text:
Has anybody tried the Dr. Dre headphones?
I'm not sure if I am entirely sold on the Klipsh S4s or not. There is a noticeable bump in the 200-500k area that makes a lot of things that dont have good frequency separation sound kind of muddy. I can fix it with eq, but it's not optimal. For earbuds they do sound really great though. I dont know if it is $80 great, but I don't have much in terms of earbuds to compare them to. I am going to see how they stack up against my over the ear headphones. I imagine they will lose, and truth be told it is sort of an unfair fight, but the over the ear ones were ten bucks less, so. You know. They are relatively comfortable although I am having small issues maintaining a good seal in my right ear.
If you want to DJ there isn't a better value then the Sont MDR V700. $130 and still used by some of the best djs out there
the skinny: i just got a pair of Soundmagic PL-30's in the mail today. i'm still burning them in, but so far these sound amazing. i got them here. however, i ordered the bundle with the Fiio E5 headphone amp for under $40 *delivered*! here is the link for the bundle.
i'm kind of a stickler on sound quality (hi-res rips required, please) so i thought i'd pass on the goodness. i'm sure many of you will find my use of canalphones to be gauche, but i prefer them to over-the-ears because i like the noise isolation and they fit inside my motorcycle helmet. im going to compare these from time to time to my previous pair, V-Moda Vibes (which are really awesome if you can afford them). i still need to burn these in properly, but right out of the box i noticed the following:
- bass is pretty deep and not too distorted or muddy. there is a "high-bass" setting on these that i have them set to right now. not the best bass from canalphones i've heard, but far superior to all stock iPhone-type buds.
- soundstage is where the Soundmagics shine, imo. the subtle nuances of songs are heard very clearly with these and the spatial definition is really quite amazing for canalphones. i actually think these do a better job in this realm than the $100 Vibes! with the great noise cancellation, you will surely hear stuff in songs that you hadnt before with cheap earbuds guaranteed!
- build quality is decent, but here is where you see why these are priced the way they are. they may not hold up so well under my heavy use (i go through a pair every 4 mos or so). in comparison, Ive gone through about 7 Vibes because of failure at the plug. so, maybe its just me.
- comfort is really good with these. took me a sec to get the over-the-ear wire deal, but it only took a couple times putting it on/off to figure that out. these also fit perfectly inside my helmet, which is a primary factor in my using canalphones (although not all of them can be used with my helmet).
- packaging is very nice. they come with 6 different size of earbuds (maybe more..theres another little bag ive yet to open). instructions are adequate, despite being fraught with typos and the like (Engrish style, ya know). the really nice thing about these is this really cool round travel pack that is closed via zipper. great for storing your entire system, if small enough. also makes a great stash device, for those that are of that ilk.
- overall id say the Soundmagics are big winners. at the <$25 price DELIVERED, you really cant go wrong with the fine sound quality, precise imaging and solid bass. ive yet to try out the headphone amplifier but from what ive read, its supposed to really make a difference. maybe ill send an addendum to this once ive had the chance to listen with that.
if youre really a basshead, i recommend the V-moda Vibes ive been using. it appears theyve come down quite a bit in price (down to $60 now...wow). id recommend getting those at B&H (lots of fakes on eBay). they are here.
maybe they'll come down. but, read my review above. a nice, inexpensive alternative has presented itself.
Any good recommendations for in-ear headphones that are iPhone compatible? So they will have the mic and remote on the cord?
Fresh off his "JUICY AUSTRALIA TOUR"
wow....just started listening to the Soundmagic's with the FiiO E5 headphone amp and the difference is simply tremendous. i cannot believe how it improves imaging. the sound is also much richer and balanced. and, at your peril, the volume can be cranked to truly dangerous levels. strong recommendation for this combo (Soundmagic PL-30 + FiiO E5 headphone amp). here is a decent review about it to give you an idea about how it works (in conjunction with a slew of O-T-E 'phones too).
what a day for my ears...wow!
but, do you use yours for >4 hours each day and inside a motorcycle helmet too?
it's not the cord that fails....it's the plug. the good news is that v-moda provides amazing service. they simply replace them everytime i've sent them in. haven't paid for a pair in a couple years (or however long i've been using them). and, come to think of it...this current pair has held up pretty well (they recently changed the plug design...maybe they finally figured it out). we'll see how these Soundmagic's hold up.
wow, that is unreal. and, it appears they are legit.
"Auction inventory consists of overstock and clearance items." still seems hard to believe they are offering them for so cheap.
guess the poor economy is 128eadphones' bounty. i may have to grab one of those too.
haha yeah...
is he the seller?
we work there
oh cool. good score on procuring those. it just goes to show what a crazy markup this shit has on it, eh.
these also have me interested for my next pair, the klipsch s4's:
what puts me off, though, is the reported cord durability...but the sound reviews are some of the best i've seen.
Last edited by JustSteve; 06-14-2010 at 10:16 PM.
Took a tad bit of getting used by but I now I love my Ultrasone Pro 550's (the germans generally make pretty quality shit). At first I was a little disturbed by a perceived lack of low end, and they seemed a bit bright, but it's only because they separate frequencies and sounds so fucking well that you just notice everything more. Awesome headphones to produce music with (without spending an absurd amount of money).
Between the large cups that fully enclose the ear, and this technology they tout that apparently allows them to get "louder" sound with less dB's, the headphones are comfortable enough to wear for hours.
My cat chewed through the wires of my MDR-V6s. I bought another pair, the last ones lasted me 6 years and probably would have gone on for another decade.
My dog chewed through my Beyerdynamic DJx-1s and I soldered the wires together. It works for now, but are there any disadvantages in sound quality? Will the sound break up over time? I am going on a road trip and they seem fine for now but want to make sure they will last as I dont want to get stuck in Montana with no headphones.
Also what are some closed ear options for ~$150?
And does anyone use a headphone amplifier? How much does quality change on iPods for headphones in this range with an amp? I was thinking of building this... http://diyaudioprojects.com/Solid/12...LM317-Headamp/
I just killed my cans, and I am currently stuck with nothing but my work earbuds.
This is the usecond time I killed them, the first time I took them to Wal-Mart and told them I lost the recipt, even though I actually bought them at a mall on sale for less than Wal-mart's price.
I will miss them.
My girlfriend just bought me a pair of these. They are amazing. If you have the money, buy em.
Oh ya they're Sennheiser HD25's.
Last edited by iammrcandyman; 06-20-2010 at 01:18 PM.
Ugh. I bought some headphones from Best Buy today but my cat chewed through the cord so I ended up returning them right away. I have no idea where to buy headphones IRL any more so I ended up going to target because I needed exchange some underwear anyway and the only over the ear ones they had that didn't look like they would break within a day and were within my price range were the Skullcandy Hesh, which look fucking stupid but I need headphones today and am sick of shopping around. Way too much bass and practically no treble. I should have known better but I'm poor/unpatient. I'll just have to deal for awhile. Are there any stores out there with a half decent selection of headphones any more or is it just online?


text:
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Providing an online searchable database featuring employment opportunities; providing a website featuring information in the field of employment opportunities
Business in North Barrington, IL

subset: commoncrawl


text:
HTTP Strict Transport Security becomes Internet standard
A Web security policy mechanism that promises to make HTTPS-enabled websites more resilient to various types of attacks has been approved and released as an Internet standard -- but despite support from some high-profile websites, adoption elsewhere is still low.
HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) allows websites to declare themselves accessible only over HTTPS (HTTP Secure) and was designed to prevent hackers from forcing user connections over HTTP or abusing mistakes in HTTPS implementations to compromise content integrity.
The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), the body responsible for developing and promoting Internet standards, published the HSTS specification as an official standards document, RFC 6797, on Monday. IETF's Web Security Working Group had been working on it since 2010, when it was first submitted as a draft by Jeff Hodges from PayPal, Collin Jackson from Carnegie Mellon University and Adam Barth from Google.
HSTS prevents so-called mixed content issues from affecting the security and integrity of HTTPS websites. Mixed content situations occur when scripts or other resources embedded into an HTTPS-enabled website are loaded from a third-party location over an insecure connection. This can be the result of a development error or it can be intentional.
When the browser loads the insecure resource it makes a request over plain HTTP and can also send the user's session cookie along with it. An attacker that can intercept the request using networking sniffing techniques can use the cookie to hijack the user's account.
The HSTS mechanism also prevents man-in-the-middle attacks, where the attacker is in a position to intercept a user's connection with a website and force his browser to access the site's HTTP version instead of HTTPS. This technique is known as HTTPS or SSL stripping, and there are tools available to automate it.
When the browser connects over HTTPS to a website that supports HSTS, the site's strict transport security policy is saved and remembered for a specified amount of time. From that point forward, as long as the cached policy doesn't expire, the browser will refuse to initiate insecure connections with that website.
The HSTS policy is transmitted through an HTTP response header field called Strict-Transport-Security. The same header can be used to update and renew the policy.
HSTS is one of the best things to have happened to SSL because it fixes some of the mistakes made when originally designing the protocol 18 years ago, Ivan Ristic, director of engineering at security firm Qualys, said on Thursday. It also addresses the changes that have occurred since then in how Web browsers operate today, he said.
For example, relying on certificate warnings was a big mistake because users developed a habit of ignoring and overriding them, Ristic said. In the majority of situations that's not a big issue, but in 1 percent of cases it can be dangerous, he said.
Sign up for CIO Asia eNewsletters.


text:
The 2017 Book Sale is scheduled for July 7 and 8, 2017. Donations will be accepted beginning in May 1, 2017. Remember we accept hardcover and paperback books in good condition, free of dust and mold. Recent titles are preferable. Please no condensed, textbooks, cliff notes, bibles, dictionaries or encyclopedias. We will close the library at 3:00 pm on Thursday, July 6 to set up for the sale.
Hours of the sale are: Friday July 7: 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Saturday July 8: 10:00 am- 5:00 pm. Bag sale begins at noon on Saturday, brown grocery bag will be $5.00 from noon- 3:00 pm. From 3:00 pm until closing all bags will be $2.00. PLEASE support our library. This major fundraiser allows us to purchase new books and DVD'S!


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for 0<= θ <=360, solve (sin θ +1)(2cos θ -1)=0
Printable View
for 0<= θ <=360, solve (sin θ +1)(2cos θ -1)=0
do i just put sin^-1(-1) in my calculator
and cos^-1(1/2)
sorry im very confused
Unit circle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In our case, has only one value in the specified interval for , and its
However, has two solutions in the given interval for . They are and .
Your final answer to the original question is all three values for .
Does this make sense?
yes i get it
finally :)


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Koka Mon-In no Betto (an attendant to Empress Koka)
For but one night's sake,
Short as is a node of reed
Grown in Naniwa bay,
Must I henceforth long for him
With my whole heart, till life's close?
You, who seemed
least impassioned,
longest stayed.
So I did not
panic when my world
changed overnight.
This well-born and highly placed lady-in-waiting (of whom we know relatively little else) has immortalized herself with a single laser-focused metaphor. One night of love is as short, in its way, as a single joint of reed. Yet it can be enough to trigger a lifetime of obsession, like a whole bayful of reeds!
The old Nurse obliges the young lady by having carters bring her a groaning load of reeds! But also, Hokusai puts wheels where he is thinking of Dharma -- the turning of the wheel of the law of life. Be careful, young lady. A lifetime of metaphors might do to thatch a roof, but will they hold out the rain?
Risa recalls that a young family member who has been reticent about his feelings for years was the one who stood longest by the resting place of his grandparents. Seeing this was a great comfort to her. There are many kinds of lifelong yearning.


text:
Talking Point
Mitt Romney Visits Solyndra
Mitt Romney checked in at Solyndra headquarters on Foursquare this afternoon. His campaign has been hitting President Obama hard this week on his approval of millions of dollars of loans to the solar tech company in the face of warnings about the firm's stability. @BarackObama is spending your tax dollars to create jobs. How's he doing? Solyndra isn't even half the story," Romney tweeted.


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MIME::Visitor - walk through MIME parts and do stuff (like rewrite)
version 0.004
# This will reverse all lines in each text part, taking care of all encoding # for you. MIME::Visitor->rewrite_all_lines( $mime_entity, sub { chomp; $_ = reverse . "\n"; }, );
MIME::Visitor provides a simple way to walk through the parts of a MIME message, taking action on each one. In general, this is not a very complicated thing to do, but having it in one place is convenient.
The most powerful feature of MIME::Visitor, though, is its methods for rewriting text parts. These methods take care of character sets for you so that you can treat everything like text instead of worrying about content transfer encoding or character set encoding.
At present, only MIME::Entity messages can be handled. Other types will be added in the future.
MIME::Visitor->walk_parts($root, sub { ... });
This method calls the given code on every part of the given root message, including the root itself.
MIME::Visitor->walk_leaves($root, sub { ... });
This method calls the given code on every leaf part of the given root message. It descends into multipart parts of the message without calling the callback on them.
MIME::Visitor->walk_text_leaves($root, sub { ... });
This method behaves like
walk_leaves, but only calls the callback on parts with a content type of text/plain or text/html.
MIME::Visitor->rewrite_parts($root, sub { ... });
This method walks the text leaves of the MIME message, rewriting the content of the parts. For each text leaf, the callback is invoked like this:
$code->(\$content, $part);
For more information, see "rewrite_content" in MIME::BodyMunger.
MIME::Visitor->rewrite_all_lines($root, sub { ... });
This method behaves like
rewrite_parts, but the callback is called for each line of each relevant part, rather than for the part's body as a whole.
Ricardo SIGNES,
Thanks to Pobox.com and Listbox.com, who sponsored the development of this module.
Please report any bugs or feature requests through the web interface at http://rt.cpan.org. I will be notified, and then you'll automatically be notified of progress on your bug as I make changes.
Copyright 2008, Ricardo SIGNES. This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the same terms as Perl itself.


text:
I'm over the moon to be able to finally announce this: I annotated A Game of Thrones.
I didn't do it alone, either. Working alongside me were Anne Groell, editor of the entire A Song of Ice and Fire series; and Elio Garcia, George R.R. Martin's go-to researcher, the co-founder (with Linda Antonsson) of ASoIaF megasite Westeros.org, and the co-author (with GRRM and Antonsson) of the forthcoming World of Ice and Fire guide.
I know, right?
We did this in a very cool fashion for a very cool new iPad app called Subtext, which launches today. It's kind of like having a social network built into the book itself.
The way it works is that you download Subtext for free from the iPad App Store. Then you use it to read any Google Books ebook. As you do so, you can embed notes in the margins at any point throughout the book, sharing your thoughts or asking questions about what you've read. You can also read and reply to any notes on the book left by your friends, or in cases like A Game of Thrones, notes left by the author or by experts like, well, me. This video will give you the basic idea.
So in other words, it's not just that you can read an annotated version of A Game of Thrones — you can annotate it yourself, and interact with anyone else who's done so, including Anne, Elio, and myself. And a whole bunch of other books featured in the launch have expert or author annotations as well. (George was a bit too busy to contribute himself, which is why we three were tapped. Somehow I don't think you'll mind that he didn't find time in the schedule.)
If you've enjoyed my writing about A Song of Ice and Fire here or at All Leather Must Be Boiled or anywhere else, I think you'll enjoy the notes I've left for you to find.
But speaking personally, my contributions kinda pale in insignificance compared to Elio and Anne's. When I was first approached about the project, I said yes in large part just for the opportunity to work alongside such august personages in the ASoIaF community. I was not disappointed. Anne's you-are-there anecdotes about discovering the book, working with Martin, and what she knows (and doesn't know) about what has yet to be written are worth the price of admission alone. (And I'll tell you what, there's little that does your superfan ego better than being told by the book's editor that this or that insight you had about the book was dead on.)
Elio's astonishingly comprehensive annotations are also more than a return on your investment. He's provided the first appearance of nearly every character, House, region, and in-world jargon with a capsule biography/definition and a link to further information on his and Linda's indispensable ASoIaF website, Westeros.org. And as GRRM's researcher and soon-to-be coauthor, the guy who knows Westeros better than Martin himself, he too offers unique insights into process, theme, and technique.
In both cases, just reading their notes as they went up while I was working on the project was an enormous pleasure. God only knows how much of that AT&T data plan I ate up by anxiously refreshing the Recent Notes page to see if Anne or Elio had dropped any more knowledge bombs on me. And my desire to earn my keep alongside them led, I think, to some of my best ever writing on the book.
I really hope you iPad owners will check it out. Download the app here, then download the book here, then go to town. Our annotations should pop up automatically — keep your eye out for my sigil.
See you in the pages!
PS: Thank you to Elio Garcia for recommending me for the project, thank you to Elio and Anne Groell alike for treating some dude with tumblr like both a peer and a pro, and thank you to Claire Teter from Subtext for guidance and support throughout the process.
Tags: A Song of Ice and Fire, fantasy, Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin


text:
Centennial, Colorado
Annette Bennington McElhiney, Ph. D. is a former RN, retired Professor of English and Women's Studies, and, only after retirement, a self-taught painter. In 2010 she wrote Althea Re-balances Her Life: the emotional challenges one survivor faces after chemo for Ovarian Cancer" a humorous description of the "ups and downs" of the first two years after a cancer diagnosis. She was diagnosed with stage III Ovarian cancer in 2008 and given 5 years to live. In July of 2012, she completed 4 years of remission as a result of receiving great medical care and nurturing her immune system to be hostile to any cancer. This book, Dancing Joyfully, With or Without NED: A Blueprint using Art to Survive Ovarian Cancer documents through a combination of poetry and paintings her extensive plans for coping with cancer for the "rest of her life," however long or short that might be. Although she writes about ovarian cancer, this book pertains to anyone living with any cancer and/or a terminal illness or caring for someone who is ill
Painting is Annette's life line and she donates all the money she makes from her paintings to ovarian cancer research. You will note that her mixed media paintings are bright, playful, highly textured, colorful, hopefully humorous, and often loaded with glitz. They can be given in place of a greeting card or hung on your wall to make you smile or encourage you. She paints them because they give her joy and make her laugh. She hopes they do the same for you and give you, or any other recipient, good health and happiness.
If you are interested in commissioning a painting for someone who needs cheering, please let her know. She resides with her husband and two cats in Denver, CO from April – Oct and in Palm Desert, CA from Nov. – April and can be reached either by Phone 303 715-1180 and 303 929-6194 or email@example.com .


text:
Jeffrey Caldwell 804-786-2715
Feb. 6, 2010
Historic Storm Response to Take Additional Time, Especially for Secondary Roads and Subdivision Streets in Areas North of I-64
in the Richmond District. (Photo by Tom Saunders, VDOT)
RICHMOND — Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) crews continue around-the clock efforts to clear historic snowfall accumulations throughout much of the commonwealth. Crews will continue their focus on interstate and primary highways until snowfall ceases overnight. In areas generally north of Interstate 64 and west of the Northern Neck, heavy snowfall accumulations will slow typical plow response times, especially for lower traffic secondary roads and subdivision streets.
"VDOT's number one priority is clearing roadways to make them safe," said Gregory Whirley, acting commissioner. "We start with interstate highways and major primary roads with the goal of making all roads passable 48 hours after the end of a typical snowstorm. In the southern and far eastern portions of the state, we will likely achieve that goal. However, because of the historic amount of snow that has fallen in areas of VDOT's Staunton, Culpeper, Fredericksburg, and Northern Virginia districts—in some places topping two feet of accumulation—we expect it will take us several additional days to clear secondary roads and subdivision streets. We ask for motorists' patience while we continue working day and night to plow all state-maintained roadways."
In Northern Virginia, snow-removal is further complicated during this storm as crews are having to haul away truckloads of snow from I-66 and other major highways because snowplows have no place left to push snow from the roadway. This effort adds to the time it takes to clear snow. Below-freezing temperatures also cause snow to pack into ice, which is more difficult and time consuming for road crews to address.
Motorists can expect treacherous road conditions through much of the northern portion of Virginia today and Sunday. VDOT encourages motorists to stay off roads unless travel is absolutely necessary.
The agency reminds motorists to use extreme caution if they must drive, and contact 511 or www.511virginia.org to get the latest in road closures and traveler information before they decide to leave home.
Drivers should also be wary of black ice forming on roadways that have been cleared as temperatures drop throughout the day and into the overnight hours.
Secondary Road Plowing Information
- The main, more heavily traveled roads in a subdivision will be plowed first, to be followed by low-volume roads and cul-de-sacs.
- Plows generally will make one or two trips to provide a path through neighborhood streets, but they will not clear to bare pavement or from curb to curb.
- Because chemicals are not as heavily used in subdivisions, roads will remain snow-packed and rutted after the plow has passed. Crews will put sand on hills, curves and intersections as needed to provide traction.
- If planning to shovel their driveways, residents should refrain from clearing the last few feet at the curb until your street is plowed, as plows may inadvertently push snow back into driveways. It also helps to shovel to the right of your driveway as you face the road to help plows keep from pushing snow back into your driveway.
- VDOT does not remove snow from sidewalks or trails.
- VDOT plow drivers have assigned routes that include each and every state-maintained road in Virginia.
- Call 911 if you have a medical emergency and need to leave your home and VDOT will work with emergency responders to reach your home.
Motorist Resources
VDOT has a variety of information sources for road condition updates. The 511 traveler-information service gives drivers the most up-to-date data available about weather, construction and accidents that may affect travel. Updates can be received by calling 511 from any landline or wireless phone or by going online to www.511virginia.org to view traffic cameras, the road condition map and the road condition table-report. Individuals can sign up for e-mail alerts that include weather and incident reporting on the 511 Web site.
For overall winter weather information, VDOT's Web site includes frequently asked questions, driving tips and tools for motorists to learn more about VDOT's winter preparedness at http://www.virginiadot.org/travel/snow.asp.
Drivers can also view videos detailing how VDOT prepares for winter weather and address snow and ice on You Tube. Snow videos are posted at http://www.youtube.com/user/vdotweb#grid/user/84A0942814F2FECC
For more information about Virginia's efforts to prepare for winter weather and other emergencies, visit www.ReadyVirginia.gov. The National Weather Service, Virginia Department of Emergency Management, Virginia Department of Social Services and other state agencies have created the "Ready Virginia" resource to provide residents and visitors with a one-stop shop for emergency preparedness tips and information.
Editor's Note: VDOT public affairs staff will be available to address any snow-removal media requests throughout the weekend. To get in touch with your regional public affairs representative, visit http://www.virginiadot.org/newsroom/media_contacts.asp
Information in VDOT news releases was accurate at the time the release was published. For the most current information about projects or programs, please visit the project or program Web pages. You may find those by searching by keyword in the search Virginia DOT box above.


text:
My way or the highway?
Even Chicago politicians can't ignore court rulings.
Almost everyone who pays attention knows that Chicago is a world unto itself in political terms — a combination kleptocracy, feudal kingdom and den of iniquity.
But even by that dismal standard, Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez was shocking in her response last week to a federal appeals court decision striking down the concealed carry ban.
Alvarez, represented by one of her underlings, advised legislators last week to ignore the ruling because the appeals court had no authority to rule as it did. In other words, Alvarez advised, the Legislature can tell the appellate court to take its opinion and shove it.
As constitutional analysis, Alvarez's opinion is not just malarkey, but malarkey that raises historical memories of South Carolina Sen. John C. Calhoun's arguments that slave-holding states could ignore federal law because of the invented concepts of "interposition" or "nullification." His theory, widely argued but constitutionally without merit, was that states had the right to interpose themselves between their citizens and unpopular federal rulings.
In defending his position that the General Assembly is free to ignore the federal appeals court ruling, Paul Castiglione, Alvarez's policy director, told legislators that "only the Illinois Supreme Court can declare (an Illinois) statute unconstitutional. I heard someone say that after 180 days our unlawful use of weapons statute is unconstitutional. Not so."
The Illinois Supreme Court does have the final say on the meaning of the Illinois Constitution. But both federal and state courts clearly have long held the authority to declare state laws to be in conflict with the U.S. Constitution. Alvarez's stance is inarguably wrong, but not necessarily a surprise.
She and Attorney General Lisa Madigan decided a few months ago to abandon their official duty to defend a lawsuit challenging state law that limits marriage to a man and a woman on the grounds that it is indefensible. Clearly, politics trumps policy when it is inconvenient.
Castiglione's analysis was so off the wall that legislators were taken aback. That is why they are continuing their efforts to craft legislation that establishes reasonable rules surrounding concealed carry, as the federal appeals court suggested in its ruling striking down the state's ban.
Attorney General Madigan is continuing to appeal the decision. But she lost one of her options Friday when the appeals court rejected her request to hold an en banc appeal before all the circuit's appellate judges. Madigan now will have to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the 2-1 decision striking down the ban that was written by Justice Richard Posner.
In the decision, Posner granted the General Assembly 180 days to draft legislation establishing rules surrounding concealed carry. Until Alvarez stepped forward, no one imagined that someone in a responsible position would advocate simply ignoring the ruling and conducting business as usual. But Chicago politicians always have had the capacity to surprise, usually not in a good way.
News-Gazette.com embraces discussion of both community and world issues. We welcome you to contribute your ideas, opinions and comments, but we ask that you avoid personal attacks, vulgarity and hate speech. We reserve the right to remove any comment at our discretion, and we will block repeat offenders' accounts. To post comments, you must first be a registered user, and your username will appear with any comment you post. Happy posting.


text:
|3-5 business days
|Next Day
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|Express †
|3-5 business days
International Standard does not provide tracking information and is uninsured. If you would like to be able to track the progress of your shipment, please select either the Priority or Express option. Regardless of the service you choose, you may be responsible for import duties and taxes on your international order. In addition, some orders may experience customs delays. Unfortunately, we have no control over these charges or delays and cannot predict what they may be. We suggest that you contact your local customs office for additional information.
by A P Wolf
published by Wrecking Ball Press
A 15-year-old British army brat's tenure in Singapore holds interesting possibilities, and the manic voice of an adult looking back at that coming-of-age adds to the anticipation, but this first novel never comes through with an actual story. The narrator's voice is entertaining enough, and the details of Singapore in the 1960s make this more than a typical account of adolescence. But the framed structure of the narrative is never fully explained, and finally the opposition of past and present contributes nothing to the reader's understanding of the protagonist. Although the narrator rarely showers, teenage girls offer themselves to him in quick succession. He also has a mysterious relationship with a powerful gangster who acts as his guardian angel, takes him to cockfights, then disappears from the book. An older brother gets into even more trouble than the narrator does and at one point is in such a bad scrape that the police come to their parents' house to report his death. By the time the narrator runs away from home to live in a deserted bunker with two dogs named Rape and Pillage, even his straightforward voice cannot salvage this rambling exercise.
- paperback: 160 pages
- product dimensions: 144 x 205 x 12 mm


text:
Washington and Jefferson College online nutrition degree
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Think about what career is best suited for you, and where you want to study. Request more information now.
Find info concerning Washington and Jefferson College online nutrition degree, and registering for elective discussion sections and seminars. Which college degrees give you the best chances of finding employment after graduation? Seek out accredited nursing programs for the best training. Given a brief hospital internship or prior work experience, you can expect a great return on your medical education. Concentrating on Washington and Jefferson College online nutrition degree, for example, you may gain an advantage in job recruiting on-campus. Check with the nutrition department for course registration deadlines, and dieting program requirements. Please use the form above to request admissions info for Washington and Jefferson College.
The science of nutrition extends beyond a biochemical analysis of food, assimilation, and digestion within the body. Whole foods provide the energy and nutrients you need to maintain health. Required nutrients include proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water in abundance. Healthy eating isn't hard in fact, but it's a skill that must be learned. The key to nutritional science is to eat a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products. Further, rehydrate with lots of alkaline, ionized mineral water, and limit your intake of salt, sugar, alcohol, saturated fat, and trans fat in your diet. The high water and fiber content in most fruits and vegetables makes them hard to overeat.
Start your morning by skipping high-sugar, processed cereals, and replace the eggs and some of the cheese in your omelet with vegetables. Swap out some of the meat and cheese in your sandwich with healthier veggie choices such as lettuce, tomatoes, sprouts, cucumbers, and avocado. Instead of a high-calorie snack, such as chips and dip, try baby carrots with hummus, or crunching on a fresh apple. Soft drinks including soda and energy drinks are a huge source of calories in many poor diets. One can of soda contains between 10-12 teaspoons of sugar and 150 calories, so a few soft drinks can quickly bloat your daily calorie intake. Switching to diet soda isn't the answer either. Instead, try switching to water with lemon, unsweetened iced tea, or carbonated water with a splash of juice. Beyond major requirements within the nutrition department, you may consider Kellogg Community College medical assisting as a complementary elective to your primary course of study.
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The eating disorder anorexia nervosa, which has been studied mostly in white women, appears to be extremely rare among black women in the United States, new research has found.
Results from a study involving 2,046 women, more than half of them black, were striking.
"In our sample of more than 1,000 black women [ages 19-24], no case of anorexia nervosa was detected, and the odds of detecting bulimia nervosa were six-fold greater for white women than for black women," the researchers concluded in a paper published this month in the American Journal of Psychiatry.


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Advancement & Public Services
Rocky on Parade
Presented through the College of Fine Arts and Communication, Rocky on Parade is a public art project that celebrates the University's traditions, strengthens the unity of campus and community, contributes to the economic vitality and quality of life in Macomb, and supports student scholarships.
How it Works...
Rocky on Parade is modeled after successful community art projects such as Chicago's Cows on Parade, Georgia Southern's Eagle Nation on Parade and Hawaii's Geckos in Paradise. Using a design similar to WIU's iconic Rocky sculpture located near Hanson Field, the bulldogs are cast in fiberglass. Each bulldog is mounted on a concrete base and will bear a commemorative plaque acknowledging the generous contributions of each sponsor. Area artists submitted design proposals for these larger than life bulldogs. The sculptures were unveiled at the Town & Gown Celebration on September 14, 2017. The bulldogs were also "on parade" during WIU's Homecoming Parade. In November, the 2017 bulldogs were transported to their final destination for display.
The "Parade" Begins
Maps of the bulldogs' locations are available online. Visitors to Macomb will follow a "Dog Walk" through the community to see the bulldogs all the while dining in local restaurants, shopping locally, and supporting the WIU and Macomb Communities. Visitors will continue to return when their interest is once again sparked as new bulldogs are revealed in the coming years. Prospective students and their parents will see the community's support of Western Illinois University and may be even more motivated to select WIU as their choice school of choice.


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Southern Company Chief Financial Officer Art Beattie to speak at Wells Fargo Conference
Dec 03, 2012, 13:28 ET from Southern Company
ATLANTA, Dec. 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Art P. Beattie, Southern Company chief financial officer, will deliver a presentation to investors and industry analysts during the Wells Fargo Energy Conference at the New York Palace in New York City on Dec. 5.
Beattie is scheduled to present during a panel discussion – "Post-Election Policy Update" – from 8 to 9:15 a.m. EST. Beattie's presentation will be webcast and available for replay at http://investor.southerncompany.com. A copy of his presentation materials will also be available at this site.
With 4.4 million customers and more than 43,000 megawatts of generating capacity, Atlanta-based Southern Company (NYSE: SO) is the premier energy company serving the Southeast. A leading U.S. producer of clean, safe, reliable and affordable electricity, Southern Company owns electric utilities in four states and a growing competitive generation company, as well as fiber optics and wireless communications. Southern Company brands are known for energy innovation, excellent customer service, high reliability and retail electric prices that are below the national average. Southern Company is leading the nation's nuclear renaissance through the construction of the first new nuclear units to be built in a generation of Americans and is demonstrating its commitment to energy innovation through development of a state-of-the-art coal gasification plant. Southern Company has been recognized by the U.S. Department of Defense and GI Jobs magazine as a top military employer and listed by DiversityInc as a top company for Blacks. The company received the 2012 Edison Award from the Edison Electric Institute for its leadership in new nuclear development, was named Platts' 2011 Power Company of the Year and is continually ranked among the top utilities in Fortune's annual World's Most Admired Electric and Gas Utility rankings. Visit our website at www.southerncompany.com.
SOURCE Southern Company


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Samsung Galaxy Nexus ! Latest Mobile from Samsung with Android Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0
Samsung Galaxy Nexus Samsung is quickly gearing up to meet the challenges Apple is throwing on it off & on courts. Samsung launched an all new Samsung Galaxy Nexus smart phone in honking along with Google latest Ice Cream Sandwich Android Operating system. Screen is large 4.65 inches (~316 ppi pixel density) 720 x 1280 pixels) bigger then of iPhone


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Greendale — When selecting a location for the proposed Greendale Veterans Memorial, a designated committee looked for three characteristics — the memorial would have to be highly visible, have room for parking and have potential for being an easily accessible tourist destination.
After multiple considerations, the Greendale Veterans Memorial Committee chose the intersection of Broad Street and Southway as the ideal setting to honor local veterans.
The property, which sits across from Greendale High School's newly renovated baseball field, belongs to the school district, however.
Although the Greendale School District has not yet made any formal action regarding the memorial, the committee has begun fundraising for the project, said Bill Kewan, a civilian member of the committee.
"The school district owns the land, and we're still in negotiations," Kewan said. "… It's not just military members that want this memorial. Whatever your status, this is the type of memorial Greendale wants and needs."
The idea to create a veterans memorial arose in 2012, during the planning stages for Greendale's 75th anniversary celebration in 2013.
Kewan, vice president of the Greendale Public Celebrations Committee, said he originally posed the concept for a memorial to Tim Baranzyk, post commander of the American Legion Post 416.
As it turned out, the local American Legion post had been discussing a potential memorial with the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10519 in Greendale for several years.
A committee was established, and members sought resources to help.
Harold Krueger, a local Legionnaire and draftsman, prepared a blueprint design for the memorial. Students of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's School of Architecture and Urban Planning helped prepare the landscape design. Other major "in-kind" contributors include GZA GeoEnvironmental Inc., R.A. Smith National, The Sigma Group and Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance.
"We worked in stages and steps, but we're really close for this memorial to reach fruition," Kewan said.
The proposed memorial design calls for six granite panels to represent the five branches of United States military service — the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard — and the merchant marines.
A 50-foot American Flag will be placed in front of the memorial.
The most unique feature of the memorial, however, will be the sheltered kiosk placed in the very center of the panels, where Greendale veterans will be allotted a brief biography in a digital archive.
The kiosk will be reserved for local veterans dating back to World War II and current service members who received anything other than a dishonorable discharge. Those recognized in the kiosk must have an affiliation with Greendale.
Kewan said the proposed design, from a bird's eye view, replicates the baseball field across the street, but Baranzyk said it looked more like a "stealth fighter" plane.
"I don't think there's any other (memorial) design like this in Wisconsin," Kewan said. The 8-foot panels "would not overpower the site. We want the memorial to blend into the area."
"It's going to stay simple," Baranzyk added.
The relatively basic design would allow for easy maintenance and help preserve a portion of the property's green space, Kewan said.
The memorial could be used by school groups and veteran organizations, he said, and could also mark the finish line for village parades.
"I think it's a win-win for all people concerned," Kewan said.
But a modest memorial, constructed of primarily granite, concrete and block, doesn't come cheap. The estimated cost for the memorial ranges between $220,000 and $250,000.
The committee held its first lunch fundraiser May 31 at the Greendale American Legion Post 416.
Approximately 250 attended the fundraiser, Baranzyk said.
"I was encouraged by the number we had … but next time, we'll do even better," he said.
The committee also hopes to host a Casino Night fundraiser sometime in the fall.
In the mean time, the group is collecting donations and selling bricks for the memorial through its website, GreendaleVeteransMemorial.org.
Although the kiosk is designated only for military associated with Greendale, bricks can be purchased — and dedicated to — any military personnel, local or not.
Those who wish to send a check can mail it to American Legion Post 416 at 6351 W. Grange Ave.
Questions can also be addressed to the local VFW post at (414) 421-8621.
The committee hopes to begin constructing the memorial by next year, Kewan said, "but we can't do anything until we have all of the money ready."
Nor can the committee do anything until a deal is made with the school district.
School district officials have spoken with committee members, but formal action by the school board may not take place until later this month.
And what if the district ultimately decides not to authorize the proposal?
"This memorial was specially designed for this location," said Jay Chadwick, committee secretary and a Greendale Legionnaire. "We'd have to start all over."


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A review of Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. ISBN 1582979987
This book brings a clarity to the fiction writing process I have not found before. I have read a lot of excellent how-to-write-fiction books, at least over 30 and took thorough notes from most of them. I have also completed two lengthy courses on fiction writing. Yet I found this text super-helpful.
The "Six Core Competencies" of story writing
That's what Brooks calls the major topics of his book. They are:
- Concept
- Character
- Theme
- Story Structure
- Scene Execution and
- Writing Voice
And he covers them all–and more–in only 278 pages. Good news, since most of us writers are already up to our eyebrows in reading material. Yet he does a thorough job of explaining his points. Plenty clear enough to put them to work in your planning and writing right away.
This isn't the only book you should read to perfect your fiction-writing skills, but it is really a good place to start!
Clear Guidelines are essential
All of us who write fiction, whether we are beginners or pros, whether we are striving to write the great American novel or just to get published, can benefit form insightful, well-written guidelines on how to go about it. I, for one, need constant reminders of the many aspects of story-writing I want to keep in mind. This book provides those guidelines.
A good story idea is not enough
I also need a game plan, a well-thought-out procedure for building that idea into the novel it can become. I need to consider topics this book covers as I plan and organize my ideas. Not formulas, but the big picture and what needs to go where and why. Formulas can be rigid. But the principles the author includes are flexible, and rather than inhibiting creativity, they encourage it.
Brooks provides this key information in detail with clear explanations, illustrations from contemporary novels, as well as rather amazing and entertaining analogies.
My favorite portions
The chapters on story structure and theme are among my favorites (although you couldn't pry any part of the book away from me).
Get published sooner?
Would you like to publish a novel? Would you like to do that in a few years rather than ten or twenty? I cannot guarantee you'll be published, of course. But assuming you have that potential, I think this book can hasten your victory.
P. S. If you haven't visited Larry's blog http://storyfix.com/ I recommend you check it out. I've read quite a lot of his posts, and each time I came away with something new or something that needed reminding.
Related posts:


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Welcome to WebmasterWorld Guest from 126.96.36.199
Forum Moderators: bakedjake
I've set the hostname in etc/hosts, etc/sysconfig/network, and ifcfg-eth0, but it doesn't seem to be registering with the rest of the network. I can't refer to the CentOS box by name from the other machines on the network (Windows XP boxes), and the machine's Hostname listing in my router's DHCP display is blank.
Any ideas what I've got wrong?
I'm not 100% certain it was setting up Samba that made it work. I had tinkered unsuccessfully with a couple of DNS server options, so it could be some side effect of that. But since I never actually got the DNS working, or even fully set up, I'm pretty sure.
I don't like the 'magic' factor in the solution, but I'm not savvy enough with Linux at this point to be more sure.
Thanks for the help and information all.


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Sunday, November 29, 2015
Mr. Bucky
You know you can only warn a guy so many times. This buck has been "visiting" my garden all summer long. I warned him time and time again that I had his number. Well the day before Thanksgiving I was making my dressing and had to go out to dump my veggie remains into the compost and who was roaming my garden spot? Yep, Mr. Bucky was there. I told him he better scat and he just looked at me in my pink apron, "as if." Well, "I as if'd him alright." Well looks like some yummy tenderloin in our future!
Note: To all future smarty pants bucks this is a warning!
Posted by What's Cookin Stacey?? at 7:48 AM 0 comments
Sunday, November 8, 2015
OMG!!! It has been a long time!!!!
I know it has been a while since I posted new recipes. I have a ton waiting on being posted so be ready. So many changes have happened in our lives. First off Raven is now 21, Ransome is 14, and Raine is 8. Where does the time go? Sean and I are still going strong and will be married 24 years in February! We are still living our dream on Beaty's Creek.
Raven now has her own home very near and is quite happy with a very nice man. He fits in our unique family really well. I am sure we will scare him a bit as the holidays grow near. heehee
Ransome is very busy with the Civil Air Patrol and hunting. He is our outdoors man.
Raine is busy with acting. She is involved with our local theater group, and recently filmed a movie. She is a our pet whisperer for sure. She has not met an animal she cannot soothe or mother.
We lost my father in in 2013 and that was an adjustment for all of us. My mother has moved closer also. Between her and Raven both moving we have been very busy.
As the Holidays grow near I promise I will post recipes and little updates on our family. Thank-you for being such a great group and believing in my little ole blog on Beaty's Creek.
Raven now has her own home very near and is quite happy with a very nice man. He fits in our unique family really well. I am sure we will scare him a bit as the holidays grow near. heehee
Ransome is very busy with the Civil Air Patrol and hunting. He is our outdoors man.
Raine is busy with acting. She is involved with our local theater group, and recently filmed a movie. She is a our pet whisperer for sure. She has not met an animal she cannot soothe or mother.
We lost my father in in 2013 and that was an adjustment for all of us. My mother has moved closer also. Between her and Raven both moving we have been very busy.
As the Holidays grow near I promise I will post recipes and little updates on our family. Thank-you for being such a great group and believing in my little ole blog on Beaty's Creek.
Posted by What's Cookin Stacey?? at 9:34 AM 0 comments
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Banana Bread
This is Grandma Minnie's recipe that I changed a little here and there. My children really like this bread, I made it into small muffins this time. Here is the recipe, give it a try!
3 cups all purpose flour
2 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup oil
2 eggs-beaten
2 cups ripe bananas-mashed
1 1/2 t vanilla
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
3/4 buttermilk
1 cup pecans-chopped (optional)
Mix both sugars, eggs, oil, bananas, vanilla, and buttermilk very well. Sift flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder together. Add this mixture a cup at a time until all is added. Stir gently just until mixed. At this time add nuts if you wish. Pour into a well greased pan of your choice. Bake at 350' until a toothpick comes out clean. In loaf pans this will be 30-45 minutes. It just depends on what you are making. When I made the small muffins last night they cooked in 13 minutes.
Posted by What's Cookin Stacey?? at 6:21 PM 0 comments
Labels: Breads
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Minestrone Soup
It's getting cool again on Beaty's Creek and I want me some soup. Nothing is better than a pot of soup on a cold day. Bake some bread and you are good to go. I am making a hard crusty bread to dip in olive oil tonight.
1 pound Italian sausage-cut into chunks
1 large purple onion-chopped
4 large carrots-peeled and chopped
4 celery stalks-stripped and chopped
5 garlic cloves-minced
2 zucchini-sliced into 1/2 inch slices and then quartered
1/2 pound green beans-these can be fresh or frozen(I could not find fresh so I used frozen.)
3 quarts beef or chicken broth(Add this as you go, we like it soupy, so we add more.)
1 quart whole tomatoes-smashed(I used home canned)
3 T Italian seasoning(I use fresh in the summer but this time of year I use dry.)
1 T pepper
salt to taste
3 cups cabbage-shredded into 1/2 inch shreds
1 can cannelloni beans-drained
1 can garbanzo beans-drained
1 cup small shaped pasta(I always use different shapes to jazz it up.)
Fresh Parmesan cheese- shredded finely
Brown sausage with onions and garlic until the sausage is no longer pink. This is the time to add your broth, so you can get all the goodies off the bottom of your soup pot, now add the green beans, zucchini, carrots, celery, and both beans. Simmer for 20 minutes and add cabbage, tomatoes, pasta, and all of your seasoning. Cook for 30 minutes, you may need to add a little water if soup gets too thick after adding your pasta. We grate Parmesan cheese over soup in each bowl. This makes a lot of soup but it reheats very well. In fact I usually freeze some for lunch. Give it a try, I know you will like it! Well that is "what's cookin" tonight.
Posted by What's Cookin Stacey?? at 5:00 AM 0 comments
Labels: Soup
Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Tie Dye Jello
This is a really cool kid dessert that my kiddos love. We all know we need some cool right now with these hot and steamy days . This is a super easy dessert too, only bad thing is you have to wait a little for it to gel. This is What's Cookin on this beautiful summer's day on Beaty's Creek.
2 boxes of blue-raspberry Jello
2 boxes of cherry Jello
2 containers Cool Whip-frozen
Make each Jello flavor separately using only 1-½ cups of water per box. When each flavor is made and is still hot add in 1 container of Cool Whip and stir until dissolved completely. Now pour 1 flavor into a pretty Jello mold and place in fridge until almost set. This usually happens in about 30 minutes. Now add your second flavor and swirl in the almost set flavor. Now place in fridge and let set up completely. This usually takes a couple of hours. We serve ours with more Cool Whip. Another really good combo is orange Jello and lemon Jello mixed together.
Posted by What's Cookin Stacey?? at 8:44 AM 1 comments
Labels: Desserts
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
3 Berry Cobbler
Every berry in this cobbler was harvested locally! The blackberries were picked by my husband, dear friends and little ole' me. Not so little but you get what I mean. ;) The strawberries are Stilwell strawberries and the best strawberries that I have ever eaten. The blueberries are from Fisher's Blueberry Farm and picked by yours truly. It is like a vacation for me to get to pick blueberries all by myself. Does that sound terrible? Don't get me wrong as I love my kiddos and my husband but sometimes it is nice to have an hour to yourself. I always make various cobblers and thought why not add all three berries together and make a 3 berry cobbler. I am glad that I did because I think it is extra tasty and so did the family. This is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.
3 cups sliced strawberries
3 cups blueberries
3 cups blackberries
3 cups sugar
1/4 cup sugar for top crust
2 T cornstarch
Pie Crust
I double this recipe for a cobbler.
Place all of your berries in a large bowl. Pour sugar and cornstarch in and mix very well. Let sit on the counter while you roll out your crust. The juices from the berries will thicken a little while sitting there and that is fine. Place your bottom crust in a deep 9x13 pan. I used a lasagna pan for this cobbler. Pour in berries. Roll out top crust and place on top of berries. Seal top to bottom crust. Cut slits in top crust and sprinkle 1/4 cup of sugar on top. Bake at 325' for 1 hour. Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Potato Salad
It is a beautiful day on Beaty's Creek and what do we like to do on a day like this?? Grill of course and what goes with any grilled item? Potato Salad, this recipe is so good I can eat it alone by the bowl full. It is so good with bacon bits on top too. Try this recipe the next time you grill.
5 lbs. of potatoes-peeled, boiled, and cut into 2 inch pieces
4 eggs-boiled and chopped
1 yellow onion-chopped
1/2 a green pepper-seeded and chopped into bite size pieces
2 celery stalks-stripped and cut into bite size pieces
1 small jar pimentos-drained
3 cups of mayo
2 T yellow mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste
Once your potatoes and eggs are cooled place into a large bowl and salt and pepper them really well. Now is the time to add the onion, green pepper, celery, and pimentos, mix all items very well. Now add your mayo and mustard and mix until potato salad is creamy but still has potato chunks.
Posted by What's Cookin Stacey?? at 4:20 PM 0 comments
Labels: Potato, Salads, Side Dishes
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Wild Onions and Eggs
Ladies and gentlemen..... Spring has arrived on Beaty's Creek!! You know spring is really here when you cook up a bunch of wild onions and eggs. Nothing could be better, well maybe a few morels(more on that later). The Tulsa World featured me a few years ago in an article about spring greens in Oklahoma. I am not telling all of you to go in the woods and try to figure out what onions are so read this and enjoy the thought of a wild onion and egg dinner. If you live in NW Arkansas or NE Oklahoma I am sure you know where to dig onions, but if not leave me a comment and I will try to help you out.
2 hand fulls of wild onions cleaned and chopped into bite size pieces
Salt to taste
3 cups of water
5 eggs-beaten
Coat the bottom of a skillet with oil and saute your wild onions until softened a bit, now add your water and cook over a slow boil for 20 minutes, let some of the water evaporate. Now add your beaten eggs and stir like crazy until eggs come together and are done. We love the broth that you get from the onions, so good with crispy cornbread. That is What's Cookin on Beaty's Creek today.
Posted by What's Cookin Stacey?? at 3:00 AM 3 comments
Labels: dinner ideas, Main Dishes, Native Meals, Vegetables
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Oatmeal Cake
My husband always wants this cake for his birthday and I am happy to make it . I think this is one of the most moist cakes I make. This recipe is an old family recipe and I am so glad I have it. Sean likes the topping a little crunchy and I like it a little chewy. This can be achieved by rotating the cake while broiling. I will explain in the recipe. Hope you give this one a try very soon!
1 1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup oatmeal
Combine the water and oatmeal and let stand for 20 minutes.
Cream together:
1 stick softened butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
add 2 beaten eggs
Mix in oatmeal.
1 1/3 cup flour
1 t cinnamon
1 t soda
Beat slow.
Bake in a 9x13 pan at 325' for 30 minutes. Once cake has baked remove from oven and turn broiler on.
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/4 cream
1 cup coconut
Mix all ingredients together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Immediately pour over cake and return to oven. Broil until light golden brown. We like ours a little darker so I broil a little longer. I rotate my pan so part of the cake has a crunchy topping and part has a chewy topping. Keep an eye on the cake or it will burn!!!!
Posted by What's Cookin Stacey?? at 1:19 PM 1 comments
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Who we are
Agro Innovation Lab is the innovation platform of BayWa & RWA, two of the most important players in the global agricultural industry.
The application phase for our Startup Acceleration Program 2017 is open from April to May 28th 2017. We will keep you posted.
Our clear goal is to be the partner of choice for innovation and innovative services in agriculture in Europe.
What we do
We are the gateway for startups and other innovative companies into BayWa & RWA.
Our Acceleration Program offers entrepreneurs broad agricultural and entrepreneurial knowledge, selected mentors and trainers, a brilliant network and valuable resources.
In addition, we provide access to a high-quality network of potential investors and other selected service partners.
The establishment of long-term cooperations between startups and BayWa as well as RWA, is one of the key objectives of our activities.
What we are looking for
With new ideas and trendsetting solutions we want to strengthen the innovative power of our customers as well as parent companies and recognise promising potentials at an early stage.
We are looking globally for teams who are working on innovative technologies, products and solutions which impact upon the field of agriculture.
The teams will be supported in optimizing their prototypes, validating their go-to-market strategies, developing their business models, accessing customers and expanding into new markets.


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BOSTON (FOX 25 / MyFoxBoston.com) – Police have arrested three more suspects reportedly involved in the brutal beating of a disabled man that occurred on the Downtown Crossing MBTA platform early Monday morning.
Transit Police detectives took 29-year-old Maryanne Hamilton, of Jamaica Plain, into custody on Tuesday for assault and battery on a disabled person and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon charges.
Hamilton was observed by Transit Police detectives in the hallway at Boston Municipal Court after her two co-defendants, Bryon Lashus and Karen Akiba, were arraigned for the assault. She will be arraigned on Wednesday.
Germial Johnson turned himself in to Transit Police in Dorchester on Wednesday, and Transit Police arrested 23-year-old Ivan Bacai, of Malden, on Wednesday night.
According to police, the four suspects repeatedly punched and kicked a 40-year-old disabled male on the Orange Line southbound platform around 12:37 a.m. on Monday. The male suffered lacerations and bruises to his face and torso areas.
Police say the victim, who has a limited ability to communicate, was attacked after he overheard a conversation the suspects were having and told them they ought not to use the word "hate."
Lashus and Akiba pled not guilty on Tuesday and are expected back in court on September 25, 2012.
The investigation is ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding the assault is asked to call the Transit Police Department at 617-222-1212.
RELATED: Cops: Males attacked disabled victim on MBTA platform
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
© 2018 Cox Media Group.


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The Festival which is now over a decade in development, is located waterside in the picturesque setting of Hafan Pwllheli Marina on the south side of the Llyn peninsula.
The next Festival will be in 2018 and will be held on the second May bank holiday. The Monday is a bank holidays so you are assured a long weekend to relax and enjoy. On offer will be a terrific array and selection of meats, drinks, cheeses, wines, fish, olives, breads, confectionery, shellfish, fruit, vegetables and much more.
Indeed hopefully something for everyone!
Thank you for visiting our website and if you do decide to come and see us, have a safe journey.
Admission – Adults £3.00 Children – Free! Parking – Free!


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I promise, this blog is not about the fiscal cliff, slope or whatever it was. Not really. But I have to wonder, how it is we are all going to find reason in our relations with each other. By all accounts, the President made offers that should have enticed Republicans long before the deadline. "Why," some wondered, couldn't the holdouts in the House of Representatives just "listen to reason."
In a book reviewed by the Times last spring, the social psychologist Jonathan Haidt offers an answer. In "The Righteous Mind," Haidt asserts that human beings (politicians presumably among them) don't make decisions based on reason. Our decisions come from how we feel. As humans we are intuitive and emotional. Logic and reasons come later as a way to support the value-based decisions we have already made. [Note to the blog: I only read the Times review, I didn't actually read the book. I will leave that to the scholars, those in the profession, and the rest of you who have no trouble understanding why a thesis that takes 300 pages can't be said in 10. If some of you find irony in this, you are my kind of reader!]
At any rate, the psychologist writes that Republicans (as a rule) feel deeply about faith, patriotism, valor, chastity and law and order. Democrats, on the other hand, are mainly moved by the challenge of defending those who can't defend themselves. In both cases, the parties have very human aspirations for society. Haidt calls these moral values. The word moral has the weight of judgment, but the root is related to the simple idea of manners, or the appropriate behavior for citizens of a society.
Aside from the question of how we should behave with each other, how do we behave? If it depends upon how we feel, then in the realm of I and other, "the other" is an emotionally charged phenomenon. To paraphrase the Buddhist Teacher Chögyam Trungpa, when there is a knock on the door, we have either a bottle of cabernet or a semi-automatic ready and waiting. This insight is supported by neuroscience. Before the ears have heard and the eyes have moved, rather than reacting, the brain has anticipated the next sense encounter.
If we don't notice that our feelings are pre-programmed and that the decisions we've made have been "spun", when does real communication happen? Without feeling a shared a humanity, we find ourselves alienated, hostage to principle. Entrenched in our own views, we and the politicians who represent us are freed from the burden of exchange that characterizes society (the root of the word means partner or comrade).
Of course to have a partner is to be two, not one. Who is a partner? Someone who listens. Listening changes minds, if only a little. (According to Haidt, 2 minutes of contemplation around a considered argument is all it takes.) It is in this exchange, according to the psychologist, that true reason is born. Expounding well-rehearsed opinions may be satisfying, but a reasonable (you could say sane) society is built on something as simple as a conversation.
Of course conversations are everywhere. No one needs a psychologist to tell them that listening changes things. Experience tells us that merely acknowledging our partner's or family member's contrary opinion results in a changed atmosphere, if not a consensus. Only highlighting differences, however, "we" becomes "us and them." Estrangement and separation follow.
Awareness, the kind cultivated on your meditation bench through mindfulness and contemplation, is helpful here. In the discipline of undistracted time alone, our own humanity is harder to avoid. Confronted with feeling, the endless chatter of "reasons" is revealed as an overlay, a justification. We begin to sense subtleties. To paraphrase Trungpa again, in exposing our internal drama, good things appear as bad, and bad things appear as good. Making room for our own tensions, is itself making room for others'. In the politics of successful relationship, we are all statesmen and stateswomen.
Today, emphasizing how we don't agree is politics. Listening to another's opinion (without haranguing them) is to surrender identity and the safety of principled alienation. Whether seduced by the prospect of political gain or the drama of the angry hero, some of our leaders embrace "opting out" of the society they would lead. The myth of opting out is sacred to a culture built on individualism and choice. Sooner or later evidence of connection (say a bill from the IRS or an unplanned romance) will end this dream.
Society is a living thing, constantly evolving and changing. It is natural for schisms to arise and resolve themselves. Maintaining a split, however, requires separation. It's been noted that most of our Representatives and their families don't live in Washington DC anymore. Perhaps they don't want to make the sacrifices made by their predecessors. Perhaps their constituents see a move out as a move up–and are ready to reject their leaders for any sign of "elitism." In any event, if our politicians and their families don't meet outside of formal functions, they don't have to learn how to be together, not to speak of listening to each other. Tellingly, the Senate deal that pulled us back from the edge was between Mitch McConnell and Joe Biden, politicians on either side of the aisle who happen to be friends.
Continually enacting separateness is the ritual of those whose attention is one place and whose home is another. This may be the norm, but is it politics? The word comes from the Greek for citizen—of a polis—a city. Opinions that would lead us beyond city limits are a deception. Maybe it sounds naive, but could we, as well as our leaders, be better listeners? Able to hear the human feelings behind the arguments (our own and others) that continue to vex us? Perhaps then reason can arise, moving us past differences to a place we can share with friends in society, a place somewhere far from a cliff.
Editor's Note: The teacher Sakyong Mipham has asked his students this question: how we can ask our leaders to do what we ourselves wouldn't consider? When we opt out of the community meeting at our Meeting House or Meditation Center, aren't we reenacting the politics of Washington? If sitting in meditation is opening to a conversation with ourselves, shouldn't it lead to conversations with others who hold values different than our own?


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The ultramodern Trakindo building looks like it should be in the central business district rather than a suburb of Jakarta. But the location is where the Hamami family's business, Tiara Marga Trakindo (TMT), has been since 1971, when it began selling Caterpillar tractors. That longevity and respect for tradition is a testament to the guiding philosophy of the family and its business interests. "My father always dreamed of having his business last for 100 years. Anybody can have a family business, but only a few can stand for generations," says TMT Chief Rachmat Mulyana Hamami, known by his nickname, "Muki."
His clan has been researching role models around the globe. Muki reels off names such as the Michelin family, whose members still have a role at the French tire company, and Japan's Kikkoman soy sauce company, still headed by descendants of the original founders of 1603.
Normally low-profile Muki has decided to go public about his family's quest for a lasting business foundation as an example for others. The adage about rags to rags in three generations has an unfortunate ring of truth. "It's better to do this while the family is still intact," he urges. "Don't wait until it is already falling apart."
The Hamamis decided on a family constitution (Family Law), a document that took four years to craft through 2008. It followed many discussions, some of them blunt, among the family about various aspects of their enterprise, which has earned them the No. 10 spot on our list of Indonesia's richest at $2.2 billion.
Such talks are hardly common in Indonesian families, but Muki says they were necessary to get the buy-in from the entire clan. Professor John Ward, a family-enterprise expert from the Kellogg School of Management in the U.S., helped steer the drawn-out process. The constitution drills so deep as to set the dates for regular meetings.
Muki's journey toward creating a built-to-last family business started long ago. At 47 he is the third of four children of founder Achmad Hadiat Kismet "Met" Hamami who, although blind at age 81, still treks to headquarters each workday. Three of the offspring are in the business, while a sister is a dentist. The group is divided into four parts, with the first and still core business being Trakindo Utama, the exclusive Cat distributor in Indonesia. Cat and market leader Komatsu have 75% of the country's heavy-equipment market.
The other three TMT businesses are in leasing, investments and energy. Muki says the total TMT Group, of which he is president director, will book $3.2 billion revenue this year, from slightly above $2 billion in 2010, and is on track to hit $6 billion by 2015. Trakindo Utama has been closely held from the outset. But the family is planning taking ABM, the energy business, public in December.
After finishing his studies in the U.K., Muki worked for two years at Standard Chartered Bank there. Although he later worked at a Caterpillar distributor in Canada, he originally had limited operational ambitions. "Unlike my father, I wanted to invest in companies and buy and sell them. I told him I wanted to enjoy life [by now]."
Then his father suddenly lost his sight to a glaucoma attack in 1999. It happened during a stressful period when he was shuttling back and forth to Singapore trying to restructure $118 million of company debt on the heels of Indonesia's financial crisis. Finding no banks willing to help, his father paid all the debts from family resources and remained debt free until 2009.
Starting at Trakindo as group credit controller in 1990, Muki went on to various management duties. In 2009 ABM and MahaDasha, the consulting services unit, were spun off. Muki took on ABM; younger brother, Bari, Trakindo; and first-born sister, Mivida, MahaDasha.
ABM's initials are an abbreviation of the names of the second generation: dentist Ana, Bari, Mivida and Muki ("Bari" is also a nickname--his formal name is Rahmat Sobari Hamami). A holding company, it includes a number of sub-businesses such as coal production and power. "Its growth should be faster than Trakindo because it is in a really attractive sector," says Muki.
Taking ABM public is also part of the family constitution. Muki feels that if the group is public, it could provide easily tradeable assets in case later generations would like to take the business in a new direction or leave it altogether. "With a market price they can easily sell to their siblings or any family member, or the company could buy their stock," he says.
The other business, MahaDasha, is meant to be a diversified play on the country's development, with interests in property, IT and consumer businesses. For example, the family has a longstanding policy to own the land under TMT Group offices, and with 150 sites the company has built up considerable landholdings.
But Muki is careful to stress the primacy of the Caterpillar business. After losing pole position to Komatsu, Muki is encouraged by Cat's new focus on Asia, with Richard Lavin, the company's group president for construction industries and growth markets, recently moving to Hong Kong to better engage with the region.
"Our bread and butter is heavy equipment," says Muki.
Met Hamami's first career actually was airborne, as an elite jet pilot in the navy--an Indonesian "top gun," which included training in the Royal Netherlands Air Force program in Europe. Although he rose to become the Indonesian military's youngest colonel in the late 1960s, he took early retirement after souring on endemic corruption in the ranks at the time.
With little savings he started a tutoring business, giving private math lessons to students at home. It was a tough time for the family. Muki and his siblings had to help out by selling Popsicles to local kids. But a politically well-connected family friend put Met into a state investment-fund job, where he dealt with Caterpillar.
The U.S. giant was unhappy with its dealer in Surabaya and saw Met as appealing substitute with his military background and clean reputation. First, however, he had to take evening business classes, often studying until midnight.
It paid off. Construction and development was booming under then president Suharto. In 1972 Met got his first real competition from tycoon William Soeryadjaya, whose Astra Group became the dealer for Japan's Komatsu (a relationship that continues). Yet there was plenty of business to go around. That same year Freeport Indonesia, a unit of Freeport-McMoRan, commenced its operations in Papua and became one of Trakindo's biggest clients. The logging and oil and gas industries also became major customers.
Although Caterpillar enjoyed an 80% market share for a while, Komatsu gained ground, especially in the mining sector, apart from Freeport. Today Komatsu has about half the market, and Caterpillar is number two with 25%. Remaining competitors include Hitachi. "Now Caterpillar has changed," says Muki. "It will focus more on Asia. I think we will be number one [again] in 2015. We have the ammunition."


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Coffeehouse Post
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Rossj wrote:I must be a weirdo because I think it is *still* too complicated. I fully expect some semiotician to arrive and tell me I am crazy, but a quick straw poll - what does the red circle mean? Or the green triangle pointing right? What's with the far too prominent help?
I must be blind or something but I can't see a green triangle in that screenshot... And the red circle thing, is there anyone who doesn't know what that means? Casette players, VCRs, and even my parents' brand new DVR all use it. Plus if you really don't know, it says "Start recording" right next to it, that ought to be a hint.
Rossj wrote:While I think about it - what is the grey box for? Does it show progress or a waveform (so I can see when I am talking too loudly - something I do a lot)?
It shows volume, so you can use it to see when you're talking too loud. No waveform though.


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36th District Legislators
Fire Safety Tips
Fire Safety 101 for Colleges and Universities
Every year college and university students experience a growing number of fire-related emergencies. There are several causes for these fires, however most are due to a general lack of knowledge about fire safety and prevention.
The United States Fire Administration (USFA) offers these tips to help reduce and prevent the loss of life and property in dormitory and university housing fires.
In cases where fire fatalities occurred on college campuses, alcohol was a factor. There is a strong link between alcohol and fire deaths. In more than 50% of adult fire fatalities, victims were under the influence at the time of the fire. Alcohol abuse often impairs judgment and hampers evacuation efforts. Cooking is the leading cause of fire injuries on college campuses, closely followed by careless smoking and arson.
Many factors contribute to the problem of dormitory housing fires.
| Back |


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An international singing sensation can't just sit around the house playing mommy to her baby twins all day, so Mariah Carey is focusing her energies on the stage of the Home Shopping Network.
Yes, the Mariah Carey Collection offers up clothes, shoes and fragrances. So that you, too, can look, strut and smell like your favorite songbird. And it's quality stuff.
Take if from pitch master Mariah...
If by "traveling" you mean driving from the double-wide to the Indian casino, then you're not lying. It holds up real good.


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Hump Day Hero: Laurie Mintz
Every Wednesday The CSPH highlights a Sexuality Professional you should keep your eye on. Their backgrounds are very diverse in order to bring attention to the wide variety of amazing people working in the field. This week we bring you Laurie Mintz!
1. What do you do in the field of sexuality?
I teach, write, research, and counsel people about sexuality.
I teach undergraduate and graduate students about sexuality, and give lectures to a wide-range of lay audiences. I have given speeches to mother's groups, women's groups, and adult education groups, to name just a few. At the University of Missouri, where I spent 21 years as Professor in the Counseling Psychology program, I taught a graduate-level course on Sex Therapy. I relocated to the University of Florida as a Professor of Psychology in October 2011, and have continued to provide seminars on sex therapy for counseling psychology trainees. To my great excitement, this Fall 2012, I began teaching a class on Human Sexuality for approximately 150 undergraduate students.
I also have the honor of writing about sex for the lay public. I write a Psychology Today blog (Sex and Stress). The goal of this blog is to provide readers with tried and true psychological strategies, based in scientific research, to decrease their stress levels and to enhance their sexual knowledge, satisfaction, and functioning.
I have written a self-help book for women with low sexual desire, A Tired Woman's Guide to Passionate Sex (Adams Media, 2009).
I am also a researcher. Concerned that the vast majority of self-help books are published without evidence of their effectiveness, I conducted a study to evaluate my book. This study, which appeared in the July 2012 issue of the American Psychological Association's Journal of Counseling Psychology, demonstrated that women who read A Tired Woman's Guide to Passionate Sex increased their sexual desire, sexual arousal, sexual satisfaction and overall sexual functioning—and that the gains in sexual desire were maintained at 7-week follow up. I have additional studies underway. One compares my book to another self-help book, and the other compares my book to a placebo pill. Currently, I am working on my second book, which will be on sexual satisfaction. I also plan to study this book's effectiveness.
Finally, I provide counseling to individuals and couples dealing with sexual concerns. During my 21 years in Missouri, I had a small private practice. I am in the process of setting up my practice in Florida, where I will specialize in assisting individuals with sexual concerns.
2. Where are you based out of?
Gainesville, Florida (although I recently moved here, after 21 years in Columbia, Missouri).
3. What is your focus? What do you do?
The focus of my undergraduate teaching, my public speaking, and my popular press writing (i.e., my self-help book and my blog) is on translating scientific information on sexuality for the lay public. The focus of my graduate teaching is on training counselors to provide sound, empirically-based assistance to clients with sexual concerns. The focus of my research is on evaluating the efficacy of self-help materials for sexual concerns. Finally, the focus of my practice is on helping clients enhance their life satisfaction and sexual functioning.
4. What are your particular goals and passions in the field?
My passion is helping individuals, particularly women, enhance their sexual functioning. I am dedicated to providing easily accessible information that is accurate and grounded in science (e.g., basing the techniques in my book on research, summarizing the latest sexuality research in my blog). Likewise, I am firmly committed to making sure that any self-help book that I write is itself subject to empirical evaluation. If I publish a book that it aimed at helping people, I want to make sure that it truly does so!
I am also very passionate about teaching counselors-in-training to work effectively with clients who have sexual concerns. To me, this is akin to "paying it forward" for future generations of psychologists and their clients.
Finally, I relish having open and informative conversations about sex. I love talking to people (students, clients, readers, friends, colleagues) about sex in a matter-of-fact manner. I strive to assist others in increasing their comfort in seeking and sharing sexual knowledge and information.
5. Why did you choose to work in this field?
As long as I can remember, I have been very comfortable talking about sex, as well as very curious and interested in sexuality and sexual functioning. As a psychologist, I routinely ask clients if they have any concerns regarding sexuality. Quite often, clients reveal that they do have concerns and tell me that they weren't planning to bring the topic up unless I did. Related, I have observed that psychologists-in-training with whom I work are hungry for information on how to work with clients on sexual concerns, yet such information is often lacking in academic training programs. These experiences, and my related experiences researching, speaking, and writing about sexuality, have convinced me that there is lack of accurate information on sexuality available in our culture, as well as continued shame and embarrassment about discussing sexual issues. I want to be one of the people who provides accurate information, debunks myths, and increases our culture's comfort in frank, open sexual discussions.
6. Where did you go for school/training?
I graduated with a BS in Psychology from Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. and received both a master's and doctoral degree in counseling psychology from Ohio State University.
7. Do you have any literature out (websites, articles)?
Yes, I have a book, A Tired Woman's Guide to Passionate Sex. I also have a Psychology Today Blog, Sex and Stress. You can also learn more about my work on both my University of Florida faculty webpage, and on my personal webpage.
8. What would you recommend to future professionals attempting to get into the field?
The identical advice I would give to any aspiring professional in any field: 1) Do what you love and follow your dreams and passions; 2) Don't expect to do everything all at once–your career can evolve over time; 3) Know that you will have many successes as well as many disappointments, so celebrate your successes and persevere and learn from your disappointments; and finally, 4) Remember that work is only one aspect of your life—strive for life balance (e.g., spend time with friends and family, enjoy hobbies, exercise, etc.).
9. What is the most challenging aspect for you working in this career?
There is never enough time to do all I want to do and to simultaneously keep a life balance—which is important for my own stress level and sexual functioning!
10. One must read-what would you recommend? Why?
I Love Female Orgasm. It is full of informative, sex-positive information and has helped many women to gain comfort and understanding of their sexuality (and to achieve the "Big-O").
NOTE: We do not necessarily endorse or agree with all the opinions of our featured Hump Day Heroes. If you have concerns over someone who is currently featured, please let us know by emailing email@example.com.


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Yearly or more frequent performance reviews are de rigueur in most workplaces. Generally, the scenario goes something like this: You are summoned into your manager's office, she goes over an evaluation sheet, and at the end, and she tells you how much of a salary increase you'll be getting. This time, however, instead of sitting back and hoping that your manager will come through, it's time to be proactive.
Preparation is as important when you are negotiating for a raise, as it is when you are negotiating your starting salary. Make sure you know what kind of salary you can command by reading salary surveys and other sources of salary information, and discreetly find out the ballpark percentage increase your colleagues are making. For example, what's typical for some companies-such as 5% or so-may be very low for others. The standard percentage raise for a given company is also likely to change depending on the economy and fiscal circumstances for a given year.
Lee Miller, author of "Get More Money on Your Next Job," recommends going online to sites such as Salary.com or Futurestep.com to do salary research. He also advises contacting associations such as the American Chemical Society, which may conduct salary surveys for specific professions. In addition, Miller says you can learn a lot by networking with people in your field or talking to headhunters and recruiters about what the salary range is for your current experience level.
The Art of Self Promotion
Some managers tell employees to keep a list of accomplishments (presentations they've given, awards they have received, projects they've worked on, continuing education courses) for the previous year. It's helpful to have all this information in one place to make a strong case. Keeping letters and e-mail that support these accomplishments is also a good idea.
Elizabeth Dougherty, a compensation consultant with Watson Wyatt, a human resources consulting firm based in Washington, DC, says that the best way to prepare yourself for a performance review is to conduct a self-assessment. "Use the criteria upon which your supervisor will judge performance. Consider both quantitative measures (revenue generated, deadlines met) as well as behavioral criteria (for example, acted as mentor to junior team members, proactively handled critical customer situation)." Dougherty also says you should reflect on your "development opportunities" — skill areas where you can improve, areas of interest, areas which will lead to promotional opportunities — and be prepared to offer some suggestions. Finally, she advises employees to provide feedback regarding any significant barriers (and suggestions for overcoming those barriers) to your productivity, quality and effectiveness.
Laying the groundwork months in advance is essential, says Miller. "The time to be thinking about your next raise is as soon as you've gotten your last one," he says. Since most managers have very little idea of what you are doing on a day-to-day basis, it's your job to let them know. "Most people think if they are doing a good job, they will get a raise or promotion automatically, but unless you make a conscious effort to get that information to your boss, you may be passed over," warns Miller. To this end, you need to become a good self-promoter. You may be doing a great job but if your supervisor has no idea what you are up to, it won't matter at review time.
Like Dougherty, Miller suggests that you make a comprehensive list of the projects that you are working on and the progress you are making on each item. It doesn't help to only communicate your successes with your boss at the review; you have to let her know how you are doing throughout the year. Explains Miller, "Casually keep your boss informed." Meet with him once in a while, send the occasional "progress report," anything to keep the lines of communication open. "One really good way to let your boss know how well you are doing is send your boss a note to praise the people on your team – laud the people you work for and therefore you laud yourself. "The key is communicating with your boss. If money's attached to the project, savings, etc. make sure your boss knows about that as well—put a number to it."
Sidebar: The Dos and Don'ts of Getting What You Deserve
Timing Is Everything
Before you go racing into your manager's office to demand more money, keep in mind that timing is essential. "The boss is no different than everyone else," says Richard Chang, CEO of Richard Chang Associates. "They have good days and they have bad days. Look for signs or characteristics that indicate you're actually talking with them on a good day. If you have a pre-scheduled discussion time, and there are indicators that this is a bad day, be sure to re-schedule the discussion time."
"Ask for a review out of cycle (i.e. not during regular performance review periods)," advises Miller. A great time to approach your manager is after you've had a success – such as a project that's gone extremely well. "You need to pull yourself away from the masses. It's easier if you take yourself out of the cycle and somehow distinguish yourself from everyone else."
Also remember that whether you are on the giving or the receiving end, work evaluations make most people uncomfortable and your boss may also be feeling stressful about the situation. "When you approach him or her, strive to create a comfortable environment and to build understanding and appreciation for your performance and for the reasons you are making your request," explains Chang.
Negotiating and Counteroffers
Let's assume that you are less than pleased with the raise you've been given. Is it wise to negotiate? Dougherty says that yes, you should discuss the increase amount with your supervisor to understand the rationale behind the dollars. "Be prepared to express your dissatisfaction by articulating your reasoning, for example you might say, 'The project I managed came in on time and under budget.' She cautions, however, that negotiating an amount may be difficult since criteria other than performance (such as budgeting) may play a role in the ultimate increase amount.
Unfortunately, warns Dougherty, if employees share in the success of the organization (vis-à-vis bonuses), then they might also be expected to share — to some extent — in the organization's hardships. But even during tough economic times or despite poor business results, some organizations may be willing to offer non-cash rewards to superior performers. The key to getting those rewards is to make sure you keep a good record of what you've accomplished throughout the year. The more data you have, the stronger your case will be. While the company's benefit policies may be difficult to change, other options such as comp time, more training, continuing education or the chance to attend conferences or professional seminars are good alternatives.
Like Dougherty, Miller also recommends conveying your disappointment to your boss, but in a constructive manner. "Ask your boss what you can do in the future. Ask for advice about how you might go about getting a better raise or promotion next time around." It's important to make your boss your ally so that they have a stake in your success. "Once you get the advice, and if you follow it and let your boss know you are following their advice, it becomes very hard for that manager not be your advocate," he says.
Miller also says that you can try to negotiate the timing of a bonus. "Convince your boss that you should get a bonus and agree that you will revisit the bonus issue in three months and if business is better you'll get a special bonus then. The key to that is to show why your circumstances are different than anyone else."
Experts don't advise using another offer as leverage if you are not satisfied with the raise you've been offered. "It's a very, very risky strategy and if it appears that you are threatening, it makes you look disloyal," says Miller. If you do decide to use this tactic, you must be willing to walk away from the company if it fails.
"Most significant increases in salary when you are already with a company result either from an increase in responsibilities or from concerns that you might leave. Therefore, any strategy you use with your current employer should include an effort to get more responsibility or to make yourself so invaluable that the possibility of your leaving would cause immediate concern," concludes Miller.