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Portland declares citywide parking ban
Parking ban in effect from 10 p.m. Sunday until 6 a.m. Monday
The city of Portland has declared a citywide parking ban to allow crews to clean up from this most recent snowstorm.
According to city spokeswoman Nicole Clegg, the ban goes into effect at 10 p.m. Sunday and remains in effect until 6 a.m. Monday.
According to the city, vehicles left on the street during a ban will be towed at the owner's expense. There is a tow fee of $70, an impound fee of $35, a $30 ticket and all outstanding tickets must be paid. Vehicles not claimed within 24 hours will be charged a $24 storage fee per day.
Vehicles that violate the parking ban will be towed to the city's impound lot at the Ocean Gateway Marine Terminal, located at 40 Commercial St.
The city has released a list of areas people can park at no charge during the parking ban. They include:
Deering Oaks - on the left hand side of Tennis Court Road only
State Street gravel lot - abutting Deering Oaks
Fitzpatrick Stadium parking lot
Hadlock Field parking lot
All Portland Public School lots except the lots at Reiche School which abuts the school and playground
Parking lot at Nathan Clifford School
Parking lot on Munjoy Street, formerly known as the Adams School lot
Cutter Street lot (off the Eastern Prom)
Beach Street lot accessible from Commercial Street (This lot is available after 8 P.M.)
Lot across the street from the International Marine Terminal on Commercial Street (corner of Park and Commercial Streets)
Dougherty Field
On Peaks Island, parking is available at the Welch Street parking lot, the St. Christopher's Church parking lot, the Brackett Memorial Church parking lot and the CMP back lot at Island Avenue and City Point Road.
Vehicles can begin to park in these designated areas at 5:00 PM tonight. Vehicles must be moved from the city lots by 7:00 AM tomorrow morning.
The city also said a lot of parking garages in the area have reduced rates during parking bans. People interested in this option should check with individual garages for rates and hours.

subset: commoncrawl


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Canada's annual heat-trapping greenhouse gases continue to level off or decline in most sectors of the economy, outside of Alberta's oilpatch, says the latest annual inventory report submitted by the Harper government to the United Nations.
The submission, which covers annual emissions across the Canadian economy from 2011, revealed a 0.14 per cent increase in emissions to about 702 million tonnes. But the levels remain about five per cent below 2005 levels, due to structural changes in the Canadian economy that is moving from producing goods to providing services, as well as some federal and provincial policies, the report said.
"Under the previous Liberal government, greenhouse gas emissions actually increased by a staggering 30 per cent," Environment Minister Peter Kent told Postmedia News in an email.
"We were the first government in Canadian history to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."
The statistics and analysis is mandatory under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, an international treaty that came into force in 1994 to prevent greenhouse gases from causing dangerous interference with the atmosphere.
The government report, prepared by Environment Canada, noted the country's average temperatures were 1.5 degrees C above average in 2011, which makes it more likely to observe impacts such as rising sea levels and increasing extreme weather events that could intensify in the future.
"In some regions, the impacts could be devastating, while other regions could benefit from climate change," the report said.
The emissions contributing to those changes in Canada were stabilizing or declining in some sectors due to a mix of federal and provincial policies, including Ontario's efforts to phase out coal-fired electricity plants and federal fuel economy standards for vehicles that were spearheaded by the Obama administration in the United States.
But oilsands companies exploiting Alberta's natural bitumen deposits, which require large amounts of energy and water to extract heavy oil, continue to be the fastest growing source of greenhouse gases in the country, standing in the way of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's target to lower annual emissions by 17 per cent below 2005 levels by 2020. A report released by Environment Canada in August estimated Canada was on pace to be about 20 per cent above that target in 2020.
The oilsands sector also now represents about eight per cent of Canada's overall annual emissions.
The report said Canada had the largest growth in emissions among G8 countries over the past two decades. It is also among the top sources of greenhouse gases in the world, representing about two per cent of global emissions, and one of the highest sources of greenhouse gases per person.
The oil-sands industry has seen its greenhouse gas emissions grow from 15 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent gases in 1990 to 55 million tonnes in 2011, and Kent has pledged to introduce new regulations by the middle of this year for the oil and gas sector.
Oilsands industrial activities have reduced emissions per barrel of oil produced by about 26 per cent since 1990 because of new technologies, as well as exporting some emissions to the U.S. for some refining and upgrading activities.
Other figures from the report show that Alberta's industrial facilities are responsible for 48 per cent of all industrial emissions in the country in 2011, followed by Ontario at 19 per cent, Saskatchewan at nine per cent and Quebec at eight per cent.
© Copyright (c) The Calgary Herald


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Over the last few decades, technological advancements in sport have been moving the benchmark of human limitations. Some ways are easy to understand: fiberglass poles became more flexible allowing vaulters to reach new heights; replacing wooden tennis rackets with ones made of fiberglass and graphite improved accuracy; swimming bodysuits were developed to reduce drag.
But while these advances may have been game changing at the time, a new era of technology has arrived that seeks to lift the lid off the secrets to our biomechanics and help push both professional and amateur athletes to greater heights.
In every sport, and at every level, companies are now supplying equipment, clothing and gadgets in a bid to revolutionize the way professionals and amateurs train, compete and recuperate.
Personalized Footwear
As an example, in recent years, a growing consumer appetite for customization has seen sports brands embrace technology in order to create the perfect footwear for individuals. While it is already possible to go online or into a shop to choose the color and design of shoes, 3D modeling and printing technology is now being used to mold and shape footwear for customers to create the definitive personalized design.
Next Up: 3D Modeling for the Masses
Although professional athletes have greater support and access to use and trial these kinds of technologies, Susan Olivier, vice president of consumer goods and retail at Dassault Systèmes, believes 3D modeling techniques will soon be readily available to the public.
"The cost and size of 3D scanning is going down dramatically. I can imagine in three to five years that before shopping we will visit a booth that scans our feet and other body parts. Then we can take the scan to our favorite sports outlet who will be able to design equipment, clothing and footwear to our specifications," says Olivier.
Want to learn more? We invite you to watch the video below that shares some specific stories of how technology is helping both professional and everyday athletes race towards perfection.
You can also read more in an article that includes examples such as how Olympians like Usain Bolt are benefitting from 3D technology mapping human motion to help athletes gain split second advantage and at the same time protect themselves from injury.
NOTE: The video and article were first published as an Advertisement Feature on bbc.com running from 27th June 2014 to 5th September 2014, and was created by the BBC Advertising CommercialProduction team in partnership with Dassault Systèmes.


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There's nothing like a ginger-haired bad boy prince to bring a little buzz.
The fourth Warrior Games opened in Colorado Saturday, and the appearance of Britain's Prince Harry made sure the paparazzi came along. The third in line to the British throne joked with Olympic swimmer Missy Franklin at the opening ceremonies, he charmed state officials at formal gatherings, and he even played an exhibition round of sitting volleyball with British troops – with American Olympic champion Misty May-Treanor on the other side of the net.
Not a bad day's work for the house of Mountbatten-Windsor – particularly as Queen Elizabeth pulls back from public events and leaves more of the royal duties to her son and grandsons. At least there were no pictures of the prince cavorting naked with women, as there were the last time he came to the US.
"It was probably a classic example of me probably being too much army, and not enough prince," he said of the incident in Las Vegas.
Saturday, Harry could be every bit army and prince – and give Buckingham Palace no reason to flinch.
The event plays right to the prince's strengths. He's charming, and as a member of the British armed forces who has deployed to Afghanistan three times, he has a deep affection for the military and those who serve.
"I don't think yet we've seen the full potential of Harry. I think that's still to come but my goodness, he's doing a pretty good job at the moment," former press secretary to the queen, Dickie Arbiter, told the BBC.
Prince Harry already has grand visions for the Warrior Games. He said he wanted to bring them to Britain and make them an event every bit as popular as the Paralympic Games, which drew huge crowds in London last summer.
"I don't see how it wouldn't be possible to fill a stadium with 80,000 people, not to watch Olympics, not to watch Paralympics, but to watch wounded servicemen fight it out amongst each other – not on a battlefield but in a stadium," he said, according to media reports.
The Paralympics, after all, began in much the same way, as wounded veterans returning to Britain after World War II were encouraged to take part in sport as a means of therapy and building self-esteem. Now that the Paralympics – like the Olympics themselves – have become an enormous international event, the original intent has been eclipsed somewhat. That created an opening for the establishment of the Warrior Games in 2010.
As a creation of the US paralympic movement, the Warrior Games started as an event only for the American armed forces, in which each service competed against the other. Last year was the first year that British troops were involved. This year, participants from Canada and Australia will also compete. In all, there are seven sports: archery, cycling, shooting, sitting-volleyball, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair basketball.
On Friday, Prince Harry visited Arlington National Cemetery and met wounded veterans at Walter Reed military medical center. He also joined Michelle Obama at a White House reception honoring America's military mothers.


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Ina Rose Williams
Ina Rose Williams passed away on Nov. 15, 2012. She was born on October 24, 1908 to Orin W. and Nettie May (Downey) Lawrence in Alto, Wi. She spent her early years in the Minneapolis area. From her first marriage to Clarence Oberman, she had a son Clarence(Terry).She was later married to (Henry)Melford Williams on January 27, 1930 in Neillsville,Wi. They resided in the town of York. She worked hard raising 5 children and 3 step children. She also cared for an ailing Mother-in-law. She suffered the loss of her son Terry,age 14, the death of her mother-in-law, and her stepson Roy within a years time. Later they were to move south of Neillsville. She was a foster Mom to 3 children. When Melford was no longer able to farm they moved to Neillsville. She cleaned houses and took care of elderly people before getting a job at Bob's Westside Market, where she worked for several years. She cared for her father and husband until their deaths. She always enjoyed having family and friends visit and was very active in her church.Thirteen years ago she moved to Oregon,Wi. she enjoyed going to the Eldercare day care center in Madison where she had many friends and had many wonderful outings. She loved the singalong's and playing dominoes. She moved to Harmony House in Stoughton for 4 years and then on to the Sienna Meadows Care home, where she has remained for the past 7 years.
She is survived by her sons, Orin Williams, Rockford,Il. Chester(Judy)Williams of Oak Creek,Wi. Daughters Dawn(Herbert) Smith of Milwaukee, Wi and Darlene (John) Trogner of Oregon,Wi. and sister Olive Finder of Marshfield, Wi. She had 17 grandchildren, 36 great grandchildren, and 25 great grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, her husband Melford Williams,son Clarence (Terry)Oberman,step-sons Roy and Earl and daughter-in-law Doris Williams grandson Romaine and step-daughter Ardena and son-in-law Richard King. Her sister Fannie Jakobi who was born on her 5th birthday passed away three weeks ago.
Her funeral will be held on Nov. 19th , visitation at 10:00 and the funeral at 11:00 at the Gesche Funeral Home, Neillsville, Wi with burial to follow in the York Center Cemetery.


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"What kinds of pie do you have tonight?" the man sitting by the window asked. He and I were both eating dinner in a café in the outport of Cow Head, N.L.
"Partridgeberry, apple or bakeapple," the waitress said.
"I'll take baked apple, please."
I nearly intervened. I nearly called across to him that he wasn't going to get what he expected — in the unique form of English spoken in Newfoundland and Labrador, a bakeapple is a small orange fruit that grows in peat bogs, a fruit most other speakers of English call cloudberry. But I don't usually start talking to strangers in restaurants, even in Cow Head, so I held my tongue.
"That wasn't an apple pie," the man said a few minutes later when the waitress brought his bill. "It had these little berries in it."
And so she explained. I couldn't hear everything she said to him, but I detected the word "cloudberry" on her lips.
You could argue it would be a good thing if Newfoundlanders adapted to the rest of the English-speaking world and called things by their usual names.
If tourists don't know their bakeapples from their roasted Granny Smiths, maybe the islanders should capitulate and start talking about cloudberries. Partridgeberry jam (if you've never tried it, your culinary life is not complete) would then be known as lingonberry, a Swedish name that migrated to Britain. A scruncheon would be any old morsel of fatty pork. A tickle would be simply a narrow channel. A tickle-ace — some say tickle-ass — would be the slim species of gull that everyone else calls a kittiwake.
But if you're like me, you wouldn't make this argument. Last month I spent 10 days in that astonishing province — by the way, there are Newfoundlanders who would still prefer to say "that astonishing nation" — and everywhere I went, I was delighted by the wealth and variety of the oral language. Much of it, of course, can be traced back to the dialects that flourished in Ireland and the West Country of England in previous centuries — one day in southern Labrador, a woman addressed my wife and myself as "ye." But thousands of words and expressions sprang into existence on this side of the rough Atlantic, and are particular to Newfoundland.
One thing an outsider must never do is describe the local dialect as quaint. If you ask a Newfoundlander what's the name of the dwarf plant that produces an unusually fat red berry, don't say "How cute!" when she informs you it's a plumboy. As a proud Montrealer, I wouldn't be overjoyed if I told someone from Toronto I was going to the dépanneur, and the Torontonian said, "That's a weird name!" The ability to define someone else's language as quaint or odd is the power of the rich insider. The grammar of Newfoundlanders is often non-standard — verbs don't always agree with the expected pronouns — but I'm not going to quote examples, because the risk is that such examples would appear patronizing. As far back as Shakespeare's day, and probably farther, city folk have sneered at the funny expressions of country people. I want no part of it.
Sure, there were things about Newfoundland English that struck me as a little surprising. One glorious afternoon we took a boat trip on a lake in Gros Morne National Park, the bare and strenuous mountains stretching hundreds of metres overhead. The lake is really a deep fjord, enclosed since the last Ice Age ended, but in local parlance it's a "pond." As the river that drains the pond flows west to the sea, it's known as Western Brook — in England and Ireland a brook is a minor stream, but in Newfoundland big rivers are often called brooks. Therefore this magnificent lake has the small name "Western Brook Pond."
That's fine. So be it. It's their pond, not mine. Even if the lexicon has shed many expressions over the past century, even if the accents are seldom as thick as they were, Newfoundland English remains a vibrant idiom. Its unique words, phrases, grammar and sounds still make a rich, sometimes riotous contribution to the stock of global English.
So the next time you're in Cow Head, ask for bakeapple pie. Vive la différence! I mean, don' arg wid' I.


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Tomorrow my post is a tomato tart, based on a recipe by Giuliano Bugialli. Because my blog is written primarily for people who don't do a lot of cooking but want to, I thought I'd first go over making a pie crust.
A lot of people would rather purchase pre-made pie crusts than try making one at home. And if you must, that's okay. But if you try this one pie crust one time, you will see how much better it tastes, how easy it is, and how much less expensive it is as well. And that's minus whatever preservatives might be in the pre-fab crusts .
I'm going to use a food processor to show how I make pie crust. Even Julia Child, the grand dame of French cooking and old-school chef, began using a food processor in her later years. It might have even been Martha Stewart who showed her how well it worked, without compromising the quality of the dough, during one of her cooking shows.
Nonetheless, if Julia Child can use one, so can I. There are just a few rules that are important. But they are simple rules.
First, have everything on hand. That would include your food processor, flour, cold butter, shortening, a pourable container full of icy water, and a large piece of plastic wrap. Here's a recipe.
Pie Crust, also called Short Crust Pastry if you want to be fancy…
2 cups white all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons cold butter, diced
4 tablespoons shortening*
Pinch of salt
Icy cold water, at least 2 cups just so you have enough
Sprinkle a little bit of flour onto the piece of plastic wrap and set aside.
Then place the flour, the diced butter, shortening and salt in your food processor. The butter is diced so that it will incorporate more easily into the flour. (My pie crust for the tomato pie contains nutmeg, which is why you see it in the photo.)
Pulse the food processor's blades until the mixture looks like crumbs.
Have the water in one hand, and use your other hand to run the food processor. Start up the food processor on the continuous mode and begin slowly pouring the water into the floury mixture. A slow drizzle will work well. If you over pour the water, you will get globs of wet flour, so it's best to go slowly if you're concerned about this. Normally, over processing the dough will create a stiffer dough, which isn't good, but this can be worked out later when you're making your pie crust. So just make sure there's a constant drizzle.
At one point, stop and look at your dough. If you see some parts that look like dough, but other parts are dry and floury, you definitely need to add more water.
Stop when a giant dough has formed within the jar of your food processor. You'll know when it happens. Keep in mind that when you'll be working with your pie crust, and if it's a little too wet, you can always add more flour. However, if the dough is too dry to begin with, there's no turning back. You can't add water to dry dough. It doesn't work
One your giant blog of dough has formed, remove it from the food processor jar and dump it onto your piece of plastic wrap.
Sprinkle a little flour over the blob, and then working with the plastic wrap, place your hands underneath and mold the dough into a firm, flattened disc. No kneading is necessary. Fold the plastic wrap over the disc and refrigerate it for a couple of hours, or overnight.
When you are ready to use the dough for a pie crust, have your pie pan ready, some flour handy, and your rolling pin available.
First, unwrap the disc and place it on your surface, with a little flour sprinkled on top. Try to use as little flour as possible, because believe it or not, the flour can add up and create a dry crust.
Then take your rolling pin and beat the cold dough with it. This will loosen the dough a bit, and allow for better rolling**.
Then start rolling out the pie crust. This recipe will easily make a 9″ or 10″ pie crust, so you should have plenty. Don't worry if you aren't making a complete circle – that's nearly impossible. Roll it out about 1/4″ thick – too thick isn't good, and too thin will cause tearing. Any tears you do get can be sealed, so don't worry about those, either.
As you roll, carefully lift the crust and turn it over, so you can thoroughly but lightly dust the crust with flour, if necessary. Every wet spot on the crust can potentially stick to the pie pan, and you don't want that.
When it is larger than the diameter of your pie pan and the correct thickness, fold the crust over the rolling pin and gently place the dough over the pie pan. Make sure it is centered, and then gradually press down on the bottom of the pie crust. After you do that, work your way around the sides and press the crust into place. If you have long fingernails, use your knuckles.
There are many ways to make a fancy pie crust edging, but I'm going to make mine absolutely plain, because it's not necessary to be fancy. Simply take your rolling pin and roll it over the top of your pie pan, and all the excess dough flaps will essentially get cut off. There! You now have a pie crust.
As you can see, mine isn't perfect. I was working too quickly, which I often do for some unknown reason, and the dough tore, but it's seriously no big deal unless you're entering a pie competition. The dough will seal as it cooks. But if you are concerned, dip your finger into water and mush the tear together to smooth it out. I'm only talking a drop of water.
The rest is up to your recipe. Sometimes, as with the tomato tart, the crust has to be cooked ahead of time, just like with a quiche. If that is the case, line the pie crust with foil, and then fill up the bottom of the crust with pie weights, or simply beans; these work just as well. Bake the pie according to the recipe. Sometimes the foil and weights are removed, and the crust is cooked more for browning purposes. Often, the pie crust bottom is pierced with fork tines before the browning step, because this technique keeps the pie crust from puffing up. If puffing occurs, and you push down on the puff, then the crust will break and crumble. (Can you tell I've done this before?!!!)
If you're making a pie that requires you to fill it immediately and bake, then make sure you also turned on your oven before you began working with the pie crust.
The best advice I can give with pie crusts, however, is that they be refrigerated after they're placed in the pie pan. If the crust dough is warmish, then as soon as they're in the oven, the fat will ooze out of them, and the results will not be pleasant. It will be a soggy mess. Trust me on this, because I was once in a hurry to bake some puff pastry, and didn't take the time to put it back in the refrigerator for a mere 30 minutes….. I remember this hard lesson learned from many years ago!
Now that you've made a pie crust, think of all the fun things that you can add to it – like dried herbs, or white pepper, or cayenne or chili powder…. Then, you can also add finely grated cheeses to it… Or finely chopped nuts….. Oh, it gets even more fun!
If you happen to have some dough left over, you can easily make a couple of pie pockets, with savory or sweet fillings, or top a stew with the crust for a prettier presentation! Don't let it go to waste!
* Supposedly, the best fat mixture for pie crust is a 50-50 mixture of butter and shortening. The butter adds flavor, and the shortening provides flakiness. You could certainly use either or if you prefer.
* I went to the Aspen Food and Wine Festival many years ago, and had the pleasure of being in attendance at a Julia Child cooking demonstration. At one point she was making a pie crust, and she began beating the crap out of her dough with a giant rolling pin. Everyone started laughing. I mean, even if you knew what she was doing, it was still funny. Here was this 6 foot something hulk of a woman beating a little piece of dough! She seemed sincerely stunned at the laughter! Can you just hear her? No, really, you have to beat… the dough… to get it more pliable……


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Customer expectations are now liquid, and challenging energy providers to keep pace with standards set in other industries. In this era of the digitalization of everything, and of hyper-relevant personalization, a relentless obsession with customers is no longer an option. It's a must.
Through our continuous research program, we track how consumer trends are advancing the ongoing influence of disruptive digital technologies and the market realities of the new energy ecosystem. Our research informs our forward-looking view of implications for customer operating models.
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Learn how and why now is the time to:
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Q1. Have there been any changes in the past few years to the tax credits for college expenses?
A. Yes. The American opportunity tax credit, which expanded and renamed the already-existing Hope scholarship credit, can be claimed in tax-years 2009 through 2017 for expenses paid for tuition, certain fees and course materials for higher education.
Q2. The Hope scholarship credit originally applied only to the first two years of college. Has that changed?
A. Yes. The American opportunity tax credit can be claimed for expenses for the first four years of post-secondary education.
Q3. How does the American opportunity tax credit differ from the Hope scholarship credit and Lifetime Learning credit?
A. Unlike the other education tax credits, the American opportunity tax credit includes expenses for course-related books, supplies and equipment that are not necessarily paid to the educational institution. It also differs from the Hope scholarship credit because it allows the credit to be claimed for four years of post-secondary education instead of two.
Q4. How much is the American opportunity tax credit worth?
A. It is a tax credit of up to $2,500 of the cost of tuition, fees and course materials paid during the taxable year. Also, 40% of the credit (up to $1,000) is refundable. This means you can get it even if you owe no tax.
Q5. What are qualified expenses for purposes of the education tax credits?
A. In general, qualified expenses for the education tax credits include tuition and required fees for the enrollment or attendance at an eligible post-secondary educational institution. To be creditable, the expenses paid during a taxable year must relate to: (1) an academic period that begins in the same taxable year; or (2) an academic period that begins in the first three months of the following taxable year. See Publication 970 PDF, Tax Benefits for Education.
The following expenses do not qualify:
- Room and board.
- Transportation.
- Insurance.
- Medical expenses.
- Student fees unless required as a condition of enrollment or attendance.
- Same expenses paid with tax-free educational assistance.
- Same expenses used for any other tax deduction, credit or educational benefit.
Q6. What additional education expenses qualify for the American opportunity tax credit?
A. For the American opportunity tax credit, qualified expenses have been expanded to include expenditures for course materials, as well as tuition and required fees. For this purpose, the term "course materials" means books, supplies and equipment needed for a course of study whether or not the materials are purchased from the educational institution as a condition of enrollment or attendance. Some or all of these expenses will be recorded on Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement PDF. The student should receive a Form 1098-T from the educational institution that the student attended. If the student does not receive a Form 1098-T, the student should contact the educational institution and request the form.
Q7. Does an expenditure for a computer qualify for the American opportunity tax credit?
A. Whether an expenditure for a computer qualifies for the credit depends on the facts. An expenditure for a computer would qualify for the credit if the computer is needed as a condition of enrollment or attendance at the educational institution.
Q8. How is the American opportunity tax credit calculated?
A. Taxpayers will receive a tax credit based on 100 percent of the first $2,000, plus 25 percent of the next $2,000, paid during the taxable year for tuition, fees and course materials.
Q9. How will the American opportunity tax credit affect my income tax return?
A. You will be able to reduce your tax liability by one dollar for each dollar of credit for which you're eligible. If the amount of the American opportunity tax credit for which you're eligible exceeds your tax liability, the excess will be refunded to you up to the lesser of 40 percent of the credit or $1,000.
Q10. Who can claim the American opportunity tax credit?
A. Generally, a taxpayer whose modified adjusted gross income is $80,000 or less ($160,000 or less for joint filers) can claim the credit for the qualified expenses of an eligible student. The credit is reduced if a taxpayer's modified adjusted gross income exceeds those amounts. A taxpayer whose modified adjusted gross income is greater than $90,000 ($180,000 for joint filers) cannot claim the credit.
Q11. What is "modified adjusted gross income" for the purpose of the American opportunity tax credit?
A. It is the taxpayer's adjusted gross income increased by foreign income that was excluded, and by income excluded from sources in Puerto Rico or certain U.S. possessions.
Q12. Who is an eligible student for the American opportunity tax credit?
A. For the American opportunity tax credit, an eligible student is a student who: (1) is enrolled in a program leading toward a degree, certificate or other recognized post-secondary educational credential; (2) has not completed the first four years of post-secondary education as of the beginning of the taxable year; (3) for at least one academic period is carrying at least ½ of the normal full-time work load for the course of study the student is pursuing; and (4) has not been convicted of a felony drug offense.
Q13. If a student was an undergraduate during the first part of the taxable year and became a graduate student that same year, will the student qualify for the American opportunity tax credit?
A. If a student has not completed the first four years of post-secondary education as of the beginning of the taxable year, and has not claimed the Hope scholarship credit and/or the American opportunity tax credit for more than four taxable years, the student can claim the American opportunity tax credit for qualified expenses paid during the entire taxable year.
Q14. I'm just beginning college this year. Can I claim the American opportunity tax credit for all four years I pay tuition?
A. Generally, yes. Under current law, the credit will be available through tax-year 2017.
Q15. How does a taxpayer claim an education tax credit?
A. A taxpayer claims an education tax credit by completing Form 8863, Education Credits PDF, and attaching it to Form 1040 or 1040-A.
Q16. Can I claim the tuition and fees tax deduction in addition to claiming the American opportunity tax credit?
A. No. You cannot claim the tuition and fees tax deduction in the same taxable year that you claim the American opportunity tax credit or the Lifetime Learning credit. You must choose between taking an education tax credit or taking the deduction for tuition and fees. You also cannot claim the tuition and fees tax deduction if anyone else claims the American opportunity tax credit or the Lifetime Learning credit for you in the same taxable year. A tax deduction of up to $4,000 can be claimed for qualified tuition and fees paid. Although the credit will usually result in greater tax savings, taxpayers should calculate both the tax credit and the deduction on the tax return to see which is most beneficial. Often, tax software will automatically compare the tax result, from taking the education credit or taking the deduction, for you.
Q17. What is Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement, and who provides it?
A. Educational institutions are required to file a Form 1098-T, Tuition Statement PDF, with the IRS and to provide a copy of the form to the student, for each enrolled student for whom there is a reportable transaction. A reportable transaction includes payments received, amounts billed or refunds made for tuition and related expenses. For the Form 1098-T to be accurately prepared, the educational institution must address boxes 8 and 9. Note that box 8 will be checked if the student was enrolled at least half-time, and box 9 will be checked if the student was enrolled as a graduate student. There are some exceptions where an educational institution is not required to file and provide the Form 1098-T. These exceptions include:
- Courses for which no academic credit is offered, even if the student is otherwise enrolled in a degree program.
- Nonresident alien students, unless the student requests the institution to file Form 1098-T.
- Students whose tuition and related expenses are waived entirely or paid entirely with scholarships or grants.
- Students whose tuition and related expenses are covered by a formal billing arrangement with the student's employer or a government agency such as the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Department of Defense.
Q18. How do I know if my school is an eligible institution?
A. A student can check with the educational institution. However, this link from the Department of Education, Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs, shows all accredited schools. If your school is found using this link, then it is an eligible institution and you can claim the American opportunity tax credit.
Q19. Can F-1 Visa students claim the AOTC?
A. For most alien individuals present in the U.S. on an F-1 Student Visa, the answer is no. Generally speaking, the time spent by an alien individual studying in the U.S. on an F-1 Student Visa would not count toward determining whether he or she was a resident alien under the substantial presence test for federal tax purposes. Thus, if you are an alien individual with an F-1 Student Visa, you are probably a nonresident alien. In general, if you are a nonresident alien for any part of the year, you do not qualify for the AOTC.
However, your parents may qualify for the credit even if you are a nonresident alien student if they claim you as a dependent on their tax return. If you are a U.S. resident filing Form 1040, and your parents do not claim you as a dependant, and you meet all of the other requirements for the credit, you may qualify for the credit.
Q20. What if the student's return was incorrectly prepared and filed by a professional tax preparer?
A. The IRS urges you to choose a tax preparer wisely. You are legally responsible for what's on your tax return, even if it is prepared by someone else. For more information, read IRS' Tips for Choosing A Tax Return Preparer.
Related Items:
IR-2009-78, Special IRS Web Section Highlights Back-to-School Tax Breaks; Popular 529 Plans Expanded, New $2,500 College Credit Available
Fact Sheet 2009-12, How 529 Plans Help Families Save for College and How the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Expanded 529 Plan Features


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Obama to keep after Watt nomination
Current and former administration officials said on Tuesday they are optimistic that Mel Watt will be confirmed to be the next regulator for taxpayer-owned mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac despite the opposition being expressed by Senate Republicans.
On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took the procedural step necessary to hold a vote later this week to end debate on the nomination for Watt — a Democratic congressman from North Carolina — as director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Democrats will need 60 votes for Watt to clear this hurdle.
"We will continue to fight for Congressman Watt to get an up or down vote," Michael Stegman, counselor to the Treasury Secretary for housing finance, said at a POLITICO Pro Financial Services event. "We continue to be optimistic."
Jim Parrott, a former housing adviser to President Barack Obama and now a senior fellow at the Urban Institute, said that Watt is well respected from his years in Congress and that the opposition to his nomination is not set in stone.
"On this particular issue there are very few people that I've talked to who feel strongly and personally against Mel," Parrott said. "I'm mildly optimistic that folks aren't quite as dug in as they may seem."
The debate over Watt's nomination comes as Congress is considering different approaches on how to overhaul the housing finance market and what to do with Fannie and Freddie, which were bailed out by taxpayers during the 2008 financial crisis. The administration argues Watt should be confirmed to help manage the transition from a housing finance system reliant on Fannie and Freddie to whatever Congress decides to put in its place.
Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Johnson (D-S.D.) and top Republican Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) are working on a version of a bill introduced by Sens. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) earlier in the year that would eliminate Fannie and Freddie and set up a new agency that would cover losses on some mortgages after a significant amount of private capital is exhausted.
The House Financial Services Committee approved legislation in July that would scale back government involvement in the housing market much more than the current approach under consideration in the Senate by eliminating taxpayer mortgage subsidies while reducing the Federal Housing Administration's role to its original focus - helping low-income and first time home buyers.
That House bill has no Democratic support and the focus now is on the Senate Banking Committee where the panel's leaders are trying to produce a bipartisan bill by the end of this or in early 2014.
Stegman said the administration is working with the Senate committee and is providing its views on what policies should be in the bill along with technical expertise on the housng finance market.
Stegman said that an eventual bill must include explicit funding for affordable housing — not just for potential home buyers, but renters as well.
"We absolutely support that," Stegman said.
Homeowner advocacy groups have been pressing the White House to push Watt's nomination because they argue FHFA's current leader, Acting Director Ed DeMarco, has not embraced programs that could aid borrowers having trouble making mortgage payments.
Watt had previously testified that he might reconsider an offer from the administration to forgive some mortgage debt on loans backed by Fannie and Freddie using unspent money from the 2008 bank bailout law, saying he would look at all sides of the issue. DeMarco refused the offer last year out of concern it would be too costly to taxpayers.
"We need to end this partisanship," said John Taylor, president of the National Community Reinvestment Coalition. "Why should he not get confirmed?"


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This is a 1.5 year product paying in Swiss Francs issued by Credit Suisse Group Ltd. It is Digital Certificate linked to the performance of Novartis Inc, COMPAGNIE FINANCIERE RICHEMONT SA and Zurich Insurance Group AG from 12/08/2015 to the last observation date 06/07/2017 and will be monitored at semiannual periods. The product will pay 2 additional 3.75% unconditional coupon(s) . At maturity an additional unconditional coupon of 3.75% will be paid. If the American protection barrier of 69% has not been breached, the nominal value will be paid, otherwise the product will repay the initial investment less any negative worst performing underlying measured over the term of the product
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Bill requiring arts class for graduation passes NC House
The North Carolina House has agreed public school students should be required to get some culture before getting a high school diploma.
House members voted 98-19 on Wednesday for a bill that would insert one credit of arts education such as music, theater or dance into the required curriculum to graduate starting with ninth graders in 2016. The bill would allow the credit to be earned in middle school.
The bill pitted legislators who say arts participation encourages creativity and increases its appreciation against those who argue the classes should remain optional because some students just aren't good at drawing or playing an instrument.
The bill now heading to the Senate passed on the day hundreds of arts boosters held their lobbying event at the Legislative Building.


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Writing Developmental Reviews: Video Interviews with Award Winning Reviewers
Interview with Craig Crossland
Interview with Jonathan Bundy
Interview with Wendy Smith
Interview with Jan Heide
From the Editor Essays on Reviewing
July 2015 Ballinger & Johnson - Your First Review
January 2015 Ragins - Developing Our Authors
Reviewer Guidelines
In order to provide high-quality feedback to authors, it is important that all AMR reviewers are aware of our
Mission Statement:
The mission of the Academy of Management Review
(AMR) is to publish new theoretical insights that advance
our understanding of management and organizations. AMR is
receptive to a variety of perspectives, including those seeking to
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The contributions of AMR articles often are grounded
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Tips for Developmental Reviewing*
Instead of focusing only on shortcomings, the developmental
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Imagine having a face-to-face conversation with the
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What Developmental Reviewing Is (and Isn't)
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giving a long list of criticisms sandwiched between token
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identifying shortcomings but also offering constructive suggestions
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helping authors find the "diamonds" in their work.
listening to authors and trying to understand their
treating authors as colleagues and peers, not junior
(*From: Ragins, 2015. Developing our Authors. Access to this
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Development Reviewing Resource.)
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We recommended Dell (DELL) a number of times last year. Our initial entry point was a money-losing proposition, but our subsequent updates and buy recommendations ranged from being profitable to very profitable.
Since the agreed-upon deal to take the company private is at $13.65 per share, and since the stock trades at $13.53, the next question is what to do now.
For reasons that we outline below, we recommend staying with the position for the time being. We believe that Michael Dell and Silver Lake will ultimately agree to add a sweetener and will pay a modestly higher price to address shareholder pushback on the very low valuation of the buyout price.
Having said that, if you have a compelling use for the Dell proceeds, we are OK with taking profits now, as we believe the additional upside is fairly limited.
Some quick thoughts on what happens from here:
We believe the deal will ultimately get done. (The company is targeting July of this year as a closing date, and we believe that is reasonable.)
We believe that the deal will be a very successful investment for Silver Lake and for Michael Dell, as we feel that Dell is not broken and will be able to revitalize the business as a private company and one day be monetized at a much richer valuation.
The deal is occurring at a very modest price. The buyout group is paying 8.3x 2013 earnings, 6.2x 2013 earnings, adjusted for cash, and 3.5x enterprise value to EBITDA.
When Michael Dell originally approached the board about taking the company private in August 2012, the stock was trading in the range of $11 to $12.25. So while $13.65 is a nice premium to its low of December 2012, it's not a large premium to where the stock was when Michael started the process. It seems logical that when he broached the subject last August, he probably thought he would have to pay more.
We do not expect anything positive to come from the 45-day "go shop" provision, and we do not expect a competing bid. Outside of a strategic buyer (which doesn't exist), Michael Dell is best situated to lead the group that is buying the firm. Without Michael's involvement and contribution of his stock and additional funds, the leveraged buyout becomes a much riskier and more expensive proposition.
Having said that, we do believe that there will be significant shareholder pushback (from the likes of Southeastern Asset Management and Pzena Investment Management), along with class-action lawsuits challenging the price. The likely result will be a small sweetener that will get the final buyout price to the $14 to $14.50 level. (Interestingly, David Faber of CNBC challenged that thinking the other day, saying he didn't believe the buyout group would either have to or would raise its price unless shareholders vote the deal down, something we don't expect to occur.) So some smart people disagree with us on the potential sweetener.
The company will be paying its $0.08-a-share dividend per quarter until the deal closes. (If the deal closes in July, that would be an additional $0.16 per share.)
In sum, we believe it makes sense in the near term to let the situation play out and see if the buyout group is pushed to pay a higher price. If that occurs, that should provide holders with a reasonable low-risk return from here. Again, if you have a compelling use of the funds or if you don't believe there will be a higher price paid, you should start reducing your position.
In the absence of a sweetened bid, the annualized return from current levels to July is about 4.2%, including expected dividend payments, which is OK compared to cash but might not look too compelling compared with possible market alternatives.
If the deal is sweetened by $0.50, your annualized return to the closing would be 11.5%, which is substantially more attractive. So ultimately, a large part of your decision to stay put should depend on whether you believe, as we do, that a sweetener is likely.


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Rick Raymond parked his black Kia SUV behind a row of trees and peered out at his target. It was 4 a.m. on a recent morning, and Raymond — a seasoned private detective who has worked roughly 300 cases, from thieves to philandering spouses — was closing in on a different sort of prey. Recently, Raymond has come to occupy a new and expanding niche in the surveillance universe.
Corporations pay him to spy on workers who take "sick days" when they may not, in fact, be sick. Such suspicion has led Raymond to bowling alleys, pro football games, weddings, and even funerals. On this morning it has taken him to a field outside the home of an Orlando repairman whose employer is doubtful about his slow recovery from a car accident. Although Raymond tries to be impartial about his subjects, "80 to 85 percent of the time," he says, "there's definitely fraud happening."
Playing hooky without getting caught — as immortalized in the cat-and-mouse skirmish between Ferris Bueller and Principal Rooney in Ferris Bueller's Day Off — used to be an adolescent rite of passage. Now it has given rise to a thriving industry, with stern legal precedent to back it up.
Businessweek.com: How to skip work by faking disease
In 2008, Raybestos Products, a car parts manufacturer in Crawfordsville, Ind., hired an off-duty police officer to track an employee suspected of abusing her paid medical leave. When the employee, Diana Vail, was fired after the cop produced substantial evidence that she was exploiting her benefits, she sued Raybestos. In what became the landmark case for corporate snooping, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed her lawsuit. A panel of judges declared that while surveillance "may not be preferred employer behavior," it wasn't unlawful. According to Susan W. Kline, a partner at the Baker & Daniels law firm in Indianapolis, the case "encouraged [companies] to consider hiring their own private detectives." It also set a precedent, she says, that "reasonable suspicion" is sufficient justification for employer spying.
Such techniques have become permissible at a time when workers are more likely to play hooky. Kronos, a workforce productivity firm in Chelmsford, Mass., recently found that 57 percent of U.S. salaried employees take sick days when they're not really sick — a nearly 20 percent increase from statistics gathered between 2006 and 2008. Taking such risks amid an economic meltdown, suggests Kronos Senior Director Joyce Maroney, has less to do with foolish confidence than a general lack of enthusiasm for work.
"People are staying in jobs they don't like because of a fear that there won't be another job out there," she says. "With less job satisfaction, there's a greater propensity for sick-time abuse."
That's great news for the corporate surveillance business. Alliance Worldwide Investigative Group, a private investigation firm in Clifton Park, N.Y., with experience in corporate sleuthing, charges $75 per hour per investigator. And those hours add up. According to Alliance Chief Executive Officer and founder Mario Pecoraro Jr., successful surveillance requires establishing a pattern of activity that, he says, "can sometimes require multiple days, or even weeks."
Businessweek.com: The role of employee engagement in the return to growth
Perhaps this is because workers have become increasingly inventive with their sick-day tomfoolery. This summer, Middletown (Pa.) schoolteacher Leslie Herneisey — a three-time Teacher of the Year nominee — was arrested and charged with lying to colleagues about having an inoperable brain tumor so she could take extended sick leave. In 2009 four firefighters in Haverhill, Mass., were suspended after a private investigator, hired by the mayor, caught them attending hockey games and engaging in other blatantly non-sick-day activities.
They are not alone in their ambition. Earlier this year, Raymond investigated an employee at a Florida health organization who called in sick with the flu for three days. As Raymond discovered, she was actually visiting the Universal Studios theme park. "On some of those roller coasters, they take your picture at a really sharp turn, and then you can buy it at a kiosk," Raymond recalls. "She went on three rides, and I bought all three of her pictures, which had the date at the bottom." When confronted with the evidence by her employers, Raymond says her first response was, "That's not me!" After they played Raymond's video of her volunteering at the theme park's animal show, her only defense was, "I don't even remember that!" She was fired.
While some employees may be less engaged in their jobs, many are increasingly interested in new and creative ways to get out of work. "It's all about technology these days," says Frank M. Ahearn, a New York-based equal opportunity "privacy consultant" who has helped employers "catch people who were supposed to be at work" and advised others on eluding their bosses. "If you understand how to use technology effectively, you can appear to be anywhere," he says. Ahearn once had a client who issued each of his employees a cell phone with a GPS tracking system. "He thought it was foolproof," Ahearn says. That was until the boss learned one employee had 'FedExed' his phone to a hotel where he was supposed to be staying on a business trip. Instead, the worker opted for an exotic vacation. "It's a duel between bosses and their employees," Ahearn says. "Whoever has better technology usually wins."
One popular toy among the adult Ferris Bueller set is the SpoofCard. Sold on the Internet by Toms River, N.J.-based TelTech Systems, a SpoofCard allows users to select any 10-digit number to appear on the phone of the person they're calling. When their customer calls in sick, the boss will see this number on the caller ID and assume the employee is at home in bed when he may actually be on line at the Matterhorn, or on the beach in Hawaii. Meir Cohen, president of TelTech Systems, insists SpoofCards don't pose any ethical dilemma. "We've had people misuse the technology occasionally for illegal purposes," he says, "but the majority of people use it to protect their privacy. If you have a boss that's prying into your personal life, this is a great tool."
Cohen also offers a chance to offset the SpoofCard with a new TelTech product, LiarCard, which uses voice analysis to determine if a caller is being dishonest. "We have companies that use the LiarCard for HR purposes," he says, "to find out if their employees are lying to them." Cohen doesn't mind selling a service to one customer that's designed to entrap another. "We want to help everyone," he says.
Businessweek.com: The tragic decline of business casual
Cohen may have a point — sometimes even corporate surveillance experts need watching. When he was working as a training director for a large detective firm, Rick Raymond once sent a rookie investigator and a seasoned veteran out on a routine job. Instead, the two opted to get drunk and watch football at a nearby Outback Steakhouse. Later that day, a secretary from Raymond's firm went to lunch at the same Outback and witnessed both detectives drinking beers and eating cheese fries. "They were there before she showed up," he says, "and they were still there, watching football and drinking beer, two hours later." When the pair submitted their surveillance logs for the week, both failed to mention their afternoon-long repast. Both were immediately fired.
As the sun rises over Orlando, Raymond's still sitting in his SUV, watching his repairman. He's now come to appreciate the employer-employee relationship. "I remember one worker who created an elaborate hoax to go on a cruise when he was supposed to be sick," Raymond says. "When he was shown the video surveillance I'd done, he actually said to his boss, 'I can't believe you'd be so sneaky.' The hypocrisy is amazing!" And it's great for business.
Copyright © 2012 Bloomberg L.P.All rights reserved.


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"MP Abdulrahman Al-Jeeran has recommended banning the sale of statues of the gods followed by idol-worshippers during the pre-Islamic times of paganism, indicating that he had discovered the sale of statues as works of art and gift items by some shops, reports Al-Rai daily. He revealed that statues representing gods believed by non-Muslim pagan worshippers during the primitive era are commonly seen at various shopping malls across the country. He added that the retailer sells these items under the pretext of selling accessories and fashion materials without considering the real meaning behind those artifacts."
There's been a school of thought which posits that polytheism is humanity's default religious setting, which is why religions like Christianity and Islam must constantly be in a process of conversion, re-conversion, and solidifying power to maintain the massive numbers they currently enjoy across the globe. If they don't, or if they are limited by secular governments, the "old" beliefs start to re-emerge. As scholar Jordan Paper put it in his book, The Deities Are Many: A Polytheistic Theology, quote:
"Given the history of homo sapiens, it may be that polytheism is inherent in human nature, not so much in the sense that is part of our DNA structure but that it arises from the human experience in conjunction with our nature. For unless we accept the arguments of the ur-monotheists that is contrary to the above, monotheism is extremely recent, given the sweep of human history; arose in a tiny part of the planet; and is constantly breaking down."
Of course, that "tiny part of the planet" happens to be the Middle East, and there are immense vested interests within all the monotheisms to ensure that the birthplace of their theology remains solidly in the hands of those who believe in the God of Abraham (though they also struggle amongst themselves for dominance). But, if religious freedoms were really guaranteed, could polytheism, Paganism, truly emerge in the Middle East? Right now, Egypt, which has been rocked by revolution, coup, internal fighting, and unrest this year, is currently trying to write a new constitution for their country that will be accepted by both Islamic hardliners, the military, non-Muslim religious groups (like the Copts), and a large secular-minded minority. A key point of contention is what form religious freedom will take in this new constitution, and by extension, this new government.
"One significant change, says committee head Amr Moussa, is that Article 3 which guarantees Christians and Jews the right to exercise their religious rites will probably be extended to include all non-Muslims. Article 3 currently states that 'For Egyptian Christians and Jews the principles of their religious law will be the main source in regulating their personal status, matters pertaining to their religion, and the selection of their spiritual leadership.' The amended version is expected to state that 'for all Egyptian non-Muslims the principles of their religious laws will be the main source in regulating their personal status…etc'. The proposed change is opposed by Mohamed Ibrahim Mansour, the newly-appointed representative of the ultraconservative Nour Party. In a closed meeting on Monday Mansour issued the melodramatic warning that the term 'non-Muslims' would open gates to 'religious sects like worshippers of the devil'."
Expanding religious freedoms beyond the "People of the Book" is increasingly seen as necessary by religious minorities and secular Egyptians, first, because faiths like Baha'i "cannot legally marry and continue to have trouble with matters such as inheritance because the law does not properly recognize their presence." In addition, there is a growing number Egyptians who aren't simply secular, but have embraced atheism, despite the grave social disadvantages inherent in that choice.
"'Atheists are all around Egypt,' said Othman Othman, pointing to a group of young people sitting at the table next to us. The number of atheists in Egypt is not less than three million, Othman claimed, but they do not label themselves 'atheists' as society would disown them. Those who have come out publicly as atheists have been not only isolated by their friends and families, but also society in general. However, others who turn down their familial religion have faced many worse trials than mere isolation. Asmaa Omar, 24, who has just graduated the Faculty of Engineering, said that once she revealed her beliefs to her family, they began to physically and mentally torture her. Her father slapped her in the face and broke her jaw. She was not able to eat properly for seven months."
Once you open the door to Baha'i and atheists, it is only a matter of time before we see a Kemetic/Egyptian polytheist revival (or even Egyptian Wiccans). After all, Egypt is already a global hotspot for seekers, New Agers, and yes, Pagans, wanting to see the many ancient treasures and wonders of the country. Once the chaos abates, Egypt will want the massive tourism revenue to return, and with it will come the exchange of ideas that results from a flood of visitors. In fact, we know that there are already Pagans in Egypt, but a more open society might spark unexpected growth.
The question remains: can Paganism emerge in the Middle East? Will it be allowed to? If secular governments (or at least pseudo-secular hybrids) start to emerge, it could happen, and if/when it does, what happens next?


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|P is for Practical
Re: How do you critique another person's code?by dws (Chancellor)
|on Dec 19, 2001 at 23:35 UTC ( #133231=note: print w/replies, xml )
|Need Help??
How can I politely provide factual feedback without "attacking" the style of programming? ... the programmer is pretty young.
Given what you've shown, this seems to me to be as much a behavioral issue as it is a technical one. It looks like a situation where the older developer needs to sit the younger developer down and explain that behavior has consequences, and that coding (and commenting) practices are a behavior. This kind of talk is best done one-on-one, without managers present.
Unfortunately, that opportunity has been missed, and it's now "meeting with managers" time. Given that, I would focus on the technical aspects of the problems with the code and their likely downstream consquences. Avoid making it personal, even if baited.
In Section Meditations


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April 22, 2013
Mayor's Office of Constituent Services: 617-635-4500
Dear residents and business owners in impacted areas:
Mayor Thomas M. Menino has announced a staggered schedule for businesses and residents to begin returning to the impacted areas of Boylston Street.
While Boylston Street will remain closed to traffic and the general public, business owners and residents will be allowed to return to their places of business and homes tomorrow prior to the public's return.
The City's plan for business owners and residents will unfold in one-hour increments over the course of the day Tuesday.
The plan will be executed as follows:
- Business owners and residents will meet at the Hynes Convention Center, in Exhibit Hall B. They are asked to enter the Hynes Convention Center via the Prudential Center mall entrances, as the Boylston Street entrances remain closed. There will be signage and volunteers to help direct.
- To assist with crowd issues, businesses are requested to only bring essential staff into the impacted area.
- Businesses and residents are asked to arrive at the Hynes at the following times to check in.
o 10:00 a.m. Block between Hereford and Gloucester
o 11:00 a.m. Block between Gloucester and Fairfield
o 12:00 noon Block between Dartmouth and Clarendon
o 1:00 p.m. Block between Clarendon and Berkeley
o 2:00 p.m. Block between Exeter and Dartmouth
o 3:00 p.m. Block between Fairfield and Exeter
- Following check-in, business owners and residents will be escorted to their sites by City staff wearing identification. During the re-entry process, the City of Boston will be undertaking courtesy walkthroughs to help business owners identify any issues with which the City can help.
For residents and business owners unable to arrive at these times, the Hynes will be staffed by City personnel until 7:00 p.m. As always, for other issues, please contact the Mayor's Hotline at 617 635-4500.
The City will have counseling services and other assistance available on site at the Hynes. In addition, the mobile City Hall truck will continue to serve as a Business Assistance Center throughout the week.
Out of respect for all of you, we will be asking media to remain outside of the barriers on Boylston Street, and outside of the Hynes Convention Center.
Back Bay Return Plan – Frequently Asked Questions
Q: If I can't make the designated time for my block, can I enter later?
A: Yes. Residents and businesses in affected blocks will not be allowed in earlier than their designated time, but access after the start time is possible through the Hynes Convention Center. It will be open until 7:00pm.
Q: When will the site be fully open to the public, or when can I expect to reopen my business to the public?
A: As of Monday evening 4/22, we do not have a time for public opening of Boylston St. That decision depends in part on the ability of all buildings to make necessary repairs.
Q: If I am the business owner and I cannot make it to the Hynes, may I send a representative?
A: Yes. Please bring proper identification.
Q: Can I bring in trucks and heavy equipment?
A: No personal or delivery vehicle access will be possible on Tuesday 4/23. Please check with the representatives at the Hynes Convention Center for more information. Commercial vehicles specifically involved in repairs and cleanup will be granted temporary access through the staff at the resource center at the Hynes and Boston Police Department.
Q: Will I be able to stay in my home or business once I get there Tuesday? How do I get in and out?
A: Yes. Please bring proper identification. With proper ID, you will be granted access in and out at designated access points.
Additional questions: Please call the Mayor's 24-Hour Hotline or visit the resource center at the Hynes Convention Center. On Tuesday 4/23, it will be open from 10:00am until 7:00pm.


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[[Category:Western Australia]]
[[Category:Western Australia]]
Revision as of 02:32, 23 October 2011
I have tried many solar oven designs over many years and, being a Joiner/Patternmaker by Trade, have developed my patio model which I call a Sola Kooka, as the best user friendly solar oven yet. Its cooking chamber has a yearly average temperature of 167°C. It reaches 200°C constantly (212°C max) with all reflectors focused in high summer here in Western Australia and fries foods because it gets so hot. I have failed to find another "passive" (black collector) that attains the same hight temperatures that this model reaches for its size. Its very user friendly as it sits on a free moving trolley, and is rapidly being taken up by folk who live in the hotter country areas of Australia as well as the city dwellers. The design has been Patent applied for in many countries and can be made in any width (up to 2350mm wide) without compromise of user friendlyness. We make them wider for less sunlit countries like England for example, (1200mm width) with the standard width for Australia being 750mm wide. It can have an electric, gas or flamed fire as a back up, as the design is so useful for multi-tasking.
If any Solar cooker is going to revolutionise the world to use one, it has to be user friendly, get hot and retain the heat, cheap to build and be durable and last. Its this design, because its so user friendly, gets very hot quickly and retains and replaces heat more efficently than any other passive sola oven for it`s collection area. The design can be made for less developing countries, with basic construction for costs, yet not compromise its user friendly facts, or its high reaching temperatures, or can be made from more durable qualities (steel) for the more affluent western countries. Its for these reasons we can see this design beng used through-out the world, both East and West and are doing all we can to achieve this and because of the design, its happening because of it. Its the Solar Cooking oven designs presantly available that are stopping this medium from being captured by humans. Passive solar ovens are all cumbersome and clumsy to use and move if made large, and don't get hot enough, with anoying refector problems if they are small and portable. Active solar ovens (silvered reflecting) are just plain unfriendly and dangerous if large and unfriendly to operate and focus (weather permitting) if small and portable. Not so the Sola Kooka.
Recent news and developments
See also
Solar Kooka's Ltd
2 Balanus Way Heathridge
Perth, Western Australia
6027 Australia
Tel: +61 (08) 94018541
Mob: +61 0419699910
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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Rod Desyne is pleased to introduce our designer-looking adjustable Ivy Finial Double Drapery Rod made with high quality steel pole. This curtain rod will add an elegant statement to any room. Matching single rod and holdback is available and sold separately.
- Includes two 13/16 in. diameter telescoping rods, 2-finials, 2-end caps on back rod, double mounting brackets and mounting hardware
- Rod construction: 28 in. - 48 in. is one adjustable telescoping pole
- 2-ivy finials, each measures: 4 in. L x 5 in. H x 1/4 in. D
- Double brackets projection: wall to front rod 5-1/4 in. wall to back rod 2-3/4 in.
- Double bracket quantity: 28 in. - 48 in. (2-piece)
- Color: black
- Material: metal


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Living and Working on Kodiak Island
The largest island in Alaska, Kodiak is a place of remarkable scenic beauty, abundant with wildlife and lush vegetation. The City of Kodiak is about 250 miles south of Anchorage. It serves as the major supply and transportation center for the Kodiak Island Archipelago, a large group of islands about 30 miles from the Alaska Peninsula.
Providence Kodiak Island Medical Center is a critical access hospital featuring 25 acute beds, including 4 birthing suites and 2 ICU beds. In addition, our Elder House has 19 long term care beds. With emphasis on evidence based practice, our staff strives to create a quality health care experience for each patient - one focused on trust, respect, communication and teamwork. We proudly support the educational development of staff and provide onsite career development for staff members.
Check out our available jobs below.
Results, order, filter
Medical Laboratory Technician Jobs in Alaska
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Medical Laboratory TechnicianKodiak, Alaska
- Featured Jobs


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AFP - WESCOM via EPA
A photo released on Jan. 20, 2013 by the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command (AFP-WESCOM) shows the US Navy ship USS Guardian remaining stuck in the vicinity of the Tubbataha Reef, western Philippines, on Jan. 19.
The U.S. Navy ship USS Guardian remains stuck on a reef off the Philippines four days after the minesweeper ran aground.
In a statement, the U.S. Navy said preliminary findings of a review by the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency found that digital navigation chart data was inaccurate and had "misplaced the location of Tubbataha Reef." This "may have been a factor in the Guardian grounding."
"While the erroneous navigation chart data is important information, no one should jump to conclusions," U.S. Pacific Fleet spokesman Capt. Darryn James was quoted as saying in the statement. "It is critical that the U.S. Navy conduct a comprehensive investigation that assesses all the facts surrounding the Guardian grounding."
Wescom via AFP - Getty Images
The USS Guardian remains trapped on the Tubbataha Reef in a photo taken on Ja. 19, 2013 and released on Jan. 20.
Photographs showed the ship had moved on the reef. Initially it was pointed bow first into the reef, but it has now turned 90 degrees.
The Navy Times reported that areas of the ship were flooded, and cited the Navy as saying there had been a "slight increase to a port list" Saturday.


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The Xerox Digital Color Management Certification Program is a self-paced, online program. The program consists of 20 learning modules relating to CIELAB, D50, spot colors, RGB, CMYK, GRACoL and DFE settings. The program includes a training kit with press sheets, color samples and course text book.The course is presented by Dr Abhay Sharma of Ryerson University and is intended for operators and prepress staff involved in digital color production printing with Xerox presses. Successful completion of the program leads to Xerox Color Management Certification.
Last modified: Monday, August 12, 2013, 8:33 AM


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Overbay on the block?
Reports out of Seattle are that the Blue Jays have shown a willingness to trade first baseman Lyle Overbay — a native of Centralia, Wash. — to the Mariners. According to the Seattle Times, Toronto is even willing to pick up some of the $14 million Overbay is owed through 2010.
The Tacoma News-Tribune has reported that the Blue Jays have been met with a "decided lack of enthusiasm" from Seattle. It's been rumored that Overbay was part of the package that Toronto tried to use to acquire outfielder Raul Ibanez prior to the July 31 Trade Deadline this past season. Ibanez is a free agent this winter.
The Blue Jays are trying to upgrade their offense this winter and first base is an area that the club can address. Since having his right hand broken by a pitch midway through the 2007 season, Overbay's offensive numbers, especially his power production, have declined. Toronto acquired Overbay in a five-player trade with the Brewers prior to the '06 season.
The Blue Jays have also been rumored to be in on possible trade talks with the Padres for shortstop Khalil Greene. Without an excess of cash to spend this winter, Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi has made it known that the club does plan on exploring the trade market in an attempt to meet some of its offseason goals.
34 Comments
With the economy in the condition it is , it makes sense to explore the trade route. I have difficulty understanding how a team can spend millions of dollars for one player when people are losing their jobs and homes. People will not have the surplus money to spend on the entertainment of baseball or many other activities. It will be interesting to see if ticket sales will reflect this over the next few years or if more fans will choose to participate from their armchair. I hope MLB is sensitive to the plight of their fans . I do wish we go do a deal or trade for a new GM …..atleast I can dream about it . Take care all
oops ….last sentence should read . I wish we could do a deal or trade for a new GM . I can't even plead blonde moment …take care all
This is great news. Hopefully Seatle bites on the deal. They are one of the few teams that need a 1B and the Jays need to purge Overbay. The players need to know that if they don't perform, the door is pretty easy to find.
Overbay should have been reaching his peak after a great year in 2006. However, the last two seasons have been a disappointment.
I can't really see how he could be on the decline, but it sure seems like it. An upgrade at 1b might help this team, also it could clear room Dopriak to get a taste.
I don't think Overbay was on the decline but his hand gave him more problems than anyone expected . It was a nasty break that carried over into 2008 and he admitted it still bothers him. If I remember correctly, by the end of this season his numbers had started to pick up so maybe he, like everyone else, was benefitting from the new coaching staff. A player has a mediocre year because of an injury and teams dispose of him . A GM has 7 mediocre years and gets rewarded with an extension , whats wrong with this picture. I believe the Jays need new blood , somebody with fresh ideas
For those of you interested the 30 MLB reporters now have a hot stove blog
have a great day all and take care
Lyle is a fine hitter and he had an okay season, he is just not hitting anywhere near to way he was hitting in 2004, 2005, and 2006. I thought that he was one of those players that benefited from the new coaching system as well, but the numbers don't back that up. His batting average in August and September were lower than any month he hit in last season. Post All-Star break, he did hit more homeruns 9 compared to 6 HRs Pre-break, but his average was similar .271 to .269. He had a lower on base percentage in the last half of the year, which is very telling of the new system.
In Overbay, I wanted a guy that was going to flirt with hitting 50 doubles every year, like he did in 2004 with Milwaukee. He hasn't come near that in the past two years and his run production is drastically down. Maybe the hand ailment is going to ruin his career? I don't know? It is hard to explain why guys were hitting so far under their career medians last season? I'd perfer to see a full year of Overbay swinging away under Gaston, and if he underachieves again, I'd just replace him on the depth chart.
If you are right though, and J.P. deals Overbay before he has the season that we were all hoping he would have, then that will be another one for the books with J.P., of a pretty long list.
How could've J.P. forseen a freak hand injury that prevents Overbay from playing the way he's capable of ? I don't understand how J.P. should be blamed for that one. I do like that he's trying to trade him though, but for whom ? It might even matter as it could simply be a way for them to dump some salary. I'm hoping B.J. is next…
I think they are better served to spend that money elsewhere. Move Lind over to first to replace Lyle and the closer can be one of Downs, Accardo or Janssen.
sorry that should read it might not..
In my view, the Jays are at a cross roads. Do they sign Tiexera, trade for Hanley Ramirez types and do a reasonable re-tool with the intention of competing or do they do a complete rebuild to contend in 3-4 years?
Dumping Overbay makes sense regardless of which direction they go. First base has to be a "big bat"position with a guy who hits .300+, high rbi delivery and good power. Overbay has never done either and never will, as nice of a player he is, he isn't a Kevin Youkilis, Mark Tiexera or Prince Fielder.
In the division we're in, we have to assume the Rays, Yanks and Sox will all improve next year. So if we're going to compete with them, we really do need guys like Tiexera and Ramirez in a re-tool effort-other than that we're joking iwth ourselves.
The real concern I have is they do neither, just add a guy or two to sell some tickets and wallow in 4th place again next year. Two statements in the above post from JB suggests that's what they're going to do. The lack of cash available suggests this is what's happening.
On the other hand, who in their right mind would ever want JP to make the decisions if a major re-build is done. Certainly not me.
Aquiring Overbay I thought was a great move and there was no way J.P. could have forseen the last two seasons, where he has greatly underachieved. I too thought Overbay was going to be our staple at First Base for years.
I just hope that in trading him, we are not trading a guy whose best baseball is still ahead of him. Then we J.P. will definately catch some blame.
The thing with Overybay too is that he's signed to a reasonable contract assuming he produces like he should, I do see your point welikeroy. I initially misread your comment.
Garry, G. Sumner and Indigo,
How is everything going? I hope all is well. A chilly night expceted here in Florida. Temps in the low 60's overnight. LOL!!
Certainly a tough division is the A.L. East but I wouldn't want it any other way. Competitive teams are a good thing.
G. Sumner..
I doubt the Marlins will deal Hanley Ramirez away. They just signed him to a long term deal. He is one of the elite players in the game. Not many players are better than him. I just wish he played for a better team. I hate too see great talent like him play in front of friends and family and never have a chance for October baseball. They need to build a new stadium in Miami. I hope that will happen.
Jordan looks tough in that photo. LOL!! If I saw him in a dark alley I would be very scared. ha…ha….ha….lol.
Congrats to all the Gold Glove winners. Now an somebody please explain to me how Mussina won a Gold Glove in AL pitching when Doc's numbers are clearly better. I am not saying Doc was the best but he was sure better than Mussina. I think Doc got robbed
Mussina FP is .976, PO's 18 A's 23 and his RnF was 1.84
Doc FP is 9.83, PO's 33, A's 26 and his RnF was2.16
bosox ,
I think Jordan's pic looks like a Warhol ……lol… I am doing great , hope you can say the same
One never knows with Florida, Hanley is about to cost them 20% of their entire salary expense and the way the economy is in Florida they just might decide to move him. My point, though, was unless we trade for that kind of quality to boost our attack, we are probably better off rebuilding to contend in 3-4 years because the horses we have won't get us to the finish line.
Our production is weak at 3rd base, 1st base and ss. I think we're fine in the outfield, 2nd and catching-providing we bring up Arrencibia,but we need a big bat in the 4th hole, we need a real lead off hitter and we clearly need more power.
Simple answer-Mussina is from New York and the good doctor is from Toronto.
I knew that answer was coming , its the obvious one . I was hoping somebody had a more creative one ……lol…..
Could it be???????????
DANA POINT, Calif. — The Dodgers' two year-offer to Manny Ramirez — believed to be for about $45 million — is very unlikely to lead to a quick deal between the sides, or perhaps any deal.
The sides are so far apart that the Blue Jays, Orioles and perhaps the Yankees and other teams likely have moved ahead of the Dodgers in terms of their chances to win the services of the mercurial superstar. Those outside teams aren't eligible to make offers until Nov. 14, but the Dodgers have thus far failed to get a jump start on the others with a proposal so far below Ramirez's asking price that Manny is likely thinking more seriously about outside options now.
Thanks for that link gsjays.
I had Manny 100% tagged to be a Dodger next year. I assumed all the talk about him coming to the Jays was nonsense. Now it is looking more like a possibility, but still a bit of a stretch.
With Overbay possibly going to the Mariners, Do you think it's possible that we are going after Erik Bedard? I hope so, but it leaves a whole at first base which I dout is going to be filled by anyone like Texiera. I also hear rumors that the Jays are interested in Derek Lowe who wants to come to the East. And with the Dodgers and the Yankees possibility of getting Manny slowly going down, it's starting to look better for the Jays even with their slim chances. I am against the Jays wanting to get Greene, I would definetely go after either Furcal or Cabrera.
The Jays have $82.45 million in salary committed to eight players for 2010
-Vernon Wells $21
– Roy Halladay $15.75
-Scott Rolen $11.0,
-B.J. Ryan -$10.0,
-Alex Rios $9.7,
-Lyle Overbay $7.0,
-Scott Downs $4.0
– Aaron Hill $4.0
That's not mentioning Marcum, McGowan, Litsh, Lind, Snider a catcher and ****.
I don't see how they will be able to afford Manny or Tiexera. Both expecting to make over $20 million a season.
With the Canadian $ down, and the "cap" at around $100 million. Where is the money going to come from?
"Uncle" Ted is a rich man, so that's where the money comes from and after 2010 5 of those contracts are off the books.
I've heard that Paul Beeston has asked for a team payroll increase. It's not likely to happen, but it's out there. I know the canadian dollar is decreasing in value again but that's just what i've heard.
I was as surprised as anyone else that we are actually making a play for Manny. No question, he'll cost a lot. It might be that Rogers has given Beeston the "go ahead" to really go for it. Maybe Mr. Rogers wants to win. If he does then money will be little.
gawd, who wants manny, really guys seriously. okay, I know i always do this woman thing with feelings and emotions more than reality…..however…..Dustin and his wife were expecting a baby in October and I just wondered if anyone has heard anything?
Alright, here's a wild idea…the Jays' formerly projected league-leading pitching staff for 2009 is no longer intact due to injuries. However, they're all expected to be back either mid-2009 or beginning of 2010.
So why not 'suck it up' this year on the pitching front and see what our youngsters can do (unless some really good deal slips through the cracks in which, by all means, jump on it) while concentrating our available money (and a bit more if Rogers allows it) on bringing in a legitimate (and proven but not declining (*see Frank Thomas experience)) power bat like an Anderson, Ibanez, Abreu, or Bradley for several years? Sure, next year we probably won't win the division even with the additional power, but at least we'll have him locked up for 2010 when the pitching is in tact again and we can make a real run for it! I don't see any reason for spending on a one year 'stop-gap' for pitching just to avoid the cellar of the division. It seems like a waste of money when those dollars can be spent towards 2010 and our real need, an established power threat for average
I hope the Jays aggressively shop both Overbay and Ryan this off-season. Although both are do for bounce back years Ryan could be repaced by a much cheaper combination of Downs, League, and Accardo.
Does anyone actually think that who ever gives Ramirez or AJ a five year deal wont regret it after years 2/3. I will be glad to see AJ walk and become the Yankees next Carl Pavano.
Found an interesting article today….
I always thought the Jays should've signed Barry, this just gave me more of a reason to have wanted it.
ALso heard today that the Oakland A's are on the verge of acuiring Matt Holliday. I'm wondering why I haven't heard of the Jays being interested or has anyone heard something else ?
If JP trades for Khalil Greene, I'll call for him to be fired.
Khali is definitaly not someone i'd like to see come here either. I'd like them to try for J.J. Hardy.
Kalil Greene would be a poor pick up for the jays he is inconsistent on the field and with a self inflicted injury can't be much better off. Enigma is right JJ Hardy would be a much better fit.
Of all of them, I'd prefer we trade for Alcides Escobar. The Brew crew had no place for him, particulary the way J.J. Hardy played in the playoffs and would likely let him go at a lot lower cost than Hardy.
Mark my words, Escobar is going to be as good at short stop as Orlando Hudson is at 2nd base-he's an up and comer just about to blossom.


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When will all of you darling, but incredibly naive, people learn that encouraging me by leaving such smashing comments is just really not the sort of thing that my already hyper-inflated ego needs. . .;)
My sincerest thanks to all 47of you that commented on my blog, but also to everyone that's been a friend, follower, and fan of Bugaboo Stamps and our challenge blog, Catch the Bug, this past year!
The WINNER! WINNER! WINNER! (generated by entering the number of comments at Random.org, and excluding those by Bugaboo Stamps DT memebers) of Clown Numbers | Two (the image that I used here) is Julie Price of Stamps, Paper, Ribbons N Things.* And, just because it's our second birthday (and because I can. . .;) I'm going to send you a second image of your choice Julie. Please e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com to claim your images.
*In the event that I don't hear from the winner, I'll draw another name next Saturday, 01/28/2012.


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I've started playing with WebGL a while ago, with a Firefox Minefield build and Chrome 5 on Ubuntu 9.10. It worked just fine then, but other projects got in the way and I forgot about it for a while. Yesterday I decided to pick it up again, having upgraded the OS to 10.04 / Lucid Lynx in the meantime, and now I'm getting weird program freezes (mostly the browser I'm using, sometimes the IDE as well, and sometimes the whole system hangs up) when using WebGL. The driver for my ATI cards is fglrx, browsers are still the same. I'm using the CopperLicht library. Sometimes the freezes occur as soon as I try to load WebGL content, sometimes it works fine for a bit and then freezes. When not using anything WebGL related, the system is fine. E.g. Blender works flawlessly.
Any idea what could be causing this?


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The mission of the College of Saint Benedict Archives is:
To appraise, collect, organize, describe, make available, and preserve records of historical, legal, fiscal, and/or administrative value to the College.
To provide adequate facilities for the preservation of such records.
To provide information services that will assist the operation of the institution.
To serve as a resource and laboratory to stimulate and nourish creative teaching and learning.
To serve research and scholarship by making available and encouraging the use of its collections by members of the institution and the community at large.
To promote knowledge and understanding of the origins, aims, and goals of the institution, and of the development of these aims, goals, and programs.


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The "twin fascisms" – that dominate the Arab world – Islamism & pan-Arabism
frontpagemag ^ | 10, 2007
All minorities living within the Arab world are under siege. Tunisian human rights activist Muhammad Bechri has traced this to the "twin fascisms" – his term – that dominate the Arab world, Islamism and pan-Arabism. The first promotes murderous intolerance of religious minorities. It helps explain why Christians are under siege across the Arab world and why Sudan enjoyed broad Arab support as it killed some two million non-Muslim blacks in the south of the country. Pan-Arabism translates into endorsement of murderous policies toward Muslim but non-Arab groups and accounts for Arab support for Saddam Hussein as he slaughtered 200,000 Kurds in northern Iraq, as well as backing for Sudanese policies toward the Muslim but black population of Darfur.
The Arab world is not about to make an exception for the Jews. This broad intolerance of minorities is further evidence of how unlikely it is the Arab world will accept the legitimacy of a Jewish state in its midst any time soon.
(Excerpt) Read more at frontpagemagazine.com …