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It is not only that Miss Manners doesn't think it gracious to type invitations. And while R.s.v.p. is her first choice because it stands for a sentence, the French polite command, "Repondez s'il vous plait," R.S.V.P. will also do.
But it is amazing how often this is disobeyed. Social scofflaws are more common and more brazen than ever. Gentle Readers report that confronting them no longer produces shame, but rather such insultingly dismissive replies as "I haven't decided yet" or "Well, I'll think about it." (The response to that should be, "Well, it must be a busy time for you, so I'm afraid we'll have to do without you" – followed by permanent exile from your guest list.)
The widespread rudeness of treating an invitation as if it were an unwanted sales pitch is not why Miss Manners is about to propose an alternative to using R.s.v.p. The rude will be rude anyway, and she does not reward them by abolishing the rules they flout. That would be like dealing with a crime wave by deciding that there is no use having a law against robbery if people are going to commit it anyway.
Rather, she keeps hearing from those who are not clear about what it means.
They know it has something to do with replying to the invitations that carry this notation, and indeed, "R.s.v.p." is now used in English as a noun ("We sent in the R.S.V.P."), an adjective ("We ordered RSVP cards") and a verb ("We RSVP'ed").
But what, exactly?
Some Gentle Readers are guessing that it means answering only if you are accepting the invitation, and others that it means the same as that awkward phrase "Regrets only" (which casts the host as assuming that those who decline feel regret, when they may not). A few believe that it requires an answer only if the invitation is to a formal event. And an alarming number believe that it means that you may bring along as many other people as you like.
Then there are those who translate the French term for "please" literally, as "if you please," and therefore claim that they have a choice.
No, they don't. In a better world, no one would have to be urged to answer any invitation (well, perhaps not an "invitation" to buy something), no matter how significant the occasion. If a colleague asks if you want to go for a cup of coffee, do you just stare back and say nothing?
Miss Manners would like to repeat her long-standing plea that we stop using a foreign phrase and put the request in plain English. The traditional wording is "The favor of a reply is requested." As a concession to anyone who can't bear to give up the idea of foreign glamour, she would even overlook using the British spelling, "favour."
But why not use "Please respond"? Is there anyone who doesn't understand that?
If so, it is a rhetorical question, as hosts would refuse at their own peril. But Miss Manners does not consider it cheeky to assume consent and merely ask where the bathroom is located.© Universal Uclick 8/20


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Republican support for the freedom to marry continues rapid growth
June 27, 2014
This week, United States Senator Susan Collins from Maine became the fourth Republican Senator to announce her support for the freedom to marry for same-sex couples, joining Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL), and Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), who voiced their support last year.
The announcement from Collins comes after a steady year of increasing support for the freedom to marry among Republicans, especially among young conservatives.
Republican Governors, including Tom Corbett of Pennsylvania and Susana Martinez of New Mexico, have chosen not to challenge their states' pro-freedom to marry court rulings, while federal judges who issued favorable opinions in Michigan, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania were appointed by Republican presidents. Stalwart Republicans like former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson are making their support widely known - and even elected officials like Utah's Republican Senator Orrin Hatch are calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to take a marriage case next year, saying that 2015 is "an appropriate time to decide this issue once and for all" and saying that marriage for same-sex couples is "going to become the law of the land."
The recent moves from individual elected officials mirrors the growing national support for marriage among conservative groups. Recent polling from this year has demonstrated remarkable support for marriage among young Republicans, with 61% of those under 30 years old saying they support marriage for same-sex couples and a majority of evangelical and Republican voters under 45 voicing their support.
Through Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry, young Americans are speaking out more and more about why their conservative values compel them to support marriage for all - and how the freedom to marry aligns with their strong values of limited government and freedom for all.
Read more about Young Conservatives for the Freedom to Marry HERE.

subset: commoncrawl


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I'm not one of those people who appreciates the retail industry putting the cart waaaay before the horse by getting their Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa on well before Thanksgiving -- or worse yet, Halloween! But when it comes to holiday movies, I can't help myself. In fact, I'll snuggle up on the couch to watch a festive, feel-good flick any ol' time of year! Still, it's even more fun when it is actually THE time of year to enjoy classic holiday films with loved ones.
And since that time will be here in the blink of an eye, here are 11 of the best holiday movies parents can share with their kids ...
- Elf - Will Ferrell isn't exactly known for his kid-friendly fare, but with this neo-classic -- also starring the always-adorable Zooey Deschanel -- he hit a holiday home-run. It's an irresistibly cute flick the whole family can watch -- and it has a terrific soundtrack, to boot!
- The Polar Express - Stellar graphics and Tom Hanks brought the timeless holiday book to life. What's not to love?
- A Charlie Brown Christmas - The holiday season just wouldn't be complete until we watch Charles M. Schulz's gang.
- A Rugrats Chanukah - It may not be a movie per se, but the special episode of the Nickelodeon tells the story of the Jewish holiday through the eyes of the Rugrats. And you can watch it in full here!
- Home Alone - "AHHHHHHHHHH!" (And that's all I have to say about that.)
- A Christmas Story - Given how there have been back-to-back airings of this film for entire days on end, this is one you simply can't miss. Literally.
- Miracle on 34th Street - You will definitely want to go with the original, Natalie Wood version.
- The Nightmare Before Christmas - Sometimes you just need a little Tim Burton creepy meets holiday cheer!
- White Christmas - Bing Crosby. Rosemary Clooney. And a classic soundtrack. 'Nuff said.
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas - Jim Carrey was BORN to play the Seuss villain!
- It's a Wonderful Life - No holiday film round-up would be complete without the all-time favorite directed by Frank Capra and starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed -- which I totally miss being aired 24/7/365 in December, by the way! While it's probably not a great pick for very little ones, this ultimate holiday film offers some incredibly important life lessons for older kids and adults alike.
What's your favorite holiday film to watch with the kids?
Image via Warner Bros.


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2А ulitsa "Vasil Karaivanov" Karlovo 4300 Bulgaria
Women's MUK Angela Navy Navy Slipper LUKS Please select your travel dates.— 1 Night 1 Adult, 0 Child
Please select the number of guests per room.Women Girls Summer qmfur Soft Slippers Fur for Shoes Fox Flat Grey Slides Real Fashion Silver FqCOqdw
|Room Type
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Bigger than most similar rooms in Karlovo
|LUKS Navy Navy Angela Women's Slipper MUK Room Type
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Bigger than most similar rooms in Karlovo
Number of rooms: 4 Postcode: 4300
This hotel is an ideal choice for travelers who want to take in the sights and sounds of Karlovo. With Wi-Fi in designated areas available, you'll have no problems keeping connected.
Famous local attractions Vassil Levski Museum and Suchurum Waterfall, can both be reached with a short walk.
This hotel makes a great place to kick back and relax after a long day of sightseeing.
According to our trusted guests, the facilities at this hotel are first-rate.
Vassil Levski Museum140 m
Suchurum Waterfall1.36 km
Most Popular Amenities
Transportation Services
Check-in from 14:00 to 22:00 Check-out from 12:00 to 12:30
No pets allowed.
Hotel Notes
Children and Extra Beds
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HP0-X01 - HP Storage Essentials Enterprise Edition - BrainDump Information
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Life as an Elite Athlete, Student, and Woman (Providence Friars): Learn from the Providence College Women's Basketball Team - how do they balance it all? Student athletes will speak and participate in basketball drills with Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts.
Participating Scouts will receive a game ticket, food voucher, souvenirs, and a fun patch.
Post game autograph session after the game!
Friends and Family are welcome to attend - and will also receive a food voucher and ticket for the game.
The event is Tuesday, Feb. 16 (school vacation week) at Providence College, in Providence, R.I. starting at 4:45 p.m.
The program is for Junior, Cadette, Senior or Ambassador Girl Scouts or Juliette Scouts in grades 4-12.
The cost is $9 per Scout and $5 per other family member/adult/leader.
To register, visit the GSEM Web Site, and click on programs.


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2009 Leopard 47 PowerCat
- Description
- View Full Specifications
- Year:
- 2009
- Hull Material:
- Fiberglass
- Length:
- 47'
- Engine/Fuel Type:
- /
Leopard Catamarans introduces the elegant, powerfully built Leopard 47 Powercat featuring ground breaking innovations in comfort, safety and performance. This new breed of power catamaran is designed by architects Morrelli and Melvin and built by award winning South African boat builders Robertson and Caine. Built using the latest technology and materials, the Leopard 47 Powercat integrates an open-plan layout with exceptional interior volume, offering a comfortable power cat that combines spacious accommodations with superior performance levels. She features outdoor and indoor dining areas, a fully equipped galley, spacious saloon with forward facing navigation station, and a cocktail bar off the galley. Available in 3 or 4 cabins with en suite lavatories and stall showers plus plenty of storage space, ventilation, and lighting. On the flybridge, a centrally positioned helm station is covered by a hardtop bimini and offers excellent visibility on all corners of the yacht for ease of maneuvering. Complete with wrap around seating for 8, a wet bar, BBQ, cooler, and drink holders, the flybridge is the perfect place to take in the scenery.
Additional Specs, Equipment and Information:
Hull Shape: Catamaran
LOA: 47 ft 3 in
Beam: 24 ft 10 in
LWL: 47 ft 2 in
Minimum Draft: 3 ft 1 in
Engine Options
Engine Option 1: 2x Cummins 150 HP
Fresh Water Tanks: (264 Gallons)
Fuel Tanks: (317 Gallons)
Number of single berths: 10
Number of heads: 5
*This price is based on today's currency conversion rate.
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Sept. 27, 2007
It's always more than just a soccer game when Lipscomb and Belmont meet, but this time it really is more than just a soccer game.
Friday night at 7, rivals Belmont and Lipscomb will stage soccer's version of the "Battle of the Boulevard". This is the first Atlantic Sun Conference game for both teams.
"It is obviously an important game for both teams," said Lipscomb coach Charles Morrow. "Starting conference play is a whole new season.
"We feel like the schedule we have played has prepared us for the conference. "We feel like our players are battle-tested and hardened."
Belmont enters the game with a 3-3-1 record. The Bisons are 1-5. Morrow isn't worried about the records of either team at this point in the season.
"When you look at our record from the outside you might think we are in for a long year," Morrow said. "Three of the first six teams we have played have been in the Top 25 nationally or receiving Top 25 votes. We feel like we have played a very high level of competition."
The Bisons won 2-0 last season on Belmont's home field. They don't plan to be as gracious to Belmont. The game is the centerpiece of what is expected to be a fun-filled evening.
"We are very familiar with hour Belmont plays," Morrow said. "South Carolina plays a similar style to Belmont so we felt like that was a good lead up game. Our guys feel ready. With all of the festivities going on that brings a new excitement to the rivalry."
Morrow has stressed to his team to treat this as just another game in terms of their preparation.
"I think it is important for our players not to perceive this as added pressure but as extra stuff to make this a fun event for them and our fans," Morrow said. "Whether we win or lose this game has no bearing on how the rest of our season is going to go.
"It is a rivalry. In rivalries like this anybody can win and sometimes the best team is not the one that wins."
Starting with this game, the winner will receive custom hand-made trophy designed by Preston Farabow, a Knoxville native and world-renowned sculptor.
Activities begin at 5 p.m. when a live band cranks up some country music. The Red Bull Wingers, a group of skilled jugglers, will provide both pre-game and halftime performances.
Free hamburgers and hot dogs will be available starting at 5:30. T-shirts will be given to the first 450 Lipscomb students in attendance. There will also be drawings for door prizes.
Fans are encouraged to wear black for the game which is also being billed as "Black Out Night".
Usually Lipscomb soccer games have free admission, but there will be a charge of $2 to attend the game and assorted festivities. The proceeds from the game will be presented to the Youth Encouragement Center, an inner cities outreach.
There will be a special drawing for two framed Red Bull MLS game jerseys autographed by the players. Lipscomb soccer team equipment and other soccer merchandise will also be available for purchase.


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Hamahaki wrote:StalinsFavoriteKhat wrote:Careful Hamahki. He has the bread.
never mess with a man with the bread
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All you have to do is flatten his head.
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15 Beautiful Callie Daz Renders for commercial and personal use (CU/PU)
They are 300 dpi in png format.
Suitable for any size Kit / Work.
System requirements: Any software able to open png files.
Terms Of Use can be found in the zip file.
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text: As all of the above makes clear, the wide array of assistance programs that residents have to apply for can be mind-numbingly confusing, and many still need help with what they describe as a daunting process. Seven and a half years after Hurricane Katrina, we continue to hear stories about New Orleans residents who are still navigating a byzantine system of policies and bureaucratic red tape in order to rebuild their homes. That cannot be allowed to continue to happen here, or many residents will simply give up — and never return.


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News on Craig good, but still not great
CINCINNATI -- The news on Allen Craig on Thursday was good news for the Cardinals. Or at least as good as it was going to get.
Craig did not sustain a fracture when he rolled his ankle running to first in Wednesday's win over the Reds, just a sprain, and so this was not a season-ending setback for the man who has been arguably the most valuable offensive piece of this club.View Full Game Coverage
CINCINNATI -- The news on Allen Craig on Thursday was good news for the Cardinals. Or at least as good as it was going to get.
Craig did not sustain a fracture when he rolled his ankle running to first in Wednesday's win over the Reds, just a sprain, and so this was not a season-ending setback for the man who has been arguably the most valuable offensive piece of this club.View Full Game Coverage
The news had manager Mike Matheny breathing easier before the series finale at Great American Ball Park.
"You watch him go down like he did," Matheny said, "and watch him have trouble getting off the field, and you wonder if he's going to play the rest of the season. I think right now we're optimistic that we're going to see him this year at some point."
Ah, but therein lies the trouble: The Cards don't know when, exactly, Craig will be back. Or if they do, they're not saying.
Realistically, though, Craig will miss what can only be considered a significant portion of the remaining season schedule, if only because that season schedule contains just 22 more games. He's wearing a walking boot and using crutches to get around and will be re-evaluated by foot and ankle specialist Dr. Joshua Nadaud next week.
Even if he misses only a week, that's still about a quarter of the remaining slate. His absence will loom large in those games. After all, three of those games, you might have noticed, will be played against the Pirates this weekend. So the Cards will be without their cleanup man for their final head-to-heads in the Central's title-seeking troika, just as they were without him in Thursday's frustrating 6-2 loss to the Reds, a loss that prolonged an eight-game stretch in which the Cards averaged just 2.12 runs, the worst in baseball over that span.
This injury, therefore, is a big deal for a variety of reasons, the first and most obvious of which being that Craig has been a force in the middle of the order. Entering Thursday, his 97 RBIs ranked third in the NL, and his .454 batting average with runners in scoring position was threatening to be the best by any Major Leaguer since Tony Gwynn hit .459 with RISP in 1997. And whether or not you're inclined to dismiss the notion of that clout in the clutch as a repeatable skill, the fact of the matter is that Craig's right-handed bat has been the heart and soul of a Cards club that has largely struggled against lefties.
On Thursday night it was lefty Tony Cingrani on the mound for the Redlegs, and the Redbirds' struggles continued. The Cards drew three walks off Cingrani and didn't take advantage of any of them, grounding into a pair of double plays.
This was the extension of a season-long trend. The Cards entered the evening with the Majors' sixth-lowest team OPS against left-handed pitching. The struggles of David Freese (.257/.331/.404 entering Thursday) have been particularly vexing, because his 2011-12 performance against southpaws (.330/.394/.497) was such a strength.
These days Matheny uses the former World Series hero essentially as a platoon player against left-handed pitching, but Freese has had trouble holding up his end of the bargain. He did, however, take Cingrani deep with a solo shot and singled off the sometimes-untouchable Aroldis Chapman on Thursday -- encouraging signs that the Cards hope lead to bigger things.
"You look at our lineup, and we should give lefties a hard time," Matheny said. "But it's going to be night to night, how guys are executing their pitches and how our guys are staying with what their gameplan is. Regardless of what the numbers say, I say this shouldn't be a club that has trouble against left-handed pitching."
You look at the Minor League numbers of the left-handed-hitting Matt Adams, Craig's replacement at first base, and you wouldn't expect the lefty struggles he has also endured in recent months.
In the second half, Adams has notched just a single hit in 22 at-bats off southpaws. Clearly, that is a minuscule sample, and it's unfair to harp on it, especially given Adams' reserve role. But his progress in that area is going to be a pivotal point of interest in the coming days. (Just as the Reds did with Cingrani, the Pirates are bringing back lefty Jeff Locke for Saturday's start.) Adams struck out twice against Cingrani on Thursday and grounded into a double play off lefty reliever Manny Parra.
"We've put him in there in big situations against tough lefties, and he's put together good at-bats," Matheny said. "That's about all we can ask. … I don't want to shy away from the left-handed pitching for him. I think he's on his way to proving that he can be an everyday guy, and that everyday guy typically can stand in there against the lefties as well."
With Adams there is much to like, as evidenced by the 14th- and 16th-inning solo shots that propelled the Cards to Wednesday's win. But he's also a young hitter who will have to adjust to the opposition attempting to avoid feeding him the low fastball while peppering him with a steady diet of changeups and sliders. It's an adjustment he now has to make while thrust into the pulse of the pennant race, and Matheny, meanwhile, will have to adjust to a weakened bench.
So that's why the good news on Craig wasn't entirely good. With so much riding on some young and relatively unproven pieces in the rotation down the stretch and three huge games on the immediate horizon, the last thing the Cards needed was a lineup loss of this magnitude.
Because this time of year -- and particularly in the sport's most captivating division race -- every absence is magnified.
Anthony Castrovince is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his columns and his blog, CastroTurf, and follow him on Twitter at @Castrovince.


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Creating a healthy, beautiful yard will not only go a long way in improving your home's curb appeal but will also help out the environment. A thick, healthy, green lawn will trap water when it rains instead of causing a run-off, which can happen with sparse, unhealthy lawns. A thriving, healthy yard will also serve as a natural food source for many animals, insects, and birds.
Create a Thick, Healthy Lawn Using Natural and Organic Materials
There are many eco-friendly lawn care products available today to help you fix common problems with your yard, but they can also harm the environment in the process. We've put together a few ideas to help you maintain a healthy yard by using green lawn remedies and eco-friendly lawn care products that are easy to use and won't harm the environment.
Create a Healthy Lawn Using Eco-Friendly Lawn Care Items
Tired of having an unsightly lawn that detracts from your home's curb appeal? Use some eco-friendly lawn pellets to easily repair those dead spots in your lawn caused by dogs, insects, or winter damage. Make sure the pellets include a soil conditioner, quick start grass seed, starter fertilizer, and compost derived from leaf and yard waste.
Instead of using fertilizer to nourish your grass, use grass clippings to continue your eco-friendly lawn care. Bring out your push lawn mower, instead of an electric/gas lawn mower, and let the clippings remain on your yard where they'll create natural, chemical-free mulch. The biodegradable clippings will gradually decompose to feed your grass.
A lightweight cordless hedge trimmer and blower both give you the freedom to move easily around your yard without needing cords or plugs. Battery-operated with 25 minutes of use per charge, the 18 Volt Cordless Blower operates with less noise and no fumes to help you keep your yard and lawn clean.
Benefits of Eco-Friendly Lawn Aeration
Continue your eco-friendly lawn care during the spring and fall seasons when it's the ideal time to aerate your yard. Aerating with Lawn Aerator Shoes requires no chemicals and no electricity — all you are doing is basically punching holes in your yard. Aerating your lawn has several benefits, one being that it allows water to seep down and soak the roots of the grass. If you don't aerate, the water will either run off the top of the soil or get stuck in your yard's thatch layer, the dead grass layer just above the soil line.
Watering Your Lawn
Water is essential to green lawn care and knowing when to water your yard will save you money and help out the environment. Only water your lawn when it needs it — water less frequently and more thoroughly so the water will soak into the roots. It's a good idea to water your yard during the cool morning hours or late at night after the sun has gone down and the air has cooled. If you live in an area that gets a lot of rain in the summer months, you should think about investing in an inexpensive Collapsible Rain Barrel, which can hold up to 74 gallons of water.
Eco-Friendly Ways to Repel Harmful Animals
You've worked hard to make your green lawn and landscaping look beautiful and be healthy. The last thing you want is a bunch of animal pests destroying your efforts.
Grubs can destroy your healthy lawn before you know it by eating away at the roots of your grass. Get rid of the Grubs and other pests by spraying on some chemical-free Lawn Grub Busters that use nematodes – naturally-occurring microscopic organisms that seek out and kill all stages of harmful soil-dwelling white grubs including Japanese beetle grubs, weevils, and webworms, but won't harm earthworms. If you already have lawn damage caused by grub, use some Lawn Grub Repair, which is a natural turf top dressing of compost and seed that will improve your soil structure in the root zone while enhancing microbial growth. When treated properly, new grass should grow in 7-10 days.
Though deer are majestic and beautiful creatures, they have the ability to strip a garden bare overnight. Using an all-natural deer repellent encourages them to avoid those areas you wish to preserve. While some natural deer repellents smell like a mild fertilizer to humans, to deer (and rabbits) it smells like trouble.
Anyone who has discovered little holes in their lawn knows the enemy's name is the mole. Politely encourage their relocation using vibrations with the Solar Mole Repeller. If that doesn't deter them, you can make things even more uncomfortable for moles by using a Gopher & Mole Repellent. Just place one small, 100% organic stakes into each of their tunnels, and the garlic/sulfur odor will repel the moles and gophers for 10 to 12 months.
Have you noticed that your new shoots or young plants seem to be missing their leaves? Is your green lawn care being thwarted by something that leaves slimy trails in the dirt? Slugs are one of the most damaging garden pests and they can devour tender leaves and destroy a garden in a matter of days. With no chemicals needed, you simply bury the stem of the resin mushroom Slug Trap into the ground and add a few tablespoons of sugar water or your favorite beer to the tray inside. Instead of chewing on your plants, these destructive pests will be lured inside the Slug Trap where they'll meet their end out of sight.
Do you have a problem with armadillos, elk or beavers? What about raccoons, possums, chipmunks or skunks? Some Natural Animal Repellents can encourage some 20 different animals to steer clear of your yard while still being safe to use around pets and children.
These eco-friendly lawn care solutions allow you to take care of your yard without polluting the environment with gas fumes, harmful chemicals or burning electricity. Do you have tricks you use to keep your lawn natural and healthy? Let us know by posting a comment below.


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Student or Learner
I have a question about the verb 'facilitate':
"The Securities and Exchange Commission today adopted changes to the federal proxy and other rules to facilitate the rights of shareholders to nominate directors to a company's board."
My dictionary says that the verb 'facilitate' should be followed by an activity or process. So, could the example be wrong?


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The Boy Scouts of America have for years refused to allow gays and lesbians to serve in the organization. Recently, a lesbian who was serving as the den mother for a group of Tiger Scouts in Ohio was outed after she raised questions about the group's finances. In response to her questioning and the decision of someone to out her the Boy Scouts of America terminated her involvement with the organization. When she was replaced several parents of kids in her section of Tiger Scouts protested outside the Boy Scouts of America office and demanded she be reinstated. So far, the organization is refusing to change its discriminatory stance.
While I have been aware that the Boy Scouts of America discriminates against gays and lesbians for years I had no idea that it also openly excludes atheists. Groups that foment hatred and discrimination—especially groups that "serve" children should lose their tax-exempt status.
The article I read can be found at: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_SCOUTS_GAY_LEADER_REMOVED....
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And that's why I buy Girl Scout cookies because they are open-minded.
This and other such incidents betrays the religious attitude at the foundation of the Boy Scouts. They can't imagine morality without religion, and consider it to be a mandatory component of any mature person. Their religious orientation extends to the fallacy of Leviticus 18:22, which they may not cite in boldface, but which is doubtless the basis for their bigotry.
My sense is that the BSA would have to be restructured at its core to deal with this problem ... and I cannot help but note that it is not a problem shared by its mirror organization, the Girl Scouts of America. Rather a curious thing, that.
Actually, unless it's different depending on the region, we get .55 for every box (I'm a scout leader). If we turn our money in on time, etc. we can get a .05/box bonus, but it's not automatic. Donations are much appreciated!! Though I don't mind that the money supports the Girl Scout organization since they are inclusive of everybody - even at the start, 100 years ago, they were racially integrated and have always had a nondiscrimination policy.
I just recently learned about the Girl Scout inclusiveness and decided to buy some of their cookies to support them when they start selling them here. But it sounds like a donation would be better. I'm too fat anyway :)
I haven't contributed to the Boy Scouts for quite a few years and don't intend to.
I don't give any money to the Boy Scouts of America. I don't like their policies either.
First time I went out with a bunch of guys and no girls, (since I was a kid and it was normal to shun girls) was with our rifles. Teaching us to hunt was some sort of manly ritual that they insisted on. So...phallic. I got out because I basically said I wasn't comfortable with these long penis sticks. Just the costumes and the rituals and the military style of it all creeps me out to no end.
As an adult I've been troubled and disappointed with the Boy Scouts' discriminating policies for years. I was a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout throughout my childhood and I have many fond memories of participating in fun and adventurous activities. I'm also gay. At that time I knew I was "different" than the other kids, even if I didn't quite understand the concept. What I did know was that I was just being myself. The Boy Scouts are similar to the military in that gays and atheists currently are members and always have been members; they just aren't talked about unless some rogue person decides to go on a witch hunt. It's my opinion that on the local level, most scout troops generally have a "live and let live" attitude toward gays and atheists. However, if someone decides there is a "problem," they have the policies of the national office to back them up, and that's a shame. I remember every summer attending Boy Scout camp in Michigan and the same, flamboyant and obviously gay adult camp councilor was there every year. Apparently no one seemed to have a problem enough to want him ousted.
Although I had much fun in the Boy Scouts, I never did excel very far; getting only six Merit Badges. But the two Merit Badges I was most proud of were Cooking and First Aid. Boy Scouts taught me how to feed and care for a man! I'd like to donate to and support the Boy Scouts, but not until changes are made at the national level.
Yes, the Girl Scouts are the polar opposite of the Boy Scouts when it comes to acceptance; always have been. In fact, remember just a few weeks ago some right-wing nutcase politician was making the wild claim that the Girl Scouts were promoting lesbianism!! LOL I can't remember who it was or what office they held. Anyway, I've always enjoyed the cookies. My two sisters were Girl Scouts and I remember one year in the 1970's when our house was the pickup location for cookie distribution for their troop. Do you know what it's like to be an eight year-old boy and having CASES of delicious cookies in your house stacked higher than your head? It's quite unbearable. Sorry to go off on a tangent, but I just had to share. :)
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Susan Lucia needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 45 designs submitted by 18 freelance designers.
Concord Communiqué Companies, LLC
We are a real estate marketing and sales company. We have recently merged with another company and need a new corporate identity. We are the elite of the real estate sales and marketing world -- heavy on experience and a combined track record of hundreds of millions in real estate sold. We deal mostly with properties that have been taken over by banks and are being sold at a discount. Our main selling proposition is value. The product ranges in grade from mid-level to luxury. We need to develop an indentity that will soon become recognizable to anyone who works in real estate.
Ultimately, consumers -- homebuyers, real estate investors, etc. Also, Real Estate Developers, Real Estate Agents, and Banks.
We need a corporate identity that is contemporary, yet also communicates experience and stability. It needs to be both stylish and appropriate for the corporate world -- be creative, but not gimmicky. Also, the logo needs to reproduce well on all forms of printing -- ads, business cards, web, etc. We don't want any super thin hairlines or fonts that will disappear when reproduced a certain way.
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


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Struggling Kings, Mavericks in search of positives
Two teams at the bottom of the Western Conference hook up Tuesday night as the Sacramento Kings visit the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center.
For the Mavericks, their third game this season against Sacramento is their final outing before the All-Star break. Dallas (18-39) has dropped eight of its last 10, but there is a feeling lately within the locker room that things are pointed in the right direction.
The Mavs pushed the Houston Rockets before falling in a close game Sunday despite not having Dirk Nowitzki, Wesley Matthews or J.J. Barea.
"I loved everything about it," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said of the 104-97 loss. "The compete level was excellent. We battled the whole way."
Rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. scored 16 and dished out a season-high 11 assists and didn't back down in going against Chris Paul.
"I loved Smith's game," Carlisle said. "The balance between scoring and playmaking was excellent. It's a lot to ask to come (into Houston) and win the game, but to basically compete the whole way, hang around and make them play the whole game was good. I thought our guys got better."
Small forward Doug McDermott, acquired at the trade deadline, scored eight in his first start for Dallas. Yogi Ferrell had a team-high 20 points. Dwight Powell had 18 points and 12 rebounds.
"I'm definitely proud of our young guys, being able to come here and play against a team with a lot of talent and a lot of great players. I thought we battled," Harrison Barnes said. "It's huge for us, especially at a time where some of our vets weren't able to travel and weren't healthy. I thought our young guys stepped up, they played well, and they got good experience against a team that's going to be contending. You know, unfortunately, the game got away from us a little bit in the second half, but for the most part we did a lot of good things that we can build on."
The Kings (17-38) will head into the break after a Texas two-step that ends Wednesday at Houston. Sacramento is coming off a 111-106 loss at Minnesota on Sunday night.
Rookie point guard De'Aaron Fox led the Kings with 23 points. With George Hill traded and Frank Mason III injured, Fox is the only healthy point guard on the roster.
He doesn't mind the extra work, or the additional responsibility he's been given by coach Dave Joeger.
"A lot of times coach just gives me the freedom," Fox said. "Sometimes I'll look over at the bench and he'll look at me or he won't say anything, he just lets me run the team every once in a while. It's great for me. It's allowed me to grow as a player, grow as a point guard and my teammates are starting to trust me."
The Mavericks and Kings split the first two games this season, each winning on the road. Sacramento has won five of the last seven matchups and three straight in Dallas.


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Obama State of the Union Addresses College Costs, Preschool
On Tuesday evening, United States President Barack Obama delivered the annual State of the Union address to the American public. Education played a role in the broad speech, with the President touching on the importance of early childhood education, accessible education, the need to reduce the cost of college, and career readiness.
Below are the President's remarks on education:
These initiatives in manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, and housing will help entrepreneurs and small business owners expand and create new jobs. But none of it will matter unless we also equip our citizens with the skills and training to fill those jobs. And that has to start at the earliest possible age.
Study after study shows that the sooner a child begins learning, the better he or she does down the road. But today, fewer than 3 in 10 four year-olds are enrolled in a high-quality preschool program. Most middle-class parents can't afford a few hundred bucks a week for private preschool. And for poor kids who need help the most, this lack of access to preschool education can shadow them for the rest of their lives.
Tonight, I propose working with states to make high-quality preschool available to every child in America. Every dollar we invest in high-quality early education can save more than seven dollars later on – by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime. In states that make it a priority to educate our youngest children, like Georgia or Oklahoma, studies show students grow up more likely to read and do math at grade level, graduate high school, hold a job, and form more stable families of their own. So let's do what works, and make sure none of our children start the race of life already behind. Let's give our kids that chance.
Let's also make sure that a high school diploma puts our kids on a path to a good job. Right now, countries like Germany focus on graduating their high school students with the equivalent of a technical degree from one of our community colleges, so that they're ready for a job. At schools like P-Tech in Brooklyn, a collaboration between New York Public Schools, the City University of New York, and IBM, students will graduate with a high school diploma and an associate degree in computers or engineering.
We need to give every American student opportunities like this. Four years ago, we started Race to the Top – a competition that convinced almost every state to develop smarter curricula and higher standards, for about 1 percent of what we spend on education each year. Tonight, I'm announcing a new challenge to redesign America's high schools so they better equip graduates for the demands of a high-tech economy. We'll reward schools that develop new partnerships with colleges and employers, and create classes that focus on science, technology, engineering, and math – the skills today's employers are looking for to fill jobs right now and in the future.
Now, even with better high schools, most young people will need some higher education. It's a simple fact: the more education you have, the more likely you are to have a job and work your way into the middle class. But today, skyrocketing costs price way too many young people out of a higher education, or saddle them with unsustainable debt.
Through tax credits, grants, and better loans, we have made college more affordable for millions of students and families over the last few years. But taxpayers cannot continue to subsidize the soaring cost of higher education. Colleges must do their part to keep costs down, and it's our job to make sure they do. Tonight, I ask Congress to change the Higher Education Act, so that affordability and value are included in determining which colleges receive certain types of federal aid. And tomorrow, my Administration will release a new "College Scorecard" that parents and students can use to compare schools based on a simple criteria: where you can get the most bang for your educational buck.
To grow our middle class, our citizens must have access to the education and training that today's jobs require. But we also have to make sure that America remains a place where everyone who's willing to work hard has the chance to get ahead.
Our economy is stronger when we harness the talents and ingenuity of striving, hopeful immigrants. And right now, leaders from the business, labor, law enforcement, and faith communities all agree that the time has come to pass comprehensive immigration reform….
02 13, 2013 Matthew Tabor


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Abraham & Freedom
Dr. Sproul explains that there is enough material to write a book packed into Jesus' statement that "If you abide in My word, you are my Disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." After investigating this statement, Dr. Sproul considers the complaint … Listen
Abraham Justified Before Circumcision
Dr. Sproul re-emphasizes the justification provided by Christ is through faith alone. Paul's discussion focuses on whether Abraham was justified by faith before or after the act of circumcision. The meaning behind circumcision as a sign is investigated with the covenantal relationship of being a Jew to that of baptism … Listen
Abraham Justified by Faith
Dr. Sproul discusses both Paul's concept of being justified by faith alone and James' view of being justified by both faith and works since both use Abraham to support their position. This issue has divided Roman Catholics and Protestants for centuries. In the discussion, Dr. Sproul also addresses a related … Listen
Adopted Heirs
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The Angel & Zacharias (Part 1)
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Another Helper
Dr. Sproul starts this section out with his recollection of his girlfriend and his planned future wife while in college and his praying for her salvation even though they had been raised in the same church and heard the same messages. From there Dr. Sproul starts the discussion of the … Listen
Apostles and Deacons


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Want to learn Microsoft Outlook 2013 quickly? Want to become a confident and productive user of this powerful program without having to memorize a lot of technical mumbo-jumbo? In this course, you'll see what's new in Outlook 2013 and get up and running with the most important aspects of the program, starting with mastering the new Windows 8 style look and feel. From there, you'll quickly learn how to manage your email, calendar, and contacts, and how to streamline and automate your work with keyboard shortcuts, rules, Search Folders, and Quick Steps.
The goal of this course is to teach you what you really need to know to be productive with Outlook 2013. That means you won't waste your time on low-value aspects of Outlook. Instead, you'll focus on the important things like sending, receiving, and managing your mail, and using tools such as the calendar, tasks, and to-dos so you can manage your schedule and get your work done. You'll also learn about the redesigned Contacts section of Outlook (now called People). You'll discover how Outlook can connect to your social networks, and discuss the pros and cons of making those connections.
The course also shares secrets about how to get the most from Outlook. For example, did you know that you can create, send, and receive email messages without ever touching the mouse? It's faster and more efficient, and can even reduce some of the strain on your aching mouse hand. Introduction to Outlook 2013 dedicates an entire lesson to the instructor's favorite Outlook tips and tricks. Whether you're new to Outlook or you've been using it for years, you're sure to learn something useful in every lesson.
Bill Mann has been writing about software and the Internet for over 15 years and has relied on Microsoft Outlook to keep him organized and on track since it first became available. He is the author of more than 15 books, including two about Outlook: How to Do Everything with Microsoft Office Outlook 2003 and How to Do Everything with Microsoft Office Outlook 2007. He has led online courses on Outlook 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, and 2010. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rochester.
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So what makes Kerry and her site worth following? For me it is the honest and the comedy. Kerry and I share similar backgrounds in that we've come out of many years in the corporate world and are trying to navigate our way in a brand new work world. And I think this speaks to many people - not just genealogists - given the current economic situation.
And who couldn't love someone who freely admits to hiring a psychic to assist with her genealogy? Read the series of posts and you'll agree that Kerry is skilled at writing about the many different ways in which we can all experience genealogy and family history.
So get a clue and get in the wagon - at Clue Wagon!
© 2010, copyright Thomas MacEntee


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Summer Li has not received any gifts yet
Hey there, just looking for new people to hit with. Let me know if your ever interested.
Hi, i am new here, can I join your group?? When you guys going to play??
Hi Summer, I didn't know you still play lol.. I haven't been on this site in like a year ! Well Thursday night at 5 pm to 10 pm for right now but when summer comes I will play with my group on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I can play on the weekend if someone will come out and hit with me. Most of my tennis friends don't play on the weekend. This is the address to the park (12350 banyan st rancho cucamonga ca) its right off the 210 freeway. I know you live in chino so maybe you can take the 10 to the 15 exit baseline (make left) then make (right) onto day creek. Then you go all the way up to banyan make (right) park is right on the corner you will see the tennis court lights. Looks like Tla is probably your level so maybe if both of you can make it at the same time I can hit with you and then you and Tla can hit together to? Well her is my email so you can add me on fb to let me know ahead of time. email@example.com
Anyway It's nice to see you still wanting to play this awesome sport of ours :) Hope to hear from you .
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RIP, Irvin KirshnerPosted by dsgran
Luminous beings are we, not this crude matter.
April 29, 1923 – November 27, 2010
The force will be with you, always.
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...and it should remind us of the relationship between freedom and the consciousness of possibility, between freedom and the imagination - the ability to make present what is absent, to summon up a condition that is not yet.
-Maxine Greene, The Dialectic of Freedom
...and what is good, Phaedrus, and what is not good... need we ask anyone to tell us these things?
-Robert Pirsig, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance
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The Carrot Revolution is an art education weblog and a resource page for art educators, art students, and artists in the digital age. Our goal is to fight the tyranny of the ordinary and to liberate from the status quo. Questions, comments, suggestions? Email! email@example.com.


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Dear Dr Geraghty, I find that you give many good answers to question. You answered a question from an Anna on 10-28 about going to communion twice in one day. You seemed to imply that you could receive twice only if the second reception was due to serious illness. I thought that you could receive twice in one day (e.g a wedding and funeral in the same day). A third reception could be done only in case of serious illness. Or am I off base? Pete
|Answer by Richard Geraghty on 11/7/2012:
Dear Pete, You are right. Dr. Geraghty
You are right.
Dr. Geraghty


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Samsung, Apple, and other smartphone manufacturers shipped more than 700 million phones in 2012. Thanks to the popular two-year contract model instituted by carriers like AT&T and Verizon, the smartphone industry has settled into a comfortable pattern. Customers buy subsidized phones for $100 or $200 a pop, gradually pay out more than the phone's $500-$700 market price in monthly payments, and finally buy a new model when that two year mark rolls around and the contract expires. On September 10th, a concept video called Phonebloks challenged that system, criticizing the amount of waste produced by the ending-is-better-than-mending approach to consumer electronics. The video raked in more than 7 million views in three days.
Phonebloks proposes a solution to the wasteful smartphone upgrade process and the landfills of discarded phones our habits create. Designer Dave Hakkens suggests a new type of phone, made up of modules, or bloks, that can easily be replaced by anyone. Each phone component, from the processor to the wireless chip to the flash storage to the battery, is a self-contained unit that can be unplugged from the mainboard and swapped out for something new.
Instead of throwing away an entire Phoneblok phone, you'd simply swap out the processor for a faster unit, or upgrade to a larger flash memory chip when yours starts to fill up. Even better, phones would be incredibly customizable. "You do everything in the cloud. Why not replace your storage block for a bigger battery block?" the video suggests at one point. Another suggestion: "If you love to take pictures, why not upgrade your camera?"
The idea is so simple, it feels like someone should've built a similar smartphone already. And here's where idealism and reality clash. Could a modular smartphone like the Phonebloks actually work? To try to answer that question, I reached out to Adafruit in search of some expert hardware (and hacking) knowledge. Adafruit founder and MIT engineer Limor Fried helped answer some questions about Phonebloks' viability. Short answer: This idea is probably possible, and would probably even be compatible with an operating system like Android.
"Phone makers react to demand, if consumers want replaceable batteries, screws/ways to disassemble--smart companies will react and provide," Fried wrote. "I personally like the idea of being able to take apart, fix and improve anything I own."
Modular phones would likely also require consumers to pay more and give up the compact bodies of modern smartphones.
The long answer is less optimistic. Is a modular phone this something consumers want, though? The millions of views Phonebloks has wrapped up says yes; the trends towards phones with non-removable batteries and non-expandable storage, however, imply otherwise. And while Phonebloks may mean fewer junked devices in landfills, it would likely also require consumers to pay more and give up the compact bodies of modern smartphones.
But let's go step-by-step. First: How realistic are plug-and-play smartphone components? Would they make the phone vulnerable to water and grit? Would they be able to perform as well as parts soldered onto a motherboard?
"Frequent plugging and unplugging will eventually wear down any connector or solder points holding the connectors, but if you're designing something like this--that's something you'd consider and test," writes Fried. On top of that, "Each module would need to have its own 'smarts' in some way, but that's not too tough of a challenge - there are many low-power and pretty powerful processors."
The latter potentially introduces two problems. One: Cost. To make these modules function well independently, a Phoneblok design may require duplicate components or otherwise rely on a less efficient combination of chips. Two: Size. With a less efficient layout comes a bulkier phone.
Smartphones are incredibly compact devices, and fitting all their components into a compact body is an engineering marvel. And even with Android phones trending towards bigger and bigger screens, the phones are getting thinner and lighter. Look at a teardown of the Samsung Galaxy S4, for example.
Attached to this one board are a modem, CPU/GPU system-on-a-chip, NAND flash controller, audio chip, pressure sensor, Wi-FI radio, and more. And that's just one side of the board; the other side houses the more microcontrollers, power management chips, NFC, and more.
"Making lots of little things with enclosures will always be a bit more challenging in terms of costs, timing and production," writes Fried. "Injection molds for each one, testing for each one, etc. The trend for phone makers now is to jam everything in one almost solid seamless case and also have as much as possible on one chip."
Separating each and every component out into a replaceable module is likely impractical, but the Phonebloks idea could still work. Some chips would likely still be integrated into the motherboard, which would be replaceable (and cheap compared to the boards of most phones, since key components like the system-on-a-chip would be separated). Others would probably be bundled into modules containing multiple chips, like an accelerometer/gyroscope/magnetometer package.
The idea behind the Phonebloks concept really isn't that far-fetched; Fried pointed out that there are already modular computing projects out there, like Bug Labs' Blocks, that can be pieced together to offer different functions. If Phonebloks is going to run into trouble, it'll be dealing with, or competing with, major smartphone corporations. Those corporations make a profit by selling people new phones every couple years; the HDTV business has run into trouble because it can't get people to buy new hardware often enough. Will phone companies want to support a platform that encourages replacing parts piecemeal? Maybe--if they see that it won't affect existing sales too much.
The end of the video makes it sound oh-so simple to bring together tech companies and manufacturers and designers, all through a crowdsourced get-the-word-out campaign. This will be the real challenge; not building a modular, customizable, environmentally friendly phone, but convincing companies that exist to make a profit that they should put fewer phones in landfills and fewer dollars in their pockets. Then all that's left is convincing consumers that a slower, thicker, and more expensive phone is worth buying over the latest $200 model from Samsung or Apple.


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Worried about the Common Core State Standards? If you are a teacher, you don't have to be. Granted, it will take time and effort to adapt your teaching plans to meet these standards. But there are a lot of tools that are available right now on the web to help you do it.
Best yet, the following tools are free, courtesy of the institutions and websites that are providing them!
The Library of Congress: A Truly Useful Common Core Resource
The Library of Congress (LC) is more than just the world's largest library, with some 150 million primary sources in its physical collection. For teachers, the LC is also a profoundly useful and user-friendly Common Core resource, with the help starting right on the loc.gov/teachers page. The reason: The LC's Teachers page provides access to lesson plans that have been designed to meet Common Core standards, while staying within the LC's own academic guidelines.
"Our mission as an institution is to encourage people to turn to primary sources," explains Stephen Wesson, one of the LC's educational resource specialists. "Fortunately, the critical analysis required for students to research the Constitution and Declaration of Independence directly is exactly in line with the Common Core standards."
For example, the LC's lesson plan The Constitution: Drafting a More Perfect Union uses digital copies (available online) of George Washington's amended rough draft, to show students how the Constitution was created through committee work. (It is intriguing to see words scratched out and new ones scribbled on the printed text in the first president's own hand.) The lesson plan also provides detailed notes on preparing, presenting, and evaluating the lesson.
But that's not all. With the click of a mouse button within the lesson page, teachers can check to see which Common Core standard the lesson plan on the U.S. Constitution meets. In this case, the lesson satisfies 10 Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Grade 1. The same tool lets users see which State Standards the lesson meets, e.g., New York State Standard Language Arts, Grade 1. It also shows compliance with national organizations' standards; in this case, several standards in NCTE Language Arts Grade 1, among others. (Note: This lesson plan can be found at loc.gov/teachers/classroommaterials/lessons/more-perfect-union.)
"Our goal is to make it extremely straightforward and easy for teachers to meet their Common Core requirements," Wesson says. "Thanks to this online tool, they can see which standards each plan meets at the outset, when they are looking through our lesson plans."
In itself, the LC's approach is extremely useful. But the library goes one step further, by allowing teachers to define first the Common Core standards they want to meet at the very outset of their search, by using the Common Core search box on the LC Teacher homepage. In fact, the box searches teacher resources based on Common Core, State Content, and national Organization compliance. These are the same qualities that were accessible within the U.S. Constitution lesson plan page.
For instance, query the LC database for lesson plans that meet Common Core Grade 3 standards for English Language Arts, and the user is given a menu that starts with Reading Standards for Literature teacher resources. These are specified in categories such as Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, and Integration of Knowledge and Ideas. Click on Key Ideas and Details, and you'll find links to 41 sets of classroom materials covering a range of historical lessons, everything from baseball cards to cowboys, the Great Depression, and the Chinese in California, 1850–1925.
"Using these tools, it is very easy to find the Common Core-compliant materials you need online," says Wesson. "And yes, they are all free."
Achievethecore.org: Steal These Tools!
Student Achievement Partners (SAP) is a nonprofit group that helped develop the Common Core standards. Since then, SAP has developed a series of tools for teachers to help them implement the Common Core, available at Achievethecore.org. These tools include wallet-sized cards that sum up the shift in educational standards in areas such as math: "Focus strongly where the Standards focus," the card advises. "Coherence: think across grades, and link to major topics within grades. Rigor: in major topics pursue conceptual understanding, procedural skill and fluency, and application. …"
There is much more to Achievethecore.org than these Yoda-like wallet mantras: It truly is a useful repository of Common Core implementation tools. "The catchphrase for the website is 'Steal These Tools,' a message which resonates with busy teachers," says Sandra Alberti, SAP's director of state/district partnerships and professional development. "Anyone can use, brand, and/or customize the tools on the website without need for attribution. Our goal is to see these tools spread broadly in order to best support educators across the country in their daily work of implementing the Common Core State Standards."
Among Achievethecore.org's "stealable" tools are Professional Development Modules for teachers that include annotated PowerPoint presentations, facilitator's guides, video resources, and activities for discussion. "The Publishers' Criteria for Mathematics (K–8) and for English Language Arts/Literacy (K–12) are another popular tool," Alberti says. "These documents were developed by the lead authors of the Common Core State Standards to guide publishers and curriculum developers as they work to ensure alignment in developing materials. The criteria are also used by educators as a resource for professional development and to inform instructional materials purchasing decisions."
A third set of tools cover Close Reading Exemplars. "These are a set of well-developed exemplars of high-quality lessons around the close reading of texts. Achievethecore.org has a growing library of exemplars from Grades 3–12," says Alberti. "The exemplars feature short texts and teacher guidance to lead close conversations in the classroom around the meaning of these texts."
Yet again, all of these tools are free. This means you don't have to steal them, but you can if doing so makes you feel better!
IllustrativeMathematics.org: Depicting K–12 Math in Line With the Common Core
Explanatory illustrations have long been a staple of effective mathematics instruction. IllustrativeMathematics.org takes this fact a step further by offering free online K–12 math tasks that are mathematically correct, educationally sound, and in line with the Common Core State Standards for mathematics.
"Using funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we are working with about 250 mathematicians, math educators, and classroom teachers to develop the tasks," says Linda Plattner, IllustrativeMathematic's executive director. "The tasks show the year-to-year requirements of the Common Core Sate Standards. Using our website, teachers can be sure that the tasks they are using are as appropriate as they are effective."
EduCore: An Online Education for Common Core Teachers
Ideally, teachers would be paid to return to college to learn how to teach the Common Core. But this is the real world—one in which the free EduCore website has stepped up to fill this educational gap.
Created by ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) and funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, EduCore is an online destination offering math and literacy lessons, plus other resources to help educators implement the Common Core State Standards. According to Sherida Britt, ASCD Tools for Teachers professional development project director, "This is a site where you can educate yourself about the Common Core first, and then dig into materials that will help you plan the courses you need."
Also, EduCore allows users to sign up as members. In this position, they can save useful materials in their own My Resources repository and take notes on their own My Journal page. This material is then accessible on any web-connected computer, allowing the teacher to access the data at work or at home. Possible choices include EduCore's Literacy Tools and Math Tools, both designed by teams of qualified educators.
"EduCore has been designed to be consumed at whatever rate works for you," Britt says. "If you only have 10 minutes a day to watch an educational video, then you can. This said, working with the Common Core is not something that you can do the day before class. It requires education, and EduCore is here to help provide it—for free."
The Last Word: Learn the Power of the Eraser
Free online tools such as those covered here make it affordable for teachers to tackle the Common Core. But what about the sheer workload of doing so and the fear inherent in moving from familiar ways of teaching and new, unfamiliar methods?
In response, SAP's Alberti has some reassuring words about the Common Core State Standards: "These Standards send the message that in implementing them, we must start with the power of the eraser over the power of the pen," she says. In other words, "Teachers must first consider what they will stop doing in order to effectively implement the Standards. When teachers understand this, the daunting nature of the Standards is often alleviated."
Add free Common Core web tools, and the task of adapting to the Common Core is less daunting still. Admittedly, "Implementation of the Standards in order to support all students towards the goal of college and career readiness is hard work," Alberti says, "but certainly hard work worth doing."
James Careless is a freelance ed tech and technology writer. Reach him at email@example.com.


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The Jawz Pup Disc is the disc that can withstand the hardest bites of your dog. It is simple indestructable. Due to the smaller size, this disc is suitable for smaller dogs or pups, and to get your dog acquainted to play with a disc in stead of a ball by letting the disc roll.
It's developped to be tough yet flexible and it does not have the hard brittle feel of a standard disc. Off course you should always try to teach your dog not to bite the disc, but if he likes to get rough once in a while this is the disc that will last the longest. The Jawz disc is puncture resistant. This smaller size is perfect for pups and small dogs.This Jawz disc features Hyperflite's patent pending X-Flash Anti-Glare Technology. Glare sometimes interferes with the dogs timing on catching the disc.


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Tatiana the Martyr of Rome
January 12
Saint Tatiana was the daughter of a most distinguished consul of Rome. She became a deaconess of the Church, and for her confession of the Faith of Christ, she endured many torments. As she was suffering, angels punished her tormentors with the same torments they inflicted on her, until they cried out that they could no longer endure the scourges invisibly brought upon them. She was beheaded during the reign of Alexander Severus (111-135).
Apolytikion of Martyr Tatiana
Fourth Tone
O Lord Jesus, unto Thee Thy lamb doth cry with a great voice: O my Bridegroom, Thee I love; and seeking Thee, I now contest, and with Thy baptism am crucified and buried. I suffer for Thy sake, that I may reign with Thee; for Thy sake I die, that I may live in Thee: accept me offered out of longing to Thee as a spotless sacrifice. Lord, save our souls through her intercessions, since Thou art great in mercy.
Kontakion of Martyr Tatiana
Fourth Tone
Thou didst shine resplendently, Martyr Tatiana, in thy sacred sufferings and in the crimson of thy blood, soaring to Heaven like a fair dove; hence ever pray Christ for all them that honour thee.


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Message Board
Gail Link Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Link has written!
Author Link's Book Reviews
Never Call It Loving
Working undercover for Charles II, handsome Cameron Buchanan is captured, tortured by a woman and left disfigured and crippled. As a reward for his services the King marries him off to rich heiress Marisa Fitzgerald who tries to break through his self imposed isolation and frigidity. Meanwhile his best friend Jamie tries to do the same service for Marisa's widowed cousin who has been left emotionally scarred by a sexually abusive husband. And, fina...


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Our Open days give prospective students, along with their friends and family, a chance to look around and get a better idea of what our college is like.
We offer a range of presentations and exhibitions on these dates, and also have staff available to answer queries including members of our student guidance team who are happy to give careers guidance.
Lincoln College offers Apprenticeships, Higher Education courses, ALevels, GCSEs and Full-time technical courses.
Apply now for a course!
Download our latest course guide
Web. www.lincolncollege.ac.uk
Tel. 030 030 32435 - Email. firstname.lastname@example.com


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Thanks to Troop leader Colleen Burnham for forwarding this FREE Junior Scout badge workshop information:
Dimidis & Sons Auto Service (12 Watson Place in Framingham) would like to offer an educational activity to the Framingham Girl Scouts Troops.
Our Basic Auto Repair workshop would be perfect for Scouts ages 8 and up who want to learn the basics of auto care and fulfill the requirements for the Car Care Badge (Junior Scouts).
In this one hour activity at our garage, we will:
* Identify major parts under the hood/importance of changing fluids regularly
* Tire safety/tire pressure check
* Identify gauges and dials on dashboard and importance of each
* Safety/Emergency items to have on hand– getting car ready for summer or winter
* Job training/typical work day for an auto technician
* Technological advances/environmental concerns/recycling
We are happy to offer this as a FREE activity for Framingham troops.
Because of space limitation and the nature of the event we would request a limit of 20 people including chaperones.
Please contact me directly at 508-788-9149 or cell 617-257-0204. I look forward to hearing from you.
Paula Dimidis
Co-Owner Dimidis & Sons Auto Service and Girl Scout Parent Volunteer


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Binky's first cake!
Vanilla cake with chocolate frosting.
He made this himself and it was delicious!
He was very proud of himself.
Goose is chicken sitting!
That sounds funny!
She is taking care of 1 hen and 10 chicks for the next month.
So every morning at 7:30 (being a homeschooled girl who usually gets to sleep in until whenever, she isn't so happy about this part of the deal) she walks across the street to let the
chickens out for the day, clean their water and give them
food. Every night she goes back to put them in their house for the night.
Binky has been helping, too.
He named two of the chicks Nova and Jubilee.
I think this is a great experience for her.
This is my first crocheted bag.
I was making an infinity scarf when I realized
the yarn was just way too itchy.
So I made a bag instead.
I love it!
I have never made anything other than scarves, so
this is a big deal for me! I think it will make
a great farmer's market bag.
I haven't crocheted for several months and now I am
hooked again. It is so meditative for me.
Goose is joining me and making her first attempt at a hat.
My husband is always asking me when I am going to make him
a sweater. He doesn't even wear sweaters!
I know he just wants me to make him something. I've made both
the kids and myself scarves, which he doesn't wear, either.
So a sweater it is. I know it will probably take me several attempts
to get it right. Maybe I should start now to have it finished
by Christmas!


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Grades 6-8
Case Study on Productivity (1 of 3): Henry Ford and the Model T
When Henry Ford announced he was going to produce an automobile that would be affordable to the masses, he probably did not realize what a great impact his achievement would have on life in the United States and, eventually, the world. Ford's use of mass production strategies to manufacture the Model T revolutionized industrial manufacturing and initiated a new era in personal transportation. This three-part learning unit provides students with the story of Henry Ford and the Model T from an economics perspective. Parts 1 and 2 explore how the Ford Motor Company successfully introduced mass production strategies to the auto industry. Students learn how specialization and investments in capital (machines, people, etc.) increased productivity and allowed Ford to slash the price of his popular vehicle. Students chart a plan for the assembly-line production of bookmarks, test their plan, and make recommendations for improvements. Students also explore how Henry Ford used economic incentives to address a problem created by mass production techniques—worker turnover. An optional Part 3 explains how increased productivity resulted in shifts in the supply and demand for the Model T. Students analyze how a variety of non-price determinants continue to influence the automobile market today. The unit also presents a wealth of extension activities.
Part 1
Ask for a show of hands to indicate how many students own a car or would like to own one. Ask individual students what make of car they own or might purchase. When the students mention Ford automobiles, tell them that they are going to study how Henry Ford—the entrepreneur who established Ford Motor Company—revolutionized the car industry and life as we know it today. Nearly all large automakers–in fact, all manufacturers–use production techniques that Henry Ford popularized at the beginning of the 20th century. In the activities that follow, the students will learn more about how Henry Ford ' s production of the Model T helped to revolutionize the manufacture of automobiles and life as we know it today. They will be asked to adapt one of his strategies—the moving assembly line—for the production of bookmarks.
Learning Objectives
- Identify Henry Ford as an innovator who helped revolutionize modern manufacturing.
- Create a flow chart for an assembly line that illustrates how specialization can be used to increase productivity.
- Test and make recommendations for improving the productivity of an assembly line.
- Compare the assembly line process with the "cottage industry" approach to production, identifying advantages and disadvantages of each.
Resource List
Henry Ford: The Innovator: This page provides a biography of Henry Ford.
Ford Model T: This site provides an explanation related to the history of the Ford Model T.
Interchangeable Parts: This site provides history and information related to interchangeable parts.
Assembly Line: This page provides an explanation of assembly lines.
Specialization: This EconEdLink detailed definition will help you understand.
Ransom Olds: This site discusses the first manufacturer to have used interchangeable parts and the assembly line in the U.S. auto industry.
Ford Assembly Line, 1920s: This site provides a video of an assembly line.
Interactive Activity: This EconEdLink quiz tests students' understanding of the Henry Ford lesson.
Interactive Activity
Productivity: This EconEdLink project asks students to create their own bookmark using an assembly line.
Productivity: Bookmark
Antique Car Cut Out: This page provides a large number of antique cars that the students can cut out for their assembly line.
Antique Car
Bookmark Assembly Line: This page provides a diagram of how your book mark assembly line should look.
Assembly Line
Assessment Rubric: This rubric can be used to grade students on their performance in the Henry Ford lesson.
Assessment Rubric
Have the students work in teams of 2-3 at computers, reading the background information on Henry Ford and the Model T. In addition to using text, the students will use two brief video clips showing Model T production. The first clip shows the process in the early days when cars were assembled at workstations by a small group of workers. The second clip shows a moving assembly line. The students are provided the following text and hyperlinks.
The Early Days of Ford Motor Company and the Model T
When Henry Ford incorporated the Ford Motor Company in 1903, automobiles were expensive, custom-made machines purchased as a luxury item by the wealthy. Workers at the Ford factory in Detroit produced just a few cars a day.
Henry Ford's ambition was to make "a motor car for the great multitude." He wanted to build a high-quality automobile that would be affordable to everyday people. He believed the way to do this was to manufacture one model in huge quantities.
Ford and his company ' s engineers designed a car named the Model T. First offered for sale in 1908, the Model T was produced like other cars—one vehicle at a time. But the Model T was more sturdy and powerful than other cars. Considered relatively simple to operate and maintain, the auto offered no factory options, not even a choice of color. The Model T was also less expensive than most other cars. At an initial price of $950, 10,000 autos were sold the first year—more than any other model.
|Vanadium Steel. Henry Ford searched the world for the best materials he could find at the cheapest cost. During a car race in Florida , he examined the wreckage of a French car and noticed that many of its parts were made of a metal that was lighter but stronger than what was being used in American cars. No one in the U.S. knew how to make this French steel—a vanadium alloy. As part of the preproduction process for the Model T, Ford imported an expert who helped him build a steel mill. As a result, the only cars in the world to utilize vanadium steel in the next five years would be French luxury cars and the Model T.
The Moving Assembly Line
Like parts for other cars of the time, parts for the Model T were initially purchased made-to-order from other businesses. Teams of two or three skilled mechanics in the factory would gather these parts and put them together at a workstation, using everyday tools. When parts did not fit together as needed, workers would use files and hammers to make them fit.
Have your students take a peek at this process on the following video clip.
Henry Ford realized that a more efficient production process was needed to lower the price and meet increasing consumer demand for his popular new car. He needed to improve productivity—the amount of goods and services produced from a given amount of productive resources. Economists refer to goods and services as output. Henry Ford's output was the Model T. The productive resources used in production—natural resources, capital resources, and human capital—are inputs. Ford's inputs were the steel, workers, and other resources required to manufacture the car.
Ford looked at other industries and found strategies that he could apply to making the Model T. Take a look at Interchangeable Parts and the Assembly Line to learn more about two of the first strategies he adapted.
Using interchangeable parts required making the individual pieces of the car the same every time. All pieces would fit with all others. Any valve would fit any engine and any engine would fit any frame. The standardization of parts made it possible to break down assembly of the Model T into distinct steps. Each worker was trained to do just one step or a very few steps. Economists refer to this practice as specialization or the division of labor.
|Ransom Olds is the first manufacturer to have used interchangeable parts and the assembly line in the U.S. auto industry. He used these ideas in the production of the 1901 Curved Dash Oldsmobile, also referred to as the runabout.
In 1913, the Ford Motor Company established the first moving assembly line ever used for large-scale manufacturing. On a trip to Chicago, Henry Ford observed meat packers removing cuts of beef from a carcass as it was passed along by a trolley until nothing was left. He was inspired to reverse the process for the production of his automobile.
Parts were attached to a moving Model T chassis in order, from axles at the beginning to bodies at the end of the line. As vehicles moved past the workers on the line, each worker would do one task. Some components took longer to put together and attach than others. Subassemblies were established for these. For example, each radiator with all its hose fittings was put together on a separate line feeding into the main assembly line. The interval between delivery of the car and its components was carefully timed to maintain a continuous flow.
Have your students view this video clip to see this moving assembly line in action. (After clicking on the link, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on "Ford Assembly Line, 1920s," below the car emblems.)
The home for this new production system was the Highland Park Plant near Detroit, Michigan which Ford opened in 1910. Assembly wound downward in the factory starting on the fourth floor where body panels were hammered out. On the third floor workers placed tires on wheels and painted auto bodies. After the assembly was completed on the second floor, the autos moved down a ramp past the first-floor offices. Test your comprehension of this lesson in the following activity.
When all the students have reported their bookmark production data and completed their worksheets, discuss the following as a class:
What inputs—or resources—did you use to produce your bookmarks? [ Capital resources listed on the worksheet were the card stock, pictures of the Model T, string, rulers, pencils, scissors, glue, hole punches, and markers. Students may also identify the desks and chairs used as their workstations. A human resource was the student labor. Natural resources include the trees used in the production of paper and pencils AND the metal used to manufacture scissors and hole punches.]
In the early days of Model T production, Henry Ford used a cottage industry approach, which consists of small teams of workers at workstations. How did the amount of time required for producing bookmarks in this way compare with production using specialization on the assembly line? [ Assembly line production generally reduces the amount of worker time required. HOWEVER, this may not be the case for all the assembly lines. Acknowledge that a poorly planned assembly line or a worker who experiences difficulties doing a specific task may cause a bottleneck and reduce productivity.]
Which assembly line tested by the class was most productive—in other words, which line made the most bookmarks?
Why did the assembly line produce more than the other lines? [ The line may have been more organized, group members may have worked harder or they may have been more skilled.]
Which group made the best-quality bookmarks? [ Potential responses are that they worked slower or had some workers who were very good at a particular task.]
What were the advantages of producing bookmarks using an assembly line in contrast to the cottage industry approach? [ Potential responses include more bookmarks could be produced, workers could be assigned tasks that they did best, all bookmarks looked the same, fewer capital resources were needed—for example, just one hole punch for an entire group versus one per team.]
- What were the disadvantages of producing bookmarks using an assembly line? [ Potential responses include the bookmarks all looked the same; it was boring doing the same task over and over; line workers are dependent on other workers—one worker can slow the whole process if he or she is slow or makes a mistake; some time must be invested at the start of the process planning how to operate the line.]
To help make the transition to Part 2, you may want to ask these additional questions:
While making your bookmarks, you were restricted with respect to the resources you could use. You were allowed to use only the items on your input list. What do you think would have happened if you had been allowed to use a paper cutter to cut the card stock? [ The job of one worker probably could have been eliminated and productivity would have increased.]
- Can you think of other capital investments that might improve and speed up productivity of the bookmarks? [ Potential answers include creating a template for where the hole should be punched, designing a machine that could punch several holes at the same time, and using a copy machine to reproduce the lettering.]
Tell the students that obtaining a paper cutter is an example of an investment in capital that can be used to increase productivity. In Part 2, they will explore the investments in capital that Henry Ford made to increase Model T productivity. They will also study how he addressed some of the problems that resulted from specialization.
Extension Activity
As appropriate for your class, assign the students to do the following:
Draw the steps in the process for manufacturing a product you use. Label the various stages in the production process.
- Volunteer to collate materials or stuff envelopes for a community organization. Develop a plan to improve task productivity.
Part 1
The students are provided instructions for producing bookmarks. They may print out copies of the worksheet from their computers, or you may prefer to print copies in advance and distribute them. Each student should have one copy of the worksheet.
Provide each team of 2-3 students with the following inputs when they are ready to begin bookmark production.
- Cardstock (tag board or recycled manila folders work well)
- 1 page with antique car clip art
- Ball of string or yarn
- 1 ruler
- 1 pencil
- 1 pair scissors
- 1 glue stick
- 1 hole punch
- 1 black marker
The handout directs the students to establish a workstation and produce one bookmark, using only the inputs listed on their handout. They are to work as a team of 2-3 craftspeople like the workers who first manufactured the Model T. As they complete their bookmarks, direct them to report the number of worker minutes required to produce each one. Explain that they can calculate this using the following formula.
(Number of workers x number of minutes assembly line operated)
Number of acceptable bookmarks
Write this data on the blackboard in a column labeled "Cottage Industry (Step 1)".
To complete Step 2, student teams and their resources are combined to establish groups with a minimum of 9 people. Each group is directed to draft a flow chart illustrating an assembly line production process for the bookmarks. You may need to draw a simple flow chart on the board for students who are unfamiliar with this format.
NOTE: To enhance the technology aspects of this lesson, consider having students use word processing or other software to create their flow charts.
The students must test their strategy by operating an assembly line producing bookmarks. A 10-15 minute time frame for operation of the assembly line usually works well. Adjust the time as appropriate for your students; groups should have enough time to produce one bookmark for each worker.
Open this document to view one way the assembly line might be set up. Note that, with this group, the lettering required more time, so two people were assigned to the final task. Student assembly lines will vary with the number of students on each line and their skill levels.
If you have more students in some groups than are required for the assembly line, have them function as time managers and quality inspectors. Time managers are responsible for monitoring production time and recording data on the board. Inspectors look for production problems such as inaccurate measurements and sloppiness that may result in some bookmarks being rejected. As the teacher, you decide which bookmarks are of acceptable quality to be included in the productivity calculations.
The students again must calculate the units of input (worker minutes) per unit of output (bookmarks). Provide help as needed for this calculation. To avoid skewing the data, DO NOT INCLUDE the minutes of time managers and quality inspectors. Record the amount of time per bookmark on the board in a column labeled Assembly Line Workers (Step 2).
Evaluate each student's work based on his or her contribution to the assembly line, completion of the worksheet, and class discussion. Adjust and weight this assessment rubric to fit your needs throughout this three-part unit.


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It's your lucky day. "Strange Clouds" is Amazon MP3's Gold Box Deal of the Day. It's only $2.99. Get it now.
Watch the official music video and the "Behind the Video" for "Both of Us" ft. Taylor Swift. As always, you can get the song off the album STRANGE CLOUDS.
"Don't Let Me Fall" is also on sale at iTunes for $0.69.
Enjoy the 4th of July tomorrow.


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Thu, 30 June 2011
Welcome to episode number eight of the Dave Dameshek Football Program. The fellas discuss who the greatest number eight in NFL history, and conclude that it is Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman. The bigger news is the revealing of the NFL uniform playoff bracket as the guys pick the division winners and wild cards in an attempt to pick the team that has the greatest uniform in the NFL right now.
Direct download: June_30_2011_episode_8.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:24pm PDT