text:
When your PPC operations are set up well, account management should run like a finely tuned machine. Just like a car's engine, PPC management needs regular tune-ups and maintenance in order to perform at the optimal level.
When you have regularly scheduled checkups daily, monthly, quarterly and semi-annually, you miss less opportunity to respond to change and increase your return on investment.
Planning is half the battle, so here's your starter calendar for your PPC management at the start of a new year.
Daily PPC Tasks
Every business is different and the level of attention needed for certain accounts will vary. But in general, one of the first things you should do is check your accounts each day to see what happened yesterday.
- For ecommerce, check ad spend and revenue.
- For lead gen sites, check conversions.
Those are the two basic performance indicators – what everyone cares about anyway. But look for standouts – did any one account spend way more or less than usual? Did it have a fantastic sales day? Track the ups and downs.
And don't get too freaked out if something looks out of the ordinary. Unless the client is used to making $10,000 per day and it dropped down to $1,000, it's likely part of the inconsistencies businesses sometimes see.
Pro tip: If you're an agency or consultant and you notice something is off, call up the client. They might be able to explain the odd behavior, for example, the shopping cart was buggy or someone internally clicked on the ad and put items in the shopping cart to test the process, thus making a purchase. (I've seen both of those scenarios and more). If you're running your own PPC, talk to others on your team or dig deeper to uncover reasons why you might be seeing this behavior.
Monthly, Quarterly & Semi-Annual PPC Tasks
These tasks within your PPC calendar will once again depend on the individual business and its advertising needs. For example, changing ad messaging could be a quarterly task, but depends on how much data you have about your ad performance, or if you have special campaigns that run consistently on a shorter timeline.
A good rule of thumb is: the newer the account, the more attention it will need – and some of the tasks we're going to go over may occur more frequently in that case.
5 Monthly PPC Tasks
1. Negative Keyword Management
The simplest and easiest way to avoid wasted money is managing negative keywords. If you stay on top of this, squandered ad spend is practically non-existent. For newer accounts or existing accounts that need a revamp, doing this daily is wise.
2. Review Ad Positions and Manage Bids
You want to make sure you're claiming top spots in paid search placement, just like in organic search. Bid management is key, and you can help streamline this with rules and settings in advertising platforms like AdWords.
3. Communications With Clients or the Team
If you're a party of one running your own campaigns, this doesn't really apply. But if you're managing PPC on behalf of a company, a monthly check-in is a must, and can go a long way when you learn about something the client or team is working on that you can assist with.
4. Watch for Good and Bad Performers
View this at the campaign level down to the ad group and keyword level. It's also sometimes beneficial to do this in reverse as well.
5. Google Display Network Management
Site exclusions are to the Display Network what negative keywords are to paid search ads. Make sure you're managing which sites your ads are featured on, so you're not inadvertently showing up on weather sites if you're a cloud computing company (true story!).
12 Quarterly or Semi-Annual PPC Tasks
Many of the following are interchangeable (quarterly or semi-annual), and depending on the account, you could do them on a monthly basis. I recommend semi-annually at the very least.
1. Click-Through Rate Review
This is at the keyword level, and the rule of thumb is to flag anything below 1 percent CTR. However, it's not uncommon to see high-volume keywords with less than 1 percent.
If the ROI and quality score for the keyword is healthy, you can often just leave it be. Otherwise, consider pausing it and weighing your options for tweaking the messaging or something else.
2. Sitelinks Audit
It's a good idea to check in and see what sort of sitelinks are set up. When things change on the website (for example, sales or product pages are added), the sitelinks can also change to drive traffic to the new pages. You can also review how the sitelinks are performing, and axe the links that don't get clicks.
3. Quality Score Reports
Here, you're looking for low score between 1 and 3 that should be addressed immediately. Sometimes when accounts have been poorly managed, the quality score will remain low for some time – even if you're doing everything right – until the improved practices have been in place for a while. You might even decide to pause these keywords and reinstate at a later date.
Quality scores of 4 and 5 are also worth flagging to investigate.
4. Keyword Trends and Program Development
You can sometimes find keyword trends when you're managing negative keywords. However, longer data sets like three or six months can help you better identify them. These trends can forge new campaigns you may not have thought of before.
5. Consider Remarketing and Product Listing Campaigns
These advertising options can fall by the wayside in favor of regular search network campaigns. Have a close look to see if remarketing or PLAs might be an option at this time. Similarly, if they are already set up, review their performance to look for improvements.
6. Campaign Performance Review
Starting at the campaign level, and working down to the keyword level, isolate the "darlings" of the campaigns and optimize for best performance. Also work on improving the worst. With poor-performing campaigns, make a decision about what you want to do – pause it or work on it more.
7. Ad Messaging
At this point in the campaign, it might be a good time to refine and test the ad copy.
8. Settings Audit
Sometimes campaign settings "mysteriously" change. It happens to the best of us, so it's always good to do a review of every setting to check for anything that may have been turned on, off, or modified accidentally.
9. Geo "Hot Spots"
Are there any cities, regions, or states that show the most ROI? Decide if you'll isolate those; it's always worth trying. Don't forget about international opportunities as well.
10. Search Partner Review
When you're advertising on the Google search network, it includes other search partners like Amazon and even Yahoo and Bing. Check the ROI for those other sites and if it makes sense, turn off these partner sites to save money (especially if you're working with a smaller budget).
11. Competitor Review
This one can be challenging if you don't have good tools. It's sometimes hard to trust the data coming from providers that claim they have it. You can start with Google Auction Insights.
12. Day Parting
Check the campaigns against times of day or days of the week to see if anything may need adjusting. If you have a tight budget, you can save a little money by only running when you know your audience is online, for example, during the week for some B2B businesses.
Ongoing PPC Management
Advertising platforms change all the time with new features. Staying on top of this can be a full-time job, but build it into your calendar. You don't want to miss important updates that can enhance your ROI.
Try reviewing the latest updates in AdWords here and here, and in Bing once a month when you're performing some of your other reviews.
But keep in mind that every new advertising product doesn't fit every account, so use discretion on what you pursue; testing new features are good, but you don't want to waste resources on those that aren't a good fit for your account.
Stay Organized, and Full Speed Ahead!
PPC management takes organization, scheduling, and attention to detail. Now that you have recommendations on what to look for throughout the year, put it all together using your favorite project management tool (e.g., a combination of Excel spreadsheets and Basecamp).
The following screenshot is a sample of what your company's spreadsheet could look like, with the various tabs at the bottom:
Here's to a more profitable year through streamlined PPC advertising!
Related reading
How to use PPC data to drive more SEO traffic
Analyzing PPC results to improve SEO is an unconventional yet effective method. Witness higher conversions and get more data to outrank competitors.
Facebook campaign budget optimization: How marketers must prepare for September 1, 2019
If you pay someone to adjust bids every week, much of that bid optimization work will be over. Details on Facebook's campaign budget optimization update.
Five search reports for ecommerce you can pull now to prep for Q4
For ecommerce companies, it's not too early to start preparing for the holiday season. Here are five search reports to pull now as you strategize for EOY.
Effective Amazon PPC Management: How to get the most of a limited budget
According to research, Amazon ranked first with average monthly users of about 197 million. Tools, tips, and key details for Amazon PPC management.


text:
Special Valentine's Day Workshop with Yours Truly!
When: 02/14/14 — 7PM to 9PM
Where: Foundation For Sex Positive Culture — 1608 15th Ave W. Bldg B, Seattle, WA 98119
Who: Anyone 18+ with ID
Cost at the Door: $25 Advance prices: $20 for Individuals, $35 for Couples and $50 for Triads.
Purchase your tickets HERE!
***Limited to 30 attendees.***
This workshop is open to all regardless of gender, orientation, or relationship status.
Tired of the same old in and out? Is penetrative sex boring you to tears, or worse leaving you unfulfilled? Well, I have just the thing for you. Let's whip up a menu of spicy, tantalizing, and oh so satisfying hors d'oeuvres that will revitalize your diet and expand your sexual repertoire.
We'll cover a wide variety of topics, including:
- Oral skills
- The art of aural seduction
- Sensual massage
- Sensory play
- Ritualizing your connection
- Mutual masturbation; the key to great partnered sex at any age
- Exploring kinks and fetishes
- Toys
- And so much more!
Remember, creativity and exploration is the spice of life!
There will be lots of adult product to giveaway too.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Company Unlawfully Fired Employee Because of Epilepsy, Agency Charged
MILWAUKEE – U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephen L. Crocker of the federal district court in Madison yesterday entered a consent decree resolving a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission against Mr. B's of Abbotsford, Inc., formerly known as Abbotsford Egg Products. The EEOC had charged that the Abbotsford, Wis., former egg processing company unlawfully fired a production employee, Nicki Heberle, because of her epilepsy, despite Heberle's ability to perform the essential functions of her job.
Mr. B's of Abbotsford, Inc. sold the egg processing business to a new operator in 2007, but its actions alleged in the EEOC's suit took place before the sale. The decree provides that Mr. B's will pay Heberle $50,000; includes a prohibition against future disability discrimination or retaliation; and requires that Mr. B's provide anti-discrimination training to its employees, now and in the future.
In its lawsuit, filed on July 15, 2009, the EEOC charged that Mr. B's violated the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) when it terminated Heberle in January 2007 because of her epilepsy. Heberle had worked as a production employee at Mr. B's for over a month without incident, but Mr. B's terminated her after she had a seizure following her first time operating a rapidly spinning egg-breaking machine. EEOC alleged that in spite of her epilepsy, Heberle could do the essential functions of a production employee. (EEOC v. Mr. B's of Abbotsford, Inc., W.D. Wis. No. 09-CV-444).
The ADA prohibits job discrimination against an individual who is regarded as having a disability if the individual is able to perform the essential functions of the job.
John Rowe, director of the EEOC's Chicago District Office, said, "The ADA makes it necessary for employers to carefully assess an individual's ability to perform the essential functions of the job, and does not allow myths, fears, or stereotypes about a medical condition to be the basis for employment decisions."
EEOC Chicago Regional Attorney John Hendrickson said, "The EEOC will continue to seek relief for those who are deemed by the employer to be unfit for a job based on their impairment, but are in fact able to perform the essential functions of the job."
EEOC Associate Regional Attorney Jean Kamp, who supervised the litigation, said, "This case was settled promptly by Mr. B's, which made it clear it wanted to resolve the matter without protracted litigation. We commend its willingness to do so, and we are very pleased for Ms. Heberle and others with epilepsy who can take heart from this case."
The case was litigated by Trial Attorney Brian Tyndall of EEOC's Milwaukee Area Office.
The EEOC's Chicago District Office is responsible for processing charges of discrimination, administrative enforcement, and the conduct of agency litigation in Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and North and South Dakota, with Area Offices in Milwaukee and Minneapolis.
The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its website at www.eeoc.gov.


text:
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Regions Financial Corp. on Tuesday posted sharply higher third-quarter earnings, as the regional bank set aside less cash to cover loan losses. But its shares fell sharply in morning trading after the results showed record-low interest rates cut into interest income from loan and deposits.
Regions reported net income of $301 million, or 21 cents per share, for the three months ended Sept. 30. That was nearly three times the size of the company's earnings in the year-ago period, when net income was $101 million, or 8 cents per share.
Excluding an $11 million loss from a discontinued operation, Regions' adjusted earnings 22 cents per share.
Analysts surveyed by FactSet had expected adjusted earnings of 21 cents per share, on average. Analysts' forecasts typically exclude one-time items.
Regions said its aggregate loan yield was 4.18 percent, down from 4.29 percent in this year's second quarter. Regions, like many other banks, has been pressured by historic low interest rates, which have been driven down in part by the Federal Reserve policies to stimulate the economic recovery and encourage borrowing and investment. Regions also attributed the decline in its loan yield to a greater number of borrowers paying off mortgages early, as well as pricing competition.
Shares of Regions fell 51 cents, or 7.2 percent, to $6.57 in morning trading. The stock has traded in a 52-week range of $3.51 to $7.73, and is still up more than 50 percent since the start of the year.
Regions also reported a decline in its net interest margin, which fell to 3.08 percent from 3.16 percent in this year's second quarter. Net interest margin, considered a key measure of a bank's profitability, is the difference between interest a bank collects on loans and interest it must pay to depositors and other lenders.
Jefferies & Co. analyst Ken Usdin said in a note to clients that the net interest margin performance "will be seen as disappointing." He said the company had indicated it expected that metric to remain stable in the latter half of this year, along with net interest income, or earnings from traditional banking operations like deposits and loans.
Net interest income slipped nearly 4 percent in the latest quarter to $817 million, from $850 million in the year-ago period.
That decline was offset by improved loan performance. Regions' provision for loan losses, or money set aside to cover souring loans, plunged to $33 million from $355 million in the year-ago quarter, although it rose slightly from $26 million in this year's second quarter.
Net charge-offs, or loans that have been written off as uncollectible, declined to 1.38 percent of average net loans from 2.52 percent in the year-ago quarter, and from 1.39 percent in this year's second quarter.
Revenue from Regions' mortgage business increased to a record high of $106 million, up 56 percent from the year-ago period.
Regions reported $12 million in securities gains in the latest quarter, compared with a $1 million securities loss a year ago. Other non-interest income, such as earnings from fees and service charges, rose about 1 percent to $521 million from $514 million.
Separately, Regions said on Tuesday that it expects to consider issuing preferred stock in an underwritten public offering "in the near future." Proceeds would be used for general corporate purposes.
Regions, based in Birmingham, Ala., operates in 16 states across the South, the Midwest and Texas, with about 1,700 branches.


text:
Peter Pan
character created by J. M. Barrie
Peter Pan is a book written by British novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie (1860–1937). Originally titled Peter and Wendy, it is an adaptation of a stage play about the same characters. It is a story of a mischievous little boy who refuses to grow up. Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as leader of his gang, the Lost Boys.
Chapter 1-5Edit
- Two is the beginning of the end.
- Ch. 1 : Peter Breaks Through
- He got all of her, except the innermost box and the kiss. He never knew about the box, and in time he gave up trying for the kiss.
- Ch. 1 : Peter Breaks Through the void
- The many gentlemen who had been boys when she was a girl discovered simultaneously that they loved her, and they all ran to her house to propose to her except Mr. Darling, who took a cab and nipped in first, and so he got her.
- Ch. 1 : Peter Breaks Through
- ... but at last Wendy just got through, with mumps reduced to twelve six, and the two kinds of measles treated as one.
- Ch. 1 : Peter Breaks Through
- As they were poor, owing to the amount of milk the children drank, this nurse was a prim Newfoundland dog, called Nana, who belonged to no one in particular until the Darlings engaged her.
- Ch. 1 : Peter Breaks Through
- John's, for instance, had a lagoon with flamingoes flying over it at which John was shooting, while Michael, who was very small, had a flamingo with lagoons flying over it.
- Ch. 1 : Peter Breaks Through
- For instance, they may remember to mention, a week after the even happened, that when they were in the wood they met their dead father and had a game with him.
- Ch. 1 : Peter Breaks Through
- She had found her two older children playing at being herself and father on the occasion of Wendy's birth.
- Ch. 2 : The Shadow : The Shadow
- I warn you of this, mother, that unless this tie is round my neck we don't go out to dinner tonight, and if I don't go out to dinner tonight, I will never go to the office again, and if I don't go to the office again, you and I starve, and our children will be flung into the streets.
- Ch. 2 : The Shadow
- 'That is not the point,' he retorted. 'The point is, that there is more in my glass than in Michael's spoon.' His proud heart was nearly bursting. 'And it isn't fair; I would say it though it were with my last breath; it isn't fair.'
- Ch. 2 : The Shadow
- 'What's your name?' he asked.
'Wendy Moira Angela Darling,' she replied with some satisfaction. 'What is your name?'
'Peter Pan.'
She was already sure that he must be Peter, but it did seem a comparatively short name.
'Is that all?'
'Yes,' he said rather sharply. He felt for the first time that it was a shortish name.
'I'm so sorry,' said Wendy Moira Angela.
'It doesn't matter,' Peter gulped.
She asked where he lived.
'Second to the right,' said Peter, 'and then straight on till morning.'
'What a funny address!'
Peter had a sinking feeling. For the first time he felt that perhaps it was a funny address.
"A moment after the fairy's entrance the window was blown open by the breathing of the little stars, and Peter dropped in."
- Ch. 3 : Come Away, Come Away!
- She was in a jug for the moment, and liking it extremely; she had never been in a jug before
- Ch. 3 : Come Away, Come Away!
- "How clever I am!" he crowed rapturously, "oh the cleverness of me!"
- Ch. 3 : Come Away, Come Away!
- 'And you could darn our clothes, and make pockets for us. None of us has any pockets.'
- Ch. 3 : Come Away, Come Away!
Chapter 6-10Edit
- Foolish Tootles was standing like a conqueror over Wendy's body when the other boys sprang, armed, from their trees.
"You are too late," he cried proudly, "I have shot the Wendy. Peter will be so pleased with me."
Overhead Tinker Bell shouted "Silly ass!" and darted into hiding. The others did not hear her. They had crowded round Wendy, and as they looked a terrible silence fell upon the wood. If Wendy's heart had been beating they would all have heard it.
Slightly was the first to speak. "This is no bird," he said in a scared voice. "I think this must be a lady."
"A lady?" said Tootles, and fell a-trembling.
"And we have killed her," Nibs said hoarsely.
They all whipped off their caps.
"Now I see," Curly said: "Peter was bringing her to us." He threw himself sorrowfully on the ground.
"A lady to take care of us at last," said one of the twins, "and you have killed her!"
They were sorry for him, but sorrier for themselves, and when he took a step nearer them they turned from him.
Tootles' face was very white, but there was a dignity about him now that had never been there before.
"I did it," he said, reflecting. "When ladies used to come to me in dreams, I said, 'Pretty mother, pretty mother.' But when at last she really came, I shot her."
He moved slowly away.
- Ch. 6 : The Little House
- The difference between him and the other boys at such a time was that they knew it was make-believe; while to him make-believe and true were exactly the same thing. This sometimes troubled them, as when they had to make-believe that they had had their dinners.
- Ch. 6 : The Little House
- When she [Wendy] sat down to a basketful of their stockings, every heel with a hole in it, she would fling up her arms and exclaim, 'Oh dear, I am sure I sometimes think spinsters are to be envied.'
- Ch. 7 : The Home Under the Ground
- 'Oh dear, oh dear,' cried Wendy, 'I'm sure I sometimes think that spinsters are to be envied.'
- Ch. 7 : The Home Under the Ground
- As time wore on did she think much about the beloved parents she had left behind her?...Wendy did not really worry about her father and mother; she was absolutely confident that they would always keep the window open for her to fly back by, and this gave her complete ease of mind. What did disturb her at times was that John remembered his parents vaguely only, as people he had once known, while Michael was quite willing to believe that she was really his mother. These things scared her a little, and nobly anxious to do her duty, she tried to fix the old life in their minds by setting them examination papers on it, as like as possible to the ones she used to do at school…The questions were all written in the past tense. What was the colour of Mother's eyes, and so on. Wendy, you see, had been forgetting too.
- Ch. 7 : The Home Under the Ground
- For one thing he [Peter] despised all mothers except Wendy, and for another he was the only boy on the island who could neither write nor spell; not the smallest word. He was above all that sort of thing.
- Ch. 7 : The Home Under the Ground
- He [Peter] was less sorry than Wendy for Tiger Lily: it was two against one that angered him, and he meant to save her.
- Ch. 8 : The Mermaids' Lagoon
- 'What's a mother?' asked the ignorant Smee.
- Ch. 8 : The Mermaids' Lagoon
- 'Captain,' said Smee, 'could we not kidnap these boys' mother and make her out mother?'
'It is a princely scheme,' cried Hook, and at once it took practical shape in his great brain. 'We will seize the children and carry them to the boat: the boys we will make walk the plank, and Wendy shall be our mother.'
- Ch. 8 : The Mermaids' Lagoon
- 'A codfish!' Hook echoed blankly, and it was then, but not till then, that his proud spirit broke. He saw his men draw back from him.
'Have we been captained all this time by a codfish!' they muttered. 'It is lowering to our pride.'
They were his dogs snapping at him, but, tragic figure though he had become, he scarcely heeded him. Against such fearful evidence it was not their belief in him that he needed, it was his own. He felt his ego slipping from him.'
- Ch. 8 : The Mermaids' Lagoon
- Peter was alone on the lagoon.
The rock was very small now; soon it would be submerged. Pale rays of light tiptoed across the waters; and by and by there was to be heard a sound at once the most musical and the most melancholy in the world: the mermaids calling to the moon.
Peter was not quite like other boys; but he was afraid at last. A tremor ran through him, like a shudder passing over the sea; but on the sea one shudder follows another till there are hundreds of them, and Peter felt just the one. Next moment he was standing erect on the rock again, with that smile on his face and a drum beating within him. It was saying, "To die will be an awfully big adventure."
- Ch. 8 : The Mermaids' Lagoon; Peter, expecting to to die while trapped on Marooner's Rock, after insisting that Wendy escape on Michael's kite, which could only support one of them, a scene originally added in the 1905 production of the play. This has also sometimes been quoted as "To die would be an awfully great adventure", "To die will be a great adventure", and "To die would be a great adventure."
Unplaced by chapter and sequenceEdit
- "Her [Mrs. Darling's] romantic mind was like the tiny boxes, one within the other…however many you discover there is always one more; and her sweet mocking mouth had one kiss on it that Wendy could never get, though there it was, perfectly conspicuous in the right-hand corner." – pg. 1
- "It was a girl called Tinker Bell exquisitely gowned in a skeleton leaf, cut low and square, through which her figure could be seen to the best advantage." – pg. 19
- "She made herself rather cheap by inclining her face toward him, but he merely dropped an acorn button into her hand, so she slowly returned her face to where it had been before, and said nicely that she would wear his kiss on the chain round her neck." – pg. 23
- "'You see, Wendy, when the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies.'" – pg. 24
- "'Wendy, Wendy, when you are sleeping in your silly bed you might be flying about with me saying funny things to the stars.'" – pg. 27
- "'And you could darn our clothes, and make pockets for us. None of us has any pockets.'" – pg. 28
- 'For Wendy?' John said, aghast. 'Why, she is only a girl!'
'That,' explained Curly, 'is why we are her servants.' – pg. 58
- "'Ay, ay,' said Slightly at once, and disappeared, scratching his head. He knew Peter must be obeyed, and he returned in a moment, wearing John's hat and looking solemn." – pg. 58
- "John rubbed his eyes. 'Then I shall get up,' he said. Of course, he was on the floor already. 'Hallo', he said, 'I am up!'".
– pg. 58
- "'That doesn't matter,' said Peter, as if he were the only person present who knew all about it, though he was really the one who knew least. 'What we need is just a nice motherly person.'" – pg. 61
- "The little house was so pleased to have such a capital chimney that, as if to say thank you, smoke immediately began to come out of the hat. – pg. 61
- "'Very well,' she said. 'I will do my best. Come inside at once, you naughty children; I am sure your feet are damp. And before I put you to bed I have just time to finish the story of Cinderella.'" – pg. 62
- "…for unless your tree fitted you it was difficult to go up and down, and no two of the boys were quite the same size. Once you fitted, you drew in your breath at the top, and down you went at exactly the right speed, while to ascend you drew in and let our alternately, and so wriggled up. Off course, when you have mastered the action you are able to do these things without thinking of them, and then nothing can be more graceful." – pg. 63
- "If you shut your eyes and are a lucky one, you may see at times a shapeless pool of lovely pale colours suspended in the darkness; then if you squeeze your eyes tighter, the pool begins to take shape, and the colours become so vivid that with another squeeze they must go on fire. But just before they go on fire you see the lagoon." – pg. 70
- "The bubbles of many colours made in randow water they treat as balls, hitting them gaily fro one to another with their tails, and trying to keep them in the rainbow till they burst." – pg. 71
- Quick as thought he snatched a knife from Hook's belt and was about to drive it home, when he saw that he was higher up the rock than his foe. It would not have been fighting fair. He gave the pirate a hand to help him up.
It was then that Hook bit him.
Not the pain of this but its unfairness was what dazed Peter. It made him quite helpless. – pg. 79
- "Peter was not quite like other boys; but he was afraid at last…Next moment he was standing erect on the rock again, with that smile on his face and a drum beating within him. It was saying, 'To die will be an awfully big adventure.'" – pg. 82
- "You dunderheaded little jay," she screamed, 'why don't you do as I tell you?"
Peter felt that she was calling him names, and at a venture he retorted hotly:
"So are you!"
The rather curiously they both snapped out the same remark.
"Shut up!"
"Shut up!" – pg. 84
- "At the same moment the bird fluttered down upon the hat and once more sat snugly on her eggs. She drifted in one direction, and he was borne off in another, both cheering...the hat was such a great success that she abandoned the nest…As we shall not see her again, it may be worth mentioning here that all Never birds now build in that shape of nest, with a broad brim on which the youngsters take an airing," – pg. 85
- "Every boy had adventures to tell; but perhaps the biggest adventure of all was that they were several hours late for bed." – pg. 86
- "They [the redskins] called Peter the Great White Father, prostrating themselves before him; and he liked this tremendously, so that it was not really good for him." – pg. 87
- "The way you got the time on the island was to find the crocodile, and then stay near him till the clock struck." – pg. 88
- "There was a fixed rule that they must never hit back at meals, but should refer the matter of dispute to Wendy by raising the right arm politely and saying 'I complain of so-and-so'; but what usually happened was that they forgot to do this or did it too much." – pg. 88
- "O Wendy," cried Tootles, "was one of the lost children called Tootles?"
"Yes, he was."
"I am in a story. Hurrah, I am in a story, Nibs." – pg. 95
- "Let us now," said Wendy, "bracing herself up for her finest effort, "take a peep into the future"; and they all gave themselves the twist that makes peeps into the future easier. – pg. 96
- "You see," Wendy said complacently, "our heroine knew that the mother would always leave the window open for her children to fly back by; so they stayed away for years and had a lovely time." – pg. 96
- …he was so full of wrath against grown-ups, who, as usual, were spoiling everything, that as soon as he got inside his tree he breathed intentionally quick short breaths at the rate of about five to a second. He did this because there is a saying in the Neverland that, every time you breathe, a grown-up dies; and Peter was killing them off vindictively as fast as possible. – pg. 98
- "Tink," he rapped out, "if you don't get up and dress at once I will open the curtains, and then we shall all see you in your negligee." – pg. 99
- She loved to give them medicine, and undoubtedly gave them too much. Of course it was only water, but it was out of a bottle, and she always shook the bottle and counted the drops, which gave it a certain medicinal quality. – pg. 100
- It is no part of ours to describe what was a massacre rather than a fight. Thus perished many of the flower of the Piccaninny tribe. – pg. 104
See alsoEdit
External linksEdit
- Free eBook of Peter Pan at Project Gutenberg (1991 Millennium Fulcrum Edition)
- Neverpedia
- The Pain of Peter Pan – Newsweek
- Peter Pan: over 100 years of the boy who wouldn't grow up from the Museum of the City of New York Collections blog


text:
Johnson Says New Electric Fleet Program Lays Foundation for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure
As prepared for delivery
Remarks by
Martha Johnson
U.S. General Services Administration
Electric Vehicle Program Launch
Washington, DC
May 24, 2011
Thank you for that generous introduction. I'm honored to join Chair Nancy Sutley [of the Council on Environmental Quality] and Energy Secretary Steven Chu as we celebrate today's purchase of the government's first 116 electric vehicles. These cars will go to 20 agencies, including the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense both of which are represented here today, in five cities across the country.
I'm also delighted to be here because I began my career working on the factory floor of an engine company in Indiana, so I've seen the developments and evolution of the auto industry first-hand. It's exciting to be here to recognize this next chapter.
At GSA, our mission is to provide an effective, sustainable, and transparent government for the American people. We support agencies so that they can support our great nation.
As part of that mission, we design and maintain federal buildings across the country, and we help manage the acquisition of goods and services for the federal government – including the procurement of nearly 400,000 vehicles used by federal agencies.
This puts us in a unique strategic position to help the government invest in advanced technology vehicles. Already, GSA has made serious progress in integrating more fuel-efficient vehicles into the federal fleet. In the past year alone, we have doubled the number of hybrid vehicles across the government, replacing old cars with new, fuel-efficient ones. These purchases have led to a 25 percent increase in the fuel-efficiency of the fleet, saving taxpayers $9 million per year.
The electric vehicle program we launch today is the next big step. It furthers the administration's goal of putting 1 million advanced vehicles on the road by 2015, and it represents a significant, targeted investment in the next generation of automotive technology.
Importantly, GSA is approaching this program in a strategic and coordinated way, leveraging our expertise across our enterprise – in both real estate and acquisition – to deliver the best value to agencies and to taxpayers.
On our acquisition side, we have issued three contracts for electric vehicle purchases, and GSA is purchasing 116 vehicles off of those contracts to lease to 20 agencies across government.
These first vehicles are expected to save more than 29,000 gallons of gas, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 260 tons, and save taxpayers more than $109,000 – every single year. And since agencies can now use those contracts to purchase more vehicles, we anticipate even greater savings for federal agencies and even better value for the American people.
But we aren't stopping there. To power these new vehicles, GSA is leveraging its role as the leading federal real estate manager and is installing electric vehicle charging stations at federal buildings in five cities across the country.
The ripple effect of this deliberate and coordinated investment is vast and stretches across different industries and markets. By laying the foundation for federal electric vehicle infrastructure, GSA is supporting both the electric vehicle industry as well as other, associated industries, such as advanced battery research and recycling.
And this, in turn, supports American innovation.
Two months ago, I was able to tour a facility in Lancaster, Ohio, where, thanks to a Department of Energy grant, a company called ToxCo is developing one of the first electric vehicle battery recycling centers in the country. This company exemplifies the kind of leading-edge thinking that we are eager to support, and today's investment does exactly that.
It broadens the electric vehicle market, which, in turn, will increase the production of battery research and production. More batteries on the road will mean that more batteries will need to be recycled, and that translates into a real business boost to firms such as ToxCo.
Finally, and at an even broader level, our purchases will help build the technological framework required to support electric vehicle integration across the country and throughout the economy.
The federal purchase of these vehicles and the accompanying plug-in infrastructure is exciting, and broadens our investment in advanced technology vehicles. It is certain to deliver value to federal agencies, boost a vital new industry, spur competitive innovation, and bring solid savings to taxpayers.
It is now my pleasure to deliver a set of electric vehicle keys to Secretary Chu. These are the first of many that will be delivered to the Department of Energy and other agencies that will help save millions of dollars and set a course for a sustainable federal fleet.
Thank you.
Click here to read a news release about the Electric Vehicle Pilot Program launch.


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|Bellevue, Wash.
|High School:
|Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
2013-14: Rowed in nine races … rowed in the #4 seat five times in the Varsity 8 boat, beginning at the Geiger Cup (4/19) through the EARC Sprints (5/18) … sat in the #5 seat in the Varsity 8 boat against Boston College and Delaware (3/29), San Diego Crew Classic (4/5-6) and Biglin Bowl (4/12) … sat once in the #8 seat in the A boat during the Head of the Charles (10/20).
2012-13: Rowed in every race throughout his sophomore season … competed in the #5 seat of the Varsity 8 A boat at the Head of the Charles (10/21) and at the Princeton Chase (10/28) … sat in the #3 seat of the Varsity 4 C boat at the Foot of the Charles (11/17) … saw action in the #5 seat of the Varsity 8 A boat at the Joy Cup (4/06), against Dartmouth and Harvard (4/13), at the Dad Vail Regatta (5/11) and at the EARC Sprints Regatta (5/19) … rowed in the #2 seat of the Varsity 4 A boat at the IRA National Championships (6/02).
2011-12: Saw action in the #6 seat on the varsity boat at the Head of the Charles (10/22) … competed in the MIT A boat at the Foot of the Charles in the #8 seat (11/19) … rowed in the #8 seat on the MIT freshman team at Yale (4/7); against Harvard (4/14); versus Cornell (4/21) and at Penn (4/28).
Off the Water at MIT: Majoring in computer science and electrical engineering … research intern at Planetary Resources Inc. … software development intern at International Software Corporation … president of Kappa Sigma.
High School: A 2011 graduate of Lakeside School … team captain … first place at the US Rowing Club National Championship in the Jr. A 8+ … second place at the US Rowing Youth National Championship in lightweight. 4+ … rowed with the Seattle Area Rowing Association … National Merit Finalist.


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A Grand Gift for a Unique City
From the salvaged remains of a decrepit Creole Cottage, the Brooklyn-based artist Swoon has re-imagined a permanent, interactive sculpture for the Bywater neighborhood of New Orleans. We call it the Dithyrambalina. Itwill look like a house, but it will function like a musical instrument. A growing group of local and national sound artists are working towards interactive instruments that can be built into its walls and floorboards so that visitors can bring the house to life through their touch. Ultimately, musicians will be invited to play the house, performing orchestrated works at block parties for their friends and neighbors. This project is for the love of New Orleans - its architecture, music, culture and its people.
Swoon has designed the look of house and we have formed coalitions with everyone from architects to salvage suppliers. The next phase of our project is to create instrumentation for the house. This Fall our sound artists will publicly test their prototypes in a temporary installation we are calling The Music Box - A Shantytown Sound Laboratory.
The Dithyrambalina, Quarter-Scale Model of the Musical House.
Why Build A Musical House?
Even before the destruction wrought by Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans had been afflicted by huge numbers of run down properties and abandoned lots. These tragic symbols are the backdrop of city-wide dysfunction, but they are also the tableau in front of which New Orleans' rich musical and visual heritage parades and performs. This project is an imaginative attempt to redress the futility of this blight by finding within it vast resources of salvageable materials. By turning our salvaged construction into a music box that is free, public, and playful we are inviting the wider community to imagine and participate in a new landscape of potential and possibility.
The blighted Creole Cottage that stood on our build site. We will use its salvage in the construction of the Dithyrambalina, our musical house.
Your Support
Kinetic sound artists from New Orleans and across the country are coming together this fall to build The Music Box, A Shantytown Sound Laboratory. This is our testing ground for singing walls, organ floorboards, and percussion triggered by the human heartbeat.
Your support will directly benefit these artists who need time and money to develop their ideas. Interactive, mechanical art can be finicky and we need to get it right before we build the house. Our sound laboratory will be a place for collaboration, imagination, and public exploration. It is an important next step in realizing Swoon's vision of a musical architecture.
This campaign goal will help fund the prototyping of instruments for the house, but don't stop the pledges coming. We still have a house to build!
Walkie, part of a $800 pledge
This project is being partially funded by The Arts Council of New Orleans and the Black Rock Arts Foundation. With your tax-deductible pledge we can make it happen!
Ice Queen, part of a $3000 pledge
Funding period
- (30 days)


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July 18, 2008
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is advising the public that an environmental assessment has been prepared relative to a proposed biological control program for Sirex woodwasp. The environmental assessment documents our review and analysis of environmental impacts associated with the proposed biological control program. We are making this environmental assessment available to the public for review and comment.
This notice is scheduled for publication in the July 21 Feder al Register.
Consideration will be given to comments received on or before Aug. 20. You may submit comments by either of the following methods:
Note to Reporters: Public notices and other APHIS information are available on the Internet. Go to the APHIS news release page at http://www.aphis.usda.gov and click on the "Newsroom" button. For additional information about this topic contact Melissa O' Dell at (301) 734-5222 or by e-mail at firstname.lastname@example.com,gov.


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After you check out Derek, view out the other Weekly musicians, top MP3 downloads and our list of local bands.
|Derek's Role in the Band
|About the Band
|Wicked Garden
A tribute to the 90's is a high-energy recreation of the bands that defined a generation. The generation that frequents the bright lights of Las Vegas, the generation that wants ......more.


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By John Goralski
Sports Writer
John Fontana voice caught in his throat as he began to talk about his first heart surgery and the overwhelming helplessness he felt as he scanned through channels on his tv. But a loud knocking at his front door drew his attention, and he craned his neck to see who was coming to visit.
Carl Pavano stepped into the room.
Just a few hours earlier the former Blue Knight was pitching on a Florida mound, yet here he was in the living room of his high school coach. Fontana's eyes welled up as he recalled that day.
"His mother told him that I was sick, so he flew up," Fontana said. "He stayed with me for two and a half hours, and we talked baseball. Then, he had to hurry back to the airport for a 5:00 flight. People can talk about Pavano all they want. He was great to me."
He's gruff. He's opinionated, and he's stern. He's been criticized, battled, and revered. Critics have charged that the former Blue Knight was only concerned about winning, but his players tell a different story. Record books are filled with his many accomplishments on the field, but it's the ones that happened behind closed doors that Fontana cherishes the most.
When asked about his legacy, Fontana shrugged off his winning record. He waved off his state titles, honors, and designations. Fontana pointed to a small array of photographs that line the wall of his basement of former players dressed in college uniforms. Others are draped in major league attire. Not a single one of them is wearing the familiar blue and white Southington dress.
It's what they did after graduation that Fontana is most proud about. In his 41-year career, Fontana secured scholarships for 192 Southington players. In 1991, he watched seven former Knights competing in college world series games. Former players like Rob Dibble and Carl Pavano have become household names, but Fontana points out that 17 of his Knights went on to compete in the professional ranks with four advancing to the major league level.
"That lets me know that we did something right," he said. "I know that there are people out there that think that I would have done anything for a win, but I hope that there are people that will remember me as a guy that cared about my kids—all of them. Did I have some guys that were upset with me? Yeah, but I hope the majority of them think that I was there to make them better as men. We tried to stress the right things to do, and that was more important than the victories."
Mike Lantiere worked as an unpaid assistant to Fontana for almost half his career, and he said that Southington's success at the next level was no surprise. Nobody worked harder to promote their kids. Fontana spent every spring stuffing almost 300 Blue Knight programs into envelopes to distribute to colleges across the nation. Each spring, he orchestrated trips to Florida Southern University to showcase Southington's young talent.
"He did it all just so the kids had a chance to play in other areas. I think it helped give our kids the perspective of looking at other schools. They didn't only have to go to school in Connecticut. They could go down South or somewhere else," said Lantiere. "We used to draw coaches from colleges in the area like Florida Southern, Tampa, and others. They'd come to watch us practice and talk about some of his players. Even some professional scouts would come out to see people like Carl Pavano and Rob Dibble. He gave the kids a great opportunity to show what they had. Immeasurable good was done, and it was all for the kids."
Behind the scenes he'd work his magic, and it didn't matter if it was his player or not. Coaches would call for help. Parents would seek him out, and opponents would call him up between seasons.
"People didn't know that he spent just as much time with kids that weren't his players, particularly with girls softball," said Lantiere. "All you had to do was go to him and ask for help. He had contacts everywhere. He even helped my daughter to get into college to play softball. If you were an athlete, he knew somebody that you could talk to. I don't care what your sport was, he could find somebody to take a look at you. Then, you had to prove yourself, but that's okay."
"John has connections all over the country. He knows everybody. I mean everybody," said Jim Senich, former sports writer and editor at The Southington Observer. "He could call any school, and they'd listen to him. He had connections with major league scouts. He knows every reporter from around the state. He knows their home phone numbers. He knows their extensions, and he's always on good terms. Everybody knew about Southington. In New London, they knew about Southington. In Greenwich, they knew about Southington. He was an expert, and he's still going today like nuts."
Of course, none of that marketing would matter if Fontana wasn't a winning coach, and Fontana seemed to back up every outlandish boast. Right from the start, his cockiness raised eyebrows. Even the established coaches at Southington High School raised eyebrows at their young hotshot newcomer.
But Fontana's biggest accomplishment was his ability to turn critics into fans. He remembers addressing the athletic director in his first days on the job. It was his uncle, a legendary coach in football and baseball. The rest of the coaches in the high school staff had resumes that listed multiple state titles and coaching honors, but the young Fontana threw down the gauntlet.
He remembers boasting that people were going to forget about football in this town now that he was the king of the diamond. Baseball would be No. 1. A bemused smile spread across his uncle's face, but Fontana remembers a brusque compliment hurled his way in a car ride a few years later.
The baseball team had just enjoyed a huge crowd for a night game. The stands were packed. Concessions were jumping, and the parking lot was full.
"I never thought I'd see it," his uncle started…
Fontana always gave his critics reasons to condemn him. From the brash boast to his uncle to his quotes in the press, Fontana would ruffle feathers, but he always seemed to back it up with success. When Tom Garry pitched a perfect game in his coaching debut, Fontana was quoted as saying, "What's so tough about this?" When his team failed to make the tournament the following year, he answered that with a streak of 39 straight postseason appearances that continued through his retirement in 2003.
"When John took over the baseball team it didn't take him long to get it going, but it took him a long time to win a state title and people held that against him," said Senich. "I remember that there was a luncheonette downtown with a real wise guy. Every time I'd go down there for breakfast he'd ask me, 'How's that great coach doing? How many state titles has he won?' John said that it didn't bother him, but it had to."
Fontana said that it never crossed his mind. He was only worried about what his players thought. He committed himself to being demanding but fair. He made them sign responsibility contracts in the start of the season, and he would kick his best player off the team if they didn't behave well off the field.
"Nobody was stricter discipline-wise. I threw kids off the team. I suspended them, and did everything else. On the other side of the coin, when you came to our practices we'd have more laughs than anybody else. We made it fun so that they would work hard at it," he said. "I think that if I needed help, 99 percent of my ballplayers would be here tomorrow. I believe that. I have faith in them. I had faith in them then, and I still do now."
Like him or not, you didn't want to face his Southington team. That's because few teams were as practiced on game day. They ran trick plays. They hit in pressure situations, and they rarely made mistakes. That's one reason why college coaches flocked to Southington practices just to get a look at his up-and-coming talent.
"I got to Florida Southern without them even having a chance to see me play, and to get the kind of scholarship that I got was a tribute to how great he really was as a coach," said former Blue Knight Cris Allen. "If he said that a guy was good, they took it to heart. Either things have changed really dramatically, or we're talking about one of the greatest high school icons in the country. I believe that because of what he did for me and some of the other players that I played with. We had one kid go to LSU. One went to South Carolina. Those aren't second class programs. He got his kids involved in top quality programs."
Fontana approached the game as if it was a puzzle that only he could solve. He took risks in the outfield to give his teams a chance to throw out runners on the bases. He drew up trick plays with misdirection that caught runners in their tracks. They'd practice, practice, and practice until it became second nature. On game day, they'd execute to perfection.
By the time he retired, Fontana had secured a career winning percentage (.810) that was ranked fifth in the nation. He still ranks in the top 20 for wins as a varsity baseball coach (668) with 24 conference championships and a pair of state titles.
That's why he was such an easy choice for the selection committee for Southington's Sports Hall of Fame. On Thursday, Nov. 8, Fontana will be inducted in a ceremony at the Aqua Turf. For tickets, contact Jim Verderame at (860) 628-7335.
"When I get awards, it's because somebody recognized that we did something right," he said. "That's why I worked so hard to get kids into college. Those kids played for me. They gave it their all because, to play for me, you had to work your tail off. We drilled the hell out of them seven days a week. I appreciated all of it."
Now they get to return the favor.
To comment on this story or to contact sports writer John Goralski, email him at firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Your wedding is going to be the event of a lifetime. Nothing about your wedding day will be generic – it will be uniquely yours. That's why we want you to experience the joy of dancing a specially choreographed first dance that is customized just for you. Imagine gliding across the floor with the confidence of a pro to your own routine.
Wedding dance lessons prepare you for that all important first dance, for the father/daughter or mother/son dance, or for fun and unusual group wedding dances. We can create dance miracles and teach anyone how to perform the best wedding dance you can imagine. It's easy and fun. Whether you want to take wedding dance lessons in Miami, Miami Beach or Palm Beach, Florida, at our studios or your choice of location.About Your Wedding Dance
You don't have to know how to dance at all – we'll teach you everything you need to know to surprise and delight your family and friends. We use an efficient methodology that allows you to learn your dance in just 3 sessions. However, there is no minimum number of lessons required, and you can choose just one session if you wish. We recommend starting your first dance lessons or dance lessons for wedding groups at least 3 months before the wedding.
Our wedding dance lessons include a 7-step approach to help you retain the information you'll need to build your first dance. Since you learn only a single dance, you don't have to learn everything about dancing. This method helps you overcome your fears and wow your guests with the best wedding dance possible. You'll look like you've performed your whole life.
It doesn't matter if you have lots of dancing experience and your fiancé has never danced. We'll develop choreography that works for both of you. The choreography is designed to take into account your physical characteristics, your experience, and the type of dress and shoes you will be wearing to make sure your dance is the best it can be.
We believe dance includes everyone. Whether you have a physical impairment or you are a same sex couple, we'll make your dance the highlight of your wedding. We have successfully conducted dance lessons for wedding parties that included sight-impaired dancers and those confined to wheelchairs, and we enjoy working with anyone who would like to dance at their wedding.
Using custom choreography, we can create dances for your entire wedding party. Group dancing is lively and creates a very entertaining stage show. It's fun for both you and your guests. Or we can create a goodbye dance for you to enjoy before you leave for your honeymoon. There are many ways to celebrate your marriage through dance whether it's with wedding first dance lessons or group lessons, and we provide wedding dance lessons for any type of dance and music.
If you would like to schedule wedding dance lessons anywhere throughout the South Florida beaches, call us at 877-Our Dance (687-3262) to schedule your lessons.
"Hi Alfred thanks for the notes and reminders as you can imagine the last few weeks before the wedding were very hectic! We did practice what you showed us and everyone said we look great! So I want to thank you. Take care and I'll pass... " Read the Rest
Sean & Maria
Copyright © 2013 by Your Wedding Dance. All Rights Reserved.


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Did Bugatti Owner Crash Car for Huge Insurance Payout?
(NEW YORK) – A trial is set to begin later this month after an insurance company filed a lawsuit against a Texas man accused of intentionally driving his $1 million Bugatti car into a lagoon to collect on the insurance policy.
At the time of the crash three years ago, the car's driver, Andy House, told police he dropped his phone while driving down a highway near Houston. House told police that when he looked up, he saw a pelican and swerved off the road and into a lagoon in Galveston, Texas
Nearby motorists, who were fascinated with the 2006 Bugatti Veyron, caught the entire accident on tape and posted it to YouTube.
Three weeks before the accident, Philadelphia Indemnity Insurance Co. said, it issued a $2.2 million policy on the Bugatti, one of a few hundred made. The insurance company is using the video as evidence to say House committed fraud because there was no pelican in that now-infamous video, according to the company.
The insurance company is also saying that House, who reportedly owns Performance Auto Sales, made no attempts to brake and he "intentionally drove the Bugatti into the lagoon to destroy the car and collect proceeds approximately twice the value of the car."
Philadelphia Indemnity says it has an informant who alleges that House offered him cash to steal the car and then set it on fire, according to court documents.
House is counter-suing, saying the company owes him $2.2 million for damages to the rare car. He declined a request for an interview, but in a statement to ABC News, his attorney said, "we will not try our case in the media, but will rely on the facts and evidence admitted during the trial of the matter."
ABC News legal analyst Dana Cole said, "This video is exhibit A. It is the critical evidence that the insurance company is relying on to void this insurance policy. It is extremely rare to have evidence like this."
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio


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Video pros have been active and in the news recently and today Adobe announced a "switcher" program to help Apple Final Cut Pro and Avid Media Composer customers migrate to Premiere Pro CS5.5 or Creative Suite CS5.5 Production Premium. You can get 50% off Adobe's professional video tools, an incredible deal. Check out all the details over on our product page.
If you haven't looked at Premiere Pro in a while, now's a great time – it's been getting great feedback from innovative customers and our friends in the media. Interesting times are afoot in the world of pro video, broadcasting and filmmaking.


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Local religious leaders say they see a trend in the amount of people who leave the religion in which they were raised to follow another.
Local religious leaders say they see a trend in the amount of people who leave the religion in which they were raised to follow another.
Some say there are many who leave their first religion to follow none at all.
David Roozen, director of the Hartford Seminary Institute for Religion Research said about half of the U.S. religious population change churches or faiths at some point.
He said denominations become less important to people than connecting to a particular religious group.
"If it's style of worship then another church will be better to some people, no matter the denomination," Roozen said. "Or if they're into social ministry, then a church doing a lot for the local disadvantaged becomes the choice."
Roozen said the notion that religion is a choice and residents finding a church that fits them has been in the U.S. since the beginning, but particularly since the Baby Boomers and the 1960s.
"Suddenly, people really started to act on that notion of choice and part of the reason is that social constraints that once tied us into the religion we grew up in like our parents or friends is no longer the case," he said. "People are now very mobile, they move away and go to college. The culture has moved more into self-fulfillment for today's younger adults."
Tiffany Linsley, 31, of Galliano, said it was her experiences with Catholicism that drove her away.
"My mother is a non-practicing Catholic," she said. "Over the years, I've learned things about that religion that are very hypocritical and some untruths about it. The scandals were the biggest thing that drove me from it. The way they handle it is appalling in my eyes. It took me several years to find my religion."
Linsley said she turned to paganism, a religion frowned upon by her family, but she said it's what makes her happy.
Other locals discovered the same things about their own lives.
"I was raised in a hardcore Baptist community," said Jennifer Smith, 25, of Bayou Blue. "I have since strayed and become totally nonreligious."
Either way, one pastor says these are "interesting times," for different religious denominations.
"One of the realities of church life today is that the institutional loyalty people once had to the churches they were 'brought up in' has nearly diminished," said the Rev. Donnie Wilkinson of First United Methodist Church Thibodaux. "The willingness to go to a different church has increased. Catholic to protestant, mainline protestant to nondenominational — people are more willing to do that today than they were even 10 years ago."
Joe West, office manager at Coteau Baptist Church in Houma agreed, adding that people who stray from their childhood religion often seek to fill a void.
"It's that age old question. People say 'Is this all there is?' " he said. "They go searching because emptiness hasn't been filled with education and experiences, so they're still looking. You'll usually find these people resent the church they were bought up in, thinking someone or something new will fulfill that emptiness."
Wilkinson agrees.
"People have an experience with God that doesn't fit into the Sunday-school level of religious exposure they had as children, and they are looking for a community that can help them find the words for this experience they had," he said about why people stray. "They're looking for other churches or new expressions as a desire to find a community that resonates."
Wilkinson cited a shift in "social dynamics and cultural awareness happening these days" and said a church's openness and understanding of its members dictates whether people go looking for another church.
But West said he believes the way they're raised will determine what they do with it later.
"So many people are not really raised on the faith and given the truths and the experiences," he said. "This is what causes them to search as they get older."
Houma resident Anissa Thompson, a 22-year-old Nicholls State University student said she also hasn't strayed from her faith and doesn't plan to.
"I appreciate being brought up in the church because it was a foundation," she said. "There are certain things you can't fully explain to kids as far as religion because you have to make God accessible to them by using their language. Over time they can learn more and begin making spiritual decisions by themselves. That's what I did."
But Wilkinson said it's easy to find yourself with a stronger faith as an adult and more in tune with your beliefs.
"There's an old proverb that says 'May you live in interesting times,' " he said. "Well, this is certainly one of the most interesting times in the history of the church."
Staff Writer Kris Johnson can be reached at 857-2207 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Follow her on Twitter @krisLjo.


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Asplenium ceterach
|Scientific classification
A. ceterach
|Binomial name
|Asplenium ceterach
Ceterach officinarum Willd.
Asplenium ceterach (syn. Ceterach officinarum) is a fern species commonly known as Rustyback.[2] It is characterised by a short rhizome which gives rise to several green fronds that have a pinnated lamina with trichomes on the abaxial (lower) surface, but not the adaxial (upper) one. These trichomes (hairs) are orange-brown in colour, hence the name "rustyback". The petiole is shorter than the corpus of the leaf.
This species is found in Western and Central Europe, including the Mediterranean region. It is associated with fissures in carbonate rocks and also grows on the mortar of stone and brick walls.
This fern species has been used medicinally as a diuretic.
Traditional uses[edit]
It has been widely used for making infusions as a diuretic.
Growing conditions[edit]
It likes growing in rocky walls, especially in alkaline ones. Can be found growing up to 2700 metres above the sea level, although it prefers mountainous locations, where it is usually found growing in sunny rocky walls.
Unlike many others, this fern likes growing in full sun, and requires little, if any, humidity.[3]
Desiccation tolerance[edit]
This fern is well known as a resurrection plant due to its ability to withstand desiccation and subsequently recover on rewetting. It has been shown that this is in part due to its high concentrations of phenolic compounds such as chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid which allow it to negate the destructive capacity of the reactive oxygen species generated by the drying process; the concentrations of these phenols decrease during the dehydration process. Enzymes such as peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase have also been shown to be important in allowing this fern to cope with desiccation; the concentrations of these enzymes increase when the fern is subjected to water shortages.[4]
- ^ "Asplenium ceterach". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 2010-12-14.
- ^ "BSBI List 2007". Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland. Archived from the original (xls) on 2015-01-25. Retrieved 2014-10-17.
- ^ "Ceterach Officinarum, Doradilla; Flora and Fauna of Cantabria (Spanish)".
- ^ Suzana Živković (2010). "Dehydration-related changes of peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase activity in fronds of the resurrection fern Asplenium Ceterach l.". Arch. Biol. Sci. 62 (4): 1071–1081. doi:10.2298/ABS1004071Z.
- Carrión Vilches, Miguel Ángel (2000). Helechos de la Región de Murcia. ISBN 84-699-3093-1.
- Media related to Asplenium ceterach at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Asplenium ceterach at Wikispecies


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*cough* PelOtOn
I'd heard only good things about Laurent Fignon's autobiography - We were young and carefree - and it doesn't disappoint. Fignon's answer to the eternal question 'Are you the bloke who lost the Tour by 8 seconds?' was always 'No. I'm the guy who won it twice.'
Fignon was one of the last of the attacking generation - those that rode the whole season and tried to specialise in it all. He won his first Tour de France in 1983 at the age of 22 and narrowly lost the Giro in 1984. Cue plenty of entertaining shenanigans about vinegar being thrown at him by spectators, helicopters ruining his time trial and the whole Italian section of the peloton - regardless of teams - ganging up to deny him his victory.
Fignon won the tour De France again in 1984 by over 10 minutes, winning 5 stages himself and with his Renault team securing 10 stages in all - which puts Team Sky in perspective. He won the Milan San Remo twice and came back to finally vanquish the dastardly Italian nation by winning the Giro in 1989. His career spanned the end of Hinault's reign, the beginning of the specialist event riders like Le Mond and then on into the nightmare of serious doping in the early 1990's.
It's a superb translation from the French by William Fotheringham. Fignon's gallic insouciance and spirit just shines. Only Fignon can get away with lines such as 'cycling is a capricious mistress: so close to you and sometimes so distant'. It's a beautifully crafted account of all aspects of pro cycling from dealing with managers, rubbish team mates and the mighty Le Blanc and the whole structure of the pro tour. It's also very funny. Showing a two foot tape worm he's found up his rear on a rest day to the nearest journalist to prove the reason for his lack of form isn't something you could see Cav or Cancellara doing - and sharing cocaine for recreational purposes with the Colombians on the Tour of Colombia might, these days, no longer be wise. Especially if you've never taken it and after finding the first line produces no reaction – you make the classic mistake of snorting a whole gram at once. 'My head turned inside out. I felt I was producing ideas so fast that my mind couldn't keep track of them.'
On the subject of performance enhancing drugs Fignon's pretty perceptive. He initially rode in a period when doping meant amphetamines, perhaps a little cortisone and was pretty unscientific. In a chapter titled 'On a street corner' he describes finishing his career on the 1993 tour, the day after his lone breakaway over the Telegraph is brought back by over 40 riders fueled on EPO – many of whom would never have got close to him in the mountains under normal circumstances. Fignon rode the next day's stage to savour being in the mountains and the end of his era. Just before the last col, and outside the cut off, he stopped 'on a corner somewhere' and climbed off the bike.
There's so much in 'We were young and carefree' that is relevant still to pro-cycling and in 'A whiff of authenticity' Fignon looks towards a cleaner age where real champions could win on merit again. 'We are again seeing exhausted cyclists... Sniffing the wind, my eyes sparkle a little. Passion is a happier thing than pessimism.' He wouldn't have fared well commenting on any roadcc articles then...
A pundit for French television and Eurosport, Fignon died of cancer in 2010 aged just 50 and the French press suddenly realised what authenticity they had lost. Greg Le Mond summed him up well as a rider who tried to play it fair and stopped when he couldn't.
"He had a very, very big talent, much more than anyone recognised. He was a great person, one of the few that I find was really true to himself. He was one of the few riders who I really admired for his honesty and his frankness. I believe he was also one of the generation that was cut short in the early nineties because he was not able to fulfil the rest of his career."
Fignon suggests that he never had a nickname that stuck. He was Fignon.
'From the beginning to the end. Whether people liked me or not, whether they were impressed by my exploits on the bike or not, whether or not they felt I was an exceptional champion, I remained Laurent Fignon. Just Laurent Fignon.'
There's no 'just' about it. 'We Were Young and Carefree' is a great epitaph for a clever man and a fine rider.
Excellent. A top ten cycle book. My only complaint - as ever - is the lack of photos and an index.
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Yellow Jersey Press Laurent Fignon - We were young and carefree
Size tested: n/a
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.
Would you consider buying the product? Yes.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.
About the tester
Age: 47 Height: Weight:
I usually ride: Dolan Prefissio - winter bike My best bike is: Condor Moda Ti - summer bike
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,
9 comments
'Weight: 200g' - err not sure how this is relevant to a book!? Or am I missing something?
I'm halfway through this - don't entirely agree with the review. It's certainly interesting, but its not terribly well written - probably more down to lack of editing, rather than shortcomings with translation. I'd probably give it 7 out of 10.
The weight is due to the Road.CC review form that covers clothes, bikes etc. If you were riding the cols on a touring holiday and wanted a book to take with you the weight might be relevent.
'not terribly well written' ? Compared with what - Proust? I would read Barne Riis's autobiography and perhaps you'll change your mind.


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Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Sciences
Important NoticeThe Linguistics program now has its own solicitation for Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement (DDRI) proposals. This solicitation may be accessed at: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=505033&org=SBE&from=home.
|Joan Maling-Program Director
|(703) 292-8046
|William J. Badecker
|(703) 292-5069
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|(703) 292-4850
Apply to PD 98-1311 as follows:
For full proposals submitted via FastLane: standard NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide proposal preparation guidelines apply.
For full proposals submitted via Grants.gov: the NSF Grants.gov Application Guide: A Guide for the Preparation and Submission of NSF Applications via Grants.gov Guidelines applies. (Note: The NSF Grants.gov Application Guide is available on the Grants.gov website and on the NSF website at: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=grantsgovguide)
Important Information for Proposers
A revised version of the NSF Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 19-1), is effective for proposals submitted, or due, on or after February 25, 2019. Please be advised that, depending on the specified due date, the guidelines contained in NSF 19-1 may apply to proposals submitted in response to this funding opportunity.
Full Proposal Target Date
January 15, 2020
January 15, Annually Thereafter
July 15, 2020
July 15, Annually Thereafter
Target Dates: January 15 and July 15 annually, or the next federal business day if the target date falls on a weekend or a federal holiday. We anticipate that the panels will meet in April and November of each year, and that PIs will be notified within a few months after the meeting.
The Linguistics Program supports basic science in the domain of human language, encompassing investigations of the grammatical properties of individual human languages, and of natural language in general. Research areas include syntax, semantics, morphology, phonetics, and phonology.
The program encourages projects that are interdisciplinary in methodological or theoretical perspective, and that address questions that cross disciplinary boundaries, such as (but not limited to):
What are the psychological processes involved in the production, perception, and comprehension of language?
What are the computational properties of language and/or the language processor that make fluent production, incremental comprehension or rapid learning possible?
How do the acoustic and physiological properties of speech inform our theories of natural language and/or language processing?
What role does human neurobiology play in shaping the various grammatical properties of language?
How does language develop in natural learning contexts across the life-span?
What social and cultural factors underlie language variation and change?
The Linguistics Program does not fund research that takes as its primary goal improved clinical practice or applied policy, nor does it support work to develop or assess pedagogical methods or tools for language instruction.
The Linguistics Program accepts proposals for a variety of project types: research proposals from scholars with PhDs or equivalent degrees, proposals for Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement (DDRI) awards, and CAREER proposals. We will also consider proposals for workshops and conferences. Funding requests for workshop and conference support should be submitted as independent proposals, rather than embedded as part of a regular research proposal, unless prior approval from a Program Officer has been obtained. Proposals for workshops and conferences to be held less than one year after submission may be returned without review.
For more information about Multidisciplinary Research and Training Opportunities, please visit the SBE Office of Multidisciplinary Activities website.
- Arctic Social Sciences
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- Facilitating Research at Primarily Undergraduate Institutions:
What Has Been Funded (Recent Awards Made Through This Program, with Abstracts)
Map of Recent Awards Made Through This Program


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Albanians abroad
With memories of the golden years (80's) of the albanian football still fresh on her mind, Albania is now attempting to recreate its strong football legacy. As young players start making their names abroad, the future is looking bright for Albanian football!
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Tomorrow in Europa League only Basha has a chance to play against Athletic Bilbao. Hopefully the coach will give him few minutes which would boust his...login to view the rest of this post
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A very horny guy is stranded on an island with a monkey. After a while, he decides to have sex with the monkey, but the monkey continually slips out of his grip and runs away.
One day, a very attractive girl is drowning in the ocean and the guy saves her.
She says, "I'll do anything to repay you."
The man says, "Can you help me catch that damn monkey?"


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Ancelotti salutes Bale's sensational solo goal against Barcelona
Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti was full of praise for Gareth Bale after his brilliant solo goal won the Copa del Rey final.
Real had led through Angel Di Maria's earlier strike at the Mestalla in Valencia on Tuesday night, but Barcelona levelled just after the hour through youngster Marc Bartra.
However, with the game looking set for extra-time, Bale produced a wonderful run and finish with just five minutes remaining.
"It was his most important goal, it was the most defining moment of the game," Ancelotti said in the post-match press conference.
Midfielder Xabi Alonso added: "The goal was incredible , I don't think I've seen anything like it. It looked like the ball was going out and he was under pressure, he ran off the pitch to keep it in, it was just amazing.
"Now we have the taste of victory. It was a really exciting game, with both sides playing at their best."
The win earned Ancelotti his first trophy since succeeding Jose Mourinho as the Madrid boss last summer, and kept the team's hopes of winning a treble alive.
Ancelotti added: "I think we played very well, we were playing against a very strong team. We had to suffer at times but I think it is a deserved victory. We are very proud to have won this competition.
"More than anything, I want to congratulate the players. The atmosphere inside the stadium from both sets of supporters was fantastic, I am happy to be here and to have experienced this spectacle."
Next up for Madrid is their Champions League semi-final tie with holders Bayern Munich, while they trail Primera Division leaders Atletico Madrid by three points with five games of the campaign to go.
Barca, meanwhile, look set for their first season without a trophy since 2008, knocked out of the Champions League by Atletico and four points adrift of Diego Simeone's side in the table.
However, Ancelotti refused to write off the Catalans.
"You cannot say Barcelona are finished, not everything has gone well for them this season but I think they will remain hopeful of achieving something until the end of the season," he said.
"We can say from experience this season that playing against Barcelona is very, very difficult. At times, you need a bit of luck to win. In my opinion Barca are not a team at the end of an era. They are still very dangerous."
Barca boss Gerardo Martino could not hide his disappointment at his side's third straight defeat.
"Obviously this is not a happy time for us," he said. "It has been a very hard week for us but there is nothing else we can do but look ahead to what is left of the league season.
"It is a very hard blow to take, the expectation on us today was huge and it was a final so everyone was desperate to win."
However, the beleaguered coach vowed to keep going until the end of the campaign.
"I am hurting due to the defeat and for the people that came here with great expectations to support us, but we still have a lot left in the tank," he said.
"There is no recipe for recovery. The league doesn't look favourable for us but we are obliged to fight on until the last day."


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I agree with that, standard podium is very good and the chill dosnt really give any noticable benefit. Need to try both with a bit of ice in tho, have a feeling this might make a more noticable difference between the two. One problem i had was the bottles a slightly more difficult to fit into full wrap cages due to the shape.
On a hot day it's nice to have a cool drink, and this Podium Chill bottle from Camelbak scores firstly for being an excellent bottle to drink from and secondly for keeping your water a little bit cooler. Don't expect it to work miracles, but it does have an effect.
The bottle itself is the same size as a standard 750ml unit but the internal capacity is reduced thanks to a layer of polypropylene insulation. We'll leave that for now and focus on the valve, which is excellent. fully locked it doesn't leak at all and when open you can still hold the bottle upside down without it dripping, yet a quick squeeze delivers all the water you need. It's about as good as water bottle valves get, so top marks on that front.
And the insulation? Well, our unscientific test was to leave the Chill out in the sun with another two bottles (one light, one dark) for a couple of hours. Drinking from the dark bottle was like supping a tepid bath – not pleasant – whereas the white bottle's contents were still relatively cool. And the Chill? A bit cooler still, so it does work, albeit in a fairly minimal way. I can understand from a sales point of view why they've made the bottle transparent – you can see the insulation layer – but really it should be white plastic, to deflect more heat from the contents.
One to recommend then? Well I'm not sure that the extra fiver over a standard podium bottle is justifiable: although the Chill jacket does work it's hardly a revelation. What I would say, however, is that £8 for the standard Podium is worth paying, even though it's a lot for a bottle, because the design of the bottle and valve is excellent.
Great bottle but the insulation isn't really a deal clincher. We'd go for the standard one. NB the performance mark below takes into account the performance of the insulation, as a bottle alone there's little to fault.
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Camelbak Podium Chill water bottle
Size tested: 750ml
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? I'd go for the non-insulated version
Would you recommend the product to a friend? I'd recommend the non-insulated version
About the tester
Age: 37 Height: 190cm Weight: 96kg
I usually ride: whatever I\\\'m testing... My best bike is: Genesis Equilibrium with Ultegra 6700
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, cyclo cross, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track
Dave is a founding father of road.cc and responsible for kicking the server when it breaks. In a previous life he was a graphic designer but he's also a three-time Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling world champion, and remains unbeaten through the bog. Dave rides all sorts of bikes but tends to prefer metal ones. He's getting old is why.
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Matters of temperature are of great interest in this part of the world, and I've been using one of these Camelbacks for a few weeks now.
Maybe the test results would differ depending on the ambient temperature and conditions.
On our Friday club rides there is a refill stop where I fill one normal bottle and the Camelback with chilled water at the same time.
The Camelback gives about an extra hour of keeping the contents noticeably cool over a normal bottle, in temperatures around 35-36C.
On my morning training rides I leave it in the freezer overnight and it is thawed out but cold after about an hour and stays that way for another hour or so.
It's marginally better than the Polar insulated bottle I have been using. The only problem with any insulated bottle is the lower capacity. I'd love one that held 750ml and frankly would pay silly money for it.


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The Ancestor Anniversary for today is that of Sarah Rose. She is the 2 x great granddaughter to my 6 x great grandfather Cozens Read and today is her death anniversary, in 1865.
Sarah died at age 31 and her birthdate and death date I found in the huge Rose Family Tree book I was lucky enough to see some years ago, and which I mention elsewhere in this blogsite. I possibly need to get her death cert to ascertain how she died, but I rather suspect it was in childbirth (or as a result of it) as this is almost the same time she had her third child.
Sarah's husband was Francis Cox and he too is a 2 x great grandson of my 6 x great grandfather Cozens Read. (I seem to have quite a number of couples who share Cozens Read in my tree)!!
The Rose family and Cox family are very intertwined and also because four Roses married four of Cozens Read's children, they are rather intertwined with my people too!
It's very sad that Sarah died so young, but as the family seem to have been "comfortable" with their finances, let's hope she had a worry-free and enjoyable short life.


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Speaking of celebrity bios/memoirs, Raquel Welch was on Oprah today promoting hers—Beyond the Cleavage. A notable sex symbol in cinematic history, Raquel admits that having a career based partly on looks has made the aging process harder, emotionally.
While Raquel says that she initially got into acting to do more serious work, she became addicted to the attention and opportunities that marketing her sexiness afforded her. Afterward, when she did try to get into more serious roles, nobody was interested, because the general public had come to know her as a sex symbol.
While it's interesting to hear how aging affects the psyche of a woman who had been taught that her looks were most valuable aspect, I also thought it was pretty disingenuous that this episode was supposed to be about "aging brilliantly," without disclosing that some of Raquel's "brilliance" in this aspect has benefited from the help of cosmetic procedures.


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Brand image should be grounded in brand origin.
By that I mean, the foundation or "genealogy" from which a brand draws its image and differentiation.
This thought came to mind as a colleague and I sketched on a white board possible solutions to a client's marketing challenge. Marketers at this company believe their brand owns a premium position in a crowded category. Their advertising is all about clothing their products in that premium image.
But when we talk with people who know the category well, they tell us buyers and specifiers regard the brand's products as "pretty good." Better than average, but by no means best in class.
If that's true, then one of the brand's challenges, it seemed to us, is that its image is not converting into audience influence. And we think we figured out why:
The brand has neglected to articulate its origin.
Brand Origin: Underpinnings to an Image
We tested the half-baked thought with a few examples.
Pick a German auto brand. Say Audi, or Mercedes-Benz. In the minds of consumers, it might seek to own "precision" as a brand image. The origin of that image? It wouldn't be shocking if the brand's marketers pointed to "German engineering."
Now, I don't know if German engineering qualifies as legendary. But based on bits and pieces from history and present-day global business, I have a general perception (accurate or not, I'll confess) that Germans as a society and economy do a pretty solid job manufacturing, running government, and building and driving the Autobahn. So, to some degree, there's a "back-story" on which the auto brand's image is based.
How about IBM? Computers and consulting services. IBM is telling me with its marketing that it's about empowering a "smarter planet." Behind that, at a more fundamental level, I have this sense that IBM has spent, and continues to spend, a fair amount of time and energy pondering the intersections of human and machine intelligence. Let's consider that the origin of its "smarter" positioning. So I might be inclined to go along with the idea that if IBM is making it and selling it, it's probably a fairly smart solution.
One more: Apple. Personal computing, communication and media devices. In our white board exercise we had to choose a word that Apple wants to own as its brand image. We chose "usability." Apple products are renowned for being so easy to use, a user manual is superfluous. We've all heard stories of precocious toddlers quickly learning to operate an iPhone or iPad.
The origin of all that usability? Steve Jobs.
Uh oh.
For all the great achievements of Jobs and Apple, were they ever able to establish that the origin of their brand's image and products was something other than Jobs' brilliant vision?
We're not sure they did. And with that, we had two takeaways from our little white board exercise around branding and positioning.
One: If you want to own a brand image in the minds of your target audience, it has to be based on something other than: "Believe it because our advertising shows and tells you it's so." Your position and image must be grounded in something more fundamental. Something original.
Two: If the origin of your brand resides in a single human being, even a brilliant founder, that might not be enough to sustain your brand image when those underpinnings pass away. ___
Does this simple "origin" thought model resonate for your brand? Have you pondered your brand's origin? Is your content marketing strategy informed by that origin? Comments and discussion welcome.
This post, originally published on Hanley Wood Marketing's Content Is Marketing blog, is cross-posted here for subscribers to Touch Point City. For more marketing ideas and insights from my colleagues at HWM, subscribe to Content Is Marketing


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Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights
Description: This report discusses the situation immediately following the completion of the U.S. withdrawal from Iraq on December 18, 2011, when relations among major political factions worsened substantially, threatening Iraq's stability and the legacy of the U.S. intervention in Iraq. It includes an overview of historical and current political, military, and governance issues as well as an analysis of Iraq in relation to the other nations in the region.
Date: June 13, 2012
Creator: Katzman, Kenneth
Item Type: Refine your search to only Report
Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents Department