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Mission of the National Debate Coaches Association
The National Debate Coaches Association provides all debate coaches, regardless of type of debate, region, or pedagogical style, with avenues for professional development. The goal of the organization is to strengthen the ability of coaches to provide meaningful learning experiences for their debaters. The goals of the National Debate Coaches Association rest on two pillars – coach education and coach retention. Our ultimate vision is to provide opportunities for high school coaches to strengthen their abilities in order to provide stronger learning environments for their students.
Bylaws of the National Debate Coaches Association
Obligations of the Board
All Board members:
Should act as ambassadors for the organization; this should include encouraging new people or institutions to become members, seeking input from the membership to communicate to the Board and promoting the tournament
Should recognize that they are volunteering to serve the organization and are encouraged to pursue projects that further the mission of the organization, including periodically updating the Board on the status of those projects
Are expected to attend the National Championship tournament, even if their school is not attending
Must be current members of the NDCA
Should participate in all votes, even if voting to abstain
Stay current with Board discussions
Should be aware that their personal views can be conflated with the views of the organization and/or the entire Board and should be sensitive to that issue in their public communication
Regularly check the NDCA Board Google Calendar
Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, Board members should plan to serve out their full three year term
Each fall, after the election, the Board will re-open the discussion of who would like to fulfill each duty and amend the duties to best help the organization. Depending on the composition of the Board, more than one person might hold a position.
Duties of the Chairperson
The primary duty of the Chairperson is to support each Board member to fulfill their duties as outlined below. This includes checking in with Board members regarding their projects and helping to mentor new Board members.
Coordinate a Fall and Spring Board meeting
Distribute to members an annual "State of the Organization" report
The chairperson, when not up for reelection, is responsible for organizing Board elections. This could include soliciting new members to run for the Board, collecting candidate statements and distribute them to the membership, and collecting votes and tabulating results. If the Chair is up for reelection, the task will be delegated to another Board member who is not up for reelection.
When the Board determines an agenda item should go to the membership for a vote, the Chairperson should distribute information about the agenda item, collect, tabulate, and distribute the results of the membership vote.
Duties of the Finance Coordinator
The Finance Coordinator may complete the duties listed below, or may delegate them to a Chief Financial Officer appointed by the Board. If a Chief Financial Officer is appointed, the Finance Coordinator will solicit regular reports on the NDCA's finances and report that information to the Board.
Update the membership spreadsheet
Deposit checks in a timely manner during the school year
Make payments as needed for official business
Request a Board vote for all expenses that require a personal reimbursement to the Chief Financial Officer
Ask for a Board vote for any expenses incurred by other Board members that do not fall within their regular, yearly duties (so, for instance, we would not need to vote on the Tournament Director ordering trophies but would need to vote on the Tournament Director attending a conference)
Produce end of the year financial statements to send out to the Board by April of the following year
Check bank statements and make sure that at least one other Board member receives a duplicate copy of the bank statement
Periodically update the Board on our financial status (especially around times of major expenses, such as the tournament)
Maintain our non-profit tax status with Texas and the IRS and file all necessary tax paperwork. This is best done in coordination with a professional accountant.
Duties of the Internal Communications Officer
Facilitate votes as per the Board's voting procedures and post the results of those votes to the web page
Maintain the Board's calendar of important dates
Maintain the Board's Google Group
Keep minutes at meetings and distribute those minutes to the Board
Duties of the Tournament Coordinator
Solicit potential National Championship event hosts
Communicate expectations to potential hosts about hotel needs, transportation, room needs, and hospitality
Regularly update the Board regarding event issues
Act as the agent for the organization for the negotiation and signing of contracts related to lodging, hospitality or space needs for the National Championship
Duties of the Web Manager
Maintain our web presence
Keep the Board updated on web issues
Help to expand web content, such as posting materials submitted by the Director of Curriculum, soliciting blog posts or posting public relations materials
Post updates to things such as the bylaws, lifetime and institutional membership lists, and Board roles
Maintain listserv operability
Duties of the Public Relations and Membership Coordinator
Develop an advertising strategy for the organization that will include publicizing NDCA projects and events, such as new initiatives and significant ongoing projects, especially the NDCA National Championship and NDCA Professional Development Conference
Solicit articles for NDCA Coaches Corner in the Rostrum, to be approved by the Board
Consider staffing a table for new members to sign up at a large event or two, such as the NSDA tournament or the Glenbrooks
Oversee the annual awards nomination and selection process as outlined in the bylaws
Develop new strategies for expanding the membership base and communicate those strategies to the Board
Use promotional materials to recruit new members
Send reminders on August 15, September 1, March 1 and May 15 for coaches to join
Coordinate with the Web Manager to make sure that membership is prominently featured on our web page and the Open Evidence project web page
Duties of the Coordinator of the Open Evidence Project
Email institute directors in the late spring to obtain permission to post files
Delegate posting to Board members and other volunteers (as needed) and followup to make sure that those files get posted
Oversee the organization of the Open Evidence web page
Coordinate with the Director of Public Relations in promoting the Open Evidence Project
Duties of the Curriculum Coordinator
Solicit coaches for updated curriculum materials routinely and inform membership when new materials have become available
Work with the Web Manager to create an organized online presence for those materials
Develop strategies for coach education (such as workshops) and discuss those with the Board
Coordinate the creation of the Novice Policy Packet, to be constructed with the direction of the Board
Duties of the Conference Coordinator
In consultation with the Board, plan and administer NDCA professional development conferences
In collaboration with the Board, develop a conference agenda
Coordinate conference logistics with facilities and presenters
Promote conferences to the membership and administer any system of pre-conference registration or attendance fees deemed appropriate.
Act as the agent for the organization for the negotiation and signing of contracts related to speaking fees, reimbursements, and other remunerations paid to conference presenters or participants.
Act as the agent for the organization for the negotiation and signing of contracts related to lodging, hospitality or space needs for NDCA conferences.
Appointed officers:
Appointed officer positions will be determined by an annual vote of the Board.
Duties of the Tournament Director
- Appoint appropriate personnel for running the tournament (such as tabulation staff and hired judges)
- Create an electronic registration system by January 15
- Administer the National Championship Tournament in accordance with tournament procedures
Duties of the Chief Financial Officer
- Complete any duties delegated by the Finance Coordinator.
Board and Officer Removal Procedures
In the event of gross misconduct or dereliction of duty, Board members can be removed from the Board if at least 7 Board members vote for the removal of the member.
Appointed officers serve at the will of the Board and can be removed by a majority vote of the Board at any time.
Board Election Procedures
Board members serve three-year terms.
The election timeline is as follows:
- September 01 - The Board will encourage election candidacy statements to be submitted.
- September 15 - The ballot for the election will be sent to members.
- October 01 - Deadline for ballots to be cast. Election results will be announced as soon as possible.
Each voting member will receive a number of votes that corresponds to the number of seats open in the election cycle. For example if there are 3 seats on the board open in the election each voter can vote for up to 3 candidates. The member may not submit more than one vote for a particular candidate. A member does not have to use all of their votes but may only cast one vote per candidate.
The organization has the following categories of membership:
- Individual Annual Membership: Annual memberships last from August 15 - August 15
- Institutional Membership: Institutional memberships last indefinitely
- Lifetime Membership: Lifetime memberships last indefinitely
Starting in the fall of 2014:
- All new members wishing to vote must be affiliated with a high school
- Each election and referendum will only recognize 3 votes per high school
- In the event that there have been more than 3 votes cast by a school, the program director will be contacted to decide which 3 votes should count
- Lifetime or Institutional memberships that were purchased prior to the 2014-2015 season will be allowed to vote even if they are not affiliated with a high school
Dues paid prior to the National Championship Tournament will count for that season. Dues paid after the National Championship will count towards the following school year.
Board Votes
Normal Voting Procedures:
Once a normal motion has been put forth by a Board member and seconded by another Board member, there will be a 48 hour discussion period. Once 48 hours has elapsed, a voting period of 24 hours will begin. Votes sent in prior to the conclusion of the 48 hour discussion period will not be valid. The Secretary will be responsible for tracking the various time frames and tallying the final votes.
Expedited Voting Procedures:
When there is a true need for an expedited vote, a Board member may propose an expedited motion with a 24 hour combined discussion and voting period. That motion must be seconded and at least seven Board members must vote for the motion for it to pass.
Publishing of Votes:
Board votes should be publicly posted on the web page in a timely manner. The text of the motion and the final vote tally will be included.
National Federation of High Schools Topic Meeting
The NDCA should ensure that at least one member attends the annual NFHS topic meeting to represent the NDCA. If the chosen representative is unable to obtain funding the NDCA will reimburse partial or total travel costs for the representative as decided by a vote of the Board. The NDCA Board will ask the delegate to caucus with other NDCA members in attendance in order to cast the NDCA vote, if possible.
Annual Awards
The David P. Baker Award:
Awarded to the top Baker points earning policy debate team that is competing at the National Championship Tournament.
Dukes and Bailey Cup:
Awarded to the to top Dukes and Bailey points earning Lincoln-Douglas debater who is competing at the National Championship Tournament.
Educator of the Year:
The goal of this award is to recognize someone who has made outstanding educational contributions to the debate community. In order to be nominated, an individual must be a member of the NDCA. Any member may submit a nomination. A nomination must be for a current active coach. A statement in support of the nominee is encouraged with the nomination. All nominees fitting the above criteria will be placed on a ballot. All voting members will be given one vote.
Tournament Host of the Year:
The goal of this award is to recognize tournaments that most closely adhere to NDCA best tournament practices, as outlined in the NDCA tournament procedures. In order to be nominated, the tournament host must be a member of the NDCA. Any member may submit a nomination. A statement in support of the nomination is encouraged. All nominees fitting the above criteria will be placed on a ballot. All voting members will be given one vote.
Rising Star Award:
The goal of this award is to recognize outstanding coaches in their first five years of high school coaching. In order to be nominated, an individual must be a member of the NDCA. Any member may submit a nomination. A nomination must be an active coach in their first five years of coaching. A statement in support of the nominee is encouraged with the nomination. All nominees fitting the above criteria will be placed on a ballot. All voting members will be given one vote.
Service and Leadership Award:
The goal of this award is to recognize outstanding contributions to the debate community, especially contributions on behalf of the NDCA. To be nominated, the person must be a member of the NDCA. The Board will nominate and select the final award winner.
National Championship Tournament Procedures
The National Debate Coaches Association will maintain a set of tournament procedures for each event offered at the National Tournament. Those procedures will be made publicly available on the tournament invitation and the organization's website. These procedures can only be changed by a majority vote of the board.
Official Agent of the National Debate Coaches Association
St. Mark's School of Texas is listed as the official address of the National Debate Coaches Association. The Chief Financial Officer and Chairperson will be listed as the official agents on tax documents.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Sunday Sweets: Fall Edition
Before we head into December, the height of hectic holiday hoopla, let's take a moment to consider some of the prettiest Fall-themed cakes this side of candy cane lane.
First, a so-simple-it's-sweet gem:
I think I kind of love those little egg birds.
After our marathon of Wrecky turkey cakes, some of you asked if there were *any* good turkey cakes out there. So, we started looking. And the answer, pretty much, is no.
See, no matter how you slice it [smirk], turkeys are NOT attractive animals. So your best option is to make it cartoony and cute, like this one.
In fact, the best turkey cake I've seen this year was made by CW reader Belle, who isn't even a professional. She admits that the cookie "feathers" weren't quite what she wanted, but overall this guy is pretty darn adorable:
I just received another comically cute turkey cake from baker Ayse Yaman. Check it out:
- Similar Sweets: Cutie-Patootey Dragon Babes


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REDWOOD CITY – Two red-tailed hawks are being blamed for a power outage that affected about 4,300 PG&E customers in Redwood City Saturday, according to a PG&E spokesman.
About 4,300 customers had no power after an outage was reported at 9:31 a.m., spokesman J.D. Guidi said.
All customers had power restored by 12:13 p.m., he said.
The outage appears to have been caused by two hawks that were fighting and hit equipment in a substation on Seaport Boulevard, according to Guidi.


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Calderdale's coroner should have been removed from his job "on the grounds of incapacity, not misbehaviour" before resigning amid a top-level inquiry into his behaviour, according to a judge.
But the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice said Dr Peter Straker, who quit in March, was not guilty of misconduct.
Dr Straker was originally suspended on full pay on February 6 last year after the investigation was started by the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO).
He faced allegations including that he arranged a cab driver to transport confidential medical and police records in an unsecured supermarket carrier bag.
It was claimed he had short-term memory problems and told his deputies not to return verdicts of suicide or misadventure even if the facts proved such conclusions were appropriate.
The judge investigating the claims carried on after Mr Straker stepped down, and passed it to Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling and Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas for a final decision.
A statement from the JCIO said: "In this case the Investigating Judge made a recommendation of removal on the grounds of incapacity, not on the grounds of misbehaviour. In these circumstances, the Lord Chancellor and Lord Chief Justice have not made a finding of misconduct."


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As the Senate continues to debate immigration reform, the AAFP has urged Senate leaders to resist provisions that would limit access to needed health care, especially to primary care and catastrophic care, and to include provisions that address U.S. physician workforce needs.
Calling immigration reform a "tremendously complicated process that touches many of our nation's values and principles," the AAFP said in a June 21 letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-K.Y., that although the AAFP does not have a position on S. 744(www.govtrack.us) -- known as the Border Security, Economic Opportunity and Immigration Modernization Act -- the organization does have concerns that a final bill could deny immigrants access to health insurance subsidies provided as part of the health care reform law. Such a denial would make it difficult, if not impossible, for immigrants with low or moderate incomes to purchase insurance and obtain needed health care services.
"The Affordable Care Act mandates the purchase of health care insurance, and provides income-based subsidies for those who could not afford the cost of that insurance," said AAFP Board Chair Glen Stream, M.D., M.B.I., of Spokane, Wash., in the letter. "Without access to the subsidy programs, the requirement to purchase insurance is infeasible for many with low to moderate incomes."
Story Highlights
- The AAFP has urged Senate leaders to resist provisions in a comprehensive immigration reform bill that would limit access to care.
- In a letter to Senate leaders, the AAFP said immigration reform also should address U.S. physician workforce needs.
- In the letter, the AAFP explained that its approach to immigration reform is based on longstanding positions, including an Academy policy that calls for health care for all.
Stream stressed that the AAFP's approach to immigration reform is based on longstanding Academy policies, and he pointed out that the AAFP has advocated the concept of health care coverage for all for more than 25 years.
"The AAFP believes that the nation's health care system should encourage everyone, for reasons of efficiency and quality, to have a relationship with a primary care practice (especially if it is organized as a patient-centered home) and to have the appropriate health coverage that makes such a relationship financially sustainable," said Stream.
In addressing S. 744, Stream cited AAFP policy in urging the Senate to ensure that the federal government trains and distributes "an adequate number of physicians to meet the diverse health care needs of (our) people, as well as to provide training opportunities for physicians from other countries."
"The AAFP supports J-1 visas for physicians from countries not currently in need of those physicians' services," and "supports provisions in S. 744 to make the J-1 visa program permanent and to increase the number of Conrad 30 visas for physicians who work in a health care (professional) shortage area," Stream said.
In addition, Stream praised clarifications, contained in section 2405, of the provisions related to physician immigration that "affect graduate medical training."
"The AAFP would recommend that Congress commission a thorough and objective analysis of the physician workforce requirements and resulting adjustments needed to education, training and immigration policy that would help the nation meet those requirements," Stream said.
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Join our hosts Harlee Lane and Rain McCellan and the gorgeous men of MODA as the work the streets on the runway at The Mens 24 2011. The Mens 24 event takes place August 19th-27th from the creators of Menswear Fashion Week, Siren Productions. 24 talented and ambitious menswear designers are celebrating all things related to the men of Second Life. The Mens 24 event features some of the most popular and creative designers with limited edition exclusive outfits, skins, accessories, and hair.
Original content from MODA Fashion SL


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In eager anticipation of the 2013 NFL season, Baltimore Sun blogger and reporter Matt Vensel will take a daily look at one of the 13 opponents on the Ravens' regular-season schedule. Today is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This is the NFL's best and hardest-hitting rivalry. No introductions are required, just dates and locations. The Ravens travel to Pittsburgh in Week 7. In Week 13, the Steelers come to Baltimore on Thanksgiving night, a game that millions of groggy Americans will be looking forward to. That, and pumpkin pie. But mostly pigskin.
Recapping 2012: The Steelers finished the season with a disappointing, by their standards, 8-8 record, but let's not forget they were in position to pull even with the Ravens in Week 11. But they were without oft-injured quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and the Ravens beat them by a field goal to take control of the division for good. The Steelers lost five of their final seven games and missed the playoffs. The defense was one of the NFL's stingiest, ranking sixth in points against, but the Steelers didn't produce as many sacks and turnovers as they are used to. The inconsistent offense ranked just 22nd in scoring and the Steelers were 26th in rushing.
Cha-cha-changes: The cap-strapped Steelers endured a difficult offseason. With limited financial flexibility, they released outside linebacker James Harrison and lost wide receiver Mike Wallace, cornerback Keenan Lewis and running back Rashard Mendenhall in free agency. Their only notable free-agent addition -- and it's notable because of Roethlisberger's annual injuries -- was backup quarterback Bruce Gradkowski. The Steelers drafted nine players in April, led by Georgia outside linebacker Jarvis Jones and big Michigan State running back Le'Veon Bell.
The skinny: Many national analysts feel the championship window is closing on the Steelers, if it hasn't slammed shut already. The defense is another year older -- most notably safety Troy Polamalu -- but at least the Steelers have parted ways with aging veterans in Harrison and nose tackle Casey Hampton. The offense has experienced a significant amount of turnover at the skill positions. But if Roethlisberger, who is in his second year in coordinator Todd Haley's offense, can stay healthy -- yes, I know that's big if -- the Steelers will still be a threat to win the AFC North.
Recent history: Over the past five years, no rivalry in the NFL has been fiercer. The two teams have split their past 10 regular-season meetings, eight of which were decided by three points. The Ravens, who have won back-to-back AFC North titles, have won three of the past four games. But each team earned a road win against their rival last season. Jacoby Jones' punt return for a touchdown gave the Ravens a 13-10 win in Week 11. Charlie Batch rallied the Steelers to a 23-20 win two weeks later.
Degree of difficulty: As we have seen over the years, the Ravens and Steelers come to play for these rivalry games, no matter who is on the roster or what the teams' records are. There is no reason to believe this season will be any different. I'll say the degree of difficulty for winning at Heinz Field in Week 7 is eight of 10. At M&T; Bank Stadium on Turkey Day, it will be slightly less at 7.5 out 10.


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This article is a realm page for the Gnomeregan US realm (server)
This is a community maintained page and does not represent official World of Warcraft history or occurrences. Information and events here are for community documentation of server particulars, history, or opinion.
|Battlegroup info
|Battlegroup »
Nightfall (US) »
Summary Edit
Gnomeregan is a PvE server, created on June 18th, 2006. It is a medium population server with the Alliance greatly out numbering the Horde. It was considered to be largely a casual server, and progressed slower than most of the other realms in its Battlegroup in WoW Classic and TBC. However, the realm now has many arena players consistently in the top 100 in the Nightfall battlegroup, and a number of guilds have begun to have success raiding WotLK content.
Alliance Trade Chat denizens affectionately refer to Gnomeregan as "The Short Bus".
Notable Players Edit
Some of the most notable players that almost everyone on the server knows include:
- Master Narph
- Axie
- Borgiatower
- Heimskr
- Blargurface (GM Ebay Gladiators)
- Jeldor (GM Rise Of The Phoenix)
- Cthor
- Elhardhealio (ALT Tbomb - GM Elite DragonSlayers)
- Raajan (ALT Daremo - GM Dead Weight)
- Asdrubael (GM Mortem Incarnatum)
- Brounos
- Valpal
- Nutcrusher
Notable Server Firsts - WotLK Edit
- Conqueror of Naxxramas = Pwnhammer
- The Magic Seeker = Pwnhammer
- Obsidian Slayer = Fatal Nemesis
- Twilight Vanquisher = Fatal Nemesis
- Of the Nightfall = Metempsychosis
- The Undying = Metempsychosis
- Yogg-Saron 25 Man = Fatal Nemesis
- Yogg-Saron 10 Man = Mob Mentality
- Glory of the Raider (10 player) = Metempsychosis
- Champion of Ulduar = Fatal Nemesis
Gnomeregan Guilds Edit
Server Progression Edit
Wrath of the Lich King Edit
The Burning Crusade Edit
World of Warcraft Edit
Rare Craftables 3.1 Edit
- A server list of rare crafting plans from Patch 3.1 can be found HERE.


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Last summer, my family and I spent a week vacationing in the Rocky Mountain resort town of Breckenridge, Colorado. After a long day's journey, my children, then six and two years of age, were exhausted. They woke early, tolerated two planes that carried them half way across the United States, and then finally endured a ninety minute car ride before we reached our destination. We quickly dropped off our luggage and immediately left in search of somewhere to eat. We needed something simple and quick. The kids were fading fast.
Witness to an Operations Miracle
We found a local restaurant on main street called Rasta Pasta. They had a variety of pasta dishes. The restaurant is small, about 60 seats, but the menu seemed to offer a few dishes that were kid friendly and we were not in the mood for a restaurant scavenger hunt. Just as we had finished reviewing the menu posted outside, it started to rain. We headed inside and were seated in the restaurant which was a little less than one-third full at the time. But with the rain came an onslaught of patrons. By my estimation, there were about thirty people who were seated at the same time. I began to cringe.
There I was with a tired family in a small restaurant. Thirty patrons seated simultaneously. A very small kitchen. Only two servers were on the floor. For those of you with hospitality experience, you can appreciate the mental math that was going through my head. I could not figure out how they were going to pull this off, and to be honest I did not give them very good odds of doing so. I braced for the worst, keeping the kids entertained to the best of my ability, and then hoped for the best as I watched the two servers go to work.
Our salads and garlic bread arrived quickly, as they were prepared in advance. That helped to keep the grumbling tummies in order for a few minutes. With the kids content, my attention began to shift more towards the actions of the two servers and two cooks. The servers moved through the restaurant with incredible precision, while the cooks were busy but not out of control. My attention bounced from family to restaurant staff, back and forth. Within just ten minutes, our food had arrived. I thought we were fortunate to get our meals first, but when I scanned the restaurant, nearly every patron already had their entrée. It truly was an operational miracle, or was it?
Dissecting a Miracle
When our server had delivered food to all of her tables, she checked back to ask us "so, how is everything. Is there anything I can get you?" My response caught her off guard. "That was a thing of beauty," I told her. I then had to explain my hospitality background and congratulate her and the rest of the restaurant's staff on their recently completed performance. And a fine performance it was. Thirty people fed in just over ten minutes in an a la carte, full service restaurant.
Before leaving, I took a closer look at the "kitchen." This was the piece of the puzzle that pushed my astonishment over the top. The entire equipment package consisted of two countertop six burner ranges, a single six-foot refrigerated preparation table, and a conveyor toaster. That was it. End of story. Being the sick, hospitality geek that I am, I arranged a time to return the following day to the restaurant, during off-peak hours, and interview the manager to find out just how they did it. I wanted to know how they made it work.
The interview was great and incredibly enlightening, because the system was so simple. They had implemented terrific menu planning and cross utilization of product. They had developed a menu of hot entrées that could all be prepared in a similar manner - by sauté on the range. They prepared cold entrée salads from the same refrigerated preparation table used to support the hot a la carte station. The salads were pre-made and the garlic bread was run constantly. With just three pieces of cooking equipment and a refrigerator on the line, they were able to offer incredible service.
And not to be overlooked, I believed that the attitude of the staff played an essential role in the restaurant's ability to perform. Let me give you one quick example. During my interview with the restaurant manager, I asked what they did when the single conveyor toaster went down. How would they produce their garlic bread? He said that they were pretty fortunate. The toaster was extremely reliable and did not go down much - maybe once or twice in a season. Usually, he shared, damage to the toaster was a result of an impatient server poking the conveyor to try and get their bread out quickly and, in the process, destroying one of the heating elements. "What would you do then?" I asked as a follow up question. I was then informed by the manager that there were three simple steps to remedy the situation.
First, he would berate the server (half jokingly, half seriously) for being so impatient. Second, he would take an unused sheet pan and throw it on top of the back burners, which were raised, on one of the countertop ranges. Finally, when the shift was over, he would spend thirty minutes unsuccessfully trying to find the element he ordered before season for an event such as this before giving up and calling a service technician to repair the unit. I think you see what I mean by attitude playing an important role. The staff all took their jobs seriously enough, but not too seriously.
Lessons from the Miracle
So what can we learn from this dining experience? Plenty. But there are two primary lessons that I derived. Let's start with the menu planning. The restaurant featured a menu and an equipment mix, despite being limited, that worked well together in total harmony. Both cooks could work on hot or cold entrées at the same time. The method of production was similar for most dishes. The cross utilization of food ingredients had been well conceived. When the menu and the equipment mix are not in harmony, seamless production is a near impossibility.
The next lesson has to do with the planning process as well - planning and design of the restaurant. What helped their success was thinking through the operation during the initial restaurant planning process, but not over-thinking.
Some of the clients I have worked with in the past insist that the kitchen will "never work" unless they have every single piece of equipment they can conceive in exactly the right place. I am not sure I agree with this, as kitchens always evolve, and often do so between the time the design is completed and the time the restaurant opens. Then, I have had other clients that have not thought through their operation enough before engaging in the planning and design of their facilities. This is not good either. I do not mean to sound like Goldie Locks, but the level of planning needs to be just right. Think through the operation, but don't over-think. Keep things simple and logical. Whether in a quick service environment or a five star luxury resort, just the right amount of planning will increase the likelihood for success exponentially.


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I might not be an angel after all…
OK, OK, OK.. I was banging on about the horrendous immoral quests in WoLK the other day, but I fear that Euripedes infiltrated my psyche, cause this week I found myself doing all sort of evil deeds… for no better reason that I was helping out my Gnome colleagues.
You see I found myself in need of some Thick Mammoth Hides for A Bot in Mammoth's Clothing.
I started out good, only taking down the Mammoth Bulls, but soon enough I had taken down a Mammoth Cow, leaving her poor little calves to starve.
What was I to do?
Yep, I killed the calves as well. Soon there was a trail of Mammoth Murder across the Borean Tundra.
In an attempt to remove some of the guilt, I put their remains to good use and cooked myself up some mammoth.
But in the end, it didn't matter, I felt a lot less Angel and a lot more Devil….
So I boarded the 1st plane for hell and filled the sky with plumes of smoke… you certainly can't call Gnomeaggedon environmentally friendly.
On a slightly more moral note, during Brewfest I picked up 10 each of Dark Iron Ale Mug and Plugger's Blackrock Ale.
I used 2 of the Dark Iron Ale Mug to pick up:
So what's the nearly immoral bit of this story…, well I threw the remaining Dark Iron Ale Mug on the AH, as well as Plugger's Blackrock Ale. Thing is I don't think people know the difference, cause I am selling both for silly prices…
Gnomer and Out!


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bhunt needed a new logo design and created a contest on 99designs.
A winner was selected from 156 designs submitted by 57 freelance designers.
Must be modern, professional, clean lined.
Desired Color Scheme:
please provide two options plus a black an white and a brushed steel look
Desired Style:
Modern professional
Accepted File Formats:
Standard Web Formats (.jpg, .gif or .png); Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai)
Proffessional IT firm require new corporate logo for web-site, stationery, signage etc. Must be eye-catching, clean lines. View our web site(under renovation) at http://www.microtech.net.au to view our current logo
Find out how a design contest works or learn more about our logo design services.


text:
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Kurz It be a Sharp right turn for Austria?
Published on by George Puttick (author)
31-year-old Sebastian Kurz set to become Austrian chancellor after exit poll projection.
Tuition Fees Face Further Increases
Published on by Bradley Moore (author)
Tuition fees are set to raise to further raise to £9,250 by 2020.
Theresa May Reveals Conservative Manifesto Ahead of General Election
Published on by Liam Forkes (author)
Theresa May said she has addressed the main five issues in Britain in her new manifesto.
Peter Chowney: "Let's Grow Our Own University"
Published on by Liam Forkes (author), Neil Miles (author)
The Labour in Hastings leader talks about 'betrayal' of University of Brighton and the Government's failures to intervene.
Jeremy Corbyn: "I am not a pacifist"
Published on by Liam Forkes (author)
The Labour leader will appoint a 'minister for peace' if elected.


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Hari Balakrishnan
The Stata Center
32 Vassar Street
Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
|(617) 253-8713 (I rarely check voicemail)
|hari - csail mit edu
I'm the Fujitsu Chair Professor in the EECS Department at MIT and lead the Networks and Mobile Systems group at CSAIL. I'm also a Director of the MIT Center for Wireless Networks and Mobile Computing. My research is in the area of networked computer systems, with current interests in networking, data management, and sensing for a world of truly mobile devices connected to cloud services running in datacenters. My past work has contributed to mobile and sensor computing, wireless networks, Internet architecture (congestion control, routing, network security), overlay and P2P networks, and data management (stream processing and secure databases). Short bio.
My papers and group's software.
My older (pre-1999) older papers and software.
Some past projects include: CarTel, Spinal Codes, CryptDB, Snoop (wireless TCP), Congestion Manager, Cricket, RON, Chord, Migrate, INS, Medusa / Borealis, internet routing / rcc, Infranet, SFR, Divert/MRD, DOA, DQE, speak-up, AIP, anomaly detection, HRDB, Wavescope/Wishbone, SoftPHY protocols (SoftRate, MIXIT, conflict-map MAC) AirBlue cross-layer experimentation platform, Relational Cloud (a database-as-a-service for the cloud, incl. Kairos)


text:
Currently Airing
Tuesdays, 8:00 PM ET on CBS
60 minutes
NCIS is a CBS network show about a team of special agents from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service of the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The concept and characters were initially introduced in a two-part episode of the CBS series JAG (episodes 8.20 and 8.21). The show premiered on September 23, 2003. Its executive producer is Donald Bellisario.


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- Code: Select all
pkg -i http://freesco.no-ip.org/rsync/03x/rsync-2.6_nadegda
Package requires opensshd isntalled (latest Dingetje package of 3.7p1 is highly recommended if you don't want to be own3d by some pimpled script kiddie), which will provide libc.5.so as well (this is why I don't include ;ibc in my package). 027 version is coming. I will submit for mirroring as soon as someone tells me that package installs OK. It's a simple binary, Read rsync websitefor more information. I just will note that this binary is compilled with only ssh support, no rsh (which FREESCO doesn't have anyway). It doesn't have anonymous rsync server installed, but could be added if so desired (read website docs for instarcutions). The most resonable use I see is for remote backup (or mirroring). If, for example, you want to have a backup (or mirror) of your FREESCO (original.host) www directory on another FREESCO, *nix, or other machine (mirror.host) , that have rsync installed, you would issue something like this on mirror.host
- Code: Select all
rsync -e ssh root --archive --delete -p email@example.com:/www/ www
1. Hope I didn't confuse anyone
2. Hope it works (since package is not rested)
3. Hope everyone here can read documentation.
PS: you could use rsync on windoZe. Just remember that windoze port is just a temporary workaround untill you completely switch to GNU/Linux Check cwRsync website for the win installer. You will also need ssh installed. There are many openssh packages for windoZe using sygwin. There it could get a bit tricky, to combine two packages together. Just copy binaries from openssh bin directory to Windows/system32 (or nt/system32) to make it easier.
PPS: there are many howtos on making passwordless key authentication. Once you have it working, you could run back up from cron job or similar.


text: Have you heard of rappers? You know — those people who perform "rap" music? Preeminent documentor of urban style Vogue Italia has! Vogue Italia knows from rap. Today on its Web site, Vogue "Slave Earrings" Italia lays down some old-school knowledge about rapper style, which the magazine explains was invented by noted M.C. Michael Jordan one day in the '90s. To get "rapper style," consider a glitter sweatshirt, fur, big sneakers, visor sunglasses, and lots of gold chains. You'll definitely need gold chains, okay? Also: "pants should never be tight-fitting." Vogue Italia suggests, "see those sported by Jay-Z."


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Baltimore's own Charles S. Dutton, star of screens big ("Gothika") and small (Fox sitcom "Roc"), Emmy winner for directing HBO's "The Corner," returns to movie theaters this weekend with "Least Among Saints."
The film, from writer-director-star Martin Papazian, centers on an emotionally scarred war veteran suddenly having to play father-figure to an orphaned boy. Dutton, who said he remembers many friends who returned from Vietnam with emotional issues they never seemed able to stare down, plays a police officer sympathetic to the vet's plight.
We caught up with Dutton, 61, at his Howard County home as he prepared to head for New York, where he hopes to set in motion a return to his first love, the stage, next year.
'How did you become connected to 'Least Among Saints?'
[TV and film producer] Marty Papazian Sr., the father, I've known for many years, and I've always had a lot of respect for him. I didn't know the son. When the son said to his father, "Man, if I could get Charles Dutton in this movie, that would be great," the dad said, "Well, I know Charles, I'll ask him."
I got a call from the father, and with my respect for him, I said, "Let me see the script." Marty has always had great taste. ... I got the script, and I was quite impressed with it.
I sat down with Marty Jr., and this guy totally convinced me that he was ready and he could get the movie done. I just believed he was a good filmmaker and got on board that way.
Maybe you saw something of yourself, with the multiple hats he was going to be wearing as writer, director and actor?
I've had more than a couple of chances at that, and it is an exhausting, exhausting effort. You do it once, and you say you'll never do it again. But then you get a great idea, and you say, "Well, I want to write, direct and star in it." We're crazy, artists.
Of all the various hats you've worn, do you have a favorite? Maybe directing?
I guess I'm in a love-hate relationship with directing. My analogy of directing, it's like washing a battleship with a Q-Tip. I try to pick my shots ... directing is exhausting.
So there's pleasure to be found in playing a small part in somebody else's film?
Do you have another project you're working on?
I directed a movie in Philadelphia that we finished a couple of months ago, so we're in post-production. It's an independent film I did called "Must be the Music." A music industry drama ... I came up with an interesting story that's both generations, old-school and hip-hop. It's an examination and look into the corruption, the treachery of the music business.
Why return to the stage?
I'm going to go back to the stage for a year. I think my soul needs it, in a way. I think my artistic essence needs it. It is where I started.
Do you still get called "Roc?" Does that ever get tired?
You know why it doesn't get tired? Roc is my real nickname. I had that nickname since I was 10 or 11 years old. The only reason the show got the name "Roc" is because for a week, we sat at HBO, trying to figure out a name for the show, and could not come up with a name. So Chris Albrecht, who basically got me to sign with HBO and developed the show, said, "Roc, why don't we just call the damn thing 'Roc,' so we can go home?"
'Least Among Saints' opens Friday at the AMC Owings Mills 17.
Baltimore's own Charles S. Dutton, star of screens big ("Gothika") and small (Fox sitcom "Roc"), Emmy winner for directing HBO's "The Corner," returns to movie theaters this weekend with "Least Among Saints."


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No-Hassle Triangles Gauge
Don't struggle with making triangles again!
Easily make half square and quarter square triangles. Simply line up the point of the gauge to the corner of the square, slide the green movable part of the guage to the opposite corner of the square and lock into place. Then, just mark your cutting line through the slots. Create 2-1/2" (64mm), 3-1/2" (89mm), 4-1/2" (114mm), 5-1/2" (140mm) and 6-1/2" (165mm). Reference the left side of the gauge for 1/2-square triangles and the right side for 1/4-square triangles.
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text:
The Green Bay Packers were soft against the run in 2012, and they could be without second-year pro defensive tackle Jerel Worthy for most of the 2013 season because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament. That has the Packers looking hard at the free-agent defensive tackle market.
A source told the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel that the Packers have expressed interest in Ricky Jean Francois, an impending free agent who served as a top backup for the San Francisco 49ers last season.
The Packers also have shown interest in former New York Giant Chris Canty. Jean Francois is a capable-enough backup that is probably better against the run than the pass. NFL.com's Ian Rapoport also reported interest coming from the Eagles.
Mike McCarthy insists that his team is "tough," but it's not a great sign that he cited the team's Super Bowl win as proof. That was two years ago. They have been much easier to push around defensively since then.
This is not a bad free-agent year to be looking for a rotational player up front like Jean Francois. There aren't great top-level guys available, but there is depth with players like Desmond Bryant, Glenn Dorsey, Richard Seymour, Michael Bennett and Sedrick Ellis available, among others. It's a good bet that Packers GM Ted Thompson will sign someone at the position.
Just don't expect the Packers to do it too early in free agency.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.


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Filed under: Capitalism, Democrat Corruption, Economy, Freedom, Law, Taxes | Tags: A Weak Recovery, Hidden Statistics, Just Stop Spending
Now they tell us. There are an array of things that have come out since the election that show just how weak the economy is, and demonstrate why President Obama would prefer to be off doing a photo-op in the far East, where no one is asking uncomfortable questions about things like the recovery, for instance.
Poverty is climbing, just in time for Thanksgiving. California is the most spectacular failure of our time. A beautiful state with natural wealth that once seemed to be a land of opportunity.40 years of liberal governance have brought the state to destitution. The government is broke and productive citizens and their businesses are fleeing the state for anywhere where they will be better treated. Calls up my favorite Walter Wriston quotation:
Capital will go where it is wanted and stay where it is well treated. It will flee from manipulation or onerous regulation of its value or use and no governmental power can restrain it for long.
The Golden State's poverty rate is a whopping 23.5 percent — higher than the District of Columbia, at 23.2 percent and even Florida at 19.5 percent. California does have a higher cost of living, but cities are going bankrupt right and left. People are packing up and moving out, an action common to Democrat-run states who are losing their wealthiest and most productive citizens. In the meantime, San Francisco is banning nudity, except for parades.
Earnings are falling. Real average hourly earnings dropped in October for the third months in a row, and are now down 2% from what they were when Obama took office. National Restaurant chains are moving to reduce employees hours to 28. Obama lowered the definition of full-time work to 30 hours a week, to jack up the number of full-time-workers, so they have to go below that to make them part-time. This is because of the onerous costs and fines when ObamaCare takes effect on Jan.1.
Food-stamp enrollment is exploding. Another report, conveniently timed for release after the election, found food stamp enrollment has skyrocketed by more than 420,000 in August.The number of people on food stamps has climbed more than 15 million under Obama. They would probably prefer to have jobs. A bipartisan group of Democrat and Republican Senators have requested the White House reconsider it's position on the Keystone XL pipeline, which would provide hundreds of needed jobs in construction and thousands of spinoff jobs.
Inflation is creeping up.The annual inflation rate climbed to 2.2% in October, the third consecutive monthly increase. Perhaps you've noticed the shrinking size of a what used to be a 5 lb. sack of sugar or flour.
Coal-fired power plants are closing. A report from the Liberal Union of concerned Scientists released a week after the election finds that as many as 353 coal-fired plants will close as a result of Obama's environmental regulations. If you have power outages this winter, contact the White House.
Small Banks are disappearing. Fortune reported 3 days after the election that the "overwhelming conclusion" of industry analysts was that Dodd-Frank would cause thousands of small banks to disappear. One month before the election, the same reporter at the same magazine blasted Romney for saying during a presidential debate that Dodd-Frank was" killing regional and small banks."
Yes, it's a weak recovery. It didn't have to be like this. It is weak because of poor choices made. We could change direction.


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Journal of My Paralympic Journey
The weeks leading up to my August 22nd departure date for the London Paralympics were filled with countless practice hours, various media opportunities and several good luck parties. While not sure what to expect when I arrived in London, I tried to reflect back upon my memories from my Paralympic experience back in 1984 for solace as to what was to come. Unbeknownst to me at the time I was doing mental preparation for London that there was no way I could have ever imagined in my wildest dreams that the Paralympic games could have elevated to the level of what I witnessed in London in 2012. My days in London were filled with countless memories that will last a lifetime as detailed in my journal below.
On August 22nd my husband Matt, who was traveling as a staff member for personal assistance, and I met up with Head Coach Sean O'Neill and Tahl Leibovitz at Dulles International Airport for our connecting flight over to Heathrow in London. After a three hour delay at Dulles for a mechanical problem, which I was glad happened on the ground and not in the air, we finally boarded the plane and took off for our 7 hour trek to London.
The arrival in London on August 23rd wound up being three hours later than scheduled due to the delay in Dulles and that meant Sean, Tahl, Matt and I would not meet up with Assistant Coach Keith Evans and Pam Fontaine until we arrived at The Paralympic Village. Upon arrival at the Village we were greeted by the news that the whole team will be living in the same four bedroom , two bathroom apartment. This led me to believe we better establish team unity and do it quickly before a team member is mysteriously found floating in the Thames River by a London Bobbie!! Like it or not we were all roommates for the next 20 days so off we go to team processing to pick up our official Team USA apparel from our wonderful sponsors Nike, Ralph Lauren and Oakley. After four tedious hours of trying on article after article of clothing, the team rounded up countless bags of awesome merchandise and headed back to our apartment in The Village. Unfortunately the coaches and Matt did not receive nowhere near the amount of goodies as Tahl, Pam and I so it was a good thing the laundry services for the team were top notch so they could have clean clothes to wear on a daily basis. Our first night in London concluded with a team dinner at the dining hall. The Dining Hall, which we were told was big enough to hold 600 double decker buses, had almost every choice of ethnic cuisine you could imagine. There was even a McDonald's for those that preferred a familiar taste from back home.
The teams third and fourth days in London allowed us time to adjust to the new time zone. We practiced twice a day for a couple hours and got a chance to tour The Paralympic Village and shop at The Westfield Mall. The Village has apartments that housed thousands of athletes and officials during the Paralympics. The Village also included a few shops, a medical facility, a media area and several leisure facilities for all occupants.The village was designed with 11 residential apartments which equated to about six blocks built around communal squares and courtyards. The Westfield Mall was within walking distance of the Village and is one of the largest Malls in Europe. So far the team is really having a great time together and team unity does not seem like it will be an issue at this point. During these first couple days the team was treated to a fashion show by Tahl who was more than willing to show everyone in the apartment how he looked in all the new merchandise from our sponsors. The way he was strutting his stuff left one wondering why he has not been named America's Next Top Model after being discovered on the streets of NYC.
On the morning of August 26th each member of the team taped an interview for the YouTube Paralympic channel. Then it was off to our first practice in the main playing hall at the Excel Center which is quite impressive with state of the art tables, electronic scoring and seating for about 6,000. The draws were distributed today which Tahl, Pam and I were eagerly awaiting. The team spent the rest of the day locating video of our first round opponents, strategizing and resting up for the competition.
On Monday August 27th our morning practice was the only one for the day because our team members met up with all the other members of Team USA in the evening to join in on a Welcoming Flag Raising Ceremony held in The Village.The Welcoming Ceremony included a dynamic theatre performance with actors from the National Youth Theater of Great Britain doing dances and acrobatics to a medley of songs from the music group Queen. The Flag Raising ceremony was attended by members of the Paralympic Games Organizing Committee and the mayor of the Paralympic Village Eva Loeffler. Ms. Loeffler is the daughter of the founder of the Paralympic Games Ludwig Guttmann. The 2012 London Paralympics was the biggest Paralympic Games ever featuring 4,280 athletes from 166 countries competing in 20 different sports.
August 28th brought more of the same for now with team practices and video review for matches against our first round opponents. August 28th was a special day for Matt and I as we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary at the Dining Hall in the Village with hundreds of others. Who could ask for a more romantic celebration!! Matt did arrange to have flowers delivered to our apartment in The Village on this special day, that was a total shock to me and still not sure how he arranged that.
Day 6 is about to begin. Our racquets went over to the Excel Center with Sean to be tested. All our racquets passed except one of Tahl's that got re-glued that night by Sean and passed the next day. The team will be watching video of our opponents and strategizing again today. I play the number 1 seed player from China tomorrow at 1PM. My opponent was the Gold Medal winner at the 2008 Paralympics in Bejing for Class 1-2 and I was told this match would be the feature match on table one and would be televised. Talk about the luck of the draw!! Later in the day Pam and I had complimentary salon appointments thanks to Proctor and Gamble. Pam was not a willing participant of the salon appointments at first and I thought I was going to have to put a tow rope from wheelchair to wheelchair just to get her there. Once we got there Pam enjoyed it but I still could not convince her to get her nails done, the nail experience would have been a tad bit to "girlie" for her. After our salon appointments the team will be getting all spiffed up in all our Ralph Lauren clothing and our berets for Opening Ceremonies tonight. The team decided to just do pictures with our clothing on and not attend Opening Ceremonies due to early morning matches. Then tomorrow Let the 2012 London Paralympic Games begin!!
The first match for Pam and I on August 30th did not have the outcome we were hoping for. Pam lost a tough match to a player from Korea and I lost in front of about six camera lenses in my face to my Chinese opponent. My family from Seattle who traveled to London to support the team were on hand to watch my first match waving the US flag and cheering loudly. What an awesome feeling it was to have my family in London to support not only myself but the whole team. Tahl's first match had a late start time so Pam and I chose to support him from afar because we had early matches the next day. Table Tennis among other sports had it's own television station so we were hoping to see Tahl back at the apartment on TV. Tahl won his opening round match which was great. After the tough losses by Pam and I we decided to drown our sorrows at the mall and enjoy a great dinner with my family.
August 31st was a tough day for Team USA Paralympic Table Tennis. Pam, Tahl and I all got knocked out of medal contention today in singles. Pam and I played features matches on table 1 this morning. Pam's opponent was from Croatia and my opponent was from Italy. Pam, Matt, my family and I had a little time to support Team USA sit volleyball before Tahl played his evening match. Tahl lost a tough match to a player from France and unfortunately this ended Tahl's play at the London Paralympics because he does not have a team partner for the team event. Pam and I do not play again until the Team Event on Wednesday against France.
Due to the unfortunate fact that Tahl, Pam and I were knocked out of singles play the team will be meeting up with my family around lunchtime to do some touring around London. The team, along with my brother Norm who was our tour guide and his wife Carin and my nephews Jack and Frankie, navigated around the scenic, historic streets of London to enjoy time at The Tower of London and The London Bridge. All the sightseeing made our little tour group hungry so we treated ourselves to a pizza lunch at a restaurant near the Thames River. My Paralympic journey has been extra special for me because I have been able to share it with my husband and family members traveling with us from Seattle. It was great to have them here to to cheer the team on and show us around London when the team had time.
Back to the table on September 2nd so Pam and I can prepare for our team match against France on Wednesday. The team was tired after our featured doubles match on the practice courts with Pam and I taking on our coaches. While our coaches talk a lot of trash their tactics against us just to win were borderline cheating according to our acting coach Tahl. Last I heard according to wheelchair table tennis rules your butt was supposed to stay in your chair while trying to reach for a ball. Tomorrow morning's rematch should be a heated battle as Pam and I plan to teach our coaches a lesson and play by the rules in doing so. Pam and I went to the clinic for a well deserved massage that evening to help prepare for our rematch in the morning. My brother and his family get to tour the Olympic village tomorrow afternoon after the much anticipated rematch. My nephews are really excited about this opportunity and we plan to cap the night off with a nice dinner at an authentic British restaurant.
Had an awesome day on September 3rd. Pam and I beat the coaches in doubles and I got to spend several hours with my family touring inside the Olympic Village. At least Pam and I did not have to hear any more trash talking from the coaches, remember guys you are only as good as your last match. While my family visited the Village, my nephews were excited to play table tennis in one of the many leisure facilities and try to mirror some the awesome shots they witnessed while watching our matches. Capped the night off with a good authentic British meal now time to relax.
Couple team members left the morning of September 4th at 4am. Sean, Pam , Matt and I are here until Monday. The team will be practicing today and watching video of our opponents in preparation for our team match against France tomorrow evening at 4:30. Not only were we allowed to watch video of table tennis but all day television coverage from the table tennis hall at the Excel Center was also available for us to observe.
Our team match on September 5th against the French is over and Pam and I fought hard but lost. Pam and I are very disappointed in the outcome against France because we really wanted to advance and have the opportunity to play the team from China. For me personally it would have been a chance to avenge the loss of my first round match. We are now USA team supporters and tourists until we depart early Monday morning. It was an honor to represent the United States in London and while the results were not what the team hoped for I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity. Table Tennis in the US has a lot of catching up to do with the rest of the world to win at this level. Hopefully with the experience the team received in London it will help pave the way for better results in Rio in 2016.
The team and my family a great time touring around London on September 6th. We got to see so many historic places and take some awesome pictures of the London Eye, Big Ben, The Prime Ministers House and Westminster Abbey. We even got to take part in a mass at Westminster Abbey and received the Eucharist that was really great. My family from Seattle will be leaving tomorrow morning and many thanks to them for their support and cheers, they made an awesome experience even greater. I will never forget the feeling I had when Pam and I entered the Excel Center for our team event match to my family cheering us on waving the US flag.
Whats left of the team in London will be cheering on Team USA in other sporting events for the next two days. The team choose to take in some quad tennis matches on both days. Team USA tennis got the job done by winning a Silver and Bronze medal in the Quad Singles Event. While I would have much rather been playing in the finals of the team event in Table Tennis, it was great to have the opportunity to support other Team USA members in their quest to win a Paralympic medal. The Paralympic journey in London for me will end tonight at the Closing Ceremonies. The team will dress up again in a different Ralph Lauren outfits and head to Closing ceremonies. The rumors were true and Coldplay did perform at the Closing Ceremonies along with Rihanna and Jay-Z. The weather has been fabulous the whole time we were here and Sunday night turned out to be the same which made way for an awesome light show and fireworks display. The Closing Ceremony also included a Handover to Rio 2016 and the extinguishing of the Paralympic Flame which signaled the end of the Games and the end of what turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences of my life so far. Thanks to Matt, Sean, Keith, Tahl, Pam and my family for making the memories even more special, hope to travel to Rio with all of you in 2016.


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Disney Driven Week In Review 11-01-15
Maria H. (ndm#130) 0 Comments ABC, academy, achieve, adult, Agent P, AL, Alan Bersten, Alan Tudyk, albertson's, animated, applesauce, application, arlo, art, artem chigvintsev, assistant, aster, Atlanta, attitude, attraction, austin, autumn, Avengers, az, backlot tour, backstabbers, bad moon rising, balloonacy, baltimore, bb-8, bb8, bellweather, bethlehem, bionic island, birmingham, black cube, blendz, blood sisters, bonnie hopps, bonnie hunt, boo, books, boston, Brittany Cherry, brothers of the broken horn, C-3PO, ca, cabbage day miracle, Canada, career, carrots, cartoon, carving, carvings, cast, Cast Member, castle, Catastrophe Canyon, cauldron, celebrations, center, central florida, character, chief bogo, cincinnati, citrus, clearwater, co, cold, collectible, collector, colorado springs, columbus, comedy, costumes, Country, crunch pak, CT, customs, dance all night tour, Dancing with the stars, decor, decoration, Decorations, denver, dewey, DHS, dipperz, Disney, disney channle, disney dreamers academy, Disney Driven Life, Disney Junior, Disney Photography, disney worldwide publishing, Disney XD, Disney's Hollywood Studios, disneyland paris, display, don lake, Donald Duck, dot-to-dot, dream big, dreamers, driving heat, droid tales, duke weaselton, durham, dwts, easy, eating, educational, ella cowbelle, emma slater, escape from reality, essay, essence, Europe, event, experience, exploration, expo, eye on the skullship, Ezra, face painting, fall, fan favorite, fear, figure, finnick, fl, flash, flea, Florida, food, force awakens, four star, France, fresh, front yard, Frontierland, frozen, fruit, fun, future, fv, ga, gambit on geonosis, gamer's guide, ghosts, ginnifer goodwin, goblins, good dinosaur, gooddino, Goofy, grapes, Gravity Falls, guardians of the galaxy, guest, Halloween, halloweenland, happy halloween, harvest, Haunted Mansion, haunting horseman, Headless Horseman, Healthy, hidden Mickeys, high school, hitchin' a ride, hobby, Holiday, holidays, Hollywood, home, hondo ohnaka, houston, huey, Ichabod Crane, ideas, Idris Elba, iggy pop, IN, inflatables, influential, interactive, it's a kirbyful life, j.k. simmons, jack o lantern, jacksonville, jason bateman, Jenna Johnson, jenny slate, jerry jumbeaux, jesse corti, john dimaggio, judy hops, kansas city, katie lows, kent melon, keo motsepe, Kids, kirbinator, kirby buckets, kirby sells out, la, Lab Rats, lake cawood, lancaster, layers, le, legend of sleepy hollow, Lego, leodore lionheart, lifestyle, Lights, limited edition, Lindsay Arnold, literature, Los Angeles, louie, Lucasfilm, lunches, MA, madame leota, madge honey badger, magical, major monogram, manchas, mandy moore, Marvel, Master Gracey, matchmaker, math, mayor, md, mellomen, merrillville, Mickey, mickey check, Mickey Mouse, mickey's home, miracle, mo, movies, mrs. otterton, music, nagami dr, nashville, nate torrence, nc, neighborhood, Nephews, new orleans, new toy, New York, niagra falls, nice and friendly corners, nikki heat, NJ, november, NV, NY, o.w.c.a. files, octavia spencer, october 30, odd couple, off property, officer clawhauser, OH, ok, olaf, on, on the edge, on tour, Once Upon A Time, opportunity, oranges, Orlando, ouat, over seas, owca, PA, packets, paul smith, peanut, peck, performing arts, Perry the Platypus, peta murgatroyd, phantom, Philadelphia, phoenix, photo, Photography, pickle, pigfoot, pittsburgh, Pluto, pma fresh summit convention, prank of the century, prank williams jr, pranksgiving, preschool, pretty much everything, printable, produce, pumpkin, Pumpkins, quotes, R2-D2, rama, raymond persi, readingt, rebels, red bank, red hot chili peppers, red's untold tale, reno, richard castle, ride, Riverside, sage, salt lake sity, san antonio, san diego, san jose, sarasota, sculpture, season two, series, sewer shark, sharna burgess, sheriff callie, Show, shreveport, side, snack, snow, song, soundtrack, spirit, spot, springtime for christmas, Star Wars, stealth strike, steve harvey, stockton, story, stu hopps, students, studios, stunt, subdivision, summerport, taekwon bro, take along, tbt, teens, Television, template, terrified teacher, terror, thackerville, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr.Toad, theater, throwback thursday, thurl ravenscroft, tn, toby, tombstones, tommy chong, tommy lister, trick or treat, TV, tv y7, tx, unca donald, uncasville, unforgettable, ursula, ut, valentin chmerkovskiy, verona, vipnation, voice, walmart, Walt Disney, Walt Disney Company, Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Photography, wander over yonder, wdcc, WDW, we are family, weather, weirdmageddon, west palm, Western, white plains, Wild West, windermere, windsor, wings of the, witch, witch hazel, witches, Wordless Wednesday, yak, yax, yellow snow, Yoda, zootopia
It's the Disney Driven Week In Review! We understand that life keeps you busy, so here is a listRead more


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The next Imperial Estates meeting will happen on 19 November, time and other details to follow.
Therefore, according to LI, the Agenda will be published 60 days prior, which is 20 September. This allows members to submit agenda items up to 15 days prior, being 5 September. Please email me with your agenda items as well as post them. I won't except any agenda items that have not been emailed to me. If you need my address, PM me on one of the boards and I'll get it to you.
Judy Dodge
VP Board of Directors
Acting Secretary BoD
PS: Somebody please check my math and make sure I didn't mess up. Thanks.


text: This short profile of Philadelphia-based metal worker Nicholas DiChiara shows what life is like for someone who makes a living off of building things with his hands. Sparks fly, metal gets shaped, wood gets sanded and lovely industrial designs get created. It's nice to hear DiChiara's story but even better to see the sequences of machinery. [Eliu Cornielle]


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Dogs and Humans agree that Agility Class is very fun but it also is a great place to work on off-leash control in an environment full of distractions. Once you have the basics of obedience down, you are ready to enroll in our Agility class. This class is also great for building confidence in dogs that are less than enthusiastic about tackling agility obstacles. You can continue your agility training by practicing new courses and handling techniques each week.
AGILITY: Meets in the basement of St. Paul and the Redeemer. CURRENTLY NOT MEETING.
$150 for 6-week course.
To sign up, click here.
Add To Cart


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U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission
Insurance Giant Also Discharged Caucasian in Retaliation for Providing Testimony During the Discrimination Investigation, Federal Agency Charges
FRESNO, Calif. - Farmers Insurance Exchange violated federal law when it fired two Southeast Asian-American employees due to their race, and then unlawfully fired a third non-Asian employee in retaliation for his participation in the EEOC's investigation, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit it filed today.
Two of the claimants are of Hmong descent and were the only Asian-American employees working at the insurance company's Fresno office at the time of their termination in March 2009. According to the EEOC, a supervisor had instructed staff at the Fresno office to code insurance payments in a manner so as to avoid the automated prompting of customer surveys. A 2009 audit revealed that several of the claims representatives in the Fresno office had instances of improper coding. However, the EEOC contends that only the Asian-American claims representatives at that location were targeted for termination. A claims adjuster, who is Caucasian, actually had a similar number of cases coded, but was not terminated in March 2009 -- until he provided testimony during the EEOC's investigation into the discrimination charges. This claims adjuster was placed on leave a week after he was interviewed by the EEOC.
Race discrimination and retaliation for complaining about it violate the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. The EEOC filed its suit against Farmers Insurance Exchange in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California (EEOC v. Farmers Insurance Exchange, Case No. 1:13-cv-01574 AWI SKO), after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The EEOC's suit seeks back pay, compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged victims.
"Generally, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders seldom come forward to report discrimination," said Anna Park, regional attorney for the EEOC's Los Angeles District, which includes Central California in its jurisdiction. "The EEOC is here to help victims of illegal discrimination and to ensure that employers treat workers equally. Our hope is that more will find the courage to come forward to break the cycle of discrimination at work."
Melissa Barrios, local director of the EEOC's Fresno Local Office, added, "Federal law protects employees who participate in investigations or proceedings involving employment discrimination from retaliation. Workers have the right to provide testimony or protest discrimination without negative employment consequences."
According to its website, www.farmers.com, Farmers Insurance Exchange is one of the insurers comprising Farmers Insurance Group, one of the largest insurers of vehicles, homes and small businesses. Farmers Insurance Group serves 10 million households across 50 states with nearly 24,000 employees.
Eliminating discriminatory policies affecting vulnerable workers who may be unaware of their rights under equal employment laws or reluctant or unable to exercise them is one of six national priorities identified by the EEOC's Strategic Enforcement Plan (SEP). These policies can include disparate pay, job segregation, harassment and human trafficking.
The EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws against employment discrimination. Further information is available at www.eeoc.gov.


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This standard covers positions the duties of which primarily involve performing aviation law enforcement operations to detect, interdict, apprehend, and prevent terrorists and other persons, weapons and contraband, from illegally entering or attacking the United States. All positions have in common dual paramount requirements for knowledge and skills necessary to pilot aircraft and knowledge of the customs and border protection activities that forms the basis for the flying assignments.
Minimum eligibility requirements for positions in this occupation are based on possession of the appropriate Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) pilot certificates and/or appropriate military ratings, meeting the applicable flight hour requirements, successful completion of relevant Federal law enforcement training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), and possession of the knowledge and skills required for the positions.
Certificates and Ratings: For all grade levels and specializations, individuals must possess a current Commercial Pilot Certificate or the appropriate military rating; both meet the intent of the requirement. For flight instructor positions, the FAA Flight Instructor Certificate or the military equivalent rating is also required. The pilot certificate must include the rating(s) appropriate to the work of the position to be filled. For example, a position that involves flying a multi-engine airplane to various destinations under instrument flight rules would require the Commercial Pilot Certificate with the airplane, multi-engine, and instrument ratings or appropriate U.S. military ratings. Positions that require flying or instructing in flying both airplanes and helicopters require a rating in both categories. Only those ratings necessary to perform the work are required.
Note: Individuals establishing eligibility based on military flight experience must provide official orders, forms, or logbooks showing their status as a rated military pilot, flight instructor, or flight examiner, as appropriate. Other certificates that meet or exceed the requirements of the Commercial Pilot Certificate are also acceptable, e.g., an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate.
Flight Experience: Individuals must demonstrate possession of the knowledge and skills required for the work by meeting certain minimum flight hour requirements, including recency of flight experience. The categories in which individuals are required to demonstrate proficiency relate to: (1) the general knowledge and skills to pilot the aircraft, and (2) the specific knowledge and skills related to the particular position being filled. Only that flight experience that is directly related to the work of the position is required for purposes of establishing minimum eligibility.
The following flight hour requirements apply to all applicants:
The following flight hour requirements apply only when the position requires the particular specialty.
The medical and physical requirements under 5 CFR 339, "Medical Qualification Determinations," for law enforcement officers, such as criminal investigators, border patrol agents and detention officers, and the Aircraft Operation Series, 2181, must be met by individuals subsequent to appointment and for inservice placement actions, including reinstatement of former employees and transfers from positions not covered by this standard.
Incumbents perform job tasks in a variety of environmental conditions. These conditions include working: (1) in hot or cold outdoor temperatures (i.e., below 32 degrees or above 90 degrees), (2) at high elevations (i.e., 15 feet or greater above ground level), (3) near moving vehicles and aircraft, (4) in dusty conditions, (5) near fumes, (6) in stressful conditions, (7) for extended and irregular hours, (8) under variable lighting conditions, and (9) under high noise conditions. The possibility of exposure to various types of harmful chemical and/or biological agents by terrorists is real.
The duties of this position are of a strenuous and hazardous nature. Additionally, the position requires a high degree of interaction and responsibility to the public. Therefore, any medical condition resulting from an injury or disease or any psychiatric condition may result in disqualification for appointment either: (1) if the condition(s) would affect the ability of the individual to perform the essential functions of the position or (2) if recurrence of the condition(s) cannot be medically ruled out, and the duties of the position are such that a recurrence would pose a reasonable probability of substantial harm to the individual or to others, if the individual were appointed to the position.
A direct relationship exists between specific medical requirements, the medical condition, and the duties of the position. Any chronic disease or condition affecting the auditory, cardiovascular, endocrine and metabolic, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, integumentary, musculoskeletal, neurological, psychological, respiratory, and visual systems that would impair full performance of the duties of the position is disqualifying.
These are interim physical and medical standards which should be used only until a medical and physical study can be conducted by the agency in cooperation with OPM, and OPM issues a new qualification standard.
Successful completion of relevant Federal law enforcement training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) is mandatory as a condition of employment.
Individuals must be willing and able to engage effectively in contacts with hostile persons, and to work independently under conditions of high accountability. Applicants and incumbents must demonstrate the traits and characteristics important to Agent work. These include judgment, problem solving, emotional stability, and interpersonal skills. A background investigation will be employed in assessing applicants' suitability.
All positions require incumbents to carry a firearm in the performance of their duties. Therefore, all individuals must, after appointment, qualify and maintain qualification and proficiency in the use of firearms.
Applicants are required to have, or must obtain before appointment, an automobile driver's license currently valid in the State in which they are domiciled or principally employed. They must qualify to operate motor vehicles in accordance with applicable Government regulations after they are hired.
Under the authority of Public Law 100-238, the U. S. Department of Homeland Security has established the date immediately preceding one's 37th birthday as the maximum age for original entry into positions covered by this standard.
As a condition of employment, incumbents must successfully complete all required training and continue to meet all medical, physical, licensure, and other requirements in this standard throughout the duration of their employment.
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There is no Group Coverage Qualification Standard for this series. Use the Individual Occupational Requirements described below.


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A California company and a Department of Energy research lab have announced that they're teaming up to make oil out of algae — a potential fuel source that would be low on greenhouse gas emissions tied to warming.
LiveFuels Inc. says it will fund dozens of projects at Sandia National Laboratories with the aim of producing economically feasible "biocrude," aka biodiesel, by 2010.
Sandia's investment in related research goes back five years, says Grant Heffelfinger, a senior manager at the lab, providing time to build up expertise in "the challenge of understanding how and under what conditions" the process will work.
Algal oil is similar to soybean oil, which can also be used to produce biodiesel, but can be grown on marginal lands unsuitable for food crops and even in brackish water, LiveFuels said.
The company estimates that all U.S. oil imports could be replaced by biocrude grown on 20 to 40 million acres of marginal lands that exist across the country.
Sandia spokesman Mike Janes echoed that view. "Recent studies using a species of algae show that only 0.3 percent of the land area of the U.S. could be utilized to produce enough biodiesel to replace all transportation fuel the country currently utilizes," he said.
"In addition, barren desert land, which receives high solar radiation, could effectively grow the algae, and the algae could utilize farm waste and excess carbon dioxide from factories to help speed the growth of the algae."
Prices still prohibitive
But not any algae will work. The cost-effective kind — as in making biocrude for less than $60 a barrel — is high in fats.
Commercially grown algae like Spirulina are high in protein and starch but low in fat. A few high-fat species of algae are promising, LiveFuels said, but the fats — at prices around $1,200 a pound — are cost prohibitive.
"'Fat algae' doesn't sound like a biocrude oil feedstock, but the petroleum we use today is derived from prehistoric biomass (including algae)," LiveFuels said in a statement announcing the joint venture. "Nature's biomass decomposition process occurred over millions of years under conditions of enormous heat and pressure. Much of the petroleum we use today began some 200 million years ago in the Carboniferous Period. The deposits of oil pumped from the North Sea, for example, consist partly of decomposed haptophyte algae called coccolithophorids."
"The challenge," LiveFuels said, "will be growing and transforming algae cheaply into biocrude within days rather than millennia."
LiveFuels Chief Executive Officer Lissa Morgenthaler-Jones says her company hopes to "grind down costs" across the process — from finding the right strains, to harvesting and final production.
"Other countries are ahead of the U.S. in biocrude research, but other countries were once ahead of us in the space race too," she said in announcing the venture. "America put a man on the moon in eight years, and America can make its own biocrude in four."
Greenhouse, biodiesel benefits
Janes said that algae offers environmental benefits in terms of greenhouse gases and as a more efficient fuelstock than biodiesel from crops like soybeans.
"The amount of greenhouse gasses generated are relatively small since most of the carbon dioxide emitted during the burning process is simply recycling that which was absorbed during plant growth," he said.
As for other biodiesel sources, Janes said that "a complete transition to biofuels could require boundless amounts of land if traditional crops are used."
But algae breaks that barrier. "With an oil-per-acre production rate 250 times the amount of soybeans," he said, "algae offers the highest yield feedstock for biodiesel."
© 2013 msnbc.com Reprints


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Friday, February 10, 2012
Department of Anesthesia collaboration aims to improve postoperative care in rural Uganda
SUSTAINABLE SUPPORT: Modest, far right, works with Ugandan anesthesia residents.
IN THE UNITED STATES and other developed nations, caregivers can access to the latest technologies and techniques, allowing them to improve patient outcomes and comfort. Unfortunately, clinicians in developing countries often lack these critical resources. In an effort to improve postoperative pain management in rural Uganda, anesthesiologists from the MGH Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine – with support from the MGH Center for Global Health – recently worked with doctors at Mbarara University of Science and Technology to conduct a week-long seminar to teach anesthesia residents how to administer ultrasound-guided nerve blocks.
"Postoperative pain is poorly managed in Uganda. Our goal was to bring a new and innovative technique to Uganda to address this problem," says anesthesiologist Paul Firth, MBChB, who helped start the program. "Although ultrasound has been widely used in U.S. anesthetic practice for five to 10 years, it didn't exist in rural Uganda."
Firth traveled to Uganda with a team of MGH physicians – including Vicki Modest, MD, and Peter Stefanovich, MD – to conduct the seminar. "The enthusiasm of the Ugandan anesthesiologists for learning ultrasound-guided nerve blocks was remarkable," recalls Stefanovich.
The key, Firth says, is to introduce practices like these in a sustainable way so clinicians can build a health care infrastructure that supports clinical advances, education and research. To that end, Firth and his team also have been conducting medical lectures via Skype and are planning further collaborations with Mbarara University, including expanding an intensive care unit.
"By organizing these lectures over the net, Ugandan instructors are free to focus on other projects, including building our research capabilities," says Steven Tendo, MD, a lecturer at the university. "The residents have been extremely interested; they now run the program without me."
Read more articles from the 2/10/12 Hotline issue.
Browse the Entire Newsroom Archive


text: Latin for "from a thing done afterward." Ex post facto is most typically used to refer to a criminal law that applies retroactively, thereby criminalizing conduct that was legal when originally performed. Two clauses in the US Constitution prohibit ex post facto laws: Art 1, § 9 and Art. 1 § 10. see, e.g. Collins v. Youngblood, 497 US 37 (1990) and California Dep't of Corrections v. Morales, 514 US 499 (1995).


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|Tuesday, 13 December 2005
The financial and critical success of "Bonnie and Clyde" prompted a mini-boom in period gangster movies, many of which were backed by Roger Corman. "Big Bad Mama," directed by Steve Carver, was one of the later examples, but turned out entertaining and profitable enough that Corman made a belated sequel in 1987, also starring Angie Dickinson.
One of the more unexpected developments in DVD during 2005 was when Roger Corman signed a deal with Buena Vista Home Entertainment—the DVD arm of Disney—to release a lot of his older films. Corman himself seems to enjoy doing commentary tracks and talking-head documentaries for these projects, as he's on both this and the simultaneously-released "Rock 'n' Roll High School." Corman is an agreeable sort of guy with a big smile and a winning personality. He never seems to be taking any of this any too seriously, a sign that we shouldn't, either.
In eastern rural Texas in 1932, Wilma McClatchie (Dickinson) abruptly breaks up the wedding of her teenaged daughter Polly (Robbie Lee); together with her other teen daughter Billy Jean (Susan Sennett), she simply heads away from their farm in the car of a friend. He's killed by passing Feds (one of whom is Corman regular Dick Miller), so the three take over his moonshine run, then soon branch out to other kinds of crime.
When they're about to rob a bank, another pair of holdup men burst in; one is killed and the other, Fred Diller (Tom Skerritt), is wounded so the McClatchie trio take him along. Soon enough, he's sweet on Wilma, but both Billy Jean and Polly have their eyes on him, too. Later at a race track, Wilma meets smooth-talking con man William J. Baxter (William Shatner), and he joins the team, too, quickly becoming Wilma's lover. Conflicts ensue.
"Big Bad Mama" is briskly directed by Steve Carver, an occasional director of Corman projects. It's not a very stylish movie, but it has a ramshackle charm and energy. There's little sense of story development; this kind of thing happens a while, then other things happen, then the movie ends. Also, there are nude scenes, including full-frontal shots of the spectacular Dickinson. She's also very good with her clothes on, an ideal performer to hang this kind of movie on.
Carver uses lots of old-fashioned irises and wipes, probably because of the period setting. The movie was shot in Southern California, and if you watch the background carefully, you can see things like aluminum windows and other modern artifacts. The score includes standards of the time as well as even older songs like "The Yellow Rose of Texas" and "Bury Me Beneath the Willow." In the documentary, someone mentions that the lively musical track included guitar and banjo work by Jerry Garcia.
Shatner is also full of typical Shatner charm and bluster; there haven't been very many actors who so clearly love performing, and he can give a director anything necessary from slapstick comedy to stark drama. Tom Skerritt is a bit more serious than Shatner, but he's comfortable in the role of Fred, who's no smarter than he should be.
The original trailer is included, but oddly there are few if any allusions to "Big Bad Mama II." "Mama Knows Best" is a cheerful documentary on the movie featuring Corman and Dickinson (who also provide the mediocre commentary track), writer Frances Doel, co-writer William Noarton and director Steve Carver. There are somewhat contradictory stories about Dickinson's nude scenes, but everybody seems to be having a good time. You probably will, too.