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Bucks suffer fourth straight loss to Nets
NEW YORK (AP) — Jason Kidd tried his 13th different lineup this season and the Brooklyn Nets took advantage of a visit from the NBA's worst team to snap a four-game losing streak.
Backup point guard Shaun Livingston, who had scored just 14 points in his last four games, was moved into the starting lineup and led the way with 20 points, Mirza Teletovic scored a career-high 19 off the bench and Brooklyn rebounded from an embarrassing Christmas Day showing with a 104-93 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
Having Livingston on the floor gave Brooklyn an additional ballhandler besides starting point guard Deron Williams. Kidd's move worked from the start at the Nets had seven assists on 12 field goals in the first quarter.
"I thought it got us off to a good start. The ball was moving. We were getting great looks," said Kidd, who called out his team after a pair of 17-point losses this week. "We'll see how it goes tomorrow, but I thought those two played extremely well together."
Nets 104, Bucks 93
The Nets had won three straight early this month before spiraling to five losses in their last six games.
Brooklyn got the win ahead of a difficult road trip.
After the game, the Nets left for Indiana for a game Saturday night against a team that's beaten them twice this season, including 106-83 on Monday night, leading Kidd to criticize his team. After the loss the first-year coach said his team looked like it "was very close to just accepting losing."
The Nets followed up that performance with a loss against the Chicago Bulls on Christmas Day before a national television audience. Brooklyn's trip will span six days with games at San Antonio on New Year's Eve and at Oklahoma City two days later.
"This is about tough as it's going to get as far a three-game road trip," said Paul Pierce, who added 13 points for the Nets. "You got the top three teams in the league."
Brooklyn hit 12 3-pointers, with Teletovic making five and Jason Terry four, and Milwaukee coach Larry Drew didn't like the way his team defended the 3-point line.
"We had a couple of breakdowns defensively. We went under the screens on the 3-point shooters and that was not the game plan," Drew said. "Seemed like every time we tried to make a run or get some stops, we would have a breakdown defensively and Brooklyn would get up a 3."
Rookie Giannis Antetokounmpo had 16 points and 10 rebounds for Milwaukee, and Khris Middleton added 15 points and eight boards.
Milwaukee is off to a 6-23 start mainly due to injuries to key players. Larry Sanders, who had surgery on this right thumb after he tore ligaments in a nightclub fight, played for the first time since early November, scoring 10 points in 22 minutes off the bench. Ersan Ilyasova also returned after missing the last three games with a sore right ankle and started for the Bucks, finishing with six points and seven rebounds.
"I just wanted to go out there and run. You see when you are hurt that you take things for granted sometimes and I just want to be around my teammates and just play ball," Sanders said.
The Nets led by as many 23 points in the fourth quarter but the Bucks went on a 24-10 run to get within 97-88 with 3:03 left to play. But after Milwaukee called a timeout, Teletovic hit his third 3-pointer of the quarter to put the Nets ahead 100-88 with 2:03 left and Brooklyn closed it out from the free throw line.
Kidd used a smaller unit in the team's third game without All-Star center Brook Lopez, who is out for the season with a fractured right foot.
Livingston started at the 2 guard and Pierce played power forward and made his second start in his last nine games at forward. Kevin Garnett started at center and Teletovic, who had started in place off Lopez in the last three games, went back to his customary reserve role and Alan Anderson also went to the bench.
Garnett said the team has stuck together during the adverse times.
"Well a real sign of someone and their character is when they're down and how much fight that person has, if not that the team has. That's the first thing I look at when you go through some tough stuff," Garnett said.
"Look for the finger-pointers and the complainers. We haven't done none of that."
Notes: Brooklyn has beaten the Bucks four straight times since sweeping their four-game set in 2007-08. . . . Garnett (10 points), Terry (12) and Pierce scored in double figures for the first time this season. They did so 33 times last season with the Boston Celtics. . . . Brooklyn has led the opposition to 30.2 percent shooting behind the arc. The Bucks hit 9-of-32 3-point attempts.


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Faculty Exchange for Teaching Excellence
FETE Mission Statement
The Faculty Exchange for Teaching Excellence (FETE), under the umbrella of the Teaching & Learning Center is dedicated to the enhancement of teaching and learning at Kansas State University. This mission is accomplished by a committee of colleagues from each college and the Salina campus who work together to create, promote, and implement professional development programming for the campus community. FETE sponsors workshops, presentations, and study groups open to all KSU faculty and graduate students, and led by KSU faculty and experts from other institutions who share their experiences, expertise and passion for enhancing student learning.
FETE Coordinator
Peggy L. Honey

subset: commoncrawl


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Delaware's 2012-2013 deer harvestdown slightly from last season
DOVER (Feb. 20, 2013) – Delaware hunters harvested 13,302 deer during the 2012-2013 season, a 1.9 percent drop from the previous season's take of 13,559, but well within the average harvest totals for the past five years (13,551), the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife announced today. The 2012-2013 deer harvest ranks as the eighth all-time highest deer harvest for Delaware.
"We expected the harvest to be lower this season compared to last year, because over the past few years we made several changes to the deer management program in an attempt to reduce Delaware's overabundant deer population," said Deer and Furbearer Biologist Joe Rogerson of the Division of Fish and Wildlife. "Delaware's highest deer harvest occurred during the 2004-05 season, followed by a gradual but steady drop in numbers that mirrored the declining deer population. As a result we expected hunters to harvest fewer animals because they would be encountering fewer deer while afield."
During the 2012-2013 season, hunters harvested more does – 6,923, or 52 percent – than bucks – 6,379, or 48 percent. Antlerless deer – females, juvenile bucks without antlers known as button bucks, and bucks with antlers measuring less than three inches – represented 72.3 percent of the total harvest.
Since the first year of Delaware's five-month-long crossbow season in 2010-2011, when hunters harvested 398 deer, harvest numbers have increased more than 60 percent. This season, 641 deer were taken with crossbows. Combined with the harvest from vertical bows – compound, recurve and longbows – the total archery harvest for 2012-2013 was 1,941 deer, ranking as the all-time highest archery season harvest for Delaware.
Rogerson noted that epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), a viral infection that can be lethal to deer, had an impact on this year's deer harvest, particularly in Sussex County. For the 2012-2013 season, Sussex County hunters harvested 6,448 deer, down 8.4 percent from last year's total of 7,041. The largest likely impact of EHD occurred in the Georgetown and Milton areas (Deer Management Zones 12 and 15), where the harvest was down 22 percent and 26 percent, respectively. EHD apparently did not have as great an impact on Kent and New Castle counties, which posted their highest all-time harvest numbers – 2,826 deer in New Castle and 4,028 in Kent.
"EHD did impact deer populations in portions of Sussex County, but our harvest numbers likely do not indicate the cause for concern that some hunters and land managers predicted," said Wildlife Species Program Manager Rob Hossler. "The summer and fall of 2007 was another bad year for EHD in Delaware, and we saw similar declines in the deer harvest during the first hunting season following the outbreak. However, the deer population rebounded, and two years later the harvest returned to levels seen before the outbreak. We expect the same rebounding to occur over the next two years in most portions of Sussex County affected by EHD, as Delaware's deer herd is extremely prolific."
Transmitted by small biting flies – commonly called midges or "no-see-ums" – EHD is the most significant disease afflicting white-tailed deer in North America, and also the best known and most widely studied. Since EHD was first identified in 1955, regular outbreaks have occurred on the continent almost annually, most often associated with periods of drought. All known outbreaks in Delaware have occurred in late summer and early fall, and are abruptly curtailed with the onset of frost, which kills the midges and suspends the hatch of their larvae.
Not all deer that contract EHD die. Some deer are able fight off the infection and as a result develop antibodies which make them resistant to future exposure. These antibodies can be passed from mother to offspring, so some newborn fawns will exhibit some resistance to the virus this spring. Through repeated outbreaks over time, Delaware's deer population will become more robust and the impact of EHD should become less severe and less frequent.
Humans cannot be infected by EHD, nor can the disease be transmitted by consuming venison from afflicted animals. However, hunters are advised to avoid eating venison from visibly sick deer because they may be stricken by a secondary infection that could affect people. While cattle and other livestock can be affected by EHD, this is not common and deer are the primary species impacted.
For more information about the Delaware deer harvest or any other deer-related issue, please contact Joe Rogerson at 302-735-3600, or visit the Division's white-tailed deer information page at http://www.dnrec.delaware.gov/fw/Hunting/Pages/DeerInfo.aspx.


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Wednesday, October 20, 2010
New Panoramio KMLs
We are very excited about the launch of the new Panoramio KMLs. They are just fast and beautiful!
The new KMLs are extremely fast in loading photos. Try zooming in and out and you will see photos popping in and out in Google Earth.
The algorithm that is responsible for distribution and taking care of thumbnail overlaps has been improved as well and that is the reason you will now have a feeling of density that did not exist before, together with a better discoverability of the photos in the layer.
Panoramio KMLs are downloadable from the following places:
1. Popular photos in Google Earth:
(click on the link in the lower-left corner of the Site)
2. Popular photos in Google Earth (Including photos not selected for the Panoramio layer in Google Earth):
(you need to select the box before downloading the file from the lower-left corner of the Site)
3. Recent Panoramio uploaded photos:
(select the recent tab and then click on the link in the lower-left corner of the Site)
4. Photos from a specific tag:
5. Your Photos
Go to your page http://www.panoramio.com/user/user_ID and click on the link that says "in Google Earth"
I would like to thank the following software engineers from the Google Maps team for their help on this: Markus Heule, Phil Norman and Marcus Börger.
Hope you all like it and please let us know your thoughts in this post or in the Panoramio forum


text: The hanse 400 was the European Yacht of the Year 2006. Accommodation holds up to 6 people in 3 double cabins. Fun, safety, performance and quality are the watchwords from Hanse Yachts. High speed potential, great sailing characteristics, a generous list of standard equipment and easy handling. She has an extremely elegant interior, beautiful woodwork. Sailing performance is her most notable feature. With a large main that can be effectively reefed, and a self tacking headsail, she is an easy large boat that really sails well. She is perhaps the only boat of her size where all the sheets can be trimmed from the helm, allowing one person to sail her with ease. Let your crew do what they enjoy, while you enjoy the feel of the roller bearing steering system with finger tip control. Safety and navigation equipment includes fire extinguishers, first aid kit, life vests, GPS, autopilot, VHF radio, wind instruments, and depth sounder.


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AP, news groups sue Idaho over execution access
The Associated Press and 16 other organizations sued the state of Idaho on Tuesday to force officials to let witnesses watch executions from start to finish, arguing that the media has a First Amendment right to view all steps of a lethal injection execution.
The group asked a U.S. District Court judge to require the state to increase witness access to its executions, starting with the upcoming execution of Richard A. Leavitt, a convicted killer scheduled to be put to death on June 12.
The AP was joined in the lawsuit by the Idaho Press Club, Idahoans for Openness in Government, the Idaho Statesman, The Times-News, Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News and The Spokesman-Review.
Also joining was Pioneer Newspapers, which owns several newspapers including the Idaho Press-Tribune, the Idaho State Journal, the Rexburg Standard Journal and others.
Idaho, like most states with lethal injection, bars witnesses from watching as a condemned inmate is brought into the execution chamber, strapped to the table and has IVs inserted into his or her arms. The news organizations say reporters must be able to view executions from start to finish so they can accurately report the events - and any complications that may emerge - to the public.
Some death row inmates have challenged the constitutionality of lethal injection executions in court, contending that the insertion of the IVs can be easily botched, causing severe pain for the condemned.
"This lawsuit is really all about obtaining access to the entire execution process for viewing purposes. It's very important in a society such as ours to have full transparency in regards to the exercise of government authority," said Chuck Brown, the attorney representing the news organizations.
The states that grant access to part of the death penalty process say they do so to protect the anonymity of the execution team. Idaho Department of Correction spokesman Jeff Ray said the department had not yet had a chance to review the lawsuit, and that the state's attorneys would respond to the claims in court.
The lawsuit relies heavily on a 2002 San Francisco-based federal appeals court ruling that found that witnesses should be allowed to view executions from the moment the condemned enters the death chamber until their final heartbeat.
Since the ruling, only one state under the court's nine-state jurisdiction is following it: California, where the case arose. Idaho, Arizona, Washington, Montana and Nevada have all barred witnesses from the first half of lethal injection executions.
Most states nationwide do the same. Of the 27 states that have lethal injection outside of the circuit's jurisdiction, only Ohio and Georgia allow witnesses to see the entire process.
The lawsuit comes at a time when questions have been raised about whether the lethal cocktail of drugs used in the procedure is effective and whether the execution staff is properly trained.
The Idaho organizations decided to sue after state officials limited access to the execution of Paul Ezra Rhoades. Put to death in November, Rhoades was the first person to be executed in the state in 17 years, and only the second in the last half-century. Media interest in the event was intense, and the department selected four journalists to view the proceedings.
But none of the witnesses were allowed to watch as Rhoades entered the death chamber, was strapped to the execution table and had IVs inserted in his arms.
That portion was of particular interest because in the weeks preceding his death, Rhoades had argued in federal court that those initial steps were the most likely to go awry. His lawyers said an improperly inserted IV could cause him extreme pain.
At the time, Idaho Department of Correction officials maintained that the first steps of the execution had to be kept private to protect the anonymity of the execution team.
The 2002 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case was brought by the California First Amendment Coalition against California Department of Correction officials. The court found that preventing reporters - and through them, the public - from viewing all aspects of executions is an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment.
The news media must be allowed to witness executions in their entirety so that the public can have an informed debate about whether execution by lethal injection meets the evolving standards of decency present in a maturing society, the court found.
"To determine whether lethal injection executions are fairly and humanely administered, or whether they ever can be, citizens must have reliable information about the 'initial procedures' which are invasive, possibly painful and may give rise to serious complications," Judge Raymond Fisher wrote for the unanimous three-judge panel that heard the case.


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The playground is next to our house, which makes it easy for the parents to watch the kids playing.
The giant trampoline with a diameter of 4.80 meters is the children's favorite!
In addition, the playground features two solid swings, a play tower with a 5-meter wave slide, a toddlers' slide, as well as an animal spring rocker.
8-meter water slide for hot days. May be used by adults, too.
The playground features a whole variety of pedal vehicles including Go-Kart, Fun Racer, Jake Tractors, Big Gardener Tractors, Big Off Road Jeeps, Wing-Bo´s Fun Racers, Bobby Cars, bicycles and tricycles as well as much more.
Go for a ride on the terrace directly at the child playground or the descending road.
How about a race? Join in the fun!
The in-house playground has a playroom at only 20 steps from the guest lounge (same level).
Here you find a play area for toddlers, two drawing boards, LEGO tools, games and a Sony Playstation.
Thanks to its ideal location, kids run to the playroom between meals.


text: Pavagadh is one the famous city in Gujarat .There are many types of Hotels in Pavagadh which are available for online booking. You can choose Resorts in Pavagadh and book best hotels at a reasonable rates with Indiahotelsroom.com . You can view all these amazing places at Pavagadh by staying there in some good hotels comfortably Pavagadh , You can book Resorts in Pavagadh well in advance and live comfortably during your holidays in season time at discounted Price.


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Tool's Maynard James Keenan Calls for More Creativity in Music
As the frontman for prominent avant garde rock acts Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Puscifer — Maynard James Keenan knows a thing or two about originality. In a new interview the reclusive vocalist says that music piracy is stifling creativity in the industry.
Whether he's recording or touring with one of the three massively popular bands he fronts or running his Arizona winery — Maynard is always up to something. Currently he is touring with the newest of his three bands, Puscifer, while somewhere in the writing process for the follow-up to Tool's 2006 album '10,000 Days.'
In the time since the release of Tool's last album, much has changed in the music industry and not for the better. "I think, just in general, our society has gotten to the point where just you click a button, you get what you want when you want it," Maynard tells Oregon Rock Station 101.5 KFLY. "So until we get to a point where we realize you don't necessarily always get what you want when you want it, we're gonna have a problem."
Earlier this week Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan made some harsh observations about the current lack of great new bands. As a fellow member of a band that rose to prominence in the early 90′s, Maynard assesses a similar diagnosis. "The current state of music, I'm sure there's a lot of creative stuff going on out there, but there certainly isn't," he says. "Of course, I'm being nostalgic — but it doesn't seem like there's as much, creatively, going on, 'cause most people can't afford to do it."
Puscifer's tour in support of their current release 'The Conditions of My Parole' wraps up with their March 18 show at the Califonia Center for the Arts in Escondido, Calif.


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So, Miley Cyrus, Mickey Mouse, and Marc Jacobs' Cigarette all walk into a bar... or, er, Jacobs' Mercedes Benz fashion week show. There's a joke in there. Or maybe a picture is worth a thousand jokes?
That said, the hair is SICK. Susan Powter's regeneration is coming along very nicely.


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Peruvian officials say Joran van der Sloot has confessed to the slaying of Stephany Flores Ramirez. What will this development mean for the Natalee Holloway case? Watch "Nancy Grace," at 8 p.m. ET Thursday on HLN.
Lima, Peru (CNN) -- The attorney for Peru murder suspect Joran van der Sloot said he's going to ask the judge in charge of the case to strike down his client's confession in the death of 21-year-old Stephany Flores Ramirez.
Lawyer Maximo Altez told CNN affiliate Panamericana TV in an interview that aired Thursday that he would challenge the confession because van der Sloot was not being properly represented at the time he was interrogated.
Van der Sloot, a longtime suspect in the disappearance of U.S. teen Natalee Holloway five years ago in Aruba, was arrested last week in connection with Flores' slaying.
Flores' body was found in a hotel room registered to van der Sloot. Hotel surveillance video shows the pair entering his room and van der Sloot leaving alone more than three hours later.
Altez said Flores attacked van der Sloot first, after he confronted her for going through his computer. Police said Flores was badly beaten and suffered a broken neck.
CNN's Rafael Romo contributed to this report.


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Dr. Paul Manner writes from Seattle to comment on the new Seattle ordinance banning plastic bags that we discussed in "Bagless in Seattle: Victory is at hand." Could the law's favoritism toward paper bags be bad for the environment? Dr. Manner writes:
Actually, plastic is far better for the environment, and this is the funniest aspect of this whole idiotic discussion. From Treehugger:
Plastic bags create fewer airborne emissions and require less energy during the life cycle of both types of bags per 10,000 equivalent uses — plastic creates 9.1 cubic pounds of solid waste vs. 45.8 cubic pounds for paper; plastic creates 17.9 pounds of atmospheric emissions vs. 64.2 pounds for paper; plastic creates 1.8 pounds of waterborne waste vs. 31.2 pounds for paper.
Plastic also has lower energy requirements — these numbers are expressed in millions of British thermal units (Btus) per 10,000 bags, again at 1.5 plastic bags for every one paper bag. Plastic bags require 9.7 million Btus, vs. 16.3 for paper bags at zero percent recycling; even at 100% recycling rates, plastic bags still require less — 7.0 to paper's 9.1.
From an energy standpoint, canvas bags are 14 times better than plastic bags and 39 times better than paper bags, assuming that canvas bags get a good workout and are used 500 times during their life cycle.
It's almost enough to make you think something else is going on here.


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Back to Main Page / Back to List of Rules
Rule 742. Service of Citation (1947)
The officer receiving such citation shall execute the same by delivering a copy of it to the defendant, or by leaving a copy thereof with some person over the age of sixteen years, at his usual place of abode, at least six days before the return day thereof; and on or before the day assigned for trial he shall return such citation, with his action written thereon, to the justice who issued the same.
Amended by order of Aug. 18, 1947, eff. Dec. 31, 1947: "Delivering a copy" has been substituted for the former "reading."
|Prior Amendments
|Future Amendments
|Oct. 29, 1940, eff. Sept. 1, 1941
|Dec. 12, 2011, eff. Jan. 1, 2012
|Repealed by order of April 15, 2013, eff. Aug. 31, 2013.
Question: In forcible entry and detainer, Rule 742 provides that citation shall be served at least six days before the return day thereof. In the computation of time, Rule 4 provides that the day of the act is not to be included, but the last day of the period so computed is to be included. Forcible entry and detainer, being a special proceeding, is the time under Rule 742 governed by Rule 4? For illustration, could a citation in forcible entry and detainer served on the defendant on May 21, 1946, be properly returnable on May 27, 1946?
Answer: It is the opinion of the Subcommittee that Rule 4 is applicable in construing Rule 742, and that a citation in forcible entry and detainer served on the defendant on May 21st, 1946, would be properly returnable on May 27th, 1946.
Rule 4 provides a general rule of construction, and the fact that forcible entry and detainer is a special proceeding does not make Rule 4 inapplicable if it is otherwise pertinent. By its express terms Rule 4 may be invoked "in computing any period of time prescribed or allowed by these Rules, by order of court, or by any applicable Statute .... "
It will be noticed that the service of citation provided for in a forcible entry and detainer suit under Rule 742 calls for service upon the defendant "at least six days before the return day thereof," and its terminology does not follow the wording of Rule 101 in regard to citation in the District and County Courts which provides that the defendant must answer on the Monday next after the expiration of twenty days from the date of service."
Under the proper construction of Rule 742, in the light of the provisions of Rule 4, service on May 21st would constitute service six days before May 27th, and accordingly the citation would be properly returnable on May 27th.
9 Tex. B.J. 262 (1946).


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Brussels, 29 June 2011
Q&A: Staff Reform
Please note this Memo has been replaced and updated by MEMO/11/907
Why are you proposing these reforms?
Three reasons. First and foremost: the need to make efficiency gains and savings in administrative expenditure during difficult economic times. The Commission has lived up to this responsibility from the start of the crisis by following a policy of zero growth in posts, by meeting new political priorities through internal redeployment of staff, by putting in place tools and procedures to improve its internal organisation and efficiency and most recently by the proposal to freeze its administrative expenditure for the year 2012.
The administrative expenditure of the EU is less than 6% of the current budget of the European Union, which itself represents just 1% of EU GDP. A major staff reform in 2004 has already allowed the EU to save approximately €3 billion, and will save another €5 billion between now and 2020.
Nevertheless, it is important to show that the institutions and their staff are not out of touch with developments in many public administrations in Europe. That is why the Commission is coming forward with these draft proposals, which will save more than €1 billion on top of the existing savings outlined above.
Second: sunset clauses in the Staff Regulations require new solutions for the annual adjustments of salaries, pensions and pension contributions. During the 2004 reform, the mechanisms for the annual adjustment of remuneration and pensions and the annual adjustment of the pension contribution rate were revised. Both mechanisms include a sunset clause. The former will expire on 31 December 2012, and the latter will expire on 30 June 2013.
Third: to provide answers to concerns expressed by the Council and the Parliament. Over the last couple of years, the Council has expressed different concerns on three main elements - pay, pensions and career-related issues. In some cases it has called on the Commission to come forward with legislative proposals that address its concerns by 2011. In addition, the Parliament (a demand from COCOBU, the budgetary control committee) has invited the Commission to table a proposal on the revision of the Staff Regulations.
The Commission wanted to respond to all these concerns in a comprehensive way, taking account of the interlinked nature of different elements of Human Resources management. That is why it is tabling a single package of proposed changes to the Staff Regulations.
What happens next?
The draft proposals will provide the basis for internal discussions and consultations with different stakeholders, including staff representatives. A formal proposal of the Commission will be submitted to the Council and Parliament later this year.
These proposals lack ambition. The EU budget is far too high and most of it is being wasted on administration!
The EU budget represents around 1% of the EU's GDP (as opposed to Member State government budgets of 30% to 50% of GDP - or even more in some Member States).
Of this 1%, around 6% is spent on administration (Heading 5 of the budget). This expenditure has been kept under control and stable for several decades. The other 94% is invested in Member States and third countries.
The salaries and pensions of European officials account for little more than half of that 6%. These serve to pay high-calibre staff delivering and managing valuable EU policies that have a direct and positive impact on citizens.
The rest of the 6% that goes on administrative expenditure finances indispensable services such as:
But these proposals will only provide a fraction of the savings delivered by the 2004 reform. Why bother?
The major 2004 reform of the Staff Regulations did not take place so long ago, and its effects (including the savings it brings) are spread over a long period of time. In fact, savings in the field of personnel always increase over time. The 2004 reform has already saved €3 billion, but it will deliver another €5 billion in savings by 2020. So the more than €1 billion in savings these latest proposals would secure between now and 2020 go hand-in-hand with the savings of the 2004 reform. And the impact of the proposed measures will also increase over time.
That said, in the area of Staff Regulations, savings are not the only objective of any reform. A solution needs to be found which strikes the right balance between the EU's needs as an employer to attract and retain multilingual professionals of the highest calibre, and the need for efficient use of budgetary resources.
The objective of the proposed changes to the Staff Regulation is to adopt a comprehensive package which not only provides further savings in administrative expenditure, but also a stable framework in terms of salary and career, appropriate answers to the concerns expressed by the Council regarding some elements of HR management, and further modernisation of the EU civil service.
What happened during the 2004 reform?
The short answer: modernising the career structure; lowering entry-level salaries; reforming the pension scheme; introduction of contract agents; better conciliation between professional and private life; new method for adjusting salaries and pensions.
This reform was in several ways ahead of its time, and many Member States are only now making similar changes in their national administrations.
Why not just reduce the number of officials. There are far too many of them!
We are proposing to reduce the number of staff: by 5% across all institutions. But let's put this into perspective.
There are some 55,000 EU civil servants and other agents across all EU institutions, bodies and agencies, in Brussels, Luxembourg, across Europe and around the world. They serve some 500 million Europeans across 27 Member States, as well as countless people around the world, particularly in Africa and other developing areas.
By comparison, Birmingham City Council has 60,000 employees, and the administration of Paris employs 50,000.
In any event, the EU institutions cannot be directly compared to a national administration. Their particular working conditions need to be kept in mind when assessing staff numbers and their deployments: the multi-site presence all over Europe and the world, the 23 working languages, the unique inter-institutional set-up, to name just a few.
Within the European Commission, continuous efforts have been made in recent years to increase the efficient use of staff. As a result of the annual screening exercise, jobs in administrative support and coordination have been rationalised, so that staff can be moved to operational frontline activities and support the delivery of Europe's challenging political agenda.
The efforts of continuous redeployment from old to new priorities and the reduction of overhead functions have enabled the Commission to present a 2012 draft budget which, for the third year in a row, requests no new posts. This means that the Commission has remained faithful to its commitment to meet all its staffing needs with constant resources – despite the new competences imposed by the Lisbon Treaty.
However, one should bear in mind that Commission staff represent fewer than 55% of the total staff of all institutions.
Officials are paid too much. Why not reduce salaries?
The Commission chose another option. It is proposing to increase the minimum weekly working time to 40 hours and reduce staff numbers. Fewer staff means lower costs. But individual staff members will have to work more to get the same salary, because there will be no financial compensation. As a result, EU civil servants will work longer hours than their counterparts in many national administrations.
Second, secretaries and clerks will no longer be recruited as officials in the future, but as contractual staff with open-ended contracts. The salaries and career perspectives for contract agents are attractive, but they are at a lower level than the salaries for officials.
Third, the net purchasing power of EU officials, after taxes and pension contributions, already decreased in 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2010. Overall, the purchasing power of EU officials' salary decreased by 4.2% between 2004-2010 while for national civil servants (on average) it decreased by only 1.8%.
The calculation includes eight Member States: BE, DE, ES, FR, IT, LU, NL, UK.
Fourth, the 2004 reform already had a major impact on salaries. As a result, the monthly entry salary for university graduates (AD5), for example, was reduced by €500. Many jobs are no longer carried out by officials, but by contract agents who have lower salaries and, later, lower pensions as well.
EU institutions have to compete for high quality staff with other international organisations, national diplomatic services, multinational companies, law firms and consultancies. The kind of staff the EU institutions are looking for is specific: employees of the EU institutions must be experts in their field, they must speak at least one foreign language at professional level – and usually more, they must be able to work in a multicultural environment and usually they must be willing to move with their families to another country (which often means spouses giving up their career).
Unfortunately, successfully competing for this talent is now getting difficult. The European Commission takes part in studies which show that the EU institutions tend to pay less than other international organisations for entry-level salaries. In rare cases even national civil services of Member States offer better remuneration packages, as EU institutions do not offer benefits in kind which are common in diplomatic services or international companies: provided or reimbursed accommodation, car, phone, etc. In certain cases this has proved to be an obstacle in attracting qualified staff to work for EU institutions in Brussels.
EU institutions are also having increasing difficulty in securing geographical balance, as required by Article 27 of the Staff Regulations. For example, in recent recruitment competitions for administrators, the participation rate of French, German, Dutch and especially UK citizens fell far below numbers that would reflect their size.
Agencies - especially those in Member States where salaries are adjusted downwards to reflect the lower, local cost of living - are also facing real challenges in attracting qualified staff. Frontex, the agency established in Warsaw to help co-ordinate border security co-operation between Member States, is one of many examples.
The Commission criticises national indexation of salaries in its Annual Growth Survey but applies its own indexation of salaries. Isn't it time to scrap 'the method' for annual adjustments to salaries and pensions?
The method is not a salary indexation system: it follows the evolution of purchasing power of national officials in central government in the Member States, it does not compensate for inflation.
For example, the remuneration of European officials increased by only 0.1 % in 2010, while inflation in Brussels, where the majority of EU staff works, was 2.4 %. This means that European officials got a pay increase well below inflation.
In addition, it is in everyone's interest to keep a method. The first method was adopted by the Council in 1970 to avoid annual, drawn-out salary negotiations and social tension. It has now applied for 40 years and has proved to be an efficient, transparent and simple tool for adjusting remuneration and pensions.
The proposal for a revised method builds on the principles of parallelism and a comparable development of purchasing power in Member State administrations and for EU civil servants:
Method for adjusting salaries and pensions
Why has the exception clause never been triggered during the crisis? What are you going to do about it?
Over 40 years, the method has applied during economic recessions as well as periods of economic growth. Through the principle of parallelism, it has always taken full account of any developments in purchasing power of national officials in Member States, whether positive or negative, in good times and bad. Therefore, it was never necessary to trigger the exception clause, for which the criteria were always somewhat vague, and the procedure heavily bureaucratic and time-consuming.
It is true that the austerity measures announced by many Member States in 2009 and implemented in 2010 were not immediately reflected in the remuneration of European officials at the end of 2009. But this was due to the time needed to record what occurs in the Member States. As a result, the current method has always worked with a small time lag of maximum one year.
The measures were therefore fully reflected in the remuneration of European officials in 2010, when the annual increase amounted to just 0.1 %. Due to the increase in contributions, namely pension contribution and the special levy, this actually translated into a 0.3% cut in net salaries of EU staff.
Nevertheless, to respond to Member States' concerns about the exception clause, modifications are proposed which would make its application more automatic, less bureaucratic – and hopefully easier for everyone to understand. It is worth noting that the proposed clause would have been triggered in 2009:
Perhaps more money could be saved if officials paid tax?
A range of myths has been created about EU staff not paying any tax. The reality is: they do. Tax bands range from 8% to 45%. The current minimum rate of 8% applies to the part of the monthly taxable income ranging from €109.85 to €1,938.92. The maximum marginal rate of 45% is applicable to any part of the monthly taxable income over €6,938.39 (for the minority who earn this much).
Unlike in many national public tax systems, there is no possibility for tax deductions (of mortgages, child care spending etc). Taxes of EU salaries are deducted directly.
In addition, EU civil servants currently contribute 11.6% of their salary to their pension scheme – a higher proportion than civil servants in every EU Member State. They also contribute to their sickness and accident insurance (1.8% of basic salary) and pay a special levy (now 5.5 %). Finally, they also pay taxes at the place of residence, unrelated to income from the EU: local taxes, property taxes, VAT etc.
A recent independent comparative study by Matrix/Ramboll commissioned by the Directorate-General for Human Resources and Security stressed the fact that the tax regime for EU officials is less favourable than other international institutions.
What about pensions? Surely more could be done to control soaring pension costs.
If pension costs are rising, it is simply because all the extra European civil servants recruited 20 or 30 years ago through various enlargements or to help create the Internal Market, for example, are now reaching retirement age. In the early decades of the European Union, when there were no or very few retired officials, there was a pension surplus!
Nevertheless, the draft proposals include a series of measures which will have a substantial impact on pension expenditure over coming years. They include:
Of course, like any changes to any pension system, these measures will only start to have a major impact in the mid to long-term.
The reason why other elements of the pension system remain unchanged is that they already underwent a radical change in 2004. The new pension system was one of the pillars of the 2004 reform of the Staff Regulation, and pension-related elements of this reform produced – and will continue to produce to an increasing degree - a substantial part of its overall savings. The main impact of the 2004 changes will start to be felt around 2020.
As a result, total pension-related savings from 2009-2059 are expected to be nearly €25 billion. After that, €1 billion will be saved annually, compared to a situation where the 2004 reform hadn't taken place.
So the development of its pension scheme (2004 reform and 2011 draft proposals) is in line with the Commission's Green Paper on adequate, sustainable and safe European pension systems of 7 July 2010, which called for the extension of working lives by increasing the retirement age and by reducing early retirement schemes.
Why do the proposals talk about flexitime? Officials should be working more, not having extra holidays!
First, EU officials are dedicated staff whose first preoccupation is their output and their contribution to the European interest, not flexitime recuperation. Proof of this is that almost half of all hours worked in excess of standard working time are never recuperated, in any form whatsoever.
Second, many national (e.g. Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, United Kingdom) and regional (e.g. Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg) administrations make extensive use of flexitime schemes - and rightly so, because it is a modern and family-friendly management tool.
Third, flexitime recuperation gives staff the possibility to partially claw back the excess hours they have worked, it is not extra holidays.
A total of 14,000 Commission officials and temporary agents, equivalent to 57% of eligible staff in these categories, applied flexitime in 2010. Only part of the accumulated working hours above the standard working hours were taken as recuperation, resulting in a total of 88,000 days of excess work delivered but not recuperated. These extra hours correspond to 400 posts.
Flexitime is not about working less, it is about working better, in a more flexible manner that better matches organisational needs. A large body of research and the experience of numerous private firms show how employers benefit from providing flexibility in when and how work gets done.
That is why the Commission does not want to modify the flexitime scheme in general. It does, however, propose to exclude management from the formal scheme. Managers already often work significantly longer hours than other staff in the organisation and a small "management allowance" is paid to recognise the additional commitment and responsibility that goes with the role. The current flexitime system is not coherent with the demands of everyday management tasks, where managers are expected to be available outside the standard working day to ensure the delivery of Commission services.
Why are you increasing the minimum working week to 40 hours?
The proposed staff cuts will require everyone to pick up a share of the additional work burden if the same policy objectives are to be achieved. An increase of almost 7% in everyone's working week will ensure that we maintain the same level of capacity.
The Commission's intention is to ensure that EU working hours are at least in line with current practice at the national level - and at 40 hours, the institutions will be at the upper end of the scale.
The 40 hour minimum will apply to all the institutions, and the amount of compensatory leave currently taken under the flexitime system will of course be significantly affected by the new working hour requirements
In reality, though, a substantial majority of staff already work more than the required 37.5 hours, and the Commission is simply translating the current reality into the Staff Regulations.
Side Bar


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Born in Venice Beach, California, Elana Bell received a bachelor of arts from Sarah Lawrence College in 1999. She returned to Sarah Lawrence for graduate study and received an MFA in Creative Writing in 2008.
Her manuscript, Eyes, Stones, was selected by Fanny Howe as the winner of the 2011 Walt Whitman Award, and was published by Louisiana State University Press in 2012.
She is the recipient of grants and fellowships from the Jerome Foundation, the Edward Albee Foundation, and the Drisha Institute.
Bell has conducted poetry workshops for educators, women in prison, teenagers across the country and abroad, as well as for the Arab Jewish Peace Organization.
She currently serves as the writer-in-residence for the Bronx Academy of Letters and resides in Brooklyn, New York, with her husband, writer Jai Chakrabarti.


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Interesting fact sheet from the USDA...
FACT SHEET: A Strong Nutrition Program to Help Hardworking American Families
This week, Agriculture Under Secretary Kevin Concannon and Anne Alonzo, Administrator for the Agricultural Marketing Service joined George Jones, CEO of Bread for the City to highlight the need for a new Farm Bill that adequately invests in America's nutrition safety net. Food assistance programs, along with the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program, provide a critical means to provide healthy food for Americans who are working hard but struggling to fill their plate.
Even as our economy recovers and private-sector jobs are added, food security remains a serious problem across the nation. Last year, more than 49 million Americans lived in households that had difficulty putting food on the table.
To help families put healthy food on the table, USDA provides a modern and effective nutrition safety net.
- Over the past year, USDA has helped millions of Americans through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). More than half of SNAP recipients are children and the elderly, and only 8% receive cash welfare.
- At the same time, our efforts to crack down on fraud and abuse while modernizing the SNAP program have led to one of the lowest error rates in history for the program, and a fraud rate of 1.3%.
- We undertook historic improvements to the range of healthy food offered in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The program now includes more whole grains, fruits and vegetables – the first comprehensive changes to the WIC program in 30 years – based on expert scientific recommendations.
We've modernized the school breakfast and lunch programs to be sure kids are getting the nutrition they need during the school day.
- Every day, 31 million children eat school lunch – and about 13 million of them eat school breakfast. For too many kids, these programs are the only dependable means to get a good meal during the day.
- USDA helped lead the effort to pass the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, historic legislation that provided the first real reforms to the school lunch and breakfast programs in three decades.
- The modern school lunch and breakfast programs provide more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and low-fat dairy while reducing fat, sodium and sugar. The reforms also provide school districts with added flexibility to provide healthier school meals.
We've helped America's food banks and food pantries reduce shortages by providing nutritious food for those in need.
- Just this week, to help support food banks and pantries, USDA purchased 155.6 million pounds of healthy, high quality, domestically-grown fruits and vegetables to be donated through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP).
- Last year, the program resulted in more than 640 million pounds of extra food in food banks across the nation and added $498 million to the farm economy.
As the recovery continues, no American should be left out when it comes to putting a healthy meal on their table, or providing good food for their children. USDA will continue its focus on providing a modern, sensible and reliable nutrition safety net that puts families first – but to get the job done, Congress must provide a new Food, Farm and Jobs Bill as soon as possible that adequately invests in these critical nutrition assistance programs.


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All of the state received rain during the last week, from 1 inch to 2 inches in most locations, according to the National Weather Service.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service county agent reports indicated instances of 6 inches — or even 10 inches — but according to weather service records, amounts more than 4 inches were extremely isolated events.
The good news came from the South Plains, Rolling Plains and Panhandle regions where the rains fell slow and steady, allowing the moisture to soak into soils and replenish soil profiles rather than run off.
The rain came too late in many areas to save dryland crops such as cotton, but it did come just in time for High Plains corn that was tasseling, allowing irrigators to let wells rest for a few days. The rain also quickly greened up pastures and rangeland and made another cutting of hay a possibility.
If you are enjoying reading this article, please check out Southwest Farm Press Daily and receive the latest news right to your inbox.
In the Central and Northern regions, where the drought hasn't been so severe, the rains mainly improved crop yield-potentials.
Most Coastal Bend counties that border the Gulf Coast and were under extreme drought conditions on July 16, received from 1 inch to 2 inches.
The rains created a few minor problems along with the benefits. For example, Corrie Bowen, AgriLife Extension agent for Wharton County, southwest of Houston, noted that the rains, from 1 inch or less, not only slowed corn harvesting but caused some seed sprouting.
The rains of the last week continued the wetter-weather trend that started about 30 days ago. According the weather service, many parts of the state have received totals of 4 inches to 8 inches or even more during the last month.
Despite the rains, drought still reigns in Texas. According to the July 16 U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 94 percent of the state remained under moderate to extreme drought conditions.
More information on the current Texas drought and wildfire alerts can be found on the AgriLife Extension Agricultural Drought Task Force website at http://agrilife.tamu.edu/drought/.
You may also like:
$250,000 endowed professorship allows NMSU researchers to continue drought-tolerance…
Surprising corn, grain yields in parts of Texas Valley for some grower…


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Your browser does not support iframes.
U.S. Air Force Airman Sherleen E. Bedrava graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio. The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.
Bill and Jane Lancaster of Shelbyville have been married for 64 years. The couple was married Dec. 19, 1951, at Bagdad Baptist Church by the Rev. Bill Dyal – the first wedding he performed.
He is retired coach at Waddy High School, retired principal at Peak's Mill and Bridgeport schools in Franklin County, started junior high school for Shelbyville Junior High School, retired as principal after 15 years at Northside Elementary.
She was a teacher at Simpsonville High School, Shelbyville High School, Shelby County High School and East Middle.
The Christmas tree at Bailey's Service Center is decorated with Hot Wheel cars and wrenches of all the employees. The grapevine tree was made by Bessie Chowning, Wanda Bailey's mother, more than 20 years ago and is always lit during the month of December. All the children who come into Bailey's office can pick their favorite car from the tree to take home as a gift, along with a candy cane for everyone. Standing by the tree is Kaleeah Bailey.
Margaret J. Mack, born on Dec. 3, 1915 in Shelbyville, the second of eight siblings, celebrated her 100th birthday with family, friends and church members at Winter Growth Assisted Living in Olney, Md. Her only surviving sibling, Mary K. Alexander, 96 years old, attended the celebration. Except for the challenges of aging, Margaret is in fairly good health.
Cub Scout Pack 270 helped stock the Bagdad Food Bank during the annual "Scouting For Food" food drive. Members of the troop were (front row, kneeling, from left) Ryan Cinotto, Caleb Layne, Dylan Johnson, Eli Cox, Trenton Bauhmgarder and Levias Sanderson; (back row) Cole Gatton, Micah Langness, Sam Lewis and JL Cinotto. Not pictured was Micah Krebs. The charter organization is First Christian Church in Shelbyville.
Roanna Lynn Bolin of Louisville announces the birth of her second child, a daughter, on Nov. 2, 2015 at Baptist East Hospital. She has been named Laila Lynn Pierce. Her older sister is Laci Lynn, 7. She was born at 9:02 p.m., weighing 7 pounds and 5 ounces and 19 inches long.
Grandparents are Edwin Rodriguez of Louisville and the late Dorothy Rodriguez.
Boy Scout Troop 164, sponsored by the 1st Presbyterian Church in Shelbyville, participated in the 2015 national Scouting for Food drive. The troop, led by Robert Green and assisted by adult leaders Keith Johnson and Lee Muncy, collected 210 items for the church's food pantry. Participating were (from left) Samuel Muncy, Billy Cook, Geo Cook, Wesley Cottingim, Charlie Muncy, Josh Johnson and Branden Johnson.
Candice Wiley and Daniel Iceman were married Oct. 3, 2015, at Shelby Christian Church in Shelbyville.
Parents of the bride are Susan and James Ray Wiley of Shelbyville. The groom is the son of Lisa and Dan Iceman of Louisville.
Rev. Kyle Wiley officiated the double-ring ceremony.
Maid of honor was Alexandria Iceman of Shelbyville, sister of the groom. Bridesmaids were Lina Azarova of Louisville, Ginger Smith of Louisville, Leslie Lintleman of Louisville, Kayla Wiley, cousin of bride, from Shelbyville.
Copyright © 2019
The Sentinel-News is your source for local news, sports, events and information in Shelby County and Shelbyville, KY, and the surrounding area.


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Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express.
Di Matteo confident of Cole extension
Roberto Di Matteo is "very optimistic" Ashley Cole will sign a new contract at Chelsea before the the transfer window opens after the left-back's first goal for 28 months kept them top of the Barclays Premier League.
Blues boss Di Matteo has no fears the man he hailed as a Stamford Bridge "legend" would reach January in a position to be able to pen a pre-contract agreement with a rival club.
"I'm very optimistic that it will be dealt with before that," Di Matteo said after watching Cole net a vital late winner in the European champions' 1-0 victory over Stoke.
Di Matteo confirmed he had recommended to the Chelsea board that they keep Cole "as long as they can" before waxing lyrical about the 31-year-old, who controversially joined the club from Arsenal six years ago.
"He has become a legend - he is now Chelsea through and through," said Di Matteo.
"But I wouldn't say it's just happened recently. He's been here many years and has contributed a lot to this club."
Hailing Cole as an ideal example for Chelsea's new players to follow, he added: "He's a fantastic pro, which I'm not sure whether you know.
"Somebody that's the first one out in training, one of the first into the building with JT [John Terry], trains every day like a professional, reliable, somebody that you could go to war with.
"And he's a very quiet guy as well. He's very private at his own stuff. He's one of the best left-backs in the world."
It is said that Cole suffers from a persistent ankle problem that can limit his ability to train but Di Matteo said: "He's physically very good, very strong, has the ability to recover very quickly from game to game. Offers us a lot on that left-hand side."


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These pages contain the documentation of the Daisy CMS 2.4 release - browse the navigation on the right or have a look at the site index.
The documentation for other releases can be found through our documentation service.
The documentation is also available published as a Daisy-book.
For an end-user introduction to Daisy, have a look at the video tutorials.


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HARRISBURG — One of the young men who testified against Jerry Sandusky last summer is suing the former assistant coach, Penn State and the charity for young people that Sandusky started.
Victim 6 sued Tuesday in federal court in Philadelphia, claiming Sandusky's behavior was "ratified" by The Second Mile and Penn State and that the organizations acted with reckless indifference to his rights.
Sandusky is serving a lengthy state prison term after being convicted of sexual abuse of Victim 6 and nine other boys.
Penn State is declining comment and messages weren't immediately returned by a Second Mile official or Sandusky's civil lawyers.
Victim 6 testified that Sandusky, calling himself "the Tickle Monster," grabbed him inside a university shower in March 1998. His mother's complaint triggered a police investigation but no charges.


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Orientation and Advising
The orientation program will help you meet friends, find your way around campus, and get ready for your classes at WSU.
All incoming students are required to attend an orientation program on campus to register for classes.
Placement Exams
The writing placement exam will enable your advisor to place you in the first-year writing course most appropriate for your ability.
If you have received equivalent credit for English 101 through college transfer or the Advanced Placement (AP) test in English, you do not need to take the writing placement exam. Honors College students do not need to take the exam.
The writing placement exam is offered online and must be completed at least one week before your orientation date.
The math placement assessment is an online exam designed to place you in an appropriate-level mathematics course.
All new students are required to take the test. (Students with college-level math credit may be exempt.)
The testing fee includes a six-week review module, access to the exam, and up to four retakes. If you take the test more than once, WSU will use your best score.
Orientation Signup
You must attend orientation in order to register for classes. Orientation programs are offered on several dates throughout the summer and fall. In addition to the ALIVE! orientation, all international students are required to attend an international orientation presented by the Office of International Programs. These orientations are usually held at the beginning of the fall and spring terms, prior to the start of the fall and spring Alive! programs. Please remember you must sign up for both the Alive! session and the International Orientation. Choose the events and dates that fit you best. Make sure your travel arrangements allow you to attend an orientation session.
- Mandatory International Undergraduate Orientation Sign Up – Held Wednesday, January 2, 2019 beginning at 10 a.m. in the CUB L60 (Butch's Den) for the spring 2019 start.
- Spring Alive! — Held in January for all students starting spring semester.
- Transfer Alive! — Early registration for students who are transferring from another U.S. college or university to WSU.
- Alive! Orientation — Twelve orientation sessions are offered in June and July.
- Fall Alive! Orientation — Most international students attend fall orientation, as it fits within the arrival window specified by U.S. visa regulations.
Non-Degree/Exchange Students
This orientation is offered by the Office of International Programs Global Services Department.
Sign up for orientation.
Transfer Students
If you are transferring from another U.S. college or university to WSU, we recommend attending Transfer Registration Days.
While you can attend any orientation program that is convenient for you, Transfer Registration Days will allow you to register for classes before anyone else.
Junior Writing Portfolio
All WSU students are required to submit three samples of their college writing from 3 different courses once they complete 60 semester credits.
Writing samples can come from any college course—so keep your papers!
The junior writing portfolio evaluates your readiness for the demands of writing-intensive upper-division courses in your major. And if your writing skills need more work, it helps your advisors connect you with the help you need.
Transfer Credit
If you have attended college or university outside the United States, we recommend that you bring course descriptions and syllabi (translated into English) with you. This will help us identify equivalent WSU courses for transfer credit.
If You Have Attended College in the United States
Use our transfer equivalency database to find WSU courses that are equivalent to your transfer courses.
If you have earned an associate's degree in the United States, you may be able to transfer to WSU with credit for the University Common Core (UCORE) general education requirements. Some degrees can transfer directly into junior standing at WSU.
Transferring an associate's degree to WSU
College Credit Earned in Washington
If you have attended college in the state of Washington, or if you plan to do so, the "Washington 45" agreement makes it easy for you to transfer pre-approved first-year courses from one college to another in the state of Washington.
Sponsored Students
Your sponsor should provide a Financial Guarantee Letter outlining the sponsorship conditions and financial coverage. Bring a copy of this letter with you to your orientation session.
If your sponsor or home country will be providing health insurance, bring your insurance card (or equivalent) to your orientation.
Within the first week of classes, you will need to meet with an International Programs advisor. Contact the Office of International Programs financial services to make an appointment.


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Policy Library A-Z
Looking for policies? Click on any letter below for policies beginning with that letter or search in the campus-wide administrative policies by area including: Board of Trustees, Academic, External Relations, Facilities-Property-Safety, Financial, Human Resources, Information Technology, Research, and Student. Alternatively, search the page by scrolling or using the browser (Ctrl + F or Command + F).
The policy may not be limited to that area of coverage, please review background, purpose and policy for applicability. Submit feedback to the Policy Office.
Academic Policies [Faculty Handbook, AA Procedures Manual]
Academic Integrity Policy [Student]
Academic Misconduct Appeal Process [Student]
Academic Misconduct Appeal Request Form [Student]
Academic Affairs Procedures Manual [Faculty Resources, Academic]
Acceptable Use Policy [IT] (See Network Connection & Acceptable Use Policy)
ADA Requests for Employees and Job Applicants [Human Resources]
Administrative Data Policy [Information Technology]
Alcohol Policy, Institutional [BOT]
Alcohol Policy & Procedures [Student]
Request to Serve Alcohol Form [Student]
Alcohol Purchase Policy (see Financial Manual Chapter 2.9)
Alcohol at Mines Functions (See also Academic Affairs Procedures Manual)
Alcohol and Other Drugs Education and Prevention Policy [Student, HR]
Alleged Copyright Infringement/Illegal File Sharing [Information Technology]
Alleged File Sharing Notice [Information Technology]
Amorous Relationships Policy [BOT]
Procedures for Amorous Relationships Policy [HR, Student]
Animals on Campus Policy [Human Resources]
Appropriateness of Expenditures, Guidelines on [Financial]
Authorized Agent Indemnification Policy [BOT]
Background Investigation Policy [Human Resources]
Background Disclosure/Authorization Form [HR Forms Page]
Budget Exception Policy [Research]
Building Access Policy [Facilities]
Bulletin (See also Graduate or Undergraduate) [Academic]
Campus Closures and Severe Weather [HR] (formerly School Closure)
Campus Housing (See Housing) [Student]
Campus Network Connection and Acceptable Use Policy [IT] (see Acceptable Use)
Campus Security Camera Policy [Facilities]
Campus Wireless Network Infrastructure Policy [IT]
Capital Budget Guidelines (Budget) [Financial]
Capital Construction and Real Estate Conveyance Policy [BOT]
CCIT Policy Violations Processes [IT]
Cell Phone Allowance Policy [Financial]
Classified Handbook (Employee) [Human Resources]
Classified Grievance Process [Human Resources]
Closeout of Fixed Price Agreements [Research]
Code of Conduct (Student)
Code of Ethics (Faculty) [Compliance & Ethics]
College Opportunity Fund (COF) Waiver Policy [Financial]
Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) (See Public Records Requests) [External Relations]
Colorado Drug Law Summary [Student]
Community Right-to-Know [Safety]
Compensatory Time and Overtime Policy [HR] (See Workweek)
Conduct Appeal Request Form [Student]
Conflict of Interest Policy, Board of Trustees
Conflict of Interest (see Faculty Handbook Section 6, All Mines Policy)
Consumer Information [Student], see also Higher Education Opportunity Act
Contract Approval Policy [BOT]
Contractual Indemnification Policy [BOT]
Contracts Without Proposals Policy [Research]
Cost Transfer on Sponsored Agreements Policy [Research]
Data Classification and Roles Definitions [Information Technology]
Debt Management Policy [BOT]
Dependent Tuition Benefit Policy [Human Resources]
Direct Charging Policy [Research]
Discrimination, Policy Prohibiting Gender-Based, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence [BOT]
Discrimination, See Unlawful Discrimination [BOT]
Disposition of Equipment upon Termination Guidelines [Research]
Drones/Unmanned Aircraft Systems Statement [Research, Safety]
Drug Free Workplace Policy [Human Resources]
Educational Business Activities Policy [Financial]
Electronic Communications: [Students, IT]
Electronic Mail (E-mail) Policy [Information Technology]
Electronic Signature Policy [Administrations & Operations]
E-Mail Lists Policy [Information Technology]
Employment Communications Policy [Human Resources]
Encryption Requirements for Mobile Devices [Information Technology]
Energy Management Policy [Facilities]
Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Manual [Safety, EHS resources]
Equipment Upon Termination, Disposition of [Research]
EthicsPoint (SpeakUp@Mines) Helpline (see also Fraud Reporting) [Compliance and Ethics]
Establishing or Changing Employment Category Policy [Human Resources]
Establishing or Changing Employment Category, Procedures on [Human Resources]
Executive Authority Delegation Policy [BOT]
Export Controls Procedure Manual [Research, Compliance]
Facilities Management Services Policy [Facilities]
Facility Use Policy, University [Facilities]
Faculty Handbook [Academic]
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) [Student]
FERPA Information [Registrar]
File Sharing (See Alleged Copyright Infringement/Illegal File Sharing) [Information Technology]
Financial Policies (Controller) [Financial]
Financial Management Guidelines (Budget) [Financial]
Firearms, Explosives and Other Weapons, Policy on [Public Safety]
First-year Residency Requirement Policy [Student]
Fixed-Price Agreements, Closeout Policy [Research]
Fraternity and Sorority Housing Policy [Student]
Fraud Policy, Whistleblower (Ethics Hotline) [Financial]
Fraud Reporting [Financial, Compliance & Ethics]
Fringe and Indirect Cost Rates [Research]
Gender-Based Discrimination, Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence, Policy Prohibiting [BOT]
Procedures for Resolving Complaints of Gender-Based Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, & Sexual Violence Against Students [Student]
Procedures for Resolving Complaints of Gender-Based Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, & Sexual Violence Involving Employees or Third Parties [HR]
Definitions and Relevant Terms regarding Complaints & Adjudication of Gender-Based Discrimination, Sexual Harassment, & Sexual Violence [HR]
Resources for Survivors of Sexual Assault or Other Sexual Violence Revised October 2015 [Student]
Anonymous Sexual Violence Reporting Form [Student]
Graduate Bulletin [Academic, Student]
Graphics Standards Guide (Includes Web Standards) [External Relations]
Harassment Complaint, Investigation, Resolution & Adjudication (Employee) [Human Resources]
Harassment Complaint, Investigation, Resolution & Adjudication (Student)
Handbooks (Faculty & Classified Staff)
Hazing Policy [Student]
Honor Code (Student) [Student]
Housing, Campus [Student]
Indemnification of Contractors, Policy on [BOT]
Institutional Alcohol Policy (See Alcohol Policy) [BOT]
Institutional Plan for Student Fees and Other Charges [BOT]
Intellectual Property Policy [BOT] (also see Faculty Handbook)
Interest Rate Swap Policy [BOT]
Leave Policies
- Personal Safety Leave (Domestic Violence/Abuse) [Human Resources]
- Sick/Vacation/Parental/Leave w/o Pay/FMLA: See Faculty or Classified Handbook
Logos and Trademarks, Purchases using [Financial]
Media Relations Policy [External Relations]
Missing Student Policy and Procedures [Student]
Mobile Devices, Encryption for (Policy) [Information Technology]
Model Release (Photo Video Multimedia)
Network Connection and Acceptable Use Policy [Information Technology]
Nepotism Policy [Human Resources]
Network Vulnerability Scanning Policy [Information Technology]
Non-Motorized Vehicles on Campus, Use of Policy [Student]
Notice of Privacy Practices (Counseling Center) [Student]
Notice of Privacy Practices (Student Health Center)
Nursing Mothers Accommodations Policy [Human Resources]
Open Records, see Public Records or CORA [External Relations]
PERA Retiree Protocol [Human Resources]
Personal Home Page Policy [External Relations]
Personal Relationships Policy, See Amorous Relationships Policy & Procedures above
Personal Safety Leave Policy [Human Resources]
Personal Services Agreements (PSA) Policy [Human Resources]
Personnel File: Official Custodian and Access Policy [Human Resources]
Photography/Multimedia Model Release [See Communications]
Political Contributions Guidance, See also Fair Campaign Practices Act [Compliance & Ethics]
Procurement Rules [Financial]
Property Manual (See Controller's Office) (under revision)
Protection of Minors, Policy on [Human Resources]
Protection of Minors Event Form (online submission)
Protection of Minors Event Form (PDF)
Public Records Requests (CORA) [External Relations]
Purchases Containing Logos and Trademarks [Financial]
Reporting Network Abuse [Information Technology]
Research Conflict of Interest Policy [BOT]
Research Integrity Policy and Complaint Procedure [BOT]
Residence Life Policies (handbook)
Sabbatical Leave Policy [BOT] (also see Faculty Handbook)
Safety Policy, University [Facilities-Property-Safety]
Salary Administration: New Hires, Promotions, Reclassifications, Reemployment and Annual Increases [Human Resources]
Scholarship and Recognition Awards Policy [Student]
School Closures and Severe Weather Policy [Human Resources]
Security Practices and Guidelines [IT]
Security & Fire Safety Report, Annual [Safety]
Senate Bill 3 (2010-003) Guidelines (Budget) [Financial]
Service Center Policy [Research]
Sexual Harassment Complaint, Investigation and Resolution Procedure for Complaints Involving Employees or Third Parties
Sexual Harassment Complaint, Investigation, Resolution and Adjudication Procedure for Complaints About Student Behavior
SPAM, Viruses, Trojans (see IT Reporting Network Abuse)
SpeakUP@Mines (see Whistleblower Policy) [Financial]
Sponsored Research Agreement, Cost Transfers [Research]
State and Federal Contact Procedures [External Relations]
Storage on University Premises [Facilities]
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This classic Moghul lamb with spinach recipe is called paalag gosht. The only new ingredient that has been added over the centuries is probably cayenne pepper. The dish is also known as saag gosht. "Saag" could mean any green, whereas "paalag" is very specifically spinach. The spinach needs to be cut fairly small. To do this, hold a handful at a time in a tight wad and slice, crosswise, into fine strips. Serve with Indian breads or rice and perhaps a yogurt dish.–Madhur Jaffrey
LC Authentic Sides Note
So Madhur Jaffrey recommends Indian breads on the side of her Moghul lamb, meaning a sort of flatbread such as naan or roti. We're working on recipes for those, but in the meantime, you could always swing by a local Indian foods store and pick up some frozen flat bread dough to keep in the freezer. Pillsbury even makes a version of them (we've only seen them in Indian markets to date), though we recommend sticking with a lesser known Indian brand. Just, you know, for the sake of authenticity.
Moghlai Lamb with Spinach
- Quick Glance
- Serves 4
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 teaspoons peeled and finely grated ginger
- 7 garlic cloves, crushed to a pulp
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 5 tablespoons corn or peanut oil
- 1 cup onion, sliced into very fine half-rings
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 1 pound fresh spinach, washed and cut into fine ribbons (see head note)
- 1. Put the lamb in a bowl, add the ginger, garlic, and coriander, mix well, and set aside for 30 minutes.
- 2. Pour the oil into a wide, nonstick, lidded pan and set over medium heat. When hot, stir in the onions, and fry them, turning the heat down as needed, until they are golden red and crisp. Remove the onions with a slotted spoon and spread them out on a paper towel, leaving as much of the oil behind as possible.
- 3. Reduce the heat to medium, and put in all the meat, together with its marinade. Add the turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt, and stir for 1 minute. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, removing the lid occasionally to stir the contents.
- 4. Remove the lid and add 1 tablespoon of the yogurt. Cook, stirring, until the yogurt is absorbed. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of the yogurt in this way, 1 tablespoon at a time. Then stir in the spinach.
- 5. Chop the fried onions and add these as well. Continue to stir until the spinach has wilted. Then cover the pan and cook over very low heat for 50 minutes, or until the meat is tender, lifting the lid to stir now and then. If the liquid seems to have dried up completely, add a few tablespoons of water at a time and cover again. The spinach should cling to the meat. Serve the Moghlai lamb at once.
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.


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Posts Tagged 'excessive graphics and ads'
Common Web Design Mistakes Should Be Avoided
Web design can be a pretty time consuming and complex process. With that being said, when there's complexity, mistakes come along with it. There are tons of mistakes that both companies and web designers make when developing and designing a website. Out of those mistakes there are a few that are the most common.
When you visit a company's website, there are usually expectations that you set for that site. You expect an attractive and easily navigated site that will provide you with your interests. Sometimes consumers will base whether or not they will make a purchase or whether they will ever return back to that site on how the website looks and performs. This is all pretty reasonable right? You should consider some of the following common web design mistakes when looking to hire a professional to design your website.
Keeping Up Appearances
When you have a website that is easy on the eyes and not cluttered with ads and unorganized content, your chances of having consumers frequent your site are more likely. I mean who wants to navigate through a website that deters you from your goal of finding what you need by excessive pop ups, overly used flash images, confusing fonts and colors and a slow loading time? Having excessive graphics and ads not only hurts the eyes and is annoying but it can cause a slow performing site.
Also, it's very important to have consistent, creative and clean content. Grammatical errors are a no-no so it's good to edit and spare your company's site from confusion amongst consumers.
Navigation and Usability
It shouldn't be difficult for users to navigate through your site, period. It's good to have a well structured site that makes the user's visit smooth and accomplished. It's important to not create obstacles because the more confusing the layout, the less likely that visitor will return. Drop down menus, excessive hyperlinks and registration tables are prime examples of obstacles that may drive consumers away. No one gets joy out of strolling through a site, only to realize you must jump through hurdles just to get the information that you need. It's exhausting. Make sure everything is obvious and clean cut, without too much clicking of the mouse.
Testing, Testing
Testing your site to make sure its browser friendly is one of the most crucial steps to take when making sure your company site is usable. You want to make sure your site is easy to find in any search engine and from any given source. Easy accessibility is key. So test your site as much and as often as possible to make sure it is consistently visible and performing well.
There are so many mistakes that can be made when designing your website, the ones mentioned are only a few of the most common mistakes that are made. The best way to avoid these mistakes and others is proper design planning. When you breakdown a structural plan for your site and seek consultation with a professional web designer, you can't go wrong. You'll only find yourself constructing a sophisticated website that web users will want to visit again and again.


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(Budget Travel) -- If the two forks of Long Island's East End were sisters, the North Fork would undoubtedly be the innocent, modest one.
Edgewater Cottage in Orient offers three rental apartments that share a front porch overlooking the water.
She has none of the glitz of her southern peninsular twin, the Hamptons. Celebrities don't seem to pay her much attention. She faces the quiet Long Island Sound instead of the lusty open ocean. And instead of a party scene, she offers bucolic countryside dotted with wineries and farm stands.
But, as with sex appeal, geographic appeal is a matter of taste. Some of us prefer the North Fork's easygoing charm to her famous sister's haughty glamour. The North Fork may not be as posh as the Hamptons, in other words, but she has a better personality.
"The North Fork is like a young Sonoma," says Joe Watson, who opened Vine Wine + Café, in Greenport, one of the area's biggest villages, in 2006. Long Island's wine country occupied fewer than 20 acres of vineyards some 35 years ago, but today there are more than 4,000 acres. Local wines have been touted in Wine Spectator.
This -- in combination with easy access to fresh seafood and produce -- has attracted a thriving group of epicures. Chef Tom Colicchio (of Top Chef fame, owner of the Craft restaurant empire, and cofounder of Manhattan's tony Gramercy Tavern) bought a house here in 2004.
The area has not, however, become too enamored of its own success. Towns have been gently burnished, but their rural character has remained unchanged. "This is the last vestige of what all of Long Island used to be," says Chris Baiz, owner of The Old Field Vineyards in Southold. Budget Travel gallery: Check out this mellow wine scene
Only about 75 miles from Manhattan, the North Fork juts into the Long Island Sound, separated from the Hamptons by the Peconic Bay. The peninsula itself is only about 30 miles long. At Riverhead, strip malls begin to give way to open spaces and, every few miles, a speck of a village just off the road. First Mattituck, then Cutchogue, Greenport, and at the far tip, Orient.
When my husband and I turn off Main Road (Route 25) and arrive in Greenport on Friday afternoon, we wander down a quiet side street to Vine. We've been told it's a good spot to start sampling North Fork wines: The restaurant serves a dozen local varieties by the taste, the glass or the bottle. The carefully considered restaurant and wine bar occupies an old-fashioned house on a corner lot and has plenty of outdoor seating on a front porch and a terrace.
It's hard to imagine that when Watson first started coming out to the area 10 years ago, much of the town's main street was vacant. "Greenport was still a shambles," he recalls. "So many houses have been bought and fixed up now. It's becoming a cute little village, like Sag Harbor but not as precious."
A meal can be assembled from the various small bites or more substantial dishes on the menu, but Watson says he wants to keep the focus on wine. "I love when people have a couple of glasses of wine and some olives, and just hang out," he says. And that sounds like a fine way to spend a weekend.
On Saturday, we begin hunting and gathering. Many of the area wineries encourage visitors to bring a picnic to go along with their wine, and we stop at some farm stands for provisions.
On Main Road in the village of Cutchogue, Wickham's Fruit Farm has been operated by the same family for about 70 years. Fresh doughnuts (cinnamon, plain, or sugar) are brought out by the plateful, and there are jars of jam, containers of flavored honey sticks, a table of pies and pick-your-own fruit out back. I settle for some fresh-baked bread, a pint of strawberries and homemade cucumber salad for our alfresco feast.
We reach the Shinn Estate Vineyards in Mattituck in time to share our picnic spread and taste some wine before catching a tour of the grounds by owner-vintner Barbara Shinn. Shinn and her husband, David Page, established their vineyard in 2000 and later sold their acclaimed Home Restaurant in Greenwich Village.
They were determined to run a completely organic farm despite numerous warnings that it was an impossible feat with the fluctuating East Coast weather conditions. Through a combination of experimentation and perseverance, they have succeeded in creating a sustainable vineyard. Instead of chemical-based treatments, their biodynamic approach means rows are lush with overgrown grass and flowers that attract beneficial bugs -- a natural pest control for the vines.
"Out here, you realize how fragile the ecosystem is," Shinn says. When Shinn and Page bought the farm, their immediate goal was to keep the land from being developed. The gaping hole between the declining profitability of farming and the soaring property values made the area vulnerable.
Shinn and Page have been able to protect their land in perpetuity thanks to a law that allows them to get cash rewards for signing away their development rights to government authorities. "Farmers are paid to preserve the land," says Shinn.
Because rosé wines are among my favorites, we head to Southold's Croteaux Vineyards. They specialize in rosés, and their four offerings have notes like peach, cherry and vanilla. The property has five buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the shady courtyard with red wrought-iron furniture looks a bit like a Hollywood fantasy of a vineyard setting -- but it's real.
We make our way to the very tip of the North Fork, and just before the town of Orient, a narrow bridge of land affords a view of a handful of large gracious homes along the shoreline. On the main street, Village Lane, the houses suddenly shrink, giving Orient the feel of a Victorian-era Lilliput. Perhaps in size they are cottages, but many look more like brightly painted toy mansions.
At the curve in Village Lane, we come to a small harbor and find swans swimming in the ocean. Right at this spot is Edgewater Cottage, which has three apartments that share a front porch overlooking the water and a private strip of sandy beach.
Many of the affordable places to stay on the North Fork are '60s-era motels that have a certain kitschy appeal but generally fall into the category of adequate. The airy, cedar-shingled Edgewater is a refreshing anomaly. The apartments -- with Shaker-style chairs and checked tablecloths -- are simple in a way that's well suited to the setting.
On Sunday morning, we make it to the Love Lane Kitchen by 10 a.m., when tables are still plentiful. Wise move, since by 11 there's a wait outside. The home-style food (a big jug of real maple syrup for the thick French toast), friendly staff and low-key vibe (a large self-serve coffee setup...why doesn't every breakfast spot do this?) make me fervently wish the café was located around the corner from my house.
I also wish we were around long enough to come back for dinner: Love Lane's uncomplicated menu hits that sweet spot between the area's beachy eats and fussy white-tablecloth options.
As we head back out toward more wine tasting, I spot the sign for Catapano Dairy Farm in Peconic, and we do a quick U-turn. Our reward: a private audience with a contented herd of goat kids. Catapano's fresh chèvre, also sold at many of the local farm stands, is delicately flavored and so creamy-soft that it's almost fluffy (the American Cheese Society named it the country's best goat cheese in 2005).
If you were to pick a winery that best represents the North Fork idyll, the Old Field would be it. It has been farmed by Chris Baiz's family for 90 years. He and his wife, Ros, bought the farm from their relatives to save it from being sold and subdivided.
"We decided this was something we needed to do," explains Ros. "Otherwise this land was going to be developed, and that seemed like a horrible, horrible thing to do."
One end of the property faces Main Road, and the other fronts Southold Bay. (The Baizes are growing oysters there this year.) Large, rambling and relaxed, the Old Field is shaded by enormous, ancient trees and has its own pond, plus bay views. The property, largely unchanged for 150 years, is scattered with old buildings and barns.
You can take a tour of the vineyard to learn about the grapes, wine making and the harvest. But you can just as easily wander off to sit under a tree with the new release, Blush de Noir rosé.
I make a point of stopping in to some of the midsize and larger wineries before heading back to Manhattan. At Pindar Vineyards, the biggest, a crowd of 35 people taste from more than 20 options, dozens of bottles of wine are stacked on a counter, and across the field a warehouse building bears a massive company logo. But the staff is jolly, and there's a large covered deck out back for drinking and relaxing. It's a different kind of social scene -- more bar than family room.
I miss the small vineyards I experienced first. Talking with the owners, hearing their love for their grapes, seeing their determination to preserve the North Fork's open spaces -- all of this while sitting in what are essentially their backyards -- just makes the wine taste better.
If you go ...
Edgewater Cottage 2072 Village Ln., Orient, edgewatercottage.net, from $150
Vine Wine + Café 100 South St., Greenport, vinewinebar.com, entrées from $15
Love Lane Kitchen 240 Love Ln., Mattituck, lovelanekitchen.com, entrées from $12
The Old Field Vineyards 59600 Rte. 25, Southold, theoldfield.com, $10 for tour and tasting
Shinn Estate Vineyards 2000 Oregon Rd., Mattituck, shinnestatevineyards.com, $8.50 for tour and tasting
Croteaux Vineyards 1450 South Harbor Rd., Southold, croteaux.com, tasting $5 for three wines and sangria
Pindar Vineyards 37645 Rte. 25, Peconic, tasting $4 for five wines
Wickham's Fruit Farm 28700 Rte. 25, Cutchogue, wickhamsfruitfarm.com, jam $6
Catapano Dairy Farm 33705 Rte. 48, Peconic, catapanodairyfarm.com, goat cheese $8 for 4.5 ounces
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Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.


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MORROW, Ga. - The Georgia College & State University soccer team (5-5-3, 1-1-2 PBC) and head coach Juan Pablo Favero have set a time for the rescheduled match at Clayton State University (3-6-1, 2-2-1 PBC) Sunday, Oct. 11, inking a 2 p.m. kickoff.
The match was originally scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 10 at 4 p.m., and was moved as a result of forecasted inclement weather.
Can't make the trip to Morrow? Listen live to the broadcast on student radio 88.9FM WGUR and on the internet at www.GCSURadio.com .
The GCSU Department of Athletics, winners of the 2008-09 PBC Commissioner's Cup, sponsors 10 varsity athletic programs at the NCAA Division II level. As a Division II program, Georgia College prides itself on balancing the life of the student-athlete, evidenced by the Bobcats' multiple appearances in post-season competition as well as Twitter.com username GCSUSID for up-to-the-minute reports, and visit documented academic success and community-service involvement. Sign up at www.GCSUBobcats.com to nominate your favorite former Bobcats and Colonials to the GCSU Athletics Hall of Fame.


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About Joe Rice
"I like lyrics that are creatively phrased and at the same time smack you in the face. The first one that comes to mind is from Collin Raye's "Little Rock", written by Tom Douglas:
You know your daddy told me when I left/ Jesus would forgive, but a daddy don't forget...
Born in Lexington, Kentucky in 1978, Joe Rice spent his youngest years in Mississippi and Alabama before his family permanently settled in upstate South Carolina. His earliest musical influence was the gospel music of Tennesse Ernie Ford and George Beverly Shea. Throughout his school years, Joe always impressed his teachers and friends with the need for and pure enjoyment of creative writing. He began to hone his songwriting craft during college, before graduating in 2000.
In 2001, Joe met Phil and Mark Lister of Dixiana Music in Nashville. They took Joe under their wings and taught him much about the in's and out's of the music business. Together, they have collaborated with Joe on nearly all his recordings thus far and have performed together onstage many times. The fellows have an excellent working relationship as well as friendship.
Joe's main musical interest is what he describes as "traditional honky-tonk with the occasional contemporary twist." He snickers slightly at what he knows seems like an awfully broad category, but explains, "Basically, my desire is to make the type of country music that I myself would want to listen to." Though country is his main focus, drawing from influences such as Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, Hank Williams Jr., Conway Twitty, Randy Travis, and the Statler Brothers (just to name a few), he also points to a fondness of artists from other genres who he feels influenced his tastes--popular artists like Bon Jovi, Guns 'n' Roses, Bobby Brown, Boyz II Men, Frank Sinatra, and Elvis Presley, and southern gospel influences like Bill and Gloria Gaither, Guy Penrod, the Cathedrals, and the Pfeifers.


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Thanksgiving time is a powerful season — so powerful that it inspires in me a Will to Grow Up, which in turn has the superpower to vanquish my usual non-cook stance. My non-cook stance is a no-confidence, can't-style configuration that includes a lot of cooking avoidance and a lot of apologizing for the food when I do have to cook. But every Thanksgiving, I give it up.
Once upon a time, there was the Thanksgiving of My Dreams. The Thanksgiving of My Dreams was the Thanksgiving I'd spent with extended family at my Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Seth's home in Cleveland before my parents were divorced. We had to get all the way to Cleveland from East Hampton, so that was a big deal to begin with, and then the actual Thanksgiving was impressive, too — a large gathering with all the Cleveland people on my dad's side, even the ones who were normally a little bit marginalized.
There are photos of my cousins and me dressed up in Pilgrim-girl dresses. I remember people watching "King Kong" in the family room. They were the kind of family with a family room. I have zero memories of the food or who cooked it, but I know there was plenty for everyone. This Thanksgiving wound up becoming a kind of idealized holiday with a lot of yearning/longing/missing/hoping attached to it. In the years following my parents' divorce, my access to this gathering felt fragile, tenuous, and distant. Aware that the Harris Family Thanksgiving was happening, I looked in at the warm, vibrant scene through the window of my memory.
Not that mine was a childhood without any stuffing! To be sure, my mom and I attended perfectly good Thanksgivings each and every year with family on Mom's side or good friends. Turkey was served and eaten up, my mom always did her parsnip-and-pear purée, and I never turned down a dollop of cranberry sauce.
Yet for me no gathering we visited stuck, no tradition really connected. Stubbornly attached to the Thanksgiving of My Dreams, I became a girl with no turkey to call her own. For many years, a forlorn gobble-gobble echoed in my heart! But let me move quickly to the empowerment part.
The first year my beloved husband and I lived in our house on Three Mile Harbor Road — this was back in 1999 and actually we were not married yet — I finally decided to take the Thanksgiving matter into my own hands. Non-cook notwithstanding, I was going to come up with the whole turkey dinner. Since my beloved husband is from Japan, and there is no such thing as Thanksgiving in Japan, there were two things at play on the upside:
He wasn't going to know if the food didn't taste how it was supposed to taste.
He wasn't going to be measuring the event against the Thanksgiving of his dreams.
On the downside, my beloved husband (an excellent cook) wasn't going to heroically step in and make the meal.
In any case, I cooked.
I made the turkey and the stuffing and the corn dish and the cranberry sauce and the sweet potatoes and the pearl onions and the string beans and the pumpkin pie. I think I even tried to make the gravy that year, though in the future I would fob it off on someone else — an unsuspecting guest or the unsuspecting boyfriend of a guest.
You see, that first year it was just my beloved husband and me and our cat, Neko, but the next year and all the years that have followed, we invited guests: friends who did not have a connected Thanksgiving or whose connected Thanksgiving was on the other coast and an expensive plane ticket away. We also invited friends who are not American and would not have known a connected Thanksgiving if it gobbled at them, forlornly or otherwise, which helped to lower the pressure with the cooking.
Now, naturally, the day includes our children (what will Thanksgiving come to mean for them?) and, also very happily, my mom and her parsnip-and-pear purée (this year there's also talk of a coconut cake).
Every year my impulse to create and claim Thanksgiving conquers my impulse to shy away from the complex responsibility cooking both is and implies. Believe me, if I could do the Thanksgiving without cooking, I would. But that wouldn't be taking the matter into my own hands. Every year I suspend my non-cook pathology and stop worrying that I can't cook competently, stop fretting that I have failed to achieve this hallmark of the grown-up — and jump in with superpowered turkey feet to cook as I do.
Several years ago, a couple of days after Thanksgiving, one of our guests called to thank us for the dinner. I think he also might have been looking for a scarf he left behind. Someone always leaves something behind. I said you're welcome for the dinner, and then, because the Thanksgiving charm had worn off and my no-confidence, can't-style non-cook stance had taken over again, I apologized for the food.
He was surprised by this. He told me that there was nothing wrong with my cooking. He told me he liked what he ate. Outrageous! I protested, and we went back and forth for a while. Finally, he disarmed me with the following question: "Why do you think you can't cook?"
This is a question of some depth. Was he offering me a key? Or at least a keyhole through which to look? Was he gently suggesting that I might take matters into my own hands at other times of the year? After all, the Will to Grow Up doesn't have to be seasonal. Why do I think I can't cook?
I told him no one had ever asked me anything like that. I told him I'd have to think about it, and I have been.
Meanwhile, it's time to get out the baster and start cooking for the Thanksgiving of my reality.
Evan Harris is the author of "The Quit." She can be found online at pickygrouchynon-cook.com.