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"Dream No Small Dream"
San José State University Annual Faculty/Staff Address
Robert L. Caret, president
More often than not, I am still referred to as the "new" President of San José State University. And, though I enjoy hearing that adjective applied to my name, I realize that I am well into my second year as the President of this wonderful institution. To many of you I am already "a campus fixture." I believe we have come a long way together in a short time. And I thank you for that accomplishment: It is also a pleasure and a privilege to candidly say that Liz and I feel we are rapidly becoming a part of this institution. The months that have passed have provided Liz and me the opportunity to begin to understand the institution, to know and feel its history, and to begin to know and appreciate its communities, past and present. We want to thank all of you for being so warm and welcoming and for allowing us into your community and your lives.
From my perspective, the institution is healthy and well, and is making the changes it needs to make to continue to evolve as the premier institution in The California State University (CSU) in northern California. Our future is very bright.
When I arrived in late January of 1995, it was obvious to me
from the visits I made, the reading accompanying those visits, and
the dialogue that resulted, that the institution needed to confront
a number of issues immediately. One of those issues was the need
for an institutional identity in the region. To that end, I
suggested the descriptor of the Metropolitan University (MU) to
help in building that image. One's image often results from a
relatively small number of key perceptions. I felt, and continue to
feel, that the Metropolitan University philosophy provides us with
an appropriate and desirable way to discuss our image in simpler
terms, though we all recognize that it describes an extremely
broad, diverse, and complex organization. There has been much
dialogue and discussion focused on the "Metropolitan University"
mission, especially within the academic division and the SJSU
Higher Education Roundtable, and I believe we are all beginning to
sense how it can best be applied to the culture and mission of this
SJSU, the Metropolitan University of Silicon Valley,
- Is committed to developing educated citizens
- Is committed to its community
- Works closely with local business and government
- Is responsive to the society we serve
- Is highly interactive with that society
Using the Metropolitan University construct as the umbrella theme for the campus, I suggested four sub-themes to focus our energies and resources:
- Enrollment services
- Student success
- Campus climate
- Information resources/literacy
- With a much more specific focus, I also recognized the need to stabilize the athletics budget (which we have done) and to increase efforts at self-support through development and through increased entrepreneurial activity (ongoing goals). I am pleased to be able to report today that, due to the extraordinary efforts of many individuals, committees and organizations on and off campus, we have already made significant progress in each of these areas. Let me give some key examples:
- Enrollment Services: An Enrollment Enhancement Task Force was
established to help us better address the needs of our students
and to make better use of the resources of the campus. Building
on this first step, a complete reorganization of all enrollment
service units was effected, a new Associate Vice President will
soon be joining us, our enrollment has been stabilized and a 5
year plan for enrollment has been developed. For the Fall of
1996, for example, we have received over 1000 more applications
than we did last fall and our plan for enrollment growth and
stabilization is one year ahead of schedule.
- Student Success: The Task Force on Retention and Graduation, chaired by Professor and Chair of Biological Sciences Lee Dorosz, has completed its report . As a result of their excellent efforts, many policies are being reviewed so that we can update, simplify, and eliminate where appropriate, our current campus procedures. A "one-stop-shopping" , Student Resource Center is being established with the help and leadership of Lewis Bundy and a Student Learning Center is being planned. Staff development initiatives focused on improved "service" are also part of the "mix."
Campus Climate: Many of you have told me that the campus I
envisioned as "cleaner, safer, prettier, and happier" is becoming a
reality. We have the now infamous "clean windows" that allow
views--views of our many new walkways and much of the landscaping
that accompanied their construction. We have made "you can get
there from here", the slogan accompanying the welcome signs on the
first day of classes last year, much more of a reality. Similarly,
we have made substantive progress on our interactive climate under
the direction of Gabe Reyes, the Special Assistant to the President
for Campus Climate. Gabe has helped develop an Executive Advisory
Board and various Subcommittees to work with us and the Board. Many
initiatives have been undertaken including panel discussions,
seminars/speakers, and cultural events that help us better
understand and respect each other. The Senate commitment to
diversity has resulted in approximately one-quarter of a million
dollars in faculty development funding for this initiative. Faculty
and staff professional development and leadership efforts have been
expanded across all of our divisions. [Mention Administrative
Affairs Leadership Certificate, Internship in Provost's Office and
Internships in the President's Office; CCRI ...later]
Information Resources/Information Literacy: A reorganization of all "information units" is being planned and our first Chief Information Officer (CIO) will be joining us on October 1. Almost $28M in funding for our campus utilities/telecommunications infrastructure has been provided (via Proposition 203) and enhancement funding ($500,000 per year for three years) for this initiative has been provided by the CSU as one of two special requests I made to the Chancellor's Office. We have also been invited to submit an application for additional funding to the Knight Foundation. That request, which was submitted as a prospectus and is now being finalized as a full grant request, is aimed at faculty development funding for the creation of department-based "champions" -- champions at infusing the "new technologies" and their applications into our learning and scholarship efforts. I have also established a small task force of external and internal "friends" to help bring a targeted $1 million dollars in in-kind equipment donations to the campus, over the next two years, as part of this initiative. In particular, I will be working with several of the new members of my Advisory Board, including David Lam of Expert Edge, Eric Benhamou of 3Com and Richard Previte of AMD. Don Kirk, the Dean of Engineering and Jay Pinson, the retired Dean of Engineering, have agreed to help coordinate this initiative.
We will continue to move the first year initiatives forward and to continue to improve the entire foundation on which this campus rests. So part of our theme going into this year will be "going the distance." We need to continue what we've begun and make sure we get to where we want to be. It is also time to coalesce the strength of the campus and to begin to address concerns that have heretofore been on the back burner. I recently held my annual Staff Retreat to discuss our year two initiatives. At that retreat, we questioned what remains to be done on our initial goals, and what new specific initiatives do we want to begin? Which initiatives will play the greatest role in providing a campus of quality, a campus of excellence, and a campus that meets the needs of its students and the state?
Several of the specific goals for each of the administrative units, which resulted from these discussions, follow:
- Academic Affairs: The completion of our curricular prioritization process will be the primary focus within the division. This effort, coupled with our administrative reengineering and restructuring efforts, will provide the cornerstones to our future. We need to better balance our various offerings and efforts to fund what we do more appropriately. Part of this effort will also be aimed at nurturing key academic programs with an emphasis on developing regional, state-wide or even national prominence. Other efforts will include an increased emphasis on assessment of learning outcomes, a review of our faculty role and reward efforts and an expansion of extended education.
- We also need to build on our long and historical role as an institution that has a prime responsibility to prepare and maintain the educational workforce (teachers and administrators) throughout the state, and couple that traditional role to the Metropolitan University goal of being a partner with our community and helping it to solve many of its social problems. Education generally has been under attack for well over a decade, since the publication of A Nation At Risk. Despite the dozens of studies, grants, and initiatives at all levels, including the Office of the President of the United States, little progress has been made. Locally, we have seen this issue surface in a number of ways, including the recent dialogue on Remediation within The California State University System, questions surrounding the efficacy of the Master Plan and the students we accept on our campuses, and anecdotal feedback from business, in particular, that the graduates we are graduating are not educated. It's felt that many of our graduates cannot communicate well, particularly in writing, and are missing many of the basic skills expected of the university-educated graduate. In order for us to address these complex societal issues, all of education needs to be notched up. And the only way we're going to do that is by helping each other.
Consequently, other goals within the Academic Affairs Division for 1996-1997 are to:
- Expand and Coordinate our Leadership Role in the K-18 Arena (e.g., MESA, AMP, Unfinished Journey) and Community Partnerships (e.g., Equity 2000, San José Educational Network, Joint Venture Silicon Valley/Renaissance Schools, Schools for the 21st Century)
- Establish Conversation with Colleagues, Regular Meetings with Community College Chancellors and School Superintendents and Principals
- Coordinate a Region-wide Initiative Focused on the Preparation and Maintenance of a Timely Teaching Workforce
- Teachers Who Teach Our Teachers (i.e., The CSU effort)
Focus on Professional Development Schools
- Assess Existing Programs and Realignment Where Necessary
Administrative Affairs: A campus needs a capital infrastructure
that meets the needs of its programs. A major role for the
Administrative Division will be to shepherd our capital
construction projects forward. The division will also continue to
expand its staff and leadership development efforts and to work at
the continuous implementation of the "vision" it has developed and
the reengineering, restructuring, and refocusing that the
achievement of that vision will require.
Student Affairs: A campus that maximizes the potential for
student success needs a strong and supportive student affairs
philosophy. During 1996-1997 we will "go the distance" by
continuing our efforts aimed at "student life" activities: Earlier
I mentioned the Student Resource and Student Learning Centers being
developed by the Academic Affairs Division. We will also be
developing a Multicultural Center, will be establishing an office
to coordinate student volunteerism and community service, and will
continue to develop efforts to address more effectively the needs
of the non-residential student-making them more and more a vital
component of campus life.
Advancement: I am pleased to report that we finished our 95-96 fund year at $7.5M--a half a million over the previous year. And, with significant pledges in hand for several of our current initiatives, we expect to do even better this year. I also want to take this opportunity to formally announce the public phase of the "Heritage Gateway Campaign." This campaign, with a goal of raising $1.5 Million dollars to build 8 new entrances to our campus is now over the half-way point. We expect to raise the remaining money in the next 5-6 months and construction will begin in the fall of 1997. The gateways should be completed by spring 1998. We are also well on our way to achieving the funding target that will allow for a total ($13 million) renovation of the Business Classroom Building, making it a state-of-the-art facility for the next century. Richard Previte, an alumnus of our campus, and the President of AMD, is chairing that campaign. The College of Education is also seeking funds for the renovation of a "one room school house" which they recently were able to get donated to the San José Historical Museum in Partnership with SJSU.
Climate: We are institutionalizing the office with the title of
Assistant to the President for Campus Climate. Gabe Reyes will be
remaining in the position for a minimum of two more years, at which
point, based on the recommendations of the Advisory Committee, we
will begin a three-year rotation of the position soliciting
nominees from on campus. We have decided to make the position a
permanent part of the President's office and to rotate the
Assistant to the President to continually bring in new ideas and
perspectives. The primary emphasis for the office this year will be
completion and operationalization of recommendations from last
year's study. The initiatives are intended to help us develop : a
climate which values diversity, improve our recruitment and
retention of faculty and staff, increase our professional
development activities, evolve pedagogical strategies, develop a
"user-friendly" campus.
Foundation: Kent Gibson, working with the Vice Presidents, is
coordinating a review of all of our campus auxiliaries. The
Foundation will increase its emphasis on developing industrial
partnerships: incubators, consulting, and technology transfer. For
example, we recently joined both the Environmental and Software
Incubators as Board members and are negotiating with the new
International Business Incubator.
Athletics: Our entry into the new Western Athletic Conference (WAC) and the Athletic Divisions goals, as outlined in "Vision 2000" will provide us with a conference of institutional partners that complement our own academic and athletic goals. As I said earlier, the budget is stabilized. We are ready for our new conference. We have had several noteworthy achievements in athletics this year, including winning the Big West Men's Basketball Tournament, 2nd in the Nation in Woman's Golf, and a 35th National Championship for Judo. Several SJSU students were on Olympic teams in Atlanta. Our Homecoming Football game against San Diego this year will be broadcast regionally on ABC. We are looking forward to the new challenges before us and to additional examples of the synergy that results from a strong academic-athletic partnership.
Equal Opportunity: We have begun and will continue to focus increased energy in this important area and, where appropriate and beneficial, will continue to decentralize and institutionalize our efforts related to equal opportunity, affirmative action and employee practices. I will return to these issues shortly.
Beyond these specific initiatives, I want to use the resources of my office to focus the energies of the entire campus in a vital area--"student success". Student success has many components, some of which I have already mentioned briefly. The major components that comprise our ongoing efforts and planned efforts include:
- Aggressive and Targeted Recruitment and Retention
- Orientation for All New Students
- Study Breaks with Caret
- Dialogue with the President
- Focus on Retention/Graduation
- Student Resource Center
- Student Learning Center
- Emphasis on Broader Course Availability
- Emphasis on Student Life
- "The College Experience"
- Increase all "Information Resources"
- The Library
- Information Technologies
- State-Wide Access (i.e. the the Pac Bel Internet Access)
- Increased Modem Availability
- More "Power", "Tools," "Support," and "Training"
Many people and offices have worked together as a team to turn
some of our and goals into accomplishments this past year--and I
want to thank all of you for these contributions. Many of you have
singularly been spectacular in your efforts and it is impossible to
personally thank individually all who were and are involved in our
many success. Let me begin by thanking all of our faculty and staff
for pulling together, for helping and for making us successful. I
also want to point out for special thanks, the Senate, Stacey
Morgan Foster and Leon Washington and the Enrollment Enhancement
Task Force, Lee Dorosz and the Retention Committee, the Campus
Climate Advisory Committee, and the many individuals involved in
our successful accreditation visits and our ADA Survey and Plans. A
special thanks to our FD and O and Grounds people for their help
with the campus "look and feel."
Let me also use this opportunity to introduce several new
members of the administration and several individuals with
significant new responsibilities:
- Victor Castillo, Director of Facilities Management
- Alan Freeman, Director, Facilities Planning, Design and Construction
- Dan Johnson, Associate Vice President , Facilities Development and Operations
- Peter Lee, Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs
- Rose Lee, Associate Vice President for Financial and Administrative Program Planning
- Fred Najjar, Acting Associate Vice president for Student Affairs
- Lela Noble, Interim Dean, College of Social Sciences
- Mark Novak, Dean of Continuing Studies
- Veril Phillips, Executive Assistant to the Provost
- Gabe Reyes, Assistant to the President for Campus Climate
- Wiggsy Silvertsen, Director, counseling Services
- Jo Sprague, Acting Associate Vice President for Faculty Affairs
- Leon Washington, Acting Associate Vice President for Enrollment Services
- Donald Zitter, Chief Information Officer (CIO)
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Jim Schmidt
for serving both as the Director of the Library and the Interim
Chief Information Officer over the past year. His help has been
vital and is appreciated.
You may recall that last year, as a way to challenge all of us to demonstrate our university, SJSU team spirit, I put on an SJSU baseball cap and pin and offered inaugural pins to all on the campus. Since donning that cap and spirit for my role on the team, I have been busy. Aside from meeting and talking with literally hundreds of community people in formal and informal settings, I have taken the concept of Metropolitan University to the core of the Presidency:
- in San José
I have been asked by the Mayor to Co-Chair of City-Wide Review of the Arts; I sit on the Repertory Theater Board, the Opera Board, the Chamber of Commerce Board;, the Joint Venture Silicon Valley/Economic Development Team Board, and Co-Chair its Subcommittee on Workforce ("Brainworks")
- in the CSU
- I represent the Presidents on the Cornerstones Initiative (i.e., System-wide PEW effort), the Extended Education Initiative the Students in the Year 2005 Committee (i.e., enrollment planning), and have been asked by the Chancellor to chair the CSU-UC Committee on Joint Graduate Programs.
- National/State
- I sit on the MESA Board, am involved in developing the ACE Initiative with Mexico, and the AASCU Initiatives in International Education and Technology. Two new editions of my chemistry texts have just come out, and I am proud of that accomplishment, but I have to admit that I have not touched a test tube this entire past year.
- Liz and I are both out there representing SJSU and we know many of you are too. We need to all continue to help in strengthening our community linkages.
- Let me conclude today by turning to one of the most critical issues in contemporary American society.
In last year's address I reinforced this institution's commitment to equal opportunity and affirmative action. Quote:
On a more personal and controversial note, given the recent action by the University of California Board of Regents, I feel it important to make clear my personal view on affirmative action. As an institution, and as individuals, we may well be asked to go on record as to our stance regarding this important issue. I believe that affirmative action has been good for this country; it has been good for this institution, this region, this system and the state.
Our role is to provide the next generation of citizens-educated citizens who will continue to improve and build this society. We can only do that by continuing to provide the broadest access and empowerment of people we possibly can. Education is the bridge to the future for each individual as well as for our society. What we do works, and we will make the strongest case possible for the right to continue to do it. The way we have approached affirmative action is appropriate, morally defensible, and desirable.
I reaffirm that commitment this year, when affirmative action is under grave attack on a much larger scale. Robert Atwell, recently retired President of the American Council on Education, provided very thoughtful remarks in his last address to an ACE national meeting last January. Paraphrasing, he stated:
Higher education performs a powerful service to society in general--especially when we work to ensure the success of persons whose formal entering credentials may be seriously lacking, or whose preparation is inadequate to allow them to function in the marketplace...Remediation [as an example; and other support] often is [are] an essential component of affirmative action. It is justified--indeed required--by both a sense of responsibility to those whose potential exceeds their past performance and the enormous gains to society that come from reducing the potential of these individuals for dependency.
Today we have before us a new challenge-the "California Civil
Rights Initiative (CCRI). While the CCRI purports to be a step
towards providing a more equitable playing field for society, its
affects will most certainly be just the opposite. And it is up to
us to explain why. CCRI will not allow us to "help" those in
greatest need of help. CCRI will change our role in society. Let me
quote a letter that I have collaborated in drafting, which will be
signed by the majority-if not all-of the Presidents of the
California State University System:
"...the California Civil Rights Initiative (CCRI) is an unnecessary change that would hurt all Californians...It is imperative that quality education continue to be the centerpiece for a strong California economy and a vital and viable society. By voting no on CCRI, voters can help preserve the American ideals for all Californians."
We are evolving into and emerging as this valley's Metropolitan
University. Reinforcing what I said last year, this institution has
always been a major educational, economic, and social resource to
this region. As we develop our Metropolitan University role and
focus on this region and its needs, we will continue to serve as
that resource and, if we do our job right, we will continue to play
an expanded role in the development of the region in a way we can
all applaud and be proud of.
My inaugural address was titled "Dream No Small Dream." I chose
that title, as I stated, because I felt the institution needed a
big dream..."a dream that could stir one's souls...". Many of you
have confirmed that the institution is in need of a big dream.
Working together we can make our dream a reality.
I appreciate the help and support I've received over the past eighteen months, and ask for your continued dedication and support in the months ahead, stand ready to help in any way that I can, and wish you a wonderful academic year .
Thank you.
Robert Caret


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We Need More Outlets For Community Support/Collaboration/
Awhile back in The Huffington Post, Marshall Fine pointed to Comic Con as an example of what is wrong with the Studio Biz these days. I too miss the days when it seemed like there was business in creating work for mature audiences. I will be among the first in line for Innaritu's BUITIFUL for sure, and when I watched FAREWELL the other night, I longed to make a film of that weight, craft, and themes. Looking at what my immediate future holds as a producer in the USA, I don't think I will get much opportunity for such exploration anytime soon, at least not on a reasonable budget. Nonetheless, as opposed to Marshall, ComicCon does not represent for me what's wrong with the film biz, but quite the opposite. Although the communities are smaller , and the passion and fervor far less, the art house contingents should take note what ComicCon does. It is the only populist film event we have in this country.
I am incredibly energized by ComicCon and believe it is a model that can be extended to support work beyond the specific genre it currently supports. That is, if the audience and community for specific genres and subjects can unite the way ComicCon's has, we as filmmakers could truly start to collaborate with audiences the way the fan boy and geek crowd does with their filmmakers. Taking SUPER to ComicCon was one of the highlights of my twenty plus years in the business. I felt unbridled support for what we've made, and we only offered up a wee taste.
The following is a bit of an update to the reply that I posted to Marshall on the Huff:
I share your lament about Hollywood abandoning more serious fare, but it is what it is. Let's face it, movies for adults are difficult to execute and difficult to market; how can you blame the studios from abandoning them?
Audiences need to unite and demand what they want. They need to move from being audiences to creating communities. Film festivals and film societies need to move into year round programming that can support more ambitious work. We can't all wait until it goes on Netflix streaming. There is no community in streaming, only convenience. You know how great it is when people come together into a common space to discuss and appreciate work. The question is how can we offer that in a way that both sustains and nurtures creators and their appreciators alike.
We have to support the work we want, both as filmmakers and film lovers. You do it with your screening series, Marshal, as many others do too, but it is still not enough to generate more serious film work. The filmmakers to have to reach out and bring communities together. No one can afford to wait to have others do it for them.
I've generally made ambitious films for adults, precisely the type of movies you miss (and many that you have programmed and written about). But I am also incredibly excited to take my new film, James Gunn's SUPER to Comic Con. It is a chance to connect with a COMMUNITY who wants the film -- even before we have finished it. You don't get this opportunity in the art house world. By showing their demand for a no-holds-barred look at what a real-life superhero (vs. say... Kick-Ass) would look at, the so-called geek community has given birth to one of the most daring films I have had the good fortune to be part of.

subset: commoncrawl


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An agile IT architecture in three easy steps
- 22 February, 2012 02:21
Business agility isn't just a good idea, it's the new normal. And the role of IT is to enable agility. Business happens in real time these days, driven by global e-commerce, social media networks and consumer IT. Companies have to be agile to keep up with what's going on, and that requires developing IT architectures that allow them to respond quickly as situations change.
The challenge for IT groups is to figure out how to plug their companies into these e-commerce and social media networks -- and then keep them plugged in even as technology and business processes evolve at an accelerating and unpredictable rate. Contemplating this challenge is likely to give you a headache. The job seems impossible. Yet this is what IT pros get paid to do. So let's look at a model of agile IT architecture to guide us in this endeavor.
The pace of change is now faster outside of company data centers than it is inside. Companies need to connect their data centers with real-time networks composed of cloud computing and data storage platforms , SaaS applications, social networks and consumer IT devices. These technologies are all changing rapidly, and they set the pace. Companies need to integrate their slower-moving internal systems with those faster-moving external systems.
To continue reading, register here to become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.


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Sakar International has formally unveiled the distinctly Nikon-esque iM1836 – a modular camera system wearing Polaroid branding. There are no technical details about the sensor as yet, but the first model is said to be an Android-based, Wi-Fi-connected camera with Ricoh GXR-style interchangeable modules with the sensor built into the lens. Further adapter modules are promised to allow use of Pentax K, Nikon F and Micro Four Thirds lenses.
This Polaroid's Android camera differs from Samsung's; there is no 3G. You'll be relying on either Wi-Fi or your smartphone to access the Internet, and it comes ready to tether (via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth).
The iM1836 runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and comes with a 10-30mm zoom lens. It features a 3.5" touch screen on the back of the body to operate it. The camera will be an 18 megapixels and video up to 1080p. The camera also will be embedded with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
The iM1836 will cost $399, coming in the first quarter of 2013.
Related posts:


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The Apology
Season 31 Episode 16 | 1h 23m 1s
The Apology follows three former "comfort women" who were among the 200,000 girls and young women kidnapped and forced into military sexual slavery by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. Seventy years after their imprisonment, the survivors give their first-hand accounts of the truth for the record, seeking apology and the hope that this horrific chapter of history not be forgotten.
Aired: 10/22/18
Expired: 11/20/18Video has closed captioning.
Problems Playing Video?
Major funding for POV is provided by PBS, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Bertha Foundation, Marguerite Casey Foundation, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts, with special support from The Fledgling Fund.


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Fairfax County schools facing massive deficit | Education
Title (Max 100 Characters)
FALLS CHURCH Va. (WUSA9) -- Fairfax County Schools are among the top in the nation and the largest with 185,000 students and a $2.5 billion budget, but that could be in jeopardy.
The school system is facing a massive deficit that could result in furloughs or layoff to programs. A $150 million deficit could blow a hole right in that budget and either Fairfax County supervisors have to raise property tax rates or the school system is going to have to cut.
Those cuts would likely be felt in the classroom. Fairfax County Schools superintendent is facing a budget deficit so deep, she is considering furloughs and layoffs.
That worries the president of the Federation of Teachers.
"This is not a game, it's not a ploy."
Why is Fairfax County in such a hole? Federal stimulus money is gone and the Virginia retirement system payment, it got a break from paying, is now due.
"We have uncontrollable cost increases we're having to prepare for," said Karen Garza, FCPS Superintendent. " That is an increase to the vrs contribution, about $37 million. Our insurance program we had to bid is an increase of $25 million. We are expecting a reduction in state revenue around $21 million and every year we are growing."
The school board is looking at every which way to cut. Proposals include increasing class sizes, special programs could go, and cutting assistant principal positions.
The teacher's federation said the county needs to provide more money so the cuts don't happen.
"If we don't receive six percent transfer from our supervisors in addition to the two percent they promised, we are looking right now at $150 million in cuts."
Supervisor John Cook says every agency has to tighten his budget.
"The problem we have is, keeping the rate even, that's asking people to pay hundreds of dollars more and people aren't getting pay increases to pay that rate out of," Cook said.
Now both Superintendent Garza and the school board want to give teachers a pay raise to make those salaries competitive with nearby counties. In order to do that they would have to increase class sizes and what parent wants that?


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Interested in Language
I'm trying to learn how to do this by myself, but really struggling. Can someone put the following into a tree diagram for me, or give me help? They should be quite simple to someone that knows what they're doing.
1. A big hairy man with a small orifice.
2. Just over the edge of the cliff.
3. The sanguine professor of linguistics with a small fat cat.
4. Very hopeful of a good outcome.
5. The angry wife of the mayor with a wooden leg. (This last one has two possibilities).
I'd really, really appreciate it if someone could help me out with these. Thank you!
Can someone PLEASE help me with this? I'm desperate!


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Seven people have died in a crash on Interstate 10 near Phoenix after a semitrailer truck crossed the highway's median and struck a van head on.
Carrick Cook, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, says the victims were all inside the van when the crash happened Sunday about 60 miles west of Phoenix.
Cook says the driver of the semitrailer truck and his wife were taken to a hospital.
Cook says the vehicles caught fire after the force of the crash pushed them into a culvert.
At least seven people were in the van. The identities and hometowns of those who died in the crash weren't immediately released.
Cook says the van was registered to someone from western Arizona.


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Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Tefal Quick Cup & Eco Kettle
All tea drinkers must surely have lingered around the stove at some point, drumming their fingers and waiting for the water to boil. It just one of those things we have to deal with. Or do we?
According to the makers of the Tefal Quick Cup Kettle, your tea water can be ready in as little as three seconds. No, that's not a typo. That's three seconds - not minutes.
If quick isn't enough of a selling point for you, then keep in mind that the Quick Cup also filters your water and may save up to 65% in energy costs over a standard kettle. For more info, read this article in the Daily Mail or check out the Quick Cup Web site.
If eco-friendly kettles are up your alley, be sure to keep the Eco Kettle in mind. Like the Quick Cup, it's also made in the U.K. To see what Business Week had to say about the Eco Kettle, look here. The manufacturer's Web site is here.
shop for tea and coffee
save to del.icio.us
tea, green tea, food, food and drink, kettles
1 comment:
- janis said...
The Tefal Quick Cup is a great product, the only problem is, is finding cheap Tefal Quick Cup Replacement Filter Cartridges.
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Dogs and Puppies Central is an online resource about all breeds and types of dogs and puppies. We offer a wealth of information about dog breeds, puppy breeds, choosing a dog, small dog breeds, tiny teacup (tea cup) dog breeds and large (extra large giant) dog breeds.
Learn about adopting a dog, find local dog rescues and research common dog health problems. Want to learn how to make homemade dog treats and kibble? We've got you covered.
You'll also find suggestions for cool dog names, puppies for sale by reputable local dog breeders and dogs for adoption throughout North America.
Drop in daily for a break from the daily grind. Our photos of funny dogs, cute dogs and puppies and other dog pictures are sure to make you smile.
And don't forget our growing section featuring the most popular dog supplies with reviews. Buy online and save up to 40% off retail prices on all of your dog or puppy's needs.
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Everything we offer comes with Amazon.com's iron-clad guarantee and return policy, with fast and convenient to-your-door delivery within days! You'll save time, money and mileage on your feet or car by shopping online for your dog supplies right here.
Our complete dog and puppy names guide offers male, female, girl and boy dog names, dog names by breed and more. Our popular, cool, cute, unusual and unique dog (puppy) names are something that you won't find anywhere else. By popular demand, we have also included German Shepherd dog names, famous dog names, Native American dog names, Disney dog names and more.


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As the title says, here is the place to state how and why your Rally is better, faster or tougher than the other wimpy colors. This is obviously all meant for fun, so please no mean, cruel or hurtful comments.
I'll begin - Everyone knows ORANGE/BLACK is the best. From the superior looks to the hand-selected motors and ESC's, it is apparent orange/black received the top pick from the parts bins.
+1 Orange/Black They are the bees knees.
Orange is for follower's, I'm getting green and all the Orange guy's will be following. Get it? Ha Ha. Breside's the green color give's it more "get up and go!" HEEHEE, I'm full of it tonight.
*Proud Husband of United state's Air Force wife.*
Orange/Black cos they're the same colour as a tiger.
If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.
Totally Orange'n Black!!
The pics say it all!!
Weak Revenge
Strong Forgive
Intelligent Ignore
Blue is the fastest because that is the color of the sky and that means the blue Rally flies through the air with the greatest of ease!
Funny guy!!!
Orange and black!!!!
Pede 4x4 PE - Slash 4x4 PE
Miss Geico Boat
I just got back from running my "Orange/Black" (O/B) for the first time outdoors. A mix of paved driveway, gravel roadside and mowed lawn. Wow, the O/B just flies over this stuff and I was imagining it passing the other weird-colored Rallies like they weren't even there. Hmm... And then reality sank in, literally ... I had forgotten about Sammy the Jack Russell Terrier. He is a smart, fast and relentless 20 lb. terror and before I knew it he had made a nice indent in the right front fender. And he did so while running at probably 20 mph. Pavmentsurfer and ksb have both seen Sammy in action so they know how crazy he can be.
O/B is still the fastest; just the operator was not quick enough to avoid pending 4-legged doom.
Great car Traxxas!!!!
Last edited by Jakey; 10-25-2012 at 03:07 PM.
My favotire color is the red one. I know what you guys are thinking, "wait, they make a red one?" LOL!
Is owning 27 RC's too many? No way!
The orange/black ones are certainly the slowest. All the "I'm a racer so I wear orange" ordered so many the factory just threw them together hastily. Now the blue/white ones are darn fast. From what I was told THEY were the ones Traxxas spent the most time outfitting with the best parts because they knew, once all the fancy blue upgrades were added to the already blue motor/esc/servo the blue white color schemes would best represent the quality and style of the rally.
The other couloirs and their mismatched bits and pieces are not a high performance priority. However, given that we've seen red upgrades out there, I'm concerned the red/white may be close to the blue/white in handling only, not top speed, certainly not.
Finally we have green/black. This is another low priority color only created for all the "I love monster energy" guys with scratch marks tattooed on their forearms.
At the end of the day we have to examine and accept the facts. Blue and white is best, red/ white is an unfortunate close second and the others are just for those in need of a visual ego boost. Nothing more nothing less.
In the famouse words of Marshal Erickson... LAWYERED!!!
This has gone a step too far already!
If at first you don't succeed, redefine success.
Im going to put a Proline Focus ST on it and paint it Pink. Thereby winning the speed and looks race lol.
I think O/B stands old/boring... Heheh
B/W stands for blinding/wild
All the rest of this is just semantics... We all know the truth in our hearts. I sleep we'll at night.
On a mildly different note, what's different about the summit/rally crews? We're the only ones who have these light hearted debates. This type of thing never happens with rustlers or stampedes or the slash... Even ERBE guys don't joke about who's color is the best. I wonder what makes US so great.
Very first post defines O/B. Geez do I need spell it out every time?
All in fun.
So no one has ordered red? LOL or green? LOL
I was on the fence, originally orange, then there was pressure for blue. Next thing I see is a premium price being charged on Ebay for blue and out of stock at Stormer for blue. That had me wanting orange so I did not have to wait!
I was convinced orange was faster, then I heard blue handled better...........hmm that would make it faster LOL
So I ordered........................................... .................................................. ..................................CLEAR and I'll have to paint it myself a custom mixed ultra fast color.............maybe that new Tangerine Scream by Ford?
Or to be safe I could get the blue one and put on YOLOer's orange wheels he is selling to be safe and guarantee speed and handling LOL
Oh no, you guys aren't gonna put no 'color mojo' on me!
Well thanks to Andy at Superior Hobbies mine is on the way.......................let the fun begin____________Again
Jakey...........mine will be sPc Fast!
Pede 4x4 PE - Slash 4x4 PE
Miss Geico Boat
Very true. That is how Traxxas markets most of their rc cars. Duurable, fast, strong, great bashers! P.S The red Rally is still my favorite... I think it's sad how I'm the only one that likes red the most...I think that most of the people that buy these cars are just to have fun with them and no serious stuff.
Is owning 27 RC's too many? No way!
The orange/black traffic cones make it easy for the green/black fast cars to spot where those rolling hazards are on the track lol
Everyone talks about passing other cars, spotting hazards to avoid...
....IF you owned an ORANGE/BLACK Rally, you would never pass anyone.....because you always be in the lead!!!!
black and green bottom line lol
inside info so far the paint company has released all the slower colors. so im waiting for them to mix the yellow just right so i will have the fastest one.
slash revo vxl x4 rally x2 ped 2wd slash vxl rus
I'm color blind so I think I have the green, wait no red or maybe blue. Well I guess it could be orange. Either way mine is faster than all your's. Cause all I see is grey and black!
*Proud Husband of United state's Air Force wife.*
LOL! I love this thread! Red is still te best! R.E.D= Really extreme driver!....IF you owned an ORANGE/BLACK Rally, you would never pass anyone.....because you always be in the lead!!!!
O.R.A.N.G.E........Omg.Rage.Against.Narcissistic.G affe.Enthusiasts.
Is owning 27 RC's too many? No way!
O.R.A.N.G.E / B.L.U.E. = Overtaking Red And Neon Green (while) Every Blue Lacks Uber Excitement
Sounds corny. Oh well all my brain isnt cooking this morning. haha
Last edited by DiggerPede; 10-26-2012 at 08:55 AM.
Weak Revenge
Strong Forgive
Intelligent Ignore
BLUE - Bring Long Underwear Everybody... cause im going to pass you so fast itll scare your pants off and we cant have you standing there in your skivvies.
Orange Caution Pilons (need to be orange so you can see them as you fly by)
Green for keep going (youll get there someday)
Red Means stop (theres just no point in trying anymore)
Blue means move over cause im about to pass you...
Honestly though, if traxxas made a white/grey or white/black... id buy that in a second. KSB's pic of the tiger... colors like that would be AMAZING. I love white/black... maybe ill paint my Focus body in those colors... with a bit of blue to ensure maximum performance.
B.L.U.E. Biggest Losing Underachiever Ever !!!! Muuaaaahhhhhaaaahhhhhaaaaa
R.E.D. Rolling Entirely Dead
G.R.E.E.N. Giving Red Empty Energy Nudge
All in good humor! Just take it Orange is the Fastest Caution cone you will ever see.
Weak Revenge
Strong Forgive
Intelligent Ignore
Green means GO !
My Vote:
Orange and Black is clearly the best because the Oregon State beavers are clearly the best! Ranked #7 they should be passing those duckies here before the seasons over.
Last edited by Dadx2mj; 10-27-2012 at 09:52 AM. Reason: Language
In all fun its not what's on the outside its what's hidden under the hood. Also what will get you to the finish line w/o burning up the powerplant. LOL
Weak Revenge
Strong Forgive
Intelligent Ignore


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MUA – Lisa Naeraert
Jami Deadly5
MUA – Lisa Naeraert
Model – Jami Deadly
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text: Outdoor Outdoor marketplace Hunting Market Looks Strong For 2013 J.K. Autry T he attendance and business conducted at the Dallas Safari Club (DSC) annual convention and expo in January is a good indicator that the hunting industry is in for another strong year. The show set an attendance record, and many safari operators sold out hunting trips through the next two years. The January convention is traditionally seen as a barometer of the industry's economic climate. "If there was concern about a fiscal cliff, it had clearly subsided by the time our convention and expo opened," said Ben Carter, DSC executive director. "Our preliminary counts show a new record of 44,000 attendees, which is up about 4,000 people over last year. Many came through the doors ready to book a hunt, buy art, or purchase outdoor clothing or gear. The mood in the expo hall was very upbeat and positive." Big-ticket items moved well, according to vendors; one outfitter sold 10 elephant hunts. Smaller items also sold well, as one purveyor of leather hunting gear reported one of his best weekends ever. The convention's success offers a good indicator of the attitude of the consumer market toward merchandise aside from personal-defense firearms and related products. "We're proud that our convention and expo is a place where families can enjoy time together, hunters can find what they want and need, exhibitors can succeed and businesses can thrive — and it all works together to support the mission and work of Dallas Safari Club," Carter said. "We can never say thank you enough to our supporters, attendees and volunteers." The event serves as DSC's primary fundraiser. Exhibit fees and gate admission are combined with proceeds from auctions and raffles, new memberships and logo apparel sales. When the final numbers are in, Carter expects to net a record sum to support DSC's conservation, education and hunter advocacy programs in 2013. Grants for initiatives worldwide will be awarded later this year. Sponsors for the 2013 DSC convention and expo included Blaser, Boyt Harness, Capital Farm Credit, EuroOptics, The Hunting Consortium, MidwayUSA, Orion, RBC Wealth Management, Rock Island Auction Co., Ruger, Rungwa Game Safaris, Sovereign Bank, Sports Afield, Trijicon, The Wildlife Gallery, Yamaha and Zeiss. For more information on the Dallas Safari Club's annual convention and expo, visit www.biggame.org. LaserLyte Target Offers Realistic Training L aserLyte has developed a new interactive target system called the Reaction Tyme Target, which features dual modes for reaction and training. This laser training system features two targets, offering more realistic training scenarios to consumers. Each target works independently, providing the user with a variety of scenarios, such as near-to-far and left-to-right shooting. The interactive system works in two modes: reaction and training. The reaction mode features random LED signals in intervals of three to seven seconds that can be shot with any of the LaserLyte Trainers. The training mode allows the user to practice trigger control and accuracy with an always-on and ready-to-be-shot mode. When a hit is made, the target sounds two beeps and the LED flashes. For more information on the new LaserLyte Reaction Tyme Target, visit www.laserlyte.com. Ruger Introduces LCR In .22 Magnum T he popular Ruger LCR is now available in .22 Magnum. The revolver features a variety of technological advances, including a monolithic frame made from aerospace-grade aluminum. Additionally, the Ruger LCR includes the patented Ruger friction-reducing cam, which allows for a non-stacking trigger pull. The patent-pending polymer fire control housing reduces weight and helps reduce recoil. Weighing just 16.6 ounces and measuring 6 1/2 inches long, the new .22 Magnum is a versatile addition to the popular Ruger LCR line. For more information, visit www.ruger.com. Continued on page 24 Ruger LCR .22 Magnum 22 MARCH 2013 Subscribe to SI DIGITAL www.shootingindustry.com


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Lac du Bonnet Bridge Club
October 11 @ 1:00 pm - 3:30 pm
| Free
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 1:00pm on Friday, repeating indefinitely
Do you enjoy playing bridge or would you like to learn the game? The public is welcome to attend Friday afternoon bridge held at the Lac du Bonnet Branch 164 in the lounge. Group meets every Friday for friendly competition. Beginners welcome and we will teach you. Add another enjoyable pastime to you list of activities.


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We are officially 12 weeks away from Christmas Eve. This week, your Tuesday News Day is all about making the holiday season affordable and stress-free. Learn why it's so important to book holiday airfare right now and where to buy designer accessories at a deep discount.
Get secondhand designer goods at a discount you can trust.
Got champagne taste on a beer budget? New site LXR & Co. may be for you. The site resells vintage design accessories like a Chanel purse or a Hermes watch for up to 80% off their MSRP. It's different from many resale sites in that they personally buy all of the items. That means no third-party sellers, which enables them to promise 100% authenticity—an important guarantee in a world rampant with knock-offs.
Source: Forbes
Holiday travelers should book their flights now. Hurry up and book holiday travel now before prices skyrocket. New data analysis from Kayak shows that holiday airfare jumps in mid-October: 17% for Thanksgiving, 51% for Christmas and 25% for New Year's Eve. Choose your travel days wisely. Last year, people traveling the weekend before Christmas paid some of the highest fares.
Source: USA Today
Home Depot wants to help hire your next contractor.
Ever left the aisles of Home Depot with an ambitious DIY project? Fortunately, Home Depot is expanding Redbeacon, a free online service that connects consumers with small-project professionals. Redbeacon does background checks, collects reviews, gathers bids and helps schedule the service. It also has a price-estimating tool, which will ask you a series of questions about a particular project and give a realistic estimate.
Source: Businessweek
Which gaming system will reign supreme this holiday season?
New video game systems are always a holiday hot ticket and sure to fly off shelves on Black Friday. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll says U.S. shoppers are leaning first towards the PlayStation 4, then Microsoft's Xbox One. Both systems will be available in November. Perhaps one of Playstation's biggest perks is it is priced at $400, or $100 less than the Xbox.
Source: PCMag
Twitter alerts will keep us informed about disasters.
Twitter has launched an emergency alert feature, which will keep the public informed during emergencies and natural disasters. Alerts will come from government agencies and NGOs like the Red Cross, Center for Disease Control and Homeland Security. Alerts will be sent as push notifications, but only to users who sign up to receive them.
Source: Venture Beat


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Free shipping over € 99
Free shipping over € 99
The grater Parmenide designed by Alejandro Ruiz brings two aspects of the traditional household scene together: the cheese grater and the serving bowl. Parmenide also becomes an attractive piece of tableware once the cheese has been grated. Parmenide is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The Alessi Research Centre (CSA) was set up in 1990 for two purposes: to draw up theoretical papers on topics associated with objects (to be published as books), and to coordinate work with young designers. Up until that time Alessi had only worked with "major designers", and I felt a certain degree of responsibility towards young, upcoming designers. Alberto Alessi
Born in Bahia Blanca in 1954. Designer, interior designer and interior decorator. He collaborated with Alchimia studio and with Gregotti Associati. He was teacher at the European Design Institute and at Domus Academy. He works for Alacta, Perani, Mimo, Red-Zanussi.


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Leading up to graduation last year, and in the summer before his freshman year, Denny Shiram's parents spent a lot of time warning him about the dangers of alcohol. Part of what they learned came from attending "The Perils of College Drinking Culture," a program hosted by the Unified Prevention Coalition of Fairfax County.
The program features a panel discussion from medical, law enforcement and legal professionals, as well as other anti-underage drinking advocates. It also contains the showing of "HAZE," a film that documents college drinking, including the death of 18-year-old Gordie Bailey as a college freshman.
"My parents told me about this movie last year, and I thought they sort of played up the things they saw in this movie to scare me before freshman year," said Shiram, a freshman at Northern Virginia Community College. "But last semester, I saw a lot of things straight out of this movie. People that didn't even seem interested in having fun, just putting as much alcohol in their body as fast as humanly possible. And that's how you end up like Gordie."
BAILEY DIED IN SEPT. 2004, the fall of his freshman year, after drinking as part of a fraternity initiation ritual at the University of Colorado. His family founded the Gordie Foundation, which creates awareness of alcohol abuse and hazing.
Jeff Levy, commissioner of the Fairfax County Oversight Committee on Drinking and Driving, who lost his son in a drunk driving accident, served on the panel during the program.
"The problem with alcohol is that the second drink tastes better than the first, and the third tastes better than the second," he said. "My son was one of five college students that died in drinking-related accidents one weekend in 1997."
Dr. William Hauda, another panel member and an emergency physician at INOVA Faifax Hospital said that the almost 2,000 deaths of college students per year in alcohol related incidents is only scratching the surface of what is happening.
"Those 1,800, 1,900 deaths are just the tip of the iceberg, when it comes to the number of sexual assaults, physical assaults and other damages," he said. "Anecdotally, almost all sexual assaults have alcohol as a factor, whether in the victim, the perpetrator or both."
While audience members said they found the panelists educational, what really hit home was the film, especially the young man who died of alcohol poisoning.
In addition to Bailey's story, the film chronicles legal and medical personnel dealing with the consequences of alcohol abuse, as well as shows video clips from clearly intoxicated students doing things like drinking into unconsciousness and diving down stairs.
"What terrifies me is that the things we saw here are just a few small examples that happened to be caught on videotape and put into the film," said Jennifer Sauers of McLean. "These are things I wouldn't expect from anyone over the age of three, yet here are supposedly 'educated' young men doing these crazy things under the influence of alcohol. Every single one of them could have ended up like Gordie in the movie."
While the movie is intended to show a big picture view of the damage caused by alcohol abuse, for many in attendance, it was Bailey's story that will stick with them.
"I got chills when they showed the pictures of Gordie's body on the floor while the audio of the 911 call was playing," said Paul Miller of McLean. "My eyes started tearing up, and then when they show that last shot of his face all blue as he lay there, I lost it. It's a tragedy that every year, there are 1,800 families that go through the same thing Gordie's family did."
THE PROGRAM'S SPEAKERS examined the consequences of alcohol abuse, especially for underage drinkers, from a variety of different angles.
McLean High School PTSA President Loretta D'Ermes says underage drinking is a real issue in the McLean High community, citing the annual Fairfax County Youth Survey, which among other things, collects anonymous student responses about their experience with drugs and alcohol.
"Our latest youth survey data for McLean High School, 26 percent of our seniors admitted to participating in binge drinking, which is defined as five or more drinks in a row, in the past 30 days. That's significant, but there's also good news in that 74 percent of our seniors aren't drinking."
The full data from the Fairfax County Youth Survey for McLean High School will be presented later this spring by the McLean High School PSTA.


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Like a lot of gamers out there I'm about to start playing Batman Arkham City. I pre-ordered mine from GameStop because, even though I am not typically a pre-order kind of guy I knew for sure I was going to buy it and love it so I figured I might as well get the freebie. GameStop's came with the Joker's Carnival Challenge Map and I like Joker better than Robin (Best Buy's pre-order came with 2 Robin challenge maps).
But I'm not here to discuss pre-ordering. And don't get me started about that BS unlockable Catwoman content that you have to buy the new game to get the one-time use code for. Like I mentioned to Fallguy I am more tolerant of that one-time pass crap for the online play on sports games that get some tiny incremental update each year (especially since I pretty much never buy those), but locking legitimate 1-player campaign content that is apparently a fairly integral part of a story-based game? C'mon guys. Oops - I started getting started after all.
No I just wanted to share with you the challenge map that you could have expected had you pre-ordered Arkham City from Bed Bath and Beyond. Shamelessly pilfered below from the fine gents at Dorkly - the Alfred Challenge Maps:
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Alfred Challenge Maps
Like a lot of gamers out there I'm about to start playing Batman Arkham City. I pre-ordered mine from GameStop because, even though I am not typically a pre-order kind of guy I knew for sure I was going to buy it and love it so I figured I might as well get the freebie. GameStop's came with the Joker's Carnival Challenge Map and I like Joker better than Robin (Best Buy's pre-order came with 2 Robin challenge maps).
Posted by MadPlanet at 4:22 PM 3 comments Links to this post
Labels: Batman Arkham City
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Arcades and the Ladies
If there's one thing my old arcade flyers have reminded me of it's how much chicks dig arcade guys. Especially back in the 70's and 80's. Back in those days when a guy walked into an arcade he could fully expect to see at least one hot arcade groupie - or as they preferred to be called - "arcade escorts" standing at each cabinet just waiting for him to come and play with them. It was a simpler time. It was a sexier time. It truly was the golden age of video games. Of course that was before Congress passed the Arcade Fairness Act (AFA) of 1990 that allowed women to actually play the games themselves rather than only participating in the supporting role of escort. It was the just move to be sure, but still I am saddened that by the time Street Fighter II hit the scene you rarely spotted even a single escort in the arcades anymore. The proud tradition of the arcade escort rapidly faded into history and now few people recall them or their seductive cosplay at all. I salute you arcade escort.
Posted by MadPlanet at 9:59 PM 6 comments Links to this post
Labels: Arcade
Sunday, October 9, 2011
New PS3 Commercial - Michael
Shortly after my last post about a video game commercial that annoyed me I saw the new PS3 TV spot below that I quite liked so I figured I'd do another quickie video post on here to share it. It features characters from some of my favorite PS3 titles like God of War III, Uncharted (3), Resistance, Infamous, Metal Gear Solid 4 and more. Reminded me of the old Dreamcast commercials that pulled a bunch its games' characters together except those were typically humorous and this one has a more dramatic flavor. Check it out.
Posted by MadPlanet at 5:11 PM 3 comments Links to this post
Labels: commercial, PS3, Video
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Uncharted 3 Commercial for Subway
In case you haven't seen it yet there is a new commercial for Subway Sandwiches starring Nathan Drake of the PS3 Uncharted franchise. Uncharted 2 is pretty much my favorite game on the PS3 but rather than react with a "hey check it out a mainstream commercial with Nathan Drake in it!" my gut reaction was more a disappointed "what the hell? Oh c'mon.". I realize everything is a cash grab to the big game companies, but somehow seeing the hero of my favorite game on the PS3 reduced to hawking 5 dollar foot longs left me feeling like a Subway sandwich maker had just stuck his big fat ungloved thumb right in my meatball sandwich before handing it to me.
I guess the bit of what I assume was entirely new animation when Drake was talking to the camera wasn't too bad, but I winced when I saw him running through the same scenes I'd already seen several times on trailers except this time carrying a CGI'd Subway cup and sandwich.
I'm pretty sure that if, many years from now when the PS3 is considered retro, I go back and watch this video again it will bring a smile to my face. But for now while it's fresh it just left me with a slight case of indigestion.
Posted by MadPlanet at 1:46 AM 2 comments Links to this post
Labels: commercial, PS3, Uncharted
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
What the Hell is Up With This Arcade Flyer?
Arcade flyers used to have some nice looking babes on them hawking their electronic wares so when I saw an arcade game called Sexual Trivia I figured it would be pretty steamy. I was quite wrong. For some reason the Kinky Kit and Game Company of Hollywood, Florida decided to go a different route with the spokeswoman in this case apparently being a child sporting a Strawberry Shortcake outfit and blue shoes.
"Sexual Trivia - It's statutorific!" WTF? I mean how old are those girls? Like 12? Of course I've seen the studies from U.C. Berkeley that demonstrated that approximately 60% of the population of Hollywood California are pedophiles so that's old news, but et tu Hollywood Florida? A quick scan of the comics in the local newspaper from the sick fucks at Hollywood, Florida confirms my fears.
And there were dozens more like it. So beware - avoid Hollywood Florida at all costs. Go to Orlando instead. Yes, Orlando is brimming with pedophiles as well, but they have some pretty cool theme parks you can check out. Just keep an eye on your kids.
Posted by MadPlanet at 1:27 PM 6 comments Links to this post
Labels: Flyers


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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
After Reconstruction, America experienced an "era of incorporation" with mass social movements, tremendous economic change, and national consolidation. Settlers migrated West and encountered landscapes of spectacular beauty, but faced daunting challenges in farming the arid land. Bitter conflicts also arose with Native Americans and Mexicans, who had occupied the land for centuries, over land ownership. After years of hardship, citizens became disgruntled with Republican policies and many turned to the Populist Party, whose ideas anticipated the development of the twentieth-century state.
The decades after Reconstruction brought bitter conflicts over land, resources, and labor—some of the most dramatic of which happened in the West. More
Landscapes in the arid West challenged newcomers' assumptions about an endless, bountiful frontier. More
The unintended consequence of Reconstruction policies was a call for a fairer and more humane economy, foreshadowing twentieth-century government reforms. More
© Annenberg Foundation 2017. All rights reserved. Legal Policy


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Home phone service in Fort Ashby, WV is available from many different providers, and to find the best service, consumers need to compare offers from several providers. When searching for a suitable service, three important considerations are reliability, pricing and features. Wirefly is the best place to compare residential phone service providers in Fort Ashby, WV. A high-quality residential phone service should be affordable, but it should also be packed with many great features. Reliability is one of the most important considerations because a service that isn't reliable is almost useless. The best services come with no restrictions and deliver excellent call quality. For the best experience with a VoIP service, consumers need to have a high-speed Internet connection. View Fort Ashby, WV home phone service carriers below:
|Plan Details
|Monthly Rate*
| Home Phone Service
* $15.00/mo. or $6.21/mo. with 2 year contract
$6.21 *
| Details
45 Reviews
| VoIP Phone Service
* $8.32/mo. with 12-month agreement
$8.32 *
| Details
81 Reviews
| Home Phone Service
* $6.25/mo. 1-year prepay equals $75.00/year
$6.25 *
| Details
53 Reviews
| Home Phone Service
* $8.33 is monthly average with 1-year prepay
$8.33 *
| Details
122 Reviews
Voice Over Internet Protocol transmits phone calls over high-speed Internet connections. People can use traditional analog telephones, computers or special IP phones to communicate. This service enables customers to utilize the same phone number and account at any location with Internet access. It can cut costs for someone who owns a business or two homes. However, slow or heavily shared connections may not provide enough bandwidth for VoIP. Wirefly offers a handy speed test that can automatically evaluate any connection. This phone service also fails whenever an Internet outage occurs.
Cellular and landline companies usually assign random telephone numbers to customers. There normally isn't any opportunity to customize a new number. On the other hand, people with VoIP often have the ability to select a desired area code. It doesn't have to be the standard area code for Fort Ashby, WV. This advantage doesn't really matter to some customers, but it can potentially benefit people with home businesses. The selected area code will affect the amounts that some callers pay to contact a business.
Most VoIP providers include a wide range of valuable features. Examples include caller identification, blocking, three-way communication, forwarding and unlimited domestic calls. Some companies offer customer support at all hours. Sound quality usually surpasses that of a cell phone but doesn't match traditional landline service. Customers can pay surprisingly low fees for VoIP if they look for inexpensive providers. Certain companies charge monthly rates of less than $7. When comparing costs, keep in mind that this amount doesn't cover the expense of a high-speed Internet connection.
A DSL phone service shares many similarities to a traditional phone service, as it uses the standard copper phone lines. The difference is that it also includes DSL Internet access through a modem that is usually supplied by the service provider, though consumers who already own a compatible DSL model may sometimes use their own. The service is essentially a bundle that combines telephone service and Internet access from the same provider.
The price of a DSL phone service will vary depending on the specific plan chosen by the subscriber. It is possible to find prices as low as $19.95 per month with a multi-year service contract. However, those who want a very fast Internet connection with no monthly data transfer limits will have to pay more. While there are providers offering DSL home phone service without lengthy contracts, their monthly plans are a bit more expensive and they may require that new customers pay an installation fee.
Some consumers like having their phone and Internet services from the same company. Unlike older dial-up Internet services that have largely fallen into disuse in urban areas, DSL technology allows people to use the Internet and talk on the phone at the same time.
When choosing a DSL phone service provider, it's important to do some research on how reliable the various service providers are. In a city like Fort Ashby, WV, the cabling infrastructure is generally well maintained, making it unlikely for users to experience any serious service quality issues or interruptions. However, a provider's network may get overloaded at times of peak usage, such as during holidays. This could cause a slowdown in Internet connection speed and even make the service unusable for a couple of minutes.
Traditional home phone services are also known as landline services. They have been in the market for a very long time. A device that connects to a jack in the user's home and underground wires facilitate landline connections in Fort Ashby, WV. Traditional home phone services have been the most popular home service in the region. However, advancement in technology means that more people are moving towards wireless telephone connections and other options.
Traditional landline services have managed to stay in the market because they provide a stable connection and have high clarity. However, landline services have two major setbacks. They are immobile. Consumers can only use their landline service at one place. They cannot move it to their workplaces or the store. Traditional phone services are not cost-effective as other forms of residential home services. On average, landline services may cost approximately $49.99 per month.
Among the many options for home phone service in Fort Ashby, WV, wireless service is perhaps the most popular one. The mobility of this option is the reason why it is so popular. Wireless services can be either billed or prepaid depending on the carrier and the plan chosen. There is certainly no shortage of wireless phone service providers in Fort Ashby, WV, so it is important that you consider the pricing and features each offers. You should also do your research regarding each provider's network reliability so you do not find yourself dealing with dropped calls and insufficient network coverage. Among the many features that are often include in wireless phone plans are caller ID and voicemail, as well as the ability to use your phone as a mobile hotspot for times when you need internet service on the go. You can compare cell phone plans in Fort Ashby, WV using Wirefly.
By far, the most popular reason consumers choose wireless phone services is the mobility it provides. Whether you are running errands or traveling across the country, you are able to make calls easily with wireless service. The higher prices associated with wireless phone services can sometimes be prohibitive, however. While the average monthly cost of a wireless phone plan with unlimited minutes is around $50, choosing additional features can significantly increase the monthly cost. Another disadvantage is that reliability can be an issue at times, and signals may not be available in certain areas.
Wirefly offers great deals on a large selection of smartphones, cell phones, tablets, mobile hotspots, and other wireless devices for the nation's most popular carriers. Use Wirefly's innovative cell phone and plan comparison tools to ensure you are getting the best deal on the market. Shop with confidence knowing that Wirefly wants to help you find the best prices on cell phones, cell phone plans, TV, and Internet service.


text:
Late Thursday night, two hours after it sent out President Barack Obama's Friday schedule, the White House told reporters it was adding another event – a statement that he would give in the morning. Amid all the hoopla of the G-20 economic summit in Pittsburgh, there was scant indication the announcement would be dramatic.
But behind the scenes, the Obama administration was furiously preparing for a major public intelligence disclosure that it had not planned to make: that the U.S. had known for years about a previously undisclosed clandestine nuclear enrichment facility Iran has been building since 2005 in a mountain near Qom.
Interviews with administration and international officials, diplomats, non-proliferation and Iran experts suggest the administration had no plans to announce its suspicions before beginning international talks with Iran next week. But its hand was forced after learning some time during the week of a letter Iran had sent the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency in Vienna acknowledging construction of a previously undisclosed facility.
POLITICO has learned that the International Atomic Energy Agency did not notify the United States or other member states of the receipt of the Iranian letter or its contents. Only on Friday morning, a few hours before Obama's announcement, and only then in a press statement that was prompted by news reports, did the IAEA acknowledge receiving the notification from Iran.
"Generally, communications from member states are supposed to be confidential," one official in Vienna close to the atomic agency told POLITICO on condition of anonymity. " I think in terms of notification, we generally don't release member states' communications unless the member state asks us to. A fundamental tenet of the agency and its members is that they have to be able to trust us."
Indeed, one international official who asked for anonymity said that to this person's knowledge, it was an Associated Press reporter in Vienna, George Jahn, who having learned of the Iranian letter, may have first tipped off western officials to its existence. Jahn broke the story of the letter by 5:55 a.m. EST Friday, but his reporting on it earlier earlier in the week may have been what eventually alerted U.S. officials to Iran's communication with the IAEA.
An administration official declined to tell POLITICO how the U.S. had learned of the letter.
Shortly after the A.P. story broke, the IAEA sent out a press statement confirming that it had received a letter from Iran. "I can confirm that on 21 September Iran informed the IAEA in a letter that a new pilot fuel enrichment plant is under construction in the country," an IAEA spokesman said in a statement.
The IAEA statement indicated it was made in response to numerous calls following first the A.P. story, and shortly thereafter stories from Reuters, and the New York Times, which was apparently told about the U.S. intelligence by the White House on Thursday night, under an embargo lifted shortly before Obama's statement.
At 8:30 am, Obama made the announcement, flanked by Britain's Gordon Brown and France's Nicolas Sarkozy in a show of international unity. But the haste with which the event was pulled together was perhaps underscored by who was not with them in Pittsburgh.
Many of the key officials who work most closely on the Iran nuclear issue were still in New York, meeting with their foreign counterparts in town for the annual swirl of meetings that occur on the sidelines during the opening of the U.N. General Assembly. Not in Pittsburgh, for instance, were Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and Verification Ellen Tauscher or Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns, the U.S. government point person to the international talks with Iran that begin next week in Geneva.
As Obama spoke, the administration sent out background guidance to Congress and the press with more information on the Qom facility.
"We learned earlier this week that Iran has sent the IAEA a letter indicating that it is constructing an enrichment facility but providing no detailed information that would enable the IAEA to monitor the site," that White House-provided guidance said.
The guidance neither indicated when precisely in the past week, nor how, the administration had learned of the Iranian letter. It said that the U.S., Britain and France had briefed the IAEA in Vienna on Wednesday on what it knew of the Qom program.
"Iran's letter was the trigger" for Obama's announcement, a U.S. official told POLITICO on condition of anonymity. "The [Iranian] letter sent to the IAEA, how we learned about it, that I don't know," he continued. "It's possible," he added, "that it was via the media."
Why would the White House have preferred not to publicly disclose its Qom evidence, seemingly something of a smoking gun for the case that Iran hasn't been transparent about even its current nuclear activities? Why was it only prompted to make the announcement after it learned of Iran's letter to the IAEA?
"Because the Iranians are trying to get in front and create an argument that they didn't do anything wrong," the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's George Perkovich told POLITICO. "So to try to block that, Obama had to get [it] out. We would have been better off not announcing and keeping it as leverage and a way to see if the Iranians kept their word in a future deal."


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With the advancement of technology, electronic bullying has become a problem that's on the rise among today's teens. The Cyberbullying Research Center defines cyberbullying as "willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices." Whether you've been a victim of cyberbullying, know someone who has been cyberbullied, or have even cyberbullied yourself, it's important that you take steps to stop this kind of cruelty.
Methods of Cyberbullying
The Stop Bullying Now campaign breaks cyberbullying activity down as follows:
Children and teens can cyberbully each other through:
How to Deter Cyberbullying
Awareness and education are the keys to the prevention of cyberbullying. Keep the following in mind to help put a stop to cyberbullying.
When to Inform the Police
The police will probably not become involved if the bullying is restricted to a few isolated, nonthreatening incidents. However, threats of violence or repeated and excessive harassment should be reported to the police. Keep in mind that the urging of someone to commit suicide is a death threat and should be reported to the police. Be sure to save all messages and postings from the bully as evidence.
For more information about cyberbullying, check out stopcyberbullying.org and cyberbullying.org.
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text:
City of Lincoln
Mayor's Office
Mayor's Office
City officials say "O" Street between 9th and 10th streets will remain closed through at least tomorrow evening. The street was closed Sunday morning because of the major fire on that block. Both 9th and 10th streets remain open, but motorists are asked to avoid the area, especially during morning and afternoon rush hours, to reduce traffic delays.
Lincoln Fire and Rescue crews were at the scene mid-afternoon today to extinguish hot spots, and officials have concerns about the stability of the building.


text: All Tech Considered Electric Car Review Dust-Up May Put Brakes On Tesla Profits February 12, 2013 After The New York Times published a scathing review of Tesla's Model S electric car, the automaker's CEO took to Twitter to slam the reporter. Disputed facts aside, the timing of the spat could hurt Tesla, which is under pressure to improve its financial performance. Electric Car Review Dust-Up May Put Brakes On Tesla Profits Listen · 3:30 3:30 Toggle more options Download Embed Embed  Transcript


text:
Looks like you are using an old version of Internet Explorer - Please update your browser
By God's grace and for His Glory, AiG is endeavoring to build a first-rate Creation Museum to help Christians scale the city of secular, evolutionary humanism.
There are many who have rejected the Genesis record of Creation on what they believe are 'scientific grounds.'
No results found in .
Answers in Genesis is an apologetics ministry, dedicated to helping Christians defend their faith and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.


text:
Just wondering, how many of you preview your
messages before you post them? You know, try to
find any spelling/grammar errors? I'm obsessed
with it. I ususally preview my messages 3+ times
before I actually post them. I really think I have
some kind of OCD.
edit: Fixed grammar stuff.


text:
See above for my comments.Hi teachers,
This is for a listening comprehension exercise. The text is from a CD.
Alex Dinon escaped from prison yesterday.
If this is what the students will hear:
Don't run away. I'm only an old woman.' She looked at him carefully. 'You're dirty, and hungry, and tired … and afraid. Am I right?'Alex smiled slowly. 'Yes,' he said. 'Well, come back to my house and have some food. And you can have some of my husband's old clothes. He died last winter.'
Would the following be suitable questions and answers?
1. Why shouldn't Alex escape? Because she was only an old woman.
"Escape" does not really work here. There is a difference between "escape" and "run away".
2. Did she examine him cautiously? Yes, she did.
"Carefully" and "cautiously" are not the same.
3. What was her personal impression about him? He was dirty, hungry, and tired.
We say "impression of someone", but I don't really think this fits here anyway. An impression of someone would be thinking that they are suspicious or unpleasant or clever. She could clearly see that he was dirty, hungry and tired so it's not really an impression.
4. Where did she want him to go? She wanted him to go to her house.
That's fine.
5. What could he get there? He could get some food and some of her husband's clothes. or
Yes, or "What could he be given there?"
6. When did her husband pass away? He passed away last winter.
That's fine.
Thanks in advance.
English Teacher


text:
Thousands of film buyers, distribution honchos and other movie professionals as well as amateurs will descend upon the ski resort town of Park City, Utah, for 10 days before the Winter Olympics takes over the area 21/2 weeks later. The Robert Redford-founded Sundance festival, the premier showcase of American independent film, will be the first gathering of many of these film folks since September's Toronto International Film Festival was interrupted by the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
The post-Sept. 11/pre-Olympics security is expected to be especially tight, which could make this snow-laden, logistics-challenged festival even trickier than usual to navigate. Meanwhile, renovations to one of the festival's key theaters were not completed on time, thus bumping many screenings to hotel function rooms.
Yet despite the trouble signs, those in the independent film business are expressing a cautious optimism that Sundance 2002 might offer what at least some of them and the moviegoing public want.
"People are still going to the movies, right?" Paramount Classics co-president Ruth Vitale said. "What's evident at the end of this particular year is that people have an appetite and curiosity to see as many varied movies as we can give to them."
Ironically, a major source of sunshine can be found in the darkest of last year's Sundance entries: When Todd Field's "In the Bedroom" debuted a year ago at the festival, more viewers seemed to admire than embrace it, and many speculated that this drama was too slow and emotionally searing to find much of an audience outside of the festival.
Whether you credit another masterful Miramax marketing job, the country's altered mood or just the film's strengths, "In the Bedroom," all 135 painful minutes of it, is a hit, its story of grief and vengeance touching a nerve among moviegoers. Sissy Spacek is considered a strong Best Actress Oscar contender, and the movie likely can expect other nominations plus a long theatrical life.
"The fact that a substantive, carefully paced, unflashy drama could attract this kind of business is good news," said Eamonn Bowles, president of the newly formed Magnolia Pictures.
So while the major studios try to decipher which of their mega-budget formulas remain reliable, the smaller companies can look to Sundance for unpredictable material that just might score on the basis of quality. Sundance Film Festival co-director Geoffrey Gilmore called this year's lineup an especially idiosyncratic one.
"In the last couple of years, we've been accused -- along with the independent world -- of having gone mainstream and that too much of the work that was being produced by the independent studios was looking similar to a major studio production," Gilmore said. "That's one of the things you can't say about this year's program. A lot of the work has not just a quirkiness but a downright eccentric quality to it.
"That probably means that it will be more criticized," he added. "It probably will not be as universally accepted because it's often those works that have more of a mainstream quality that are most accepted and embraced."
Hoping for the best
Festivalgoers, of course, will hope that last point isn't code for: Prepare for a weak year. But if the actual trend is that the strong films will come as surprises -- like the out-of-the-blue 2000 Sundance hit "You Can Count on Me" -- few will complain.
"It's really a grab-bag this year, a lot of stuff coming from the unknown," Bowles said.
Even the relatively high-profile projects don't fall in the cookie-cutter category. John Malkovich's directorial debut, "The Dancer Upstairs," stars Javier Bardem ("Before Night Falls") in a story about political intrigue in an unnamed Latin American country.
Jennifer Aniston plays a discount store clerk who has an affair with a young co-worker in "The Good Girl," written by Mike White and directed by Miguel Arteta, the team that previously made the effectively squirm-inducing 2000 Sundance hit "Chuck and Buck."
Gilmore characterized "The Dancer Upstairs" and "The Good Girl" as "very weird and extremely interesting films." Neither one has a distributor yet.
Also sure to be a hot ticket among film buyers will be Gus Van Sant's new film, "Gerry," which is said to be a return to the experimentalism of "My Own Private Idaho" after his mainstream forays with "Finding Forrester" and "Good Will Hunting." It stars Matt Damon and Casey Affleck as friends who trek into the wilderness.
Another apparent departure is Robin Williams' new movie, "One-Hour Photo," in which he plays a lonely photo processor who decides to make himself part of a suburban family whose pictures he has been developing.
The festival will include many films shot in New York City as well. New York-based publicist Jeremy Walker said the quality of this group is particularly high this year, perhaps because viewers are seeing them from a different perspective.
"The movies were made before Sept. 11, and they all reflect a sense of community here," Walker said, citing such films he's representing as "Love in the Time of Money," "On-Line" and "Manito."
"It's something we've always known about ourselves, but somehow after Sept. 11 when you see these movies, it means a lot more. There's something about people being drawn together that has a lot of resonance."
The impact of the country's shaky economy is evident in the downturn of festival ticket package sales as well as the number of film submissions.
Gilmore said 750 dramatic features were submitted for consideration this year, compared with 850 last year, though the number of documentaries rose.
"You don't have that excess capital flowing out of Wall Street," Gilmore said.
Where goeth the dot-coms?
The dot-com companies, which were throwing lavish festival parties two years ago, have disappeared, and Bowles said he expects distributors to continue the recent trend of being more conservative in what they pay to acquire films.
"I don't anticipate people getting into absurd bidding wars," he said. At the same time, even though low-budget films continue to struggle to stand out from the crowd, companies big and small still plan to buy and release them. Bowles' former company, The Shooting Gallery, bit the dust last year, but he's back with Magnolia.
The ever-growing Lions Gate shed much of its original staff, which promptly formed ThinkFilm. Former October Films co-president Bingham Ray now is running United Artists as an indie-minded company, and producers Ed Pressman and John Schmidt have launched ContentFilm.
So much for the theory that the studio-connected indies such as Miramax and Sony Pictures Classics are putting the little guys out of business.
"Yes, the economy is not in the most sound shape, but that is the economy of the billions, and we don't inhabit that world," said Mark Urman, ThinkFilm's head of distribution. "I'm only concerned with individual ticket-buyers who have to spend $10, and a lot of people go to the movies."
So once again film biz types from New York, Los Angeles and cities in-between will leave behind their urban environments to visit one of the country's most scenic areas, where they'll file into dark rooms often to witness America's ugly underbelly exposed on screen.
"I don't think we're going to feel like a film that's upsetting is out of sync with what's going on in the country," Urman said. "We want to see movies that disturb us. Otherwise, why is it Sundance?"


text:
We'd heard analysts' predictions, but until now no one knew for sure how many iPads were sold on launch day.
On Monday, Apple announced it sold more than 300,000 of its new tablet computers on Saturday.
That figure included preordered iPads delivered to customers, sales at its retail stores, and deliveries to channel partners.
In addition, Apple said, iPad owners downloaded more 1 million iPad apps and 250,000 e-books from Apple's iBookstore on Saturday.
Piper Jaffray senior analyst Gene Munster had originally predicted Apple would sell between 200,000 and 300,000 iPads on the first day, though he upped his estimate to 600,00 to 700,000 over the weekend.
Only Wi-Fi iPad models are available right now. Apple will begin selling models with Wi-Fi and 3G in late April.
"It feels great to have the iPad launched into the world--it's going to be a game changer," Apple CEO Steve Jobs said in a statement Monday.


text: I'm not a HUGE fan of the cardinals, but I do like them. But anyways, my name is Mark... junior in high school, my favorite cardinal is Adam Wainwright (drafted by my favorite team - Atlanta Braves). also love Yadier Molina because of his amazing defense and clutch hits, and I love Brenden Ryan (future 2B)


text:
GOTC necesitaba un nuevo diseño de camiseta y lanzó un concurso de diseño en 99designs.
Un ganador ha sido elegido entre 101 diseños de 29 diseñadores freelance.
Just Cowboy
We're two westerners from Colorado hoping to start the next "Life is Good" type brand. And we're starting with cowboys.
Cowboys, wannabe cowboys, NFR and PBF fans, and people just trying to live the cowboy code and so on. If these things don't have meaning to you, then you probably shouldn't waste your time (or ours).
We're looking for an authentic, extensible design that works on a t-shirt first, but can apply elsewhere soon (see, for example, http://www.hillbillybrand.com/).
We're making a play on how "cowboy" can be a noun, an adjective and a verb (as in "cowboy up"). And the two meanings of the word just, as in "only" and "fair."
What we don't want: Anything remotely resembling 1) Affliction or its over-the-top/MMA-esque brethren, or 2) "Life is Good" cartoony.
What we do want: Something clean, real and modern cowboy. Think Cinch, not Wrangler. Cruel Girl or Cowgirl Tough, not cutesy wallpaper.
We'll give lots of feedback... and what we really want is ONE designer who can work with us on our future projects, extensions, as well, as we've already got them in our heads. Oh... and we've got manf and distribution figured out, too.
What's missing? Nothing, except YOUR AMAZING DESIGN.