text:
Template:Webelos Den Leader Award/req
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
Revision as of 14:18, November 5, 2008 by Scouterdennis (Talk | contribs)
Mobile Menus: Cub Scouts - Scouts BSA - Venturing - Sea Scouts
- Complete one year as a registered Webelos den leader.
- Complete "The New Webelos Den Leader" Fast Start Training.
- Complete Basic Leader Training for Webelos den leaders.
- Complete Webelos Leader Outdoor Training.
- Complete Youth Protection training.
- During your tenure for this award, participate in a Cub Scout leader pow wow or University of Scouting, or attend at least four roundtables.
Do seven of the following:
- During at least one program year, have a minimum of 50 percent of the Webelos Scouts in your den advance in rank (Webelos badge or Arrow of Light Award).
- At least once, reregister a minimum of 75 percent of the eligible members of your den as part of a the pack charter renewal process.
- Graduate a minimum of 60 percent of the eligible members of your Webelos den into Boy Scouting.
- Have an assistant den leader or second adult who regularly attends your den's meetings and activities.
- Have a den chief who meets regularly with your den.
- Take leadership in planning and conducting two Webelos overnight campouts or other outdoor den activities each year.
- Help plan and conduct a Webelos den-Boy Scout troop joint activity.
- Take leadership in planning and conducting a Webelos den service project.
- Conduct at least three Webelos den meetings per month, nine months per year, or follow an optional meeting plan approved by the pack.
- Participate with your den in a Webelos day camp or resident camp experience.
- Explore three Character Connection activities with your den members in one year.
- Hold regular den meeting and den activity planning sessions with your assistant den leader.
Please report any issues with this page.


text:
News & Announcements
Quick Links
District Board Meeting - October 16, 2019
Date: 16-Oct-2019
The Moraga-Orinda Fire District holds Board Meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM. Meeting locations will be posted on the agenda. Committee meetings are held on an as-needed basis. Any exceptions will be posted in advance.
Interested persons are invited to attend and participate. You are allowed to address the Board on any agenda item at the time of its discussion. You can also bring up items not included on the agenda during the "Public Comment" portion of the meeting. No action can be taken by Board members on these items at that meeting. If lengthy discussion or action is necessary, the item may be placed on a future agenda. This comment is provided by the Brown Act Open Meeting Law (Gov. Code 54950 et seq.).
The board agendas are posted on the District's website 72 hours before regularly scheduled board meetings. Past Agendas and Minutes can be viewed by meeting date (below). If you have questions about an agenda please contact the Board Secretary at 925-258-4599.
To express your comments and opinions through email about a topic to the District Board, please email us at firstname.lastname@example.com or if you wish to reach us by phone, please call: 925-258-4599 or fax 925-376-1699.
Table of District Board Meetings

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Obama in Africa: Locals no longer awed by US leader's star power
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Welcome back to Africa, Barack Obama.
The colorful banners are up and the local people are excited -- but, um, maybe not so much as the last time.
When the US president lands in Senegal late Wednesday on his first visit to the continent in four years, he will come laden with the weight of surveillance scandals at home and disillusionment abroad.
Obama's visit to Ghana in 2009, a brief stopover of less than 24 hours, was during the halcyon days at the start of his first term. Africans were still joyously celebrating that the son of a black Kenyan man had been elected president of the United States.
"I have the blood of Africa within me," Obama told Ghana's parliament in a major speech. On the streets of Accra, the capital, women wore dresses tailored from fabric printed with his image, while hawkers drew a roaring business selling everything from US-Ghana flags to Obama belt buckles.
This time around, the tone surrounding his trip is "strangely muted," South Africa's weekly Mail & Guardian said in an editorial. South Africans, it added, are "no longer in thrall of Obama's star power."
Obama's schedule judiciously takes him to the west, south and east of Africa, stopping in countries with strong democratic traditions and ties to the United States. His official mandate is "to strengthen economic growth, investment, and trade," although critics say China and other emerging nations have beaten the United States to the punch.
Ben Rhodes, deputy national security advisor, said there has been "a high demand signal from the US private sector" for the American government to play a more active role in developing trade and investment in Africa.
"Frankly, we see Africa as one of the most important emerging regions in the world, and a place for the US to significantly increase our engagement in the years to come," Rhodes said during a White House press briefing.
The president's first stop is Dakar, capital of French-speaking Senegal, where Obama will meet with counterpart Macky Sall, who was elected last year in a peaceful vote and smooth transition of power.
Next Obama will travel to South Africa, spending two nights in Johannesburg for a meeting with President Jacob Zuma and a town hall event with young African leaders at a university campus in Soweto, the famous black township.
In Cape Town, the president along with First Lady Michelle Obama and their daughters will visit Robben Island, where political prisoners including Nelson Mandela were jailed under the apartheid regime. Obama will give the main speech of his trip at the University of Cape Town, focusing on trade and investment, democracy, and peace and security.
Finally, Obama and his entourage will travel to Tanzania. In Dar es Salaam, the commercial capital, Michelle Obama will take part in the George W. Bush Institute's African First Ladies' Summit.
Noticeably absent from the agenda is a stop in Kenya, birthplace of Obama's father and the most strategically important country in East Africa, whose new president Uhuru Kenyatta is facing charges at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Jennifer Cooke, director of the Africa program at the Washington, DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the trip is meant to signal to African governments and citizens "that the US is prepared to re-engage with Africa."
"Obviously, President Obama came to office with big expectations," Cooke said during a briefing ahead of the trip.
"This euphoria for what this might mean for Africa has died down. And the gradual recognition that he is, after all, an American president with American interests first and foremost on his mind."
Potentially overshadowing Obama's Africa tour is the health of Nelson Mandela, who is gravely ill at a Pretoria hospital.
While visiting heads of state and other high-level officials, including Hillary Clinton on her South Africa trip last August, would normally visit Mandela to pay their respects, that isn't expected to happen during Obama's visit.
Rhodes said that while in South Africa "we ... are going to be very deferential to the Mandela family in terms of any interaction that the President may have with the Mandela family or with Nelson Mandela."
"Ultimately, we want whatever is in the best interest of his health and the peace of mind of the Mandela family," Rhodes said.
Meanwhile a number of South African groups including the Muslim Lawyers' Association are planning to protest Obama's visit in a stand against US policies including the drone program, and the failure to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center.
The University of Johannesburg's decision to award Obama an honorary doctorate has divided staff and students, and the president's town hall event at its Soweto campus may be a target of demonstrations.
Back home, Obama has been criticized for the high cost of his Africa trip, which may cost taxpayers as much as $100 million, according to a Washington Post report.
Hundreds of Secret Service agents are being deployed in Senegal, South Africa and Tanzania, while 56 support vehicles, including three trucks loaded with bulletproof glass to fortify windows, will be airlifted in by military cargo planes.
An aircraft carrier with a full medical trauma center will reportedly be stationed offshore in case of emergency.
However a planned safari in Tanzania has been cancelled because it "would have required the president's special counter-assault team to carry sniper rifles with high-caliber rounds that could neutralize cheetahs, lions or other animals if they became a threat," the Post said, citing a leaked Secret Service document.
Questioned about the high cost of the trip, Rhodes said that "if the US is not leading in Africa, we're going to fall behind in a very important region of the world."
"And I don't think it's in the US interest for the United States to step aside and cede many potential opportunities for our country because we don't want to move forward with presidential travel."


text:
Lieutenant Colonel G. Scott Taylor
Lieutenant Colonel G. Scott Taylor serves on the Army Staff at the Pentagon in G3/5/7 in the Current Operations Division. He has extensive experience in training and leading troops from the platoon to the battalion level and saw firsthand the evolution of counterinsurgency strategy at the tactical and operational levels in Iraq, serving three tours in combat in Operations IRAQI FREEDOM (OIF) and NEW DAWN. He served as a combined arms battalion operations officer in OIF II, as a member of the 1st Cavalry Division staff in OIF 6-8 during "the Surge," and most recently commanded 1-68 Armor ("Silver Lions") in Basra, Iraq, in OIF 10/OND. Through these experiences, he has had the opportunity to witness the adaptation undertaken by the Army when first embracing counterinsurgency strategy in Baghdad in 2004 and 2005 to the height of "the Surge" in the bloodiest days of fighting in Baghdad in 2006 and 2007, and culminating with his experience in southern Iraq in 2010 and 2011. In southern Iraq, Lieutenant Colonel Taylor witnessed firsthand how the Army needed to continually learn and adapt while commanding the Silver Lions and serving alongside the 14th Iraqi Army Division, the Basra Police, and the 4th Regional Directorate of Border Enforcement as part of the advise and assist mission of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
*The above information may not be current. It was current at the time when the individual worked for SSI or was published by SSI.
SSI books and monographs by Lieutenant Colonel G. Scott Taylor
Beyond the Battlefield: Institutional Army Transformation Following Victory in Iraq
November 02, 2012
Authored by Lieutenant Colonel G. Scott Taylor.
Learning lessons from past conflicts is essential to avoid repeating the same mistakes in future wars. Even more important, it is critical to apply those lessons to institutional change to inculcate the lessons of the past conflict–this Paper highlights some of the author's observations on changes that should be integrated into the institutional Army to ensure that the hard-earned lessons of counterinsurgency fighting and stability operations achieved in the sands of Iraq and hills of Afghanistan are not lost over the years ahead as we withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan.


text: I am starting to plan out my spring accessory buying for my '07 1200R, and I have been thinking about some crash guards for the engine. I know that there are a few manufacturers out there, but which one is better (not cheaper; I would rather pay more to have guards that I don't need to re-engineer). All suggestions are appreciated.


text:
Welcome to Sunday Matinee, where we highlight classic car reviews or other longer videos I find on YouTube. Kick back and enjoy this blast from the past.
Every now and again a new, ultra-rare hypercar comes along, with less than 100 units made for a very exclusive clientele. The McLaren F1, the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR, and the Ferrari 250 GTO all fall into this category. So too, does the Aston Martin One-77, and with only 77 units built (see what they did there?), it's a beautiful thing.
The One-77 was announced at a weird time, just as the economy was completely collapsing. Even still, Aston forged ahead, and they somehow managed to sell every single car they made despite the astronomical price tag of somewhere around $1,700,000. This documentary from National Geographic takes a look at the heritage that went into the car, the design process, how they're built, and, luckily for us, even what they sound like. It's also interesting to note the hyper-modern factory, and it's especially comparable to McLaren.
Unfortunately, they don't have any footage of One-77s randomly stalling around Paris. You'll have to stick to Jalopnik for that.


text:
Stock #: 144783
Vin: KNDJP3A53F7144783
Year: 2015
Make: Kia
Model: Soul
Trim: +
Mileage: 17,124
Engine: 4 Cylinder
Transmission: Automatic
Drive Train: FWD
Body Type: Wagon
Color: Brown
Interior Color: Black
Interior Type:
Simotes Motor Sales & Service
Michael Caragher
300 N. Ridge Rd
I hereby consent to receive text messages from or on behalf of dealer at the mobile phone number I provided above. I understand that I am opting in to receive text messages from dealer or their employees. I include consent to receive phone calls at the mobile phone number I provided. I understand that message and data rates may apply.


text:
Main findings for Doing Business 2019:
- Doing Business captured a record 314 regulatory reforms between June 2, 2017, and May 1, 2018. Worldwide, 128 economies introduced substantial regulatory improvements making it easier to do business in all areas measured by Doing Business.
- The economies with the most notable improvement in Doing Business 2019 are Afghanistan, Djibouti, China, Azerbaijan, India, Togo, Kenya, Côte d'Ivoire, Turkey and Rwanda.
- One-third of all business regulatory reforms recorded by Doing Business 2019 were in the economies of Sub-Saharan Africa. With a total of 107 reforms, Sub-Saharan Africa once again has a record number this year.
- The BRIC economies—Brazil, the Russian Federation, India and China—introduced a total of 21 reforms, with getting electricity and trading across borders the most common areas of improvement.
- The 10 top economies in the ease of doing business ranking share common features of regulatory efficiency and quality, including mandatory inspections during construction, automated tools used by distribution utilities to restore service during power outages, strong safeguards available to creditors in insolvency proceedings and automated specialized commercial courts.
- Training opportunities for service providers and users are positively associated with the ease of doing business score. Similarly, increased public-private communication on legislative changes and processes affecting SMEs are associated with more reforms and better performance on the Doing Business indicators.


text:
Crown Princess Is Better Than Queen Mary! We departed Ft. Lauderdale on May 1, 2010 on Crown Princess for a 53-day cruise to ten countries arriving Southampton, UK on June 23rd. We boarded the Queen Mary 2 on June 25th for a 6-day crossing ... Read More
Crown Princess Is Better Than Queen Mary! We departed Ft. Lauderdale on May 1, 2010 on Crown Princess for a 53-day cruise to ten countries arriving Southampton, UK on June 23rd. We boarded the Queen Mary 2 on June 25th for a 6-day crossing to New York. Crown Princess is an excellent ship with great food, service, and entertainment. Our expectations were high that the Queen Mary 2 would be even better. We discovered Crown Princess is better than QM2!! Food: QM2 food was poor to fair. The maitre D confirmed one entree was an "inedible rubber fish". Also, Venison had no flavor nor texture. Side dishes were strange, e. g. guacamole filled twice-baked potato with re-fried beans. Food was rarely served at the right temperature - entrees were often cool; ice cream arrived half-melted. The QM2 menu was very small making it difficult to find something I wanted. Buffets served "cafeteria quality food" with extremely limited choices. I tried a cookie and almost broke my teeth. Food was consistently great/excellent on the Crown Princess. The menu was very large. Food was served at the right temperature and it had great flavor and texture. Compared to QM2's puny buffets, Crown Princess has huge buffets with lots of choices of freshly-prepared, delicious food! Princess also has well-stocked areas such as the International Cafe with lite fare meals, great snacks, deserts, and an excellent choice of flavored coffees. If you like frozen coffee, Princess serves about six flavors vs. one flavor on QM2. Likewise, there are four types of cookies, freshly baked throughout the day, on Princess vs. one type of cookie (baked weekly?) on Queen Mary. The QM2 buffet has "fake ice cream" from a machine. Princess has "real ice cream" and for $ 1.50 you can buy three scoops of delicious gelato. A passenger explained, "Of course food is better on Princess, but that's an unfair comparison. Princess has Italian chefs. They're passionate about food and world-renowned as the best. The priority on Princess is food taste/quality. Chefs offer freshly cooked food when passengers want it. Guess where the chefs are from on Queen Mary? They're Indians. Who ever heard of a world famous Indian chef? On QM2, the priority is cooking schedule. All food is prepared at once and much of it is frozen and reheated with a sauce poured on top. That's why entrees don't have natural juices, just toppings." At the cooking demonstration, the head Indian chef fried a steak and asked his assistant to taste it. The assistant answered, "I don't eat meat." OMG! The chefs don't taste food as a quality control measure. That's why my venison was tasteless with no texture. Food Service: Princess food service combines great service and having fun. Waiters are friendly and outgoing. They proudly announce which county they're from, engage passengers, and we become friends sharing stories and laughing together. Waiters are extremely attentive and personally committed to anticipate and immediately respond to passenger needs at the table. Queen Mary waiters are formal and reserved, limiting their conversation to "good afternoon". Waiters are not involved nor aware of passenger needs at the table. We had to ask, multiple times, for more water, coffee, bread, etc. Food would arrive and waiters didn't know who had ordered it - lots of mistakes and confusion. Queen Mary only had a few waiters (I think three) at the pub lunch. They couldn't keep up with orders nor bus tables. Princess has the number of waiters needed for quick, efficient service and busing of tables for pub lunch at the Wheelhouse Bar. Public Area Appearance, Cleanliness, Design, & Layout: Princess is beautiful. Queen Mary is both beautiful and elegant. Both ships have attractive, clean public areas. QM2 even has an automatic wash system to clean dining room windows at sea. Really slick! Design and layout of public areas on Crown Princess are excellent - thoughtful, practical, and good for mobility-challenged passengers. Facilities are organized logically and centralized at the Piazza with entertainment, the computer center, future cruise booking, lite fare food, a bar, a great coffee shop, wine tasting, deserts, etc. Public spaces are open with lots of seating so it never seems crowded even with 3200 passengers. Designers of the Queen Mary failed interior design school. Public area design ranges from impractical to just plain stupid. There is no central hub with access to everything. Facilities are scattered all over the ship. You would think this helter-skelter layout would reduce crowding, but the Queen Mary public areas feel crowded with no place to sit even though it has 700 fewer passengers than the Crown Princess. Bad layout on QM2 is further complicated by different ceiling heights. To achieve a "luxurious feel", designers used 20-foot high ceilings (two-decks) in some areas which connect to two 10-foot ceilings/decks. When you exit the main elevator, you see two sets of stairs. One goes up/down 20-feet, the other goes ten feet. Queen Mary has manually controlled, tiny wheelchair elevators to go a single-story. They're the width of a wheelchair and deep enough for the chair and a person to push it. I pushed a wheelchair into the elevator. We went up one-story and discovered the manual door was at the other end. I couldn't reach over the person in the chair and couldn't walk beside her to reach the door. A passenger saw our predicament and opened the door. Another problem ramp-type floor to adjust from a 2-story deck to the adjacent single-story decks. I found it difficult to push a wheelchair up the carpeted ramp. Queen Mary poses a problem for all passengers trying to find their way around the ship and a special problem for mobility-challenged. Design of the Crown Princess is better because it is simple and intuitive to find your way around the ship and it's handicap-friendly. Queen Mary has two theaters; both pose problems. The Royal theater has twelve pillars about a foot and a half in diameter that block the view to the stage. Passengers see empty seats from the aisle, walk past seated passengers to the empty seats to discover they can't see anything. Then, they get up, walk past seated passengers again to the aisle. One man started to shout to passengers entering the Royal theater, "You can't see anything from these seats, that's why they're empty". By comparison, Princess has an excellent theater design with no pillars and good viewing from all seats. Acoustics are also better in the Crown Princess theater. The second theater on Queen Mary is Illusions. It's also the planetarium. A dome in the ceiling is lowered about 10 feet over 150 red color seats. The seats recline by pushing a button, but many are broken so you have to standup, push it back and jump on it quickly to keep it in the reclined position. All lights are turned off so you can watch a 23-minute video projected on the dome. There are only two, 23-minute computer generated videos using NASA images. The video is slightly blurry. If you like this kind of video, tune your TV to the History channel. They have much better and clearer videos with more information and cover more subjects. QM2 "hypes" this as the "only planetarium at sea". Other cruise companies are smarter about how they spend money. "Movies under the stars" on Crown Princess is a much better offering that QM2's planetarium. Embarkation on Queen Mary 2 in Southampton UK vs. Crown Princess in Ft. Lauderdale: Embarkation on Crown Princess ship was efficient and fast. We arrived at 2:00 PM at QM2 to avoid the early boarding crowds while comfortably in time for the 4:30 PM deadline. The terminal was very crowded and lines were NOT moving. I asked a Cunard employee how long she thought it would take for me to get onto the ship. She said, "Princess Anne was here today and that delayed everything." I said "Ma'am, Princess Anne is not in this terminal, I'm just trying to get past the six couples in front of me to the check-in lady." She said the problem is that passengers don't have all their documents ready for check-in. I said, "Ma'am, I've timed the process. It takes 15-20 seconds for a passenger to hand documents to the check-in lady and she takes 9 minutes and 45 seconds to complete the check-in. I think there's something wrong with your systems or procedures. It's not like Cunard didn't know my wife and I were coming to board this ship today." After check-in, I was told I had to wait until number 15 was called and that I should sit down in the terminal which was dirty, hot, crowded and had no air conditioning. The reason was "the gangway is full". I said, "Ma,am I can see the gangway all the way to the top at the ship entrance and there are only a couple of people on it. Why can't I just walk up the gangway to the air conditioned ship?" She said the gangway is not designed to handle a lot of people. I said, "Ma,am there are only a dozen or so people on that gangway. Princess ships load 3200 passengers and I've seen continuous lines of people on the gangway." She said, "You're in the UK now and this is the way we do it." I sat down and waited till number 15 was called. There was NO line on the gangway nor at the entrance to the ship. Later, passengers told me the delay in boarding was to give photographers more time to photograph passengers. That's amazing; Princess photographers quickly take photos so as not to inconvenience passengers. Summary - Why Crown Princess Is a Better Cruise Experience than Queen Mary 2: For Princess, it's all about the passengers. Their ships are beautiful and well-designed with all the creature comforts, services, entertainment, etc. I may want. The entertainment, food, and services are truly exceptional. Our cruise experience on Crown Princess was excellent because their culture of employee commitment involves everyone in a relentless effort to improve customer satisfaction. For Cunard, it's all about their "regal", $ 800 million ship. They don't realize the interior ship design/layout is impractical because they're pre-occupied with hull design, powerful engines, and ability of QM2 to crash through huge waves at very high speed so all passengers can throw up in a storm. Fortunately, we didn't encounter a storm. Cunard believes passengers are privileged to travel on the Queen Mary and the ship is exempt from critique. They assume I don't know what great food and service are. Rather than involve employees in a continuous improvement program, Cunard allows employees to distance themselves from customer satisfaction creating an employee culture of excuses explaining away and diminishing passenger problems rather than improving service to fix them. Read Less
Sail Date May 2010


text:
Golf Digest Hot List 2017
How did they get to the 105 products that make up Golf Digest's 2017 Hot List? In short, time, people and effort. It starts with a commitment to be thorough in understanding the golf equipment landscape in all its forms and facets. That means a lot of meetings with all the principals and the R&D teams at companies both large and small throughout the year. It means a two-week annual Hot List Summit at The Wigwam in Litchfield Park, Ariz. where they meet with our three primary advisory panels.
First, there's the leading golf retailers, who give us a hands-on sense of what kinds of products are resonating in the marketplace as well as their guidance on what will. Then, they've got a group of six top scientists with decades of experience understanding how all things work so we can understand how golf things work.
Finally, they brought in 23 players that represent the vast range of golfers from teaching pros to 20-something handicaps. Each of them is paired with an editor throughout the club evaluation process and we are taking notes and compiling scores to get a sense of what products consistently are producing the most favorable assessments. They are in a very real way showing us what clubs should be on your radar as you begin your search for the products that will matter to you and your game in 2017.
The Hot List is not just a numbers game, of course. Sure, we review a lot of clubs (172 were submitted this year) and our panelists hit a lot of balls (33,000, give or take a small bucket. Giving all the latest golf clubs the once-, twice- and thrice-over is only part of our process, which featured Foresight Sports GC2 launch monitors at every hitting station. The analysis and feedback from our testers provided the basis for our scores in Performance (45 percent of the total score) and Look/Sound/Feel (20 percent). Intense deliberations with our technical panel informed our score in Innovation (30 percent), and our industry review by our panel of golf retailers gave us the information for the Demand score (5 percent).
All of these contributions, plus weeks of scrutiny by the judges, form the Golf Digest Hot List, our uncensored guide for all the equipment that can change your game this year and for years to come. Products that earn 93 points or more are awarded Gold medals; a score of 88 to 92.99 earns a Silver.
This list of exceptional products for 2017 reveals breakout technologies, fundamental changes in process and unique new materials. That combination of innovations provide demonstrable gains in how to exact better performance from your less-than-perfect hits while at the same time setting the stage for you to more often maximize your potential.
Theye've done their work to get you an informed start on your next equipment purchase, something we believe strongly should involve a clubfitting. Chances are you'll discover exactly what our panelists found this year. As one veteran said after a long day hitting hundreds of balls: "Just incredible. There are so many excellent clubs out there, and a few that are truly exceptional." Your quest for your own exceptional starts here.


text:
Watch the Video Tribute HERE
Filmed, Edited, and Produced by Buck Sargent
It is a worthy thing to fight for one's freedom; it is another sight finer to fight for another man's.
-Mark Twain
On April 4th, 2004 Army Specialist Casey Sheehan and seven fellow soldiers were killed during protracted combat with Shi'ite insurgents in Sadr City, Iraq. Sheehan, a Humvee mechanic, had volunteered for the rescue mission to relieve his besieged comrades only to be ambushed himself while en route. He had been in country for five days.
President Bush has made it clear that "America will not abandon Iraq" on his watch, yet he has acknowledged that the mission will likely continue on well past his presidency. And as in any long war, what is required most is a long lens and a long-run perspective in order to fully comprehend what is at stake and what we have to lose by declaring unconditional surrender. Such were the days when the American people demanded it of our enemies, not our own armies.
Ours has become an instant gratification nation, the countdown to ADD-Day stalking the horizon. Heading into its fourth year, the Iraq War has now lasted longer than most celebrity marriages. (Correction: Desert Storm lasted longer than most celebrity marriages). It has been said that the Vietnam War was lost on television, and that was when there were only three channels and they all screamed: RETREAT! But soldiers don't watch the news, we make it. That is why the MSM refuse to tell our story, that is why they continue to poison the well back home, and that is why soldiers have taken it upon ourselves to "tell it like it is" on the internet.
Casey Sheehan's mother asks, "What did my son die for?" as she hops the globe with her traveling Cirque du Solemnity. His actions that fateful day provide the answer. Her son -- regrettably, now the second most famous Sheehan -- and the thousands of others like him, died for their brothers in arms. For their families at home. For their country. For a people they had little in common with other than a desire to live free from fear. For children that were not their own, but that reminded them of home. For the same thing forgotten Americans have long died for in forgotten places like Takur Gahr, Mogadishu, Hue City, Inchon, the Ardennes, Cold Harbor, and Bunker Hill.
They died not for "nothing," but for no thing. They died for a set of ideals, principles, a creed. Imaginary concepts impossible to "deconstruct," yet born out of war and nourished by the blood of patriots in a long line of succession that remains unmoved, unbroken, and unmatched. Displaying the best known side of human nature: steadfast opposition to its worst. Becoming intimate with war, thus allowing others to know peace. Sacrificing their future progeny for another's in defense of the weak and the vulnerable. Avenging the ghostly remains left behind from a tyrant unburdened by conscience. To protect the right of lesser men (and women) to freely and openly ridicule their sacrifice.
"What did my son die for?" A question better left to Iraqis themselves to answer. Take the mayor of Tall'Afar, Najim Abdullah Abid al-Jibouri:
"To the families of those who have given their holy blood for our land, we all bow to you in reverence and to the souls of your loved ones. Their sacrifice was not in vain. They are not dead, but alive, and their souls hovering around us every second of every minute. They will never be forgotten for giving their precious lives. They have sacrificed that which is most valuable. We see them in the smile of every child, and in every flower growing in this land. Let America, their families, and the world be proud of their sacrifice for humanity and life."
Casey Sheehan was killed defending freedom on Palm Sunday.
Cindy, says Mayor Najim, let not your heart be hardened. Be not bitter, but proud. None that walk among us are immortal, and to bury a child is forever a tragedy. Yet your son lost his life in the most honorable manner possible. He died so that others may live.
I'd say that puts him in pretty good company.


text:
In this activity, students explore real data about renewable energy potential in their state using a mapping tool developed by NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory) to investigate the best locations for wind energy, solar energy, hydropower, geothermal energy, and biomass.
This activity explores how the topic of climate change is represented in various forms of writing, from scholarly articles to opinion pieces and works of fiction. While the content does not emphasize climate science itself, it instead allows students to focus on how the science is being portrayed.
This is a five-activity module that explores the evidence for and impacts of melting glacial ice, with resources from major institutions and scientists who study glaciers -- primarily in Arctic areas. The suite of activities includes both glaciers and melting ice, as well as the impact of melt water downstream. Each activity follows the 5E model of Engagement, Exploration, Explanation, Elaboration, and Evaluation.
This interactive displays how climate variables are changing over time (temperature, CO2, Arctic sea ice, sun's energy, sea level, etc.) in graphical form. Students can easily examine over 50+ years of archived data.
This 3-activity sequence addresses the question: "To what extent should coastal communities build or rebuild?" The activity uses social science and geoscience data to prepare an evidence-based response to the question, in targeted US coastal communities.
This activity engages learners in exploring the impact of climate change on arctic sea ice in the Bering Sea. They graph and analyze sea ice extent data, conduct a lab on thermal expansion of water, and then observe how a scientist collects long-term data on a bird population.
This activity utilizes a PhET greenhouse gas simulation to explore the interaction of different atmospheric gases with different types of radiation.
In this activity learners work in pairs or small groups to evaluate energy use in their school and make recommendations for improved efficiency. Students create and use an energy audit tool to collect data and present recommendations to their class. Further communication at the school and district level is encouraged.
This is an interactive website that provides descriptive information and data related to ten key climate indicators. These climate indicators and related resources show global patterns and data that are intuitive and compelling teaching tools.
In this activity, students use climate data to develop a simple graph of how climate has changed over time and then present the result in a blog, emphasizing effective science communication.


text:
by Mark Jagord, sports information assistant
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – The Georgia College women's basketball team (7-0) is off to its best start in a decade. This time the Bobcats downed visiting Anderson University (7-4), 68-61 Monday night at the Centennial Center as they chase the 2003-04 team's 11-0 start.
Junior Enisha Donley's (Loganville, Ga.) late jumper broke a 32-32 tie with about two minutes left in the first half and the Bobcats never looked back. Donley would share the night's scoring lead with junior Shanteona Keys (Roswell, Ga.) at 15 points apiece. Three of Keys' points came from the charity stripe to bring her career free-throw total to 216- two shy of the 10th spot on the Georgia College all-time list.
Senior Thresia Elskamp (Potosi, Wis.) had another double-double with 11 points and 13 boards. Elskamp went 4-of-5 from the floor, 1-of-2 from beyond the arc, and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line to go along with a game-high five assists. She also combined with senior Brandi McKinney (Cincinnati) to account for all of the team's nine steals with four. Senior Abby Slocumb (Suwanee, Ga.) added three blocks.
The teams traded points in the early going of the second half until about midway through when Georgia College started their third seven-point run of the night. This time it would result in their first double-digit lead at 59-45.
The Trojans would get within seven points three times in the final three minutes but that was as close as they would get.
Emily Willoughby would lead Anderson and all scorers with 17 points. Nakia Young and Katie Davis added 12 and 10 points, respectively.
The Bobcats next host the Stair South Classic with two games this weekend. The Bobcats' first game is Friday against Tuskegee College at 7:30 p.m. following the opening game of the tournament between UNC Pembroke and Limestone College at 5:30 p.m.
The Bobcats resume play Saturday against Limestone at 3:30 p.m. following UNCP and Tuskegee's 1:30 p.m. start.


text:
Five Days at Memorial: Winner, National Book Critics Circle Award, PEN/John Kenneth Galbraith Award, Ridenhour Book Prize, J. Anthony Lukas Book Prize, Los Angeles Times Book Prize, Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Book Award, American Medical Writers Association Medical Book Award, and NASW Science in Society Journalism Book Award.
"Sheri Fink has written an unforgettable story.
Five Days at Memorial is social reporting of the first rank."
–Jason Berry, New York Times
Now available in paperback: AMAZON || BARNES & NOBLE || POWELLS || INDIE BOUND ||
Also in eBook: KINDLE || NOOK || iTUNES
Five Days at Memorial is Pulitzer Prize winner Sheri Fink's landmark investigation of patient deaths at a New Orleans hospital ravaged by Hurricane Katrina – and her suspenseful portrayal of the quest for truth and justice.
After Katrina struck and the floodwaters rose, the power failed, and the heat climbed, exhausted caregivers chose to designate certain patients last for rescue. Months later, several health professionals faced criminal allegations that they deliberately injected numerous patients with drugs to hasten their deaths.
Five Days at Memorial, the culmination of six years of reporting, unspools the mystery of what happened in those days, bringing the reader into a hospital fighting for its life and into a conversation about the most terrifying form of health care rationing.
Read the first 10 pages of the book here.
Praise for Five Days at Memorial:
"What we have here is masterly reporting and the glow of fine writing."
—Sherwin B. Nuland, New York Times Book Review
"A triumph of journalism...Fink re-creates this world with mastery and sensitivity, revealing the full humanity of each character. Unlike post-storm commentary that jumped to black and white conclusions, painting the doctors as heroes or villains, Fink's narrative wades through the muck and finds only real people making tough choices under circumstances the rest of us, if we're lucky, will never experience."
—Houston Chronicle
"Dr. Fink brings a shimmering intelligence to its many narrative cul-de-sacs, which consider medical, legal and ethical issues…. By reporting the depth of those gruesome hours in Memorial before the helicopters came, and giving weight to medical ethics as grounded in the law, Sheri Fink has written an unforgettable story. Five Days at Memorial is social reporting of the first rank."
—Jason Berry, New York Times
"Five Days at Memorial is Sheri Fink's elaborately researched chronicle of life, death, and the choices in between at a New Orleans hospital immediately following Hurricane Katrina. What's important, it slowly emerges, is that despite Fink's painstaking re-creation based on five hundred interviews and mountains of documents—we weren't there. We cannot know. Fink, under the guise of third-person journalistic objectivity, drives us towards a kind of uncertainty so great that it's revelatory. This isn't just a policy brief ornamented with characters. It is, like all great journalism, a document unto itself, an artifact of what we thought about "life and death" issues in the early twenty-first century."
—Jeff Sharlet, Bookforum
"It's a marvel of journalistic effort that brings an objective and sympathetic eye to the suffering and tough decisions at Memorial Medical Center."


text:
Finger Nail Clippers
Price Breakdown | $0.34 Per Item
Regular price $ 4.08
- Item Code: FNC1
- Sold Only by the Case
- Carbon Steel
- Without File
Price Breakdown: $0.34 per clipper
Total Items: 12
Frequently Asked Questions
Return Policy
We have a 30-day return policy. To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the original packaging and same condition you received it. A 15% return fee will be charged for returned custom kits. A receipt or proof of purchase is required to process a return. Returns must be sent back to BLUSOURCE.
To learn more about our Return Policy including, refunds, late or missing refunds, and exchanges continue HERE.
When Will My Order Ship?
All kit orders ship out from our warehouse within 2 business days. The actual number of days for shipping depends on the shipping option you choose during check out and can range from 2-7 business days.
Bulk orders placed after 11am (CST) are shipped out the next business day.
During the checkout process, your shipping cost will automatically be calculated before you submit your order. A physical address is required for an order to be shipped. We will not ship to a P.O. Box. Shipping guarantees are dependent on the shipping carrier. For large orders (21+ cases), call 800-460-5355 for shipping policy and cost before placing your order.
How Do I Contact Someone in Customer Service?
Customer service hours are Monday - Thursday: 7:30am - 5:30pm EST. Please allow up to 1-2 days for someone to get back to you.
We can be reached by phone at 888-234-7274 and through our CONTACT page.
Didn't See the Answer to Your Question?
See our FAQ Page continued HERE.


text:
Front Door 1 Acrylic Print
Front Door 1 by Debbie DeWitt - 6.375" x 8.000"
Acrylic Print
Hanging Wire
Assembly Charge
Front Door 1 acrylic print by Debbie DeWitt. Bring your artwork to life with the stylish lines and added depth of an acrylic print. Your image gets printed directly onto the back of a 1/4" thick sheet of clear acrylic. The high gloss of the acrylic sheet complements the rich colors of any image to produce stunning results. Two different mounting options are available, see below.
Ships Within
2 - 3 business days
Similar Designs
Additional Products
Acrylic Print Tags
Painting Tags
Comments (4)
Thanks again Michael!
Thank you very much Ylli!!
Your artwork is beautiful, very well done!
About Acrylic Prints
Mounting Option #1
Mounting Option #2
Bring your artwork to life with the stylish lines and added depth of an acrylic print. Your image gets printed directly onto the back of a 1/4" thick sheet of clear acrylic.
The image is the art - it doesn't get any cleaner than that!
All acrylic prints ship within 3 - 4 business days and arrive "ready to hang" with four aluminum mounting posts (Option #1) or hanging wire (Option #2).
The high gloss of the acrylic sheet complements the rich colors of any image to produce stunning results.
There are two different ways to mount your acrylic print.
Option #1 (Mounting Posts) - Attach your print to your wall with four aluminum mounting posts. The cylindrical cap of each mounting post can be removed, allowing you to thread a small screw along the center axis of the of post and into the wall. When you're finished, simply reattached each cap, and you're done. The mounting posts act as stand-offs and keep your print separated from the wall by 1". All of the required mounting hardware (i.e. posts, screws, and wall anchors) is included with your print. Click here for mounting details.
Option #2 (Hanging Wire) - With this option, your acrylic print is attached to a 1/4" thick black board which has a wooden frame and hanging wire attached to the back. There are no metal mounting posts at the corners. Simply put a nail in your wall, hang your print from the hanging wire, and you're done. Due to the thickness of the black board and mounting frame, your print is separated from the wall by 1.50" Click here for mounting details.
Acrylic Print Reviews (1065)
Average Rating (4.93 Stars):
Harry Papp
October 21st, 2019
Douglas Stuart
October 18th, 2019
Douglas Stuart
October 18th, 2019
Artist's Description
watermark will not appear on printed piece
About Debbie DeWitt
My work has evolved as a result of my graphic design training combined with my love of painting and drawing. As a child, I always enjoyed artwork and was in constant need of art supplies. I studied classical painting and drawing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. There I began a love affair with oil paints. I love the smell and the way they move around the canvas. I also work in pencil, pastels and acrylics. I studied fine arts at Parsons School of Design in New York City. I changed my course to graphic design believing the digital skills I would acquire would help my career, while my fine arts knowledge would enhance my graphic work. I painted solely in oils but quickly realized the benefit of fast drying acrylics....
Shop with Confidence
Our return policy is very simple:
If you're not happy with a purchase that you made on Pixels.com, for any reason, you can return it to us within 30 days of the order date. As soon as it arrives, we'll issue a full refund for the entire purchase price. Please note - Pixels does not reimburse the outgoing or return shipping charges unless the return is due to a defect in quality.
Pixels sells thousands of pieces of artwork each month - all with a 100% money-back guarantee. We take great pride in the fact that hundreds of thousands of artists have chosen Pixels to fulfill their orders, and we look forward to helping you select your next piece!
All acrylic prints ship from our production facility within 2 - 3 business days of your order.


text:
It is exactly a year to the day until Colin Montgomerie becomes eligible to join the European Senior Tour and the Scot admits that he has already targeted winning The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex in 2013.
Montgomerie recently celebrated his 49th birthday and after winning 31 European Tour titles and a record eight Orders of Merit, the victorious 2010 Ryder Cup Captain believes he can enjoy further success on the Senior Tour.
This year's Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex will take place at Turnberry from July 26-29, and Montgomerie will be paying close attention ahead of making his debut in the Championship when it visits Royal Birkdale for the first time next year.
After finishing runner-up five times in Major Championships, Montgomerie is hoping he can finally make his Major breakthrough in Southport and join iconic names such as Gary Player, Bernhard Langer and Tom Watson on the Senior Open trophy.
"The Senior Open Championship will be my first event as a senior and I am looking forward to it," he said. "I am going to play the Senior Open and then see how I feel about playing as a senior. I think if I can go there and get the good feelings back and the confidence of being able to win then I will play more of the events.
"It might be a year away but I know that it will come around quickly. It feels like only yesterday that I was really in my prime, in the mid-1990s when I was winning a lot of events and really doing well. That does not seem that long ago so the next year will fly by and all of a sudden we will be at Birkdale for the Senior Open.
"I do think the Senior Tour is a great tour for players my age. How many sports give you the opportunity to become a rookie at the age of 50? That will be a nice feeling – to be one of the young ones and I hope that brings the confidence and belief that I can win the golf tournament.
"That is a feeling that has faded recently and it is something you really need if you want to compete at this level. I think it would be fair to say that when I was in my prime and winning tournaments and Orders of Merit that I had the feeling I was going to win every week.
"I think every sportsman playing at the highest level has to have an element of that because you have to. You have to believe that you are almost unbeatable because everyone else at that level thinks that way. I think that mindset is a real key element to winning and maintaining a level of performance that will keep you at the top.
"If I get that feeling back I will play more of the senior events. I will know as soon as I get there if the feeling is right, and I hope it is. I'd love to win a few of those big tournaments because they are great events and have so many great players playing."
Discounted advance tickets for The 2012 Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex at Turnberry can now be purchased online, with season passes now available at £60 and any one day tickets at £18 if booked before July 1. They can be booked online at www.europeantourtickets.com, where other discounts and offers can also be found.
Hospitality packages for each of the four Championship days in 2012 are available at £95 per person inc VAT, which includes admittance to the course along with a three-course lunch and glass of champagne in Turnberry's signature restaurant, 1906, reserved parking, a Championship programme and a draw sheet.
American Russ Cochran won The 2011 Senior Open Championship at Walton Heath, holding off the challenge of former Open Champion Mark Calcavecchia, three-time Senior Open Champion Tom Watson and 2010 United States Ryder Cup Captain Corey Pavin.
Watson will be returning to Turnberry where he won The Open Championship in 1977, defeating Jack Nicklaus in the famous 'Duel in the Sun', and The Senior Open Championship in 2003, defeating Carl Mason in a play-off. He also came agonisingly close to winning the Claret Jug over the Ailsa Course in 2009 at the age of 59, losing in a play-off to compatriot Stewart Cink.
For further information, please contact:-
The European Tour Communications Division
Tel: +44 (0)1344 840400; Fax: +44 (0)1344 840444


text:
Socks can finish off a cycling outfit beautifully and these classic British herringbone numbers from Vulpine are just the ticket.
Vulpine have brought their fabled ability to combine comfort, style and quality to the rock 'n' roll world of socks once again. Their fabric of choice is a merino-rich blend to create warmth, durability and comfort. They dry fast, and they're even less likely to smell than most.
They've panelled the merino in different zones, so that there's more padding in pressured areas, and less in areas to allow breathability. The Merino combats heat and cold, so these socks are ideal for mountain passes, where hammering upwards creates great heat, and descending can chill.
Size Guide
Vulpine's socks are cut in the following sizes:
Small: UK Size 3-6, Euro Size 34-38
Medium: UK Size 6-8, Euro Size 38-42
Tech Spec
- 70% Merino Wool content, with odourless, fast drying and hard wearing properties
- Technical panelling, providing comfort in key areas
- Lightly elasticated, articulated ankle
- Contrast toe and heal
- Vulpine logo on sole
- Coloured stripes running along length of sock, front and rear
Washing instructions
- 30°C delicate machine, or hand wash with mild detergent
- Dry flat if possible
- Do not bleach, tumble dry or dry clean
- Cool iron if you like your socks flat!
- Socks may contract after first wash, this is normal, they'll stretch out when you put them on
Who's Behind It?
Vulpine was founded by Nick & Emmalou Hussey at around the same time as VeloVixen. Coming from backgrounds in film & design, they put their life savings and house into creating the company.
They now have a little boy, Millar, and a daughter Lyra. They've had cycling genetically implanted into them. The team has grown significantly through less organic means too. Vulpine have quickly become one of the biggest and most ambitious names in cycling. Crucially, office Jack Russell Lily, remains in a position of responsibility.
They've put in years of painstaking design, research and testing to create stylish cycling apparel that you'll actually want to wear both for cycling and for when you get where you're going. They've have made sure that it is all cut for cycling, with a classic British tailored influence. They've chosen sophisticated colours that don't just mimic other products out there. They've added innovations that are practical without being dull. And visibility features that you can wear with pride.
Vulpine has been a dream for most of Nick's adult life. He fell in love with cycling as a child, quickly graduating to pretty serious road racing and time trialling. But the enjoyment of cycling in all its forms is absolutely key to all the Vulpine team members. They believe we are all Cyclists, but also people with lives off the bike as well as on. We look forward to working with them as their exponential growth and profile continues.
Be the first to review this product
Write Your Own Review
Unit 28, Wheatley Business Park, Old London Road, Wheatley, Oxford OX33 1XW // firstname.lastname@example.com // +44 (0) 1302 249 323


text:
Views: 1680
Replies to This Discussion
If you make your first serve, you wont ever double fault.
This is a great one! I have to say, if you make your second serve you will never double fault either. ;-)
If you hit the ball in the net, at least your opponent will never hit a winner.
Lob short and rush the net (great to see if teenagers are paying attention)
Have you ever been injured doing this?
Now a real one. For most players 75% of all errors are in the net, learn to hit with depth, and you will reduce your errors by a wide margin.
try that again and watch what happens. >-/p>
ask a silly question... I guess when you asked for "One-Liners" some thought you meant comedy.
"OH this isnt Fair." Derek D
Time 27:50
this is from the 9yo video this is taken out of context.
" you are gonna fail, you are gonna lose and thats how you succeed" Ricky Macci
Good one Ricky. lol I think Borg subscribed to losing in practice but winning his matches.
© 2019 Created by Mark / The Mayor. Powered by


text:
Luxury is a state of mind
Luxury is a state of mind. Luxury is more than buying and having. It is about life experiences.
At Living It, we don't catalogue specs, we tell stories. We focus on people – celebrating brilliance through the creators who inspire and the consumers who love. We showcase the exclusive inclusiveness that is the heart of the luxury world.
Living it sits down with the creative minds, artists and designers shaping the world of luxury. Savoir-Faire shows what is hidden behind the scenes and the recipes that can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Gives a voice to influencers, instagrammers and bloggers who wants to share their luxury experiences and day-to-day lifestyle. They are recognised and admired trend-setters in their field and embody the positive attributes of the industry. To feature in Savoir-Vivre connect with us through social media.join us and become a contributor
- advertise with email@example.com
- Pitch us a email@example.com
- Partnership firstname.lastname@example.com
- Compliment us


text:
For the last time this century, we have a very auspicious triple date today! Luck will change, stars will align, the universe will smile on us.
And to get that started, we've cooked up a great deal on one of my very favorite projects this year - Photohsop Friday 2012! Every Friday this year (and for the next 3 weeks), I've created an awesome video tutorial showing a specific technique in Photoshop, and tossed in a digital scrapbook template, AND a printable PDF showing 6 ways to use the technique. The year-long subscription included a GIANT (350MB) kit of digital items (papers, brushes, embellishments) that can be used in all these templates and beyond.
At the beginning of the year, this collection of awesomenesswas $70.
Now that we are winding down what has been a year full of change for me, and in honor of this Day of the Smiling Universe, I'm putting the 2012 Photoshop Friday on sale for $24.
With 52 tutorials, templates, that is basically .50 a lesson, even without the 52 templates to help you complete the pages right along with me. Merry and bright? Oh, I think so.
Photoshop Friday 2012 disappears on December 31. It might resurface broken up and in other formats, we'll see.
But this is the last opportunity to grab this screaming deal, that will help YOU:
- get more done
- learn a whole lot of Photoshop, and
- feed your digital supply collecting habit (ahem)
All in one shot. Seriously good.
Here is a little preview of some of the (52!) pages you can make:
You can purchase the entire Photoshop Friday tutorial set for instant, permanent access, OR you can tell someone you really, really love them by grabbing the gift version of Photoshop Friday!
AND just because the universe is smiling on YOU particularly for reading this far, how about a FREE HOLIDAY GIFT? I've created a free template to celebrate the season, and here it is:
Click here to download the template in a .zip file.
Pretty nice, no? I would love to see a linkback here, or in Pinterest (my board or the JS.com board), or on our Facebook page when you complete a layout with this template!
(If you aren't sure how a template works, consider registering for my new upcoming digital scrapbooking class called Photoshop 1 for Digital Scrapbooking. You'll love it!)


text:
- Three-way, High output true Line Array design
- New State-of the Art transducer technology with
- 3-inch Diamater Beryllium HF very high output with exceptional clarity
- Kevlar MF driver with larger voice coil and magnet for more output before power compression
- Integrated VUEDrive™ System Engines with SystemVUE network control and Dante networking audio distribution.
- Fully compatible with VUEPoint beam steering technology
- Extremely Scalable – Continuous Source Topology (CST™) technology allows the combination of al-12 acoustic elements with al-8s and al-4s to build complex hybrid arrays
- Integrated flying hardware allows quick assembly of large arrays
- Full complement of system optimized subwoofers, flying and transport accessories
VUE has been hard at work on creating a high-output system for large-scale applications that would remain faithful to the fidelity standards established with the al-4 and al-8 systems. Retaining the bandwidth, definition, and linearity of VUE's smaller line array systems while producing output levels required for large stadium applications, was no small accomplishment. In fact, it required a re-thinking of possibilities, effectively resulting in the development of a whole new set of advanced transducers, new suspension designs, and system packaging.
The al-12 was designed from the ground up to cover large-scale applications while preserving the unique ability to integrate with all of the al-Class members in hybrid arrays. The al-12 utilizes VUE's proprietary Continuous Source Topology (CST™) technology to achieve seamless performance and system scalability across all al-Class line array elements.
The 'al-12 Line Array System' is made up of the al-12 Acoustic Elements and rack-mount V3 Systems Engines. The V3 combines a highly refined DSP architecture and onboard SystemVUE networking capabilities allowing easy assembly of sophisticated networks with remote management and control available via the intuitive SystemVUE software.
Expanding the Line
VUE's al-Class line array systems have achieved international recognition for raising the bar for sonic definition, through a combination of advanced transducer design and tightly integrated dsp, The al-12 expands the scale of applications that can benefit from the al-Class' pristine sonic performance. The al-12 was designed from the ground up to cover large-scale applications while preserving the unique ability to integrate with all of the al-Class members in hybrid arrays that do not 'break the line'.
Not only should this system be impressive on its own merits, it would be elemental to maintain the ability for all of the al-Class systems to work together in an optimized and coherent manner. These unique challenges forced VUE to build a whole new set of transducers and re-think the possibilities.
The System VUE
The 'al-12 Line Array System' is made up of the al-12 Acoustic Elements and rack-mount V3 Systems Engines. The V3 combines a refined DSP architecture and onboard SystemVUE networking capabilities allow easy assembly of sophisticated networks with remote management and control available via the intuitive SystemVUE control software. The system is powered in blocks of two al-12 enclosures, and a single V3 rack mount amplifier/DSP unit. The V3 provides 1600 watts sine wave or 4000 watts burst for each of the low and mid frequency channels, and 500 watts sine wave / 1000 watts burst for the high frequencies. The V3 is equipped with analogue, AES and Dante inputs and full ethernet based SystemVUE remote control.
VUE is developing a modular amplifier system capable of flying with the al-12 which will incorporate identical dsp and amplification of the V3 in a higher density configuration. The system will be sold in standard blocks, with sixteen al-12 Acoustic Elements and an eight VUEDrive™ V3 Systems Engines comprising a single block. Multiple al-12 blocks will be combined to address larger applications.
For applications where extended low-frequency is required, the al-12SB is a companion subwoofer system with two 18-inch Neodymium woofers optimized to provide solid low-frequency response down to below 40Hz in a very compact enclosure that can be flown in arrays along with the al-12s, in sub only adjacent arrays or ground stacked. The al-12 is fully compatible with a variety of VUE subwoofers, including the large format h-Class subwoofers.
CST ™ Technology
Definition of Topology: "The study of geometric properties and spatial relations unaffected by the continuous change of shape or size of figures."
CST™ re-defines the concept of system 'Scalability'. Acoustic Linearity Architecture paired with CST™ allows the use of multiple different al-Class elements together in an array without sacrificing the elemental line-array theory basics, resulting in a coherent and symmetrical line-source from the largest cabinet at the top of the array, to the smallest under-hung elements. The family of al-Class products feature three line array elements for maximum flexibility in sound design, inventory profitability, unbeatable coherency. Furthermore, the VUE al-Class Line Arrays support VUEPoint™ Beam Forming to further achieve unsurpassable performance and coverage control in any given room configuration.
VUE'S ACOUSTIC LINEARITY WITH CST™ ANOINTS VUE'S al-CLASS AS THE BENCHMARK IN COMPLETE LINE ARRAY SOLUTIONS
al-Class Combination Arrays
The VUE al-Class line arrays are the only system that can combine ultra-compact (al-4), medium format (al-8) and large-format (al-12) enclosures into a single coherent array without compromising the mid- and high-frequency coherency. This design feature enables a level of unparalleled system versatility. One can create virtually seamless arrays fully optimized for every parameter including coverage, sound pressure level, size and weight. This also expands the capitalization of a rental inventory for all portable applications.
To understand the latest developments in line array technology? Download the ACOUSTIC LINEARITY White Paper.
The Truextent® Beryllium Advantageh-Class full range systems and al-Class line arrays all employ VUE-designed compression drivers that feature a Truextent® beryllium diaphragm at their core. Beryllium outperforms both aluminum and titanium thanks to an extremely high stiffness-to-mass ratio, which dramatically reduces mechanical deformation (breakup) and shifts resonant frequencies outside the audible range. The net result is a more defined HF at much higher SPLs than more conventional materials.
Read more about the advantages of Truextent beryllium
Suspension System


text:
The Week Ahead: India Celebrates Diwali, International Trade Fair
Highlights of news and cultural events related to India this week.
Monday, Nov. 12: India's department of telecommunications begins fresh auctions for licenses of second-generation phone services to telecommunication operators.
SpiceJet Nestle India and DLF are set to announce their quarterly earnings.
Tuesday, Nov.13: India celebrates Diwali, the festival of lights, the day when Hindus worship Laxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.
Nobel prize laureate and Myanmar's democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi is scheduled to arrive in India today for a week-long visit. She will deliver a lecture in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Wednesday, Nov.14: India celebrates Children's Day on a day that commemorates India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, on his birth anniversary.
The 32nd India International Trade Fair begins in New Delhi's Pragati Maidan exhibition ground today.
Thursday, Nov.15: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is scheduled to visit Japan to hold talks with his Japanese counterpart Yoshihiko Noda on a range of strategic and economic issues.
Friday, Nov.16: Animal rights activists gather in the southern state of Goa for "India for Animals 2012 Conference."


text:
The Glycemic Index
The glycemic index ranks foods based on their impact on blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels.
Carbohydrate foods that break down quickly during digestion, and cause an immediate spike in blood sugar levels, have a high glycemic index. Carbohydrates that breakdown slowly, releasing glucose gradually into the blood stream, have a low glycemic index.
Low GI carbohydrate foods, such as pasta, are proven to help reduce the risk of heart disease, lower the risk of diabetes, and aid in weight loss.
Low GI carbodhyrates also help:
- Increase the body's sensitivity to insulin
- Improve diabetes control
- Reduce the risk of heart disease
- Reduce blood cholesterol levels
- Manage the symptoms of PCOS
- Reduce hunger and keep you fuller for longer
- Prolong physical endurance
- Help re-fuel carbohydrate stores after exercise
How to switch to a low GI diet
Switching to a low GI diet can be as easy as identifying the high GI foods you eat (e.g. potato chips or white bread) and replacing them low GI alternatives, such as:
- Breakfast cereals based on wheat bran, barley and oats
- Breads with whole grains, stone-ground flour, sour dough
- Fruit and vegetables
- Pasta, noodles and quinoa
- Basmati or Doongara rice
- Salad vegetables with vinaigrette or lemon juice dressing
For more information on the Glycemic Index, visit www.glycemicindex.com.


text:
BARRINGTON — Elementary School students showed off their talents for inventing, during the annual Invention Convention recently.
Since January, students used their imaginations to create projects that solve various problems in innovative ways.
"It's an opportunity for kids to look at the world, to find a problem, and come up with a solution," said Assistant Principal Laura Deely.
The fifth annual Invention Convention showcased 130 projects by students in Grades 1-6.
As part of one project, fifth-grader Finn Doyle, 10, created "The Joke-inator," consisting of an elaborate system of a fishing rod, inclined planes, wheels, ropes and pulleys — all ending with a lever falling on a whoopie cushion.
"I wanted to make kids laugh," said Finn, who worked on the project at home for about two days, with the help of his dad.
Finn's brother, 9-year-old Thayer Doyle, in fourth grade, created a similarly elaborate system to scare off the family cat.
The project, titled "Scat Cat," uses a pulley system involving a toy car, a doorknob, and a ball. At the end of a chain reaction, a box of BBs falls on top of a metal cookie sheet, making a loud noise that would startle a cat.
"One of our cats loves to climb on the table," said Thayer. "This way we can get him off nice and easy."
Thayer said he worked on the project with the help of his parents and friend. The hardest part, he said, was getting a wooden platform to balance right.
Nori Sandin, a 7-year-old second-grader, invented "The super toothbrush," consisting of multiple toothbrushes taped together. She said the super tooth brush can brush the bottom teeth and the top teeth at the same time.
Second-grader Renee Vigent, 7, came up with a device to help pick up acorns from her lawn. The device is supposed to roll across the lawn, scoop up the acorns, and toss them in a bag through the attached loops.
Renee said she thought of the idea last summer.
"I don't like walking on the lawn with bare feet" because of the acorns, she said. Renee also said she often watches her mother pick up the acorns from the lawn.
Her invention was called "Squirrel's Enemy," because "The squirrels don't like the acorns taken away from them," said Renee.
David Berube, an assistant librarian at the town library, was one of multiple community members who were judging the students' projects.
According to REACH coordinator Laura Vittorioso, one winning project from each grade level will go on to compete in the statewide Invention Convention taking place March 23.
For Berube, judging the student's work is "a blast," he said.
"They're just viewing things with much clearer eyes," said Berube.
He said the students are coming up with solutions not just for everyday problems, but solutions for problems adults would never think of.
"I'm surprised at the innovation these kids are taking," said Berube. "These kids are so inventive."


text:
Materials Industries
Materials Industries brings together producers of non-ferrous metals, foundries and manufacturers of fabricated metal, plastics, composites and aluminium products and the metalworking subcontractors .
Your contact Danny Goderis
Upcoming events
24/10 'CEO Roundtable Sustainability' @ Umicore Hoboken Agoria's Young Professionals Network would like to invite you to its event: 'CEOs meet Young PROs on sustainability'. Ever wondered what sustainability can mean for tech companies? Do you doubt whether sustainability can be a real driver for innovation and long-term profits? Come and join us, you will learn how top notch tech companies have integrated sustainability into their business model. Seven key note speakers will pitch their sustainability strategy to a critical public of young professionals. Get inspired!
Event 07/11/2019 Belgian Plastics Day 2019 - Plastics in a Circular Economy How is the Belgian plastics industry performing in a circular economy? What are the market trends? How is the uptake of recycled plastics in Belgium? This is what you can discover on the second Belgian Plastics Day, co-organised by Agoria and essenscia PolyMatters.
EC consultation on guidance on practical aspects of the implementation of the Standardisation Regulation (EU) No. 1025/2012 Orgalim has prepared a draft response to the ongoing consultation of the European Commission on its guidelines for the practical implementation of Standardisation Regulation (EU) No 1025/2012. Please let us know your comments before 28 August so that we can discuss them with Orgalim.
Apply to the Corporate Startup Stars The 'Corporate Startup Stars' is a set of awards intended to recognise large firms that have gone out of their way to work with startups, in order to promote corporate-startup collaboration as a mechanism for helping startups scale. Last year, Samsung Electronics, KPN and Sodexo were awarded as Europe's top three startup-friendly corporates.
Become stronger on the international market All European SMEs active in textile machinery and advanced manufacturing can apply to the Ready2Net Call.
5G ecosystem & regulation: European call (BEREC) for input In order to better understand the potential impact of 5G on regulation, BEREC (Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications) is seeking comments from businesses and organisations who are interested in, or planning to utilise 5G connectivity, in order to ensure that regulation is not a barrier to innovative services.


text:
Achieving market stability is the main objective of the Organization of Oil Producing Countries (OPEC), the body's president, Ali Rodriguez, said Saturday at the opening ceremony of a meeting attended by 11 OPEC representatives in Algiers.
"OPEC's response has to be clear: market stability is our main objective," Rodriguez said, citing "pressure" from industrialized nations to "preserve their interests."
"We have to avoid volatility by seeking a point of equilibrium that is good enough for development of the industrialized and developing nations," he said.
Last month, OPEC members agreed to a modest production hike of 708,000 barrels per day and to pump more oil into the market if the average price of crude remained above 28 dollars a barrel for 20 working days.
The accord went into effect July 1st - Algiers (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


text:
For products in stock, it is 1 – 5 days, we test products before we send them. We usually repair your faulty electronics within 2 to 5 weeks. We stand for Quality in Repair and do our very best to carry out repairs within this period.
Up to 2 years warranty
Urgent repairs
No fix, no fee
150,000 spare parts in stock
string(45) "https://media.unisgroup.com/images/LCA200.jpg" array(15) { [0]=> string(15) "HTTP/1.1 200 OK" [1]=> string(35) "Date: Mon, 21 Oct 2019 13:08:15 GMT" [2]=> string(24) "Content-Type: image/jpeg" [3]=> string(21) "Content-Length: 44475" [4]=> string(17) "Connection: close" [5]=> string(142) "Set-Cookie: __cfduid=d585c02dad9d128a919ac68bf1613fa681571663295; expires=Tue, 20-Oct-20 13:08:15 GMT; path=/; domain=.unisgroup.com; HttpOnly" [6]=> string(44) "Last-Modified: Tue, 15 Oct 2019 12:29:40 GMT" [7]=> string(26) "Cache-Control: s-maxage=10" [8]=> string(21) "ETag: "5da5bbb4-adbb"" [9]=> string(22) "X-Powered-By: PleskLin" [10]=> string(20) "Accept-Ranges: bytes" [11]=> string(24) "CF-Cache-Status: DYNAMIC" [12]=> string(98) "Expect-CT: max-age=604800, report-uri="https://report-uri.cloudflare.com/cdn-cgi/beacon/expect-ct"" [13]=> string(18) "Server: cloudflare" [14]=> string(28) "CF-RAY: 5293758e99ead8c5-AMS" } bool(false) bool(false) https://media.unisgroup.com/images/LCA200.jpg
This product is in our stock, we can deliver within 1 – 5 working days. Do you want us to fix this product for you? You can opt for Quality in Repair with us. Specify below what we can do for you.
Ask for a quote or information for LCA200
Frequently asked questions
What is the delivery time?
Can UNIS Group repair my faulty electronics?
Yes, we can. As a specialist in the field of industrial electronics, we can clean, repair and test your faulty electronics – completely brand independent – according to the highest quality standards.
Can I have my product delivered or repaired urgently?
Yes, you can. You can use our 24/7 emergency service after hours and at weekends.
How does UNIS Group send my products?
We usually ship via UPS, unless you require otherwise. We ship worldwide, please contact us for all shipping options. You will receive a tracking number once your package has been shipped.
Is there a warranty on the product?
You will receive up to 2 years warranty on our repairs and sales. We will mention in our offer what warranty you will receive from us, per product and service.
How can I be sure the product is functioning optimally?
We test all repaired and refurbished electronics in our unique test centre with more than 300 different test setups. This ensures the electronics are fully functional.
Can I exchange my defective product at the purchase of a product?
Yes, you can. We will immediately send the electronics out of stock. If you have replaced the electronics, you can return the defective part to UNIS Group.
What does it cost if my product cannot be repaired?
Nothing at all, all our repairs are based on 'no cure, no pay'. The chance that we cannot repair your product is minimal, 93% of our repairs are successful. If your product is beyond repair, we can dispose of the product in an environmentally friendly and responsible way, at your request.
Up to 2 years warranty
Urgent repairs
No fix, no fee
150,000 spare parts in stock


text:
CTT8-11 - Visitation Arrangement
CTT49-12 - Standing Spray
CTT34-21 - Standing Heart
30-Sep-2015 - 12:00 PM Service 12:00PM in Waverley Chapel. 8791422 Buy Flowers
07-Feb-2015 - 01:00 AM Service 10:00AM in St. Mary's Catholic Church. Address: 400 West Commonwealth Ave., Fullerton, CA 8353160 Buy Flowers
21-Jul-2014 - 09:30 AM 9:30 Service at Waverley Chapel 7966838 Buy Flowers
17-Apr-2015 - 12:00 PM SERVICE in Waverley Chapel 8583995 Buy Flowers
We are available to provide arrangements for any service at our facility during our regular business hours.
Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 8 am - 4 pm
Wednesday: 8 am - 2 pm
Saturday: 8 am - Noon
Sunday: Closed
(All times are Pacific Standard Time)
When placing an order, please give the Florist at least 24 hours prior to the date of the service to ensure that your order can be accommodated.


text:
Forms Jobs
Posted: Tuesday, April 1, 2014Department: Marketing and Communications
Marketing & Communications - March 28, 2014
Thank you all for the thoughtful, insightful, (and funny!) slogans that you sent in for consideration! Watch in the next week or two for an announcement.
The City Council is soliciting citizen suggestions for a city slogan that, among other uses, would be displayed under the N.C. DOT's "Welcome to Winston-Salem" signs on major roads and highways.
Citizens with a suggestion can submit by phone or internet between March 31 and April 4.


text:
Whole-grain bread rolls
There are not many things that can beat the whole grain bread, unless it's 8 delicious little whole grain breadrolls ;-) These are perfect for breakfast, and you can easily prepare and bake them in one evening, for e.g. Sunday breakfast! :-)
My fool-proof recipe will be a great fun, and a good addition to your baking arsenal.
When you make your own pasta, you will always end up with some scraps, even more if you make ravioli. You can easily recycle this leftover pasta to make maltagliati, meaning "poorly cut" in Italian, which was traditionally meant as food for the poor. We are way past that, and today you can enjoy rich texture and amazing flavor of your pasta without the social stigma ;-)
Honey meat ravioli
This delicious meal is amazingly easy to prepare, as long as you have a pasta machine and ravioli tablet — it's a small grid in which you can prepare ravioli "like a sandwich", then roll out the ready ravioli using a rolling pin. Super easy, and with just very little effort you will end up having a luxurious feast!
German Zimtsterne (cinnamon almond cookies)
I always wanted to make these, and finally got the guts — oh boy, I wasn't really prepared for the amount of nitty-gritty with making these. I started with original German recipe that called for 500g of almonds, but that ended up being 2 full baking sheets and lots of sneaky snacking between steps ;-) But the result is good, and these cookies are worth the effort.
Colorful chicken with purple potatoes
This recipe is not for the faint-hearted — it requires some frying skills, but makes a really tasty, delicious meal with a massive wow-factor without any extra hassle :-) I actually got the idea for this, when my local grocery store offered special 1kg packages of Vitelotte, a.k.a. purple potatoes. I wanted to make something tasty, but also colourful and festive, thus this crazy, colourful and festive meal was born! ---|
On good thing about these potatoes is, they seem to lower blood pressure and have inflammatory components, which might be a good thing for a winter meal :-)


text:
JVC combines Anton Bauer's Digital 90 battery and Tandem-70 charger/power supply as a fitting power package for the JVC ProHD GY-HM700 and GY-HM800 Series camcorders. The Gold-Mount Digital 90 offers a 93Wh capacity, and the Tandem-70, featuring a 3-prong AC socket, can be used as both a one-position charger or camera-mounted AC adapter.
The Anton Bauer Digital 90 Gold Mount Battery (14.4V, 93 Wh), along with the rest of the Digital Battery Series, represents a major makeover for Anton Bauer, featuring a redesign in several aspects over previous series. The result is a long-lasting, sleek and ergonomic, smart, and safe series of batteries, projected for 1000 charge/discharge cycles. The Digital 90 runs on lithium-ion Sanyo cells which Anton Bauer has found to be highly reliable for them in the past. One of the major changes is a reconstruction of the honeycomb interior, built very spacious and housing the cells physically separated from one another, each individually wrapped in its own plastic case and isolated from the others. This ensures that any potential damage to one cell will have no effect on the others, huge for safety. The additional space in the honeycomb also serves to allow more airflow between the cells, effecting more heat dissipation, which will keep the cells cooler and protect them from aging faster.
As another safety precaution, for instances of above average weather conditions, multiple sensors are built in that detect when the battery is too hot or too cold and trigger a shut down until the temperature is back to normal, at which point the battery automatically turns back on. Designed to the demands of broadcast and cinema digital cameras, the Digital Battery Series employs an algorithm that addresses the issue of "ringing" common to digital cameras. Where batteries are commonly susceptible to sporadic bursts of excess power draw, similar to how a car eats up more gas when the gas pedal is hit too hard, this algorithm smoothes out the power draw, in turn affording longer lasting, more predictable runs with a particular camera and overall longer life.
The Digital Battery Series is compatible with the concurrently released Performance Series of chargers and with all previous Anton Bauer chargers. Used with any of these chargers, via a feature that has become common to the Anton Bauer name, the Digital 90 exchanges certain digital data with the charger that allows the selection of the best charge routine possible for the battery's cell chemistry, maximizing overall life. Via another familiar Anton Bauer feature, the Digital 90 applies a continuous and constant calibration that enables it to provide more and more accurate capacity and run-time calculations over the life of the battery. Run-time is usefully reported in hours and minutes on an easy-to-read LCD when power is being drawn, and as a percentage value when no load is attached. The reporting in hours and minutes will only get more and more precise with each use as a result of the constant calibration feature.
The aesthetics have also taken a redesign, with the body shaped ergonomically for a comfortable hold and modern look, and the outer jacket made of rubber that provides a good grip as well as a cushion against accidental drops. The case is made of high-impact polymer, which is the same material used in motorcycle helmets. A P-Tap output is available for powering accessories.
Anton Bauer's Tandem-70 offers a new approach to portable power. It combines all the functionality of a one position InterActive® charger with the convenience of a noise free camera mounted wide range AC Mains Adapter. The Tandem-70 will power even the most power hungry high definition camera from any worldwide AC source. It also doubles as a full function InterActive Charger charging any Anton Bauer Gold Mount battery in two hours or less. Weighing only one pound (450g) the Tandem-70 is the perfect addition to any field camera as a lightweight mains adapter and/or as a high performance charger. Meets all applicable regulatory requirements including CE and FCC.
|Mount / Series Type
|Gold Mount
|Capacity (Wh)
|93 Wh
|Not Specified by Manufacturer
|Output Voltage
|Maximum Load
|Accessory Port
|1 x D-Tap
|Dimensions (W x H x D)
|2.7 x 6.5 x 4.4″ / 69.0 x 165.0 x 112.0 mm
|2 lbs / 0.90 kg
|Packaging Info
|Box Dimensions (LxWxH)
|9.2 x 7.6 x 7.6″
Product Highlights:
|6 lbs
|6 × 13 × 18 in


text:
INDIANAPOLIS -- Freshman guard Elijah Brown is transferring out of Butler's basketball program.
The son of Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Brown was one of the prized recruits in Butler's freshman recruiting class. The 6-foot-4 guard is the fourth Butler player to transfer since mid-February, following freshmen Nolan Berry and Rene Castro, and sophomore Devontae Morgan.
Coach Brandon Miller thanked Brown for his contributions while making the announcement Friday.
Neither Brown nor the Bulldogs indicated where Brown may land.
Brown averaged 6.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists last season, playing in 30 games. He was the Bulldogs' top free-throw shooter at 85.4 percent.


text:
Advance praise for China's Wings
"Too many people think the war in the Pacific began with Japan's sudden strike on Hawaii, launched seemingly out of nowhere. Crouch's vividly written book explains how America's business interests in 1930s China set it on the path to Pearl Harbor. This is the rousing story of the enterprising Pan Am pilots who built a frontier airline and went on to become aviation heroes, flying over the Himalayas, helping save China, and thereby transforming the world."—James D. Hornfischer, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors and Neptune's Inferno
"Dramatically rendered."—Kirkus Reviews
"In China's Wings, Gregory Crouch recalls the remarkable encounter between an ancient civilization and the most modern technology in the world, as intrepid Americans and their Chinese partners struggled to establish a sophisticated air network over a vast land that barely knew electricity. This gripping book will transport you to a fascinating lost time."—James Bradley, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers and The Imperial Cruise
"West Point grad Crouch brings us a story that's part adventure, part unearthed history [and] not just for history buffs."—Library Journal


text:
I'm sad to say I have no muffin tin to show this week. I planned to do it on Saturday with the kids, but I spent that whole day curled up in a ball... the victim of either a 24 hour stomach bug (or possibly mild food poisoning?). I was feeling better mid-Sunday, but then my attention was focused on assisting Owen with his big 3rd grade biography project. There just wasn't time for playing with food. Bummer!
One element I was looking forward to including in the Seuess-themed muffin tin was another kiwi guy. The kiwi Grinch, take two. Not many of my food creations make a lasting impression on my children, but that kiwi Grinch is something they talk about whenever something Grinchy comes up.
Now let's get on to the link-up! Hopefully some other muffin tin makers have whipped up something Seussy this week!A few reminders:
- please link back to this post
- the MTM button is available in the left margin, at the bottom, just below the regular Another Lunch buttons
- Muffin Tin Monday 4-1-1 is and the schedule for upcoming themes is posted at the Muffin Tin Monday information page. More were added this weekend!


text:
The mess of the magistrates' courts is in a microcosm the mess that central Statism has inflicted across all areas of administering our civil society. Within the criminal justice system, the role of the CPS - which surely should be called the SPS, the State Prosecution Service, for the extent to which it has ridden roughshod over the Sovereign's exercise of justice through her Sheriffs and Lords Lieutenant, and the role of the Lord Chancellor.
Sir, If opportunities are being sought for cuts in the public sector, a good place to start might be in the legal system, in particular the Courts Service.
As an example, in 2003 the Courts Service was enlarged to include within its embrace the administration of the magistrates' courts and statutory tribunals in England and Wales. At the time Sir Hayden Phillips, then Permanent Secretary at the Lord Chancellor's Department (now the Ministry of Justice), said that to effect that change the number of civil servants required would rise to about 25,000, at an annual cost of £3 billion.
Before 2003 the justices of the peace for hundreds of years had been entirely independent, managing their own courts locally at minimal cost to the taxpayer, and being reimbursed only for expenses. Their services were, and are, voluntary and unpaid.
The magistrates' courts accounted in 2003 for more than 90 per cent of the criminal cases in this country, the rate of disposal being greater than that in the other criminal courts administered by the Courts Service; the magistracy, then and now, enjoys the confidence of the public, and without the lay magistrates the criminal justice system could not function. This much was accepted in the flawed Auld report, on the basis of which the enlargement of the Courts Service was proposed and justified. It was said that efficiency required the incorporation of the magistrates' courts into a unified Courts Service, to be operated at both national and local level by civil servants. However, it remains doubtful whether any such efficiency has been achieved. On the contrary, it seems likely that the system, now burdened with an unwelcome bureacracy, is less efficient, more wasteful and very expensive.
The system worked perfectly well before 2003 without the need to spend billions on it. The removal of the magistrates' courts (and the statutory tribunals) from the Courts Service, and the restoration of the autonomy and independence of the justices, would be constitutionally sound and would save the nation a great deal of money.
Stanley Brodie, QC
Many of the arguments against the old systems are around objections to (hateful term) a 'postcode lottery'. Well, those 'postcode lotteries' often reflected very accurately the values and relativities of local communities; the Welsh benches from 'dry' shires that savagely disposed of alcohol-related offences, and the harsh penalties for thieves imposed by benches in the northern Mill Towns. When I was a lad the bench covering the seaside retirement towns of Frinton and Clacton had the reputation of jailing speeding youngsters - and the message was understood; don't race in Frinton. My neighbour in a Suffolk market town was a magistrate, a down to earth bloke who worked as a supervisor for a local ICI plant. His family had lived in the town for at least 400 years. He saw his JP job as much about defending our local communities from external threats as upholding the Queen's justice - with the implicit consequence that outsiders and external deviance would be dealt with more harshly than local delinquency well understood.
In the mendacious doublespeak of the Central State 'Community Justice' means exactly the opposite; all discretion that would make the operation of the lowest tier of our criminal justice system in any way 'community' driven has been removed. Community values are scorned by the central State in favour of political policies. Here's to a return to independent courts, to a postcode lottery and to true community justice. And a bonfire of the Department of State Justice.


text:
Baseball's Kansas City Royals go green with solar array
The Kansas City Royals baseball team is getting greener with the largest in-stadium solar array generating electricity in Major League Baseball.
The 120 solar panels, which have been installed and tested, are expected to produce 36,000 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which is enough to power for four homes. That won't be enough to meet all the stadium's electricity needs but should provide most if not all of a crucial element of the game.
"Your beer is going to be cooled by the sun," said Chuck Caisley, a spokesman for Kansas City Power & Light.
The move into solar energy comes as Major League Baseball is making a push to encourage teams to be energy efficient and use more renewable energy. Kauffman Stadium joins five other ballparks, including those in Denver and Cleveland, already are equipped with solar panels. The San Francisco Giants have a bigger solar installation than the Royals' but it is outside that stadium.
The Royals approached KCP&L about four months ago about a solar installation and wanted to move quickly so that it would be ready and running for this season. The Royals will play host to the All-Star Game, and the team wanted renewable energy to be part of putting its best foot forward for the national audience watching that game.
Read the complete story at kansascity.com


text:
Shipping is for lower 48 states. All others must request shipping price and MUST pay via PAYPAL.
Shipping and handling charges are NEVER refundable.
If you would like more pictures please email me but be sure your server accepts pictures.
Email all questions or doubts. Thanks for looking
ALL SALES ARE FINAL, so ask any questions before buying. ALL of my items are sold "AS-IS", this is NOT a reflection on the condition, just my policy. So ask questions and request additional photos on any item BEFORE buying.
The time I need to prepare an order for shipping varies. For details, see individual items.
North America: 3 - 5 business days
I'll do my best to meet these shipping estimates, but cannot guarantee them. Actual delivery time will depend on the shipping method you choose.
Buyers are responsible for any customs or duties fees that may apply. Sellers aren't responsible for delays due to customs
I will only use your shipping and billing address, and contact information
- To communicate with you about your order
- To fulfill your order
- For legal reasons (like paying taxes)


text:
24/7 computer help when you need itLearn More
Windows 8 Compatible
1. Call
Call the NortonLive Service Center
2. Connect
Connect to the NortonLive Service Center
3. Service
Your agent will complete your service and ensure that your computer is working well again!
Looking for product support? Go to Norton Support.
Each NortonLive Service is subject to acceptance of Symantec's NortonLive Service Terms & Conditions. One-time NortonLive Services expire 30 days after your purchase date.


text:
RFSD's Welcome & Secure Entry Process
In 2015, the district's facility master planning process identified safe and secure schools as an important desire of our communities. The passing of the bond allowed us to create physical solutions to ensure that front entrances are secure and that all exterior doors are actively monitored.
With this added security comes a new process and policy for visitor entry to schools. We hope that these procedures allow us to maintain the welcoming feel of our schools while providing a safe and secure environment for your children.
Please note the following:
- During school hours, all visitors will enter through the main doors and check-in at the welcome window prior to entering a school.
- Once verified, visitors will be let into the building, asked to sign in, and given a badge that they will wear for the duration of their visit.
- It is imperative that visitors not hold the door open for others behind them. Each visitor must be acknowledged individually.
- Upon leaving, visitors will return their badges and sign out.
You will also see all of our Roaring Fork Schools staff--including bus drivers, guest teachers, district staff, food service workers, and more--wearing identification any time they are working in a building that is not their home school. We hope that this fosters a climate where all students and families feel welcome to greet all staff by name.
We know that this protocol is more stringent than past practice and may inconvenience our visitors who are, as always, welcome in our schools. If you should require clarification regarding the procedures, please contact your building principal.
Our commitment to creating welcoming and safe schools does not stop with these solutions, but they will be an important part of our new school entry process.


text:
Product Overview
Main Features
- iMac Pro
- Display: 27" Retina Display
- Processor: 2.3GHz Xeon W 18 Core
- Storage: 4TB SSD
- Graphics: Radeon Pro Vega 64
The Apple iMac Pro comes packed with powerful graphics and processors along with advanced storage, memory, and I/O in a sleek, all-in-one design. For everyone from photographers to video editors to 3D animators to musicians to software developers to scientists, iMac Pro is ready to turn your biggest ideas into your greatest work. Its 27-inch display ensures optimum color reproduction and delivers life-like images for an immersive experience.