traveler who has asked not to be identified regarding a trip to the United Kingdom.
From Bad to Worse
This traveler arrived in London and withdrew some cash before leaving the airport -- at which point, unbeknownst to the traveler, the bank swung into action on her behalf and froze her ATM card.
This was beyond the call of duty for the bank, since the traveler had called the bank before departing to inform it that her card might be used in Europe during a certain time period. The bank still canceled the card. You're welcome, gentle traveler!
Luckily, a fellow traveler was able to front the cash for the trip, and credit cards still worked. On the way home, the traveler called the bank from the airport in Newark and tried to figure out what had gone wrong.
The bank's explanation was not particularly satisfactory, needless to say, although the agent on the phone was very apologetic. The bank had indeed canceled the card, so the traveler wouldn't be able to get any cash until the replacement card arrived. The shipment of the card would be expedited, the agent said -- it would be there in two business days.
Four business days later, the card arrived -- that was three weeks after the original was switched off. When the traveler tried to use it, the ATM at the bank still spit it back and provided no cash -- the PINhad changed.
At this point, the traveler was starting to seethe. Checking online revealed no reasont the card wouldn't work -- but it did reveal that the bank had charged the traveler US$35 to expedite the new card to replace the old one the bank had mistakenly switched off -- something the traveler had never been told.
Another call found another friendly agent who again was ever so apologetic. He said the new PIN was sent separately and should arrive in two business days. By now, the traveler was incensed: A $35 charge had been levied for a card that arrived via FedEx while its PIN was still meandering through bulk-rate mail channels. Not only was the fee not authorized, it was meaningless -- and it was still impossible to get cash out of the bank.
This sent the traveler over the edge and the agent -- who, again, apologized profusely -- was subjected to unshirted hell via the telephone. Sadly, there was no way the agent could do anything for the traveler -- security policies meant to protect the customer prevented it. The agent couldn't even reverse the $35 fee. The traveler soon had a new bank.
Injuries and Insults
What went wrong here? A couple of obvious things. First was that the bank failed to accommodate the customer's call providing it with information about the account (i.e., that it would likely be used in Europe during certain days). That oversight set the whole rest of this comedy of errors into motion.
Next came the switching off of the card without any contact to the customer. These days, most customers can be reached quickly via text or at least email. Instead of double-checking with the customer, the bank flipped the switch on the card -- leaving the traveler both without cash and without a reason for the card not working.
Next came the failure of the bank to honor its promises. If a customer says they'll get something as important as an ATM card in two business days, it needs to get there in two business days. Further, if the bank makes a mistake, it's the bank's job to fix the problem; the $35 fee is an insulting way of suggesting this is all the customer's fault.
To assess that charge and then fail to get the card to the customer on time is embarrassing; the fact that the PIN went via regular mail and thus arrived days after the card is sheer incompetence. But here's what really went wrong: the bank never empowered its service people to take action that could have solved the problem at any stage in what was likely an extreme and exceptional case.
Empower Your Agents
The first agent should have been able to waive any fees regarding the shipment of a new card. The card was turned off unexpectedly by the bank; the bank should have handled all aspects of turning the card back on. Apparently, this was not an option available to the agent.
Next, the agent should have been allowed to reverse the fee charged to the customer when the bank failed to live up to its side of the agreement. Even if you believe that the fee was acceptable, the fact that the customer was never informed about it is remarkably slipshod behavior -- and when the card arrived two days after it was promised, it should have been refunded as a goodwill gesture.
Finally, the PIN debacle is perhaps the most embarrassing aspect of all. Agents certainly can't assign new PINs over the phone -- but they should be able to provide alternatives to customers when exceptional events occur -- especially when they are caused by the bank.
If you have a set of security policies in place that might lead to someone being cut off from their cash at an inopportune time or for an undue duration, why don't you have some policies in place to help your customers cope with the results?
Sure, banks have regulations to meet that protect privacy and prevent fraud. But their principal reason to exist is to serve the customer -- or, at least, that's supposed to be the reason they exist. Losing sight of that will doom customer relationships in any business -- so look at your policies from a customer perspective and empower your agents to do more than offer effusive apologies.


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So after spending a lot of quality time with people who make their living exclusively fitting people to bicycles, I did take awy something that helped me on yesterday's ride. Keep those shoulders wide! Seriously, make an effort to "square up" those shoulders. Do not allow your arms to pull them forward. You'd be surprised how much better you'll breathe, and feel overall, if you don't let them roll forward. Who knew. Well, probably everyone else in the world but me. I've always seen rolled-forward shoulders as a reason to bring the bars in closer, but for comfort reasons. I never thought about how much better you can breathe if you're not essentially squeezing your lungs.
It's something you'll need to work on a bit; there's a natural tendency to let them move forward, kind of like slumping in a chair. Why fight it? Why spend the effort to bring them back? Aren't you supposed to "relax" on the bike? Well, yes! You should be relaxed. But the truth is, you can easily make those slight modifications to your posture without feeling like you're contorting yourself or spending any effort at all doing so.
Truth be told, most reading this probably have a longer stem, or perhaps lower, than is ideal. We get this idea in our minds that racers look a certain way, so that's the way we're supposed to look. But if you study racers, you'll find they don't all look the same; they're all over the map. Short stems, long stems, tall stems, low stems. And wherever they are, they do not look stretched out. They might look long but they don't look stretched. Their shoulders are squared up, so they can breathe. So many of us want that "long" look, but can't manage it because we're just not built for it.
There will be some of us who, frankly, are going to look like we're "perched" atop our bikes when properly fit. My son, Kevin, fits into that camp, because, while flexible (or at least far more flexible than I am, but then again, that describes most people on the planet), his legs are proportionately much longer than his arms & torso. Me? I ride in a position that's at least questionable, given my lack of flexibility. And yet it's comfortable. Film at 11 after I work it all out.


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Chowchilla, California, USA
Payphone I found in a ditch in the trashy town of Chowchilla that I call home. Since it was already trashed, I took it home and cut it up with a torch. Let's hope I haven't offended any phreakers. And yes, rusty phones are flammable.
Submitted by Dr. Chaos Ph.D.


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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Launches Global Partnership With MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS
SPG Members Can Live the Formula One Experience with Unparalleled Access to the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team
STAMFORD, Conn. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG®), the award-winning loyalty program from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: HOT), today announced a three-year partnership with the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. SPG® officially launched the new global partnership at the start of Formula One's European season at the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona. The details of the new partnership were announced this morning with the team and Michael Schumacher at the W® Hotel in Barcelona.
Considered the most prestigious form of motor racing in the world, Formula One consists of a series of races known as 'Grands Prix' held on purpose-built and street circuits. Through this new partnership with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, SPG is giving its members unique access to experience exclusive Grand Prix events in incredible destinations such as Spain, Monaco, Singapore, Brazil, Abu Dhabi and more.
"We are extremely proud to be an official team partner of the MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team," said Mark Vondrasek, Senior Vice President, Distribution, Loyalty and Partnership Marketing for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. "SPG goes beyond gaining and redeeming points, it's about building a deeper relationship with our guests. We want to offer our members exclusive experiences that they are most passionate about - be it sports, music or arts. Through our collaboration with MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS, members can connect with their passion for this entertaining world-class sport."
Game On with SPG: Access Like No Other
As part of the multi-year strategic partnership, Starwood Hotels & Resorts becomes the preferred hotel partner of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS globally. Members of the SPG program, which is free to join, can register for their chance to redeem over 120 Access Like No Other experiences, offering unparalleled access to the team. These experiences include exclusive meet-and-greets with the drivers and incredible one-of-a-kind views of the pit lane from the team's hospitality suites at major Grand Prix events worldwide. SPG members will have access to guided factory tours and live race screening events taking them closer to the center of the action – all by using their Starpoints®. To take advantage of this access and more, members can visit SPG.com/moments.
Ross Brawn, Team Principal of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS said: "We are very pleased to have agreed a new team partnership with SPG and to welcome Starwood to Formula One for the first time. As regular travelers will always tell you, a good hotel can make a real difference to your trip and I am delighted that our team will have the opportunity to experience Starwood hotels as we travel around the world. We are very much looking forward to working with the company while introducing their SPG loyalty program to a new audience."
About Starwood Preferred Guest®
The SPG program's breakthrough policy of No Blackout Dates at the world's most sought after collection of hotels reinvented the hospitality loyalty program when it launched in 1999. By creating a program centered on its members, SPG has developed the most passionate and knowledgeable membership base in the hotel loyalty space. Through its use of new technologies and innovative channels such as SPG.com, SPG.com/stayconnected, SPG.com/flights and others, SPG continues to innovate and lead the industry. By offering No Blackouts on standard rooms at 1,090 hotels and resorts in nearly 100 countries, No Blackouts on hundreds of airlines, the introduction of Your24 and SPG Lifetime, and unparalleled experiences available through SPG Moments at spg.com/moments, the program has proven to be a big draw for the world's most frequent travelers, and a significant competitive advantage for Starwood. For more information about Starwood Preferred Guest please visit SPG.com.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,103 properties in nearly 100 countries and 154,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft®, and ElementSM. The Company boasts one of the industry's leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., a premier provider of world-class vacation experiences through villa-style resorts and privileged access to Starwood brands. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
About MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team
The MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team competes in the FIA Formula One World Championship and is based at the team's Operations Centre in Reynard Park, Brackley. Home to over 450 employees, the team is headed by multiple World-Championship winning Ross Brawn, and owned jointly by Daimler AG and aabar Investments PJS. The engines for the team's Formula One cars are provided by Mercedes AMG High Performance Powertrains based in Brixworth, Northamptonshire. For more information, visit: www.mercedes-amg-f1.com.
(Note: This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities regulations. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated at the time the forward-looking statements are made. These risks and uncertainties are presented in detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Although we believe the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based upon reasonable assumptions, we can give no assurance that our expectations will be attained or that results and events will not materially differ. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.). The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Jenni Benzaquen
+32 2 204 5494
Director Public Relations, Europe, Africa & Middle East
MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team
Nicola Armstrong
Communications Manager
Mobile: +44 7793 844549


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Fish and Queso Fresco Tacos
Grilled swordfish is tossed with lime juice and cumin before it's served in warm tortillas with queso fresco, tomatoes, cabbage, and Avocado Radish Salsa.
1 1⁄2 lb. swordfish
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. lime juice
1⁄2 tsp. ground cumin
12 corn tortillas
6 oz. queso fresco
2 med. tomatoes, diced
1 cup shredded cabbage
Avocado Radish Salsa:
2 avocados, chopped
1⁄3 cup finely chopped onion
3⁄4 cup diced radishes
5 serrano chiles, seeded and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper, to taste
- Coat fish with oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill or broil fish 6-9 min., until cooked through. Remove skin and bones; cut fish into wide strips.
- Toss fish with lime juice and cumin. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for Avocado Radish Salsa.
- For service, warm tortillas. Divide fish, cheese, tomatoes, cabbage, and salsa among tortillas and fold over to enclose filling.


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Beware Your Bond Index
The era of easy, outsized bond returns has ended. Today's bond investors should forget about price gains and instead seek to safely squeeze extra yield out of a stingy market. Jack Hough reports. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... I ... the look and for that simply looking for what they say for a ... ceiling of the bond markets a bond market ... ten year yield Liu fotos government bonds they are not doing nothing these days ... really all negative real rates where can you find safety and the yield ... it's also the Holy grail of investing right now Jack now how Barron's will tell you ... the few with you ... safety would feel to it being the keyword terms of the bond marker right now I'm a big fan of indexing and ends meet refines you keep your costs low costs are one of the few things that you can control ... the problem in the bond universe is the big index everyone uses is this Barclay's US Aggregate ... Bond Index ... it's more than seventy percent ... government bond in either Treasurys ... or bonds from government agencies are back on the mend ... and those of us have very low risk of default ... that means the rates they pay are very low ... what that does is it actually increases your sensitivity to interest rates the gives you more of another form of risk the block or risk a doable on a risk ... of a few of our religion rice is going in future right now you know the ten year Treasury now pays one point seven percent ... guess what was thirty years ago ... thirty years ago yet ... I ... thought it was as will my Star Wars were stuck with it and it was a was onward was over ten percent ... from over ten percent ... to under two percent ... what that is done for thirty years is it that made everyone look like a bond genius because when rates are falling like that bond prices rise and everyone is come to expect the with bonds they get their income each year ... and they get a few percentage points of price appreciation it is not to have given him or even in your yielding nothing more ... that Barclays index everyone is pegged to right now ... yields two point seven percent which is not enough to reliably outpace inflation so I mean do I think it's time to make a movement that active management ... for your bond ... is digging around ... found silently say I love the example of a fun you know the Frost Total Return Bond Fund ... it's it's more expensive unity yet to pay more and that the Fed index fund ... or funds like this are able to use their ever going to pockets of the market you'll ... owe a bigger percentage increase in corporate bonds decent quality corporate bonds where you can get four or five percent in things like gum ... commercial mortgage backed securities are or you're with when they're backed by office buildings and malls apartment buildings ... and things like a ... good collateralize corporate loans loans the ... country's take out the back by assets ... all these areas you can get for hubby did this fund as the asthe yields in the four or five percent range ... about double the yield on that aggregate the iam Barclays index ... I knew was going to be everything for bond investors I believe over the next several years ... you've gotta get a better yield ... than you're getting on an index fund this one fond of many this it would do that ... the big thing to do right now ... it's time to switch out of bond indexing because ... you need to find some pockets have more yield ... of course you know the the the the inverse relationship says ... the pain of pregame or yielding U K him a little more risk rather not I guess I I it's all in knee-jerk your mortgage ... real estate the at stuff and ... you're taking on you taking on more risk for the best fund winners can do that responsibly but think about like this ... we are buying bonds is always a tradeoff you you've got interest rate risk and credit risk ... if you're not taking any credit risk ... it means you're yields are pitifully low move that gives you more industry rest that means you're going to be hit harder ... if interest rates rise ... I mean you have a more difficult on up isn't right ... I don't think you should go diving into you know of junk bonds in the worst of all the stuff out there with the highest yield ... up by getting a better balance right now between the interest rate risk and credit risk ... you can read reveals a little bit I think it actually improves the overall safety profile of your palm portfolio not an easy to


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Bristol Windows and Doors quality isn't expensive, replacing your vinyl replacement windows and entry doors twice is!
Energy lost through inefficient single/double pane windows costs you money!
"If all residential windows in the U.S. were replaced with Energy Star qualifying windows we would save $7 billion in energy costs over 15 years"
- U.S.Energy Star Program; nfrc.org; doe.gov
Bristol windows have a U-Value that is 30% lower than Energy Star's lowest U-Value requirement.
Bristol's superior durability starts with our exclusive reinforced vinyl frame design that houses our proprietary extruded composite HIGH DENSITY REINFORCEMENT (HDR). Add Super Triple-E, A-Plus with BR50 insulated glass for energy efficiency and you get SAVINGS beyond compare.
- True Triple Glass design with Multiple Soft Coat Heat Reflective PPG Low-E Layers
- Proprietary ALPHA-10 Gas Mixture Filled Cavities - Better than Argon!
- Envirosealed Warm-Edge BR50 Spacer System
FIND OUT HOW TO BECOME A BRISTOL DEALER... (Click Here)
Quality isn't expensive! Replacing your windows two or three times with cheap low-end windows is! Why? Not only because you'll do it more than once... you also won't get the maximum energy, money and time savings that the Bristol Ultimate Triple Pane Replacement R5 Window System will give you!
Winchester Proudly Celebrates Thirty Years of Manufacturing Bristol Triple Glass Replacement Windows
Featured on Manufacturing Marvels®
Saltsburg, PA - Winchester Industries will be the featured company on Manufacturing Marvels® airing November 8th, 2013 on The Fox Business Network during "The Willis Report" show. These segments are produced by award winning producers Bob and Jerry May and award winning director Bryan McCullough. The 2-minute pods spotlight American manufacturers, their products, as well as the companies' processes and customers. This segment was shot on location at Winchester Industries' Saltsburg, PA. manufacturing facility in HD broadcast format, and narrated by nationally acclaimed voice talent John Criswell. John has been a news anchor for CBS and ABC for over 40 years. "It is truly an honor to be able to participate for this distinguished production," says Winchester Industries President Michael F. Sugrue. "This is a true testament to the exceptional reputation Winchester Industries has earned over the past 30 years as a USA manufacturer in the triple pane replacement window and door industry." As an industry leader in innovation, Winchester provides unparalleled value and performance, through the effective use of craftsmanship and technology by incorporating the principles of trust, integrity and commitment. Winchester takes great pride in selling exclusively to specialty dealers that sell and install custom Bristol and Oxford replacement windows and doors to homeowners that value both outstanding performance and quality.
In recognition of today's positive economic growth trends, Winchester plans to aggressively expand its nationwide dealer base. This course of action will provide more homeowners with the opportunity to purchase high-quality custom triple pane products from a manufacturer that has a 30 year track record of industry leadership!
Winchester's business structure allows Bristol dealers to be totally different than their competition. "TRUE" exclusive territories and exclusive products equals the ingredients for success and growth in today's highly competitive market place. If interested in increasing sales, obtaining higher profits and developing a satisfied customer base then call Winchester today...724-639-3551.
Homeowner: Manufacturer Window Certification (Tax Credit)
Homeowner: Manufacturer Door Certification (Tax Credit)
Homeowner: Federal Tax Form F5695


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Death Notice: Chelmer L. Barrow
Chelmer L. Barrow, 77, of Moberly, died Tuesday, October 30, 2012, at North Village Park Care Center. Services will be Monday, 11:00 a.m., at the Trinity United Methodist Church, with committal prayers and entombment in Good Shepherd Mausoleum in Oakland Cemetery. Visitation will be Sunday, 3:00-7:00 p.m., at Cater Funeral Home with a masonic service at 6:30 p.m.


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BEAVER CREEK, Colo. (AP) -- So efficiently, Ted Ligety weaved his way through a giant slalom course filled with deep ruts ready to swallow up his skis.
And so effortlessly, the U.S. skier gained speed with each gate he buzzed by on his way to the finish line at Beaver Creek.
Lately, it's not a matter of whether he will win a GS race, but by how much. That's how dominant he's been in the discipline, winning Sunday by a massive margin of 1.76 seconds.
This was his second straight lopsided GS victory, too, leaving the field to wonder how to catch him - or even if they can.
Wait, there's more. The technical specialist known as "Shred" has been swift in speed events, too.
So much so that all eyes are on him as he's steadily emerged as an overall title contender. Keep this up and the crown belonging to reigning champion Marcel Hirscher of Austria may be in jeopardy.
"At the moment, it is very, very hard to beat Ted," said Hirscher, who finished runner-up Sunday on the tricky Birds of Prey course.
To think, the prevailing perception of Ligety coming into the season was this: Exceptional giant slalom tactician. But hardly a realistic title contender.
With every run he takes, though, Ligety is rapidly changing that notion. He now trails overall leader Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway by only 80 points.
No one really figured he would be this close after seven races.
No one except for himself, of course. A rigorous offseason fitness program and plenty of training passes on the slopes in Chile put him on this path.
"Winning the overall has been a big goal of mine since I started ski racing," the 28-year-old from Park City, Utah, said. "And it is attainable."
But it won't be easy with the way Svindal's skiing right now. The powerful Norwegian is always near the top of the leaderboard in every race. So far this season, Svindal has won two competitions and placed in the top 10 in three more.
"If he keeps that up, Aksel's going to be near impossible to beat," said Ligety, who won Olympic gold in the combined at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
Then again, if Ligety maintains what he's doing in the GS, he could be as well. He's certainly been the quickest to master the new skis.
The International Ski Federation changed the hourglass shape of the GS skis this season to make the discipline safer. And no one has taken to the new setup better than Ligety, who's won both GS races this season by a combined margin of 4.51 seconds. That's a landslide in skiing.
"Ted is on another level," said Italy's Davide Simoncelli, who finished third in the GS on Sunday. "We just hope that he'll make mistakes."
Ligety's supremacy in the giant slalom is almost to be expected. He did win two straight discipline titles, before Hirscher snapped the string last season.
What's different, though, is Ligety's increased speed in other events. He took fourth in a super-G race at Lake Louise, Alberta, and matched that in Beaver Creek over the weekend.
This has caught Svindal's attention.
"I think he's starting to look more and more like one of those three or four guys who will be there all the way until the end," Svindal said. "He's a good skier and good skiers tend to also be able to ski fast in all events."
Svindal's also sharing trade secrets with Ligety since both are wearing skis and boots provided by Head.
"Every research I do, he gets to know about. Every research he does, I get to know about," Svindal said. "In a way, you're helping your competitor."
Even then, Svindal can't catch up to Ligety in the giant slalom. No one can.
"He is the fastest GS skier right now," said Hirscher, who's currently third in the overall standings as the race circuit heads to Val d'Isere, France, for giant slalom and slalom this weekend. "He should ski two or three gates more than the other skiers."
To be a bona fide contender, Ligety acknowledged he must beef up his other events.
"Ted has the ability to ski all events, which puts him in the class where he can accumulate enough points," U.S. men's coach Sasha Rearick said. "But we still have a lot of work to get there. We have to be more consistent in the slalom. There's a lot of work to do in terms of the downhill and the super-G, just to learn to read certain parts of the hill better to carry more speed.
"And he has to maintain where he is at the top of world in GS, because the rest of those guys are going to figure out how to shave time off the hill to try and catch up to him."
What does Ligety think of his chances for an overall crown?
"I'm right in there right now, but we're a long way off," Ligety said. "If I can keep this momentum going, I have a decent chance."


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Weberg, O'Neill Score Against Tigers
HANOVER, N.H. – The No. 9/10 Yale men's hockey team opened up the 2011-12 regular season by skating to a 2-2 OT tie this afternoon against Princeton in the opening contest of the Ivy Shootout at Thompson Arena.
The Bulldogs, who outshot the Tigers 30-28 and suited up three freshmen on defense and four overall, erased a 1-0 deficit and built a 2-1 lead before finishing in their first season-opening draw since the 1962-63 season. Five different Yale players notched their first points of the year for Keith Allain '80, the Malcolm G. Chace Head Coach of Hockey.
Junior Jeff Malcolm made 26 saves in his first start since last season's Dec. 29 exhibition game against the Russian Red Stars and his first regular season nod since last November.
After a scoreless opening frame in which Yale outshot Princeton 13-4, Michael Sdao gave the Tigers the lead at 4:16 of the second. All four goals were scored in that period.
The first Yale goal of the year came off the stick of a newcomer, forward Nicholas Weberg, the first Bulldog skater ever from Norway. His tally at 7:32 came with assists from junior defenseman Colin Dueck (Calgary, AB) and freshman blueliner Matt Killian (Basking Ridge, NJ).
The guy who led the Elis in scoring the last two years, senior captain Brian O'Neill (Yardley, Pa.) gave his squad a brief lead at 16:25 with his 49th career goal. O'Neill, who had a game-high five shots on target, notched a point for the sixth straight game dating to last March. Junior forward Andrew Miller (Bloomfield Hills, Mich) assisted on that goal.
Princeton struck back just before the second intermission. Rob Kleebaum's tally with 32 seconds left in the middle frame permanently evened things.
Sean Bonar stopped 28 Yale shots in the Princeton net.
Yale takes on Dartmouth Saturday night at 7, while the Tigers skate against Brown at 4 p.m.
Report filed by Steve Conn, Yale Sports Publicity Director
Photo of Nicholas Weberg by dspics.com


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Where Do Teens Discover New Music? YouTube.
from the promoting-new-artists dept
Via CNN, we learn that the new Nielson Music 360 report has found that YouTube is the primary method for discovering new music amongst teenagers today. While it may not be any great surprise that kids use the free service to find and/or listen to music, I think the report includes a couple of important notes worth elaborating upon. First, take a look at the difference between the generations of music fans:
Among all adults, radio remains the most popular tool, with 48 percent saying that's how they usually discover their new jams. But more teens, 64 percent, cited YouTube, the Web's leading video-sharing site, as a place where they listen to music. Followed by radio (56%), iTunes (53% ) and CDs (50%).
The popularity of YouTube is dramatically higher among teens than all adults. Only 7 percent of all respondents said they discover music most frequently through the site.
Again, probably not the kind of statistics you'd exactly consider jaw-dropping. But let's think about this for a moment. If the jump between those that utilize evil YouTube the most to discover new music (for which they'll potentially buy either music, concert tickets, etc.) is from 7% of the total population and 64% of the teenage population, that indicates to me that the real transition in how we discover new music as an entire population has only just begun. And, if the music labels want to continue to fight against YouTube rather than utilize it, they appear to be ill-prepared for what is a statistical tidal wave that these teenagers will represent when they become paying adults and have children of their own. Failing to embrace YouTube as a promotional tool and fighting against that kind of tsunami is akin to...well...fighting against a friggin' tsunami!
From the CNN article we also learn this:
Strangely, the report doesn't address teens' listening habits on music-streaming sites such as Pandora, Spotify or Grooveshark.
And that's a mistake. If YouTube is the trend for this generation of teenagers, there is a very real likelihood that the next trend is going to be either those music-streaming sites, or others very much like it. That is, of course, if the music labels don't continue to try to kill them as well.
But the point remains: people will use new internet services to discover new music. This represents a boon for music as a whole, and could represent the same for the major labels, but only if they stop fighting the tide and instead ride the wave.


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Anticipating the Smart Grid
Designers, building owners, and operators should understand how the emerging Smart Grid will impact individual buildings.
In these times of smartphones, smart cars, smart this, and smart that, how is a building to compete? Well, it's no news to the readers of Consulting-Specifying Engineer that buildings are already pretty smart with building automation systems (BAS) that allow building managers to know exactly what's happening to the myriad energy consuming components required to make a building functional and comfortable for its users and profitable for its owners.
Making buildings capable of reacting to their internal and external surroundings has been evolving for more than 40 years—from manually adjusting boiler and chiller outputs to incremental advances in control and automation, and from pneumatic controls to analog electrical controls to modern direct digital controls. The next step is integrating buildings into the rapidly evolving Smart Grid. The Smart Grid is transforming last century's national electrical grid from a local, one-way, passive power distribution system to a reactive, interactive, two-way power distribution network.
The Smart Grid will allow regional power producers at the macro level to communicate directly with individual commercial or residential buildings at the micro level.
This level of communication will enable the Smart Grid to know where demand is required—even to the individual building level. Knowing where and how much power is needed allows the Smart Grid to adjust power distribution in real time. The agility of matching power demand with power production minimizes the amount of power that generating facilities must dump, and keeps base-load plants running at minimum capacity.
Smart Grid primer
The electrical power grid is one of the most massive and complex undertakings in the U.S. Amazingly, the entire grid was developed independently by countless local power producers without significant coordination by the federal government until fairly recently.
In 1882, Thomas Edison's Pearl Street Station, the first power plant, produced 100-V dc power and distributed it to several hundred street lamps serving a single neighborhood of New York. However, by the late 1800s, the predominant power system was ac, which allowed electricity to be transmitted at high voltage to minimize line losses, and then to be stepped down at point of use at a safer, lower voltage. Local power grids were developed throughout the U.S., but it wasn't until the 1930s that they became regionally connected by means of analog substations. Most of the grid's infrastructure has been upgraded. What we consider the national transmission grid has been in place since the 1950s. The national transmission grid in the U.S. actually comprises three independent conglomerations of interconnected local transmission lines: the Eastern Interconnected System, the Western Interconnected System, and the Texas Interconnected System. Portions of these grids are also interconnected to the Mexican and Canadian transmission grids.
The electric power grid is comprised of three main components: power stations, the transmission grid operating at 110,000 Vac or above connecting the various power stations to their distributed substations, and the local utility distribution grid operating at 33,000 Vac or less (see Figure 2). The greatest challenge to the power grid is transmitting the electricity from the power plants to the local utilities where and when it's needed. The production of electricity is dynamic, varying by region and by capacity. Similarly, the use of that electricity is dynamic, also varying by region and by demand.
Because there is virtually no storage capacity in the transmission grid, it is up to the power producers, the transmission grid operators, and the local utilities to coordinate production capacity with user demand. By the 1980s, the substations were starting to become automated with analog switching, although they were still controlled by human intervention. By the 1990s, the automation was upgraded to digital controls with limited human intervention. The growth of renewable energy plants also added impetus to improve the automation. Unlike fossil fuel power stations, renewable energy plants have limited control over when they can produce power. If the wind stops blowing at a wind farm or if nightfall or heavy cloud cover puts a solar array below its production threshold, the grid needs to be able to react virtually instantaneously to pick up the lost supply from other sources.
The Smart Grid offers a design solution to this fundamental power grid problem. Where did the Smart Grid actually come from? It's actually the existing distributed power grid that's been around for the past 70 years or so. Like the smartphone and all those other smart devices we covet, the secret sauce that is making the old power grid into the Smart Grid is interactivity. Whereas the current power grid is essentially a one-way stream of power with relatively slow reaction to changes in demand, the quickly evolving Smart Grid will be able to react to power demand changes in real time and realign power production and distribution to match. It can also react to power inputs from customers producing off-grid renewable power and crediting the microproducers in real time. Although this is a gross simplification of the process, the concept provides the necessary background for the purpose of this article.
Potential impact on the commercial building market
While the Smart Grid as a market is still in its infancy, smart owners/managers are monitoring the trends, staying alert for opportunities to cut costs, and planning to keep their buildings compatible in the future. The grid continues to get smarter, presenting building owners/managers with greater tech-based opportunities for cost savings. Concurrently, more sophisticated financial tools and legal structures are beginning to evolve to support the technology, slowly creating a stronger business case for investments in this sector. Major Smart Grid investment this early should be done only with significant research, but the day is coming when those unfamiliar or unprepared to interact with a Smart Grid will be at a competitive disadvantage in the commercial building market.
Becoming familiar with available technology is the first step. Smart meters, BAS, and building energy management systems (BEMS) are basic tools building owners/managers can use to cut costs internally as well as take advantage of external opportunities. The degree to which a building is centrally controlled/monitored and able to interact with the outside world determines its potential to benefit from Smart Grid-related opportunities. For example, knowing and being able to isolate the individual energy use of each major piece of an HVAC system allows for more flexibility when taking advantage of dynamic electricity pricing or negotiating a demand response (DR) contract.
Currently, the most common opportunities are related to DR agreements with utilities. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission defines "demand response" as: "Changes in electric usage by end-use customers from their normal consumption patterns in response to changes in the price of electricity over time, or to incentive payments designed to induce lower electricity use at times of high wholesale market prices, or when system reliability is jeopardized." It is important to note that DR agreements are negotiated contracts between businesses and utilities. As such, they are purely optional and intended to be a flexible way for large electricity customers and utilities to mutually benefit from the real-time information smart meters can now provide. Whether done manually or remotely through installed automatic demand response (ADR) components, it is a contractual agreement between two parties, and both parties must understand the expectations and benefits before moving forward.
Aside from DR, owners/managers can use building smart meters to benefit from dynamic electricity pricing by running equipment with strategic intent. BAS can be set to limit cooling, for example, when power prices hit a setpoint or pre-cool a space when prices are low. This is another scenario where proper technology (smart meter + BAS/BEMS) can yield financial benefits and justify investment.
Also, smart meters, and the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) necessary to effectively use them, have not yet achieved widespread use. Much remains in both the R&D pipeline and regulatory negotiations before the fully functional AMI is ready for prime time. The transition to a fully integrated Smart Grid will take time, but it is a matter of when—not if. As this structure evolves technologically as a market concept, there will be more opportunities. Building owners should prepare their buildings now to take advantage of the opportunities that are on the horizon.
How the Smart Grid will affect building owners
To capitalize on these rapidly evolving business opportunities of the emerging Smart Grid, building owners and managers should ensure their building infrastructure is set up to take advantage of them. Although there are many emerging technologies associated with the Smart Grid, most are related either to power stations or to transmission and distribution networks. Because this article is intended for building owners, managers, and designers, those technologies are not addressed in this article. Rather, the focus is on those emerging technologies that will be implemented at the micro-level of individual buildings up to a campus of related buildings. The common thread at this end of the power spectrum is targeted metering of power usage, disciplined and orderly power distribution within the facility, and, to the extent it is applicable, local renewable power production.
Traditional metering is a one-way stream of usage data from the utility meter up to the local utility and eventually the power producer with a significant time lag from days to weeks. On the fully functional Smart Grid, a smart meter will be the communication gateway between the building and the local utility and also the other two parts of the grid: the transmission and the power stations. The goal of the Smart Grid is to allow all these components of the power grid—major producers, power transmitters, and end users—to react in real time to the aggregate power demands across their domains.
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This translation is a little florid. "Fearless from tomb loose ropes of-a-sailor: // (while) even us being-destroyed, another was/kept-on sailing." Sense requires "of-a-sailor" modify "tomb" not "ropes." The first clause of the second line is of course genitive absolute.

On the same subject :

Leonidas of Alexandria, GA VII, 675

 a)/tromoj e)k tu/mbou lu/e pei/smata nauhgoi=o·
xh(mw=n o)llume/nwn a)/lloj e)nhopo/rei

"Without fear remove the ropes (= cast off the moorings) from the tomb of the shipwrecked sailor : even when we were on the road to ruin, another one kept on sailing."

"Of-a-sailor tomb I am; but you sail; for even when we \\ were-being-destroyed, the remaining ships were-sailing."

There's nothing about harbors in the second one at all.

It's interesting to note that [face=SPIonic]o)/llumi[/face] is the verb for being destroyed/dying at sea.
Also Theodorides, GA VII, 282

nauhgou= ta/foj ei)mi/· su\ de\ ple/e· kai\ ga\r o(/q' h(mei=j
w)llu/meq' ai( loipai\ nh=ej e)pontopo/roun

"I am the tomb of a shipwrecked sailor, but you, sail on : for when we were going down, the other ships were reaching the harbour."

I've overstressed the idea of safety implied by pontopore/w "to pass over the sea" , because the meaning of the poem is : "I died but the other didn't" i.e. they were brought to safety... (they passed over the sea... and reached a harbour).

XAIPE
There's nothing about harbors in the second one at all.

Orexis wrote:Μὴ εῖναι βασιλικὴν ἀτραπὸν ἐπὶ γεωμετρίαν.[/code]


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Support PDF,DOC,DOCX,TXT,XLS,WPD,HTM,HTML fils up to 5MB
Company name
Organization TypePublic Interest
Job Type
Date Last Verified
Posted on
ProfileLaw Students The students will join an organization that provides access migrants and asylum seekers access to legal services and information. Opportunities are available for students to work with legal staff and administration. Will assist with language support, administrative assistance and other special projects. Areas of Law: Immigration and Naturalization, Defenses from Removal/Deportation, with an emphasis on asylum, withholding of removal and protection under the Convention Against Torture. Populations Served: Asylum Seekers, Immigrants
Company info
Hiring Coordinator
Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center
50 Mt Zion Road
P.O. Box 20339
York, PA 17402
Phone: 717-600-8099
Fax: 717-600-8044


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Vera Brown, a skin care specialist with a star-studded clientele who sponsored beauty clinics for thousands of blind teens, delinquent girls, homeless women and cancer patients in Los Angeles, died Sept. 24 at her Westwood home. She was 90 and had been in poor health for the last year, said her daughter, Angela.
For more than 25 years, Brown operated two luxurious spas — Vera's Retreat in Tarzana and Vera's Retreat in the Glen in Bel-Air — with a client list that included such celebrities as Chris Evert, Whitney Houston, Nicole Kidman and Jane Seymour. Brown was known for her own line of beauty products that emphasized aloe vera and other natural ingredients.
Her special passion was using her expertise to help women and girls struggling with abuse, cancer, physical handicaps or poverty. She gave workshops and organized salons where she and a crew of volunteers gave free facials, haircuts, makeup lessons and manicures.
Believing that self-esteem is "the greatest healer for someone who's been traumatized," Brown wanted the women she met in skid row shelters, juvenile halls and hospitals to learn how to look in the mirror and love the person they see.
"She would tell women how to take care of their skin and feel better about themselves as a whole. She was inspirational to our residents and clients," said Claire Orr, founder of People Assisting the Homeless, or PATH, a Los Angeles agency where the programs include a full-service beauty salon established by and named after Brown.
Brown also created a salon at the Windsor Hills campus of Junior Blind of America (formerly the Foundation for the Junior Blind), where she donated her beauty products — specially labeled in Braille — dispensed advice and swept the floor until earlier this year, when her weakening health prevented her visits.
"She would talk to students, tell them how pretty they are. Women who hadn't put on makeup in a year or two would end up in tears because they hadn't felt like they could do those things," said Shirley Manning, director of the Junior Blind's Davidson Program for Independence. "Through her generosity in providing that training, they learned the skills to do that."
Brown, who was born in Seattle on Dec. 16, 1919, and later graduated from Los Angeles High School, became interested in skin care as a young woman struggling with acne. After a disappointing trip to a well-regarded spa for a facial she scrimped to afford, she began experimenting with home treatments.
"She made these creams out of these natural products and gave her friends facials all the time," said former KNBC-TV Channel 4 news anchor Kelly Lange, who knew Brown for more than 30 years. "Everybody said, 'Why don't you put this on the market?' Finally, she did."
In the early 1970s, after raising a family, Brown trained under Venner Kelson, a Hollywood skin care guru who had tended the complexions of such stars as Jack Benny and Merle Oberon. In 1976, Brown launched Vera's Retreat on the second floor of a Tarzana mini-mall; the Bel-Air location followed in 1987.
Brown, who was a former longtime resident of Beverly Hills, was married for 46 years to real estate developer Gilbert Brown, who died in 1995. In addition to her daughter, she is survived by a stepdaughter, Jeri; and three grandsons.
She eventually sold both spas but continued her volunteer work with women and youths at such facilities as the Los Angeles Mission on skid row and the Rhonda Fleming Mann clinic at UCLA Medical Center.
One of the women she encountered at the mission was Vickie Henderson, who had lost custody of her three children and was struggling with drugs and alcohol. Henderson ran into Brown in the kitchen one day in 1993. "Vera said, 'I've been watching you.' She said, 'What is your future when you leave here?' " Henderson recalled in an interview last week. "I was like, 'Oh my God, no one ever asked me this.' Never. But Vera asked me."
Henderson was suspicious at first; she wondered if Brown's interest was sincere. But she found her dreams tumbling out of her mouth. "Vera, I just wish I could live one day sober and clean," Henderson told her. "I said I wish I could get my kids back. And I wish I had my license to be a beautician. I want to do hair and make people look good.
"She made my life that day, asking me about the rest of my life."
Through Brown, a wealthy benefactor paid for Henderson to attend cosmetology school and get her license. Brown later sent Henderson back to school to learn reflexology. The once-homeless woman became the "Foot Fairy" to massage clients at Brown's Bel-Air spa, where she worked for seven years. She got her children back. And she was able to afford a roof over her head.
Then one day Brown took her to see the salon she was creating for People Assisting the Homeless. She asked if Henderson would like to work there.
Henderson has been the manager of the agency's Vera Brown Personal Care Center for nine years now, helping 10 to 15 clients a day "look good, feel good."
"I never in my life thought I would be doing that. I love it," Henderson said. "I can't wait to go back just to let Vera shine in me."
Vera Brown, a skin care specialist with a star-studded clientele who sponsored beauty clinics for thousands of blind teens, delinquent girls, homeless women and cancer patients in Los Angeles, died Sept. 24 at her Westwood home. She was 90 and had been in poor health for the last year, said her daughter, Angela.


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Last week I came across an excellent article about parenting with media literacy on a site I use a lot, www.commonsensemedia.org. The site is a great parenting resource for age-appropriate media for your kiddos. The article, "Too Sexy, Too Soon", was about the crush of sexualization in girlhood, happening as early as the preschool years. I feel it with my five year old daughter,especially as we move into bigger girl toys and clothes.
Don't buy in. Help your kids stay kids by not buying outfits, makeup, and other "grown up" accessories. Stay away from clothing that reinforces the message that looking "sexy" is a way to get noticed.
Seek out positive role models. Lots of little girls love to dress up as princesses. Help expand their horizons by finding role models in books, on TV, in movies, and in real life that show kids how they can be recognized for their talents and brains rather than their looks or behavior.
Watch out for stereotypes. Our kids look to their favorite actors and musicians for cues on how to act. Point out when the media rewards girls for being sexy and boys for being strong.
Resist consumerist messages. On mother-daughter days, do something outside the mall, like crafts, hiking, or biking. Not all mothers and daughters have to bond by shopping.
Challenge the status quo. Reinforce behaviors that don't involve kids' looks. Kids develop self-esteem by doing things they feel proud of. If your kids are getting their self-worth from attention-getting behavior, they'll have sold themselves short.
The article is really great….but leaves parents with little kids wondering, "I still don't know what to do."
Lyn's response: I stress this "protection" point often because too many parents think they can fully control what their little kids see, hear, and play with and then forget to talk with them in age-appropriate ways and give them what they need to protect themselves. Protection alone does not work…as soon as kids are engaged with media and can talk, we should be modeling questions and skepticism, helping them create their own media, and encouraging them to talk back and insert their own ideas in the media they see.
…being sexualized/commodified and understanding what that means are different, so the onus is on parents to help girls understand the stereotypes and eventually, the sexualization, in their media. When they are little and forming gender identities, it's really about categorizing things–this is girl, this is boy–so that's why the pink blue stuff has such power. Parenting well means interrupting this, limiting those messages when possible, offering a wider range of choices and experiences and questioning these stereotypes out loud. It's all about interrupting the marketers' narrow version of gender (and also race, sexual identity, etc.) and giving kids a range of experiences so that we are helping to fire all those synapses.I don't think it helps to be really anxious about sexualization when girls are too young–because if parents aren't careful, they give unintended messages about good and bad girls (those who wear pink, own Bratz dolls), good and bad bodies, etc. (little kids are very concrete). We want kids to get comfortable questioning fake/idealized stuff and embracing the wonderful complexity in their worlds. So yes, dolls contribute to a larger pattern of sexualization and contribute to a world where little girls are more at risk, but that's different than what I do as a parent. The issue for parents is parenting where kids are and that means getting what they are actually taking from this stuff–so not assuming or overeacting, but listening and talking with them.
Provide your child with a diverse range of toys that encourages all kinds of exploration, gross and fine motor skills, creativity, and open-ended play.
Fill your child's world with a rich variety of colors. Color, color, color, and do not let yourself be limited to those assigned to gender by our culture.
It is okay to feel uncomfortable with characters or toys for children that look like stereotyped, sexualized women and steroid-ridden men. My kids love making up their own characters, so apart from the body image issues, we try to avoid those things and give their creativity room to run.
Expose your child to media that depicts boys and girls working together, and not participating in gender stereotyped activities.
Characters that pass the test at our house: Dora and Diego, Sesame Street, Wonder Pets, Land Before Time, Dr. Seuss, Team Umizumi, Bubble Guppies, Little Bear, and Olivia.
When at the toy store, question why one side is blue and one side is pink. That's all a bunch of marketing garbage. Then cross the aisle and buy a car for your girl and a doll for your son. There isn't a boy or girl side to early childhood.
Know that you have the right to ask family members to respect your wishes about media literacy in your home. Example: When asked about birthday gift ideas, it is within your right to request that certain type of toy not be given, and then provide examples of what your child would enjoy. My friends and family have been wonderful about honoring my requests and respecting my daugther's love of dinosaurs and sea creatures.
Stock your playroom with art supplies, dressup clothes, bean bags, scarves, musical instruments, puzzles, books, blocks, puppets, play food and dishes and/or a tea set, toy animals and dinosaurs, trains and cars, doll houses, stuffed animals…any toy that doesn't come with instructions or batteries!
- Kids love to mimic adults, so by 18months most kids enjoy cooking sets, caring for a doll or lovey, tool sets, and dress up clothes. My 5yo and almost 3yo love playing hospital, grocery store, zoo, school, restaurant, museum gift shop, and animal rescuers. As of late they have been building aquariums, but their ticket prices are really steep.
- Positive body image starts as early as "Heads, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes". NO Fat Talk is allowed. Exercise and be active with your kids, show them all the amazing things healthy bodies can do!
- Repeat after me: NO Fat Talk is allowed in your home. None. Zip. Nada. Zilch.
Explore. Go look for birds nests and worm hunt and count cars and pick clovers and chase butterflies. Nature doesn't run commercials. Last summer my kids were intent on bear hunting. There aren't too many bears in southcentral Wisconsin, but boy if they didn't tire themselves out while looking for footprints in the woods.
Take those couch cushions off and build a fort, or throw a bedsheet over the table to create a tent. Then let them create their own world.
On the days you are out of ideas, throw them in the bath with swim goggles and a bubble wand or a popsicle.
Write down a story your child tells you, then help him/her illustrate. Create a music band or parade. Have them act out little skits and catch it on video. Write scripts for puppet shows.
Know that it will be impossible to escape this stuff. Work on being smart about it – and teaching those smarts to your kids. It is a family effort, and you'll all be better off for it.
Most of all – allow yourself grace, not one of us is a perfect parent, but staying engaged and in touch with our kids will make all the difference in the often times crazy world.
I hope this information helps and gives you a good starting point. If you have more questions or specific problems, leave them in the comments, or email me (email@example.com) and I'll get you the best information I can.
For MORE resources, Hardy Girls Healthy Women has a Resources page with excellent Tips sheets. Soak all of them in, they are all great!
You bet there is a lot of crap out there, and it doesn't seem to be getting better. As parents we choose what our family buys, and what comes into our home. We are not powerless, and we need to find our voices again and say "NO!" to the products and media and marketers we feel are harming our kids.


text: Before you select another pumpkin for your front porch display, consider cooking it instead: roast, bake, and stew up everything from savory salads and creamy soups to earthy desserts and more. Grated like a carrot, it can be added to cake and muffin batters. Puréed, it's famous in pie. Sliced or diced, pumpkin is delicious roasted and eaten on its own, baked into casseroles, or stewed for soups. Pumpkin is also a low-calorie superfood. It's high in potassium, fiber, and beta-carotene. But as good for you as pumpkin is, its mild, lightly sweet flavor is what leaves you delighted and satisfied. Taste autumn with these delicious pumpkin recipes. This seasonal squash is great in both savory and sweet dishes.


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Passionate About Purple: Furniture & Accessories
I think purple is often ignored. Color palettes associated with seasons rarely ever seem to give purple a chance and it's rare that you find someone besides a tween that swears by the color purple. Hopefully this roundup changes a few minds and helps to have more of us embrace hues of lavender, violet, & plum!
Shown above:
1. Clarity Multi Color Glass Tables, ABC Home, $2,495
2. All Square Purple Tiles, FLOR, $14.99 p/tile
3. Artista Multi Color Embroidery Throw Pillow, Rosenberry Rooms, $172
4. Crystal Dining Chair, Amethyst, $199
5. Purple Feather Print Chaise Lounge Chair, Etsy, $804
6. Eight Hole Tufted Twin Headboard, KMart, $199
7. Vidrio Glass Table Lamp, World Market, $39.98
8. Junior Templeton Chair, Jonathan Adler, $1,095
9. Striped Kilim Sofa, Anthropologie, $2,498


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Senior Resources
College Visits
The following advice is taken wholly from the guidance pages of the Fremont, CA Union High School District. Information that specifically addressed California concerns has been modified or deleted. .
College Visits Whenever returning graduates are asked, "What one thing MOST helped you in deciding where to go to college?" they always give the same response: "Visiting the campuses." Graduates will tell you that the visits made to campuses were more important than reading the catalogs, talking with college representatives or attending the College Fair. They emphasize the importance of visiting the admissions office, taking a tour, and talking to both college officials and students in attendance. It is best to try and visit while the university is in session so you can see the school in action.
Why is visiting campuses so important? It is vital because no one should make a decision as important as where to attend college merely on the basis of pictures in a pretty booklet or on someone else's opinion. It takes effort to determine how well a college fits you. Spending quality time on campus is the best way to measure fit. Quality time means more than taking the tour and attending a football game or campus event. You'll want to spend a night or two in a residence hall, sit in on some classes, eat in the dining halls and spend time talking to students and faculty. Sophomores and juniors considering a particular college might choose to take part in a summer program for high school students offered at that university. These programs provide a preview of the life of a college student at that institution. While you might not be able to visit every campus you're considering, the ideas that follow may help you to get an inside scoop without making that initial visit.
Virtual Tours
Click on the university's website - This seems obvious, but you'll want to take the "virtual tour" and also fully explore the resources available at the college site. Some sites offer online chats so you can talk with current students and admission officers.
Read the college's printed material - the course catalog can be especially helpful. It outlines the college's philosophy and mission statement, as well as providing information about majors, course requirements and offerings. When reading the glossy brochures, however, keep in mind that the university representatives are seeking to portray their school in the best possible light.
Check out the student newspaper- You'll find links to the college newspaper either from the college's own website or www.greekspot.com/collegenews. Pay special attention to the issues that seem important to students on that campus - would these be important to you? You'll also learn about student peeves and about activities on campus.
Take the student-led campus tour via videotape- At www.collegiatechoice.com you can order a copy of the campus tour filmed by college counselors visiting each campus. While none of these will substitute for a campus visit, they will help you learn more about the colleges you're considering.
Visiting the College Campus
Select several (six or seven) campuses you are thinking about attending. Select state universities and colleges as well as private colleges. Remember that you are just looking at colleges and that private colleges provide more financial aid, in general, than public colleges and universities provide.
Contact the Admissions Offices, ask about tours, and set up specific times when you can talk to an Admissions Officer. If you know what your major will be, try to get an appointment with the Department Chair or someone in the Department Office. If you have the time, make plans to stay overnight in a campus dorm. Some campuses have visitation days scheduled. Contact individual campuses or check their web page.
Step 1: Visit local colleges to get experience handling a college visit.
Our local colleges include all five kinds of campuses:
- USC-University of South Carolina
- State Schools - College of Charleston, Winthrop, USC Upstate
- Private - Furman, Wofford, Presbyterian, Newberry, Coker
- Community College - The Midlands Tech Campuses
- Technical - ITC or similar schools
Step 2: Plan ahead for your tours and visits.
Before you visit the campus, consider some of the options below and create questions in advance of your visit.
- Schedule an interview in the admissions office, if available.
- Review admissions requirements (tests, high school grades, etc.) and get a realistic view by looking at profiles of the previous graduating class.
- Obtain a school calendar and fee schedule.
- Investigate your academic program or major of interest.
- Take a campus virtual tour.
- Learn about the college (departmental strengths, research opportunities, facilities, parking, ease of registration, crime statistics, etc.)
- Investigate types of student support available (academic, personal, psychological and physical) and special programs (education abroad, work-study, inter-campus exchange, etc.)
- Investigate career planning and placement programs. Determine the percentage of graduates who go on to higher education and admissions rates of medical/law/business school applicants. Also, ask about employment rates directly out of college, internship and recruitment programs.
- Make a list of six or more campuses to visit with your parents or a friend.
- Call ahead for an appointment with an admissions officer and, if possible, with someone in your major department.
- Stay overnight in a residence hall, if time permits.
- Be prepared with questions.
Step 3: The College Visit/Tour
- Discuss your chances for success. Also, ask about the percentage of students who graduate in four or five years and the number of returning sophomores. Ask why students choose to leave.
- Ask about the amount of study necessary for success.
- Visit the library.
- Ask about financial aid opportunities (deadlines, forms required, merit scholarships, percentage of students receiving aid, etc.)
- Schedule a visit with a financial aid officer, if appropriate.
- Meet with faculty. Determine whether professors or assistants teach undergraduate classes.
- Talk with students. Ask what they like and dislike most about the college.
- Sit in on one or two freshman classes - witness class size, teaching style, academic atmosphere, respect accorded to students and teachers, comfort level in classes, etc.
- Find out how students use their out-of-classroom time.
- Become aware of student activities (clubs, organizations, intramurals, etc.).
- Inquire about campus life in terms of dating, social activities, fraternities/sororities, etc.).
- Check the residence halls and dining facilities. Envision yourself in the living environment. Try the food.
- Check the adequacy of computer facilities and technology available.
- Examine the surrounding community, determine what cultural and social enrichment opportunities are available and inquire about safety issues.
Step 4: Make a "Quick-Check" list for each college visit.
If you don't, the schools will become a blur after visits to several campuses. Include the following type of information to personalize your list or use the sample in this booklet.
- Name of college, date of visit, address and phone number
- Size of student body, tuition/fees and admission requirements
- Personal ranking of location, academics, atmosphere, housing, facilities, class sizes, social life, reputation, financial aid, school size, size of surrounding community, religious affiliation, athletics, special programs, special services, sororities/fraternities, prestige, rigor of programs.
Questions You Should Ask on a Tour
Questions to ask can be divided into four areas: academic, social, surroundings and general.
A. Academic Questions
- Do professors teach most freshmen courses or do graduate students do much of the teaching?
- What is the attitude of most professors toward students? Are they friendly? Accessible? Willing to give extra help?
- How hard do you have to work to be successful?
- How is access to advisors for assistance and/or mentoring?
- How difficult is it to change majors?
- Is the learning environment cooperative or competitive?
- Does the school have adequate computer facilities?
- Some colleges are doing a lot these days in the area of career counseling. How does this college stack up? (One college, for example, devotes certain weekends to exploration of different careers with graduates coming back to tell about what they do and talk about salary, advancements, etc.).
- Is there a Career Planning and Placement Center on campus? How many graduates does it help place?
- What percentage of graduates got jobs last year?
- What percentage of graduates goes on to professional or graduate schools?
B. Social Questions
- What do students do on the weekends? Do many of them go home? Is the campus lively or empty?
- What is the situation with regard to drinking and drugs?
- Are there good places to eat, aside from the official dining halls?
- If the school is not co-ed, what kinds of social arrangements are made?
- How important are fraternities and sororities in campus life? Does most social life depend on them?
- Do theatrical companies, orchestras and other musical groups or outside lecturers come to the campus? If not, are such activities available in town?
- Are groups in the college community involved in what's going on in the outside world - politics, international relations, community service?
C. Questions about the Surrounding Area
- For non-urban schools, find out what the surrounding community is like. How are relations between residents and students - the so-called "town-gown" relationship? .
- What's the transportation like between campus and town?
- Is any large urban area accessible?
- For urban schools, how safe is the neighborhood?
- Is housing available in the surrounding area?
- Is adequate parking available on campus?
D. General Questions
- What kinds of help are available – academic, personal, psychological?
- How are personal problems handled?
- What can you do if you dislike your roommate?
- Are there a lot of rules and regulations on conduct, etc. that must be observed?
- Are there special restrictions on freshmen? How safe is the campus?
- Always ask what students like most about the college. Dislike most? Also ask, "What's wrong with this place?" as well as, "What's the greatest thing about this college?"
- Finally, what is the general attitude toward students by the college admissions officers, registrar, residence hall managers, assistant deans and academic advisors?


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What happens when a massive corporation decides to profit unfairly from the intellectual property of a small business or entrepreneur –or to enforce its own trademark to a point that it becomes a trademark bully?
"Well, usually, nothing happens," says Eve Brown, practitioner in residence and director of Suffolk Law's Intellectual Property and Entrepreneurship Clinic. "The expense of taking on a large corporation in federal court dissuades most individual entrepreneurs and inventors from taking any legal action."
That's where the IP Clinic comes in. It charges no fees to provide a team of students who work with Brown and faculty advisors to mount vigorous defense and prosecution of IP cases they think are especially strong.
Learn more about Suffolk Law's 11 in-house clinics on our Clinics webpage.
One such case, a David and Goliath tale by Brown's telling, starts in 2011, when Winthrop, Mass.-based artist Maureen Reddy designed a light shade that transforms '70s-style bathroom vanity light bars—the ones with four bare bulbs—into something more chic. The shade uses only a screwdriver for installation.
In 2012, Reddy, pitched the idea to Lowe's Home Improvement, with her product patent pending and a business and marketing plan ready. Despite her pending patent, she alleges that Lowe's began producing and selling a strikingly similar version of her shade through a Florida-based company, Evolution Lighting, LLC. In the past year, she found Evolution's product on Lowe's website, in Lowe's stores, and on various third-party sites, including Amazon.
Reddy turned to the IP Clinic to represent her in a patent infringement and unfair competition case against both companies. Without the clinic's help it would have been difficult or impossible for Reddy to prosecute her claim, Brown said.
Two years later, the case is now in front of the Hon. William Young of the U.S. District Court in Boston. At Brown's request, Christina Mott JD '14 was granted permission to represent Reddy in court. The recent graduate has been performing behind-the-scenes research and preparation throughout the 2013-2014 academic year.
Mott and Reddy achieved a victory on June 4 during a pre-trial hearing in federal court, where Mott successfully convinced the court to adopt the clinic's claim construction in the patent infringement case. This win is excellent news for Reddy, since the claim construction defines the scope of the patent and, in many cases, can greatly influence the ultimate outcome of the case.
By avoiding a narrow interpretation of Reddy's patent, Mott and the clinic increased the chance that all three of the shades that defendants sold could be found by a jury to have infringed Reddy's patent.
Mott calls Reddy's situation "a poster case" for encroachment of intellectual property. "She is an inventor who's passionate about her product and tried to follow the right steps to get her invention to the market, when something went wrong," Mott said.
The case is scheduled to go to trial in the fall of 2014.


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More Moto X news is flowing in this morning. Many of you fondly know Taylor Wimberly as the founder of Android and Me, and lately he's been on a roll with Moto X leaks. Today he posted another morsel of information to Google+ regarding the customization options of the Moto X. He reports that the curved design of the phone is "engineered from ground up for personalization." And while we've heard for a long time now that the backplate will be customizable, he shared a couple of new options about what materials it could be made of.
Taylor is reporting that, while plastic is the standard material for the Moto X, a wood backplate option will also be available at launch. He says that after the initial launch date (August 23) options for metal, ceramics and fabrics should also become available. We've heard about plastic, metal and wood, but both the ceramic and fabric options are new. He also mentioned that AT&T has something exclusive regarding the launch of the Moto X. Unfortunately, he doesn't know what kind exactly that might be.
People keep asking for Moto X leaks, so here is another tidbit. Moto X features a curved design engineered from ground up for personalization. As I reported awhile back, users will be able to pick the material for the backplate. Plastic is the default material, but wood is also an option that should be available at launch. Other materials like metals, ceramics, and fabrics should become available after the August 23rd launch. AT&T has some kind of 'exclusive' thing for the Moto X launch, but I don't know if it's an exclusive material/color or something else completely different.Taylor WimberlyGoogle+
This latest leak builds on the already large heap of information we have regarding the Moto X and makes the device even more unique. The only problem I see with all of this customizability is that I'm never going to be able to decide what I want my phone to be.
What material would you choose?