text:
Five homers help Braves power past Phillies, 15-3
Published 12:00 am Sunday, July 25, 2021
By KEVIN COONEY
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Atlanta used the long ball in a big way as Freddie Freeman, Abraham Almonte, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Joc Peterson all homered to lead the Braves past the Philadelphia Phillies in a 15-3 rout Saturday night.
The win allowed the Braves to move back into a tie for second place in the National League East with Philadelphia with identical 48-49 records. It is the fourth time this year that the Braves have hit five or more homers in a game.
Even with the injury to Ronald Acuña Jr., the Braves bats are still making a case for general manager Alex Anthopoulos to become a buyer before the July 30 trade deadline in a push to win a fourth straight NL East title.
"It is either going to help Alex go get us some guys or not," said Freeman, who was 2 for 4 with three runs scored. "When you play eight or nine games against the teams right in front of you, it's big. But we have to take care of business (Sunday) so we can keep getting closer and closer to the Mets."
Almonte had three hits with three RBIs as the Braves chased Phillies starter Vince Velasquez after just 2 1/3 innings and six earned runs. In four July starts, Velasquez (3-5) has allowed 19 earned runs in 15 2/3 innings (10.91 ERA).
"His command has not been good," Phillies manager Joe Girardi said. "His fastball location was not good tonight. His breaking ball location was not good, especially to the lefthanders. It's hard to pitch if you can't locate the baseball, and he has not been doing that as well as he was early on."
After the game and after Girardi's press availability on Zoom, Velasquez questioned getting pulled after 53 pitches in the third with men on second and third with one out and four runs already in.
"My intention is to go out there and keep pitching as far as I possibly can," Velasquez said. "I know there is hype and I know that there are more expectations out of me. But in a situation like that, I can't do anything when you take the ball out of my hand. And after 53 pitches, I have a lot of arm left, man. At the same time, that's what starting pitching requires — trying to figure out outs."
In the first, Freeman crushed a Velasquez fastball off the façade of the second deck in right field for a two-run homer. Freeman, the defending National League MVP, has overcome a slow start to get Atlanta back in the NL East race. Since June 23, Freeman has a .442 batting average with seven homers, 23 runs scored and 18 RBIs.
"I was hitting the ball (early), but it was hitting gloves," Freeman said. "It's nice to have some balls fall in."
Almonte golfed a hanging inside slider deep into the bleachers in right center for a solo homer in the second for a 3-0 lead. In the third, Freeman scored on Dansby Swanson's double that was Velasquez's final hitter of the night.
"It's a tough day on my end," Velasquez said. "It's kind of embarrassing, to be honest with you. But I have to accept it for what it is and get ready for my next start."
Two hitters later, Almonte singled off reliever Brandon Kintzler to score Austin Riley and Swanson for a 6-0 Braves lead.
"It was nice to score runs like we did, to be sure," Braves manager Brian Snitker said. "Al and Dansby have been swinging the bat there. And Freddie is Freddie."
Albies hit a three-run homer off Phillies reliever Enyel De Los Santos in the eighth. Two hitters later, Riley crushed a two-run shot off a 68 mph pitch by position player Ronald Torreyes that landed in the second deck restaurant in left-center. Peterson hit a three-run homer in the ninth off Torreyes.
The Phillies' best chance to get back in the game was squandered in the fourth. Atlanta starter Drew Smyly walked the bases loaded with nobody out but forced Didi Gregorius to ground back to the mound into a 1-2-3 double play and pinch-hitter Travis Jankowski then flied out to left.
Smyly left the game after the inning with what Atlanta described as left knee pain. He is scheduled to be re-evaluated in Philadelphia today.
"It just started to feel tight and felt like a pull in that fourth inning," Smyly said. "I was able to get through it. After talking to the trainers and coaches in that inning, we just thought it was best to take it to the house before it gets worse."
Josh Tomlin (4-0) picked up the win in relief for the Braves.
Philadelphia has lost four of its last five games and is hitting just .102 (5 for 49) with runners in scoring position during that stretch after an 0-for-10 performance on Saturday.
"I think we're going through a little thing right now," Girardi said. "We obviously have to be better than that with runners in scoring position."
Andrew McCutchen went 3 for 4 with a run scored for the Phillies.
In a meeting with reporters Saturday to announce the signing of first-round draft pick Andrew Painter, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski indicated that the club is looking to make a move before next Friday's trade deadline.
"We're kind of open to anything, and I think it's incumbent upon us to try to get better," Dombrowski said. "I know we'll be aggressive in making it happen. We have ownership support in trying to make things happen. But you never know if you can get a deal done or not. We'll find out. There's a lot of competition for players out there."
The Phillies have multiple areas of need, with back of the rotation starting pitching and closer receiving the most attention. Philadelphia has not made the playoffs since 2011, the longest streak in the National League and second only to Seattle's 19-season drought.
Braves: OF Ender Inciarte was reinstated from the COVID-related injured list on Saturday and then designated for assignment. Inciarte was hitting .215 with two homers and 10 RBIs in 52 games this season. He has an $8.5 million salary in the final guaranteed year of a five year, $30.5 million contract.
Phillies: RHP Sam Coonrod had his injury rehab assignment paused as he experienced soreness in his right arm. Coonrod has been on the injured list since June 24 with right forearm tendinitis. It is expected that Coonrod will try once again next week to start the assignment again before making any other decision.
The final game of the four-game series is today at 1:05 p.m. Aaron Nola (6-6, 4.64 ERA) will start for the Phillies while the Braves will counter with RHP Touki Toussaint (1-0, 1.35).
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports


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Virginia Litchfield
Youth and Family Restorative Liaison
I joined the Burlington Community Justice Center as an AmeriCorps in the beginning of 2018 and have spent the last few years immersed in Restorative Justice in both the community and the classroom. I have been able to serve in each of our programs in my different service years which has given me a front row seat to how restorative justice is used in our community and schools to create safety and belonging, give voice to affected parties, and provide healing when harm has occurred. I am now working as a partner with the Burlington School District, and UP for Learning as we seek to reduce racial disparities in suspensions and expulsions. Outside of the Community Justice Center, I am a student of Restorative Justice at Northern Vermont University and at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, B.C. and I have a four-year-old daughter. I love sunsets over the lake and Lake Champlain beaches.

subset: commoncrawl


text: I founded to help every developer advance their career. Raise.dev It started with a pilot that kicked off last year. The goal was to help early-career developers overcome the experience gap and get their first jobs in industry. I'm proud to report that the results have been outstanding: 100% job offer rate (highlights: DigitalOcean, thoughtbot, American Airlines, theSkimm) $53k/year average increase to base salary (equity, health insurance, perks excluded) Six months average time to job offer (from three to ten months) The developers came from a wide range of backgrounds: 100% from underrepresented groups in technology Education: From no college to masters degree Gender: Majority identify as women Age: 20s to 40s Parents Transitioning from established careers Today, we're opening our doors for early-access and inviting you to to advance your developer career. join the network The Experience Gap Breaking into a career as a software developer is a classic chicken-and-egg problem: it's next to impossible to get a job without relevant work experience and it's equally, if not more difficult, to get the necessary experience without a job. There's no doubt that the barrier to entry for programming has drastically reduced in the last decade. Software development is more accessible as a career in large part thanks to the deluge of free and inexpensive online resources and the rise in popularity of trade school style coding bootcamps. Even so, early-career developers still face the paradoxical "experience gap" when applying for their first jobs. Studying Didn't Help I've heard repeatedly from developers struggling to get their first job due to a lack of experience and I personally experienced the same challenge in my career. When I was starting out, I applied to close to 30 software developer roles and I was consistently turned away due to a lack of experience. So, the question is, I've spent many years trying to answer this question in service of my own career. "how do I get the skills I need to advance my career as a developer?" My first crack at it was to go the academic route. I racked up a mountain of debt studying computer science at a private university. The experience was somewhat valuable, but school didn't prepare me for a job in the industry. I also tried to teach myself. I read books and tutorials. I worked on side projects. Progress was unbearably slow. I'd spend hours and sometimes days or weeks at an impasse because I lacked some fundamental understanding that was necessary to solve my problem. Solving Real Problems with People My biggest leaps forward as a developer always came from working with people to solve real problems. A few years before I got into the industry I was lucky enough to make friends who were more experienced developers. They helped me get into Linux and build some small web applications with PHP. Most people aren't so lucky to have ready access to experienced people who are willing to help. The biggest step change in my ability as a developer came from an experience with a coworker. I needed to upgrade an open source web framework on a widely-used production application. It was uncharted territory for me and incredibly daunting. Any misstep could cause a major outage. Someone that I looked up to volunteered to pair program with me on the project. It was the first time I had ever pair programmed. They helped me write automated tests and make the necessary changes one by one, each time fully verifying that there were no adverse side effects. We managed to complete the upgrade, but what stuck with me were these new techniques that completely changed how I program. They're commonplace to experienced developers. While you can learn about pair programming and testing in school, the techniques don't really sink in and become useful until you've been able to apply them in the real world. That pairing session was the most impactful learning experience of my developer career. It gives me confidence that the best way to learn is by doing the work with guidance from an experienced collaborator. The Obvious Solution: Give People Jobs I've spent my career at the intersection of software development and education. I've worked in ed-tech, helped start an , marketed , and given millions of students . online university APIs by teaching free access to real-world developer tools The problem of the experience gap had been troubling me for some time. I put care and thought into how to help early-career developers overcome the seemingly insurmountable hurdle. I came to a simple, albeit impractical, conclusion: just give people jobs. If they have a job they will get experience and, in turn, will become more hireable. Last year, I decided to see what would happen if I did just that. I announced that I was hiring for a Software Developer Apprentice and within a week I had more than 500 qualified candidates. on Twitter To be qualified didn't require experience, but it did require knowing how to code, being highly motivated, and having a demonstrated need for the opportunity. At first I was surprised, but it seems obvious now that there would be essentially infinite demand for such an opportunity. I originally intended to work with one person, but there were so many deserving candidates that I ended up selecting a small group. I found that the time I spent with the apprentices was both rewarding and impactful. Giving early-career developers real projects and providing hands-on support gave them the experience they needed to get hired by some great companies. All of the apprentices who participated in the pilot received job offers for full-time developer roles from great companies including DigitalOcean, thoughtbot, American Airlines, and theSkimm. Connecting Candidates, Coaches, and Project It's not practical for us to hire every developer candidate – that would never scale. Instead, we been hard at work building a platform to connect developer Candidates with expert Coaches to work on real-world Projects. The platform involves three major components. Candidates, Coaches, and Projects: Candidates get exposure to the tools and techniques that are essential for a career in industry. Coaches give back, learn valuable leadership skills, and also solidify their skills through pair programming, code review, teaching, and mentoring. Projects involve helping non-profits, contributing to open source, and doing real work with engineering teams from our hiring partners. Early-access for Candidates Begins Today Following on from the success from the pilot, we're opening the doors to the platform to developer Candidates for early-access. Starting today, you can to be matched with a Coach who will help you create and execute a personal project-based learning plan. Raise.dev is free during early-access. sign up We're excited to help you advance your careeer. . Meet your Coach Also published on: https://raise.dev/blog/bridging-the-developer-experience-gap


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The New York Times
Early Reporting, Front Page Coverage
In 1999, Falun Gong was featured on the cover of the New York Times on six separate occasions, including a top story about a secret press conference held by Falun Gong practitioners on the outskirts of Beijing. This early coverage was not in-depth, perhaps due to the fact that the spiritual practice was unfamiliar to most Western journalists. Additionally, the coverage often featured Chinese regime propaganda talking points without a meaningful challenge to their validity. Still, the story was covered frequently.
The first few reports on Falun Gong disclosed it's widespread popularity throughout China.
April 27, 1999: The New York Times publishes "In Beijing: A Roar of Silent Protestors," by Seth Faison, which states: "…the Government's estimate of 70 million adherents represents a large group in a nation of 1.2 billion."
April 27, 1999: The New York Times publishes "Notoriety Now for Movement's Leader," by Joseph Kahn, which states: "Despite that elusiveness, or maybe because of it, Mr. Li has become a guru of a movement that even by Chinese Government estimates has more members that the Communist Party. Beijing puts the tally of his followers at 70 million. Practitioners say they do not dispute those numbers, but they say they have no way of knowing for sure, in part because they have no central membership lists."
Changing the Narrative
Shortly after the launch of the persecution in July, 1999, however, the Chinese regime changed their estimate dramatically to 2 million as part of its propaganda campaign to downplay the scale of violations. Unfortunately, most media, including the New York Times began using the false number without questioning the radical and unexplained change in estimate. Western media reports also increasingly featured Chinese regime talking points in their Falun Gong coverage, often without any significant inquiry into the validity of the accusations made by the CCP.
Suspicious Silence Amid Atrocities
In 2001, New York Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger traveled to China to meet with then-CCP leader Jiang Zemin. Within days, nytimes.com was unblocked in China (and remained so for some time), and a team was established to build a Chinese-language edition of the New York Times. And for the next two decades, the Times was suspiciously quiet on Falun Gong, even as rival media, including the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal continued to cover the story in-depth for at least another year or two.
Quality Reporting in Aftermath of 2008 Olympics
Breaking an almost decade-long silence on the persecution of Falun Gong, the New York Times' Andrew Jacobs filed a report in 2009, covering reports from inside China as well as analysis from prominent China human rights observers. Prompted by the 10th anniversary of the start to the persecution of Falun Gong in China, Jacobs' report, China Still Presses Crusade Against Falun Gong, also detailed the story of Yu Zhou, a well-known Beijing musician who died in police custody ten days after being arrested merely for carrying a Falun Gong book.
Killed the Organ Harvesting Story?
The reality of Falun Gong practitioners being killed for their organs in China is now widely accepted among human rights organizations, policy makers, and academic circles. In 2019, Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, a former prosecutor at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, who led the prosecution of Slobodan Milosevic, convened an independent tribunal of medical, legal, and China experts in London. After assessing all the evidence, the panel concluded that Falun Gong practitioners were and continue to be killed for their organs "on a significant scale." This story was covered by the BBC, Forbes, The Guardian, Newsweek, The Telegraph, The Wall Street Journal, and NBC.
The New York Times failed to report on this story. Why?
Former New York Times Beijing correspondent Didi Kirsten Tatlow's testimony to the China Tribunal suggests not only that forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience did take place in China, and that it was an open secret among transplant surgeons, but notably, that the New York Times actively discouraged her from reporting on this fact.
Disturbing New Trend
Beginning in 2018, more news coverage of Falun Gong has emerged in Western media outlets, but often these reports dramatically downplay the scale of the persecution and grossly distort the teachings and beliefs of Falun Gong. In fact, some of these articles mimic with shocking similarity the hate-filled propaganda prominent in communist China.


text:
Rest in Pieces
ebook ∣ A Mrs. Murphy Mystery · Mrs. Murphy Mystery
By Rita Mae Brown
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Mrs. Murphy thinks the new man in town is the cat's meow.... Maybe she should think again. Small towns don't take kindly to strangers—unless the stranger happens to be a drop-dead gorgeous and seemingly unattached male. When Blair Bainbridge comes to Crozet, Virginia, the local matchmakers lose no time in declaring him perfect for their newly divorced postmistress, Marry Minor "Harry Haristeen." Even Harry's tiger cat, Ms. Murphy, and her Welsh Corgi, Tee Tucker, believe he smells A-okay. Could his one little imperfection be that he's a killer? Blair becomes the most likely suspect when the pieces of a dismembered corpse begin tuming up around Crozet. No one knows who the dead man is, but when a grisly clue makes a spectacular appearance in the middle of the fall festivities, more than an early winter snow begins chilling the blood of Crozet's very best people. That's when Ms. Murphy, her friend Tucker, and her human companion Harry begin to sort throughout the clues . . . only to find themselves a whisker away from becoming the killer's next victims.


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Premier lifestyle magazine in Surrey
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November 2019
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October 2019
Winter sparkle
18/11/19 11:51 Filed in:
Alladio Sims
Bella Alladio of Alladio Sims Garden Landscape Design reminds readers not to ignore the garden in winter, but to take the opportunity to fill in gaps and enjoy the subtle beauty of winter plants.
Good gardens evolve with time and through the seasons, and they become much more open and transparent in winter, once leaves have fallen and been replaced by bare stems and empty gaps.
Seedheads and fluffy grasses are wonderfully architectural in the frosted winter garden. Image courtesy of Alladio Sims Garden and Landscape Design Ltd, Surrey private garden, 2017
At this time of year a garden really needs its backbone of shrubs and trees – from coloured stems and bark to the reassuring presence of evergreen 'cushions'. But now is also a good time to take stock of what is there, to savour those often hidden sparkling treasures, and also to establish whether the gaps that have emerged are not too big, leaving the garden too bare and exposed in winter months.
Amongst the surprises that the garden brings at this time of year are the minute frosty crystals sparkling on leaves and stems that shine gloriously on early frosty December mornings.
Dissected and whole leaves catch the frost better than anything else, trapping sparkling crystals in the multitude of tiny nooks and crannies on their surface. Plants such as Alchemilla Mollis, Salvia Argentea or Melianthus Major will undoubtedly steal the show for a few magic days before finally dying down or becoming less prominent for the rest of winter.
Winter gardens bring unexpected surprises for the other senses too, scent in particular being key among winter flowering plants and so well worth a place in any good garden design plan.
One of the joys of visiting RHS Garden Wisley on an early winter morning has always been the walk up Battleston Hill and the sensation of suddenly being hit by the heady sweet perfume of a distant Daphne, tucked away in a sheltered and shady spot sometimes a good few metres away.
Sarcococcas (Sweet Box) is another great shrub for this time of the year, with aromatic honeyed cream flowers creating a cloud of perfume each time someone passes. One would not want to be without them and so we always encourage clients to find a sheltered and shady space for at least one specimen, or better still, we position them by an entrance or a gate, perfect for that welcome back home.
Another fond memory from RHS Garden Wisley is the Paper Bush – Edgeworthia Chrysantha – a truly spectacular sight in the midst of winter, this is a shrub covered in clusters of wholly white and yellow flowers, much like a string of Christmas lights, that light up even the darkest of days. An added bonus is its leaves too, very exotic and architectural once the flowers have disappeared.
Adding to the list of sparkling beauties in the winter garden are Mahonias, despite the love-hate relationship they have always seemed to spark. But how could one resist their yellow plume of early December flowers followed by a cascade of long lasting damson-coloured berries? And if the spiky large specimen is simply too much, then why not settle for its new, smaller cousins, such as Mahonia 'Soft Caress', with pretty dissected leaves surprisingly thorn free. This is a wonderfully architectural plant with a strong presence that should be worthy of any garden.
In the open gaps under the bare canopies of deciduous summer shrubs and among dormant leafy perennials now is the time to discover the little unsung heroes of the winter garden – candid Cyclamen Hederifolium flowers and the clear, pale blue flowers of Iris Unguicularis, reminiscent of a winter's sky, the recumbent and discreet flowers of hellebores, the frothy leaves of evergreen ferns and heucheras, the heart shaped leaves of epimediums... so many small treasures!
Without these winter garden beauties a garden would risk becoming too static, and not such an interesting space after all, incapable of evolving and changing its character throughout the seasons. The true mark of a successful garden should therefore also be its ability to stand out in winter, and to create an architecturally interesting space in the dormant season too.
This is the perfect time to take stock of the garden, so go out and take a good look, make a note of any gaps that seem too big, but above all don't forget to enjoy the subtle beauty of winter plants.
Jon and Emanuela in the show garden they created for the Istanbul Flower Festival in 2016
Profile: Alladio Sims
Alladio Sims Garden Landscape Design Ltd was established in 2015 after Jon Sims and Emanuela Alladio collaborated on a Silver Gilt winning show garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show. The two directors continue their collaborative approach throughout their practice with Jon's background in interior architecture giving distinctive spaces and Emanuela's passion for plants and photographic eye adding great texture and contrast.
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Alladio Sims Garden Landscape Design Limited
Unit C Willow House, Dragonfly Place, London SE4 2FJ
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Alladio Sims
Surrey's Premier Lifestyle Magazine


text: Sibling holding hands in bronze resin Bronze resin finish £500.00 The Resin casts can be finished in either Bronze or Aluminium resin and can be make with a matching resin base (£30). Engravings can be done by hand for no charge, or by our engraver £25 per casting. Duplicate castings can be made from the silcone mould. The mould will be returned to you with your castings.


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Go to Admin » Appearance » Widgets » and move Gabfire Widget: Social into that MastheadOverlay zone
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.
By Emily Paulson
May 5, 2015
I recently had the opportunity to volunteer for an emergency planning exercise. Since this is a future career field, I was fascinated by the process. There were participants from a variety of city and county emergency service agencies, as well as a private security company. I learned a lot about inter-agency relationships. There are many moving pieces in crisis management and the organization and mobilization of such a diverse group is no easy task.
The lessons I learned from the exercise can be applied to any inter-agency relationship or organizational crisis. I'm hoping they'll be valuable to you, too. Here are the five biggest takeaways from the exercise:
1. Communication is the most critical piece of the puzzle.
For communication to be effective, both the sender and receiver have to actively participate. "Communication is one of those areas that can always be improved," said the emergency manager in charge of the exercise. I couldn't agree more.
Communication is vital because it ensures everyone understands the plan and rules in the same way. If communications to staff surrounding crises are inconsistent, employees might end up fighting each other on process and logistics. In critical, crisis moments, there really isn't time for that. Because we serve the public, there's always too much at stake. An inter-agency situation can make communication planning even more difficult, but possibly more important, too.
2. Practice should be taken seriously.
Don't think about safety drills or required trainings as inconvenient. Often the fire alarm goes off and suddenly no one wants to be taken away from their work. Even though we think we already know the information in these lessons or the exercise isn't teaching us about situations we'll have to deal with, we should take them seriously. The content is important enough that every single person who works in your organization has to learn it. That's saying something, isn't it?
As one of the emergency responders at the exercise said, "There are so many scenarios we don't get to plan for – don't get to practice. That means everyone here should be thankful they get to go through what an event like this could look like, because it's going to help us take our preparation to the next level."
3. Inter-agency relationships are a good thing.
While there are exceptions, most public servants work with people from other organizations. Sometimes this creates tension. Given the prevalence of inter-agency work, I think we should try to get over that hurdle.
Instead of thinking of those relationships as obstacles or inconveniences, think of them as opportunities. They are opportunities to learn about another agency and the bigger picture. Opportunities to represent your own organization well and opportunities to learn from others' best practices.
Inter-agency relationships help us stay on top of our game, protect us from groupthink, encourage us to have open and collaborative minds and creating super additivity in our output – That means that two people with diverse personal or professional backgrounds are going to generate greater output than two people with similar backgrounds.
4. Planning matters.
Planning is so important. Fire, law enforcement, private security, media relations, emergency medical services and others came together to achieve a common goal during the exercise. There is no way the day could have gone as well without extensive planning. Taking time to plan things the right way, with thorough intention and care, saves time in the long run. When a good blueprint is in place, we can spend less time filling in gaps and more time supporting our missions.
"It's amazing how many things everyone had to think through to make today happen," said one of the other exercise volunteers. "So much could've gone wrong that didn't and I feel like good planning must be 90 percent of that."
5. Public opinion impacts success.
When the public is confused about your agency's actions because they are feel they are being kept in the dark, there's too much room for them to fill in the blanks with speculation. Have a media plan. Know what to say to reporters. Know what to say to your friends. Establish consistent messaging so that others in your organization know the plan.
In class, we have been learning that public opinion can have a huge impact on an agency's ability to provide efficient services. With emotions running high, as they inevitably do in crisis situations, having control over your public narrative can be the difference between being considered successful or unsuccessful.
Author: Emily G. Paulson is a content marketing manager in Minneapolis, where she moonlights as an MPA student at Hamline University's School of Business. She's carving out a career in public safety and community outreach and believes in firm handshakes and shameless smiles. Contact her at [email protected].


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Port Blair
Port Blair (pronunciation (help·info)) is the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, a union territory of India in the Bay of Bengal. It is also the local administrative sub-division (tehsil) of the islands, the headquarters for the district of South Andaman, and is the territory's only notified town. It houses the headquarters of the Andaman and Nicobar Police and the Andaman and Nicobar Command, the first integrated tri-command of the armed forces of India.
Transportation[change | change source]
Port Blair also serves as the entry point for visiting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Port Blair is connected with mainland India by both air and sea. It is a 2-hour flight from mainland India to Port Blair, but it takes 3–4 days by sea to reach Chennai, Kolkata or Vishakhapatnam. Air connectivity to Port Blair is available from Chennai, Kolkata, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bhubaneshwar and Vishakhapatnam. All flights bound to Andaman and Nicobar Islands land at the Veer Savarkar International Airport. Sea connectivity is available from Chennai, Kolkata and Vishakhapatnam are embarked in Haddo Wharf Port. It is home to several museums and a major naval base INS Jarawa of the Indian Navy, along with sea and air bases of the Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Air Force.[1] Port Blair is also famous for the historic Cellular Jail and other small islands like Carbyns Cove, Wandoor, Ross, Viper etc.[2] which were once home to British colonists.
Port Blair has been selected as one of the cities to be developed as a smart city under the Smart Cities Mission.[3]
Population[change | change source]
As of 2011[update] India census,[4] Port Blair had a population of 100,608. Males constitute 52.92% (53,247) of the population and females 47.07% (47,361). Port Blair has an average literacy rate of 89.76%, higher than the national average that is 74.04%. In Port Blair, male literacy is 92.79%, and female literacy is 86.34%. 9.3% of the population is under the age of 6 years. The most common religion is Hinduism, followed by Christianity and Islam. Bengali is the most spoken language of the city, followed by Hindi and Tamil.
References[change | change source]
- ↑ "Andaman and Nicobar command". NIC. Archived from the original on 24 May 2018. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
- ↑ "Places to visit in Port Blair". Andamansguide. Retrieved 2016-10-13.
- ↑ Khanna, Pretika (2016-05-24). "13 cities included in Phase 1 of Smart Cities Mission". LiveMint. Retrieved 2017-01-04.
- ↑ "Census of India 2001: Data from the 2001 Census, including cities, villages and towns (Provisional)". Census Commission of India. Archived from the original on 2004-06-16. Retrieved 2008-11-01.


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The Echo, Amazon's voice-enabled speaker-assistant, is maybe the most talked-about (and talked-to) new gadget since the iPhone. It's futuristic, it's weird-looking, it's extremely useful, and you should buy one.
Yes. I mean — maybe you live off the grid or something; I don't know. But if you've got electricity and internet access and disposable income to the tune of 130 bucks, the Echo is a genuinely great gadget that will be useful in basically any home.
My life is basically fine without an Echo.
Sure. It would be easy to keep living without an Echo. And, look, it won't solve any particular problems for you. But it's not supposed to. All it really does is make your life just a little bit easier, in ways that you don't really start to appreciate until you've had it in your house for a while.
What do you mean?
Take checking the weather. This is a task that has been made increasingly easier over the last two decades, to the point of being, more or less, the easiest thing you can do on an iPhone: You just have to swipe down, and your weather widget will show you the temperature.
But taking out your phone, and swiping, and reading is still more complicated than asking Alexa: "Alexa, what's the weather like today?" It sounds ridiculous if you haven't used it, I know. I'm embarrassed to even type it! But after a few days of using Alexa to check your weather — from bed! In front of the closet! On your way out the door! — using your phone starts to feel like an enormous burden.
This just sounds like a lazy man's enabler.
When you consider the number of things Alexa allows you to do while doing something else — setting a timer while putting food in the oven; ordering more toothpaste while finishing the last tube; putting on a playlist while setting up for a party — you could potentially make the argument that the Echo actually saves you time and makes you more efficient. But, honestly, my answer is: Why not enable your laziness?
Still: All the things it does are so minor. Why spend money on it?
The slightness of its chores, in my experience, is the whole point. Think of every basic daily fact you've Googled and every task you've launched from your iPhone's bottom drawer. All that stuff can be done, with less effort, and with more use, by Alexa. That's not just a collection of small features — it's a whole category of service. Plus, figure you're already going to spend about half that on a Bluetooth speaker of equivalent quality, so really, you're spending the difference on the services.
What kinds of "services" do you mean?
Want to call an Uber? Install the Uber skill, and you can just ask Alexa to hail you one. Or install the "Weather Sky" skill to ask it to give you a rain forecast down to the minute. You can ask it to give you a "flash briefing" in the morning — a news summary from the radio station of your choice. You can use it as the control module for your smarthome (I have it hooked up to the Phillips Hue bulbs in my house, so I can say "Alexa, turn off the lights" as I leave.) If you've got a Spotify or Amazon Music account, the Echo is almost worth it just for the ability to say, "Alexa, play 'I Can't Make You Love Me' by Bonnie Raitt" and listen as the sound of Bruce Hornsby's piano emerges from the speaker, without you having to touch your phone or computer at all.
What about privacy concerns?
In order for it to hear you say "Alexa," the Echo has to be always one, and therefore always "listening" — and there are some very good reasons to not want an internet-connected listening device in your home. Still, the speaker doesn't send anything it "hears" to Amazon until you say the word Alexa, and the company only stores recordings of the orders you give Alexa for a limited period of time, and you can delete those recordings at any time. Of course, yes, that requires you to trust Amazon. But consider that if you're carrying a smartphone around you're already carrying a listening device with you at all times.
Well, does it work?
Yes! Vastly better than the current form of Siri. This is the real selling point: It works extremely well. Space-station-AI well. Robot-butler well. Future-of-tech well. And definitely worth-your-money well.
Heads up: If you buy things through our links, New York Magazine may get a cut of it. That said, we don't recommend products we wouldn't use — or in this case, haven't already bought for ourselves.


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LoMo, Shields struggling to right ship
Note: All stats are prior to games on Thursday.
We commence this week's column with a pause to address an emerging outbreak at our National Pastime's cathedrals. No, not the scourge that's plagued bullpens across this great country, but an affliction much worse: the humorless, unwitty and preposterously banal bellows from ballpark vendors. I fathom the need to facilitate attention in your direction, and it's no easy endeavor resiliently lugging 10 pounds of ice and drinks to the nose bleeds. Yet as a patron that attends his fair share of ballgames, I don't need to hear the repetitive, corny material night after night.
Laughs and cheers come fairly cheap at the ballpark. We're talking about an environment where a kiss cam generates some of the loudest applauses of the night. However, this is not the atmosphere to try your new stand-up routine. Worse, just because one person laughs at your, "Do your part to save water by drinking beer!" jab doesn't mean the other 499 fans in the section thought it was a hoot. Keep it simple, my friends. Just state your product ("Beer here!" or "Hot Dogs, Soda, Popcorn!") and don't force the funny. I'm already shelling out eight bucks for a brew, I don't need your hackneyed remarks making me feel worse about it. And as you can tell, I'm still recovering from a peddler screaming, "When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up…reading…Who needs a BEER?" a solid 12 times last night. It haunted my dreams, I tell ya.
Start 'Em
C: Wilin Rosario, Rockies
A top-50 prospect by Baseball America heading into last season, Rosario's rep took a hit after hitting .249 in Double-A last year (albeit with 21 homers). And through May 20 in a split-duty role with Ramon Hernandez, the 23-year-old's six long shots with Colorado were hampered by his lackluster average (.203) and OBP (.243). Yet since a hand strain sent Hernandez to the DL, Rosario has shined in full-time duty behind the plate, going 14-for-43 with three jacks, 12 RBI and nine runs for the Rockies. He strikes out at an alarming rate (27.4 percent), but owned in just 6.7 percent of FOXSports.com fantasy baseball leagues, Rosario can provide some pop at a power-deprived position.
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks
After blasting 73 homers across three professional levels since 2010, Goldschmidt was viewed as a late-round fantasy pick loaded with upside. Alas, the Arizona first baseman showcased little of this potential through the first seven weeks of the season, recording a meager two home runs with a shallow .223 average. However, Goldschmidt has recently shown signs of life, hitting .431 with five long balls in the last 14 games. The lack of ribbies may trouble owners, yet slotted in the hub of the Diamondbacks order, Goldschmidt will deliver in the RBI column in due time.
2B: Darwin Barney, Cubs
Barney has been quietly constructive with the lumber since early May, flaunting a .321 average and .380 OBP in his past 24 games. He's never going to be a guy who sends the horsehide into the outfield bleachers on a consistent basis and his on-base percentage, while improved, will never be anything to write home about. Still, with a plethora of underperformance at second this year, owners could do worse than Barney's contributions to your team's average and run totals. While we're here, I think it's time to retire the idiom "nothing to write home about." Pretty sure phone calls, texts and Skype have killed that medium for engaging with loved ones.
3B: Chris Johnson, Astros
The Houston hot corner is starting to resemble the Chris Johnson that hit .308 in 2010, batting .326 with a .412 OBP in his last 13 games. His BABIP seems to suggest Johnson has been on the luckier side of the fence, yet his affinity for the frozen rope (25.2 line-drive percentage) is an integral component to this elevated average. Getting hacks in the heart of the Houston lineup should begin to correlate to higher RBI production for Johnson, who's owned in a scant 12.6 percent of FOXSports.com leagues.
SS: Trevor Plouffe, Twins
Not often we advocate those under the Mendoza Line, and back-to-back o-fers certainly aren't enhancing his portfolio, but Plouffe had a 12-for-36 stretch coming into Tuesday that featured four homers. Granted, he's more marketable to AL-only formats and deep mixed leagues, yet sometimes flyers such as this have to be ventured. Plouffe is making most of his appearances in the outfield and at third, yet utilize him strictly in the shortstop slot, as few at the position possess the power Plouffe has displayed.
OF: Gerardo Parra, Diamondbacks
The knock against Parra is his alleged status as the fourth outfielder in Arizona's arsenal, bizarre since the Gold Glover has been the team's most consistent force in the field and, lately, with the wood. In his last 22 games, Parra boasts a respectable .299/.379/.481 line with two round-trippers, seven RBI, 15 runs and two swipes. With Chris Young laboring in his shoulder recovery and Justin Upton, well, straight-up struggling on the season, expect to see Parra become more of a presence in the daily Diamondbacks lineup.
P: Phil Hughes, Yankees
For those keeping score at home, that's endorsements thus far for a rookie backstop, a shortstop hitting a buck-eighty-six, an assumed backup in the desert and a hurler with an ERA hanging around 5.00. And to think some of you say we occasionally roll off the beaten path with our advice.
In defense of Hughes, the Pinstripe pitcher has surrendered two runs or less in four of his past five starts, including a complete game against the Tigers on Sunday in which he relinquished just four hits, three walks and one run while recording eight strikeouts. Perhaps it's wishful thinking to believe Hughes can return to his first-half 2010 All-Star form, but Hughes just has to hover around a 3.50 ERA to stay fantasy relevant, as his punch-outs (8.3 SO/9) combined with the Yankees offense (fifth in the AL in runs) should contribute to a decent win total.
Sit 'Em
C: Joe Mauer, Twins
Ice those arms from firing snowballs of scorn, Minnesotans. Still love me some Mauer over the long haul, but everyone's favorite fighter of flakes and dry scalps is combating a thumb issue. While the nuisance is not believed to require a DL stint, Mauer has taken residence on the Twins bench the past few games, and is likely to struggle in his adjustment period. For now, keep him out of your starting lineup.
1B: Justin Smoak, Mariners
Sorry Seattle, but that Smoak Monster you thought you saw was just an apparition. Theoretically, the beast may reappear on the road, where Smoak is hitting .250 with seven bombs and 18 RBI in 2012, yet at home, the first baseman is no behemoth, tussling to the tune of a .188 batting mark. His occasional outbursts make him an intriguing add in AL-only leagues, yet a sub-.300 OBP negates any advantages Smoak will offer. In a related note, when discussing his value with the RotoWire Radio crew a few weeks back, the point was made that Smoak's sweet-sounding moniker played a factor in enabling a higher worth than his production warranted. Which got me thinking: what other players have nicknames that out-awesome their actual skill? While he may have earned it in the past, Ben Zobrist isn't living up the "Zorilla" hype in 2012. Brooks Conrad was on a tear in Triple-A this season, but the "Raw Dog" handle deserves a better home than a journeyman infielder. And although he's retired, this seems like the proper forum to bring up the oxymoronic nature of "Everyday" Eddie Guardado, who was so banged up in the second half of his career that he was often on the DL. More like "Every Other Day" Eddie, am I right?
2B: Howie Kendrick, Angels
To an extent, I understand the "better by Pujols osmosis" philosophy that led many owners to reach for Kendrick this season, thinking the second baseman would be a bountiful source of average and run production. However, unbeknownst to most managers who were undoubtedly enchanted by his long-awaited fruition as an All-Star last season, was Kendrick's fall in the later part of 2011, hitting a pedestrian .259 over the last 63 games. So for those seeking a second-half storm from Kendrick, you may be waiting on a charge that never comes, especially if his line-drive percentage (18.3 percent versus 2011's 21.9 percent) does not waver.
3B: Chase Headley, Padres
A blazing 14-game patch in April (.362 average, four homers, 12 RBI, 13 runs, two steals) was hoped to be the catalyst for a career campaign from Headley. Unfortunately this has not been the case, as the 28-year-old heads into the second weekend of June with a prosaic .251 average and 27 RBI. In OBP leagues, Headley's value is slightly more significant, and the seven homers have certainly been a surprise. Yet what you see is what you get with the San Diego slugger at this juncture.
SS: Jhonny Peralta, Tigers
Don't think that average is a'risin' for Peralta, Motown, indicated by his .304 BABIP. To his credit, Peralta is doing a better job driving the ball and avoiding pop-ups, and he has collected six hits in his last three games. However, the All-Star shortstop was batting a mere. 200 in his previous 22 games before this mini-streak, and one has to believe his 30.9 line-drive percentage is unsustainable, leading to another drop in the batting department. Horizon is not bright for Peralta, I'm afraid.
OF: Logan Morrison, Marlins
If I've deduced one truth from my many failed forays with the female gender, it's that charm and looks can be a precarious combo. The same outlook can be applied to LoMo, whose power numbers in a shortened 2011 season (23 homers, 72 RBI in 123 games) and whimsical styling on Twitter convinced me the Marlins outfielder was ready for big things in 2012. As you may have concluded by his placement in the Sit 'Em arena, this plan did not come to pass. Miami's pitcher-friendly confines are doing him little favors, but Morrison has accumulated a measly four long balls a third into the season. As his sabermetrics mirror his 2011 output, no reason to believe change is around the corner.
P: James Shields, Rays
This one's on you, as we tried to warn in multiple preseason pieces that Shields was headed for murky weather this year. After a decent start to the season, the Tampa arm has hit a skid, lowlighted by conceding at least four earned runs in four of his past five starts. Shields does have a career-best 8.77 SO/9 rate and his .317 BABIP shows he's been the victim of bad luck, but his 3.82 FIP does little to convey the choppy waters will soon pacify.
PEN-demic Update
I don't want to jinx it, but it's been relatively quiet on the reliever front. Granted, Sergio Romo snatched up a few saves in the absence of Santiago Casilla, but Huston Street returned from the DL to recapture his claim as closer, and Tom Wilhelmsen seems to have a grasp on Seattle's vacant fireman role. However, let us not believe we have survived this epic contagion, for it could be the quiet before the storm.
Waivers Watch: Ryan Theriot, Giants
Speaking of nicknames that surpass their titleholders, it's "The Riot!" San Fran's second baseman has been tearing the cover off the ball since coming off the DL on May 25, hitting .366 with a .447 OBP, five RBI, seven runs and two steals in his return. Regular starter Freddy Sanchez just received an epidural injection in his lower back, leaving no timetable for his return to the Giants lineup. For those seeking help at second, Theriot can provide a steady presence of average and run production.
Trade Talk
We briefly mentioned the RotoWire Radio guys above, but they proposed an intriguing theory on their show Wednesday: would it be in the best interest of Stephen Strasburg proprietors to dangle the Washington ace out to their league at this point of the season? No matter what the scoring format, Strasburg has been a consensus top-10 fantasy pitcher. Yet if the Nationals are serious about capping Strasburg's innings, shouldn't it behoove one's team to trade this entity before that limit emerges? Personally, if Washington remains in the AL East race, I don't see Davey Johnson and company yanking their No. 1 starter out before September. Still, if managers are apprehensive this sitting will come to pass (or are simply worried another injury is lingering in the distance), now would be the time to explore that option. If you wait any longer, Strasburg's value will take a hit as that inning threshold nears. At least one soul in your league will be willing to take on the 23-year-old, most likely for a king's ransom in return.
Rookie Review: Elian Herrera, Dodgers
He may be a rookie, but Herrera is no spring chicken at 27. Still, the greenhorn is making the most of his extended stay in the Show, hitting .306 with a commendable .390 OBP in 83 plate appearances with the Dodgers this season. The L.A. lineup lost some potency with the sidelining of Matt Kemp, but Herrera's spot in the two-hole is nevertheless significant. If he continues his precision at the plate, he could be worthy of a look in NL-only leagues until Mark Ellis returns to the club.
The Real Debate
The first batch of All-Star votes has been released, with the big news surrounding the Texas Rangers stuffing the ballot. Yet the discussion should not center on voter fraud; rather, the Real Debate should be this: why are fans still allowed electing starters in a game that determines home-field advantage in the World Series? No need to ridicule the absurdity of the fact that the exhibition even settles such a meaningful decision in the first place, as anyone who believes an All-Star contest should influence the outcome of a sport's championship should be forced to stand in the batter's box against Aroldis Chapman. But if we are going to make it count, shouldn't the fans be eliminated from making these roster decisions? I'd actually like to see a fan base make a bigger mockery than voting for their own players by choosing the most mediocre players on the ballot. Casey Kotchman at first? Sure. Brandon Crawford at shortstop? Why not. Danny Valencia at third? He's eventually going to cross that Mendoza Line, I can just feel it. Sounds ludicrous, but probably the only way we'll ever convince Bud Selig to knock this nonsense off.
This Week in Sam LeCure
Just one appearance for Yosemite Sam but it was a beauty, working two scoreless innings with two Ks in Cincinnati's 12-9 slugfest win over the Astros on Saturday. Some have questioned why we continue to focus on LeCure while mostly ignoring the dominance of the aforementioned Chapman. In truth, it's the same reason that Tom Selleck is more celebrated than Ted Danson. Sure, Danson had the better show, and Selleck's acting prowess was no match for the dexterity of Danson (as evidenced in Three Men and a Baby). However, history looks upon Selleck with more fondness for one reason: the 'stache. So unless Chapman starts cultivating a Fu Manchu, LeCure's our man.
Spit Your Tobacco at: Rangers fans
Adrian Beltre over Miguel Cabrera? Bad enough. Ian Kinsler over Robinson Cano? Worse. But stuffing the ballot to the point where Mitch freaking Moreland is fourth among first baseman in All-Star voting? Come on, Texans. No chance Cordell Walker lets shenanigans of this nature stand on his watch.
Big League Chew Player of the Week: Mets fans
The thought of selecting Sir Santana for this honor crossed my mind, but considering all the baloney aficionados of New York's other team have put up with for fifty years, I think they've earned the nod to bask in their franchise's first no-no.


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I know what happens in Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II #6, but I couldn't really tell you the sequence of events. There are notable things that stick out here and there, yet the structure completely escapes me. The finale plays out more like a montage of events than an actual narrative, which keeps even the few bright spots from being memorable.
Keep in mind that I really, really wanted to like this series, and I was incredibly excited when it was announced. No need to dredge up the disappointment I've felt from the first issue, just know I wanted to like this so badly, and yet I couldn't.
Everything about the story just felt off from the get-go, and that's no different here. Worse still, there are teases and moments that feel like they're going to have a payoff, yet fizzle out entirely.
To be entirely fair, it starts off promisingly enough, with Donatello taking the Turtle Blimp to the Statue of Liberty to try and infiltrate Bane's headquarters.
This kind of James Bond-esque opener is the right way to start a story en media res, dropping us in the middle of the action before the real story starts. Plus, seeing different Turtle-tech and vehicles is always a plus, especially a giant blimp. Blimps are amazing, as the GCPD can attest.
It's all pretty of fun while it lasts, which unfortunately isn't very long. From there the action jumps around between several groups of characters and it becomes increasingly more difficult to keep up with everything.
It's strange, too, because the issue is effectively nothing but fight scenes. There should be lots of forward momentum and a quick pace, but it never takes off. Instead, it's just an erratic collection of scenes that don't really flow in and out of each other. There are threads of plot and purpose, but nothing is remarkably engaging.
Williams does what he can, and to his credit the illustrations are quite nice. There's only so much you can do when each page is packed to the gills with faceless henchmen, though, and Tynion and Ferrier's penchants to load the page with dialogue doesn't help matters either.
Like the preceding five issues, the pacing here isn't where it needs to be. Think back on the final issue of the previous series: there was a definite buildup and anticipation for Batman's fight with the Shredder. Everything hinged on that scene, and it delivered in spades. The series built to that point, with a palpable sense of rising tension building and building in each issue. Once the two finally came to a head, it was one of the most exciting scenes in the series, thanks in no small part to the creative layouts and visual choices.
Contrast that with the big fight here, which comes across more as an inevitability than the story's centerpiece. I've not felt that Bane has really posed much of a threat throughout the entire series, and other than a character literally stating that he's moved in on Shredder's city, there isn't anything that makes you feel like the Turtles' nemesis truly wants revenge. Their showdown just comes across as a kind of cool visual that doesn't have any depth to it. That it's just interjected between several other fight scenes takes away from the power, too.
Shredder is here because he's expected, not because he's needed. And he isn't the only character who feels shoehorned in, either. I love Nightwing, but he could have been completely removed and it wouldn't have impacted the story one bit. Robin had some good scenes with Raphael in previous issues, and Batgirl has a little bit more to do than Nightwing, but it still feels like Babs and Dick were included because it sounded like a cool idea. Neither they nor Shredder really serve any function in the story. Bebop, Rocksteady, and Baxter Stockman served the need of a villainous presence just fine, and Batman and Robin do so little to affect the outcome of the story that including two additional Bat-family members is completely unnecessary.
So what value is there? Even though the pacing is odd and it doesn't flow remarkably well it's still an easy read. There are flashes of inspiration here and there, and the fight between Batman, Shredder and Bane is a cool idea when taken out of context. The latter half of the final page is quite nice too, with a genuinely heartwarming sendoff and final image that brought a smile to my face. Beyond that, there isn't much here for me to recommend. If you stuck out the series to the end and had been enjoying it to this point, you'll probably like this issue too. It isn't the worst installment of the series, nor does it elevate it in any way. It's an average end to a disappointing series.
And come on, not even a reference to the brilliance of "Ninja Rap?"
For shame.
Recommended if:
- You've read the series this far.
- Even a brief fight between Shredder and Bane excites you.
Overall: More a montage than a complete story, at least the finale of this series is consistent with everything that came before. There are some great ideas present, but the execution is lacking in any sort of buildup and excitement. Like the rest of the story as presented in the previous issues, the final installment of Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II is a pretty nice looking work that doesn't engage in any way on a story level.


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Kanye says he made Taylor Swift a starBy IANS
Monday, November 8, 2010
LONDON - Singer Kanye West believes his behaviour towards Taylor Swift at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009 helped make the country singer a bigger star.
Although Swift won the award for the best female video, West says she still wasn't quite famous, until he walked onto the stage and said that Beyonce Knowles should have won instead of Swift.
While the rapper has admitted his behaviour was a little uncalled for, he now claims it helped make the country singer twice as famous.
"I feel completely empathetic and sympathise with that moment of her feeling bad, the moment that spawned her to have one million magazine covers and be the most popular artist in the world, but in that moment of her feeling bad, I do feel bad about being the cause of that," femalefirst.co.uk quoted Kanye as saying.
Tags: Beyonce Knowles, London, Showbiz


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User Manual
The User Manual provides a game description and setup instructions. Also, see the FAQs and Technical Questions for answers to common questions.
FAQs: The MySecureCyberspace Game
Q: How do I get started?
A: To set up the MySecureCyberspace Game, follow our Getting Started Guide
Q: What is the game's target age group?
A: People of all ages can enjoy playing the game, but its content and learning objectives are specifically designed for children in fourth and fifth grade.
Q: What cybersecurity topics does the game cover?
A: The game provides training missions about identifying spam, keeping personal information private, recognizing risky or inappropriate Web sites and cyberbullying. The characters also discuss the importance of having an online identify, or alias, the consequences of cyber crimes, and different kinds of malware.
Q: How can I use the game in the classroom?
A: A packet of 13 lesson starters called The Teacher's Companion is available under Classroom & Support Materials. Download the PDF to receive a booklet of important terminology, class discussion topics and ideas for classroom activities.
Q: Why do I have to register?
A: By creating a username and password, we can save your progress as you play the game. After quitting, you can log in again and start where you left off.
Q: If I download the game, why do I need an Internet connection to play?
A: The Internet connection allows you to access your saved game that we store on our server. This way, you can play your saved game from any computer with the game installed.
Q: What do I do if I forget my password?
A: You can always reset your account password as long as you remember your answer to your Reminder question.
Q: Is the game available in languages other than English?
A: No, the game is available in English only.
Q: Are there plans to update the game for recent operating systems?
A: Not at this time. Carnegie Mellon University offered the game and technical support through several years and versions after its original launch in 2007. New funding would be needed in order to provide further game development and support.
Q: How do you earn the Game Inspector Badge (Bonus Badge)?
A: When the game was first available, the game developers provided a secret code to students who assisted with debugging and user testing the game. The code is "phishing" and you unlock the Game Inspector Badge by entering this code into the PAL. The game is no longer being tested, so teachers and parents are encouraged to come up with an activity on their own for awarding players with the secret code to earn this bonus badge.
Technical Questions
Q: What are the technical requirements?
A: Your computer must be able to connect to the Internet, no other software is necessary. The following are the system requirements for optimal game performance:
- Supported OS: Windows® 2000/XP, Mac® OS X, 10.5
- Processor: 500 Mhz or higher (800 Mhz recommended)
- Memory: 128 MB RAM (512 MB recommended)
- Hard Drive Space: 180 MB free
- Video: 16 bit (High Color), 800 x 600 or higher resolution
- Peripherals: Mouse, Keyboard (Speakers or headphones are recommended)
- Internet: Broadband 256k Internet connection or faster
- Other: You must have write access to the Hard Drive to be able to play your game.
Q: Do I need a Mac or Windows?
A:You can use either a Mac or Windows operating system, as long as you download the appropriate version for your computer.
Q: Do I need any special equipment?
A: A mouse and keyboard are required, speakers are recommended. You may want to use headphones if the game's sound will disturb others nearby.
Q: How do I install the Game?
A: After downloading the Game, double-click the CarnegieCadets file to launch the installation. The installation will create a folder named Carnegie Cadets on your computer and install the Game files to that folder.
You may also wish to create a Desktop shortcut or alias once the files are installed. For instructions, refer to the readme.txt file in the Carnegie Cadets folder.
For help with installation, download the User Manual.
Q: How do I install the Game if I do not have administrator privileges on the computer I am using?
A: If you do not have administrator privileges, you will still be able to install the game. During the installation process when you are asked where the game should be saved on the computer, you need to change the location to a place you have access to, such as the Desktop or user Documents folder.
Q: How do I uninstall the Game?
A: To uninstall the Game, simply locate and delete the Carnegie Cadets folder that was created during installation.
Q: Are there any URLs that the game needs to access?
A: To save and load a player's profile, the game needs to access:
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/game_server/
Additionally, the player can click on certain items in the game that will launch the following URLs in a web browser:
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/login/forgotPassword.html
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/login/register.html
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/cadetBlogs/n00b.html
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/funstuff.html#games
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/news.html
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/defenderBlogs/dailyDiagnostics.html
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/funStuff/earthDay/earthDay.html
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/cadetBlogs/sunshine.html
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/cadetBlogs/theLatest.html
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/cadetBlogs/theLatest.html
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/cadetBlogs/tnt.html
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/defenderBlogs/crimeLab.html
- http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/funstuff.html#items
Most issues that may arise with Carnegie Cadets: The MySecureCyberspace Game can be resolved by restarting the game. If that does not solve the problem, refer to the following common issues:
Issue: Cannot log in to game
You must have a registered account and an Internet connection to play the game. Check to see that your Internet connection is functioning normally and that there is not something preventing the Flash application from accessing the Internet, such as a firewall.
If you are experiencing the problem with an account that has previously functioned normally and your firewall settings have not changed, the issue likely resides with our server, such as a temporary maintenance issue. Try logging in again later in the day.
Issue: After logging in, Commander Omni walks towards you and then disappears
This problem occurs when the game's main launch file cannot access the external files it needs to. This can happen if the files or folders were moved or renamed in some way, and also if your network settings are preventing the files accessing each other. If you think the files have been moved or renamed, you can try downloading the game again.
Issue: Characters do not appear when a conversation is started
Occasionally a character will not appear when you first start a conversation with them. This is due to the computers processing speed, and the character will usually appear when you click the Next button. If they do not, try restarting the Game.
Game Updates
October 28, 2009 - Ver. 3.6
The new version of the game is now compatible with Mac OS 10.5 and includes:
- A new mission that focuses on cyberbullying
- Three new Gold Badges to earn
- Three new ReQuests to complete and Rare Items to collect
- Three new characters to meet
- Five new rooms to explore
And many more new features!
April 2, 2008 - Ver. 3.4
We have updated the Game with fixes for the following issues:
- Dragging the bed around during the Dorm Room tutorial with Captain Wits will make Wits repeat himself
- You can still use the scanner and tweezers while the Help menu and Hint Sheet are open in the Web site Level 1 mission
- You can adjust the Speed meter while the Help menu and Hint Sheet are open in the Email Level 1 mission
If you are experiencing any of these issues, please download and install the newest version of the Game.
December 10, 2007 - Ver. 3.2
We have updated the Game with fixes for the following issues:
- Shrinking a dorm room item and then quitting the Game will cause the item to disappear from the room
- The scanner in the Web site Level 1 mission does not work on the second mission attempt if it is not fully charged after the first attempt
- Players can enter a blank name when registering their PAL
- Saving and quitting while still in the dorm room does not save the final dorm room arrangement
If you are experiencing any of these issues, please download and install the newest version of the Game.
November 19, 2007 - Ver. 3.1
We have updated the Game with fixes for the following issues:
- Email messages do not appear in the Email Level 1 mission if the player quits the mission then attempts it again
- The countdown timer in the Web site Level 1 mission displays multiple timers if the player clicks Quit while the Web sites are advancing
If you are experiencing either of these issues, please download and install the newest version of the Game.


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9.40ct Prasiolite 21x12mm
9.40ct Prasiolite 21x12mm
Sale Sold out
Regular price $23.50 USD
Regular priceUnit price per
Sale price
This Prasiolite, originates from Brazil and its weight is about 9.40 carats. The style shape / cut of this is Prasiolite Drop. This gemstone Prasiolite is available to order and can be shipped anywhere in the world.
Price per ct
Size and Weight
- 21x12mm
- Gems are measured in Millimiter (mm)
- Dimensions are given as length x width x height
- 1ct = 0.2g
Payment Options
- Bank Transfer
- All gemstones are natural
- All photos are of the actual gem for sale (we DON'T use stock photos)
Additional Quantities
- Every item is unique, so you can order 1 of each item
- We often have similar or matching items. You can take a look and search for them


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Project Background
Our client was an Australian IT specialist tasked by his brother to automate the latter's service business: electricians and plumbers. Due to excessive paperwork and a sub-optimal workflow, tradies jobs weren't meeting revenue expectations. Feeling overwhelmed, in February 2007 the client hired Sibers as their outsourcing provider.
Sibers multi-faceted solution automates a tradies service's management and tracks all instruments and materials, whether in-facility or on a service car.
The solution works like this: an employee receives a job order via push notification on his mobile device. The job details are sent to him by email, and are also accessible within the system. If something happens and the employee can't fulfill the order, a manager can, in a matter of seconds, drag and drop the job and reschedule. Everything is synchronized: for example, when a rescheduling occurs from a mobile device, it will immediately appear on the website. The same holds true for customers: using a mobile device, they can request changes that will appear on the worker's schedule. Also, if a field specialist is free, the system can automatically assign a job that's geographically convenient.
This solution's primary upside is the transforming of paper notes into electronic data. By recording the input of a digital pen designed for a special digital paper form, a mobile application sends everything to the system, where it's recognized and stored. Once there, it can be used for operations such as immediate invoicing, accounting, inventory tracking, and more. Of these, we consider inventory tracking to be the other "core feature". The solution allows a user to create a link to a supplier's catalog, automatically take stock-related notes, reorder items when they're running low, and track the company's materials inventory. Bar codes and special labels are also supported. Last but not least, when a job is finished, the compliance certificate is automatically completed, and could be registered and sent to the client.
Tech highlights
- WebForms
- Telerik, Telerik ASP.NET AJAX Controls
- ASP.NET Web API
- WebServices
- WCF – Window Comunication Foundation
- JQuery
- DynaPDF, PdfSharp
- Asterisk, AMI
- Funambol, SyncML
- Microsoft SQL Server
- MySQL
Originally developed as a solution for a single business, the platform we provided to our client turned into a business in itself. MoneyPen is now offered as a System as a Service (SaaS) to 200+ Australian service companies such as electricians and plumbers!
Sibers continues to support and enhance the system, and we've already started a second project for the client, this time focusing on beauty salon automation.
Customer Says
Our company has been developing software for over 10 years in Australia. We always hired local staff, but finding the right skills for short term projects was becoming more and more difficult, and time consuming. We looked to outsourcing as a way to access skilled professionals, within an established organisation with proven project management systems.
After trying several companies, all claiming to have the skills and experience we needed, we found that Sibers was a good fit with our needs. We knew we needed to pick a long term development partner and focus on building trust and communications to ensure success. We have found the Sibers team is always ready to listen and our team always works hard to deliver a great service. We look forward to working with Sibers for many years to come. Keep up the good work! (July 2008)
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". . . our thoughts and prayers are not enough. It's not enough. It does not capture the heartache and grief and anger that we should feel. And it does nothing to prevent this carnage from being inflicted someplace else in America. . . [W]e are not the only country on Earth that has people with mental illnesses. . . We are the only advanced country on Earth that sees these kinds of mass shootings every few months."
President Barak Obama, October 1, 2015, in response to the Umpqua Community College shooting in Oregon
I feel anger; I am not numb. As a child of the 60's, I want to picket the National Rifle Association's offices, scale the ramparts to wave a banner emblazoned with "No More Guns!" and take to the streets to march alongside the majority of Americans, including the majority of responsible gun owners, who desperately want common sense gun safety laws.
Since the 1994 assault-weapon ban expired in 2004, Congress hasn't enacted any major gun regulations. In the 1990s, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded its research into gun-related deaths as a public health issue, conservatives added language to the appropriations bill reading: "None of the funds made available for injury prevention and control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may be used to advocate or promote gun control." The principal author of that language, Arkansas Republican Jay Dickey, recently conceded that he has "regrets" over the policy that came to be known as the Dickey Amendment and believes the policy that bears his name should be fixed, if not scrapped altogether. Nonetheless, Republicans remain opposed to research related to gun deaths and public health, as well as any kind of sensible gun control laws, including a federal law requiring background checks on would-be gun buyers and a national registry of guns.
Why? Follow the money.
Having long ago departed from its original purpose as an organization for gun sports enthusiasts and hunters, the NRA is now a front for gun companies, receiving from them close to $100 million to market fear, generously donate to politicians willing to push their agenda, and run smear campaigns against those who do not.
The Umpqua Community College incident was the 264th mass shooting (defined as involving at least four people shot) in the U.S. this year. But this and other massacres account for a small fraction of gun deaths each year; most occur between people who know each other – family, friends, neighbors and co-workers. The United Nations has compiled data indicating that the United States has four times as many gun-related homicides per capita as do Turkey and Switzerland, which are tied for third place. Our gun murder rate is about 20 times the average for all other countries studied.
What we can do? The American Ethical Union belongs to the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence (http://csgv.org/). Its guiding principle is simple: "We believe that all Americans have a right to live in communities free from gun violence." Its strategy involves 1) an aggressive approach with political advocacy, broadcasting via social media campaigns and hard-hitting TV, radio and print ads, a simple message: "The era of no accountability is over. If you do the NRA's bidding and put our loved ones in the line of fire, we will educate your constituents about your record."
2) building personal relationships with legislators and challenging them to become dedicated, long-term advocates for sensible gun laws; and 3) talking about the issue in terms of democratic values and using the term "insurrectionism" to describe the NRA's treasonous interpretation of the Second Amendment.
As President Obama said in his speech, "We know that other countries, in response to one mass shooting, have been able to craft laws that almost eliminate mass shootings. Friends of ours, allies of ours — Great Britain, Australia, countries like ours. So we know there are ways to prevent it."
It is a political choice that we must make, and we must make it now.


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Martin Kollar won the 2014 Leica Oskar Barnack Award:
Martin Kollar, born in what was formerly Czechoslovakia, receives the prestigious Leica Oskar Barnack Award for his project Field Trip, a portfolio of photos taken in Israel.
The photos of the Field Trip portfolio were shot in the context of the project entitled The Places, a dossier about Israel and the West Bank on which Martin Kollar worked together with 12 other internationally acclaimed photographers. The aim of the project is to portray the diversity of the country and, in turn, to illustrate the complexity of one of the world's most disputed regions. For Kollar, his time in Israel recalled memories of his own past in communist Czechoslovakia. Random frisking and arrests by the police were a part of everyday life, and the people of the region lived with the fear surveillance and denunciation. With his photographs, Martin Kollar provides a transparent illustration of the current situation of the residents of this region. In this, he has captured everyday scenes as well as absurd and humorous situations. The visual content of his portfolio is diverse and it includes a range of subjects – from documentation of the military presence on the West Bank to landscapes, wildlife photos and portraits of the Israeli population. The scenes he captured are banal, absurd and comical in equal measure – and sometimes tragic. Kollar documents a strange and uneasy normality and, in this, depicts the trauma that prevails in the population. Although each of his photos can stand alone, there is a binding element between them all: an omnipresent tension. The military presence appears to be everywhere, and it is far from clear where militarised zones end and civilian life begins.
Martin Kollar was born in 1971 in Zilina, a town in what is now Slovakia. He studied at the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava. His photographic projects have been shown around the world, for example in the Maison Européenne de la Photographie in Paris, in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Shanghai and at the Krakow Photomonth Festival. He has also been awarded numerous prizes.
Alejandro Cegarra won the 2014 Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award:
The Leica Oskar Barnack Newcomer Award 2014 goes to Alejandro Cegarra from Venezuela. His portfolio The Other Side of the Tower of David is dedicated to the squatters in an abandoned tower block in Caracas.
With his photographic project, the up-and-coming Venezuelan photographer Alejandro Cegarra gives a face to squatters in Caracas. Originally planned as the headquarters of a major bank, an office complex and a hotel in the city, the abandoned building of the Centro Financiero Confinanzas, also known as the Torre de David ('Tower of David') now houses between 2,000 and 2,500 illegal residents. The construction of the tower block was commissioned in 1990 by the investor David Brillembourg and was also named after him with the nickname 'Torre de David'. The only partially completed skyscraper has 45 floors and a height of 192 metres. The construction was abandoned in 1994 as a result of the economic crisis and the death of David Brillembourg. The first residents from the slums of the city began to occupy the abandoned investment project in October 2007. In a gradual migration, more and more people moved into the empty storeys and transformed them into apartments with makeshift materials. Outsiders seldom have a chance to see what goes on inside and the community now established in the building. The tower has a reputation of being a hotbed of crime and delinquency. The photographer was therefore all the more surprised how openly the people confronted him and how willingly they allowed him insights into their private lives. Alejandro Cegarra reveals another side of the tower: its residents, who long for normality in their everyday lives and acceptance from 'normal' society. The black-and-white photographs document their need for belonging and a secure place to live. Desires that the Venezuelan state has so far been unable to fulfil. For its residents, the tower is not only a refuge and a home, but also a symbol of their revolution against a corrupt and uncaring establishment. What was once planned as a landmark of the city and a symbol of its global importance as a business metropolis now points a finger at the dereliction of the state.
After studying photography and marketing, Alejandro Cegarra (born in 1989) worked in the advertising sector before he began his career as a photojournalist for Ultimas Noticias, Venezuela's biggest daily newspaper. Today, he works for Associated Press in Caracas.


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A panel of federal judges pressed a Bush administration lawyer on Wednesday to explain why they should allow the Interior Department to carry out trust reform absent court oversight. Mark Stern, a Department of Justice lawyer representing Secretary Gale Norton, sought to raise doubts about a court order requiring an historical accounting of billions in Indian trust funds and an overhaul of the trust system. He charged that U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth has "transformed" the eight-year-old case beyond its original intent. "This case cannot be a review of all historical failings," Stern told three judges of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals. But the panel was openly skeptical of Norton's defense on two fronts. First, on a controversial appropriations rider that put a one-year halt to the accounting, and second, on the impact of Lamberth's structural injunction, which is also on hold. Stern argued that the rider, adopted at the last minute a year ago to give Congress more time to act, was actually designed to give the courts more time. All three judges -- David S. Tatel, David B. Sentelle and Stephen F. Williams -- scoffed at this notion, with Williams saying it "totally baffles me." Sentelle went further and called the measure "constitutionally suspect" because it purports to tell the courts what to do in an ongoing case. Stern told him the language changed the underlying trust relationship in a way the courts must respect. "In that context, it's extraordinary," Sentelle responded. In essence, the rider says "the Indians are no longer beneficiaries," he observed. Sentelle and Tatel also hammered Stern on the injunction, pushing him to explain exactly what was wrong with it. Stern said Lamberth overstepped his jurisdiction by telling the department what to do on a day-to-day basis. The judges suggested that certain provisions of the injunction, such as providing a list of tribal laws that may be applicable to the trust, weren't as bad as the government has characterized. Sentelle said the reason Lamberth imposed so many requirements was simple. "They are because the department ... over the term of decades did not do what it was supposed to do," he told Stern. But Stern said the language in the order showed that Lamberth has already made up his mind about the trust, including how to conduct the accounting. "In the end, I'm going to say we object to everything," he argued. "You want us to order this case dismissed," Tatel said at another point. Although they had only allotted 20 minutes for the government's part of the hearing, the judges lobbed questions at Stern for nearly an hour in the packed courtroom. They seemed exhausted by the time they got to the plaintiffs, who were represented by Elliot Levitas, a former U.S. Congressman. Levitas attacked the rider as "egregiously unconstitutional" because it affects rights already affirmed by the courts. "The right to an accounting is abrogated," he said. "That is a taking of a very valuable property right." The judges raised their own concerns about the structural injunction with Levitas. They questioned whether allowing the court unfettered access to department documents or barring the use of statistical sampling "interfered" with the Interior Department's management of the trust. Tatel also noted that Lamberth required compliance with a host of fiduciary duties but didn't make a finding that the department has violated any of them. Sentelle suggested the injunction goes too far in certain aspects. Levitas responded that Lamberth was within his right to impose reform on the government. "This is a trust case," he said. The judges gave no indication when they would rule on the matter. The rider expires on December 31 and Stern said he wasn't aware if new language was being considered by lawmakers. The House passed a version of the Interior appropriations bill that made no mention of the case but the Senate has not yet acted on its version. It is possible the Bush administration may revive the issue before the end of the year. Associate Deputy Secretary Jim Cason attended the hearing yesterday. Two of the judges on the panel, Sentelle and Williams, were responsible for the February 2001 ruling that upheld the first part of the Cobell case: the right to an accounting. Sentelle wrote the opinion and at times sparred with Stern over the exact wording and meaning. Relevant Links:
Indian Trust: Cobell v. Norton - http://www.indiantrust.com
v. Norton, Department of Justice - http://www.usdoj.gov/civil/cases/cobell/index.htm
Trust, Department of Interior - http://www.doi.gov/indiantrust
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A new Ring begins!
Sir Andrew Davis conducts
Saturday, October 1, at 6pm, to open Lyric's 62nd season
Six performances through October 22
CHICAGO (10/1/16) – Lyric Opera of Chicago launches its new season with a new production of Wagner's Das Rheingold, the first opera of the epic four-part Ring cycle, conducted by Sir Andrew Davis and directed by David Pountney.
Das Rheingold opens on Saturday, October 1, with six performances through October 22 at Lyric's Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Tickets start at $34 and are available now at lyricopera.org/Rheingold or at 312-827-5600.
This marks the first time Lyric has opened a season with a work by Richard Wagner, notes Anthony Freud, the company's general director.
The story: The Nibelung dwarf Alberich (Samuel Youn/American debut) steals the gold belonging to the Rhinemaidens (Diana Newman, Annie Rosen, Lindsay Ammann/Lyric debut) after they scorn his amorous advances. Forging a ring from the magical metal, he becomes all-powerful, enslaving his brother Mime (Rodell Rosel) and the rest of the Nibelungs. Eric Owens portrays Wotan, the chief god, who learns of the ring's power and travels to Nibelheim with Loge (Štefan Margita), the demigod of fire. Wotan tricks and captures Alberich, steals the ring (and the rest of the Rhinegold), and is cursed by Alberich. The earth-goddess Erda (Okka von der Damerau/American operatic debut) warns Wotan of dire consequences. Urged by his wife Fricka (Tanja Ariane Baumgartner/American debut), Wotan pays the giants Fasolt (Wilhelm Schwinghammer/Lyric debut) and Fafner (Tobias Kehrer/Lyric debut) with the ring and the rest of the stolen gold for having built Valhalla, the gods' new fortress, and also as ransom for Fricka's sister Freia (Laura Wilde), whom they hold hostage. Without Freia's golden apples, Wotan, Fricka, Donner (Zachary Nelson/Lyric debut), and Froh (Jesse Donner) have grown weak. Fulfilling Alberich's curse, Fafner kills Fasolt and keeps the ring. The gods enter Valhalla with no clue what's to come in the next installments of the four-part Ring cycle (which inspired Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy).
Sir Andrew Davis, Lyric's music director, conducts the new production directed by David Pountney. The late Johan Engels was the original set designer. Robert Innes Hopkins is set designer, Marie-Jeanne Lecca is costume designer, Fabrice Kebour is lighting designer, and Denni Sayers is choreographer.
Over the course of four seasons Lyric will tell the full story of the Ring, with one new production each season through 2020: Die Walküre in 2017-18, Siegfried in 2018-19, and Götterdämmerung in 2019-20. Following the regular season in the spring of 2020, the full Ring cycle will be presented three times over the course of three weeks – a phenomenal undertaking that attracts audiences from around the world.
To download Lyric's Das Rheingold program book, click the link below:
Rheingold Program Book
Performance dates for Das Rheingold are Oct. 1 (6pm, opening night of the season), Oct. 5, 13, and 22 at 7:30pm; and Oct. 9 and 16 at 2pm. For tickets and information call(312) 827-5600 or go to lyricopera.org.
Running time is approximately two hours and 30 minutes, without intermission. Das Rheingold will be performed in its entirety, without cuts.
The opening-night performance of Das Rheingold can be heard live locally on 98.7WFMT and globally on wfmt.com, beginning at 5:45pm. Listeners will have access to line-by-line translations in real time online at lyricoperalive.org.
About Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago's mission is to express and promote the life-changing, transformational, revelatory power of great opera. Lyric exists to provide a broad, deep, and relevant cultural service to Chicago and the nation, and to advance the development of the art form.
Founded in 1954, Lyric is dedicated to producing and performing consistently thrilling, entertaining, and thought-provoking opera with a balanced repertoire of core classics, lesser-known masterpieces, and new works; to creating an innovative and wide-ranging program of community engagement and educational activities; and to developing exceptional emerging operatic talent.
Under the leadership of general director Anthony Freud, music director Sir Andrew Davis, and creative consultant Renée Fleming, Lyric strives to become The Great North American Opera Company for the 21st century: a globally significant arts organization embodying the core values of excellence, relevance, and fiscal responsibility.
To learn more about Lyric's new season, go to lyricopera.org. You can also join the conversation with @LyricOpera on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #Lyric1617 #LongLivePassion
The Ring cycle is a coproduction by Lyric Opera of Chicago and Teatro Real, Madrid. Lead sponsor: Anonymous Donor. Production sponsors: Mr. & Mrs. Dietrich M. Gross, Gramma Fisher Foundation of Marshalltown, Iowa, and Ada and Whitney Addington.
Lyric's new production of Das Rheingold is generously made possible by Marlys A. Beider, Liz Stiffel, Helen and Sam Zell, Abbott Fund, and Bulley & Andrews.
The Lyric Opera of Chicago Broadcasts are generously sponsored by the Caerus Foundation, Inc., with matching funding provided by The Matthew and Kay Bucksbaum Family, The John and Jacolyn Bucksbaum Foundation, and The Richard P. and Susan Kiphart Family.


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University celebrates annual Arbor Day tree planting ceremony
The Center for Sustainability (CfS), Division of Facilities Services and the campus community celebrated the fifth annual Arbor Day tree planting at the Shooting Sports Education Center on Wednesday, Feb. 15.
Fifteen students from the Sustainable Forestry Class taught by assistant professor Subrajit Saha, Ph.D., left their legacy when they planted elm, swamp chestnut and swamp white oak trees in the green spaces surrounding the Center. University President Jaimie Hebert, Ph.D., also left his mark by planting the first tree of the day. Additional trees will be planted where they are needed most across campus in celebration of Georgia's Arbor Day.
Georgia celebrates Arbor Day on the third Friday of February each year. While the national celebration takes place in April, the subtropical climate in Georgia is far more hospitable to plant-life earlier in the year.
"It's important on our campus to remain dedicated to sustainability," said Hebert. "It's part of who we are. If you look at our fundamental principles, one of those is wellness. Part of wellness is maintaining an environment that not only provides clean air and greenery but also provides a wholesome environment where people can live well. In my mind, sustainability is a significant part of our educational initiatives."
Not only are these trees impacting the University's wellness, but they are also offering financial sustainability to the campus community. Lissa Leege, Ph.D., director for the CfS, noted the $5,000 savings annually the tree planting offers in value in terms of carbon dioxide that is sequestered,amount of oxygen available, pollution deterred, and shade provided.
Saha was proud to bring students from his class to participate in the initiative.
"The importance of Arbor Day is promoting a 'green revolution' of sorts," said Saha. "Students are helping the Georgia Southern community in a special way by planting these trees. When they pass by Statesboro in future years, they'll see these grown trees and remember their part in this process."
Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers more than 125 degree programs serving 20,673 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered and hands-on approach to education. Visit GeorgiaSouthern.edu.
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