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SOUTH BERWICK, Maine – On the eve of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Old Berwick Historical Society invites the public to an outdoor talk entitled "A South Berwick Soldier at Gettysburg and After," at Old Fields Burying Ground on Sunday, June 30 at 3:00 pm.
The cemetery is located near the corner of Vine and Brattle Streets. Admission is free and the event will be held rain or shine, and will last approximately an hour. Comfortable shoes are recommended.
The Battle of Gettysburg was fought July 1 to 3, 1863, and is often described as the turning point of the Civil War. The Union forces defeated attacks by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, ending Lee's invasion of the North.
Twenty five South Berwick citizens are known to have fought at Gettysburg, including Joseph Hayes, who eventually became this town's most decorated soldier.
Cemetery event participants will walk to Hayes' grave site, where local historian and Berwick Academy history teacher Bradley Fletcher will trace Hayes' career during and after Gettysburg.
Raised on Academy Street in South Berwick, Joseph Hayes attended local schools, including Berwick Academy, then went on to Harvard and became a civil engineer. When war broke out, he enlisted as a Major in the 18th Massachusetts Infantry. He served the Union as a general officer in the Civil War and eventually became Brevet Major General of Volunteers.
At Gettysburg he was a colonel and in command of the 18th Massachusetts Infantry, which had 139 men. They were placed in reserve between Cemetery Ridge and the eastern edge of the Wheatfield.
Fletcher's talk will trace Hayes' subsequent service in the last half of the war, his imprisonment, wounding and promotion, through the surrender at Appomattox.
The website of the Old Berwick Historical Society, www.oldberwick.org, includes write-ups on five South Berwick historic cemeteries and a database of over 7000 graves


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The US National Team wasn't in action on this FIFA international fixture date, but Major League Soccer was still well represented all over CONCACAF on Tuesday.
In Washington, Chicago Fire attacker Marco Pappa helped Guatemala beat Central American neighbors El Salvador 2-0 at RFK Stadium. Pappa nearly opened the scoring in the 26th minute, but rifled a shot off the post.
READ RECAP: Guatemala 2, El Salvador 0
But Fredy Thompson and Tránsito Montepeque scored for los Chapines, beating an El Salvador side that featured Chivas USA's Osael Romero, San Jose's Arturo Alvarez and Pappa's Fire teammate, Deris Umanzor.
At Montreal's Stade Saputo, Will Johnson played a big role in helping Canada topple Roger Espinoza and Honduras 2-1 for the Canucks' first win in nine matches. The Real Salt Lake man was involved in the buildup of Canada's bizarre first goal, then sent in the corner kick for Kevin McKenna's eventual winner just before halftime.
READ RECAP: Canada 2, Honduras 1
In Monterrey, Mexico, Rafa Márquez wore the captain's armband, but had a second straight unremarkable performance for El Tri. Besides a crucial tackle in the box to quell a Colombia attack, the New York Red Bulls Designated Player had a relatively quiet 54 minutes of action before being subbed out in Mexico's dramatic win.
READ RECAP: Mexico 1, Colombia 0
In Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Colorado's Omar Cummings' hot hand carried over from club to country, as his rocket in the 18th minute at Lockhart Stadium helped Jamaica equalize against Peru. But José Carlos Fernández added a go-ahead goal in the 84th to give the Peruvians the 2-1 victory.
Cummings was one of two MLS players to start the match for the Reggae Boyz, alongside Kansas City defender Shavar Thomas. Houston midfielder Lovel Palmer, New York winger Dane Richards and San Jose striker Ryan Johnson – who all played in Jamaica's win over Costa Rica on Sunday – were all second-half subs on Tuesday for Theodore Whitmore.
MLS' lone South American on international duty was Columbus attacker Emilio Renteria, who went 67 minutes in Venezuela's 1-0 victory over Ecuador in Caracas.

subset: commoncrawl


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In 2006, Katherine Isbister and Kia Höök developed the Sensual Evaluation Instrument (SEI), a tool that evaluates affect and aids in nonverbal communication. Created with artist Rainey Straus while the professors of human-machine interaction were working on a European Union project on emotion and technology, the 'blobjects' were tested with a goal of enabling conversations with designers and computer scientists about emotion.
The instruments provoked an unexpected outcome of universality during testing: subjects kindredly selected the same objects to express similar emotions (e.g., a spiky object to express anger or fear). We spoke with Katherine and Rainey over Skype about how these objects came into being, their emotional resonance, and how they've developed a life of their own over the years.
Katherine Isbister: What happened for us was Kia and I, we got interested in doing this nonverbal reporting of emotion; like empowering people to convey how they felt without having to use words. This is when I was working with her at her lab in Sweden; we first did some primitive experiments with things like color. So anyway, it didn't work at all because people had really culturally specific associations with color and a lot of times they would come up with narratives about things that were more real object based—there's a lot of sort of socio-cultural overlay people do onto objects all the time. That was slightly discouraging. But at the time, I knew Rainey had done her MFA project on these incredible I don't know what to call them, Rainey, nubbins?
Rainey Straus: Blobjects. And actually there was a whole show [on them] down in San Jose. I think the show was called Blobjects which happened. A lot of it focused on product design but it's definitely a kind of aesthetic that's in the visual vocabulary currently.


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Event Details
October 7, 2018 @ 1:00pm - 2:30pm
| Edsel & Eleanor Ford House
1100 Lake Shore Rd
Behind the Scenes Tours
Get a glimpse of what's behind closed doors, up and down the stairs, and down the back hallways in this special Ford House tour.
Dates and Times: Behind the Scenes Tours are offered at 11 AM Saturdays and 1 PM Sundays, on select dates Sept. 1 - Nov. 18. You may add an additional house tour to see the entire 30,000-square-foot home starting at 10 AM Saturdays and noon Sundays. Tickets must be purchased in advance, no refunds or exchanges.
Select your tour date:


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I didnt realize just how many miles I have been putting in lately or how long it has been since I bought a new pair of running shoes. It has been about 2.5 months and 570 miles. My shoes usually dont last me more than 400 before I start to feel something in my knees or shins.
But today, during my run at lunch my quads were just shot. It could have been from the intervals yesterday, or the little pick-up in pace I had at teh end of my run this morning because I was trying to catch up with someone I saw that I thought I knew (turns out it wasnt who I thought it was). But my quads were just junk today at lunch and they never loosened up.
So I'll probably try to swing by the running store on teh way home and pick up a new pair of adidas. I am just dreading the conversation when I get home though - "Another new pair of shoes, didnt you just buy that last pair a few weeks ago? I only buy a new pair of sneakers every two years...."
Professional Noob
Barefoot is cheaper.
Roads were made for journeys...
The store where I buy my running shoes from has a punch card, so after purchasing my 6th pair, the 7th pair is free. Now for someone like me it might take me 7 years to use that, but for someone like Jeff he'd use it more often.
That would be awesome!!! Dont suppose you live in the Boston area?
I do get 10% off for being a member of my local running club but that is more like getting the equivalent of a free pair every 9-10 pairs. Plus it just seems so much nicer when you could walk in, hand them a card and just get shoes without doling out any cash at all.
FYI - wife wants me to wait till next week when we get paid again.
Top 'O the World!
A Saucy Wench
I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets
"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7
I wish I could get 570 miles out of a pair. I put 500 on my last pair and there is no heal left at all.
The problem is that I dont think I can. My quads and this morning my knees and ankles were bothering me. I'm going to have to go get the shoes tonight. I am usually good for between 400-500 miles for a pair of shoes.
I fly.
Bring it on.
Geez, I wish that I could get 350 on a pair! I'm always buying new shoes!
Me too -- I barely get over 300 per pair. I have a whole collection that I need to donate since they are still relatively new for most people.


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What's Wrong With You?
Successful people's stories of failure.
We found 1 episode of What's Wrong With You? with the tag "self improvement".
Episode 10: How To Lose $100,000
October 11th, 2017 | Season 1 | 33 mins 47 secs
awkward human, awkward human network, awkward human podcast network, awkward human shows, comedian jeffrey jay, comedians, comedy, good news bad news, jeffrey jay, north west, self improvement, standup comedy, transgender, transgender comedian
How to lose $100,000, the dirty truth about traveling knife salespeople, juicy gossip about a celebrity toddler... and the wild drug and sex parties your parents warned you about. Special guest comedian Jeffrey Jay. His podcast - Good News Bad News - is also on the Awkward Human Network!


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Save interesting products in this list and find them quickly at any time.
Simply click on the watch list symbol
Experience the versatility of the Loop & Friends collection. You can choose between modern square, round or oval washbasins inspired by basic geometric shapes. The versatile design options give you room for personalised design ideas. Furnish your bathroom your way and combine it with other furniture items any way you like.
With lots of variation in form and style, built-in washbasins from Villeroy & Boch offer an array of design options and integrate harmoniously and discreetly into the bathroom. A built-in washbasin integrates into the bathroom furniture from above and thus melds into one with the cabinet below.
CeramicPlus - the anti-dirt surface for sanitary ceramics - simplifies bathroom cleaning. This innovative process causes water to immediately form droplets on contact, which then merge into beads and simply drain away, carrying dirt and limescale particles with them.
Sanitary ceramic is the perfect material for washbasins, toilets and bidets. Sanitary ceramics from Villeroy & Boch are fired at 1200 °C and meet the highest requirements for durability and hygiene. Additional glazes such as CeramicPlus and AntiBac simplify bathroom cleaning with antibacterial protection and dirt-repellent surfaces. Sanitary ceramic is resistant to knocks and impacts.
|Loop & Friends
|390 mm
|8 kg
|Product designation
|Built-in washbasin
outside surface glazed. Sanitary ceramics. incl. template. EN 31, EN 14688
|Tap fitting / Tap hole remark
|without tap hole area
|Overflow remark
|with overflow
|Sanitary ceramics


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Paul do Mar
Paul do Mar is a parish in the municipality of Calheta in Madeira in Portugal.
The population in 2001 was 885. It is 3 km from Calheta and about 1 km from Fajã da Ovelha. Calheta has an important art centre (Casa das Mudas) and the typical facilities that you would expect in a small town. The main activity in Paul do Mar is fishing and agriculture, particularly, banana-growing.
Paul do Mar has shops, a small supermarket, bars, restaurants, a patisserie/bakery, a school, Catholic church, a health centre, a bank, a football ground, a four-star hotel and a range of self-catering holiday houses and flats.
In 2001 Paul do Mar was one of the venues for the World Surfing Championships and is also a renowned spot for whale and dolphin watching.
Get in[edit]
From the capital Funchal follow the Fast road ('via rapida') to Ribeira Brava, then follow the signs to Ponta do Sol, Madalena do Mar,Calheta. At the Calheta marina roundabout go straight on and then descend to Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar.
Get around[edit]
Its easy to get around Paul do Mar as its one of the flattest villages in the region between mountains and the ocean. Most people walk along the ocean front to move between the different quarters of the village. But, its great for cycling and rollerskating too! If you want to drive there is plenty of free parking all along the front and the best place to park near the harbour is next to the large church which you cannot miss because of its height.
See[edit][add listing]
See the bodyboarding and stand-up surfing. Paul do Mar was one of the venues in 2001 for the World Surfing Championships
See and walk the PR19 Caminho Real do Paul do Mar walk up a valley with a waterfall to Prazeres 400 metres above. Start at the harbour. It takes about an hour.
See Engenho da Calheta a museum and a sugar cane processing factory in the Calheta district of Madeira.
There are two mills for crushing the sugar cane. The waste or bagasse falls down a chute and is removed by a conveyor belt below the mills.
Some of the machinery is 200 years old and steam powered.
The museum and factory with a cafe is situated about half-way down the hill between the Calheta Marina roundabout outside the two tunnels and the ocean front road next to the white sand beaches of Calheta district.
Eat[edit][add listing]
Buy and eat 'lapas' the fish in seashells that live on the rocks on the beach of Paul do Mar. Traditionally they are fried in garlic and beer a lager is recommended to be drunk with them
When visiting a historic fishing village such as Paul do Mar eating fresh seafood is a must. Eat 'lapas' the fish in seashells that live on the rocks on the beach of Paul do Mar. Traditionally they are a snack, a starter to a meal fried in garlic and beer, a lager is recommended to be drunk with them. The other favourite fish dish is 'espada' the ugly but, delicious black scabbard fish which lives thousand of metres below the ocean surface.
Drink[edit][add listing]
Whilst in Paul do Mar village the traditional drinks are the soft drink 'Brisa Maracuja' a fizzy drink made only in Madeira from passion fruit. Passion fruits grow in Paul do Mar. The local lager which has won international awards 'Coral' and of course Portuguese and Madeiran red, white and Rose wines which can generally be bought by the glass or by the bottle with or without a meal. By the way, a 'bica' coffee is a standard expresso and a 'Chinesa' is a Cappucino coffee.
Sleep[edit][add listing]
In Paul do Mar there are all types of accommodation from a four star hotel [2] to private holiday homes such as Sunny House West.
Get out[edit]


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If you are holding a disability sport event in the North East and would like your event to go on this page, please send the details to firstname.lastname@example.com - To view past events click here.
See all upcoming disability sport sessions & events listed below.
Click on a heading along the top to filter events by category.
Event Information:
Sat11Apr20202pm - 3.30pmAshington Leisure Centre, Lintonville Terrace, Ashington, NE63 9JY
Family Activity Sessions - Ashington - Easter Family Challenge
SMILE Together Session - Easter Challenge
Easter themed Family challenge
Family sport and physical activity sessions for families with a disabled member. This is a great opportunity for families to come along get involved in a number of different sports and activities as a whole family. These sessions are for all disabilities.
Session 2: 2.00-3.30pm for those aged 4 years and over.
Cost: £2 per person (please note your first session is FREE!)
There will be something for all the family!
If you would like any further information about these sessions please contact SMILE on:
T: 01670 457 757 or E: email@example.com
Follow us on: Facebook - Smile Through Sport or Twitter - @SMILE_T_Sport


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Global carbon dioxide emissions are now exceeding even the most "extreme" predictions, and 2007 is already the hottest year ever recorded. Yet even as congressional leaders draft legislation to reduce greenhouse gases, "a powerful roster of Democrats and Republicans is pushing to subsidize coal as the king of alternative fuels."
Prodded by "intense lobbying from the coal industry," lawmakers from coal states are proposing that taxpayers spend billions of dollars to subsidize the coal industry's production of liquid diesel fuel.
This is a dangerously backwards idea. Coal-to-liquid fuels "produce almost twice the volume of greenhouse gases as ordinary diesel," and the production process of such fuels "creates almost a ton of carbon dioxide for every barrel of liquid fuel." The New York Times offers this infographic:
Congressional supporters of coal-to-liquids argue that "coal-based fuels are more American than gasoline." But the only responsible way to achieve American energy independence is to create policies that also reduce global warming, and that can be done with low-carbon, American-grown alternative fuels.
A profile in courage on this issue is Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT), who this month killed a coal-to-liquids proposal despite coming from a coal state. As Gristmill's Dave Roberts noted, Tester realizes "that blundering ahead with coal before addressing its emissions is tantamount to collective suicide, and he's not willing to sign on with that for the sake of a big-money industry in his state."
UPDATE: Climate Progress has much more.


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Cloud Service Status
Keep your business up and running with real-time insights into your cloud system. By providing transparency into availability and downtime, we can help you plan ahead and optimize resources.
Please note that SAP's cloud portfolio will undergo incremental integration into the Cloud Service Status. At this time, the Cloud Service Status displays SAP's public cloud portfolio but not SAP HANA Enterprise Cloud. Downtimes related to regular maintenance and/or major upgrade activities (see SLA document) are not reflected. A service disruption/degradation is only visible in the Cloud Service Status if its duration is >= 5 minutes and if >= 5% of the productive systems in a data center are impacted.
Cloud Availability Center
Complete transparency of availability and performance
The Cloud Availability Center provides our customers a consolidated and transparent view of the service availability and performance of their cloud products.?Log on to the Cloud Availability Center for a personalized dashboard with your cloud service status.


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Services on Demand
Related links
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South African Journal of Education
On-line version ISSN 2076-3433
Print version ISSN 0256-0100
S. Afr. j. educ. vol.31 n.1 Pretoria Jan. 2011
Preparing new principals in South Africa: the ACE : School leadership Programme1
Tony Bush*; Edith Kiggundu; Pontso Moorosi2
There is increasing recognition that effective leadership and management are vital if schools are to be successful in providing good learning opportunities for students, and emerging evidence that high quality leadership makes a significant difference to school improvement and learning outcomes. However, in many countries, including South Africa, a teaching qualification and teaching experience are the only requirements for school principals. In the 21st century, there is a growing realisation that headship is a specialist occupation that requires specific preparation. In 2007, the former South African Department of Education introduced a new threshold qualification for aspiring school principals as part of its wider strategy to improve educational standards. The course, badged as an Advanced Certificatein Education: School Leadership (ACE), was piloted in six provinces from 2007-2009. This paper reports the main findings from the evaluation of the pilot ACE programme and links them to the South African and international literature on leadership development.
There is increasing recognition that effective leadership and management are vital if schools are to be successful in providing good learning opportunities for students. There is also emerging evidence that high quality leadership makes a significant difference to school improvement and learning outcomes. Huber (2004:1-2) claims that 'schools classified as successful possess a competent and sound school leadership' and adds that 'failure often correlates with inadequate school leadership'. Leithwood et al. (2006:4) show that 'school leadership is second only to classroom teaching as an influence on pupil learning'. They conclude that 'there is not a single documented case of a school successfully turning around its pupil achievement trajectory in the absence of talented leadership' (Leithwood et al., 2006:5). There is also a significant body of South African literature supporting the view that effective leadership and management are essential to develop good schools (Bush et al., 2010, Christie, 2001; 2010, Department of Education, 1996, Roberts & Roach, 2006).
While there is an increasing body of evidence that leadership makes a significant difference, there is less agreement about what preparation is required to develop appropriate leadership behaviours. In many countries, including South Africa, school leaders begin their professional careers as teachers and progress to headship via a range of leadership tasks and roles, often described as 'middle management'. This leads to a widespread view that teaching is their main activity and that a teaching qualification and teaching experience are the only requirements for school leadership (Mestry & Singh, 2007).
Bush and Oduro (2006:362) note that 'throughout Africa, there is no formal requirement for principals to be trained as school managers. They are often appointed on the basis of a successful record as teachers with the implicit assumption that this provides a sufficient starting point for school leadership'. However, as Kitavi and Van der Westhuizen (1997:252) note in respect of Kenya, 'good teaching abilities are not necessarily an indication that the person appointed will be a capable educational manager'. Van der Westhuizen et al. (2004) reach a similar conclusion following their research in the Mpumalanga province. 'Wide-ranging changes in the education system have rendered many serving school principals ineffective in the management of their schools. Many of these serving principals lack basic management training prior to and after their entry into headship' (p.1).
In the 21st century, there is a growing realisation that headship is a specialist occupation that requires specific preparation. Bush (2008; 2010) notes the following reasons for this paradigm shift:
The expansion of the role of school principal; in decentralised systems, the scope of leadership has increased.
The increasing complexity of school contexts; principals have to engage with their communities to lead and manage effectively.
Recognition that preparation is a moral obligation; it is unfair to appoint new principals without effective induction.
Recognition that effective preparation and development make a difference; principals are better leaders following specific training.
Mathibe (2007:523) says that South African principals 'are not appropriately skilled and trained for school management and leadership. Daresh and Male's (2000) comparative study of English and US principals demonstrates that heads experience a 'culture shock' as they cross the threshold from teaching into principalship. Effective preparation is one way of reducing the 'shock' and helping leaders to cope.
There are two main options available for the preparation of school principals. These are to identify and prepare potential principals before they are appointed, or to provide development for practising principals after their appointment. This distinction is important for South Africa because the pilot study, reported below, recruited mainly current principals with the intention to focus on aspiring principals from 2009.
The former South African Department of Education3 introduced a new threshold qualification for aspiring school principals as part of its wider strategy to improve educational standards. The course, initially badged as an Advanced Certificate in Education: School Leadership (ACE), was piloted in six provinces from 2007-2009. The pilot was open to serving principals as well as to deputy principals and school management team members aspiring to become principals. Participants were nominated by the provincial departments of education.
The ACE is being delivered by universities, through a common framework agreed with the national Department of Education and the National Management and Leadership Committee (NMLC). The first pilot cohort involved only five universities, and the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance. The intention of the course is that it should be different from typical university programmes in being practice-based:
Its primary purpose is to ascertain how much of the course learning has been internalised, made meaning of and applied in practice in the school.
This emphasis on practice resulted from the evidence (e.g. Department of Education, 1996) that, although many school leaders hold university qualifications in management, their collective impact on school outcomes had been minimal. Their focus appeared to have been on achieving accreditation rather than improving their schools. The Government's Task Team on Education Management (Department of Education, 1996), described as 'not only a turning point, but also a starting point, for the training and development of education leaders in South Africa' (Van der Westhuizen and Van Vuuren, 2007:436), was critical of much university provision. "Management development practices ... have tended to focus on the collection of qualifications and certificates with little attention being paid to actual ability to transfer this newly acquired knowledge to the institutions in which managers work" (Ibid:24). Van der Westhuizen et al. (2004) make a similar point in concluding their evaluation of management training in the Mpumalanga province:
The design and content of training programmes should be geared towards developing requisite skills and knowledge to enable trainees to transfer their skills and knowledge ...to the school situation (p. 717).
The very different, and ambitious, aim of the ACE programme was to make an appreciable difference in participants' management practice, leading to school improvement. The ACE was also intended to ensure that candidates were able to engage with leadership and management issues in a sustained way. This reflects implicit acceptance of the limitations of the 'workshop' model of development. McLennan's (2000) assessment of training in the Gauteng province was that such workshops are "often poorly organised and irrelevant" (p. 305).
In this paper we report the main findings from the evaluation of the pilot ACE programme and link them to the South African and international literature on leadership development.
The research was intended to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the first pilot cohort, which comprised 430 participants. Its broad purpose was to inform the development of the course and to provide advice to the Minister of Basic Education about the suitability and sustainability of the qualification for its intended purpose, to improve school leadership and management.
The evaluation was planned alongside the design and development of the course and was a longitudinal study, involving four phases (preliminary, baseline, mid-term, and impact), funded by the Zenex Foundation and the Department of Education. The research was extensive and comprehensive, including the following specific dimensions:
Desk research of international and South African leadership development practice (preliminary phase).
Documentary analysis of the initial field test materials (preliminary phase).
Observation of the orientation sessions for candidates (baseline).
Repeat interviews with key HEI staff (baseline, mid-term and impact).
Two surveys (baseline and impact) with all candidates in the first field test cohort.
Longitudinal case studies with 27 candidates and their schools (including repeat interviews, shadowing and analysis of school and course documents) (baseline, mid-term and impact).
Observation of contact sessions (mid-term).
Observation of mentoring practice (mid-term).
Interviews with mentors (mid-term).
Observation of networks (mid-term).
A full report was submitted to the Department of Education and the Zenex Foundation Board (Bush et al., 2009). The next part of the paper presents evidence about the various components of the ACE programme.
The ACE Programme
The ACE programme was designed by the National Department of Education in consultation with the National Management and Leadership Committee (NMLC), which includes representatives of the universities involved in delivering the programme. This national model involved the following elements:
Specially prepared teaching materials, designed and developed under the auspices of the NMLC.
Formal contact sessions arranged at university campuses or at other locations.
Mentoring support provided by, or through, the universities.
Networks of candidates, fostered by universities and/or provincial departments of education.
Site-based assessment, linked to leadership and management practice.
The research team examined each of these dimensions of the programme.
Teaching materials
Teaching materials may be regarded as the 'content' of the course, representing the authorised curriculum. The ACE course was modular, comprising 'core', 'optional' and 'foundation' modules. Core modules were intended to be taken by all candidates in every province. Optional modules were offered at the discretion of the provider and, in practice, most universities did not provide any of them. Foundation modules were intended to help candidates with limited English language or ICT capability to improve these skills as a 'foundation' for their leadership learning. The five core modules were:
Module One: Understanding school leadership and management in the South African context.
Module Two: Managing teaching and learning.
Module Three: Lead and manage people.
Module Four: Manage organizational systems, physical and financial resources.
Module Five: Manage policy, planning, school development and governance.
As noted above, the national teaching materials were prepared under the auspices of the National Management and Leadership Committee (NMLC) and were intended to be used by all providers, except in Gauteng, in order to denote a common curriculum. The Gauteng group used MGSLG's modules, which were prepared before the national materials. The research team offered a critique of the national materials based on documentary analysis (Bush et al., 2007a). Their main findings were that the materials were too detailed, over-theoretical, and inadequately connected to the realities of the many disadvantaged schools in South Africa. They were particularly critical of module two, which did not appear to address the management of teaching and learning. Their recommendations were considered by the NMLC's Review Group, which produced revised materials in November 2008. The evidence below relates mostly to the unrevised modules.
The impact survey shows very positive findings with 80% saying that the materials are 'of great help' and only 2% responding that they are 'of limited help'. In many cases, this was candidates' first engagement with leadership and management ideas, so they could not adopt a comparative perspective. The case study candidates offered diverse views on the materials. Some were positive, saying that they are 'fantastic', while other candidates offered a range of criticisms. The most common view was that the materials were too long or too 'bulky'.
Most lecturers were content with the modules, saying that they are valuable because they are practice-based, and KZN staff, in particular, praised the materials. However, the HEIs have chosen to use them in different ways. Some supplement these modules with their own resources and others make only limited use of the national programme, preferring to use it for reference, while leading with their own materials. The varied use of the materials raises questions about the extent to which the ACE can be regarded as a genuinely national programme. This is a substantial weakness as a measure of standardisation is essential if the course is to become an entry-level requirement for new principals.
Contact sessions
Five universities were responsible for delivering the ACE course with the first pilot cohort (one worked with two provinces). Researchers observed between one and three contact sessions in each HEI. The universities offered diverse models of delivery:
Block teaching over several days.
Friday afternoon/evening sessions.
Saturday sessions.
The delivery model does not appear to produce different levels of satisfaction from candidates. More significant is the size of the learner group, which ranges from 25 to 200. Despite the aspirations of most lecturers, interaction is very limited in the larger groups, thus working against the philosophy of the programme. In practice, these sessions usually comprised content delivery rather than interactive learning. Some participants complained that their experience was not being taken into account in planning contact sessions.
Most universities deal with the problem of scale by also providing smaller group facilitation activity. These sometimes lead to successful, interactive sessions, as observed in KZN, Gauteng and Western Cape. However, they may simply be used for administrative purposes, as observed with one Mpumalanga group, or result in 'no proper group work', as in the Eastern Cape. In the small group sessions, as well as in the main contact sessions, the settings sometimes inhibited interactive learning.
The teaching materials and the contact sessions may be regarded as the 'content' of the ACE course. However, it is important to find an appropriate balance between course content and the processes required to link knowledge acquisition to school-based leadership and management practice (Bush, 2008). Mentoring, networking and site-based assessment are the processes included in the ACE programme. The next sections consider the extent to which these modes of delivery achieved their objectives.
Mentoring is a distinctive and central feature of the ACE programme, designed to facilitate the transfer of learning to candidates' and school practice. Effective mentoring provides strong potential for deep learning. There is substantial international evidence supporting the efficacy of mentoring and coaching for leadership development. Pocklington and Weindling (1996: 189), for example, argue that "mentoring offers a way of speeding up the process of transition to headship".
The literature suggests that the effectiveness of mentoring for adult learners depends on the following features:
Thorough training of mentors.
Careful matching of the partners.
Allocating sufficient time to the process.
Adopting a peer stance rather than an apprenticeship model.
Avoiding a prescriptive approach. (Bush et al., 2007b).
Selection of mentors
The matching process between mentor and mentee is critical to its effectiveness. This also links to the selection procedure. Some universities employ people who have worked with the HEI on other similar programmes. These are often retired principals, whose professional experience is seen as directly relevant to their role. In Gauteng, the mentors are principals but are also graduates of the MGSLG ACE programme, which began before its national equivalent.
Mentoring practice
In many provinces, including Eastern Cape, Limpopo and Mpumalanga, there is a two-stage process:
Group 'facilitation' as part of, or separate from, the formal teaching sessions at the University.
Visits to candidates' schools to provide on-site support.
Mentors are responsible for a number of candidates, ranging from nine in Eastern Cape to 38 for some in the Western Cape. The facilitation sessions take place in groups or 'cohorts' (Mullen, 2003) and do not match the generally accepted definition of mentoring, which assumes a one-to-one relationship (Bush, 2008). In Gauteng, the mentors do not visit candidates' schools so any 'mentoring' takes place during cohort sessions and through telephone conversations.
Another consideration, in several provinces, is the tendency for mentors to prescribe solutions rather than to encourage mentees to develop their own context-specific responses to school management problems. Achinstein and Athanases (2006:167) suggest that mentoring fails where it is over-prescriptive and directive with only one right solution.
The overall picture suggests the need for a review of mentoring practice within provinces, HEIs and the national Department of Basic Education. A well-functioning mentoring programme would be a major asset for this programme and could contribute in a powerful way to developing school leaders and their schools. However, it is clear that there are two major constraints on effective practice; the cost of providing one-on-one mentoring, and the limited availability of well-trained and motivated professionals, with good experience of leading township and rural schools, who are also free to visit candidates' schools during the working day. The success of the ACE programme is likely to depend on resolving these problems.
The creation of local or district networks, to promote mutual learning, is also a distinctive feature of the ACE programme. Bush et al.'s (2007b) review of the leadership development literature concludes that networking is the most favoured mode of leadership learning. Its main advantage is that it is 'live learning' and provides strong potential for ideas transfer. Visiting other schools, particularly those in similar contexts, appears to enhance leadership learning. Brundrett (2006) adds that inter-school networks are 'powerful tools for school development'. Hence, the intention for the ACE to include an emphasis on school managers working and learning together in networks or clusters is well founded in international practice.
Most of the provinces have some form of network activity, usually initiated by the mentors or the candidates themselves. The survey findings are positive, with 76% saying that 'developing networks' are of 'great help'. This is surprising because the evidence from the case studies is that groups in most provinces meet rarely and that the sessions are often informal and voluntary, with variable attendance levels. The prime focus almost everywhere was on working together to complete assignments, not to share experience in order to improve their schools. This does not suggest sustainability, and there is little evidence of the networks continuing following the completion of the course.
One of the distinguishing features of the national ACE is its stress on site-based assessment, so that learning can be applied to candidates' leadership and management practice. The main assessment tool employed by the HEIs is the portfolio, which is intended to include all the assignments, plus school-based documents, student reflections and a research project.
Wolf et al. (1997:195) define a portfolio as 'the structured documentary history of a carefully selected set of coached or mentored accomplishments, substantiated by samples of student work'. Peterson et al. (2001) identify seven serious problems with teacher portfolios, two of which are particularly relevant for leadership development activity:
1. They are difficult to use for judgements because of a lack of uniformity.
2. Teachers may not be objective when portfolios are used for summative purposes, particularly those related to career development.
Both these reservations are relevant to the ACE programme. Assessors need careful training to ensure that portfolios, which are difficult to standardise, can be evaluated on a consistent basis. Moreover, candidates may be reluctant to reflect on any perceived weaknesses. Despite these limitations, portfolios have a valuable role to play in candidate evaluation and leadership development, and represent a potential improvement on formal examinations and theory-based essays.
Researchers scrutinised the portfolios of the case study candidates. While the quality was variable, most portfolios were well organised and included school documents as well as schoolbased activities. However, very few of them showed evidence of reflection, despite 63% of respondents saying that 'opportunity for reflection' is 'of great help'. It is clear from the analysis of portfolios that many candidates are finding it difficult to go beyond description to adopt a reflective approach, leading to changes in leadership practice. The research team's conclusion is that the portfolio was regarded as an assessment chore rather than a starting point for school improvement (Bush et al., 2009).
The case study candidates in all provinces were critical of the assessment process, as were some of the lecturers and mentors. Participants say that the ACE has too many assignments and the research team concurs that the course is over-assessed. Feedback on assignments, and on portfolio tasks, was also often late and limited in scope.
Improving the assessment process
Candidates offered suggestions for improvement that were remarkably similar across provinces and are strongly endorsed by the research team:
1. Reduce the number of assignments
2. Provide timely and constructive feedback
A robust, fair and transparent assessment process is essential for any qualification and is particularly important where national certification is envisaged. The research team (Bush et al., 2009) recommends that the NMLC develops a cross-institutional moderation process, linked to the national standards for principalship.
The Impact of the ACE on Leadership and Management Practice
The ACE programme was conceived as a practice-based programme and was intended to lead to enhanced leadership and management practice. Most candidates claim to have improved their management practice and this was sometimes confirmed by their role sets, notably the district officials, and by shadowing and scrutiny of school policy documents. Areas of improvement include policy implementation, improved relationships with educators, more delegation to other SMT members, enhanced financial management, and conflict management. A minority of candidates had also introduced classroom observations, designed to improve teaching and learning.
Candidates were asked to identify their strengths and weaknesses and, subsequently, to comment on any improvements. They mentioned gains in several personal attributes, including enhanced confidence, improved self-control, and better relationships with educatorsand SMTs. Some also claim skills' development, including ICT, problem solving, financial planning, and better team work. Caution is required in interpreting these self-reported claims but some of these gains were also confirmed by role set members, notably the increased confidence and enhanced team work.
School achievement
As noted above, the international literature (e.g. Huber, 2004; Leithwood et al., 2006) suggests that effective leadership is likely to promote favourable school and learner outcomes. The survey evidence shows that most respondents (75%) claim that their school is 'improving'. However, the secondary school case studies show that only 12% have produced clear improvements in matric results while performance has declined slightly at 38% and fallen significantly at 50% of them. It is not possible to reach firm conclusions on such limited data but it is clear that the ACE programme has not led to short-term gains in matric results at the case study schools. However, this finding needs to be set against the national data which show that overall matric results have declined since 2006 (2006: 66.5%; 2007: 65.2%; 2008: 62.5%). The composition of learners was offered as a reason for decline in some cases but the research team also found examples of weak management. These data suggest that the initial effects of the ACE programme on learner achievement were, at best, neutral although there was also evidence of principals beginning to implement their leadership learning.
The case study data suggest that candidates focused on preparing their ACE assignments instead of managing their schools, often using the school day for this purpose. It is possible that the benefits from the programme will become more evident now that the assessment requirements have been completed. Firm evidence on the links between the ACE and school achievement would require a longer-term study. At present, the evaluation data do not support the wider evidence (e.g. Lumby et al., 2008) that specific school leadership preparation leads to school improvement.
Significant, and sustained, school improvement is likely to require principals to redefine their role as professional leaders, with a central focus on leadership for learning (Bush et al., 2010). This approach has three main dimensions:
Modelling good practice in classrooms.
Observing educators' practice and providing constructive feedback.
Monitoring and evaluating learner outcomes and putting in place strategies to address weaknesses.
School and community relationships
Most schools in the survey, and in the case study sample, serve deprived township or rural communities, with high levels of poverty, unemployment, child-headed families, drug and alcohol abuse, and, in secondary schools, teenage pregnancy. This provides an unpromising context for learner achievement. While effective school leadership and management are important, they cannot readily compensate for such difficult socio-economic challenges.
Most of the survey respondents (84%) claim significant improvements in relationships with their communities. Leithwood et al. (2010) suggest that leadership engagement with families can have a powerful impact on learner outcomes. Given the fragmented nature of manySouth African families, with child-headed and granny-headed units, the 'familypathway' (ibid.) is likely to be an important route for school improvement. The case studies provide more nuanced data, with some principals claiming enhanced engagement while other stakeholders often express doubts about this. The high survey figures suggest that participants are now aware that they should increase their community involvement, but progress in implementing such engagement has been slow and uneven. The case study evidence suggests that many principals and educators limit their work to their contracted hours and are rarely available to parents and communities at other times.
Candidates' attitudes towards accountability provide a guide to their management practice. Most participants referred to multiple accountabilities; to the hierarchy, via the District, and to parents, the SGB, learners and educators. However, most principals said that their main accountability is to the district office. Answerability to the hierarchy is logical in what is still a bureaucratic structurebut greater accountability to school and community-based stakeholders is essential if school and learner outcomes are to improve.
Conclusion and recommendations
Introducing the national ACE programme was a bold and imaginative decision, recognising the pivotal role of principals in leading and managing schools. This is part of an international trend to provide specific leadership preparation for current and aspiring principals (Lumby et al., 2008; Van der Westhuizen and Van Vuuren, 2007). The international research shows that new principals experience great difficulty in adapting to the demands of the role. The process of professional and organisational socialisation is often uncomfortable as leaders adapt to the requirements of their new post. Developing the knowledge, attributes and skills required to lead effectively requires systematic preparation. There is a growing body of evidence that effective preparation makes a difference to the quality of leadership and to school and pupil outcomes (Bush, 2008; Lumby et al., 2008).
While the need for effective leadership preparation is widely accepted, the extent and nature of such provision varies substantially across continents. The flexibility and initiative required to lead and manage schools in periods of rapid change suggest that preparation should go beyond training principals to implement the requirements of the hierarchy to developing rounded and confident leaders who are able to engage all school stakeholders in the process of school improvement for the benefit of learners and their communities. As Brundrett, Fitzgerald and Sommfeldt (2006:101) argue, "educational programmes are required that develop the kind of reflective knowing and higher order cognitive abilities that will undoubtedly be required by leaders in the increasingly complex world of educational leadership in the 21st century".
Programme delivery
All the five providers in the first pilot cohort provide lectures to large groups of students, ranging between 39 in the Eastern Cape to 200 in the Western Cape. At best, this is a vehicle for delivering knowledge and universities should operate smaller groups. The lecture format is supplemented by small group sessions, variously described as 'mentoring', 'facilitation sessions', or 'cohort sessions'. These provide more potential for interaction but are sometimes used for administrative purposes rather than for linking course content to school practice. Many lecturers lament the inability of candidates to apply theory to practice so these group sessions should be used to help candidates to develop such skills (Bush et al., 2009).
Teaching materials
The universities use the national materials in different ways but several regard them only as supplementary material and it is clear that the varied ways in which the course is offered undermines the notion of a 'national' programme. If a decision is taken to make the programme (when modified) an entry-level requirement for new principals, it will be necessary to decide what degree of consistency is required to justify the status of a 'national' qualification.
The inclusion of mentoring in the ACE programme is widely applauded, by candidates, lecturers and the mentors themselves. Many survey respondents, and interviewees, regard it as the key component of the course, which is likely to have a critical impact on whether it succeeds or fails. The international research evidence is overwhelmingly positive (Barnett & O'Mahony, 2008).
However, the model of 'mentoring' used in the ACE programme falls short of best international practice. Much of the mentors' work is with groups rather than individuals and group sessions are led by the mentors, who largely determine the agenda, and dominate the discussion. Where mentors do work directly with the candidates, they often provide 'solutions' rather than asking questions. This reinforces a dependency model rather than providing a vehicle to develop mentees' confidence and skills. Improving this part of the programme, to provide genuine one-on-one mentoring, would require increased funding, would depend on being able to find sufficient numbers of potential mentors with successful experience of township and rural schools, and would need an extensive training programme to develop mentoring skills (Bush et al., 2009).
Networking is another powerful leadership development process that has received strong endorsement in the international literature (Bush, 2008). In practice, however, the development of networks is patchy, with a few operating successfully, but most barely functioning or still requiring development. Where they do exist, the overwhelming evidence is that the purpose was to discuss assignments rather than to share management practice. Generating and sustaining effective networks is likely to require either the active involvement of district officials, or to involve 'organic' development, led by the candidates themselves (Bush et al., 2009).
A practice-based professional qualification for potential principals requires an innovative approach to assessment. While there are assignments in the ACE programme, they are supplemented by a site-based project and by a portfolio, which provides the potential for an integrative approach to assessment. The evaluation shows that the course was over-assessed and based primarily around the prescribed content of the course. A stronger focus on leadership and management practice is required to develop more effective principals. Universities also need to provide timely, and formative, feedback to underpin candidates' management learning (Bush et al., 2009).
Developing an Entry-Level Qualification for New Principals
There is widespread recognition that principals require specialist preparation and training (Crow et al., 2008, Huber, 2004). There was almost unanimous support, from providers and participants, for the principle that the national programme should become an entry-level qualification for new principals. This is because the programme is seen as 'profound', 'very applicable to real life situations' and because 'it is good for school leadership' in South Africa. The programme, as an ACE or at Advanced Diploma level, is potentially suitable as an entry-level requirement for aspiring principals as soon as there are sufficient qualified candidates to meet the demand for new principals, subject to four provisos:
1. Consideration should be given to holders of other qualifications in educational management, subject to a conversion process to demonstrate the application of theory to school-based practice.
2. Similarly, consideration should be given to holders of the national ACE programme (the current programme) if the programme is upgraded to Advanced Diploma level.
3. Consideration should be given to helping potential principals who do not obtain the support of their principals. This might require the movement of ACE candidates to other schools where they can receive appropriate support.
4. Consideration should be given to the selection process for the programme. Applicants should be restricted to deputy principals and HoDs, except in very small schools. (Bush et al., 2009).
Subject to these points being addressed, the research team recommended that the national programme becomes an entry-level qualification for new principals as soon as there are sufficient qualified candidates, directly or following the conversion process, to meet the demand for new principals. A statement of intent is required, with a carefully articulated timetable leading to entry-level status for the revised qualification (Bush et al., 2009).
1. The research reported in this paper was commissioned by the former National Department of Education and funded by the Zenex Foundation. The views expressed in the paper are those of the authors and not the Department of Education or the Zenex Foundation.
2. The research team for this project included Ntombozuko Duku, Derek Glover, Soraya Kola and Vuyisile Msila, as well as the authors.
3. The Department of Education was split into two departments in 2010; the Department of Basic Education and the Department of Higher Education and Training.
Achinstein B & Athanases S 2006. Mentors in the Making: Developing New Leaders for New Teachers. New York: Teachers College Press. [ Links ]
Barnett BG & O'Mahony GR 2008. Mentoring and coaching programs for the professional development of school leaders. In: Lumby J, Crow G & Pashiardis P (eds). Preparation and Development of School Leaders. New York: Routledge. [ Links ]
Brundrett M 2006. Evaluating the individual and combined impact of national leadership programmes in England: perceptions and practices. School Leadership and Management, 26:473-488. [ Links ]
Brundrett M, Fitzgerald T & Sommefeldt D 2006. The creation of national programmes of school leadership development in England and New Zealand: A comparative study. International Studies in Educational Administration, 34:89-105. [ Links ]
Bush T 2008. Leadership and Management Development in Education. London: Sage. [ Links ]
Bush T 2010. Leadership development. In: Bush T, Bell L & Middlewood D (eds). The Principles of Educational Leadership and Management: Second Edition. London: Sage. [ Links ]
Bush T & Oduro G 2006. New principals in Africa: preparation, induction and practice. Journal of Educational Administration, 44:359-375. [ Links ]
Bush T, Duku N, Kiggundu E, Kola S, Msila V & Moorosi P 2007a. The Zenex ACE: School Leadership Research: First Interim Report. Pretoria: Department of Education. [ Links ]
Bush T, Glover D & Harris A 2007b. Review of School Leadership Development. Nottingham: NCSL. [ Links ]
Bush T, Duku N, Kiggundu E, Kola S, Msila V & Moorosi P 2009. The Zenex ACE: School Leadership Research: Final Report. Pretoria: Department of Education. [ Links ]
Bush T, Joubert R, Kiggundu E & Van Rooyen J 2010. Managing Teaching and Learning in South African Schools. International Journal of Educational Development, 30:62-68. [ Links ]
Christie P 2001. Improving school quality in South Africa: A study of schools that have succeeded against the odds. Journal of Education, 26:40-65. [ Links ]
Christie P 2010. Landscape of leadership in South African schools: mapping the changes. Educational Management, Administration and Leadership, 38:694-711. [ Links ]
Crow G, Lumby J & Pashiardis P 2008. Introduction: Why an international handbook on the preparation and development of school leaders? In: Lumby J, Crow G & Pashiardis P (eds). Preparation and Development of School Leaders. New York: Routledge. [ Links ]
Daresh J & Male T 2000. Crossing the boundary into leadership: experiences of newly appointed British headteachers and American principals. Educational Management and Administration, 28:89-101. [ Links ]
Department of Education 1996. Changing management to manage change in education, Report of the Task Team on Education Management Development. South Africa: Department of Education. [ Links ]
Huber SG 2004. Context of research. In: Huber SG (ed.). Preparing School Leaders for the 21st Century: An International Comparison of Development Programs in 15 Countries. London: RoutledgeFalmer. [ Links ]
Kitavi M & Van der Westhuizen PC 1997. Problems facing beginning principals in developing countries: a study of beginning principals in Kenya. International Journal of Educational Development, 17:251-263. [ Links ]
Leithwood K, Day C, Sammons P, Harris A & Hopkins D 2006. Seven Strong Claims about Successful School Leadership. London: Department for Education and Skills. [ Links ]
Leithwood K, Anderson SE, Mascall B & Strauss T 2010. School leaders' influences on student learning: The four paths. In: Bush T, Bell L & Middlewood D (eds). The Principles of Educational Leadership and Management: Second Edition. London: Sage. [ Links ]
Lumby J, Crow G & Pashiardis P 2008. Preparation and Development of School Leaders. New York: Routledge. [ Links ]
Mathibe I 2007. The professional development of school principals. South African Journal of Education, 27:523-540. [ Links ]
McLennan A 2000. Education governance and management in South Africa. PhD thesis. Liverpool, University of Liverpool. [ Links ]
Mestry R & Singh P 2007. Continuing professional development for principals: A South African perspective. South African Journal of Education, 27:477-490. [ Links ]
Mullen CA 2003. The WIT cohort: a case study of informal doctoral mentoring. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 27:411-420. [ Links ]
Petersen K, Stevens D & Mack C 2001. Presenting complex teacher evaluation data: Advantages of dossier organisation techniques over portfolios. Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education, 15:121-133. [ Links ]
Pocklington K & Weindling K 1996. Promoting reflection on headship through the mentoring mirror. Educational Management and Administration, 24:175-191. [ Links ]
Roberts J & Roach J 2006. Leadership Styles and Practices in Effective Schools. Johannesburg: Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance. [ Links ]
Van der Westhuizen PC & Van Vuuren H 2007. Professionalising principalship in South Africa. South African Journal of Education, 27:431-445. [ Links ]
Van der Westhuizen PC, Mosoge M & Van Vuuren H 2004. Capacity-building for educational managers in South Africa: a case study of the Mpumalanga province. International Journal of Educational Development, 24:705-719. [ Links ]
Wolf K, Lichtenstein G & Stevenson C 1997. Portfolios in teacher evaluation. In: Stronge J (ed.). Evaluating Teaching: A Guide to Current Thinking and Best Practice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. [ Links ]
Tony Bush is Professor of Educational Leadership at the University of Warwick and Visiting Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg. He is a widely published author and the Editor of the journal, Educational Management, Administration and Leadership.
Edith Kiggundu is Visiting Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. Her research interests include school leadership, adult education, teacher education, and the social context of HIV&AIDS.
Pontso Moorosi is Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at the Institute of Education, University of Warwick. She has taught and researched in the field of educational leadership and management for many years. Her other research interests include educational policy and gender.


text:
Hi there it's Susan here from Craftin' Suzie and I have the fortunate job of being the hostess this week for Hostess Monday.
I don't know about you, but things are going at a faster pace now in the run up to Christmas - maybe frantic may be the better description! I am trying to get ahead and wrap presents and make some cards. One of my favourite images of Wendy's is this little cutie:
This trio is so adorable and I don't think I will ever tire of using them. They have been coloured with my Copics and lots of Star Dust Stickles applied.
Here is what I used and the links to find them:
Well thank you very much for your time and I wish you all a fabulous holiday season. Crafty hugs from Susan x


text:
Every single day brings something more bizarre than the last. I am
convinced the Marxists and Enviro whack jobs are hell bent on destroying the
country at the expense of the folks that have worked hard and done the right
things. I don't know if we can survive another year of this, much less
three. E-mailing, sending letters and making phone calls is all I seem to
do anymore! Unfortunately, I am convinced no one is listening. I'm afraid
we will all give up, before the next election. It is part of the Alinsky
book for radicals. Create so much chaos that you overwhelm the system. We
are well on our way.
Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 7:17 AM
Subject: Fwd: Fw: A License Required for your HOUSE?!
> :> I encourage you to read the provisions of the Cap and Trade
> Bill that has passed the House of Representatives and being considered by
> the Senate. I am ready to join the next march on Washington ! This
> Congress and whoever on their staffs that write this junk are truly out to
> destroy the middle class of the USA ....
> A License required for your house...no longer just for cars and
> mobile homes....
> Thinking about selling your house - A look at H.R. 2454 (Cap and
> trade bill) This is unbelievable!
> Only the beginning from this administration! Home owners take note
> & tell your friends and relatives who are home owners!
> Beginning 1 year after enactment of the Cap and Trade Act, you
> won't be able to sell your home unless you retrofit it to comply with the
> energy and water efficiency standards of this Act. H.R. 2454, the "Cap &
> Trade" bill passed by the House of Representatives, if also passed by the
> Senate, will be the largest tax increase any of us has ever experienced.
> The Congressional Budget Office (supposedly non-partisan) estimates that
> in just a few years the average cost to every family of four will be
> $6,800 per year. No one is excluded. However, once the lower classes feel
> the pinch in their wallets, you can be sure these voters get a tax refund
> (even if they pay no taxes at all) to offset this new cost. Thus, you Mr.
> and Mrs. Middle Class America will have to pay even more since additional
> tax dollars will be needed to bail out everyone else.
> But wait. This awful bill (that no one in Congress has actually
> read) has many more surprises in it. Probably the worst one is this: A
> year from now you won't be able to sell your house. Yes, you read that
> right. The caveat is (there always is a caveat) that if you have enough
> money to make required major upgrades to your home, then you can sell it.
> But, if not, then forget it. Even pre-fabricated homes ("mobile homes")
> are included. In effect, this bill prevents you from selling your home
> without the permission of the EPA administrator. To get this permission,
> you will have to have the energy efficiency of your home measured. Then
> the government will tell you what your new energy efficiency requirement
> is and you will be forced to make modifications to your home under the
> retrofit provisions of this Act to comply with the new energy and water
> efficiency requirements. Then you will have to get your home measured
> again and get a license (called a "label" in the Act) that must be posted
> on your property to show what your efficiency rating is; sort of like the
> Energy Star efficiency rating label on your refrigerator or air
> conditioner. If you don't get a high enough rating, you can't sell. And,
> the EPA administrator is authorized to raise the standards every year,
> even above the automatic energy efficiency increases built into the Act.
> The EPA administrator, appointed by the President, will run the Cap &
> Trade program (AKA the "American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009")
> and is authorized to make any future changes to the regulations and
> standards he alone determines to be in the government's best interest.
> Requirements are set low initially so the bill will pass Congress; then
> the Administrator can set much tougher new standards every year.
> The Act itself contains annual required increases in energy
> efficiency for private and commercial residences and buildings. However,
> the EPA administrator can set higher standards at any time. Sect. 202
> Building Retrofit Program mandates a national retrofit program to increase
> the energy efficiency of all existing homes across America . Beginning 1
> year after enactment of the Act, you won't be able to sell your home
> unless you retrofit it to comply with the energy and water efficiency
> standards of this Act. You had better sell soon, because the standards
> will be raised each year and will be really hard (i.e., ex$pen$ive) to
> meet in a few years. Oh, goody! The Act allows the government to give you
> a grant of several thousand dollars to comply with the retrofit program
> requirements IF you meet certain energy efficiency levels. But, wait, the
> State can set additional requirements on who qualifies to receive the
> grants. You should expect requirements such as "can't have an income of
> more than $50K per year", "home selling price can't be more than $125K",
> or anything else to target the upper middle class (and that's YOU) and
> prevent them from qualifying for the grants. Most of us won't get a dime
> and will have to pay the entire cost of the retrofit out of our own
> pockets. More transfer of wealth, more "change you can believe in." Sect.
> 204 Building Energy Performance Labeling Program establishes a labeling
> program that for each individual residence will identify the achieved
> energy efficiency performance for "at least 90 percent of the residential
> market within 5 years after the date of the enactment of this Act."
> This means that within 5 years 90% of all residential homes in the
> U.S. must be measured and labeled. The EPA administrator will get $50M
> each year to enforce the labeling program. The Secretary of the Department
> of Energy will get an additional $20M each year to help enforce the
> labeling program. Some of this money will, of course, be spent on coming
> up with tougher standards each year..
> Oh, the label will be like a license for your car. You will be
> required to post the label in a conspicuous location in your home and will
> not be allowed to sell your home without having this label. And, just like
> your car license, you will probably be required to get a new label every
> so often - maybe every year. But, the government estimates the cost of
> measuring the energy efficiency of your home should only cost about $200
> each time. Remember what they said about the auto smog inspections when
> they first started: that in California it would only cost $15. That was
> when the program started. Now the cost is about $50 for the inspection and
> certificate; a 333% increase.
Expect the same from the home labeling
> program. Sect. 304 Greater Energy Efficiency in Building Codes establishes
> new energy efficiency guidelines for the National Building Code and
> mandates at 304(d) that 1 year after enactment of this Act, all state and
> local jurisdictions must adopt the National Building Code energy
> efficiency provisions or must obtain a certification from the federal
> government that their state and/or local codes have been brought into full
> compliance with the National Building Code energy efficiency standards.
Fwd: A License Required for your HOUSE?!
Every single day brings something more bizarre than the last. I am
6 comments:
- bendk said...
Smash all private property.
- 15 November, 2009 05:03
- gruaud said...
This one starts off in fine paranoid fashion.
The people hell bent on destroying the country
at your expense were just voted out of office.
I also think HR 2454 is a pretty good piece of
legislation. Too bad we may be too late.
- 15 November, 2009 06:46
- Anonymous said...
Fortunately, Fact Check is way ahead of them...
- 15 November, 2009 14:00
- ferschitz said...
zzzz, wake me when you have something important to say, instead of freaking out with regularity over nothing.
- 16 November, 2009 09:31
- Fran McCarthy said...
I don't know why they're complaining. Gramsci laid down the rules for what we marxo-fascist librofeminiazis would do once we came to power. I think we can say it was fair warning!
- 17 November, 2009 04:38
- Unknown said...
This blog site is pretty good! How was it made . I view something genuinely interesting about your site so I saved to my bookmarks . You can visit my site.
sell your book
- 30 April, 2014 23:46


text:
An exclusive exhibition has been inaugurated in Rome on April…
Villa D'Este Tivoli
Popes or their families were involved in making expensive and impressive villas, arts or monuments for power and family prestige, now these structures account to a great deal of income.
Villa D'Este is no different story, in-fact this is byproduct of Roman Catholic priests' luxurious and competitive life style.
Pope Julius III elevated Cardinal Ippolito II D'Este, grandson of Pope Alexander VI, to governor of Tivoli (north east of Rome) in 1550.
As a result of his new assignment, the cardinal was given an old monastery. Not satisfied with the new office, Ippolito, called famous architects, engineers and painters of that time to change an unknown monastery to 'gardening and water-play model' across Europe.
In the process, Villa Adriana marbles and statues were dismantled by the orders of the cardinal to making his own villa better.
The late-Renaissance villa stayed on D'Este family until the 18th C. when Maria Beatrice (daughter of Ercole II D'Este) married Duke Ferdinand of Habsburg, and automatically the villa became a Habsburg property.
As other Roman villas fate, the D'Este fell in disrepair and was neglected till the Italian State bought and restored it after the end of first world war. It is now open to the public
Villa D'Este became UNESCO world Heritage Site in 2001.
Adu K


text:
Small jet crashes in Georgia; 5 dead
- Two survivors identified as a pilot and a passenger
- Seven people were aboard the plane
- The cause of the crash is unknown
THOMSON, Ga. (AP) — Authorities were investigating after a small jet crashed off the end of a runway after landing in eastern Georgia, killing five people and injuring two.
Thomson-McDuffie County Sheriff Logan Marshall said the jet crashed after 8 p.m. Wednesday. He said the two survivors were taken to area hospitals but did not have information on their conditions. He said the identities of those killed were being withheld pending notification of family members.
The Hawker Beechcraft 390/Premier I departed from Nashville, Tenn., when it crashed just after landing at the Thomson-McDuffie County Airport, about 30 miles west of Augusta, Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Kathleen Bergen said in an email.
Seven people were aboard, she told The Associated Press in the email. She told The Augusta Chronicle (http://bit.ly/WbvMGa) that the National Transportation Safety Board will investigate and determine the probable cause of the crash.
The Augusta Chronicle cited Assistant County Fire Chief Stephen Sewell as saying there were at least two survivors identified as a pilot and a passenger. But he provided no additional information about those aboard.
Bodies of the five people who died have been taken to a Georgia Bureau of Investigation lab in Decatur, where autopsies were planned, GBI spokesman John Bankhead said Thursday morning. The GBI worked with the sheriff's office to recover the bodies, as they sometimes do at accident scenes.
The newspaper also said a brush fire flared near the crash scene, quoting witnesses who reported power outages that prompted a utility to send workers to the site.
The plane was on a flight from John Tune Airport in Nashville, Tenn., to the Thomson-McDuffie airport, Bergen said in her email, adding the aircraft is registered to a company based in Wilmington, Del.
The Thomson McDuffie-Regional Airport is the largest general aviation facility in the Central Savannah River Area — a 13 county region in east Georgia and western South Carolina, according to the airport's website. It serves Augusta, Thomson and the Reynolds Plantation/Lake Oconee Resort area.


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Today is Tuesday, Jan. 29
Today is Tuesday, Jan. 29, the 29th day of 2013. There are 336 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Jan. 29, 1963, poet Robert Frost died in Boston at age 88.
On this date:
In 1820, Britain's King George III died at Windsor Castle.
In 1843, the 25th president of the United States, William McKinley, was born in Niles, Ohio.
In 1845, Edgar Allan Poe's poem "The Raven" was first published in the New York Evening Mirror.
In 1861, Kansas became the 34th state of the Union.
In 1863, the Bear River Massacre took place as the U.S. Army attacked Shoshone in present-day Idaho. The New York Stock & Exchange Board changed its name to the New York Stock Exchange.
In 1919, the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, which launched Prohibition, was certified by Acting Secretary of State Frank L. Polk.
In 1929, The Seeing Eye, a New Jersey-based school which trains guide dogs to assist the blind, was incorporated by Dorothy Harrison Eustis and Morris Frank.
In 1936, the first inductees of baseball's Hall of Fame, including Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth, were named in Cooperstown, N.Y.
In 1958, actors Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were married in Las Vegas.
In 1963, the first charter members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame were named in Canton, Ohio (they were enshrined when the Hall opened in September 1963).
In 1979, President Jimmy Carter formally welcomed Chinese Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping to the White House, following the establishment of diplomatic relations.
In 1998, a bomb rocked an abortion clinic in Birmingham, Ala., killing security guard Robert Sanderson and critically injuring nurse Emily Lyons. (The bomber, Eric Rudolph, was captured in May 2003 and is serving a life sentence.)
Ten years ago: The Congressional Budget Office predicted the federal deficit for fiscal 2003 would soar to $199 billion even without President George W. Bush's new tax cut plan or a war against Iraq. A dust explosion at the West Pharmaceutical Services plant in Kinston, N.C., killed six people and injured dozens more.
Five years ago: John McCain won a breakthrough triumph in the Florida primary, easing past Mitt Romney for his first-ever triumph in a primary open only to Republicans. Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton claimed victory in a campaign-free Florida presidential primary in which all the candidates had signed pledges not to compete. (The national Democratic Party had stripped the state of its delegates as punishment for moving its primary ahead of Feb. 5.) Margaret Truman, the only child of President Harry S. Truman, died in Chicago at age 83. Raymond Jacobs, believed to be the last surviving member of the group of Marines photographed during the first U.S. flag-raising on Iwo Jima, died in Redding, Calif., at age 82.
One year ago: Eleven people were killed when smoke and fog caused a series of fiery crashes on I-75 in Florida. Lydia Ko of New Zealand became the youngest person to win a professional golf tour event by winning the Bing Lee/Samsung Women's NSW Open on the ALPG Tour (she was 14 years and 8 months at the time). Novak Djokovic began defense of his Australian Open title with a 5-hour, 53-minute match against Rafael Nadal (Djokovic won 5-7, 6-4, 6-2, 6-7 (5), 7-5 at 1:37 a.m. Jan. 30). Team Chara won a 12-9 victory over Team Alfredsson in the NHL All-Star game. The AFC beat the NFC 59-41 in the Pro Bowl. Jeremy Abbott won his third title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Noel Harrison is 79. Author Germaine Greer is 74. Actress Katharine Ross is 73. Actor Tom Selleck is 68. Rhythm-and-blues singer Bettye LaVette is 67. Actor Marc Singer is 65. Actress Ann Jillian is 63. Rock musician Tommy Ramone (Ramones) is 61. Rock musician Louie Perez (Los Lobos) is 60. Rhythm-and-blues/funk singer Charlie Wilson is 60. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey is 59. Country singer Irlene Mandrell is 57. Actress Diane Delano is 56. Actress Judy Norton Taylor ("The Waltons") is 55. Rock musician Johnny Spampinato is 54. Olympic gold-medal diver Greg Louganis is 53. Rock musician David Baynton-Power (James) is 52. Rock musician Eddie Jackson (Queensryche) is 52. Actor Nicholas Turturro is 51. Rock singer-musician Roddy Frame (Aztec Camera) is 49. Actor-director Edward Burns is 45. Actress Heather Graham is 43. Actor Sharif Atkins is 38. Actress Sara Gilbert is 38. Actor Justin Hartley is 36. Actor Sam Jaeger is 36. Actor Andrew Keegan is 34. Actor Jason James Richter is 33. Blues musician Jonny Lang is 32. Pop-rock singer Adam Lambert ("American Idol") is 31.
Thought for Today: "And were an epitaph to be my story I'd have a short one ready for my own. I would have written of me on my stone: 'I had a lover's quarrel with the world.'" -- Robert Frost (1874-1963).


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In this exclusive clip from from the Caprica season one DVD box set, show creator Ronald D. Moore explains why he gave the show's proto-Cylon human form half of the time, and why it looked so ominous.
Other features from the DVD box set include:
* SEASON 1.5 SNEAK PEEK: An all-new sneak peek at upcoming episodes featuring Ronald D. Moore and the Caprica cast.
* 13 VIDEO BLOGS: A look behind-the-scenes and from the set of "Caprica."
* PODCASTS with co-creator/executive producer, Ronald D. Moore, executive producer David Eick, co-executive producer Jonas Pate and the "Caprica" cast and crew.
* FEATURE COMMENTARIES with co-creator/executive producer Ronald D. Moore, executive producers Jane Espenson and David Eick along with director Jeffrey Reiner.
* UNRATED & EXTENDED PILOT EPISODE: with commentary from director Jeffrey Reiner, executive producer/writer Ronald D. Moore and executive producer David Eick.
-THE CAPRICA DYNASTY: Viewers will learn how "Caprica" came about and discover from the cast exactly what it was that appealed to them about the project and their experiences making it.
- THE LOOK OF CAPRICA: With its unique take on futuristic style, "Caprica" redefines the Sci-Fi genre with a mix of film noir and classic 1940s fashion. Fans will discover the influences for this distinctive look and learn how it was achieved.
- CREATING A WORLD: Visual Effects supervisor, Gary Hutzel and his team lift the lid on the virtual sets, CGI Cylons and matte backgrounds that makes up the futuristic world of "Caprica."
Caprica's box set will be available October 5th.


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Orioles pitching prospect Kevin Gausman was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles, signed to a $4.23 million signing bonus and pitched 15 innings of professional baseball this year. Because baseball players are weirdos, Gausman must eat four powdered mini-doughnuts prior to each inning he pitches. Obviously he only eats Hostess brand powdered mini-doughnuts and is thus in bit of a pickle since the Hostess's unfortunate news.
Gausman took to Twitter to express his dismay and received condolences in response. But Gausman is in luck, because there remain avenues to acquire his intra-game snacks: the cream-filled pastry black market. That signing bonus will come in handy.
Late Friday and Saturday, the opportunists took to eBay and Craigslist. They began marketing their hoard to whimsical collectors and junk-food lovers for hundreds - and in some cases - thousands of dollars.
We'll leave it to Rovell to figure out what Gausman is looking at per-doughnut, per inning.
h/t Anthony
Orioles prospect Kevin Gausman receives bad news — about doughnuts [Baltimore Sun]
Price of Twinkies skyrocket online as Hostess plans to shut down [NY Daily News]


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Innovation Talk: Lessons From 100 Days of Rejection. Chasing your dream requires you put everything out there and deal with the consequences. When aspiring entrepreneur Jia Jiang left corporate life to build his dream company, he had no idea it also meant facing crushing rejection.
The best way to recover? 100 Days of Rejection Therapy. Halfway through now, it's been an astonishing journey, and proof positive that we have no idea what is waiting on the other side of an audacious request.
Extend the conversation and expand on ideas with Jia Jiang: join their Opal Brainstorm at https://tedxaustin.ouropal.com/brainstorms/312?direct_signup=true
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
After you've watched an innovation video what can you do next? How can you apply what you've learned or been inspired to do…and keep learning and being inspired? You can watch more videos or read more on the topic but consider this. We learn most through reflective action, through applying the knowledge we've gained, through experiencing and making it real for use. What can you do or take action on?
This Innovation Videos website is a resources to help you stay fresh, on the cutting edge, and up to date with your own learning and personal and professional development. The ability and skill to innovate is becoming more important than ever due to the rapid pace of change in our world. You may not have had a class on "innovation" in school or at your work so it is up to you to gain the knowledge, attitude, mindset, and skill that will allow you to adapt and respond to change with innovation. A first step is to read or watch videos on this site to get inspired and learn ways you can be more innovative. Then, take what you are learning and apply it to your own life and work. Take on an innovative project to create and develop something new that can have an impact, something you may not have ever done before. Perhaps you will get an idea from an innovation video on our site.
After learning on your own look to be a part of a leadership program, workshop, course, or seminar. Join a group or even create a startup with some partners. Involve other people in learning and doing innovation with you. Keep reading and keep listening because there is always opportunity to learn new methods since new technologies are being introduced all the time. When you are just working on your computer, have a video playing to listen and learn. See if you can watch (or at least listen to) a different innovation video everyday to keep developing your knowledge base and leadership skills. But remember…you will need to do something. Take action!


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We are delighted to inform you about the upcoming conference "Between dream and reality: Debating the impact of World Heritage Listing" held in Oslo 14-15 November 2013.
Since the 1990s World Heritage has been portrayed as a marker of transformation, from economic growth, increased tourism, regeneration to more intangible aspects of local pride and global recognition. In the last five years research on the effects of World Heritage inscription has shown that World Heritage status is not synonymous with tangible benefits such as increased funding and tourism. Yet it has proved much more difficult to pin down the more intangible consequences of World Heritage listing. Thus this conference invites speakers to explore a series of specific questions related to the tangible and intangible transformations of World Heritage inscription:
- What impact does World Heritage status have?
- To what extent does the World Heritage transform places?
- More empirically, how does the World Heritage status impact and possibly transform places?
- How is World Heritage status used and does it really generate change?
As World Heritage is a field where research and management have a close relationship, we aim to bring the research and management communities together for two fruitful days of dissemination and discussion. Thus we would like to invite speakers with different disciplinary backgrounds to explore and approach these questions of transformation in a broad sense using examples from all over the world focusing on either the more tangible or intangible aspect of change. At present we envision papers will be grouped thematically into sessions focused on central empirical areas of the following World Heritage fields:
World Heritage and historic cities
Here we welcome papers based on case studies that explore very physical and tangible processes such as regeneration and gentrification, how these processes may impact patterns of habitation and the relationship between the citizens of the cities and their managers, as well as topics of branding and tourism.
World Heritage and indigenous communities
Many indigenous communities are associated with different natural and cultural World Heritage sites/areas, and we invite speakers to reflect upon the impact World Heritage status has had on indigenous communities' struggles for empowerment, relations with management communities, the tourism sector and so forth.
World Heritage and natural heritage management
In this session we would encourage speakers to reflect upon topics such as how the World Heritage status may impact environmental management, the way in which the natural heritage sites are conceptualized, changes in patterns of recreational use and tourism.
World Heritage and international politics/relations
As areas are inscribed on the World Heritage list, they become part of a large international heritage network; how does the inclusion into an international network transform and impact management and local communities' views of the place and a sense of being part of a network?
General info:
Cost: The conference is free to attend and will include lunch for all both days.
Location: The conference will be hosted at the Blindern Campus of the University of Oslo.
Titles and abstracts (max 300 words) are to be sent to Beate Trandem - email@example.com - with copy to Herdis Hølleland - email@example.com - by 1 September 2013.
Please use one of the following file formats: .doc(x), .odt or .rtf.
The conference is organised and funded by the interfaculty research program Kultrans (Cultural Transformations in the Age of Globalisation), University of Oslo.


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|Hermitage, Pa.
|High School:
|Hickory HS
|High School
At Charlotte -
2015- Cross Country: Competed in six meets… Charlotte's best finisher at the UVa Duals to open the 2015 season, where she finished 4th overall…. Second best team finisher at the William & Mary Invite, the Charlotte Invitational, and the NCAA Southeast Regionals, where she finished 5th, 6th, and 89th overall, respectively…
2015 -Outdoor: Finished fifth in the 3000m steeplechase at the Conference USA Championships with a time of 11:33.94....Set a career-best in the 3000m steeplechase at the Penn Relays hustling for a time of 10:46.73 to finish 11th in the highly-competitive field and her time ranks fifth on the top ten list in program history....Finished second in the 1500m at the 49er Classic in a time of 4:36.60...Indoor: Finished seventh in the mile at the C-USA Indoor Championships clocking a time of 5:03.82....Also apart of the fourth-place distance medley relay team at the C-USA Championships with a time of 11:53.53...
2014 Cross Country: Competed in four meets.....Finished 22nd at the Conference USA Championships narrowly missing C-USA honors by one spot as she ran 17:55.7 in the 5K...Was Charlotte's top finisher at the Southeast Regional Championships coming in 80th in a time of 21:52.8....Came in fourth overall at both the Charlotte Invitational and WCU Catamount Classic....Charlotte's Conference USA Fall Spirt of Service honoree.
2014 - Outdoor: Competed in eight meets...Posted personal bests in all five events she competed in this season...Posted a personal best 800m time at the 49er Classic with a time of 2:16.62 and a ninth place finish...Personal best time in the 1500m at the Aggie Last Chance meet with a first place finish with a time of 4:35.91...Finished first in the 3000m at the Bill Carson Invitational with a personal best time of 9:55.76...Finished first at the Charlotte Invitational in the 5000m with a personal best time in the event of 17:16.89...Personal best time in the 3000m Steeplechase at the Penn Relays with a second place finish and a time of 10:47.08...Finished in sixth overall and ninth overall in the 3000m Steeplechase and 5000m respectively at the Conference USA Outdoor Championships. Indoor: Competed in seven meets...Finished first in the 3000m at the Bob Pollack Invitational with a time of 10:24.89...Member of the third place finishing DMR team at Conference USA Indoor Championships.
2013 - Cross Country: Competed in five meets...Was the Niners third runner on the season...Posted top finish for the Niners at the Paul Short Run...Best finish came at the Charlotte Invitational finishing eighth overall with a season best 6K time of 21:43.5...Finished 27th overall at the Conference USA Cross Country Championships running the 5k in a time of 18:16.45.
2013 - Outdoor: Was second in the 2000m steeplechase (7:08.91) at the Duke Invitational … Finished fourth in the 3000m (10:06.67) at the same meet … Was sixth in the 800m (2:21.25) at the HPU VertKlasse Meet … Best 1500m time was 4:35.00 at the Larry Ellis Invitational … Was ninth in the 3000m steeplehchase (11:02.22) at the Atlantic 10 Championships. Indoor: Finished fourth in the mile (5:01.30) at the Atlantic 10 Championships … Was eighth in the 800m run with a time of 2:18.67 at the UAB Blazer Invitational … Finished eighth in the 3000m run and ran the team's fastest time of the season (10:08.26) at the Hokie Invitational.
2012 - Cross Country: Competed in all seven meets during a stellar freshman campaign ... Led Charlotte in three meets ... Was Charlotte's top performer at the Atlantic 10 Championship (18:40.4) where she was 28th overall ... Fastest 6K time was at the NCAA Southeast Regional with a mark of 22:57.74.
Prep: Two-time district champion in cross country ... Three-time district champion in track and field ( 1600m, 3200m) ... 11 PIAA state medals ... record holder in seven events.
Personal: Daughter of Terry and Carie Richards ... Nursing major ... Born March 21, 1994.


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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (WJXT/CNN/Gray News) – A mother in Jacksonville, Fla., has been arrested after she recorded a video of her daughter licking a tongue depressor at a medical center then putting it back, according to WJXT.
Cori Ward, 30, is charged with tampering with a consumer product without regard for possible death or bodily injury.
Ward told WJXT she was "just being silly," but the video went viral and she started receiving death threats.
The video shows a 10-year-old girl pulling a tongue depressor out of a jar, licking it, and then placing it back into the jar while her mother records video. It was filmed Tuesday inside an exam room at a medical center for kids and families near Jacksonville.
"Why do it and record it? I had just been waiting a long time. I was just being silly with my kid," Ward said.
Her soon-to-be ex-husband says he was horrified when he realized the girl in the video was his daughter.
"My mouth hit the floor. I was completely surprised and shocked that she would even put something like that out there to be seen. I'm very embarrassed," he said.
All About Kids and Families Medical Center issued a statement that reads in part:
"Upon notification of this isolated incident, we contacted law enforcement to request a full and thorough investigation. In addition, we immediately removed all material and containers from the specific exam room and re-sanitized our entire facility."
"I feel like this is not even real and if I could go back and change it, I definitely would," said Ward.
Copyright 2019 WJXT via CNN/Gray News. All Rights Reserved.


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I'm creating a program for school that tells whether or not a phone number is a palindrome. A palindrome is when a number is reversed and the order is the same. The program is below, but the problem is that the program that does not print right. In the last method it's supposed to return a true or false to the main function, but no matter what number is entered it always goes to the false path and if the true and false were to be reversed then it would print everything as being true even when it shouldn't be. Let me know if I need to clarify anything. Thank You.
Here's the code:
import java.io.*;
import java.util.StringTokenizer;
public class palindrome
public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException
String phone;
BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader (new InputStreamReader(System.in));
System.out.print("Enter a telephone number (xxx) xxx-xxxx: ");
phone = br.readLine();
phone = remove(phone);
System.out.println("Original number: " + phone);
if (reverse(phone))
System.out.println("This is a palindrome");
System.out.println("This is not a palindrome");
public static String remove(String telephone)
StringTokenizer num;
StringBuffer numbers, numbers2, numbers3;
StringBuffer allnumbers = new StringBuffer();
num = new StringTokenizer(telephone, " ()-");
numbers = new StringBuffer(num.nextToken());
numbers2 = new StringBuffer(num.nextToken());
numbers3 = new StringBuffer(num.nextToken());
allnumbers.append(numbers).append(numbers2).append (numbers3);
telephone = allnumbers.toString();
return telephone;
public static boolean reverse(String palindrome)
StringBuffer numbers = new StringBuffer();
numbers = new StringBuffer(palindrome).reverse();
palindrome = numbers.toString();
System.out.println("palindrome: " + palindrome);
System.out.println("numbers: " + numbers);
if (palindrome.equals(numbers))
return true;
return false;