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Baghdad, Iraq (APE) – US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British foreign Secretary Jack straw today stunned the world with a surprise visit to Baghdad on Sunday and a quick ceremony at an undisclosed location. Rice was sent reeling from a visit this weekend to Straw's hometown of Blackburn during which she was consistently met with angry protesters. Rice's visit to England and Straw's family was a stark contrast to the warm reception Straw received when he visited Rice's home state of Alabama last year. Well-wishers speculated that perhaps this might have weighed heavily in the couple's elopement to Baghdad.
This was the first marriage for the Secretary of State and the second for the British foreign Secretary. Straw's ex-wife Anthea Weston expressed shock at the turn of events and stated that she and straw's two children had no idea this might happen. A spokesperson for the Bush administration stated that there would be officially no comment. President Bush is currently at his home in Crawford, TX, having returned from a meeting with Mexican President Vicente Fox, and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Canc


text: Categories Photos Mission Space Post author By nicktinkl Post date October 12, 2013 No Comments on Mission Space Trying to find unique images at one of the most photographed places in North America. Tags Details, metal ← The End → Not So Straight But To The Point Leave a Reply Cancel replyYour email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment * Name * Email * Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ

subset: commoncrawl


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Podcast Episode #16 The Power of Our Words – Part 1
Our Words are so Powerful! They have the ability to build up or tear down. Join us for this 3 part podcast in which we are going to encourage ourselves to evaluate our words!
Listen HERE:
Picture of The Rice Experiment:


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Marvel's Inhumans casts a 2,000-pound teleporting dog
Marvel's Inhumans has cast five more actors for the ABC series plus a —
Hold on, stop the presses. A "2,000-pound teleporting dog"?
If we weren't into this show before, we sure are now.
Move over HBO direwolves, Inhumans has cast a bulldog named Lockjaw as himself. It seems Medusa (Serinda Swan) has a sister, Crystal (Isabelle Cornish, just added), who in turn has a dog (the aforementioned Lockjaw), who on the show will appear to weigh about a ton and has the ability to teleport. This should make playing fetch vastly more interesting, not to mention reduce the need to get up and let Lockjaw out for a daily walk. In case you're wondering, the top weight for real-life bulldogs is about 60 pounds.
Oh, also there are five human actors joining the cast too. In addition to Cornish (Australia Day), who's the youngest member of the royal family and has the ability to control the elements, there's…
Eme Ikwuakor (Concussion) as Gorgon — Cousin of Black Bolt (Anson Mount), "member of the Royal family, and leader of Attilan's military. With super strong legs, complete with hooves, he can generate destructive seismic waves with a single stomp. The ying to his cousin Karnak's (Ken Leung) yang, Gorgon would rather fight than talk to solve his problems."
Mike Moh (Empire) as Triton — Black Bolt's cousin, "he's calm under pressure and supremely athletic. His gift is his fish-like ability to live underwater."
Sonya Balmores (Beyond the Break) as Auran — Head of the Royal Guards on Attilan, "a capable and no-nonsense woman. She is fiercely loyal to the King of Attilan."
Ellen Woglom (Californication), an undisclosed character described as "smart, intense, and focused — so focused that oftentimes, social skills take a back seat. Her job at a private aerospace company is her life, second only to her passion for all things space and lunar. She's primed to be swept up in an adventure."
Marvel's Inhumans comes to ABC and IMAX theaters this fall.
Episode Recaps


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SAN BERNARDINO >> A driver in a stolen car led officers on a high speed chase for more than two hours Monday from Cabazon to Los Angeles County and back to the Inland Empire. It ended on a freeway overpass in San Bernardino where the man threatened to jump.
A California Highway Patrol officer rushed the man identified as Joseph Nader, 51, of Los Angeles, who was holding a long piece of metal, and pulled him off the guardrail.
"The officer at the end that came in and pulled him off the bridge in my opinion is a hero," CHP Officer Brian Alvarez said. "I believe he put his life at risk to get the gentleman off the edge of the bridge."
The bloody man yelled out he had been trying to find work and mental health help before he was taken to an area hospital for his injuries.
• Video: Pursuit suspects says he's been looking for mental health help
Authorities used less-than-lethal bean bag rounds against Nader, according to CHP officers on scene. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of drugs, felony evading, stolen vehicle, resisting arrest and a no-bail warrant
There was concern when motorists stopped to watch the confrontation on the freeway, which Alvarez said posed a safety risk for the drivers and the officers at the scene.
The pursuit began when patrol officers on the Morongo Reservation reported a suspicious vehicle on the reservation to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department about 7:50 a.m., said Deputy Mike Vasquez.
Deputies located the vehicle in Cabazon and ran a record check on it, he said. The vehicle turned out to be stolen — Vasquez did not know where from — so deputies tried to stop it. The driver, Nader, instead took off.
Nader got onto the 10 Freeway west toward Banning. He then took the 60 Freeway through Moreno Valley to the 15 interchange, where the chase was handed over to CHP officers in San Bernardino, Vasquez said.
• Photos: Man leads police on pursuit through three counties
CHP in Los Angeles County took over the pursuit on the westbound 60 in Diamond Bar at 8:57 a.m.
From the westbound 60 Freeway, CHP Officer Alex Rubio said the car went to the northbound 605 Freeway then the eastbound 10 Freeway. Nader allegedly hit speeds of about 90 to 100 mph.
TV news channels began to show the chase in Baldwin Park as it headed eastbound toward San Bernardino.
At one point, the driver opened what looked like a plastic bag and took out an item which he threw out the window.
Nader reportedly stopped on the northbound 215 Freeway in San Bernardino, got out carrying some sort of metal molded car part and walked across the freeway to the Palm Avenue overpass.
• Video: Paramedics tend to pursuit suspect on 215 Freeway
Nader could be seen saying something at the officers as he then made his way to one side of the overpass and straddled a guardrail.
An officer pulled him off. Other officers assisted and cuffed the man.
CHP say they're uncertain when and how Nader was injured though it likely happened during the struggle when he was apprehended.
While he was being treated by paramedics for cuts to his knees at the scene and loaded into an ambulance, Nader said that he's been looking for work and mental heath help
The suspect was taken to the hospital about 10:30 a.m. About 10 minutes later, both lanes of the 215 were open.
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Burning candle caused fire that left infant hospitalized
Community rallies to raise funds to assist family
A burning candle was the cause of a fire earlier this month that left an 8-month-old girl hospitalized and fighting for her life, Baltimore City Fire Department officials said.
Erika Poremski said her daughter, Viviana, was trapped on the second floor of their home on the 6800 block of Gough Street when the fire broke out at about 10:45 p.m. on Aug. 14.
Fire officials said when firefighters entered the home to rescue Viviana, they found Poremski's dog, Polo, in the room with her and he was covering her with his body. The dog died trying to protect the child, Poremski said.
Friends, family members and total strangers arrived Monday at the Sea Horse Inn in Dundalk where money was being raised to help offset the costs associated with the fire.
Joe Poremski, Viviana's grandfather, said the infant is in critical condition and that she suffered a loss of oxygen to her brain. He added that the story of his granddaughter and their dog has touched people all over the country who have reached out to their family.
"Everybody keep praying and keep Vivi in their prayer so she can recover from her injuries and come back to us," Joe Poremski said.
Fire officials said there was a severe thunderstorm that knocked out the power in the neighborhood the night of the fire which led to the use of the candles.
Fire department spokesman Samuel Johnson said that residents are reminded to never leave open fires unattended whether you are cooking or using candles. He recommends that everyone keep a battery-operated flashlight and radio on hand in case of power outages and other emergencies.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the family. To donate, tap here.


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|Home > Links
Have a site that you think I would want to see? Have a site and want me to link to it? Let me know about it. Check out all the free guitar lesson websites on the Guitar Resources page and learn to play the guitar!
To link to my site just copy and paste one of the HTML code into your website and you are done.
HTML code for Guitar Lessons
Which should look like this:
Free Guitar Lessons
Free Acoustic, Blues, Rock & Easy Guitar Lessons
HTML code for Guitar Riffs
Which should look like this:
Free Guitar Riffs
Free Blues, Rock & Shred Guitar Riffs
HTML code for Guitar Scales
Which should look like this:
Free Guitar Scales
Free Pentatonic, Major & Jazz Guitar Scales


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By Carol Begay Green, MA, CTVI, NCUEB
I developed a braille code for the Navajo language and it was approved by the Navajo Nation Board of Diné Education. Navajo braille has no contractions. Navajo words and passages are to be fully written in alphabetic, uncontracted braille. Punctuation, type face, and numbers will adhere to the UEB guidelines (see BANA, 2013). It was designed to be used to instruct adults and children who use braille to read and write in Navajo.
Nasal Vowels are indicated by prefixing (dots 4,6) before a plain or high-tone vowel.
It will be shared with the Braille Authority of North America in order to be adopted for World Braille Usage. Once it is approved and adopted by the Navajo Nation and BANA, it will be shared with the Arizona School for the Blind, the New Mexico School for the blind, and the Utah School for the Blind so that Teachers of the Blind and Visually Impaired (TVIs) and transcribers will become aware of the standardization of a Navajo Braille Code to be used with blind children, especially blind Navajo children. Also, major colleges and universities in the four corners region will be made aware of the code as well so that adults who use braille will have access to learning Navajo language. Once the braille code is formally adopted by the Navajo Tribe it will be shared throughout educational and professional communities which serve blind and visually impaired adults and children within the Navajo Nation and surrounding communities. It could also be posted on the Navajo Nation Department of Diné Education website.
See also: Braille Codes for Native American and First Nations Languages


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Comme des Garçons and Nike are back at it for fall/winter '17 with a new range of co-branded apparel and a second chance at a recent footwear collaboration.
Available today is the Comme des Garçons Black x Nike collection, which blends the gloomy vision of Japanese fashion designer Rei Kawakubo with the Swoosh's expertise in athletic wear. The result is a collection that's sparse on color, but carefully engineered with modern fabrics and technologies, at a fraction of the price you might expect to pay for mainline Comme des Garçons apparel.
Included in the range are mesh crew T-Shirts in black and white (the lone non-black style in the collection), polyester taffeta bomber and hooded jackets and the return of September's Waffle Racer sneaker. Prices range from $199 for T-Shirts to $475 for the jackets.
As is always the case with the Comme des Garçons Black line — which was birthed in the aftermath of 2008's economic recession — allocations are extremely limited, with just a handful of brick and mortar stores stocking the items globally.
One such retailer is the UK's End, which is selling the collection now exclusively in-store. For more information, visit endclothing.com.
Want more?
Here's When Supreme and Comme des Garçons' Limited-Edition Nike Sneakers Come Out
Kanye West Spotted Wearing Comme des Garçons and Yeezy Sneakers You Can't Buy
The 7 Best Sneakers Under $150


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LexisNexis® Risk Solutions is ranked a leader in The Forrester Wave™: Risk-Based Authentication, Q2 2020 report. This designation reflects our continued commitment and success in helping customers gain a 360-degree view of risk.
We achieved our progress through organic product enhancements complemented by several strategic acquisitions.
The Forrester Wave report examined 33 discrete sets of criteria for its evaluation, which includes the seven most significant risk based authentication (RBA) providers. The Forrester report shows how "each provider measures up and helps security and risk professionals select the right one for their needs."
Digital transactions are more prevalent than ever in today's current state of world affairs. This makes RBA stand out as a top concern for businesses looking to improve fraud prevention.
LexisNexis Risk Solutions received the highest score possible for the following Forrester report criteria:
We will continue to apply leading-edge technology solutions to the problems that our customers face. We have a vision that keeps us focused on future innovation, and we have products that keep us rooted in the solutions that help sustain our customers' business.
Behavioral biometrics adds a layer of defense to weed out fraudsters, all in near-real timeLearn More
Get a clear picture of who is behind a transaction and the associated risk, so your team can automate decision workflows, improve customer experience, all in near-real timeLearn More
Enable cybersecurity and risk management through data science innovation and shared intelligenceLearn More


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When my husband told me he wanted to hand down his old cell phone to my son when he upgraded to a new one, I was worried. I thought it was too early. Our plan was to give him a cell phone no earlier than 13. I looked at him. There he was 10.5 years-old, looking almost 14, playing with our phone.
We discussed and finally decided to go for it. He already knew how to operate our phones, along with all types of electronics better than I did. He was my go-to helper in the car when I need to look up directions, search something or respond to a text. It would give him more independence and us, a peace of mind along with flexibility.
But I knew we would have problems with excessive usage. Especially with games.
I could see him glued to his cell phone at every opportunity he could get.
We were already having issues with screen time, with the computer, phone and tablets available at hand.
He was overjoyed when he got his phone. I admit I was a bit irritated by his exclamation of entitlement, exhaling "finally" when he opened it, but my husband set him straight with cell phone contract and explained him his rights and responsibilities. This was 2 months ago.
Unfortunately, my prediction came true.
In the following days, he played on his cell phone whenever he could, even though he was done with his allowed screen time. First few days, which was over the holidays, we let him enjoy his new phone in hopes of it fading away. After the honeymoon period was over, we started to kindly instruct him to put it down when enough was enough.
But there was a twist.
Few times, when I asked him to put his phone away, I had my cell phone on my hand and my husband was checking his own cell phone as well. So, when my son responded to my request by saying "but you are always on your phone", that cell phone burned my hand.
"Put that phone down and calmly step away", I told myself.
Until that point, I haven't realized how much of the time he would see us on our cell phones. It was embarrassing, considering that I didn't think of myself being on my phone a lot. Sometimes, I would use it to do something necessary like looking up an answer to a question my kids ask or find a recipe. But then I would get distracted and find myself unconsciously checking my IG feed, WhatsApp threads, instead of reading do something more productive.
My fears turned out to be worse than I had initially thought. I noticed whenever my son was on his phone but he wasn't supposed to, we were on our phones as well. I had to put mine down and signal to my husband to do the same before I asked my son to leave his phone. It made me notice, how much we were attached to our smartphones and he was reflecting us.
I slowly started to become more conscious of my own cell phone use at home, at least in front of the kids.
At the end of two months, giving my son a cell phone became a blessing in disguise. I became better at controlling my own screen time on my cell phone. Gradually, he followed suit. It is not easy to do that with all types of distracting apps and social media in our palms. It is scary how quickly we lose our awareness and fall into the trap of mindless browsing and messaging. I still use my smartphone as a tool smart myself up, but I have to consciously put an effort to make sure it's not unconsciously dummying me down and disconnecting me from my family.
Are you also finding it hard to be conscious of using your cell phones and other electronics in front of your kids? Please share, if you have strategies that work for you to be a better role model for your children?


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JSON schema is the modern equivalent to XSchema/DDML or the good old ancient DTDs. It provides a lightweight, self-describing and abstract protocol for describing and validating data formats and models. There are validator implementations in many languages, but the most obvious use is in pre-send validation for frontend JavaScript applications. A good validator and some simple wrappers or data binding (like say, this...) and you can code up a complex and powerful new application in days.
Its simple JSON structure and savviness of the community has thus far kept any kind of introductory documentation from cropping up, instead one must simply read through the spec and digest it for themselves. Since this is a time-consuming process, I did up a quick cheatsheet of the properties involved in schema declarations so that once one understands the basic principle you don't have to go back and check for what the name of something was repeatedly. (more)


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Young Leaders e-Learning : International Camp
Out of stock
Out of stock
As parents, it is sometimes very difficult to understand our child who are experiencing a different kind of adolescence than us. They live through puberty where western pop culture and kpop culture are their main influence. The ever famous generational gap exists to pull us apart from your child.
"My kids never listen to what I say!"
"I don't understand why are they behaving like that!"
"I don't know how to deal with their issues"
"I am doing this for their own good, but why do they rebel?"
"Am I a bad parent for not knowing how to deal with their problems?"
"My parents don't understand me! It is so frustrating!"
"Why are they always so naggy, its annoying?"
"They don't trust me with anything!"
"I wish my parents will just leave me alone"
"Will I ever be good enough for my parents?"
Is your child feeling lost and confused about their future?
Are they always unmotivated to begin their day?
Do they not understand the importance of money?
If these are some of the traits your child exhibits, then it is just the typical Gen-Z traits. Having everything served to them on a silver platter. The children of today are too unconcerned and thoughtless about their own future because they are too comfortable. They are unaware of the real value of money and often their goals are quickly forgotten.
It is an inescapable truth that technology is fully integrated into our children's lives. It is now, not only just an indulgence, but a sort of necessity. However, technology is a double-edged sword; where if used unwisely, it can be harmful.
This is where we see our children's addiction to electronic devices begin. A single Facebook or Instagram post grants them an almost instantaneous gratification. Or the infinite TikTok videos, which preys on young mind's short attention spans. Even the computer games which ground our children to stay at home but expose them to a bigger risk of meeting anonymous players worldwide.
It is neither yours nor your children's fault that the syllabus today is fixed in a way that eludes and confuses students. To add salt to a wound, your children are not taught the right way to study and have no idea how to make effective notes. Moreover, each subject requires many textbooks, with lengthy explanations, that may further confuse your children who do not know how to pinpoint the keywords.
It ALL boils down to the strategies your children can use to overcome these problems…


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I was just trying to find out if any celebrities had had their babies recently via my daily celebrity-babies.com check. And then Gwyneth Paltrow popped up, as she does at all the most inopportune times. Talking about how she'd gotten in the best shape of her life and could wear (really short!) shorts at age 37. And I thought, well, I don't want to wear really short shorts. But maybe Bermuda shorts? Without having excess skin drooping down from my knees? And all kinds of wobbly-ness peeking out?
So what the heck, I checked out her trainer's exercise video. I've looked at it twice now. The first time I couldn't even do the exercises. I just laughed. Now I can do 4 exercises at half the number of suggested reps (10 instead of 20). And then I just fall into a heap of slovenliness.
Pass me the cookies. Shorts aren't really necessary for a Calgary summer, anyway.


text: ABUS T84MB Series padlocks with a solid brass body and shackle, non-corrosive inner coponents and precision pin tumbler cylinder. Automatic locking and anti-static, non sparking for fuel lock off, vinyl casing provides added protection for the body. Ideal for Lock Offs, luggage, sports equipment etc. Safety Lock OffsMaintenance engineers can isolate valves or switch gear in the knowledge that the valve or switch gear cannot be activated until all engineers are clear of the system.Overall width: 32 mmOverall height: 44 mmOverall depth: 15 mm Shackle width: 14.5 mm I.D.Shckle height: 14.5 mmShackle Dia: 4.5 mm


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Why are we not keeping up?
There's a fascinating line in the opening pages of Here's Looking at Euclid:
By age 16, school kids have learned almost no math beyond what was already known in the mid-seventeenth century, and likewise by the time they are 18 they have not gone beyond the mid-eighteenth century.
If the point of schooling is to teach the current best understanding of the world, we appear to be failing.
Granted, maths is unlike science in that the old ways are built upon rather than overturned. We still learn Pythagoras theorem but not geocentrism.
This necessitates teaching newer mathematical discoveries in addition to what came before it. But is there really no recent mathematical discovery that would be useful to learn in school? Or at least help us shape more rounded adults, equipped for the modern world? Boolean algebra mayhaps?
I was thinking about this as I came across the following passage in The Lady Tasting Tea:
As measurements became more and more precise, more and more error cropped up. The clockwork universe lay in shambles. Attempts to discover the laws of biology and sociology had failed. In the older sciences like physics and chemistry, the laws that Newton and Laplace had used were proving to be only rough approximations. Gradually, science began to work with a new paradigm, the statistical model of reality. By the end of the twentieth century, almost all of science had shifted to using statistical models… Popular culture has failed to keep up with this scientific revolution. Some vague ideas and expressions (like "correlation," "odds," and "risk") have drifted into the popular vocabulary, and most people are aware of the uncertainties associated with some areas of science like medicine and economics, but few nonscientists have any understanding of the profound shift in philosophical view that has occurred
It's definitely my experience that people are more comfortable with a deterministic model of the universe than a probabilistic one. But why are so many of us stuck in old paradigms even as our world has become immensely sophisticated and complicated?
If nothing else, a more widespread probabilistic model would lead to more nuanced discussions around new research and challenges like climate change. A more modern understanding of mathematics would help us all get the most of technological advances.
Many of the books I've read criticising modern education see it as a relic of the industrial revolution and empire, geared towards producing identical widgets to keep things running smoothly. Can't help thinking that's right. And we haven't changed it much.
As always my emphasis.


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Method Man - Artist Management
Clifford Smith (born March 2, 2022), better known by his stage name Method Man, is an American hip hop recording artist from Staten Island, New York. A rapper, record producer and actor, Method Man is perhaps best known as a member of the East Coast hip hop collective Wu-Tang Clan. He took his stage name from the 1979 film The Fearless Young Boxer, also known as Method Man. He is one half of the hip hop duo Method Man & Redman. In 1996, he won a Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, for "I'll Be There for You/You're All I Need to Get By" with Mary J. Blige.
Method Man appeared in the motion pictures Belly, How High, Garden State as well as a minor role in The Wackness, and Venom. More recently, he appeared as a crewman in George Lucas' film Red Tails. On television, he and frequent collaborator Redman, co-starred on the short-lived Fox sitcom Method & Red, and he had a recurring role on HBO's Oz, as Tug Daniels and as Calvin "Cheese" Wagstaff on the HBO drama series The Wire. 2 In 2007, the writers of About.com placed him on their list of the Top 50 MCs of Our Time (1987- 2007). 3 In 2012, The Source placed him on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. 4


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The biggest complaint I hear about modern life is noise. We take phone calls in the middle of a gripping podcast, dictate texts to our iPhones while chopping vegetables, and play with our children while observing the cacophony of news stories unfolding on television. The moments that make the stories of our lives so rich get chopped into sound bites. Our own stories, like the ones on our online feeds, are reduced to sound bites. We become so enraptured by the stories of our technology that we neglect our own.
Tuning in to the precious moments of our lives and finding the joy—and the stories—that live in every moment, is becoming more challenging by the day. But we're in luck: there's one single best practice that, once incorporated into our daily lives, has the power to silence harmful noise, cultivate our ability to listen, and make our families healthier and happier. I'm talking, of course, about reading aloud.
It's easy to discount the power of reading aloud. Many associate it with children learning to read —a stepping stone on the path to silent reading. Or perhaps a flashback to images of deadly read alouds: Little Women's Jo March, bored, and reading hour after hour to her snoozing Aunt. But, when we take a closer look, we see the profound power of reading aloud to one another: noise that works to free our minds and connect us deeply with one another.
Reading aloud, to ourselves and to loved ones, begs our minds and bodies – our ears, our lips, our breath – to become united in both speaking and listening. The text, the reader, and the listener enter into an almost meditative rhythm together. The read aloud space can become safe and familiar: children are first lured in by the voice of a parent, teacher, or friend—a welcome invitation—and then soothed, or inspired. The experience of the story is shared.
Unlike the fast-paced, action-packed television, movies and video games which aggressively demand our attention, the read aloud always progresses at the pace of those involved. Listeners and readers may stop to ask questions, make predictions, hold brief but insightful conversations, point out a detail in an illustration and admire the art. None of this happens alone; all of this happens together.
Even the loudest of read alouds, hosted by the silliest, most exuberant member of the family (taking on the voices of different characters and creating sound effects) have a softness to them. Like a team of campers seated around a bonfire, the warm crackles and embers of the flame before them, a sleepy contentedness settles over the eyes of those grasped by the read aloud. It's a magical, ancient thing: telling stories to each other is something human beings have done together for thousands of years.
February 1st is World Read Aloud Day. I invite you to silence the noise and tune into the sound of Story. Tens of thousands of children, and people in over 100 countries, will come together on February 1st and celebrate the transcendent joy of reading aloud. Make World Read Aloud Day the beginning of a lifelong practice of reading, of listening, of story. Gather your friends, families, and communities, and connect in a simple yet powerful moment of shared experience. Make the choice to tune out the regular chaos of daily life, and tune in to the voices and stories you treasure most.


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Arranging the transfer of your website from one domain host to another has never been quicker or more efficient. However, even in the best scenario, you can expect there to be a "blackout" of between 12 to 72 hours, during which your customers will not have access to your official company website. This is obviously a most unfortunate – and certainly most unprofitable – situation for your company to be in. It's an excellent idea to take several very important steps in order to minimize this unprofitable down time that occurs while your website is being migrated from your old host to its new home.
Don't Cancel Your Old Web Hosting Plan Until Your Move Is Complete
Just as you should never quit your old job before the guarantee of a new one is in your lap, you should definitely never cancel your old web hosting plan until your move to a new host is complete. The website transfer process can be a tricky one, with plenty of complications that can suddenly appear from nowhere, so it's vitally important to ensure that you have all of your website migration arrangements in place before you sign off your old web hosting plan.
Don't Lose Vital Information During A Poorly Planned Website Transfer
While it's good to inform your current domain host that you are cancelling your plan, the most common response will be for your host to immediately cut off their service. While you will save money by not paying for weeks or months of service that you won't use, it also means that your site will go dark before you're quite ready to make the move. And it may also mean that you will lose quite a bit of stored information from files and databases that you may not have properly saved in advance. The best time to inform your current host of your intention to migrate is directly before the migration occurs.
Make Sure That You Back Up All Of Your Necessary Files For Safe Keeping
It's very important that you make sure to back up all of your necessary files for safe keeping. This is something you should never expect a third party to do on your behalf, especially not the domain host whose services you are about to dispense with. You should have every one of your important files backed up for safe keeping in order to download directly to your new location once it is safely in place. There are a number of services that you can make use of in order to assist you in this vital operation, such as cPanel and Plesk Panel.
Double Check Everything Before You Make The Final Move
Once all of your important files are safely backed up, it's time to make the move to your new domain host. However, before migrating to the new location, it's important to double check to make sure all of your precious information is present and correct. After you load all of your necessary files on to the new hosting configuration, make sure that they are functioning properly and in the correct order. The time to do this is now before you sign off on the final migration arrangements, since your new host is only responsible for allotting you space for your website, not doing all of your checkup work for you.
Preview Your New Website Using A Temporary URL In IP Numbers
The best way to ensure that all of your information is loaded correctly on to your new website is to preview the site using a temporary URL in IP numbers. There a few hosting companies who are equipped to provide new clients with a development staging platform. This special platform is designed to allow new customers to quickly and efficiently preview their new official company website before publishing it to the Internet. This gives you valuable time to remedy any problems that may exist so that the delay between customers accessing your old site and the new one will be minimized.
Switch Out Your Website DNS Records
Once all of your information has been safely stored and your new site fully previewed and double checked against errors, the next step in your website transfer process will be to switch out your website DNS records. This is an extremely important step in the process since it guarantees that your customers will be able to find your new website without receiving an Error 404 or time consuming redirect. Always make sure that you get the correct DNS information from your new domain host so that there will be no costly delays or missteps in this process.
Take The Time To Allow Your DNS Change To Spread Throughout The Internet
The final stage in the migration process is to take the time to allow your DNS switch to spread and take hold throughout all of the Internet. The time needed for the change may be between the span of a few hours to a few days, so be patient. This is one important process that simply cannot be rushed. Once you are certain that the switch has taken hold throughout the Internet, contact your former domain host and inform them that you wish to cancel your service. Only then – and never before – should you make this call, since there is no turning back.
Solving Your Migration Issues In A Prompt And Efficient Manner
While there is no convenient "one size fits all" resolution to solving your migration issues, there are steps that you can take in order to minimize the unprofitable downtime that occurs as your official company website moves from one server to another. By following these easy steps, you can ensure that your customers won't lose sight of you during the time that your website is offline. It's important to follow these directions and keep your public in the loop so that they will quickly discover your new and improved website and resume your company to customer relationship as soon as possible.


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What to Know
- A Spirit Airlines flight had to make an unscheduled stop because of a medical emergency -- and one woman became "irate," airline said
- Video shows her running up and down the aisles, screaming and cursing at the top of her lungs as passengers stare in disbelief
- Spirit Airlines apologized to passengers "who had to witness this and for the inconvenience of the delay"
A woman on a Spirit Airlines flight "became erratic and irate" after the plane had to make an unscheduled landing because of a medical emergency, running up and down the aisles screaming as passengers stared in disbelief, according to a statement from the airline and video from the plane.
Video from another person on the flight from Houston to Minneapolis shows the woman racing back and forth, screaming and cursing after the flight had to stop in Rochester, Minnesota. The woman is shouting at the top of her lungs, though her utterances apart from the profanity are hardly intelligible.
Spirit said law enforcement had to help remove the woman from the aircraft. It went on to its destination an hour or so later. The nature of the medical emergency that forced the Rochester stop wasn't clear.
The video of the irate woman had nearly a million views on Facebook in less than a day.
Spirit Airlines apologized to passengers "who had to witness this and for the inconvenience of the delay," adding in a statement, "Safety is our top priority at Spirit Airlines."


text: Choose local, in-season food for the health of it. Acclaimed natural chef and cookbook author Michel Nischan shares his passion for eating with the seasons and supporting local farmers. Plus, he takes you on a tour of an organic farm that raises chickens, sheep and goats. Find out how small choices make a big difference for your health and the planet. This video is part of Simple Steps to Natural, Delicious Cooking.


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Quality, Power And Comfort Across Our Mid-Weight Range
The TGM is our new midfield maestro. Impressive performance with outstanding economy makes it a true all rounder. With a range of engine sizes to choose from (240 – 326 bhp) and a range of equipment to rival its big brothers, the TGS and TGX; the TGM will inspire not only your sales but also your fleet's image.
In order to comply with the Euro 4 emissions requirements, the TGM's engine uses our well-established PM-KAT® system of exhaust-gas recirculation (EGR).
This system ensures that emission values are reliably maintained without the need for a second AdBlue tank.


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The Giants ROCKED the Super Bowl as hard as Madonna. And the Blue Boys know how to celebrate. For their fourth Lombardi Trophy, they were presented with a Nebuchadnezzar of Armand de Brignac champers. (I know I wasn't going to talk about AdB anymore, but I think it's understandable that I gotta make an exception here!)
At the party at Hyde in Indy, Victor Cruz held this massive bottle, equivalent to 20 regular-sized bottles and weighing 80 pounds. I think Cruz's guns can handle it.
The bigger question is does it go with salsa??? Yes, it does! Champagne is fantastic with spicy foods – the bubbles are a great foil to the heat.
See you and your touchdown grooves in September! Until then, enjoy your well-deserved bubbles!


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Securities and Exchange Commission official Jim Kidney's retirement speech contains the following passage warning about the negative effects of the revolving door between the agency and private practice:
The revolving door is a very serious problem. I have had bosses, and bosses of my bosses, whose names we all know, who made little secret that they were here to punch their ticket. They mouthed serious regard for the mission of the Commission, but their actions were tentative and fearful in many instances. You can get back to Wall Street by acting tough, by using the SEC publicity apparatus to promote yourself as tough, and maybe even on a few occasions being tough, if you pick your targets carefully. But don't appear to fail. Don't take risks where risk would count.
That is not the intended message from the ticket punchers, of course, but it is the one I got on the occasions when I was involved in a high profile case or two. The revolving door doesn't push the agency's enforcement envelope very often or very far.
The attitude trickles down the ranks. Combined with the negative views of the civil service promoted by politicians and the beatings we take from the public, it is no surprise that we lose our best and brightest as they see no place to go in the agency and eventually decide they are just going to get their own ticket to a law firm or corporate job punched. They see an agency that polices the broken windows on the street level and rarely goes to the penthouse floors.


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According to a noted nonprofit in Berkeley, Calif., nonprofits should not only play a key role in any government plan for REOS, but should also ensure that REOs effectively help the entire community.
The government's catalog of REOs is big. So big, actually, that it makes up half of the 500,000 REOs currently on the market; so big that the government began soliciting comments from the public on what to do with the properties.
More than 4,000 ideas followed, including one from the National Association of Realtors, but the idea of the Greenlining Institute, the non-profit in question, is the first of its kind.
Orson Aguilar, the institute's executive director, said the institute's focus is on how REOs could be a benefit to the community – and how bulk sales by investors ruin that potential.
"One of our primary concerns with REO-to-rental (programs) is that they intend to sell in bulk to investors," Aguilar said. "From our experience and based on studies, investors did not do a good job of maintaining and rehabbing properties."
He continued: "We're talking about a huge transfer of wealth to a group of investors in the name of stabilizing the market."
To avoid that problem, Aguilar said that any bulk investments should provide a local representative who would oversee the REOs progress, whether they be rented, renovated or resold as is.


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Pupils at Halewood Academy have taken part in an exciting initiative studying real life data from Knowsley's Public Health team with 74% of the pupils saying it helped their learning of maths.
Using a web site called 'Plastered' teachers at the school asked pupils to analyse important risks, which affect the lives of ordinary people in Knowsley.
Mathew Ashton, Knowsley Council's Director of Public Health said, "We are very keen to develop our partnerships with schools in order to encourage young people to think more carefully about their health. Through this project, young people were asked to analyse the risks associated with alcohol abuse, which as well as developing their analytical skills, it also helps to promote alcohol awareness messages too. Due to its success, we hope to support the project in other schools across the borough."
'Plastered' is an innovative resource that uses real-life data, which has been anonymised, to teach various statistical analysis techniques in maths lessons. The website is designed to be used at either Key Stage 3 or 4 and also supports the PSHE curriculum which provides opportunities to discuss the social and personal consequences of alcohol misuse.
"Most pupils understood the dangers to health of tobacco and illegal drugs but were less aware of the physical and social damage associated with alcohol misuse, including personal safety." Ofsted PSHE Report May 2013
Principal Gary Evans said, "We are delighted to work with Ariel Trust, using 'Plastered' to raise the awareness of alcohol related issues with our students. We consider this an important way in which we can support our students and to also develop their maths skills."
'Plastered' was developed by Ariel Trust using an approach that had proved successful in English lessons. Evaluation evidence showed that young people were clearly motivated to learn by content that reflected real-life issues and scenarios that were based on the experiences of their peer group. The 'Plastered' website was developed to test the theory that the same approach would motivate young people in their maths lessons and lead to improved academic performance.
Mr. Close, Maths Teacher at Halewood Academy said that, "Pupils found the resources interesting and it sparked a lot of discussion, which students were keen to take part in. They engaged with, and enjoyed the lessons and I believe 'Plastered' will improve maths attainment."
Ariel Trust is very keen to work with maths teachers who want to help evaluate and develop this approach to the teaching of maths. If you want to find out more contact firstname.lastname@example.com.


text: Armeo®SpringRequest a DemoModulesSoftwareIntended Use & IndicationsTechnical Data SheetPricing & FinancingArmeo®SpringArmeo®SpringModulesSoftwareIntended Use & IndicationsTechnical Data SheetPricing & Financing ArmeoSpring ModulesManovo®SpringLearn More >ManovoSpringManovoSpring is an instrumented hand orthosis to be used as a module in combination with ArmeoSpring for patients with therapy goals focusing on hand rehabilitation. ManovoSpring features a spring mechanism for adjustable hand opening support that can be used as a real-time input device to the same software as the ArmeoSpring. Available as an upgrade for ArmeoSpring customers. Designed to train grasping function for patients with impaired hand functions due to strokes, traumatic brain injuries or other neurological disorders. New motivating exercises to train the grasping and releasing movements.


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Proton just handing over another 10 of new Proton Inspira to PDRM as patrol car. The 1.8 Litre manual Inspira PDRM costs around RM150,000 to RM160,000 each equipped with communications, additional devices. Proton and PDRM had cooperated since 18 months ago to build the prototype patrol car which is modified Inspira at a cost of RM100,000 and an additional RM30,000 for equipment
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar wants police patrol car response time to a reported incident to be shortened from the current set time of not more than 12 minutes.
"For example, a patrol car within a one-kilometre radius of a reported crime incident should be at the location in not more than four minutes.
"This is a challenge that can be a reality. It's not impossible to achieve it if there's seriousness and commitment on the part of members of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) who have been entrusted to carry out their duties," he said at the handing-over of 10 Proton Inspira cars to the police by Proton Holdings Bhd, here, Wednesday.
While expressing appreciation for Proton's contribution of the manual 1.8-litre cars as police patrol vehicles, Ismail said the gift was logistically important for the policemen in carrying out their daily tasks efficiently and effectively as they were the PDRM's frontliners.
He said a sufficient number of patrol vehicles could increase police omnipresence in an area for effective crime-prevention and maintenance of security and public order.
Ismail said Proton had established cooperation with PDRM since 1985, starting with the contribution of Proton Saga cars as patrol vehicles and to date, 3,752 Proton cars had been used nationwide as patrol cars.
He said Proton had also collaborated with PDRM's Research and Development Division to come up with a prototype patrol car by modifying the Inspira.
"The programme was implemented after considering the need for PDRM to replace 3,647 patrol cars acquired in 2006 and which had reached their age limit of usage."
Ismail later told a press conference that PDRM had skilled drivers who needed suitable patrol cars that could scare criminals.
Proton Group managing director Datuk Seri Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir said Proton cars were used not only by PDRM, as the Australian police were using the Satria GTi and the police in the United Kingdom, the Satria GTI and Waja as patrol cars.
He said the Inspira patrol cars were worth RM150,000 to RM160,000 each as they were equipped with communications and additional devices required by the police, compared to the price of a basic Inspira at around RM70,000.
Syed Zainal Abidin also said that Proton and PDRM had cooperated since 18 months ago to build the prototype patrol car at a cost of RM100,000 and an additional RM30,000 for equipment.
Besides the communications system, siren and warning lights, the prototype model is fitted with a polycarbonate screen to separate the policemen in front from the arrested crime suspects at the back.
"We are ready to go for mass production (of the prototype)," said Syed Zainal Abidin.
Insipra Polis Diraja Malaysia


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Yankee Boy Basin
Ouray County, Colorado
Yankee Boy Basin is a fairly easy trail that begins just south of Ouray Colorado. The trail leads up the base of Mt. Sneffels and the world famous Blue Lake. How it became famous I do not know, but we did pick up a hiker from San Francisco who came to Ouray just to shoot fotos of Blue Lake. The trail also leads up to the famous Camp Bird Mine that made owner Thomas Walsh a multi-millionaire. The trail has turn offs to Governor Basin and Imogene Pass that will be covered later on. The Coors company of Colorado, famous makers of beer use the image of Twin Falls on their cans and bottles. During the spring, Yankee Boy Basin turns into a huge wild flower playground. The trail also offers many beautiful waterfalls that have to be photographed. Jeep corporation has also used the canyon for Jeep advertisements. As I have said before, use caution when driving these trails. They are not very forgiving to mistakes so explore aware!


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Testimonial from our Visitors
Absolutely wonderful home in a perfect location near to Derry, Donegal, north coast etc. House was immaculate and stunning. Gates close the garden off from the main road so great for safety with the kids. Wonderful views, we used the house as a base to go explore but didn't want to leave most day's as house was perfect. There was 8 of us and we never felt crowded. Bernie was a wonderful host, great comms throughout. Thanks!!
— Darin France


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Experiential learning resources for the innovative educator
Student-directed learning is largely interest-driven. A couple of weeks ago I published a post on the common challenges that student-directed project-based educators face, one of which is apathetic students.
It's generally not enough to say, "Hey, pull out a project proposal, write one up, and get started", or even to sit down with a student one-on-one and say, "What are you interested in?" A common answer is "nothing", especially from learners that are new to student-directed learning and are accustomed to having their learning experiences neatly designed by someone else and placed before them.
How do you change that answer from "nothing", to an enthusiastic laundry list of interests? You do it by throwing "sparks" out there. I don't know if that is a commonly used word in the world of education, but it is a word I have used for 12 years because that is what my boss called them, so i'll continue to use that word here. A "spark" is really exactly what it sounds like. It is a "thing" that sparks the interest of a student. A "spark" could be a speaker, a movie, a current event, a magazine article, a billboard, a post on social media, or even something you said in casual conversation. It is a "thing", anything, that gets a student's attention, elicits questions, and causes a deep down yearning to learn more about this "thing".
Some "sparks" happen organically. A student might be researching information on one topic and fortuitously come across an idea that creates that spark. It is the job, however, of a student-directed educator to facilitate learning experiences, and part of that duty is creating opportunities for sparks. There is so much going on in the world, so much knowledge at our fingertips, and because of that, a student settling on one topic to learn about can be daunting and overwhelming. There is also an exorbitant amount of topics that students aren't aware of...at all. Exposure to these foreign concepts is important in order to broaden the scope of learning possibilities.
Organizing "sparks" is a regular part of my job at this point. I've come to love this part of my role as an educator. That one kid that gets excited about a topic that you introduce makes it entirely worth the commitment. Here are some ways that I help learners find that spark; that interest that they are searching for as the starting-off point for student-directed learning experiences:
How to Spark Student-Led Learning Experiences
1. Group Share:
One way to inspire project ideas is to have students share their projects with one another. Student A might have done a project on their heritage, for example, inspiring Student B to learn about their own family history. If you are a homeschooler or have the flexibility at your school, consider tracking down some community presentations for learners to observe such as a local science fair or a convention where people are demonstrating some kind of final product. These experiences might inspire project ideas.
2. Share Your Life:
Many of my students' projects have launched because of a story of mine or a project that I had going on at home. My students were always fascinated by stories of my life when I worked in the field as a wildlife ecologist. At my school, a staff member presents on a "project" that they themselves are working on in their own lives such as a rebuilding their deck, reading books on a particular topic, participating in community events, volunteering, writing poetry, etc. We present on our own life projects for a couple of reasons, one of which is to demonstrate lifelong learning, and the other is to help inspire student project ideas.
3. Casual Conversation:
Many educators fill every minute of the day with academic rigor, from the second the students walk into the door to the second a bell rings. I won't go into detail on my views on that today, but I will say that by doing miss out on some pretty amazing learning potential, those learning experiences that are authentic and have personal meaning to the learner. You also miss out on the very important relationship building piece. Student-led learning requires relationship building. Period. It's mandatory. One of the best ways to do that is to simply chat with learners. It doesn't have to be about something specific or with the intention of developing a project. Casual conversation brings up interesting topics organically. Take the time to chat with your students. You won't regret it!
4. TED Talks:
TED Talks are great "sparks"; the talks are an easy, convenient, and free way to discover topic ideas of interest. If a student is struggling to find interest in anything, have them hop on TED.com and peruse the talks to find something that evokes some excitement.
I have a FREE project topic brainstorming activity in my TpT store that includes TED Talks. This is great for student-directed project-based learning and passion projects.
5. Magazines:
I keep a stack of magazines in my room at all times, from National Geographic to Sports Illustrated. When I have a student that claims that they don't have any interests, I will sometimes send them to the pile to peruse magazines for topic ideas.
6. Volunteering/Community Involvement:
My students do a lot of service learning, which typically organized by me. Students eventually take the reigns. Quite often students will feel really inspired by the experience and branch out with their own projects. I call these projects "Community Action Projects".
7. Group/Class Projects:
Sometimes group projects can help provoke interest in a learning topic. I have my advisory do one large group project every quarter. If you are homeschooler, try to organize a project that includes all of the siblings and you, a small group of community members, or a group of learners from a homeschool coop. My children do projects with their neighborhood friends all of the time. Beginners self-directed learners aren't going to know what to do right away. A group project helps them gain confidence, better understand the process, and provides exposure to new topics.
One of the coolest group projects that we did was on the Syrian refugee crisis. My PBL students learned about the issue and decided to organize a holiday pie fundraiser to raise money for refugee aid. This project helped learners develop essential skills such as critical thinking, empathy, creativity, teamwork and so on. They gained content knowledge from a variety of disciplines. The experience was authentic. But, as it relates to this post, one of the coolest outcomes of this project was the number of student-directed project spin-offs emerged from this experience.
8. Community Events:
Help learners develop topics of interest by engaging with their community. They might attend a city council meeting, participate in a march, check out a variety of cultural events around the city, meet with community experts, check out local speakers, and more.
9. Interest Survey:
Sometimes you'll get a student that says that they don't have any interests. They very likely do have interests, but are not skilled enough at this point to recognize them or might simply struggle with communication. An interest survey is a great way to pull out those underlying sparks AND gives you a chance to get to know your students.
10. Current Events:
I set aside time everyday to discuss current events with my PBL students. Talking about what is going on in the world not only encourages informed, responsible citizenship, but also provides exposure and inspires questions. I like to do Vice News with my high school students because it's gritty. So many projects have come out of watching these episodes. Check out my Vice episode worksheets and extension activities.
11. Books:
We have book clubs at our school, which in itself has inspired so many student-led projects. One of the most dramatic projects that I've seen in my career came out of a young adult novel that I read with my students called "Sold". This book is about human trafficking. Several students were inspired to do an elaborate project on women's issues. My students invited a self-defense instructor to come to our school to give an introductory course. These students connected with a local sex trafficking shelter and invited a survivor to come speak to students. They organized a food and clothing drive for the organization. They started an awareness campaign to bring the very real (and relatable for some of my students) issue to light. It was a year-long service learning project that started with a novel.
12. Interviews/Storytelling:
Sometimes when my students tell me they don't have any interests I have them conduct interviews. I tell them to write questions that would pull out the stories of someone's life. They then go interview a neighbor, grandma, a friend, a teacher, their parent, etc. The stories they uncover are fascinating, and those stories often lead to project topics. Students can also attempt to uncover their interests by writing down their own stories. It might be the story of their life or a particular moment or even that they want to tell. Storytelling not only helps bring potential project interests to the surface, but also helps learners develop a health self-concept and interpersonal skills.
13. Speakers:
Start a speaker series at your school or simply organize speakers that you believe could be relevant and interesting to your students. We have had a Holocaust survivor and artist, the Chief of Police, a vermiculturist, a horticulturist, an HIV researcher from the U of M, an educator from a local animal shelter, a biotechnologist, a neurologist, a counselor from an eating disorder clinic, a volunteer coordinator from a domestic violence shelter, a magician, a sculpturist, dancers, local legislators, and so many more. Even if one speaker inspires one student, that's great!
14. Field Trips:
Field trips really spark interests, bottom line. If you can't get learners to a museum, a nature center, a zoo, etc., at least take them outside to observe the world around them. Sometimes a little observation and inquiry is all it takes to stir up some topic ideas. Homeschoolers, take advantage of your flexibility! Hop online and look for free outings in your neck of the woods. You might literally find yourself in the woods, and woods have so much learning potential!
15. Travel:
So many interests, questions, and topic ideas come out of my students' (and own children's) travel experiences. There is no other way that I can think of that provides the same level of exposure to new concepts and ideas. I have my students keep a journal when they travel, which serves two purposes: 1) They reflect on each day, 2) They jot down questions, interests, and project topic ideas as emerge throughout the adventure. They typically head home with a few dozen project ideas.
16. Theme Projects
Again with "exposure". Sometimes newbies need a little guidance. It doesn't make them poor self-directed learners. They just require some basic training before they can be expected to dive in head first. Beginner student-directed/interest led educators benefit from the same sort of gradual transition. I often start student-led learning with theme projects, those that have a general topic and guiding templates. I have many project-based learning resources like this in my store. Check those out here. I also have a PBL bundle with twenty theme projects that offer students choice on many levels, and help students and educators make the transition from teacher-directed to student-directed learning experiences.
In an ideal world, all learners would have the wherewithal to guide the learning experience from start to finish. But the fact of the matter is that most learners are not trained to do this. In fact, by the time they get to high school - to me - they have become so habituated to taking a back seat in the learning process, that directing their own learning experiences makes them uncomfortable. Help them get to a point where they are eager to take on their own projects by providing exposure and authentic learning experiences. That is the role of an educator in a student-directed learning environment; the role is facilitator. So get out there and facilitate, starting with creating "sparks" for students.
For more tips and tricks on student-directed learning, click here.
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Blog Intent
To provide innovative educational resources for educators, parents, and students, that go beyond lecture and worksheets.
Sara Segar, experiential life-science educator and advisor, curriculum writer, and mother of two.


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How To Choose A Maine Architect
No matter what construction project you are undertaking with your home, an experienced, reputable architect is an invaluable asset to the process. Whether you are building an entire house, adding a bonus room, or remodeling your existing home, an architect provides designs and works with your local contractor to ensure that your home turns out just as you wish.
Click here to browse our directory of Maine Architects!
Some guidelines for choosing the right Maine architect
- Do your homework. Talk with your friends and family that have recently used an architect, as well as search the internet for a list of architects that you would like to interview and consider for your project. Look over an architect's website and see their handiwork or carefully examine your friends and family's home projects and ask questions concerning their experience.
- Contact and consider. Once you have made a manageable list, make a list of questions to ask so that your interview provides a clear picture to aid your decision making. Ask questions pertaining to their experience, estimates, principles, etc. Call each architect for a brief phone interview and ask your questions without appearing to pick their brain for free.
- Narrow it down. Pare your list down to three or four exceptional candidates and then call and set up meetings with each of them. Before you have your meetings, compile detailed information regarding what you would like in the design, your budget, and any questions or concerns you may have about the process.
- Ask the right questions. In order for your interview to provide a clear idea of whether the architect is right for your project, you have to ask the right questions. Ask about their experience regarding your particular type of project, services they offer, their fee structure, services included in their fee, their design principles, whether or not they have liability insurance, their environmental track record, and whether or not they can show you a detailed computerized rendering before you build.
- Pick your architect. Choose the best candidate for your project, considering both experience and personality into the equation. You will have many conversations and dealings with your architect, so if you both click then that makes the process that much easier for you.
- Get a contract. Draw up a contract with the architect and have a lawyer review it so that you know exactly what the terms are, especially regarding payment and under various unforeseen circumstances. Sign the contract only when you are completely comfortable and informed of the terms.


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Mechanised agriculture is the process of using agricultural machinery to mechanise the work of agriculture, greatly increasing farm worker productivity. In modern times, powered machinery has replaced many farm jobs formerly carried out by manual labour or by working animals such as oxen, horses and mules.
The entire history of agriculture contains many examples of the use of tools, such as the hoe and the plough. The ongoing integration of machines since the Industrial Revolution however has allowed farming to become much less labour-intensive.
Current mechanised agriculture includes the use of tractors, trucks, combine harvesters, countless types of farm implements, aeroplanes and helicopters (for aerial application), and other vehicles. Precision agriculture even uses computers in conjunction with satellite imagery and satellite navigation (GPS guidance) to increase yields.
Mechanisation was one of the large factors responsible for urbanisation and industrial economies. Besides improving production efficiency, mechanisation encourages large scale production and sometimes can improve the quality of farm produce. On the other hand, it can displace unskilled farm labour and can cause environmental degradation (such as pollution, deforestation, and soil erosion), especially if it is applied shortsightedly rather than holistically.
Jethro Tull's seed drill (ca. 1701) was a mechanical seed spacing and depth placing device that increased crop yields and saved seed. It was an important factor in the British Agricultural Revolution.[1]
Since the beginning of agriculture threshing was done by hand with a flail, requiring a great deal of labour. The threshing machine, which was invented in 1794 but not widely used for several more decades, simplified the operation and allowed the use of animal power. Before the invention of the grain cradle (ca. 1790) an able bodied labourer could reap about one quarter acre of wheat in a day using a sickle. It was estimated that each of Cyrus McCormick's horse-pulled reapers (ca. 1830s) freed up five men for military service in the US Civil War.[2] Later innovations included raking and binding machines. By 1890 two men and two horses could cut, rake and bind 20 acres of wheat per day.[3]
In the 1880s the reaper and threshing machine were combined into the combine harvester. These machines required large teams of horses or mules to pull. Steam power was applied to threshing machines in the late 19th century. There were steam engines that moved around on wheels under their own power for supplying temporary power to stationary threshing machines. These were called road engines, and Henry Ford seeing one as a boy was inspired to build an automobile.[4]
With internal combustion came the first modern tractors in the early 1900s, becoming more popular after the Fordson tractor (ca. 1917). At first reapers and combine harvesters were pulled by teams of horses or tractors, but in the 1930s self powered combines were developed.[5]
Advertising for motorised equipment in farm journals during this era did its best to compete against horse-drawn methods with economic arguments, extolling common themes such as that a tractor "eats only when it works", that one tractor could replace many horses, and that mechanisation could allow one man to get more work done per day than he ever had before. The horse population in the US began to decline in the 1920s after the conversion of agriculture and transportation to internal combustion. Peak tractor sales in the US were around 1950.[6] In addition to saving labour, this freed up much land previously used for supporting draft animals.[7] The greatest period of growth in agricultural productivity in the US was from the 1940s to the 1970s, during which time agriculture was benefiting from internal combustion powered tractors and combine harvesters, chemical fertilisers and the green revolution.[8]
Although farmers of corn, wheat, soy, and other commodity crops had replaced most of their workers with harvesting machines and combines by the 1950s enabling them to efficiently cut and gather grains, growers of produce continued to rely on human pickers to avoid the bruising of the product in order to maintain the blemish-free appearance demanded by customers.[9] The continuous supply of illegal workers from Latin America that were willing to harvest the crops for low wages further suppressed the need for mechanisation. As the number of illegal workers has continued to decline since reaching its peak in 2007 due to increased border patrols and an improving Mexican economy, the industry is increasing the use of mechanisation.[9] Proponents argue that mechanisation will boost productivity and help to maintain low food prices while farm worker advocates assert that it will eliminate jobs and will give an advantage to large growers who are able to afford the required equipment.[9]
Preparing land for planting
Seed drilling, planting
It is done by the seed drill. The plantation of seeds depends upon the season.
Weeding, crop spraying
The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (September 2018)
Asparagus are presently harvested by hand with labour costs at 71% of production costs and 44% of selling costs.[10] Asparagus is a difficult crop to harvest since each spear matures at a different speed making it difficult to achieve a uniform harvest.[11] A prototype asparagus harvesting machine – using a light-beam sensor to identify the taller spears – is expected to be available for commercial use.[11]
Mechanization of Maine's blueberry industry has reduced the number of migrant workers required from 5,000 in 2005 to 1,500 in 2015 even though production has increased from 50-60 million pounds per year in 2005 to 90 million pounds in 2015.[12]
As of 2014, prototype chili pepper harvesters are being tested by New Mexico State University. The New Mexico green chile crop is currently hand-picked entirely by field workers[13] as chili pods tend to bruise easily.[14] The first commercial application commenced in 2015. The equipment is expected to increase yield per acre and help to offset a sharp decline in acreage planted due to the lack of available labour and drought conditions.[15][16]
As of 2010, approximately 10% of the processing orange acreage in Florida is harvested mechanically, mainly with citrus canopy shaker machines. Mechanization has progressed slowly due to the uncertainty of future economic benefits due to competition from Brazil and the transitory damage to orange trees when they are harvested.[17]
There has been an ongoing transition to mechanical harvesting of cling peaches (mostly used in canning) where the cost of labor is 70 percent of a grower's direct costs. In 2016, 12 percent of the cling peach tonnage from Yuba County and Sutter County in California will be mechanically harvested.[18] Fresh peaches destined for direct customer sales must still be hand-picked.
As of 2007, mechanised harvesting of raisins is at 45%; however the rate has slowed due to high raisin demand and prices making the conversion away from hand labour less urgent.[19] A new strain of grape developed by the USDA that drys on the vine and is easily harvested mechanically is expected to reduce the demand for labour.[20]
Strawberries are a high cost-high value crop with the economics supporting mechanisation. In 2005, picking and hauling costs were estimated at $594 per ton or 51% of the total grower cost. However, the delicate nature of fruit make it an unlikely candidate for mechanisation in the near future.[17] A strawberry harvester developed by Shibuya Seiki and unveiled in Japan in 2013 is able to pick a strawberry every eight seconds. The robot identifies which strawberries are ready to pick by using three separate cameras and then once identified as ready, a mechanised arm snips the fruit free and gently places it in a basket. The robot moves on rails between the rows of strawberries which are generally contained within elevated greenhouses. The machine costs 5 million yen.[21] A new strawberry harvester made by Agrobot that will harvest strawberries on raised, hydroponic beds using 60 robotic arms is expected to be released in 2016.[9][needs update]
Mechanical harvesting of tomatoes started in 1965 and as of 2010, nearly all processing tomatoes are mechanically harvested.[17] As of 2010, 95% of the US processed tomato crop is produced in California.[17] Although fresh market tomatoes have substantial hand harvesting costs (in 2007, the costs of hand picking and hauling were $86 per ton which is 19% of total grower cost), packing and selling costs were more of a concern (at 44% of total grower cost) making it likely that cost saving efforts would be applied there.[17]
According to a 1977 report by the California Agrarian Action Project, during the summer of 1976 in California, many harvest machines had been equipped with a photo-electric scanner that sorted out green tomatoes among the ripe red ones using infrared lights and colour sensors. It worked in lieu of 5,000 hand harvesters causing displacement of innumerable farm labourers as well as wage cuts and shorter work periods. Migrant workers were hit the hardest.[22] To withstand the rigour of the machines, new crop varieties were bred to match the automated pickers. UC Davis Professor G.C. Hanna propagated a thick-skinned tomato called VF-145. But even still, millions were damaged with impact cracks and university breeders produced a tougher and juiceless "square round" tomato. Small farms were of insufficient size to obtain financing to purchase the equipment and within 10 years, 85% of the state's 4,000 cannery tomato farmers were out of the business. This led to a concentrated tomato industry in California that "now packed 85% of the nation's tomato products". The monoculture fields fostered rapid pest growth, requiring the use of "more than four million pounds of pesticides each year" which greatly affected the health of the soil, the farm workers, and possibly the customers.[22]
See also
- Farm equipment
- Industrial agriculture
- List of agricultural machinery
- Agricultural Engineering
- Agricultural drones
- ^ McNeil, Ian (1990). An Encyclopedia of the History of Technology. London: Routledge. ISBN 0-415-14792-1.
- ^ Hounshell, David A. (1984), From the American System to Mass Production, 1800–1932: The Development of Manufacturing Technology in the United States, Baltimore, Maryland: Johns Hopkins University Press, ISBN 978-0-8018-2975-8, LCCN 83016269, OCLC 1104810110
- ^ Wells, David A. (1891). Recent Economic Changes and Their Effect on Production and Distribution of Wealth and Well-Being of Society. New York: D. Appleton and Co. ISBN 0-543-72474-3.
- ^ Ford, Henry; Samuel (1922). My Life and Work: An autobiography of Henry Ford.
- ^ Constable, George; Somerville, Bob (2003). A Century of Innovation: Twenty Engineering Achievements That Transformed Our Lives, Chapter 7, Agricultural Mechanization. Washington, DC: Joseph Henry Press. ISBN 0-309-08908-5.[page needed]
- ^ White, William J. "Economic History of Tractors in the United States". Archived from the original on 2013-10-24.
- ^ Ayres, R. U.; Ayres, L. W.; Warr, B. (2002). "Exergy, Power and Work in the U. S. Economy 1900-1998, Insead's Center For the Management of Environmental Resources, 2002/52/EPS/CMER" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-08-13. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires
- ^ Moore, Stephen; Simon, Julian (Dec 15, 1999). "The Greatest Century That Ever Was: 25 Miraculous Trends of the last 100 Years" (PDF). The Cato Institute: Policy Analysis, No. 364.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires
|journal=(help)Fig 13.
- ^ a b c d Wall Street Journal: "Robots Step Into New Planting, Harvesting Roles - Labor shortage spurs farmers to use robots for handling delicate tasks in the fresh-produce industry" By ILAN BRAT April 23, 2015
- ^ Washington State University Extension - School of Economic Sciences: "Asparagus Production Economics" December 8, 2010
- ^ a b Vegetable Growers News: "Mechanical Asparagus Harvester Almost a Reality" December 21, 2009
- ^ Fox Business News: "Machinery takes the place of migrants as Maine's blueberry harvest booms" September 06, 2015
- ^ Albuquerque Journal: "Chile harvester gets a field test in NM" By Diana Alba Soular September 22, 2014
- ^ Current Argus: "Editorial: Trial could be a boon to chile farmers" Archived 2015-08-11 at the Wayback Machine July 31, 2015
- ^ KJZZ: "New Mexico Researchers To Test Mechanized Green Chile Harvesting" by Carrie Jung July 29, 2015
- ^ Las Cruces Sun: "Experts: Machines could reverse declining New Mexico green chile acreage" By Diana Alba Soular Archived 2015-08-10 at the Wayback Machine July 25, 2015
- ^ a b c d e University of California Davis Migration Files: "The Status of Labor-saving Mechanization in Fruits and Vegetables" By Wallace E. Huffman May 25, 2010
- ^ Farm 2 ranch magazine: "Labor concerns lead peach growers to look to machines" August 18, 2016
- ^ U. S. Produce Industry and Labor: Facing the Future in a Global Industry By Linda Calvin retrieved September 28, 2013
- ^ Fresno Bee: "New raisin grape holds promise for central San Joaquin Valley growers" By Robert Rodriguez September 19, 2015
- ^ Japan Times: "Latest robot can pick strawberry fields forever" September 26, 2013
- ^ a b "No Hands Touch the Land: Automating California Farms" (PDF). California Agrarian Action Project: 20–28. July 1977. Retrieved 2015-04-25.


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Causey: Neighborhood caught in downward spiral
Why did this happen? That's the question many are asking in the aftermath of the fury that erupted in the Sherman Park area Saturday night.
Why did this happen? That's the question many are asking in the aftermath of the fury that erupted in the Sherman Park area Saturday night.
As a person who lives less than one mile from where the BP gas station was torched to the ground late Saturday, I can tell you that the neighborhood — once the place in Milwaukee for upwardly mobile, middle-class African-Americans — has been balancing on the tipping point for years.
The fatal police shooting of an armed black man around 3:30 p.m. Saturday may have provided the spark, but the neighborhood has been on high simmer, with the temperature rising each year since the Great Recession, as the longed-for recovery never arrives.
The shooting occurred after a traffic stop of two men in a car led to a foot chase. Sylville Smith, 23, armed with a handgun, was fatally shot by a police officer.
COMPLETE COVERAGE: Milwaukee Sherman Park turmoil
I've lived near Sherman Blvd. and Capitol Drive for nearly four decades. The majority of people living in the area are hard-working individuals who just want to keep their neighborhood and families safe. However, in recent years many have become thankful just to make it home at night because of the violence and recklessness of some of their neighbors.
I have been a witness over the years as the loss of family-sustaining jobs, the breakdown of families and the sense of despair about a better future have cast an ever-expanding cloud over the neighborhood.
Dramatic changes
Things have changed drastically in Milwaukee since the 1970s when my parents purchased their first home. Manufacturing jobs were plentiful and provided a livable wage to workers with a high school diploma. Those jobs, at places like Master Lock and Jay's Potato Chips, helped black families achieve their dream of home ownership in and around Sherman Park, where they hoped to build the foundation for a better future for their families.
Nearby, at the corner of Capitol Drive and Hopkins St., are the former Tower Automotive and A.O. Smith sites that employed thousands of workers who welded the frames used by America's car manufacturers. The city has built Century City there to lure businesses back. Century City is a pretty building, but it's empty.
I'm not making excuses for anybody. There is no excuse for burning down businesses, setting cars on fire, shooting at squad cars, attacking reporters trying to do their jobs and turning a neighborhood into a war zone. There is no excuse for the rash of car thefts and car jackings, the property destruction, the violence that causes businesses to stay away from Century City when they recently filled the rejuvenated Menomonee Valley.
I'm describing what I've seen, a cycle of one thing leading to another, how the loss of jobs breaks some people and families, how self-destructive behavior multiplies, how drug use and crime proliferate — how the negative cycle feeds on itself, becoming a whirlpool, sucking a community downward, taking the innocent as well as the guilty.
Mayor Tom Barrett said during a midnight news conference that this is not the Milwaukee he knows. It's not the Milwaukee I knew either. It's definitely not the Milwaukee my parents tried to give to me.
Milwaukee had 145 homicide victims last year, a 69% increase from 2014. The city has counted more than 80 homicides so far this year, with five of those occurring Friday and Saturday.
Barrett asked every resident of the neighborhood to help the police restore order. Ald. Russell Stamper II said during the news conference that people are hurting and in pain, and he pledged to find funding to address the needs of the community. We've heard all this before. It's going to take a lot more.
Yes, it's going to take a more active and engaged mayor and Common Council willing to do whatever they can to help neighborhoods where many law-abiding residents feel long-ignored. Yes, it's going to take a more active and engaged criminal justice system that doesn't slap violent young offenders on the wrist.
It's also going to take a more active and engaged governor willing to sit at the table with local leaders and help create solutions for the city. Wisconsin can't be "Open for Business" everywhere except Milwaukee's poor neighborhoods — they remain a vital part of this state, even if mostly Democrats live there.
It's going to take more than government leaders. It's going to take a long-term commitment by people inside and outside Milwaukee, most of whom aren't government officials, to find more ways to connect family-supporting jobs to people who desperately need them; to prepare people for their jobs even if they have lived through traumatic childhoods; to start building a cycle where one upward step leads to another.
I saw one of those steps taken Sunday morning, when dozens of people showed up outside the burned-out BP gas station with plastic bags and tools to clean up their neighborhood. The people of goodwill who live in this neighborhood have not lost hope. They are willing to do the hard work it will take to clean up this mess.
How many of us are willing to join them?


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Using the Excel TEXT Function
SummaryThe Excel TEXT function changes the way a number appears by applying formatting.
The TEXT function will convert numbers to text. This may make it difficult to use the number in calculations. Keep your original value, in number format, in one cell and add the TEXT version in another cell. This will allow you to reference the number cell if it is required in future formulas.
Syntax=TEXT (value, format_text)
Syntax BreakdownValue
Required. The numeric value you want to convert to text.
Format Text
Required. Text string describing the formatting you want applied to value. This argument must be enclosed in double quotation marks (""). See below for common format codes:
|Format Code
|Currency with a thousands separator. Includes 2 decimal places, such as $5,432.10
|Date in MM/DD/YY format. For exapmle, 10/25/18
|Percentage. For example, 5.4%
|"# ?/?"
|Fraction. For example, 4 1/5
|Scientific notation. For example, 1.01E+08
Usage NotesTEXT will convert a number to text with a specified number formatting.
If you do not want to use TEXT, you can also format cells by going to Format Cells > Number dialog box, or pressing Ctrl + 1, and selecting the format you want.
Finding TEXT Formatting Codes
To find formatting codes to use with TEXT follow these steps:
1. Press Ctrl + 1 to access the Format Cells dialog box.
2. Go to the Custom option.
3. Select the formatting style that you want. The formatting code is show in the Type box. Highlight the formatting code and copy it by pressing Ctrl + C. Exit the formatting dialog box.
4. Press Ctrl + V to paste the copied formatting code into the TEXT formula. Be sure the code is within double quotation marks ("") or the function will return an error.
Common TEXT Questions
Q: Will TEXT change the case of text?
A: The TEXT function does not change the case of text. Use UPPER, LOWER, or PROPER to change the case.
Q: Will TEXT convert numbers to text, such as 1 to One.
A: TEXT will not convert a number to text, such as 1 to One. More advanced users can use the SpellNumber function code in VBA to enable this capability.


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Col. William Davis, USMC (Retired)
Executive Director, General Douglas MacArthur Foundation
The General Douglas MacArthur Foundation was established in 1962, to commemorate the life and achievements of General Douglas MacArthur, particularly as they relate to his credo "Duty, Honor, Country" and its relevance to future generations of Americans. The Foundation is a nonprofit corporation chartered in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The IRS has ruled that contributions to the Foundation are tax-deductible.
The Foundation's initial efforts resulted in a larger-than-life bronze statue of the General and the construction of three new buildings for the Memorial complex. The Jean MacArthur Research Center houses the historically valuable MacArthur Papers, his personal
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The Foundation currently supports many programs to meet its goals. First, and foremost, is the support of the Memorial. The Foundation promotes research, study, and publication to make known the achievements of General MacArthur. Projects are undertaken with outside agencies such as the Department of Defense, other museums, veterans' organizations and educational institutions. Special events commemorating General MacArthur are conducted on historic dates. Awards for excellence are presented for individual leadership and achievement.
The Foundation receives funds from memberships in the MacArthur Committee, donations from people going through the Memorial, profits from the gift shop, and the largest portion from an endowment fund. This trust has accrued over the years principally through contributions from those who admire General MacArthur and agree with the objectives of the Foundation.
Jean MacArthur played a prominent role in the activities of the Foundation. She was an honorary chairman of the Foundation and had, from the beginning, been intimately involved in the development of the Memorial and the Foundation. Ultimately, she was buried beside the General in the Memorial on January 26, 2000.
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