text:
The last stop on the railway running north from Moscow is Labytnangi, a small town just inside the Arctic Circle. The most reliable way to plow north from there across the great white emptiness is on a Russian-made TM-130 all-terrain vehicle, which drives on tank treads. "Just look around," yelled Vladimir Krivenko, a local railway boss riding shotgun on a recent icy afternoon as he ventured out to inspect work on rail tracks along the frozen tundra."Riches as far as the eye can see. Oil, gas, minerals. We've got the whole periodic table of elements in this ground."
To the untrained eye, the expanse of snow and ice that stretches to the horizon can seem like some prehistoric dreamscape. Its only inhabitants are nomadic deer herders, who still worship pagan gods, and whose flocks are terrorized by a species of giant weasel called a wolverine. But under the permafrost, this frozen tundra remains Russia's land of milk and honey, the source of much of its enormous wealth. The natural gas reserves in Russia's Arctic region, at the current levels of price and consumption, would generate enough fuel to feed Europe for around 75 years, with a total value of almost $17 trillion. More immediately, it will be tapped to foot the bill of campaign promises from the recent presidential race.
In the months before his reelection on March 4, President-elect Vladimir Putin made campaign promises worth more than $170 billion in social spending, according to Russia's biggest state-run lender, Sberbank. He promised to double the wages of doctors, policeman and college professors, triple stipends for many students, and boost the program of "maternal capital" that pays mothers to have more children. (This last provision was to help solve Russia's demographic crisis, which has seen the population drop by 5 million people since the fall of the Soviet Union.) Putin also promised to "completely re-arm" the military at a projected cost of $777 billion over the next decade and to build new housing for veterans. Those promises may have helped shoe-horn Putin back into the Kremlin, but such payouts some of which began early this year, when Putin was still Prime Minister have pushed the federal budget into its first deficit in a decade.
On Thursday, March 22, Putin convened a meeting of his government to figure out how Moscow will pay for all this. "We have to ask ourselves on whose dime will we reach these goals, and where will we get these financial resources, which are far from small?" he urged. None of his ministers had a very good answer, and Putin made the vague suggestion that cash could be raised by "increasing the efficiency" of government spending. But it's hard to come up with $170 billion through nips and tucks in the federal budget, so the real answer to Putin's question seemed to come the following day, March 23, when he called a meeting of Russia's oil and gas industrialists.
"Today the proven gas reserves in Russia are the biggest in the world," he reminded them. "Nobody has more than Russia." More than a quarter of Europe's gas comes from Russian fields, and after last year's nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Russia's biggest energy clients, particularly Germany, are shifting away from atomic power to natural gas. That means demand will likely stay high. So, Putin's orders to his energy men: Step up your drilling, particularly in regions like the Yamal Peninsula, the great energy frontier of Russia's frozen north. "In essence," Putin said, "we will turn Yamal into the new oil and gas province of Russia."
Thus Krivenko's rail work inspection near the base of the Yamal Peninsula, whose name in the language of the local Nenets tribes means "the end of the earth." His team was equipped with two huge pots of salted fish, about ten bottles of vodka to help keep warm, and a few mp3 players filled with shanson, Russian rock's equivalent of gangster rap. On the train platform at the end of the line, the idle wagons were loaded with pipeline parts for Gazprom, the natural gas monopoly that serves as the government's cash cow. Tax payments from this one company account for a quarter of the federal budget.
Out in the tundra, Krivenko met up with the crew of workers who make sure that equipment reaches its destination. Using an old locomotive whose face has the blades of a giant meat grinder, they clear the tracks of snowdrifts that would otherwise render the line impassable. "Things have been busy up here," says one of the engineers, Sergei Buslovsky, 31, lighting a cigarette. "We are busy mining so that Moscow can spend." The remark had a tone of bitterness common in the north. Resource-rich regions like Yamal are not given much say in Russia's centralized economy, and nearly all the earnings from their oil and gas fields are channeled back to Moscow.


text:
Security Clearances >> Browse Articles >> All Other Clearences
Featured Career: Federal Airport Screeners
Aileen Cho / Monster.com
October 16, 2007
Everyone knows that US airports have changed since September 11, 2001. If you've traveled by air lately, you've experienced standing in line, having your luggage screened and maybe even being searched yourself. If you're interested and qualified, you could take the walk to the other side of the queue and earn part-time or full-time money as an airport screener.Evolving Needs
Since November 2004, airports have had the choice to opt out of having the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) handle transportation security officer (TSO) hiring. In place of using the TSA, airports could choose to hire private contractors who provide screeners, though TSA does continue to oversee screening operations. Only six airports out of 450 have opted out.
Do you want to learn more about careers with the federal government? Find one here.
- Looking for scholarships to take your skill set to the next level? Find one here.
"In this innovative public/private partnership, private contractors must adhere to the same strict operational, hiring and training standards as TSA employees," says TSA spokeswoman Amy Kudwa.
The majority of airports are maintaining TSA hiring, with an increasing focus on part-time positions to handle peak hours when passenger congestion is at its highest. TSA recruits screeners for approximately 230 airports across the country.Jobs for Any Age
Applicants must be US citizens and must pass a 10-year background check, which means having no felonies. A high-school diploma or equivalent and/or a year's worth of experience in a security-related function are also required.
Age is not a factor; "we have an 80-year-old screener," says former TSA spokeswoman Deirdre O'Sullivan. "We have a lot of retired people who come back into the workforce."
TSA screeners get all the benefits typical of government jobs: annual leave, sick leave and full medical benefits. The one exception is that while most government workers might get a federal holiday off, that holiday is when screeners are needed the most. "People have to remember that holidays are busy times for travelers," says Kudwa. Working those hours does come with overtime pay.
If you apply and receive a response, you should expect to travel to the airport for which you applied or to nearby TSA offices. The hiring experience will include hearing and color-vision tests – you have to be able to distinguish the patterns shown on the X-ray machine – and an English proficiency exam. You also should be physically able to handle luggage weighing up to 70 pounds.
If accepted, you'll receive 40 hours of classroom training and 60 hours of on-the-job training. You'll learn the proper way to "wand" a person, including the disabled, X-ray analysis and other security functions. You'll learn how to deal with the public, how to identify improvised explosive devices, hand-search bags and learn about the latest in explosion detection technologies. "We also consistently roll out new technology and keep our workforce highly trained on the latest techniques and procedures," adds Kudwa.Benefits and Part-Time Opportunities
Full-time TSOs make an average of $32,000 a year and have opportunities to move up the ranks to lead TSOs, supervisors and shift managers. TSOs also can pursue technical careers as bomb appraisal officers, training instructors, equipment technicians or behavior detection officers specializing in covert techniques to spot high-risk individuals.
Part-time opportunities are growing. TSA has begun hiring part-time positions to better staff the ebb and flow of flights and passengers. The part-time rate varies from about $11 to $20 an hour, depending on region and experience. That doesn't mean full-time positions aren't available at all; individual airports need full-time hires.
Airports are beginning to reach out to students as well. In 2004, San Diego International Airport (SDIA) worked with the TSA to hire 50 college students as temporary screeners. The students learned to assist passengers in placing their items on the screening belt, make announcements about prohibited items and screening procedures as well as other tasks, says Sharie Shipley, SDIA spokeswoman. Students work 20 hours a week and get paid $10 an hour. This year, 30 students have been hired for the summer.
"We use this program during peak periods of travel," says Shipley. "The internship program is currently scheduled for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, and we will be doing it again next summer."
The TSA offers internship opportunities at its headquarters in Arlington, Virginia. "Many of our airports hire college students as part-time TSOs," says Kudwa. "We are aggressively expanding in-line systems, with 25 operational and an additional 26 under construction. TSOs also have the ability to transfer airports or join our National Screening Force, which travels around the country staffing airports with very seasonal passenger traffic."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
The acquisition of Jesus Navas is one which could be deemed as a bargain, considering he has been capped by Spain 24 times and yet his transfer fee was an estimated £14.9million.
This fee is considerably low in this current transfer market, especially for the bigger football clubs like Manchester City.
This acquisition of Navas could be a shrewd bit of business by the club due to his natural ability but also his overall game will give the club a completely new dimension.
He is very much a typical Spanish player with a pass and move philosophy within his game and technical ability to play passes other players just don't see.
In addition to this, he has played in one of the top European leagues for many seasons for Sevilla and at the age of 27 he is entering his peak years as a player.
In terms of a new dimension which he will add to the City team, is his ability to want to hug the touchline and attack the opposing wing-back. Last season when City played they seemed to lack width, particularly when Nasri and Silva were expected to play as wingers but they always seemed to want to cut back inside.
This desire to cut inside meant that the middle of the park became congested and therefore the opposition were able to crowd Manchester City out of the game, this in my opinion is one of the numerous reasons why they finished 11 points behind Manchester United.
By acquiring Navas, he is willing to hug the touchline but also offers that sense of speed and flair to enable him to take on the opposition. By giving City some width as a natural winger this will also enable his other team mates, such as Silva and Yaya Toure, to have much more room on the pitch to enable them to dictate the play.
In addition to this Navas' final ball in terms of his crossing ability when he gets into the positions is sublime, as seen with the amount of assists over the years for Seville.
One of the issues which he may have to overcome is the speed in which he can adapt to the English way of life, particularly after it was reported that he suffered with homesickness when he first made the move to Sevilla. I feel this can be overcome with the amount of Spanish speaking players in the Manchester City team, who can aid their new teammate into the Premier League and new way of life in England such as Pablo Zabaleta.
This could enable him to increase his performance on the pitch, presuming he will play as a right midfielder, if he can create an on and off the field relationship with regular right-back Zabaleta this can create an understanding between the players and therefore improve performance on the pitch.
Overall Navas has shown over the years that he is a class act and I just hope he can bring his game and perform in the Premier League.
He will be a great addition to Manchester City and the competition as a whole and therefore I can't wait to watch him in action and he could well be the difference between the success and failure for Manchester City next season.
Write for GiveMeSport! Sign-up to the GMS Writing Academy here: https://bit.ly/12evFlH
DISCLAIMER: This article has been written by a member of the GiveMeSport Writing Academy and does not represent the views of GiveMeSport.com or SportsNewMedia. The views and opinions expressed are solely that of the author credited at the top of this article. GiveMeSport.com and SportsNewMedia do not take any responsibility for the content of its contributors.


text:
The City Council is taking up a measure today to help rained out Red Sox fans by forcing Fenway Park-area parking lot owners to issue vouchers that can be used during makeup games.
The city, which issues licenses to more than two dozen lots near the ballpark, would tack a condition onto those licenses requiring owners to comply with the rainout policy, said Council President Michael Flaherty, who filed the measure.
The plan already has some support on the council, including from Councilor Michael P. Ross, whose district includes Fenway Park. And it has a preliminary stamp of approval from the Red Sox.
Flaherty also may have picked the right time to propose such legislation. There are seven Red Sox games scheduled at Fenway next week and possible rain showers forecast for at least the first four game days.
''It's about common sense," Flaherty said yesterday. ''It's the right thing to do, and nobody should have to pay for a service they don't use."
It is the second effort city officials have made to rein in parking costs in as many years.
After some fans complained that lot owners charged $100 for parking during the 2004 playoffs, Mayor Thomas M. Menino ordered repeated inspections of the city-licensed lots in an attempt to get them to lower their prices. He used the tactic because there was no proof of the cash transactions, and lot owners denied overcharging customers.
The mayor also filed state legislation to increase fines for price gouging. That bill, which would raise fines from $300 to $1,000 per offense, is scheduled for a vote today in the state House of Representatives.
If it passes, the measure will need approval of the Senate and the governor before becoming law.
Parking prices on game days vary wildly, from maximum fees of $30 at lots such as the one owned by the Red Sox on Brookline Avenue, to $90 at Leahy's Mobil station on Boylston Street, according to city records.
While the city cannot cap the prices, it can require lot owners to stick to the maximum fees listed on signs in their lots, city officials said. When lots charge more than their signs advertise, they can be cited and fined.
Besides clearly posted prices, the city requires lots to provide parking accessible to the disabled, keep the sites clean, properly store flammable materials, and provide access for emergency vehicles.
Flaherty's initiative would simply add the rainout provision to those requirements, he said.
''It's time for lot owners to be more respectful of the financial burdens on their customers when games are rained out," he said.
Since the beginning of the 2001 season, 10 of 18 games rained out at Fenway Park were called off after their scheduled starting times when fans already would have paid for parking, according to the Red Sox and news reports.
Some lot owners may resist Flaherty's proposal, but some said yesterday that they are willing to look into it.
David Eppstein, vice president of operations for
Eppstein said he would prefer a program in which rained-out drivers mail their receipts to parking companies, who would then mail back vouchers.
He said that having attendants at the lots distribute vouchers would increase the risk of theft, because the attendant would be carrying around the vouchers.
Currently, cash taken by lot attendants is quickly removed from the premises, he said.
Also, he said mom-and-pop lot owners may have a harder time administrating such a program. Still, Eppstein said he wants to work with the city on the proposal.
''It's certainly a good idea that anybody who doesn't get to go to an event doesn't have to pay for parking," said Eppstein, who said that on game days at least 650 drivers use the lots he manages.
A spokesman for the Red Sox said last night that the team is looking favorably at the proposal. ''We're happy to continue our cooperative relationship [with the city] and consider this latest idea," spokesman Charles Steinberg said.
No matter what form it takes, Flaherty's measure already has received rave reviews from some fans, including Lee Vaughan, whose complaint spurred the proposal.
Vaughan, a West Roxbury resident, said she spent $474 before the Red Sox-Yankees game on May 2 started: $400 for tickets, $40 for parking, $22 for a souvenir cap, and $4 for Cokes.
When the game was called off before the first pitch because of rain -- 45 minutes after Vaughan and her 5-year-old son, Jack, had parked -- she was angry and took her complaint to the City Council.
''When you add everything up, it's ridiculous," Vaughan said yesterday. ''I understand that these guys make their money during these games, but they shouldn't be taking advantage; when a game's rained out, they should give a refund."
Jeremiah Manion of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Donovan Slack can be reached at email@example.com.


text:
No. 90,265
1. Interpretation of child support guidelines is a question of law over which this court has unlimited review. However, review of an order setting the child support amount is limited to whether there is substantial competent evidence to support the district court's findings. Substantial evidence is that which possesses both relevance and substance and which furnishes a substantial basis of fact from which the issues can reasonably be resolved.
2. The tax treatment of corporate distributions is controlled by state law. K.S.A. 79-32,139 governs the taxation of Subchapter S corporate income.
3. The Kansas Child Support Guidelines are the basis for establishing and reviewing child support orders. District courts are required to follow the guidelines when calculating child support.
4. Domestic gross income is defined by the Kansas Child Support Guidelines as income from all sources, excluding public assistance and child support received for other children in the custody of either parent. Self-employment gross income is income from self-employment and all other income. Domestic gross income for the self-employed is self-employment gross income minus reasonable business expenses. Reasonable business expenses are those actual expenditures reasonably necessary for the production of income.
Appeal from Barton District Court; HANNELORE KITTS, judge. Opinion filed May 7, 2004. Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded.
Timothy R. Keenan, of Keenan Law Firm, P.A., of Great Bend, for the appellant.
Brock R. McPherson and Jeff Lee McVey, of McPherson & McVey Law Offices, Chtd., of Great Bend, for the appellee.
Before GREEN, P.J., LEWIS, J., and JOHN J. BUKATY, JR., District Judge, assigned.
LEWIS, J.: George M. and Leanna L. Unruh were married in 1981. Three children were born to the marriage, the oldest of whom has turned 18. They were divorced in 1998. The parties have renegotiated the child support being paid by George to Leanna on a number of occasions. In this particular instance, George filed a motion to reduce his child support from $2,100 to $1,497. The trial court granted George's motion, and Leanna appeals.
George's financial picture is rather complicated and of great importance in determining the proper amount of child support under the Kansas Child Support Guidelines, Supreme Court Administrative Order No. 128 (2003 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 99) (Guidelines).
At the time of the divorce, George was the president of MidCon Oil Tools, Inc. (MidCon). He owned 62,208 shares of MidCon corporate stock, which was valued at $53,808. George was awarded all of the MidCon stock with the understanding that the income generated from the stock would be the basis for "child support in a fairly substantial amount to the minor children of the parties." Leanna was granted residential custody of the three children, and George was required to pay child support in the amount of $1,160 per month.
In 2001, the parties negotiated an increase in child support based on an increase in George's income and in the children's ages. The parties agreed that George should pay $2,100 per month effective July 1, 2001, and this amount was agreed to and made a part of the trial court's order.
In June 2002, George filed a motion seeking a downward modification in his child support after the parties' oldest child turned 18 and had graduated from high school. A hearing was held on George's motion. The principle issue was that of George's income distributions from MidCon and which of those distributions should be used in the calculation of child support. George was president of MidCon and received a salary as well as quarterly dividends from his stock.
George called as his principle witness, Vaughn Goerl, a certified public accountant who had performed accounting services for MidCon. Goerl testified that George owned 29.7% of the corporate stock and that MidCon was a Subchapter S corporation set up to avoid double taxation of its earnings. MidCon's income taxes are paid by its shareholders, who pay a proportionate share based on the percentage of stock owned.
According to Goerl, George was primarily the person who made the decisions for the corporation regarding how the corporation was handled for tax and accounting purposes. Goerl had never received any direction from any of the other stockholders and had never attended a stockholders' meeting. George and the balance of the stockholders determined the amount to be distributed. It was Goerl's estimate that over the life of the corporation, the distributions to the stockholders had been very close to 59%.
There were other items that had a bearing on George's net income from MidCon. For instance, MidCon is a service company for the oil industry, which has the potential to be volatile. For that reason, Goerl stated that 41% of the company's profits were reinvested in the company and it was important for MidCon to maintain 3 months' operating expenses in order to avoid borrowing money during "down months or down years." The net result is that 59% of the company's income was distributed to shareholders. Despite the fact that only 59% was distributed, the stockholders are liable for income taxes on 100% of the company's income. Goerl testified that the practice of retaining approximately 41% of the company's earnings had been a longstanding practice.
MidCon's fiscal operation had a significant impact on the amount of after-tax and after-corporate dollars that the shareholders realized. For instance, George reported that his share of the Subchapter S income for 2001 was $96,991, that he actually received 59% of that amount, $57,224.69, and that he paid taxes on the Subchapter S income which totaled $33,946.85, resulting in a net income of $23,277.84.
The trial court chose to compute George's Subchapter S income based on the 59% that he actually received, excluding the amount used to pay taxes on the corporation's income. The court then modified the child support payment to $1,497 per month for the two remaining minor children.
This appeal followed.
Leanna argues the trial court should have included all of the MidCon income attributable to George regardless of whether he actually received it. We do not agree.
Interpretation of child support guidelines is a question of law over which this court has unlimited review. In re Marriage of Gurtner, 31 Kan. App. 2d 613, 614, 69 P.3d 633 (2003). However, review of an order setting the child support amount is limited to determining whether there is substantial competent evidence to support the district court's findings. In re Marriage of Brand, 273 Kan. 346, 350, 44 P.3d 321 (2002). "Substantial evidence is that which possesses both relevance and substance and which furnishes a substantial basis of fact from which the issues can reasonably be resolved. [Citation omitted.]" U.S.D. No. 233 v. Kansas Ass'n of American Educators, 275 Kan. 313, 318, 64 P.3d 372 (2003).
"The tax treatment of corporate distributions is controlled by state law." Brand, 273 Kan. at 350. K.S.A. 79-32,139 governs the taxation of Subchapter S corporate income and states the following:
"A corporation having an election in effect under subchapter S of the internal revenue code shall not be subject to the Kansas income tax on corporations, and the shareholders of such corporation shall include their taxable incomes their proportionate part of such corporation's federal taxable income, subject to the modifications as set forth in K.S.A. 79-32,117, and amendments thereto, in the same manner and to the same extent as provided by the internal revenue code."
The Brand court gave the following summary of a Subchapter S corporation and the financial implications for shareholders:
"Although a Subchapter S corporation may distribute income, it is not required to do so. [Citation omitted.] Earnings are owned by the corporation, not by the shareholders. [Citation omitted.] Subchapter S corporations may accumulate profits, referred to as 'retained earnings.' Retained earnings are the net sum of a corporations's yearly profits and losses. [Citation omitted.]
"Subchapter S status provides an alternate method of taxing a corporation's income. [Citation omitted.] In a Subchapter S corporation, income tax is paid by the shareholders rather than by the corporation itself. [Citations omitted.] When the tax is paid by the individual, the corporation avoids income tax liability. [Citations omitted.]
"A Subchapter S corporation allocates various items of income to shareholders based upon the shareholder's proportionate ownership of stock. [Citation omitted.] Allocations are itemized on an individual shareholder's Schedule K-1. [Citation omitted.]" 273 Kan. at 351.
The Kansas Child Support Guidelines are the basis for establishing and reviewing child support orders. District courts are required to follow the Guidelines when calculating child support. Guidelines §I (2003 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 99).
Domestic gross income is defined by the Guidelines as "income from all sources, excluding public assistance and child support received for other children in the custody of either parent." Guidelines § II. D. (2003 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 100-01). Self-employment gross income is "income from self-employment and all other income." Guidelines § II. F. (2003 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 102). Domestic gross income for the self-employed is self-employment gross income minus reasonable business expenses. Guidelines § II. H. (2003 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 102). Reasonable business expenses are "those actual expenditures reasonable necessary for the production of income." Guidelines § II. G. (2003 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 102).
There is no presumption that an individual's share of a Subchapter S corporate income should be included as income for purposes of calculating child support. A case-by-case inquiry should be made to determine what income is actually "received" when determining "Domestic Gross Income" for the self-employed under the Guidelines.
Courts have recognized that a potential problem with Subchapter S corporations is that shareholders could shield their income from child support calculations by retaining earnings in the corporation for long-term gain rather than taking the distributions as income for themselves which could be used for the benefit of their children. See Brand, 273 Kan. at 356-58.
In Brand, the mother filed a motion to modify child support in an effort to include Subchapter S corporate distributions received by the father as a minority shareholder in various Subchapter S corporations. The evidence presented, however, demonstrated that the father received only enough in distributions to cover his share of the income tax obligation for the Subchapter S corporations. Further, the majority shareholders did not foresee that the distributions would be above the amount needed for income taxes in the future.
The Brand Supreme Court upheld the district court's decision not to include the distributions as income received under the Guidelines because the mother was unable to show that the father, as a minority shareholder, "manipulated corporate assets, decreased the amount of his salary to increase retained earnings, or acted in any way to shield income." 273 Kan. at 355. The court noted that a determination of whether to include corporate earnings or distributions as income is highly fact specific and the court should consider the following factors when deciding what amount, if any, of Subchapter S income should be included when calculating support: the past earnings history of the corporation, ownership share, and the shareholder's ability to control the distribution or retention of net profits in the business. In cases where the shareholder has the ability to control distribution, the court urged heightened scrutiny. The court also noted that "[a] corporation must sometimes necessarily retain profits, not everyone stands in a position to force distribution of a corporation's profits, and not all distributions to shareholders increase their ability to pay support." 273 Kan. at 359.
We believe that Brand is controlling on this issue. Leanna failed to show that George was anything more than a minority stockholder. As a result, he did not have the power to determine the amount retained in the corporation without the agreement of the other shareholders. In fact, George had no ability to control the decision to reinvest 41% of the corporate earnings in the company and to pay each stockholder the remaining 59% of earnings subject to the additional burden of paying the income tax. There is nothing in the record to indicate that George was somehow manipulating the Subchapter S corporation for his own benefit and to the detriment of his minor children. We affirm the trial court's decision not to count 100% of the MidCon earnings or distributions attributable to George as self-employment domestic income.
Leanna argues the district court erred when it used George's after-tax income from the MidCon distributions to determine his income for child support calculations. George responds that he does not receive or benefit from the distribution funds used to pay the income taxes for MidCon; therefore, they should not be included in the calculations.
Neither party cites to any relevant cases to support their arguments, and there are no published Kansas cases that have addressed this issue. Few other states have addressed the issue of taxation on Subchapter S distributions and how it relates to the calculation of income for child support.
The standard of review is the same as previously stated in the issue above. See Brand, 273 Kan. at 350.
The Guidelines do not specifically address the issue of how the payment of corporate income taxes by a Subchapter S shareholder should be computed; however, the Guidelines state that federal and state income taxes are taken into consideration in the child support schedules as income that is not available for spending. "[A]lthough the charts use combined gross monthly income as one factor in determining child support, the entries in the schedules used to calculate the actual child support obligation are based upon after-tax income." Guidelines § II. C. (2003 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 100).
It does not appear that the trial court's decision to exclude income taxes on the amount actually received by George was supported by substantial competent evidence. While the court was justified in excluding the 35% taxes paid on the $39,766.31 that was reinvested in the corporation and never available to George, the court was not justified in excluding the taxes George paid on the 59% distribution he received from MidCon when the child support schedules take into account the fact that income taxes will apply and reduce the available income for parents. By reducing George's income on the distributions he received to an after-tax amount, the district court caused the income tax burden to be considered and reduced two times, once by the court and once in the child support schedules.
The Guidelines do contemplate the reduction of self-employment gross income for income taxes as reasonable business expenses, but the amount is described only as the "additional self-employment tax paid over and above the FICA rate." Guidelines §II. G. and H. (2003 Kan. Ct. R. Annot. 102).
Affirmed in part, reversed in part, and remanded for recalculation.


text:
Ridetech 11121010 - CoolRide with HQ Shocks
CoolRide with HQ Shocks
Front CoolRide kit for 57 Buick. Includes air springs, brackets, HQ Series shocks shock mounts & hardware.
Pricing: $950.00
Front CoolRide kit for 57 Buick. Includes air springs, brackets, HQ Series shocks shock mounts & hardware.
California Proposition 65
WARNING: Cancer & Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
- 11121010
- 11121010
- Ridetech
- New
Shipping Information
- Item Requires Shipping
- 35.0 lbs.
- W10.0000" x H22.0000" x L9.0000"
- Free U.S. Continental Ground Shipping
Customer Reviews
Total Reviews (0)
Write the First Review!
You must login to post a review.
- The SDPC Difference
- We're the Experts The most trusted parts professionals since 1929
Free Shipping
On any orders over $99*
*Rules & restrictions apply, see shipping information for details.
- Largest Selection No one Stocks more GM Parts plus thousands of your favorite automotive brands
Price Busters Guarantee
Scoggin-Dickey Parts Center will meet or beat the total delivered price
* for any in stock item we carry
- Have a question? Ask the Pros
- Email UsGet answers from the pros
- 1-800-456-0211Mon-Fri - 8am-6:30pm CST
Sat-Sun - Closed
- Shop With Confidence We Proudly Accept:


text:
How to Use the Images Painting 1
Painting 1
Plans for construction of Hoover Dam opened up a new era for the old fort and ranch. To make the building usable, the Bureau of Reclamation combined three structures into one, made the walls uniform in height, and put in new doorways and windows and a cement floor. It was used for a testing lab for gravel.
Photo 4 of the cement testing site is from the east side of the old fort.
Questions for Photo 4
1. Who owned the building c. 1929? What other activities are happening at the fort/ranch during this period? If needed, refer to Reading 3.
2. Outline the history of the fort and compare and contrast Photo 6 to the other images in Visual Evidence. Do these images give you a better idea as to how the use of the fort has changed over time? Why or why not?
* The image on this screen has a resolution of 72 dots per inch (dpi), and therefore will print poorly. You can obtain a larger version of Photo 4, but be aware that the file will take as much as 35 seconds to load with a 28.8K modem.


text: Robert G. Brown wrote: > Both good points. And those of us who have been around a while recall > the "thermal throttle" that Intel in particular had installed on their > CPUs for a while. You'd buy what was it a 1.6 GHz CPU at great expense, > then run it flat out and as it got hot, it would suddenly underclock to > 800 MHz? This is a useful warning and resonates with a recent experience I have had evaluating new hardware for acceptance and discovering the active clock to be different from the nominal and /proc/cpuinfo reported clock. We always do several things to verify clock one of which is to run lmbench's mhz. This has always produced reliable numbers for me, but in this recent case it consistently reported a 5% deficit even as the /proc/cpuinfo reported the nominal value. After some investigating by the vendor they showed that on an upgraded BIOS the two are brought into alignment. Without this test, who knows how long we might have been running under-clocked. As Robert often says never ASS-u-ME ... rbw Richard B. Walsh Project Manager Network Computing Services, Inc. Army High Performance Computing Research Center (AHPCRC) rbw at ahpcrc.org | 612.337.3467 > > "The world is given to me only once, not one existing and one > perceived. The subject and object are but one." > > Erwin Schroedinger ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This message (including any attachments) may contain proprietary or privileged information, the use and disclosure of which is legally restricted. If you have received this message in error please notify the sender by reply message, do not otherwise distribute it, and delete this message, with all of its contents, from your files. -----------------------------------------------------------------------


text:
Discover more of healthy drinking water and water treatment systems through BACFREE. Established since year 1982, BACFREE has gained much recognition in the field of water filter supply.
We offer products which are highly beneficial to our customers, bringing them a healthier lifestyle and yet cost saving. Our water treatment and water system supplies have gone through multiple analysis and testing to ensure its safety of use.
Our customers are both from the household and commercial sector. Products such as water filter and rain water harvesting system are increasingly popular and in demand by our customers. People are targeting on healthier drinking water and we aim to provide our customers with the products that will fulfil to their requirements. BACFREE has many water filter products and water systems to cater to our customers.
Besides water for consumption, our company also offers the rain water harvesting system which is also known as rain water recycling. With rain water treated in a special way, users can now enjoy more water supplies for their daily usage in a more cost effective manner. The system serves both purposes as being environmental friendly and cost saving.
BACFREE is always concern and ready to serve our customers in terms of water solutions. We have developed a team of experts and professionals who are operating all the necessary research and development of our products.


text:
|UFDC Home
|| Help
This item has the following downloads:
|Full Text
Morning Girl and the Early Explorers
Kelly Hoover, Heather Kelley, Michelle Whitlow
DeLaura Middle School and Satellite High School
Brevard County, Florida
Caribbean Diversity Brevard Public Schools
Title: Morning Girl and the Early Explorers; point of view and perspective
Overview: Students will study the exploration and colonization of the New World from
varying perspectives. The novel to be read in conjunction is Morning Girl, the story of a
Taino child experiencing life before the arrival of the explorers. The disciplines
incorporated into the lesson are Language Arts, Social Studies, World Languages and
Fine Arts.
Time Required: 2 weeks
Target Audiences:
SS: 8th Grade U.S. History
LA: 8th and 9th Grade Language Arts
WL: Spanish I & II
Fine Arts: Middle and Senior Art Students
Materials required:
SS: internet access, Old World maps, textbook, Columbus' online diary
LA: Morning Girl by Michael Dorris
WL: Internet access and art supplies
Fine Arts: internet access, www.haititec.com, Juan Luis Guerra y 440 CD.
Cross-curricular connections:
SS: early explorers, geography, beginnings of slavery, timeline
LA: point of view, perspective, author's purpose
WL: vocabulary, cultural awareness, diversity
Lesson objectives and SSS:
SS: SS.8.A.1.7: View historic events through the eyes of those who were there as shown
in their art, writings, music, and artifacts.
SS.8.A.2.1: Compare the relationships among the British, French, Spanish, and Dutch in
their struggle for colonization of North America.
SS.8.A.1.3: Analyze current events relevant to American History topics through a variety
of electronic and print media resources.
LA: LA. 18.104.22.168 The student will organize information to show understanding or
relationships among facts, ideas, and events (e.g., representing key points within text
through charting, mapping, paraphrasing, summarizing, or comparing/contrasting);
LA.184.108.40.206: The student will identify and analyze the characteristics of a variety of types
of text (e.g., reference works, reports, technical manuals, newspapers, magazines,
biographies, periodicals, procedures, instructions, practical and functional texts)
LA18.104.22.168: The student will locate various literary devices (e.g., sound, meter, figurative
and descriptive language), graphics, and structure and analyze how they contribute to
mood and meaning in poetry;
LA184.108.40.206: The student will identify and analyze universal themes and symbols across
genres and historical periods, and explain their significance;
WL: FL.C.1.3: the student reinforces and furthers knowledge of other disciplines
through foreign language
FL.C.2.3: the student acquires information in perspectives that are available only through
the foreign language and within the target culture
Fine Arts:
VA.C.1.4: Understand how social, cultural, ecological, economic, religious and political
conditions influence the function, meaning, and execution of works of art.
VA.C.1.4: Understands how recognized artists recorded, affected, or influenced change
in a historical, cultural or religious context.
Teaching activities:
SS: students will utilize the textbook and various online resources to complete a
beginning mini unit on geography in preparation for the introduction of the unit on the
Early Explorers. Students will use timelines, Old World maps, explorer's navigational
maps, online Christopher Columbus journal entries, online resources for indigenous
peoples/culture specific to the Taino and Caribbean cultures. Students use
www.TimeRime.com to create timelines as well as www.earth.google.com to look at the
geography of the Caribbean.
LA: students will read Morning Girl in exploration of the point of view of the conquered
indigenous peoples. Students will write journals from multiple perspectives using RAFT
strategies. Students will create an alternate ending to the story post studies in US
History. This alternative ending could be shared through a Wiki (www.wikispaces.com)
or through TypeWithme (www.typewithme.com) or Google Docs
WL: Students will create a simple picture book utilizing appropriate vocabulary words
from the unit. Students will also create a diary from the perspective of one of the
characters from Morning Girl in the target language. Students will listen to Spanish
language music relating to the struggle of the island peoples and write a summary of what
the song is about.
FA: students will view and respond to the work of a local Haitian painter using the "you
ought to be in pictures" strategy. Students will have the opportunity to speak with the
artist and hear first-hand about his experiences in Haiti and subsequent immigration to
the US. A podcast of the interview could be created or a VoiceThread page could be
created for comment.
SS: students will create a VoiceThread presentation depicting the events that took place
beginning with Columbus' arrival in the Bahamas through the colonization of the
Caribbean Islands. Timelines, maps and primary source documents are required
LA: students will create social networking "pages" for each of the characters in the novel
demonstrating each one's perspective on the events that transpired throughout novel.
WL: students will create an imaginary autobiography in the target language from the
point of view of a Taino person.
FA: students will create questions for the artist about his experiences, life in Haiti,
reasons for immigration and how his art expresses his heritage.
Additional comments and/or instructions:
For background information on Taino culture for either reading Morning Girl for
LA or for the SS timeline:
http ://www.hartford-hwp. com/archives/41/013.html
http://history-world.org/christopherdocs.htm (Columbus' diary entries)
For Spanish:
Juan Luis Guerra Areito is his sixth album and was released on 1992. The last track on
the album, "Naboria daca, mayanimacana," is sung in Arawak, the language of the
Taino language site: http://www.cariblanguage.org/Taino.html


text:
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sisterhood of the traveling dress
Reader Belinda sent in this picture of her gorgeous mom in a handmade floral dress (between two little ghosts from the Shining) in Vanuatu--near New Guinea. "She was and still is a very stylish lady and actually did do modelling in her younger days and make all of our clothes."
Meanwhile in over in the Ukraine, Oleksandra Korobova's mom donned pretty much the exact same dress.
"I found this shot in an old family album. It dates back to late 70's (1979, most likely) when my mom Olga Romanova (with her mom) was 17–18 years old and about to graduate from high school."
Please Fed-Ex the dress to Brooklyn next. I don't care what that no-good Alexis Bledel tells you, it's my turn.
6 comments:
- Brieanne said...
How come moms from the 40's, 50's and 60's (I assume the first mom in this post dates from the latter) knew how to pose, while I always look like I'm about to sneeze, even though I went to charm school as a tot?
Maybe its something in the water nowadays. Or, it was something in their water back in those days.
- February 28, 2010 at 8:11 PM
Hi there, I used to work for Chronicle and found out about your blog through their FB post. I really dig what you're doing--AND my 4-year-old daughter's name is Piper, and is super into fashion and crafting her own bizarre outfits that somehow look great. I can only hope she refers to me as "stylish" (or at least, "nice") when she grows up. Meanwhile, I'm going to scrounge up a photo for you, of my 60s mom in her tri-color zipper top.
- March 1, 2010 at 3:10 PM
- Piper Weiss said...
oooh another piper! i love it. yes send me pictures!
- March 2, 2010 at 1:41 PM
- Rondell said...
Y'all don't want to mess with pitchers of my mama. She look like she bout to cuss out everyone in the room in each one of them, LOL!
- March 2, 2010 at 2:19 PM
- MMTSI said...
rondell that sounds like she's mom style icon icon material
- March 2, 2010 at 3:00 PM
- Eyeliah said...
wow, what a cool coincidence!
- March 2, 2010 at 3:46 PM


text:
Crossbody Scuderia Ferrari bag
Practical and versatile, the new women's Scuderia Ferrari bag boasts an athletic yet sophisticated design.
Marked by a classic bowler shape, this bag has two handles and a convenient removable shoulder strap with metal details. The bag's zippers and zipper pulls are also made of metal, and it also features several compartments: in addition to the main compartment with two-way zipper, there is a zipper pocket on the outside and another on the inside. There is an elegant Ferrari Shield detail printed on the main face, and the Puma logo features on the metal zipper pulls.
- Two handles
- Removable shoulder strap
- External pocket with zipper
- Composition: 100% Polyurethane
We offer both Standard and Express shipping: choose the service that best meets your needs at checkout.
We provide an easy return service: just ship your items back to us with a shipping service of your choice within 30 days of delivery.


text: If you are planning a hen for all the ladies in your life! Explore our Hen and little chick parties, available for all ages, so everyone gets involved! Enjoy private dining in our luxury Willow Room and get ALL the girls together over afternoon tea before your big day! Little chicks can feast on mini afternoon tea with coco milk and treats while your hens can feast on bubbles and fresh pastries and sandwiches! Dainty and unique!


text:
Ross Tulloch necessitava di un nuovo design di logo e ha lanciato un contest su 99designs.
È stato scelto un vincitore tra 501 design presentati da 84 designer.
zeroonetwenty is a Mac/iPhone software company. Our home on the web is zeroonetwenty.com. We have bunch of great products and now we need to back it up with some great design. This is step one: the logo.
zeroonetwenty is tiny but growing fast. It isn't ever intended to be a corporate behemoth - just the opposite - it's intended to be a small band of highly skilled software creators, fascinated by the future of software, working on products that we're passionate about.
Our target audience is tech savvy ("power", "pro") Mac/iPhone users. In the future it may be a little broader (web, unix, server apps) but it'll still be tech savvy users. Plans for building rocket ships are a long way off.
The logo will feature prominently on zeroonetwenty.com and will inspire the (much needed) redesign of our website.
Logo should contain the text "zeroonetwenty". You can break it up if you wish (zero one twenty), you can stack the words on top of each other. You can make it 3D. You can't use just digits (0120).
No cartoons, especially no twitter-esque wildlife.
I want a logo that people will want to stop and look at. A logo that is slightly cryptic or mysterious. A logo people will, perhaps, have to "figure out". A logo that makes people think. A puzzle.
Sound like fun?
Should work equally well on black or white backgrounds.
Go crazy. Surprise me if you want. I'll only be disappointed if the designs are dull!
Please do not use any stock images or clip art in the logo.
Print file format - .ai (CMYK)
Web file format - .png and layered .psd (RGB)
Maggiori informazioni su come funziona un contest di design o sui nostri servizi di design di logo.


text:
Gluten-free, Egg-free Fried Zucchini blossom Recipe
Some weeks back, I went to my favorite farmer's market in Mountain View and came across some beautiful baby zucchini with the blossoms still attached. I was inspired, so they came home with me. Because I'm eating egg-free for Baby Yum, I knew I couldn't make an egg batter for them, but I thought maybe club soda might provide some fizz for battered zucchini. I folded some gluten free flour and seasonings into club soda and dipped the baby zucchini and blossom into the batter and then fried them in a pan. A little salt sprinkled over the top was the finishing touch on some very special and unique appetizers. I've made these several times since in celebration of the bounty of farmer's markets. This weekend I didn't come across any zucchini blossoms, but I did bring home some little round zucchini that cried out for special treatment. I thinly sliced these zucchini, dried off the slices, dusted them with sorghum flour and then battered them and pan fried them. They were wonderful as appetizers served with Muir Glen organic pasta sauce, and were equally good as a main course served on buckwheat grit "polenta" drizzled with sauce.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we have. Every time I make it, our meal becomes a special occasion, and this dish reminds me that fresh, local ingredients can be the best inspiration for a gluten-free and/or vegetarian diet.
Looking for more gluten-free, vegan fried veggies? Try Fried Artichoke Fritters *contains corn*
This recipe is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays where you will find many other great and mostly gluten-free recipes.
Egg-free Gluten-free Fried Zucchini Blossoms
1 package zucchini with blossoms or 2-3 fat, short farmer's market zucchini, sliced with ends removed
2/3 cup sorghum flour or 1/3 cup sorghum, 1/3 cup buckwheat or other flavorful whole grain gluten-free flour
1/6 cup arrowroot starch
3/4 cup club soda
1 tsp. your favorite seasoning (Italian seasonings, pasta seasonings, whatever)
1/4 tsp. salt
extra gluten-free flour for dusting
Sift together flour and whisk together with club soda. If you think the batter is too thin, add more of your main flour 1 tbsp. at a time until you like the texture. For zucchini and blossoms, slice in half. For zucchini, dry each slice with a paper towel and dust with flour. Heat a tablespoon or so of oil in a cast iron or nonstick pan on medium-high. Immerse zucchini in batter and place on hot griddle. Turn gently when golden brown and fry other side. Add a little extra oil to the pan if necessary. Remove to wire rack, sprinkle with additional salt and let cool slightly.
Serve zucchini with blossoms plain, Serve zucchini slices with marinara or your favorite pasta sauce on the side.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.


text:
Started during the summer of 2009 in Boston, the founding chapter of the Awesome Foundation is all about micro-grants for maximum awesome.
The definition of "Awesome" is left open ended on purpose and we convene ISO that intanglible combination of impact, surprise and joy. Monthly meetings result in awarding two $1,000 grants. Fellowship recipients are posted to the gallery at the top of the page so check back to see who is getting the ca$h.
Realizing that there's more awesome out there than money in our pockets, we host local office hours in Boston so that we get to meet you (yes, you!) and brainstorm ideas or make introductions to help make your awesome idea happen. Signup for our mailing list to hear when we're hosting 'Awesome Hours' or a fellowship party.
Interested in becoming a trustee of Awesome Boston? Fill out our rolling application. We're not always looking for new trustees, but we'll contact you when we are!


text:
Full-text searches are supported for
MyISAMtables only.
Full-text searches are not supported for partitioned tables. See Section 23.6, "Restrictions and Limitations on Partitioning".
Full-text searches can be used with most multibyte character sets. The exception is that for Unicode, the
utf8character set can be used, but not the
ucs2character set. Although
FULLTEXTindexes on
ucs2columns cannot be used, you can perform
IN BOOLEAN MODEsearches on a
ucs2column that has no such index.
The remarks for
utf8also apply to
utf8mb4, and the remarks for
ucs2also apply to
utf16le, and
Ideographic languages such as Chinese and Japanese do not have word delimiters. Therefore, the built-in full-text parser cannot determine where words begin and end in these and other such languages.
A character-based ngram full-text parser that supports Chinese, Japanese, and Korean (CJK), and a word-based MeCab parser plugin that supports Japanese are provided for use with
Although the use of multiple character sets within a single table is supported, all columns in a
FULLTEXTindex must use the same character set and collation.
MATCH()column list must match exactly the column list in some
FULLTEXTindex definition for the table, unless this
IN BOOLEAN MODEon a
MyISAMtable. For
MyISAMtables, boolean-mode searches can be done on nonindexed columns, although they are likely to be slow.
The argument to
AGAINST()must be a string value that is constant during query evaluation. This rules out, for example, a table column because that can differ for each row.
Index hints are more limited for
FULLTEXTsearches than for non-
FULLTEXTsearches. See Section 8.9.4, "Index Hints".
InnoDB, all DML operations (
DELETE) involving columns with full-text indexes are processed at transaction commit time. For example, for an
INSERToperation, an inserted string is tokenized and decomposed into individual words. The individual words are then added to full-text index tables when the transaction is committed. As a result, full-text searches only return committed data.
The '%' character is not a supported wildcard character for full-text searches.
1. `COLLATION = utf8_unicode_ci` & `CHARACTER SET = utf8`. (Databases, Tables, and Columns).
2. Index words of 3 letters and more. This is Very Important for Arabic, `ft_min_word_len = 3` (see `show variables like "ft_%";`)
3. Check the version of MySQL (5.5 or 5.6), and Engine (InnoDb or MyIsam)


text:
Cicero, the famous Roman senator and orator once wrote, "Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others."
The virtue of gratitude is the ability to express our thankful appreciation in word or deed, to the person whose words or actions have benefited us in some way. The truly humble and noble person will always be grateful for the benefits received. Ingratitude is an ugly sin.
How can the virtue of gratitude be acquired? Fundamentally, cultivating the spirit of gratitude requires us to develop humility. We need to understand that everything that we have and everything that we are is a gift. We might begin by taking out a pad of paper and a pen and making a list of all of the wonderful gifts that we receive each day of our entire life.
We could start with life. We have been given the gift of life. Consider the air that we breathe. We take such things as air, water and even good health all for granted. We need to consider our families, the houses that we live in, the food that we eat each day, our education, our jobs, and the fact that we live in a free country.
Once we consider the obvious gifts that we have received, we can go deeper. Take into consideration all that God has done for us. He loves us unconditionally. We have the Catholic Church, the Bible and the Sacraments. We can all remember how a Catholic priest inspired us in a homily, gave us an encouraging word in Confession, or came to visit us while we were sick.
We need to understand that we have received so much. Should we not always be grateful?
The virtue of gratitude can be expressed in very simple ways. We should always express our gratitude. The phrase "thank you" should be a common part of our daily vocabulary.
G. K. Chesterton once said: "You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink." He also said, "When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs?"
The French philosopher Jacques Maritain once said that "Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy." He is correct and it is important that we acquire good manners and social graces. The loss of morals and common decency has caused the gentleman and the lady to be something of the past.
We all know that people can be very ungrateful for the service that is given to them. How many people thank those who give of themselves unconditionally? Parents, teachers, clergy, police, firefighters, doctors and nurses many times live thankless lives. Nevertheless, the Gospel calls us to give of ourselves unconditionally and seek as our only reward eternal life in heaven. This is true Christianity. Any other posture is simply rooted in egotism.
The standard of greatness for Christianity is not earthly glory, but the Cross of Jesus Christ.
Many times we may receive appreciation and thanks from those whom we serve. Birthday celebrations, little expressions of thankfulness and gifts from grateful people should be seen as noble manifestations of gratitude. However, we must remember the example of Jesus. Only one of the ten lepers returned to give thanks for having been cured. It is important to remember, that despite the ingratitude of humanity, Jesus continued his mission until his consumatum est. His reward was the cross and the empty tomb.
When we serve with a spirit of detachment, we will walk among our brothers and sisters, even among those who have been ungrateful and hateful, with joy and a smile. The disappointments and adversities that others may cause, will purify our interior motives and allow us to focus on eternity.
There is an amusing story that reminds us that we must be grateful always. In Budapest, a man goes to the rabbi and complains, "Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?"
The rabbi answers, "Take your goat into the room with you." The man is incredulous, but the rabbi insists. "Do as I say and come back in a week."
A week later the man comes back looking more distraught than before. "We cannot stand it," he tells the rabbi. "The goat is filthy."
The rabbi then tells him, "Go home and let the goat out. And come back in a week."
A radiant man returns to the rabbi a week later, exclaiming, "Life is beautiful. We enjoy every minute of it now that there's no goat — only the nine of us."
This week the Centers for Disease Control revealed some alarming statistics regarding the problem of depression here in the United States.
The use of antidepressant drugs has soared nearly 400% since 1988.
Antidepressant medication is the most commonly used form of medication for people between the ages of 18 – 44. One in twenty-five teens regularly takes antidepressant pills. The study also showed that nearly one in four women ages 40 to 59 are taking antidepressants. Furthermore, more than 60% of Americans have taken antidepressant medication for two years or longer, with 14% taking the medication for 10 years or more.
There are genetic and organic causes for depression, but most depression is being caused by the dysfunctional society that we live in.
What is the remedy for this alarming crisis?
First of all, we need to remedy our relationship with God. Recently, the outdoor sign of a Christian church of another denomination was advertising their health program: yoga, Yahweh Yoga and Zumba. Exercise is important, but what we really need is the Eucharist, Mary and Confession.
Secondly, our family life needs to be strong. A great place to start is for moms to stay home and take care of the kids and for families to have dinner every night as a family.
Thirdly, we need friends, and not friends on the Internet, but real friends; friends that we talk to in person. Friends that we can hug, shake a hand, enjoy a good laugh, a good glass of wine, and yes, even a good cigar.
If everyone were to implement these three things, I am sure that the next study from the Centers for Disease Control will show a dramatic decline in the use of antidepressant pills.
You know the drill. When some new gadget does not work, you just hit the reset button. Even if the gadget does not have a reset button, there is some way to accomplish the same task. When my Blackberry gets stuck, I just open up the back cover, take out the battery and then I put it back in within a few seconds. It takes a few minutes for my handheld device to reboot, but it does.
When I look at all of the daily and intense chaos that is going on here in our own country and around the world, it seems to me that God is hitting the reset button. The entire world is going through a dramatic transformation.
The Jesus is coming bandwagon has a lot of takers these days. However, we need to always keep in mind the words that Jesus himself spoke about his own return: "But as for that day and hour, nobody knows it, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, no one but the Father only" (Matthew 24: 36).
We should pay more attention to what Jesus' representative here on earth said last December. Not too many people paid attention to his prophetic words, and those who did, seem to have very short memories. Here is what Pope Benedict XVI said in Rome last December 20th: "For all its new hopes and possibilities, our world is at the same time troubled by the sense that moral consensus is collapsing, consensus without which juridical and political structures cannot function. Consequently the forces mobilized for the defense of such structures seem doomed to failure."
Countries are in turmoil. The economies of the world are in turmoil. For the most part, morality has disappeared. Certainly, we are engulfed in an historical moment of collapse. But, this is certainly not the end, but only the beginning of something new that will emerge from the ash heap of false ideologies where man has turned away from God and from each other. The narcissistic fantasy world is coming to a sudden end.
Like the tired machines that collapse in the final part of Spielberg's The War of the Worlds, the lies and corruption of our modern times are coming to an end. However, they must not be replaced with new political and economic systems that enslave man in different ways.
Last December, in the same speech, Pope Benedict told us what to do: "Let us ask him, then, to wake us from the sleep of a faith grown tired, and to restore to that faith the power to move mountains – that is, to order justly the affairs of the world."
To order justly the affairs of the world!
Yes, and we need to look to the Church because in the Catholic Church we find an unknown treasure called the social teaching of the Catholic Church. It is here, in the social teachings of the Catholic Church that we will find the way to order justly the affairs of the world.
"The Church has rejected the totalitarian and atheistic ideologies associated in modem times with communism or socialism. She has likewise refused to accept, in the practice of capitalism, individualism and the absolute primacy of the law of the marketplace over human labor. Regulating the economy solely by centralized planning perverts the basis of social bonds; regulating it solely by the law of the marketplace fails social justice, for there are many human needs which cannot be satisfied by the market. Reasonable regulation of the marketplace and economic initiatives, in keeping with a just hierarchy of values and a view to the common good, is to be commended" (Catechism of the Catholic Church 2425).
Catholic social teaching is not republican, democrat, conservative, liberal, libertarian or European socialism. Catholic social teaching is Catholic.
The answer to the upheavals around us is for a new generation of thinking men and women to imbue themselves with the social teaching of the Catholic Church and to put it into practice.
I enjoy a fine cigar after a long day of work. For me, cigar smoking is very relaxing. My most favorite brands are the Joya de Nicaragua Antano 1970, the Kristoff Corojo Limitada, the Padron Classics and the Partagas Black. For those of you who know anything about great cigars, you can tell that I enjoy a heavy cigar.
Smoking a fine cigar with a group of friends adds to the enjoyment. Cigar smokers are very sociable people and the conversation is always engaging.
However, cigar smoking is not a perfect remedy for the anxiety that we deal with on a daily basis. Yes, we certainly do live in a crazy, dysfunctional and challenging world. Besides, we would go broke if cigar smoking was the only remedy for our worries and apprehensions.
We need to be spiritual. Faith is the answer.
Without a serious spiritual life, anxiety will overwhelm us. If we are a people who live truly spiritual lives, we will be filled with peace and joy no matter what may be going on around us. And this is so, because we will always be able to trust God.
Jesus gives us the antidote to all of our anxieties when he says: "That is why I am telling you not to worry about your life and what you are to eat, nor about your body and what you are to wear. Surely life is more than food, and the body more than clothing! Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are? Can any of you, however much you worry, add one single cubit to your span of life? And why worry about clothing? Think of the flowers growing in the fields; they never have to work or spin; yet I assure you that not even Solomon in all his royal robes was clothed like one of these. Now if that is how God clothes the wild flowers growing in the field which are there today and thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will he not much more look after you, you who have so little faith? So do not worry; do not say, 'What are we to eat? What are we to drink? What are we to wear?' It is the gentiles who set their hearts on all these things. Your heavenly Father knows you need them all. Set your hearts on his kingdom first, and on God's saving justice and all these other things will be given you as well. So do not worry about tomorrow: tomorrow will take care of itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6: 25-34).
Cigar smoking is extremely relaxing, but being relaxed and possessing interior peace are not the same.
The inner peace that Jesus gives to us is a gift. "Peace I bequeath to you, my own peace I give you, a peace the world cannot give, this is my gift to you" (John 14: 27).
Trust and abandonment; immersing ourselves into God; burning bridges; giving up control; leaving behind our own personal agenda: these things will remedy the anxiety so prevalent in our modern culture.


text:
Pay Scales >> Browse Articles >> General Schedule Pay Locality
Pay Scales >> Browse Articles >> GS Pay Scale Information
Pay Scales >> Browse Articles >> Highest Paying Careers
Federal pay ahead of private industry
According to an analysis by USATODAY, the typical federal worker is paid 20% more than a private-sector worker in the same occupation.
Dennis Cauchon | USA TODAY via YellowBrix
Federal employees earn higher average salaries than private-sector workers in more than eight out of 10 occupations, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data finds.
Accountants, nurses, chemists, surveyors, cooks, clerks and janitors are among the wide range of jobs that get paid more on average in the federal government than in the private sector.
Overall, federal workers earned an average salary of $67,691 in 2008 for occupations that exist both in government and the private sector, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data. The average pay for the same mix of jobs in the private sector was $60,046 in 2008, the most recent data available.
These salary figures do not include the value of health, pension and other benefits, which averaged $40,785 per federal employee in 2008 vs. $9,882 per private worker, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Federal pay has become a hot political issue in recent months because of concerns over the federal budget deficit and recession-battered wages in the private sector.
- OMB chief calls reports federal employees are overpaid 'misleading'
- Salary Statistics from the OMB Director
Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass., made federal pay an issue in his successful campaign to fill Edward Kennedy's seat and is fighting for a pay freeze.
The federal government spends about $125 billion annually on compensation for about 2 million civilian employees.
"The data flip the conventional wisdom on its head," says Cato Institute budget analyst Chris Edwards, a critic of federal pay policy. "Federal workers make substantially more than private workers, not less, in addition to having a large advantage in benefits."
But National Treasury Employees Union President Colleen Kelley says the comparison is faulty because it "compares apples and oranges." Federal accountants, for example, perform work that has more complexity and requires more skill than accounting work in the private sector, she says.
"When you look at the actual duties, you see that very few federal jobs align with those in the private sector," she says. She says federal employees are paid an average of 26% less than non-federal workers doing comparable work.
Office of Personnel Management spokeswoman Sedelta Verble, says higher pay also reflects the longevity and older age of federal workers.
USA TODAY used Bureau of Labor Statistics data to compare salaries in every federal job that had a private-sector equivalent. For example, the federal government's 57,000 registered nurses working for the Veterans Administration and elsewhere were paid an average of $74,460 a year, $10,680 more than the average for private-sector nurses.


text:
Atlassian Sourcetree is a free Git and Mercurial client for Windows.
Atlassian Sourcetree is a free Git and Mercurial client for Mac.
M U R K Y Murky is a GUI client app for the Mercurial distributed version-control system. It lets you manage repositories and source files without using a command-line. Website: http://bitbucket.org/snej/murky/ = BUILDING IT = System requirements: - Mac OS X 10.5+ - Apple's Xcode tools, version 3.1+ Dependencies: - MYUtilities <http://bitbucket.org/snej/myutilities/> First-Time Configuration: *** PLEASE READ THIS FIRST! *** Before the first time you build, you'll need to tell Xcode where the MYUtilities sources are. You do this by setting up a named 'Source Tree': 0. Clone or download MYUtilities 1. Open Xcode's Preferences panel 2. Click the "Source Trees" icon at the top 3. Click the "+" button to add a new item to the list 4. Fill in the Setting Name as "MYUtilities", the Display Name also as "MYUtilities", and the Path as the absolute filesystem path to where you put MYUtilities. (Do not use a "~" (tilde) in this path! The compiler won't understand it.) Once you're configured, just open Murky.xcodeproj and choose "Build". = LICENSE = This is a BSD license: Copyright (c) 2008-2009, Jens Alfke <email@example.com>. All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met: * Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. * Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution. THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT OWNER OR CONTRI- BUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.


text: I made a backup (about a year ago) of a working Debian server and put that backup image on a new machine (better hardware, etc.) Everything is / was working great until recently. Now on reboot, when loading the kernal, it says I need that to be root=/dev/sda1 ro quiet. How do I change that permanently? Thanks!


text:
NYSEC has been featured in several major motion pictures and television shows – and for all of the obvious reasons. A landmark building overlooking Central Park West. Impressive spaces that are known for their beauty and versatility. In many ways, coming to NYSEC is like stepping back in time to the gilded age of turn-of-the-century Manhattan. Glance out of our stained-glass windows, however, and you are immediately transported to present-day New York, with its jagged skyline buffeted by the treetops of Central Park. We encourage location scouts – as well as producers and production development professionals – to tour our grand facility.
Contact Marie Orraca to learn more.


text:
Oh well I guess if he wants to stock up on anything food would be the best idea. I do know one thing in our house it will definitely get eaten. OK back to the granola bars. When I was trying to decided on what granola bar recipe to use it didn't take me long. I remembered a recipe in Jane Doiron's cookbook "Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms". I am seriously loving this cookbook everyone. It has so many easy and time saving recipes just like this granola bar recipe. My daughter is a big fan of the store bought granola bars so I was a bit excited to try these out on her. This recipe is so easy peasy and quite versatile. Which means that you can change up the ingredients to your liking. So have fun and experiment with different add ins. I chose to stick to the recipe for my first attempt, but I did omit the peanuts and added some butterscotch chips to the mix. I really loved these granola bars and the next day there wasn't any left, so that should tell you if we liked them or not.
Lets start by preheating the oven to 325 degrees. Line a 15x10x1 in baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non stick baking spray. I used a 9 x 13 inch glass pan because I wanted my bars thicker.
Add all the dry ingredients to a large bowl.
add the sweetened condensed milk and melted butter. Stir well to make sure everything is combined and mixed together.
Pour into prepared pan and spread out the mixture. Press down to make it even.
Place the bars on a wire rack and cool completely. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
Um yummo good!!!
Homemade Granola Bars
3 - cups quick cooking oatmeal
(I used Quaker Oats)
1 - cup unsalted peanuts
1 - cup raisins
1 - cup sliced almonds (I used whole almonds)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 - cup butter, melted
1/4 cup unsalted sunflower seeds
( I used honey roasted)
Preheat oven to 325. Line a 15x10x1 in baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non stick baking spray. I used a 9x13 inch glass pan because I wanted thicker bars. Stir all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour into prepared pan and spread out the mixture. Press down to make it even. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes in the pan then cut into bars. Place the bars on a wire rack and cool completely. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
Additional Mix In's:
Here is a list of all sorts of ingredients that you can add to your granola bars. Just mix and match to your liking. Its all about having fun with the recipe and putting your own spin on it.
- dried cranberries or cherries, golden raisins, chocolate, peanut butter or butterscotch chips, dried fruit of your choice, flax seed, wheat germ, coconut, walnuts or pecans
Printable Copy
For more great recipes vist The Grocery Cart Challenge Recipe Swap.
Tina, The Mom in Mommy's Kitchen


text:
Your address states it all but ultimately a lot of factors come into play. Home Orientation, as the word suggests, means which side your home faces. Besides this, a lot of other factors also constitute the word orientation. In Asia, East facing homes are considered to be lucky and it is believed that these homes attract a lot of positive energy and emit good vibes. In India, the concept of "Vastu" is of great importance like which side your home should be facing, which direction your main entrance is, so on and so forth. Vastu for home holds much importance in an Indian household which is why orientation becomes of permanent importance.Home Orientation is also referred to as 'a walk through' which is right there to contemplate and learn about all your home features, check for defects, correct and find solutions for your potential problems. The shape of your apartment building on you house and the layout are also of great importance. One has to see that the home is well ventilated and has the advantage of both light (sunshine or solar energy) and natural breeze. [Read more…]
You are here: Home / Archives for homebuyer orientation


text:
26 April 2019
The Londoner's Guide to London
If you're planning a lucky ladies last night then check out our range of Hen Party Ideas.
Looking for Stag Party Ideas? Then look no further. Check our selection of Stag Party Ideas.
We all want to have those fabulous pictures to share with friends and family. Check out this London photography course!


text:
Boardwalk at the RiverClub
The St Johns River. RiverTown, St Johns, Florida
Riverfront Park Fishing Pier
Seen from the Canoe and Kayak Launch. RiverTown Master Planned Community. Shands Bridge is in the distance.
Tolomato River
Seen from the pier at Cap's On The Water in St Augustine, FL
Bridge Over St Johns River
The sun through the back side window
Lake Run Off
Gervasi Vineyard and Winery
View from the Deck
Looking East from the deck of The Twisted Olive
Gervasi Lake Life
Fiddler Crab
Atlantic Sand Fiddler Crab in the swash of the Atlantic Ocean at Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach
Left behind in the swash of the Inlet
Mid Morning Fishing
Myrtle Beach Inlet
Pond in Parma, Ohio
Great little pond. Mostly greens and browns with a couple of flower plants to add a touch of color
The Pond
The pond wasn't very inviting to me, but it was to a lot of other critters
Lakes and Streams
Lake Mohawk at night taken at the Main Beach
Sun setting on Lake Mohawk
Lake Mohawk
Malvern, Ohio - iPhone 4S panorama.
Panorama taken at Gervasi Vineyard
Lake Mohawk 7/5/2012.
Atwood Lake Marina West
Mineral City, Ohio
Atwood Lake Marina West
Gervasi Vineyard
The lake at Gervasi
Gervasi Vineyard & Winery
Gervasi Lake Jul 18, 2010 - Before the Villas were built
Mumbai to Navrsari
Tansa River, just north of Shirsad, Maharashtra, India. Looking west. This picture was selected for Google Earth.
Umhlanga Lagoon - Nature Reserve
KwaZulu-Natal South Africa


text:
BOSTON--Membership numbers have grown throughout the U.S. club industry, and revenue for the 12 leading health club groups has climbed, according to two recent reports.
As of January 2005, membership at U.S. health clubs had reached 41.3 million, an increase of 4.5 percent over the 39.4 million memberships reported the previous year, according to IHRSA's Annual American Health Club Trend Report, which was released in early July by American Sports Data.
With these new numbers, the percentage of Americans over age 6 who belong to a health club has increased to 15.6 percent.
For-profit clubs still host the most members. For-profit fitness facilities serve 63.2 percent of members while nonprofit facilities serve 36.8 percent, according to American Sports Data. Of the nonprofits, the Y facilities have the biggest percentage of the population at 19.8 percent. University-based facilities and municipal-based facilities service 5 percent of the population each while military facilities service 2 percent. Another study conducted on IHRSA's behalf found that the financial performance of the 12 largest health club companies improved in the first quarter of 2005 compared to the first quarter of 2004. The companies grew their total revenue an average of 4.3 percent to $13.2 million for the quarter, according to the survey, which was performed by Industry Insights Inc. The participating companies also reported improved same-store revenue for clubs that have been in operation for at least two years by an average of 3.9 percent to $11.5 million.
"The commercial health club industry typically shows growth during the first quarter as Americans begin their new year's resolutions and make a commitment to get fit," said John McCarthy, executive director of IHRSA. "The results from this recent survey show that clubs are steadily increasing membership accounts, total revenues, as well as keeping control of administrative expenses as indicated in double digit growth of EBITDAR (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and rent)."
The survey found that the average EBITDAR improved by 13.5 percent to $3.8 million. As a percentage of total revenue, EBITDAR was 28.7 percent of revenue for the first quarter of 2005 and 26.7 percent of revenue in 2004.


text:
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The co-director of the Miss California USA beauty pageant resigned on Wednesday in protest over Carrie Prejean being allowed to keep her crown despite a furor over topless photos and anti-gay marriage views.
Shanna Moakler's decision came the day after Miss USA and Miss Universe pageant owner Donald Trump ended weeks of speculation over the future of Prejean, the current Miss California, saying she could retain her title — and her opinions.
Moakler, a former Miss USA title holder and a supporter of gay marriage, said in a statement she "cannot with a clear conscious move forward supporting and promoting the Miss Universe Organization when I no longer believe in it, or the contracts I signed committing myself as a youth."
The Miss California story has been a talking point across the United States at a time of heated debate over same-sex marriages which have recently been legalized in five states.
Prejean, 21, made headline news last month at the Miss USA pageant when she expressed her opposition to gay marriage in answer to a question from gay judge and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton. She claimed her answer cost her the Miss USA title.
Prejean has since appeared in an anti-gay marriage ad and several pictures of her posing topless have since surfaced. She failed to disclose the pictures in the contract she signed with the pageant, officials said.
Trump praised Prejean for her beauty and standing by her opinion, and he judged the topless photos as acceptable for her to continue her reign. "If her beauty wasn't so great no one really would have cared," he said on Tuesday.
Moakler, 34, who won the Miss USA title in 1995 and later went on to pose for Playboy magazine, said she had made her decision after the Trump news conference.
California banned gay weddings in a divisive November referendum that reversed an earlier court ruling which had allowed hundreds of same-sex couples to wed last year.
Editing by Jackie Frank


text:
It is 10 years since the World Bank launched its landmark World Development Report (WDR), Making Services Work For Poor People. A decade later, what have we learnt about the science and politics of service delivery – and what are the emerging issues that will shape future priorities? The recent anniversary Conference in Washington D.C., co-hosted by ODI and the World Bank, with support from the UK Department for International Development, discussed new developments, data and trends in public service delivery since 2004 across a range of service delivery sectors.
In the conference report, ODI experts share their reflections on the conference and on future directions in five key areas for service delivery: information and incentives, behavioral economics and social norms, financing service delivery, fragile states and the politics of delivery. This article by Leni Wild talks about information and incentives.
There is still a gap to be filled between having more information and figuring out whether and how services improve. However, February's joint ODI and World Bank Conference marking ten years since the World Development Report (WDR) on Making Services Work for Poor People flagged up where progress has been made, and what we are learning about the role information can – and cannot – play here.
Information was at the heart of the WDR 2004, which emphasised its role in ensuring better performance from service providers and greater accountability between politicians and voters, whether via citizen report cards, public-expenditure tracking surveys, data on the presence or absence of service providers, and so on. What is striking is just how much work and research has been done over the past ten years on this theme, reflected in very rich discussions at the conference.
Three points really stood out for me. First, the debate has clearly moved on from grand statements about the 'power of information', to thoughtful reflections on when, why and how it actually supports change. It was equally inspiring to hear stories of failure as well as success – including Rakesh Rajani, who shared Twaweza's hard-won experience that the value of information depends on whether anyone uses it (and the acknowledgement that sometimes they don't), to Justin Sandefur, who reflected openly on the difficulty of motivating decision-makers to act on evidence, including findings from randomized control trials. What emerged was growing humility in acknowledging what types of information are meaningful for different audiences, rather than assuming that everyone - from citizens to political leaders - will automatically become motivated and engaged if only they are given the 'right' information.
Second, I heard much more detailed discussions on what types of information can be used and by whom. We all know this matters – but it was good to hear just how much it matters and to hear some tangible ideas. Jakob Svensson cited his work in Uganda, revealing that information on performance may be even more powerful than results for citizens, while Tanzanian MP Zitto Kabwe reflected on his own embarrassment at getting a low score in a recent NGO scorecard campaign, spurring him to take action; and Gayle Martin offered rich insights into experience with the Service Delivery Indicators – a response to the need for different types of information for different aspects of delivery and different sectors (the information you need on curative health care, for example, is bound to differ to that for primary education). This is something we have explored at ODI, working with University of Birmingham colleagues to look at different information gaps and incentives across different sectors.
Third, there was a stronger focus on the potential role of information in generating an understanding of how different actors and organisations relate to one another – and on identifying how and where information can make a difference in these relationships. This reflected a major theme that emerged during the conference: the need to appreciate the interconnections between a whole range of different stakeholders and the overall incentives within a system, rather than focus narrowly on particular groups or inputs. The discussion on Service Delivery Indicators revealed that while we tend to focus on getting better information flows between citizens and frontline service providers, less attention has been paid to the need to improve information flows between middle managers/supervisors and frontline providers. If these flows can be improved, we could see better results. Watch this space for some forthcoming ODI research into CARE's experience with community scorecards in four countries (Ethiopia, Malawi, Rwanda and Tanzania) where we are finding something similar – which supports the need to look much more at those 'middle managers' within systems who may be able to lead improvements.
What does this mean for the future? I think there are two major areas that need more action:
First, while WDR 2004's diagram of a 'core trio' of relationships linking service users, service providers and policy-makers is helpful, we all know it presents a simplistic picture. Instead, we need to face the reality that what we are dealing with are systems and networks, through which a much wider set of stakeholders are connected. The nature of these connections matters, in terms of power balances, incentives and norms. With this in mind, we need to stop thinking of 'information' itself in a fairly narrow sense, in terms of information to get somebody to do something for someone else, (whether a politician, service provider or citizen).
Instead, we need more understanding of the role of information in building collective action, collaboration and networked approaches. Indeed, in the final session of the Conference, ODI's Marta Foresti reminded us about the importance of organisations – these were left out of the original WDR 2004 framing but we know they are crucial to bring together individuals and create shared, collective interests. Improving our understanding of how systems, networks and the individuals and organisations within them operate seems to be the new frontier for those concerned with the power and role of information in supporting change processes.
This brings me to my second point, and an area that seems to be a missing piece to this puzzle – that is, how to match it up with growing calls to be more iterative and adaptive a la contributions from Tim Harford and Matt Andrews. Indeed, Matt's work at Harvard on public-sector reform suggests that, rather than looking for exhaustive evidence up front, perhaps we should take stock of the best we have, and then work iteratively, to try things out.
To me, the real challenge here is to imagine what such a process looks like in practice: I believe it has to involve identifying what incentives funders, implementers and reformers have to act on the information they do receive, or what incentives they have to support change processes even when information and evidence is lacking, and identifying strategies for shifting those incentives, even incrementally, when necessary. How can we do more to unlock the potential of information – not to mention social norms and behavioural change – to address this? Again, watch this space for future ODI examples and insights on this theme.
Photograph courtesy of Arne Hoel via The World Bank Photo Collection, available here.
Follow PublicSphereWB on Twitter!
One thin g we have found to
One thing we have found to be useful is to first have a good, credible, regular system of information on service delivery. This takes considerable (years of) efforts, patience and some incentives to make it happen. However, once you have this system and stakeholders believe in its credibility, it is gradually used. The information system will need to be simple and online as far as possible to make it really useful. Such a system also helps create a culture where regular and useful information is available when needed.


text:
Dynamics Karate Martial Arts Bag
Dynamics Karate Martial Arts Bag
We sell quality Martial Arts gear bags as well as weapons bags, duffle and tournament bags. You will also find backpacks and Karate bags to carry all of your Karate supplies. Our gear bags are an excellent way to carry around your Martial Arts supplies such as uniforms, shoes, sparring gear, as well as other equipment. These bags have several different compartments to assist you in keeping your Martial Arts supplies organized and zipper pockets to keep even your smaller Martial Arts gear secure. Browse our selection to view the different styles and sizes to best keep your Martial Arts shoes, uniforms, sparring gear or other Karate supplies organized.
BlackBeltShop.com is your source for Karate Supplies, Martial Arts Equipment
& Kung Fu Supplies
Kung Fu Supplies | Tai Chi Uniforms | Punching Bags | Sparring Gear | Kung Fu Uniforms | Taekwondo Gear | Tae Kwon Do Equipment | Ninja Gear | Kickboxing & Boxing Equipment | Karate Training Videos | Kung Fu Training Videos | Martial Arts Footwear | Martial Arts Uniforms | Martial Arts Belts | Martial Arts Training Equipment | Hanging Bags | Free Standing Bags | Kendo Equipment | Muay Thai Products | Judo Uniforms | XMA Uniforms and Equipment | Martial Arts Jackets | Martial Arts Gift & Novelty Items we also own www.texaskaratedo.com and www.usamartialartssupplies.com and www.wholesalekarate.com


text:
China takes dispute with Vietnam to UN
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — China took its dispute with Vietnam over its deployment of an oil rig in contested waters to the United Nations on Monday, accusing Hanoi of infringing on its sovereignty and illegally disrupting a Chinese company's drilling operation.
China's deputy ambassador Wang Min sent a "position paper" on the rig's operation in the South China Sea to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday and asked the U.N. chief to circulate it to the 193 members of the General Assembly.
China sent the rig into disputed waters on May 1, provoking a confrontation with Vietnamese ships, complaints from Hanoi, and street protests that turned into bloody anti-Chinese riots. Hundreds of factories were damaged and China said in the paper that four Chinese citizens were "brutally killed" and over 300 injured.
The oil platform is located about 32 kilometers (20 miles) from the China-controlled Paracel Islands, which Vietnam also claims, and 278 kilometers (173 miles) from the coast of Vietnam.
According to the paper, the state-run China National Offshore Oil Corporation has been conducting seismic operations and well site surveys in the area for the past 10 years and the drilling operation "is a continuation of the routine process of explorations and falls well within China's sovereignty and jurisdiction."
China accused Vietnam of "illegally and forcefully" disrupting the rig's operation by sending armed ships and ramming Chinese vessels.
"Vietnam also sent frogmen and other underwater agents to the area, and dropped large numbers of obstacles, including fishing nets and floating objects, in the waters," it said.
The paper said Vietnam's actions violated China's sovereignty, posed "grave threats" to Chinese personnel on the rig and violated international laws including the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
It cited numerous references to back its claims that the islands "are an inherent part of China's territory, over which there is no dispute."
Calls to Vietnam's U.N. Mission and its spokesman seeking comment were not answered.
Vietnam, which has no hope of competing with China militarily, said soon after the $1 billion deep sea rig was deployed that it wants a peaceful solution, but a top official warned that "all restraint had a limit."