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Back in 2008, when Lady Gaga mania began, it often felt like you couldn't avoid her. There were the hit records, of course – Poker Face, Telephone and Bad Romance to name just three. But in the space of a few years there were also the meat dresses, the Grammy performances in giant eggs and an almost regular stream of controversy. You'd be forgiven for thinking that the popstar, born Stefani Germanotta, was constantly thrusting herself into the public eye – but the reality, she says, was quite different.
"I hid in my house," she explains matter-of-factly when I meet her before the opening night of the iTunes festival at the Roundhouse in north London. "I hid a lot … to preserve my image as a superstar to my fans. I don't mean I am a superstar, I mean that they only ever see me at my best. And it really drove me crazy. So I've really had to make more of an effort to go out more. I mean, can you imagine what it's like not to feel real wind? Honestly, I hadn't felt real wind for years!"
Gaga prides herself on putting her fans first, and in this instance it seems she didn't want her fans to ever see her as a normal human being. "I would be indoors all day and then I'd get in a car in a garage and then drive to another garage and get out and rehearse and then do it again, from country to country, and never walk outside. I remember some of the longest walks I had were from the car to the aeroplane on the tarmac."
During this performance Gaga will perform the title track from her forthcoming album ARTPOP and utter a line that sums up everything her fans love about her and her critics detest: "My art-pop could mean anything," she coos over a lilting electronic throb. To her detractors – of which there seem to be a growing number – she's the perfect example of the dichotomy of the globe-straddling megastar spouting empty signifiers with the meaning crowbarred in afterwards. To her hardcore fans (or "Little Monsters"), she's not only the greatest pop star on the planet, but a sort of cult leader whose mantra of self-love, implemented on her last album Born This Way, acts as their Bible.
Perhaps aware of her Marmite appeal, today Gaga is immediately on the charm offensive, giving me a kiss on arrival and complementing me on my shoes (at one point she bends down to stroke the material). Her PR and manager, both lurking near the door, are instructed to sit down and "stay quiet". Shuffled back on an armchair so that her giant heels swing off the ground, she has the mannerisms of a well-behaved toddler. But there's also an ever-present strain of determination that underlines everything she says. You sense she's aware that while 2011's Born This Way album sold 6m copies worldwide, many saw it as a the end of her imperial phase, with the album's last single Marry the Night becoming her first to miss the US top 10. With only one single released so far – the 80s electropop of Applause – there's a palpable feeling that the ARTPOP campaign is already stalling, with the single yet to reach the top three in either America or the UK.
A few weeks ago, Gaga tweeted a Michael Jackson quote that read: "The bigger the star, the bigger the target". Does she feel persecuted? "Yeah, for sure I do," she replies without hesitation, her skintight jumpsuit parping with her every movement. "Yes! I certainly feel that at this time it's almost as if people are surprised they haven't already destroyed me."
She puts a straw to her mouth and takes a dramatic slurp. "It gives them a sense of pleasure when they believe that they've destroyed me or taken me down. It's almost entertainment for people to poke fun at Lady Gaga, but at the very same time they have no idea the album I've made. They have no idea what I put into this, they have no idea the work that I've put behind my performances and what I do. In fact, people have no idea what it really took for me to get here. So it doesn't bother me, it's just an interesting observation of where we are as a society."
Before being asked about it, she brings up the success or otherwise of Applause: "It's literally not even been two weeks since my first single came out and it's all, 'She's over', or because I'm not No 1 yet, 'She's finished'. People focus less on the music and focus more on how the music's doing; how it's faring from a numbers perspective, from a financial perspective. If you think I give a damn about money then you don't know me as an artist at all." She adds: "I think that once you've had a few No 1s in your career that you've kind of proven yourself and I don't feel the need to prove anything anymore."
For some, Applause's failure to connect in the way her previous singles have done is down to the fact that it appears to be solely about Gaga and for Gaga. Written after she had to cancel her Born This Way Ball Tour at the beginning of the year, the result of a severe hip injury that required an operation and left her in a wheelchair, the song is about the need she has as a pop star to experience adulation from a crowd.
Gaga says she would have tried to keep the hip operation a secret – to shield her fans once more – if she had managed to make it to the end of her tour, but it wasn't possible. "I was wheelchair-bound two weeks before that even happened," she says. "That I did hide from them because I didn't want to stop the show. I know everyone was thinking I was trying to be a bit silly with my gold wheelchair but I was really trying to keep a bit of strength for my fans because it really upset them and scared them."
Gaga disputes the idea that Applause is a song for herself. Rather, she says, it is as universal as any love song. "It's so interesting for people to say that the lyrics are all about me the performer," she says, somewhat disingenuously. "I want you to feel that way about yourself, that's why I wrote the song. I want you to wake up in the morning and say: 'I live for your applause, look at me today, I'm having a great day, I'm going to work and I'm going to have a fantastic lunch with my friends.' But it's not to be taken quite as seriously and as literally as people make it to be, which is why in the verses I'm sort of making fun of what people think about fame."
It is this sense of humour that Gaga's critics tend to forget, or have been more likely to forget since Born This Way's heavy-handed "we are all equal" didacticism. Like Michael Jackson before her, it often felt like the Biggest Pop Star on Earth was creating music not for the everyday pop fan who might buy an album, but for the first 20 rows of dressed up, banner-waving, camped-out-since-4am apostles. When you talk about your fans, who do you mean? "I mean everybody. I mean anyone that's watching."
Gaga concedes that it can be "uncomfortable" to fall in love with a pop star that has more to her under the surface than was bargained for. "Suddenly the pop star takes off her sheep's clothing and you see the kind of dingy, underground, metal-loving girl from New York who wants to talk about equal rights and go on and on and on about loving yourself. I made a choice to show people that," she says. "I made a choice to do that because I wanted them to know that for the rest of my career, underneath every outfit that I have on, that girl is always underneath. With ARTPOP I'm veering in a new direction in terms of my messaging, but Born This Way was all about that particular message."
Did you anticipate that this would lose you fans? "I was comfortable with just speaking to the ones that really needed to hear the message and confident that I had enough great songs on the album that the general public would latch on to," she says. "People can say whatever they want about whether or not I enforced change [in her fans' lives] or if it's all fake, but the truth of it is I travelled the entire length of the world with the tour."
At this point she rattles off audience attendance figures at various venues, checking facts with her manager, before, seemingly apropos of nothing, adding: "I know people said I wasn't selling out in America but that was entirely untrue, we sold out all over the world and every night I looked out into the fans and those front rows that you're talking about, the tears, the honesty, the inability to not be completely overjoyed because they felt accepted. That's sometimes more powerful than making a pop song and it just was at that time."
We talk briefly about the recent MTV VMA awards, which she opened with a dazzling, Botticelli-influenced performance of Applause. Even that, however, was overshadowed by Miley Cyrus and her semi-naked grinding of Robin Thicke's groin area. "For me, my performance was not about taking clothes off, if that makes sense. I wanted it to be strong and beautiful and powerful and full of confidence. It doesn't bother me, though, that there was a lot of attention paid to any other performances, it's not a competition. I do what I do and they do what they do. Isn't it nice that it all happened and that it's all been recorded and we can watch it all – it's not like the good things stay and everything else gets erased."
It's rare for a pop star of Lady Gaga's stature to acknowledge failure and she seems, on the surface at least, happy to concede that some of the novelty of what she does has worn off slightly. In fact, she is open about the fact that things needed to change following Born This Way.
"I had really tried to hide a lot of my pain from my past in the last few years," she says towards the end of the interview, whereas at the Roundhouse a new song, Swine, is introduced with, "My heart, my skin and my pussy felt like trash." It seems to hint at domestic abuse. Does this hint at Gaga's future direction? That she's ready to come out of hiding, to reveal herself?
"For ARTPOP, I, in the most metaphorical explanation, stood in front of a mirror and I took off the wig and I took off the makeup and I unzipped the outfit and I put a black cap on my head and I covered my body in a black catsuit and I looked in the mirror and I said: 'OK, now you need to show them you can be brilliant without that.' And that's what ARTPOP is all about. Because I knew that if I wanted to grow, if I really wanted to innovate from the inside, I had to do something that was almost impossible for me."
The Guardian, http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/sep/03/lady-gaga-people-think-im-finished


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Caring For Your Baby Post-IVF
When you've waited long and tried hard to have a baby, you feel ecstatic when IVF works for you. But even after IVF, you find that caring for a new baby is hard work. Here's some advice to help you survive the first few crazy months of parenthood:
Babies don't come with a manual, so don't feel bad if you feel a bit out of your depth at first. You need time to get to know your baby's likes and dislikes.
Knowing how to care for your baby isn't instinctive — you have to learn as you go.
The fact that you really wanted your baby doesn't make caring for your newborn any easier than for other parents with newborns. Don't expect too much of yourself and ask for help when you need it.
New parents worry about the wellbeing of their babies, but after IVF you may worry even more and wonder about your ability to care for your baby. Rest assured: Your baby will be fine and no-one can do a better job than you.
Some new mothers find that breastfeeding doesn't always come easily: Get professional advice and support if you experience difficulties.
All new parents need a break now and then, so share the workload and enlist as many stand-ins as you can find.
If your baby cries a lot and is difficult to soothe, feed and settle, you may benefit from attending a day-stay or residential mother–baby program. Ask your maternal and child health nurse for a referral.

subset: commoncrawl


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4 Days Hong Kong: Five Star: Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel |
Deluxe: Harbor Grand Kowloon Hotel
Victoria Peak
The Peak, also known as Victoria Peak, is the
mountain-top residential district of the rich and powerful. It is also a
marvellous place to look out over the city, the harbour and the
islands. If you are fit, and the weather is not too hot, you can walk to
the top.
The largest 'outlying' island is Lantau, off the
west coast of Hong Kong Island itself. Despite the development of Hong
Kong's state-of-the-art new airport on one side and Disneyland near its
eastern tip, the island remains a haven of peace and quiet. The most
well-known sight on Lantau is the Po Lin Monastery, with its giant
seated Buddha—an impressive sight despite the commercialism surrounding
it. A short walk away is the relatively new Ngong Ping theme village,
and the upper terminus of the Ngong Ping 360 cable car, which descends
over steep hillside wilderness and across a bay to Tung Chung new town,
only five minutes' drive from Chek Lap Kok Airport and connected to
Kowloon and Hong Kong Island by the MTR underground rail system. The
cable car had a problematic first few years, but it is a popular draw
for mainland tourists, and is a scenic way to reach the Buddha. Man-made
attractions aside, the island is worth visiting for its grand
landscapes of cloud-tipped mountains, pastoral valleys and cove beaches.
The walking trails are well marked and take you through some lovely
Shopping and Entertainment
Central has all the most expensive brand-name shops. Prices may or
may not be lower than New York or London, depending of course on
currency fluctuations. Their best customers in recent years have been
Asians, particularly Japanese and Taiwanese. Better value is offered at
the factory outlet shops themselves, which sell goods made for export at
knock-down prices. Lists of these factory outlets can be found in a
shopping guide widely on sale in Hong Kong bookshops.


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suemorrow on Family Tree Circles
view: full | list
Journals and Posts
Hall family in Franklin County, Alabama
I have been searching for my small group of Hall's for many years. Here is some information I have along with my questions:
I am searching for the parents of Andrew Hall. He was born somewhere in Georgia July 10, 1802. He married Hannah Miller. Hannah was born June 15, 1805 in Tennessee.
Who were Andrew's parents? Who were Hannah Miller's Parents?
Andrew and Hannah married Dec. 29, 1825 in Blount County, Alabama. They settled in Franklin County, Alabama. They are both buried at Halltown Cemetery in Franklin County.
Andrew and Hannah had seven children:
Squire Hall born 1827 in Tennessee married Rebecca Selena Lowry. Who are Rebecca's parents?
Nancy Hall- she never married buried by her sister Martha Patsy in Booneville, Prentis Co., Ms.
Martha Patsy Hall born 1832married Charles Wesley Blair Weatherbee.
William Hall - my great great grandfather born 1835 married Mary Lowry sister of Rebecca Selena Lowry wife of Squire Hall. Need to know the sisters parents.
Mary Josephine Hall married James Fletcher Weatherbee.
Wilson Hall born 1837 was still in his father's house in 1860
Hiram Hall born 1839
John T. Hall born 1843 married Sarah LNUK. Had one child Ora C.
Looking for Mary Josephine Barksdale who married Robert Hall
I have been searching Mary Josephine Barksdale. She married William Robert Hall in Franklin county, Alabama. They had two children (my grandmother) Rosella Hall born lat 1800's and son who died at birth.
I have been trying to locate Mary Josephine Barksdale parents.
- Displaying 1-2 of 2 Journals
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Fighting Global Warming
To win the fight against climate change, it's time for a renewable energy [r]evolution
The devastating impacts of climate change are clear. Our world is warmer than ever before, and people and wildlife are already suffering the consequences. But that's nothing compared to what we're leaving future generations if these trends continue. It's time to stop the destruction. It's time for an energy [r]evolution.
Tell JP Morgan Chase: don't fund dirty tar sands pipelines
Fossil fuels — coal, oil and, natural gas — are major contributors to climate change, accounting for the vast majority of greenhouse gas emissions.
They're also one of the main culprits polluting our air, water and soil. Coal-burning power plants, for example, produce millions of tons of toxic sludge every year, and we're stilling reeling from the impacts of the 2010 BP Deepwater Horizon spill that rocked the Gulf of Mexico.
As global temperatures increase, sea level rise and extreme weather become even bigger threats to communities at home and around the world. Already in the United States we've seen major hurricanes, floods, drought and wildfires all linked to climate change, and that's just in the past few years.
Donald Trump is packing his cabinet with climate change deniers and promises to pursue more drilling, fracking, and mining of these dangerous fuels. We see a different future — one built on clean, renewable energy. We believe that a 100 percent renewable energy future is not only within reach, it's our best chance for to preserve the planet. Trump may do his best to delay the inevitable clean energy revolution, but he can't stop it.
If climate denial is going to be the default position of the Trump White House, then relentless resistance will be the default position of the American people.
Join the Energy [R]evolution
With technology already available, renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and geothermal can provide 96 percent of our electricity and 98 percent of heating demand — the vast majority of U.S. energy use.
That's not just good for the environment, it's good for the economy, too. The solar industry already employs more people than coal mining and wind energy is cheaper than coal power in many U.S. states.
Still, we need more. We've got great opportunities today to build a cleaner energy system in time to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Big companies like Apple and Google are setting great examples, committing to 100 percent renewable energy and making record-breaking investments in wind and solar. And across the country, everyday Americans are joining the energy revolution by through projects like community solar.
But they're still the exception.
We're campaigning to keep coal, oil and gas in the ground and build a United States powered by 100 percent renewable energy.
Get Involved
Ready to join the energy [r]evolution for a better climate? Check out the links below to learn more about our climate and energy campaigns and find out how you can play a part in creating the clean energy future we deserve.


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|National Security Mom offers the basics of current terrorism trends and national security policymaking from a parents perspective.
Written by Gina M. Bennett a mom of five with 20 years experience in national security as a counterterrorism expert for the US Intelligence Community this book demystifies the underworld of terrorism and offers a unique comparison of how the super-secret intelligence approach to securing our nation is surprisingly similar to how parents secure their homes and families.
National Security Mom empowers Americas parents to engage with confidence in the public national security debate. MORE
Now Available! Gina's Children's Book: How Kids Can Be Good Citizens
Visit our National Security Kids Page
|© Wyatt-MacKenzie. CONTACT US | HOME | BOOK | AUTHOR | GET INVOLVED | APPAREL | POSTER | VIDEO | MEDIA


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Monday, November 26, 2012
Sanchirico Presents Optimal Tax Policy and the Symmetries of Ignorance Today at Washington University
Chris Sanchirico (Pennsylvania) presents Optimal Tax Policy and the Symmetries of Ignorance, 66 Tax Law Rev. ___ (2012), at Washington University today as part of its Tax Colloquium Series hosted by Adam Rosenzweig:
What government-observable characteristics should determine the taxes that an individual pays and/or the transfers that she receives? This article focuses on a specific aspect of this fundamental question of tax policy: the implications of policymakers' uncertainty regarding the outcomes of tax policy choices. The article identifies and questions two implicit premises in policy-uncertainty-based arguments against including taxable attributes other than labor earnings in the base. The first is that greater uncertainty surrounds the optimal taxation of non-labor-earnings attributes than surrounds the optimal taxation of labor earnings. The second is that tax policymakers ought to follow a kind of precautionary principle under which uncertainty regarding an attribute counsels base exclusion. The article explains why both premises are flawed.


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Kamui allows the user to transfer targets to and from another dimension, from which they are unable to escape. Kakashi likened the characteristics of this technique to those of the Flying Thunder God Technique, but noted that it seems to be more advanced, as it requires neither seals nor a summoning tattoo to be performed.[4] Minato Namikaze admitted that this technique exceeds both his and the Second Hokage's space–time ninjutsu.[5]
This technique forms a spiraling void centred on the eye used to activate it, which draws the target inwards and distorts their form until they are transported to another dimension. By absorbing their own body into this distortion, the user can teleport to virtually any location they desire. When using Kamui to teleport, anything the user is touching will be warped along with them,[6] and their chakra becomes untraceable.[4] With a single eye, this technique was fast enough to avoid an attack from Naruto Uzumaki in his Nine-Tails Chakra Mode,[7] though slower than the speed at which the Truth-Seeking Balls travel.[8]
After storing a target within Kamui's Dimension, the user can then eject it from their eye at any time.[9] This can be done with varying degrees of force, allowing the user to eject weapons at a moment's notice, giving opponents little opportunity to react accordingly.[10] Despite not always being present, Obito could keep targets under genjutsu while they were confined inside Kamui's dimension, thus keeping them incapacitated for extended durations.[9]
Kamui can synchronise with another space–time ninjutsu, granting the user access to the synchronised technique's dimension, as well as any other connected dimensions.[11] Once the dimension has been marked, the user can freely travel between it and Kamui's own dimension.[12]
Left Eye
Obito's left eye is able to utilise a long-range version of Kamui, which can transport targets anywhere in the user's line of sight. The target is surrounded with a barrier space, the location and size of which can be specified at will, and when the user concentrates on the target within, the space at the barrier's centre distorts and draws everything within into another dimension.[1] The size of the barrier can be expanded, as Deidara was forced to fly further away in an effort to escape its effects.[13]
Right Eye
Obito's right eye uses a short-range version of Kamui, which can only transport targets in close proximity to the user; physical contact with the target is seemingly required.[14] However, this eye can utilise a unique variation of teleportation akin to intangibility. When activated, any part of the user's body that overlaps with another object is seamlessly warped to Kamui's dimension, making it appear as though the user can phase through solid objects.[15] By overlapping their entire body, the user can completely conceal their presence and erase all traces of their chakra. This also allows the user to freely travel through the ground, enabling them to ambush opponents from below.[16] This intangibility can be extended to anything the user is touching at the moment of activation,[17] so long as they are able to maintain physical contact with at least a portion of the desired object.[18] This ability also allows the user to bypass even the strongest barrier ninjutsu.[5]
Both Eyes
When both eyes are used together on the same target, the teleportation process works twice as fast, even becoming faster than a Truth-Seeking Ball used as a projectile.[19] Through both eyes, the user can create two distortions at the same time and connect them. This was demonstrated when Obito first used the left eye's Kamui to synchronise with Yomotsu Hirasaka, then used the right eye's Kamui to teleport through the portal into another dimension.[20] The user is also able to create portals in their line of sight to connect two dimensions.[21] Using both eyes in conjunction with the Six Paths Chakra allows the user to augment their other techniques, transporting targets struck by said techniques to Kamui's dimension.
As this technique is shared by two eyes, a user of one eye can counter a user of the other, making it useless to use Kamui against one another directly.[23] The right eye can extend this negation to targets outside of the user's own body, as Obito negated Kakashi's attempt to decapitate the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.[24] Even if they are succesfully transported to Kamui's dimension, a user of this technique can simply teleport back out, provided they have enough chakra to do so.[25]
The Mangekyō Sharingan is a dōjutsu that, with continuous usage, burdens the user with the loss of their eyesight. Since this is the source of Kamui, using it in rapid succession will put strain on the eye and eventually cause blindness, though this put Kakashi's body at risk as well. As his eye was received through a transplant, the strain on Kakashi's body was even more severe than an Uchiha would suffer due to him not being of the clan's heritage,[1] and repeated use of Kamui was shown to cause his eye to bleed.[26] Kakashi was originally only able to use this technique three times before being rendered immobile, and his aim and control over the size of the barrier were imperfect.[13] Over time his aim and control improved, as he was able to accurately warp away small and fast moving objects, such as a nail.[27] After further improving, he was capable of transporting a target as large as the Demonic Statue's head, though doing so required time to prepare the necessary chakra.[28] After receiving chakra from Kurama, Kakashi was able to quickly transport a target as large as Gyūki to the other dimension and later eject the tailed beast from his eye,[29] as well as utilise Kamui more times than he would usually be capable of. He estimated that the influence of Kurama's chakra, when given directly by Kurama, made his usage of Kamui at least three times more powerful than usual.[30]
The right eye's primary weakness is that the user must solidify in order to utilise Kamui's teleportation, resulting in a brief period in which they are vulnerable.[31] This deficiency means that the user must also materialise when ejecting stored items, presenting the same vulnerability.[32] Additionally, the sections of the user's body residing in Kamui's dimension can still interact normally with anything inside said dimension, meaning the user can be damaged by such items.[33] Obito could only maintain his intangibility for approximately five minutes at a time, and it took him longer to absorb himself than another person or object.[34] After becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, Obito discovered that he could no longer use Kamui to pass through objects.[35]Madara was able to transport himself to and from Kamui's dimension as the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki using Obito's left eye, establishing that some aspects of the technique still function.[36]
Using Kamui to synchronise with another space–time ninjutsu requires an immense amount of chakra.[11] Additionally, creating portals between separate dimensions, particularly those that are far apart, places a significant amount of strain on the user's eyes, causing them to bleed.[21]
Kamui is the word for a divine being in Ainu mythology, although it is almost never written with kanji in modern times. In a more general Japanese context, Kamui refers to the might and majesty of the gods, particularly the Shintō Kami.
- Unlike other Mangekyō Sharingan users, Obito's continuous usage of Kamui does not seem to cause his eyesight to deteriorate.
- In Road to Ninja: Naruto the Movie, The Creation of the Akatsuki, and several anime episodes, Obito is depicted using Kamui without activating his Mangekyō Sharingan.
- There are instances in the anime where Obito transports targets to Kamui's dimension without establishing physical contact with them.Similarly, in the manga, he seemingly transports Sakura Haruno out of Kamui's dimension without touching her.
- In the anime of Tsunade's Infinite Tsukuyomi dream, a novelized version of Hizashi Hyūga was shown able to use a technique similar to this.


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A man was stabbed multiple times and injured after an argument at a bar in Middle River on Friday night, according to Baltimore County police.
Police said the victim, who was not identified and expected to survive, got into an argument with his suspected attacker at the Bonfire bar at 601 Bowleys Quarters Road. The victim and the suspect went outside the bar, where the man was stabbed multiple times in his upper body. Police found the victim around 9:20 p.m., and he was taken to a hospital.
The suspect fled and police have not found him. Anyone with information is asked to call Baltimore County police at 410-307-2020.


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Template:Advancement requirements/Venturing
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
Revision as of 11:37, September 17, 2014 by Missylou2who (Talk | contribs)
| This article is transcluded into another article, potentially several articles.
Please take this into consideration and be cautious when editing.
Venturing awards officially changed at the time of the BSA National Annual Meeting, May 21-23, 2014. Beginning June 1, 2014, Venturers may begin using the new program level awards. The basic advancement awards will be discontinued Dec 31, 2014. Current Venturers, regardless of their current achievement level, should begin with level 2, the Discovery award. New Venturers should begin with level 1, the Venturing award. The new program level awards are divided into four areas, Adventure, Leadership, Service, Personal Growth.
Program Level Awards (new)
- Venturing Award -- Level 1: The first step in any journey is the courage to begin. At this level, the new crew member makes their commitment to join and move forward into the experience of Venturing.
- Discovery Award -- Level 2: The adventure of participating with the crew unfolds, and each Venturer begins to discover his or her interests and talents. As the Discovery Award recipients develop new skills and competencies, their eyes are opened and the world expands for them.
- Pathfinder Award -- Level 3: The Venturer's capabilities and skills expand and with them come increased responsibility for defining their own way forward in life, service to others and formal planning and leadership of the crew toward its goals.
- Summit Award -- Level 4: The highest award of Venturing, the Summit Award, goes to those Venturers who have matured in their personal direction, skills, and life competencies, and who have accepted the responsibility to mentor others and serve their communities in a lasting way.
Expert-level Awards (continue unchanged)
- Quest Award -- Focuses on the traditions of sportsmanship and lifelong fitness.
- TRUST Award -- Focuses on the principles of religion, community, and tolerance; its purpose is to provide a pathway for personal development in the forms of service and devotion to God.
- Ranger Award -- High-level outdoor/high adventure skills advancement program, training for the skills of an elite outdoorsman.
Other Awards (continue unchanged)
- Quartermaster Award may be earned by Venturers or Sea Scouts.
See also:
Sea Scouting
Scouter Awards
Basic Advancement Awards (old)
Venturing members must have earned these awards by Dec 31, 2014, at which point they will be discontinued.


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Floods in Calgary
Normally I write about IT security or identity and access management.
Today I'll take a break from that and talk about disasters and disaster recovery. Unfortunately, from first hand experience.
As some of you know, Hitachi ID Systems is headquartered in Calgary and we've recently had some very serious flooding here. Calgary is a pretty dry place situated at the confluence of two small rivers – the Bow and Elbow. When we get really heavy rains (always in June), it's not unusual for a few basements to get wet, but what we just experienced is something else entirely. In a city of just over a million people, 100,000 were evacuated from their homes. Water levels in both rivers rose by several meters. Many square kilometers of the city were inundated. The damage is estimated at five billion dollars.
Calgary did not even get the worst of it. There is a nearby town called High River (yes, the irony in that does not escape anyone…) where all 13,000 residents were evacuated and most are still unable to return — some homes there are still completely submerged, about 10 days later.
Dealing with this has been quite the learning experience. It certainly puts into perspective things we see in the news, about Hurricane Sandy that recently hit the East Coast, the Fukushima disaster in Japan, Hurricane Katrina, etc. To be clear, what we suffered here was miniscule in comparison to those disasters – but seeing something like this first hand is certainly eye-opening.
First, the good: the evacuation of 10% of the city's citizens took place over just 6 hours, in the most calm and orderly fashion imaginable. A laudable combination of responsible, effective government with clear-headed and compliant citizenry. I can just imagine that such an evacuation order, had it taken place in other parts of the world, might not have gone over as well as it did here.
Next, the bad: unimaginable damage throughout the city. Areas that are nowhere near either river and maybe 5m above it got flooded. For safety, power was cut to 20 neighbourhoods and much of it remained off for 5-7 days. Our office lost power for the full 7 days, being situated in one of the worst-hit areas.
Once the water started to recede, something really cool started to happen. Citizens descended on the affected areas by the thousands, to help with clean-up. One day, the mayor called for 600 volunteers at our football stadium. Thousands turned up. The number and energy of volunteers has been so great that the municipality could no longer help orchestrate their efforts, and instead started giving guidelines on what to do and where. Other cool stuff: effective use of social media to keep everyone appraised of road closures, flooding, cleanup processes, power cuts and recovery and more. This is one coordinated city!
We've had more than our share of volunteers helping to restore access to our offices too, both employees and contractors responsible for our elevator, electrical system, site security, etc. Thanks everyone!
We're all very glad of our mayor Nenshi too. While Toronto deals with allegations that its mayor smokes crack with Somali drug dealers in low income housing, and Montreal and Laval have each replaced mayors twice in the past year or so, due to corruption allegations and charges, we have a solid guy working hard, keeping everyone up to date and keeping the recovery moving along smoothly.
So how did we do in maintaining service during this disaster? Our web site, e-mail and other essential services were knocked off-line for about half a day. We brought those up before we could even get back to our buidlding. After about a day and a half, we brought up more services by moving some of our core servers to a co-location site and got all of our Calgary staff to work from home. Everyone was getting in on the disaster recovery, including our hosting data center partner, who got us operational over the weekend.
In short, not too bad. I hope to never have to do this again, but I also know that we learned lots and will undoubtedly do even better next time.
And living through this sure gives me new appreciation for the need for geo-diversity of core services. The software we make does that: for example, our Privileged Access Manager customers routinely deploy servers on different continents and ensure that each server contains a full set of data, so that no single-site disaster would interrupt their access to privileged accounts at other locations. That's a great sales pitch, but man, it sure feels more concrete when you have to live with the loss of a major data center yourself.
Tags: calgary floods, citizen volunteers, disaster recovery, excellent mayor


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Team Badger Statement Badger Cull Figures 2016
Team Badger Statement Badger Cull Numbers 2016
Team Badger believe the government's BTB eradication policy has failed because the focus is on killing badgers and the problem lies within the cattle herd.
We are very concerned that the government authorised extending the badger cull zones in 2016 before the initial four year culls had been completed. Therefore their decision has been based on anecdotal evidence.
In the first three years of the badger culls in Somerset and Gloucestershire, a total of 2476 badgers were killed at the cost to the taxpayer of £6775 per badger.
The original culls were loosely based on the criteria of the RBCT trials conducted in the late 1990s and still the leading piece of science undertaken on the subject.
In 2016, the minimum number of badgers to be killed is 9841 across ten separate cull zones. The cull licences issued by Natural England to authorise the culling of a protected species are completely different to the original licenses and now bear no resemblance to the RBCT trial specification and data. This makes any analysis of the effectiveness, efficiency or efficacy of the badger culls impossible to evaluate with statistical data.
The government has claimed that they will gain efficiencies in costs from the increased scale of the culling and they certainly need to. Currently, it costs around £675 to vaccinate a badger whilst culling is more than 10 X more expensive. The 2016 badger culls could cost the taxpayer £45-50 million pounds if they have achieved all the minimum targets and achieve a 25% cost efficiency saving. Even a 50% cost saving has still cost the taxpayer over £30 million.
We don't believe the government can justify the spending of £30-£50 Million pounds and cannot show any benefit for that money. Over the next four years, that could be £200 million pounds of your money wasted on an exercise that could, through perturbation make the situation even worse.
The science is clear and simple. The current testing regime and lack of movement controls are the key problems that need to be tackled. Bovine TB remains latent within the herd after testing and the red can only continue to breakdown whilst the infection remains. Badgers are infected by cattle and can then become a carrier. The virus can lie dormant within the badger for many years and, in many cases the animals shows no symptoms. At the present time, it has not been established how Btb passes between badger and cow.
Bovine Tuberculosis is a devastating disease. We believe that the only way to eradicate the disease is by improving the cattle testing regime, restricting cattle movement and removing infected cattle from the herd.


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Privacy Guidance
Adolescent Readers Initiative
A Competitive Edge
Higher Education Regulations
Character Education
Doing What Works
Quote to Note
Upcoming Events
Privacy Guidance
On October 30, Secretary Spellings joined Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez and Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff at a high school in suburban Virginia to announce the availability of three new brochures that present guidance on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). In the wake of the Virginia Tech University shootings, these brochuresone for K-12 officials, one for higher education officials, and one for parentsseek to empower schools to better balance students' privacy rights with school safety concerns by explaining the agency's interpretations in plain language. "I think it is important for people to understand what the current law allows," Secretary Spellings said. "It does allow [student records] to be shared, particularly when the student is a dependent (a childnot an emancipated adult). So, before we leap into legislative changes, let's make sure that we're maximizing all of the flexibilities and information and latitudes that the law does provide within the context of privacy." The brochures also include contact information for obtaining additional assistance and guidance. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/safeschools/.
Along with the brochures, the Secretary shared a handout on emergency management resources, including a variety of materials from the Department and partners across the federal government. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/secletter/071030enc.html.
Meanwhile, in September, the Department's Family Policy Compliance Office (http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/) issued its annual notification to states and school districts of their obligations under FERPA and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA). PPRA gives parents and students over 18 certain rights regarding the conduct of surveys, the collection and use of information for marketing, and some physical exams.
Also: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has supplied schools and parents with a concise summary of guidelines on how to prevent the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. For more information, please go to http://www.cdc.gov/Features/MRSAInSchools/.
Adolescent Readers Initiative
On November 2, Secretary Spellings announced the national distribution of 520,000 free, new books as part of the 2007 Adolescent Readers Initiative. The initiative, a joint venture between the Department and the non-profit entity First Book, is designed to improve the literacy skills of struggling young adults in low-income schools and communities. Most of the books donated for this effort are from Townsend Press's "Bluford Series," a batch of 13 novels that focus on the lives of a group of young high school students and their families. Set in contemporary urban America, each novel addresses topics relevant to the lives of today's students. Since June 2006, the Department, First Book, and major book publishers have collaborated to distribute more than 1.65 million children's books to schools, libraries, and organizations serving low-income students in hurricane-affected communities and throughout the country. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/11/11022007b.html.
Also: A recent study by the Center on Education Policy (CEP), "Reading First: Locally Appreciated, Nationally Troubled," finds the Department's Reading First program, while embattled in Washington, is the most highly rated No Child Left Behind program in terms of its effect on achievement. More than three-fourths of states and two-thirds of school districts with Reading First grants reported that the program's instructional initiatives and assessment systems were "important" causes of gains in student achievement. And, the program's impact is felt beyond just participating schools: over half of Reading First districts reported using elements of Reading First in non-Reading First schools and in the upper grades. Therefore, CEP recommends fixing and expanding the program. For more information, please go to http://www.cep-dc.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=
A Competitive Edge
The next "Education News Parents Can Use" broadcast (November 20, 8:00-9:00 ET) will focus on how the Department, institutions of higher education, and other key stakeholders are working together to better prepare students for postsecondary education and the jobs of the 21st century. Today, more than 90% of the fastest-growing jobs require higher education and/or training. Moreover, three-quarters of those jobs require a college degree. Yet, 60% of Americans have no postsecondary credentials, and only one-third have a degree. At the same time, many Americans want to go to college but decide not to, either because they are unprepared or cannot afford the cost. In response to these challenges, in the fall of 2005, Secretary Spellings formed the Commission on the Future of Higher Education, facilitating a dialogue on the vital issues of accessibility, affordability, and accountability. Then, based on the commission's findings, she developed and began implementing a detailed Action Plan (http://www.ed.gov/about/bdscomm/list/
hiedfuture/actionplan-factsheet.html). The broadcast will discuss what has been accomplished under the plan as well as explore strategies to better prepare students for college and help them succeed once they are enrolled. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/edtv/. (You can watch archived webcasts at http://www.connectlive.com/events/ednews/.)
Higher Education Regulations
In a Federal Register notice (http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/
proprule/2007-4/102207a.html), the Department declared its intention to establish one or two negotiated rulemaking committees to prepare proposed regulations for changes made by the College Cost Reduction and Access Act to Title IV of the Higher Education Act. The actual number of committees and their organization will be based upon comments received in writing and at regional hearings. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/policy/highered/reg/
During the week of October 29, the agency published in the Federal Register three regulatory packages implementing changes to current federal student aid regulations. First, it published final regulations for Academic Competitiveness and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) grants (http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/
finrule/2007-4/102907a.html). Second, it published final regulations for the Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Family Education Loan, and William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan programs (http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/
finrule/2007-4/110107a.html), addressing, among other items, preferred lender lists, prohibited inducements, and "total and permanent disability" discharge. Third, it published final regulations for general provisions (http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/
finrule/2007-4/110107b.html). All of the regulations become effective on July 1, 2008. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2007/11/11012007.html.
Other higher education-related resources:
- 2008-09 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the Web PowerPoint presentation (http://ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/
- "Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid 2008-09" (http://www.fsapubs.org/app/search/
- 2007 National Survey of Student Engagement (http://nsse.iub.edu/NSSE%5F2007%5FAnnual%5FReport/), which summarizes the views of 313,000 first-year and senior students at 610 four-year colleges and universities on five benchmarks: (1) level of academic challenge, (2) active and collaborative learning, (3) student-faculty interaction, (4) enriching education experiences, and (5) supportive campus environment.
Character Education
On November 5, at a LEAGUE town hall meeting in New York City, Secretary Spellings highlighted the critical role schools play in developing character and teaching lessons like integrity and responsibility. "In today's competitive world, our students obviously need solid academic skills to succeed," she said. "But, they also need the ability to make responsible choices, the courage to stand up for what's right, and the compassion to help others." At the event, the Secretary released a new guidebook, "Mobilizing for Evidence-Based Character Education," with a roadmap to help educators fully evaluate their programs. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/programs/charactered/resources.html.
Doing What Works
Earlier this month, the Department launched a "Doing What Works" web site (http://dww.ed.gov/) to provide educators with recommendations on effective teaching practices to improve student achievement. The site has a user-friendly interface to quickly identify teaching practices that have been found effective by the agency's research arm, the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), and similar organizations. It also cites examples of possible waysalthough not necessarily the only waysthis research may be used to help students reach their academic potential. For example, teachers interested in successful strategies for helping English language learners can watch a video of eight techniques that teachers at one school use to teach vocabulary. Classroom scenes, student reactions, and graphic aids can all be viewed. In the future, similar resources will be available in the areas of cognition and learning, early childhood education, literacy, math and science, high school reform, and school restructuring.
Quote to Note
"I don't think the way to do it is a one-size-fits-all national standard that morphs into a national curriculum that morphs into national textbooks. It's the wrong way to go, and it's a giant time-waster."
|Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings (11/5/07), answering a question on national standards during an interview with U.S. News & World Report
Upcoming Events
Remember! Next week (November 12-16) is International Education Week. This year's theme is "International Education: Fostering Global Citizenship and Respect," recognizing the importance of teaching children to be responsible, thoughtful world citizens. For more information, please go to http://iew.state.gov/.
On November 15, the Department's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) will release results from the 2007 Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) in reading and math. Eleven urban districts participated in this fourth iteration of the pilot project. For more information, please go to http://nationsreportcard.gov/.
November 28-December 6, the Department's Center for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives is hosting a series of technical assistance workshops for organizations interested in becoming supplemental educational service (SES) providers. The workshops are free, but pre-registration is required. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please go to http://www.ed.gov/about/inits/list/
Over the next two weeks, the Department will be exhibiting at the Latino Book and Family Festival in Chicago (November 10-11), the National Association of Black School Educators' Annual Conference in Nashville (November 13-17), and the National League of Cities' Annual Congress of Cities and Exposition in New Orleans (November 13-17). If you are attending any of these events, please stop by the Department's booth.
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Barcelona will seek to seal their status as the finest team of their generation today when they face Manchester United at Wembley in the most eagerly-anticipated Champions League final in years.
A second triumph in three years — and their third since 2006 — will provide irrefutable proof that Josep Guardiola's team deserve to be bracketed alongside legendary teams such as Real Madrid's 1950s vintage, Johan Cruyff's Ajax or the Dutch-influenced AC Milan of the 1990s.
However, blocking the route to immortality are United, the newly crowned English champions who are desperate to avenge their bitterly disappointing defeat to the Spanish giants in the Rome final two years ago.
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has never spoken in detail about what he believes went wrong in 2009, when his team were taken for a dizzying ride on Barcelona's famous midfield "carousel" in a 2-0 defeat.
The obvious temptation for Ferguson as United attempt to avoid a repeat of that chastening experience, is to bolster his midfield with an extra man.
Yet to do so would mean having to sacrifice the burgeoning partnership between Wayne Rooney, back to something close to his best, and Javier Hernandez, the young Mexican striker who has been the find of United's season.
The bolder option would be to keep faith with the midfield formation which served United so well en route to the final: A central pairing of Ryan Giggs and Michael Carrick flanked by Antonio Valencia and Park Ji-sung, with Rooney dropping deep when Barcelona are in possession.
Ferguson has hinted that he is leaning toward a tactical approach that is more in keeping with United's attacking traditions.
"We have players who can cause any team a lot of bother and hopefully those attacking players will give Barcelona the problems that everyone thinks they are going to give us," Ferguson said. "It's not just about Barcelona, it's about us too. We have to work out what gives us the best chance of winning the match. It will be down to how we operate the attacking part."
Yet the threats for United are obvious and many.
To prevail at Wembley, they will have to come up with a game plan that neutralizes an attack led by Lionel Messi, operating in front of a bejeweled midfield encrusted with the twin talents of Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez.
Messi has been in magical form for Barcelona in Europe, contributing 11 goals and evoking tributes from some admirers that he already deserves to be ranked alongside the likes of Pele and Diego Maradona.
One more goal today will see Messi equal Ruud van Nistlerooy's record of 12 in a single Champions League campaign.
However, displaying the sort of modesty that is part of the diminutive Argentinian's appeal, Messi says he is not interested in personal milestones.
"Goals are only important if they win you games," Messi said. "If I don't score and Barcelona win the Champions League, it's unimportant whether I find the net or not. My interest is in the collective success of the team."
However, Ferguson is confident that Messi can be dealt with.
"We have played against Barcelona three times with Messi in the team, but there is always a solution to every good player. Hopefully we can find one on Saturday," Ferguson said.
United will take encouragement from the fact that other teams have already demonstrated that Barcelona can be vulnerable against opponents who counter-attack at speed.


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Week 3 with Bianca!
I am often asked by teachers why they should use Edmodo (often referred to as a microblog) when they already use a blog (such as edublogs and WordPress). It's a pretty sensible question – teachers are already busy and don't really need to be doubling up on work for no extra benefit to themselves or their students.
So what is my answer to this question? Well I simply say, the difference is between 'private' and 'public' as well as 'process' and 'product'. Edmodo is the place where my students communicate with each other and with me as they work on a particular topic or project. In edmodo students ask each other questions, they share drafts of their work, they post links to useful sites and turn-in their finished products to be marked by me. This is a private world of communication, collaboration and creation. It is like a workshop full of movement and 'noise'. Here we make mistakes together, take risks and ultimately learn new skills and gain new knowledge. A blog, on the other hand, is a public space. It is here that we celebrate the work that has been completed in class. It is the presentation of the completed product. It is the result of investigations into new and wonderful worlds of ideas. This public space gives my students the chance to share their work with an authentic audience and get valuable feedback from people all over the world.
You might wonder how my students' poems, stories, essays, films, presentations, documentaries, games and interactive posters could possibly get feedback from people around the world. But it's simple – I have established a strong PLN (professional learning network) and share the latest class blog post with my network (like many teachers I use Twitter for my PLN – follow me if you want @biancah80). Teachers love to share great examples of student work with their own students as motivation, inspiration and sometimes even a challenge. Teachers are also generous with their feedback on the work of young people, even if the student is not their own. Getting feedback on your work from a complete stranger is a buzz – the kids love it!
The cool thing about sharing exemplar student work in this way is that is actually motivates students to work harder to achieve even better results. Our students are social creatures, and more and more this socializing is occurring online. They are all too familiar with being 'liked' on facebook – having their work 'liked' via a blog comment is extremely rewarding for them.
Finally, sharing student work on a blog can open students up to far greater audiences and opportunities than you would ever dream of as a teacher confined by four brick walls. Just recently (during our school break) I shared on twitter a link to a blog post featuring my students' protest poems (you can check them out here http://yr9creativethinkers.wordpress.com/2011/04/14/how-can-people-use-their-voices-to-bring-about-positive-change-in-our-world/). A few minutes after sending my tweet I had received as direct message from a magazine asking to publish some of my students' work! I swiftly agreed on behalf of my students and by the time school resumed two weeks later I had a copy of the magazine with the printed poems in it to share with the students. You can imagine the excitement they felt. It's pretty cool to be able to say that you're a published poet at age 14.
The really sweet part of this anecdote is that the students who were selected really worked hard on their poems. Through Edmodo they discussed what made a good poem and shared thoughtful criticisms of well-known protest poems. They then used Edmodo to workshop their poems with the help of peer and teacher feedback. Finally after lots of hard work they felt confident that their poems were ready to be shared with the world.
So that is what I would say is the greatest difference between a class Edmodo group and a class blog. I always advocate for teachers to use both, as they serve different functions. For me Edmodo and blogs are not about what I put on there. Sure they can be about delivering content but I believe the best use of Edmodo and blogs is to give students a place to share their own ideas, skills and knowledge. It's true that not all student work will be a masterpiece worthy of sharing with the rest of the world. Edmodo lets students make learning mistakes in private and it is the teacher (and even the students through class polls) who can judiciously select the best works to be shared with the world. You'd be surprised how selecting a student's work to be showcased to the world on the web can really improve engagement and learning outcomes!
I highly recommend moving freely between learning spaces – use Edmodo as the private space for the messy learning process and your class blog as the public space to celebrate polished products.
5 comments. Leave new
Very inspiring. I agree with your distinctions completely.
are you a student dude cause i want to be friends
A timely post for me as I struggle to manage and engage in the range of social networking options. Cheers
you are so cool dude. do you work at moberly middle school.
Willie: I don't work there – I work in NSW, Australia 🙂


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Pastel colors are commonly associated with Easter as they have a lighthearted quality that perfectly reflects the beauty and freshness of spring. This season, give your home a fabulous Easter-inspired look with one of these beauties from Treetopia's collection of pastel-colored Christmas trees.
1. Pretty in Pink Tree
With its plump profile, soft pink shade, and matching pink lights, Treetopia's Pretty in Pink Christmas Tree is a fabulous choice for your Easter display. Play up the sweet aspect of this tree by trimming it exclusively with decorated Easter eggs.
Start off by selecting plain Easter eggs in pastel colors that work well with pink, such as mint green, pale yellow, and sky blue. If you find preparing homemade Easter eggs too time-consuming, get artificial ones online or at your favorite craft store. Many of these faux eggs have holes at the top for hangers like ribbon, string, or fishing line. Some are even pre-threaded for your convenience.


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Hi everyone, after winning Jenny's giveaway last week I was inspired to stitch one of her gorgeous designs, I only started stitching this last night and I finished it this morning!
Jenny designs some lovely stitcheries, you can see her blog here and you can purchase Jenny's designs in her shop here, although she does have some freebies on her blog.
I have taken a few more photos below so that you can see the design close up. I had this fabric in my stash so I think this is the one I will use to finish it off before I frame it.
Not sure about the fabric colour, it may be a little too bright against the deeper red?
Mmmm, I will think about it.
I am going to check out my other patterns that Jenny has designed, they are all so pretty!
Thanks for the lovely comments on my blog and welcome to all of my new followers.
Until next time - Happy Stitching!


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We are sacrificing our Humanity to preserve our supposed Way of Life, which is not a Way of Life, but that which stands in the way of Life. By denying ourselves and others the right to their Human-ness, (vulnerability, sensitivity, fallibility, heart), we are denying Life itself. Don't go another day without speaking your Heart. Rise in honor of those fallen, who have dared to speak, and take your rightful place in the world of True Humanity. Stand. Align yourself with Human-Kind (Kindness which evidences Humanity). Be brave, compassionate. Bare your Soul to others and hold space for all in your experience to do the same. Drop into your Heart. Breath. Listen. Love your Human-ness and the Human-ness of those around you. Activate Human-Kind-ness.
Tag Archives: transformation
No Missed Takes
A Mistake, (Missed Take), for those who are familiar with r-e-a-l life becoming r-e-e-l life, means that as long as there is light, (breath) there is time for another Take. Therefore a Missed Take (mistake), if we are clear that while we are living, the camera (flame of attention) is cognizing and re-cognizing our very existence, creating r-e-e-l life, it is always, all ways, rolling, slating Take after Take, as long as we are. There are no Mistakes (Missed Takes), only Takes.
Be The Narrative
Tell the story. Tell all the stories. Use your dignity, your passion, your fear, your stillness, your frailty, and your courage to show us our hearts, our souls and that which we dare not speak. Speak it. Speak the unspeakable that we might speak it too. Reveal to us all that has been concealed. That we who watch, might see ourselves back. Truly see ourselves. Be the narrative of love, power, sex, addiction and life or death. Use your physical body, your emotional body and your spiritual body to tell the story of humanity. You who are the chosen, you who are the artists, the actors, activate and humanize me.
No Separation
Through examining the Mitochondria of our DNA, Scientists have traced back to our point of origin as Humans on this Earth, 30 thousand years ago, to one Woman, who lived and bore children along the Fertile Plains of the Nile River. This one Woman, based on Scientific Research has the same DNA Markers as 95% of the existing planet. 95% of us have come from the same Original Mother. This is Science, supporting the Metaphysical Truth. There is No Separation. Separation is a Myth. We are all human beings being human.
One inhalation. One exhale. Ephemeral as a heartbeat, just as real. This moment, passes. This life. A movie. Your eyes projecting on the screen of an idea, thought, construct, belief. Edited. Like a script. Your treatment, your life. Integral. Systemic. Ends where it begins, rhythmic, cyclic, humming, like the world. If you listen. If you follow the breath, you'll hear it. Your heart. The sound of all that essence, spirit, being-ness, you. Your movie.
'Your most basic tool in determining persona, and the transformative power therein starts with the identification of need. The belief that there is a need is the instigator and underwriter of all human behavior, occurring at the beginning and the end of all running systems. Need is the instigator of all active storyline.' ~ Excerpt from the upcoming book The Alexander Method: Transformational Acting for the Total Actor
Swapping Your Soul
'The tools of need, loss and action are the introduction to the soul or spirit in which you immerse yourself. It is the formal invitation to begin the transformational process of swapping your soul for another.' ~ Excerpt from the Upcoming The Alexander Method: Transformational Acting for the Total Actor


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Buckner Elementary student Kennedy Park asked her principal if she could start a drive for stuffed animals to be collected through Kosair.
They are to be given to officers when they go to transport children. Park is going to try and get 1,000 collected so the special Bear Patrol truck comes to pick them up.
"This was totally kid-initiated," said Principal Lisa Cheek. "She didn't even tell her teacher about it — she went straight to the top."
Park is a fifth grader in Richard Parrott's class at Buckner.
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Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx backs same-sex marriage
Transportation Secretary and former Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx said Monday that he supported gay marriage and that North Carolina was wrong when it passed its law banning same-sex marriage.
While he's considered an ally to the gay community, his comments at the White House were the first time he'd spoken publicly in favor of gay marriage.
"I support same-sex marriage," Foxx said. "Who someone loves should never be an issue at work or anyplace else."
Foxx was pulled off script into the marriage debate while at the White House promoting the administration's push for infrastructure spending and the Grow America Act, which it sent to Congress last week. The White House is looking to keep the Highway Trust Fund going and to increase annual spending for roads and bridges.
During a news briefing, Foxx was asked about a U.S. Court of Appeals review of Virginia's ban on same-sex marriage and how it might affect North Carolina. The question came from Chris Johnson, White House reporter for the Washington Blade, a paper that covers issues in the gay, lesbian and transgender community.
Foxx spoke about his support for the Charlotte gay community and took a swipe at the former Mayor Pat McCrory, who's now North Carolina's governor.
"I was the first mayor to even go meet with the LGBT community," Foxx said. "I was, unlike my predecessor, someone who went out and _ and went to the annual Human Rights Campaign dinner and signed a letter. I did a lot of things. But this is a place where I think the country's attitudes are shifting. And _ and I think North Carolina got it wrong."
Foxx's comments are "wonderful news," according to Matt Comer, the editor of Q-Notes, a Charlotte-based newspaper for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. But Comer said he wished the comments had come when Foxx was still the mayor and the community was battling the state's constitutional ban on same-sex marriage.
When he spoke in 2012 at the North Carolina gala for Human Rights Campaign, a civil rights group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, Foxx said he'd vote against the constitutional ban. He also supported domestic partner benefits and personnel policy changes that protected gay and lesbian city workers.
There's no question in Comer's mind that the city made great strides under Foxx. But Comer said Foxx could have been a stronger mayor for the gay community.
During his time in Charlotte, Foxx never said specifically that he supported same-sex marriage or equal rights for gay couples, Comer said.
"It could have been a big help in 2012," Comer said.


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This show is gonna sine your pitty on the runny kine/
Before Louis C.K. became a household name, he wrote and directed what is arguably one of the most underrated films of all time. We are excited to announce that we'll be co-presenting this rarely exhibited, highly divisive comedy spectacular at the glorious Castro Theater in conjunction with SF Sketchfest this February 8th at 10pm.
We hope that you'll join us and our friends at Sketchfest and enjoy An Evening with Pootie, featuring a special appearance by Pootie Tang himself. See the video below for our reaction when the co-presentation was solidified. Sa da tay!


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Emergency Management creates the framework within which communities reduce vulnerability to hazards and cope with disasters.
A safer future for the residents of St. Louis County through effective partnerships that are focused on saving lives and reducing the impact of disasters.
To work with the whole community to build, sustain and improve our capacity to mitigate, prepare, respond and recover from all hazards.The OEM operates from the Emergency Operations Center is located within the Chief William Karabas Communications Building in Ohlendorf West Park, which also houses the Emergency Communications Commission and the St. Louis County Police Department's 911 Dispatching Center.
The OEM staff coordinates and interacts with many public and private sector planning commissions and groups in order to be better prepared in the event of a disaster.
The OEM staff works in concert with Missouri's State Emergency Management Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), ensuring that the interests of residents of St. Louis County are well addressed.
In addition, an important function of the Office of Emergency Management is the maintenance of the St. Louis County Basic Emergency Operations Plan.
An extensive radio communications operation is a focal point of the Center. Its significance is at the forefront during times of local disaster when it is imperative to bring the needed resources together to face a common challenge.
In accordance with State law and County ordinance, the Office of Emergency Management coordinates all activities of the
St. Louis County Local Emergency Planning Committee
in training, planning and responding to hazardous materials issues and concerns, i.e. storage of chemicals, and the response to and recovery from chemical spills and releases. The Office of Emergency Management works hand-in-hand with the St. Louis County Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team by providing training and funding for equipment purchases.
This report showcases our achievements as we continue to work toward our vision of a safer future for the residents of St. Louis County through effective partnerships that are focused on saving lives and reducing the impact of disasters. 2018 Year in Review
We interact on a daily basis with many governmental and non-governmental agencies to ensure seamless integration during disaster response. Those associations include:


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They say good things come in small packages.
In case you missed it last week, Eminence High School was named to the U.S. News and World Report's list of Amierca's Best High Schools.
Its great news for such a small school. Small schools, and small school districts are increasingly rare because their funding decreases annually.
In McLean County, several years ago, a small elementary school was facing closure as its student population declined.
But that small school had some similarities to Eminence.
Eminence should indeed be applauded for the award.
If you currently subscribe or have subscribed in the past to the Henry County Local, then simply find your account number on your mailing label and enter it below.
Click the question mark below to see where your account ID appears on your mailing label.
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According to DerpWY, the owner of this smooth-looking custom Spartan Armor set, it takes at least two months of non-stop work and 5-700 bucks to build something as good-looking and detailed as his creation.
Should you decide to get into it, you might want to dig through this massive manual of the Halo Costuming Community.
Custom Spartan Armor Build [Imgur via Reddit]


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Who is RENCH?
Rench is a singer, songwriter, and producer with roots in honky-tonk, hip-hop, and trip-hop music. With the help of very talented friends he records and releases music because he enjoys it.
He likes sad songs and pedal steel guitar. He likes drum samples and scratches. He likes playing live sets at Hanks Saloon in Brooklyn.
Rench is an independent producer, songwriter, and musician who has been creatively breaking the boundaries between America's top two genres since the turn of the millennium. Rench's twangy, funky, irresistible mix is proven to raise eyebrows and open minds in a big way.
The Beginnings
Growing up in Southern California to the sounds of early Hip-Hop, but hearing classic honky-tonk on his parents record player at home, Rench eventually landed in Brooklyn, producing hip-hop and trip-hop, but unable to resist the allure of adding pedal steel and banjo licks to his productions.
Performances from 2001 to 2006 with his band Battlestar America garnered praise from the New Yorker magazine, Vibe magazine, New York Daily News, and more.
Country goes Urban
Since then, Rench has built a reputation with his solo studio recordings that combine classic country music and hip-hop production in diverse ways. Elkhorn Riders, a studio EP of downtempo traditional country trip-hop remixes was followed by Life In Mean Season, an epic 20 track album of honky-tonk songs set to heavy beats. Worn Down Low continued the exploration of what Rench calls the "Bang and Twang" sound – heavy beats with countrified instrumentation.
To scratch a musical itch, Rench spent a month in 2007 creating a mash-up of local hip-hop emcees and classic bluegrass records and called it Gangstagrass. After putting the result up for free download, word of mouth led to hundreds of thousands of downloads, and caught the attention of the makers of a new hit television series on FX named Justified. The series debuted in 2010 with a theme song produced by Rench featuring the reworked sound of Gangstagrass, this time featuring live bluegrass musicians.
The new sound was praised by the press and fans of the series, and garnered an Emmy Award nomination for best main title theme music. Rench quickly released Lightning On The Strings, Thunder On The Mic featuring T.O.N.E-z, a full length album of original Gangstagrass material with live bluegrass players and T.O.N.E-z, the emcee featured in the Justified theme song.
The Sound Gets Louder
Two years later the Gangstagrass sound was expanded with the release of Rappalachia, a 15 song album featuring a variety of rappers, including Kool Keith, Dead Prez, Nitty Scott MC, David E Beats, T.O.N.E-z, BROOKLYN35, R-SON, and Dolio The Sleuth. Country singers Brandi Hart and Jen Larson add gritty harmonies for several songs, while Rench takes vocal duties on most choruses.
The Rench Audio production studio is currently home to a rotating collection of projects, including more Rench solo material, Gangstagrass, and several new creations in development.
While the idea of integrating country and hip-hop has gained traction and seen more attempts by the music industry in recent years, nobody has come close to attaining the nuance and authenticity that Rench brings to his solo productions and his work with Gangstagrass. More is on the way, with work on more Rench and Gangstagrass material always underway, reflecting a passion and drive to push the boundaries and refine the vision of music that brings together the best of America's two favorite sounds.
"Goes beyond pairing laconic rappers and energetic turntablists with background harmonies and fiddling. Rench sings with a slow drawl about job losses, striving, union organizing, and other socialist concerns."
- The New Yorker
"Adding hip-hop beats, raps and turntables to the plaintive wail of Hank Williams, This is a band as comfortable with Cypress Hill's 'How I Could Just Kill a Man' as with Dolly Parton's '9 to 5.'"
- New York Daily News
"Rocking two turntables and a fiddle, Battlestar America will get you bobbing your head until your neck turns red."
- Vibe Magazine
"Rench's vision has a toehold on a racy, improbable hybrid."
-No Depression
"With everything from Bluegrass to twangy, banjo and fiddle-driven country to R&B tinged tracks, the underground, alternative hip hop beats bring an urban, sassy, forthright feeling to these unusual explorations. Not wavering from the country vocals and country influence, the danceable mating with hip hop make these Country-born tracks feel joyously jacked up on pop culture."
- CDbaby.com
"Gangstagrass adeptly layers rap lyrics over strong emotional accents from the instruments, something most DJs can't take advantage of when sampling electronica music. You can hear it in "Nobody Gonna Miss Me;" the skillful slide on the guitar and winsome lines from the fiddle fill in the background of the rap with a bluesy, remorseful tone."
- Mother Jones Magazine
"Cheers to Justified for tracking down the perfect theme song. FX's modern-day shoot-'em-up opens with "Long Hard Times to Come," by the aptly named Gangstagrass . . . hits the bull's-eye."
- TV Guide
"A mixture of bluegrass and hip-hop that might repel some purists on either side of the country-and-rap divide, but will knock the socks off just about everybody else."
- Wall Street Journal
"Rench and his friends have done nothing short of creating a new form of music. Gangstagrass takes two types of music that are opposites and mixes them together brilliantly in a way that is natural and enjoyable."
- Elmore Leonard


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Paul Wall (Feat. Baby Bash) - Lemon Drop
Swisha House Presents Paul Wall "Lemon Drop" feat Baby Bash. Directed by Mr. Boomtown
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Our range at a glance
The compact range of versatile frames offers great scope for designing and organising furniture interiors. AMBIA-LINE brings practical functionality to everyday applications.
Classic steel design
Epoxy coated steel frames match LEGRABOX colours so interiors merge with drawers to create a harmonious entity.
Terra black matt
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Elegant wood design
The frames are a combination of steel and wood décors. There are three luxurious options to choose from, allowing you to introduce contrasts to furniture interiors.
Tennessee walnut
Nebraska oak
Bardolino oak
AMBIA-LINE for drawers
Cutlery insert
Steel or wood design
Steel design with soft touch coating
Wood design
Drawer frame
Steel or wood design
For short nominal lengths
100 and 200 mm models
AMBIA-LINE for high fronted pull-outs
High fronted pull-out frame
Steel or wood design
For short nominal lengths of at least 270 mm
For nominal lengths of at least 400 mm
Cross gallery
Steel design
Cross divider can be cut to size and lateral dividers positioned as required
Bottle set
Steel design
200 mm model
100 mm model
Practical cabinet solutions
Practical cabinet solutions improve workflows in kitchens and make optimal use of the storage space available.


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Cindy Ragin (301) 734-3255
Suzanne Bond (301) 734-5175
WASHINGTON, May 21, 2009--The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) today announced that after a thorough review of scientific evidence it will deregulate the genetically engineered (GE) cotton line GHB614. The cotton and its progeny can now be moved freely and planted without the requirement of permits or other regulatory oversight by APHIS.
APHIS deregulated the cotton after concluding that it does not present a plant pest risk. APHIS' determination was based on an analysis of scientific data, comments received from the public and an environmental assessment (EA) and a pest risk assessment.
Bayer CropScience (BCS) submitted a petition to APHIS to deregulate the GHB614 cotton, which is genetically engineered for tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate. APHIS published a notice in the Federal Register seeking public comment on BCS' petition and a draft EA on June 18, 2008. The public comment period closed Aug. 18, 2008.
APHIS regulates GE products in cooperation with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In addition to APHIS review, BCS has submitted the appropriate documents to both EPA and FDA to address the requirements specific to each agency. EPA requires that all pesticides, including herbicides, be registered prior to distribution or sale, unless exempt from EPA regulation. Residue tolerances for pesticides are also established by EPA, and FDA enforces those tolerances. FDA provides a consultation process to ensure that any human and animal feed safety issues are resolved prior to commercial distribution of a GE food.
APHIS is responsible for protecting U.S. agriculture and the environment from animal and plant pests and has overseen the deregulation of 75 GE products.
This notice is scheduled to be published in the May 22 Federal Register and becomes effective upon publication.
Note to Reporters: USDA news releases, program announcements and media advisories are available on the Internet. Go to the APHIS news release page at /newsroom. Also, anyone with an e-mail address can sign up to receive APHIS press releases automatically. Send an e-mail message to firstname.lastname@example.com and leave the subject blank. In the message, type
subscribe press releases.


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Paris, November 6, 2000
SYSTRAN today announce an agreement under which its translation technology will be available as a new resource for millions of AOL and CompuServe users, providing these users with real-time translations of Web content and text.
Under the agreement, SYSTRAN's translation service will be available through AOL's Research and Learn Channel and CompuServe's Research Channel, enabling members of both services to translate foreign text and web content in real-time gaining instant results. The Systran Translation Service will offer translations for the five most commonly used languages – English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. The walls of the language barrier have come tumbling down through Systran's Translation, now available on both AOL and CompuServe, allowing millions of children and adults to communicate with friends and family and to understand new information in different languages," states Dimitrios Sabatakakis, President and CEO for SYSTRAN Group. " We are proud to have our technology so easily available to the largest audiences on the Internet".
Über SYSTRAN
SYSTRAN develops and markets the world's most scalable translation architecture designed for Internet, corporate and individual use. SYSTRAN's core technology features products for the Internet infrastructure that contribute towards promoting communication in more than 30 language combinations and 20 specialized domains. SYSTRAN has been a leader in machine translation technology and applications for more than 30 years, developing products for the U.S. intelligence community, the European Union and Fortune 500 companies.
SYSTRAN's software runs on Linux and all Unix platforms and also on MS Windows.
Headquartered in France, SYSTRAN has offices in Paris, San Diego, California, and in Luxembourg. For the latest information, visit www.systransoft.com.
About AOL
Founded in 1985, America Online, Inc., based in Dulles, Virginia, is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.
Note to editors
SYSTRAN is a trademark of the SYSTRAN Group. 1968-2000 All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks are property of their respective companies.


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Flowmaster is committed to delivering the best exhaust products to the market. Already one of the leader in exhaust technology, their mission is to bring you the highest quality exhaust products through innovation, advance manufacturing experience and dedication to customer service and satisfaction. As automotive technology continues to advance, their commitment to developing the newest and best exhaust products is stronger than ever. For whatever you drive now and in the future, Flowmaster will have the most advanced exhaust products available.
Products (Total Items: 49)
Our Price: $590.95
Our Price: $360.95


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It's finally May and all I want to do these days is make cold blended drinks. So I've been wearing out my blender and recently made a wonderful frothy beverage I first posted over 3 years ago: salted lassis. Here is a newly revised recipe for this unexpectedly refreshing drink.
A few years ago, when I posted a recipe for mango and coconut lassis, a commenter suggested I also try salted lassis.
Yes, it took me a while to get around to posting the recipe. In my defense, in the mean time I did try to seek out salted lassi in whenever dining out at Indian restaurants, but I was only able to find a small handful of places that served it. However, salted lassi is incredibly easy to make at home with a blender. And it's surprisingly refreshing.
I don't know why we're ingrained from childhood to equate thirst-quenching drinks with sugar, but this particular salted drink holds up well on its own. A little cumin, some mint, and the optional dash of chili powder makes it sound like an odd drink to sip with a meal, but somehow it works as a refreshment. And the amount of salt here is miniscule compared to what is in Gatorade.
So when the weather finally calmed down last weekend and the thermometer almost reached 70 degrees, I made this, sat on the concrete stoop, and basked in the sun. At least until the afternoon winds picked up again. My environment wasn't quite India, but after months of chilly weather, it was close enough.
Salted Lassi
Serves 2
- 4 cups plain, unsweetened, full fat yogurt (I like using Greek yogurt)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- (Optional) 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- Handful of ice cubes
- 2/3 cup loosely packed mint leaves
- Put all the ingredients in a blender and whiz until smooth and ice is broken up. Garnish with additional mint if you'd like. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe first posted March 21, 2010. Revised May 1, 2013.


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Barbara Toohey: Murray River Paddlesteamers
Event Information
3 May 2011 8:00pm - 9:30pm
- Cook Community Hub Hall, 41 Templeton St,
- Cook
- Australian Capital Territory
Other Information
- Cost: Free
- firstname.lastname@example.com
- 02 6251 7004
- The Heraldry and Genealogy Society of Canberra Inc
- The Secretary The Heraldry and Genealogy Society of Canberra Inc GPO Box 585 Canberra ACT 2601
Barbara Toohey will give a brief history of Murray River paddlesteamers and will feature the PS Enterprise and her great grandfather, Captain John Clement Newman.
Barbara tells of the challenges and hardships of a commercial river boat captain, drawing on the stories of her ancestor. This presentation gives an interesting and sometimes surprising insight into a life style that was so important to our forebears but that has almost entirely disappeared.
Barbara has been doing family history research for about 15 years with a strong emphasis on early Australian records as well as interests in English, Scottish, Irish, Dutch and German branches of her family. She has a keen interest in photos and charts.
Visitors welcome.
- Login to post comments


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Closely held companies, insulated from the disposition of public investors, are still subject to the pains of a weakened economy. Take the 223 private companies, which qualified for our list as the largest in America, as evidence. Altogether they sold $1.34 trillion in goods and services, about $200 billion, or 13% less than a year ago.
Cargill (estimated $110 billion sales) appears atop our list for the eighth time in the past decade. The 10 biggest companies accounted for $419 billion in goods and services, or 3% of the nation's current GDP. As for performance, annual sales growth for the top 10 slightly lagged the rest of the list, falling an average 3.4% vs. a 2.5% decline, respectively. Sales for the S&P 500 were down 1.8% on average through the end of the latest fiscal year.
There were but two new additions to our list to relinquish their stock market tickers; vitamin and supplement shop NBTY (No. 147), which was taken private by The Carlyle Group, and fast-food chain Burger King (No. 170) bought by 3G Capital. Each October 2010 transaction was for $4 billion.
On the reverse side, Bain Capital Partners and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. have filed to take giant hospital chain HCA (No. 4) public, four years after they bought it for $33 billion. Baby product and toy retailer Toys "R" Us (No.16) has also announced plans to go public but are holding off at least until 2011, when they hope the market will be more hospitable to IPOs. A total of seven companies have filed to go public with the SEC but have yet to pull the trigger.
Researcher: Sarah Reibstein
Programmer: Carl Subick
Design: Kai Hecker
Most of the companies on our list have no plans to change their private status. Many businesses like the freedom from quarterly earning expectations and reduced obligations to Sarbanes-Oxley reporting requirements. (Private companies with publicly traded debt must file financial statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission.)
In addition to our $2 billion revenue requirement, the companies on our list have either too few shareholders to be required to file financial statements with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or have shares whose ownership is restricted to some group, such as employees or family members. We exclude foreign companies, companies that don't pay income tax (like Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority), mutually owned companies (like State Farm Insurance), cooperatives ( like Central Grocers), companies with fewer than 100 employees, and companies that are more than 50% owned by another public, private or foreign company. We also leave out companies whose primary business is auto dealerships or real estate investment and/or management.
Whenever possible, our revenue figures for each company exclude sales of publicly traded subsidiaries. For example, our $110 billion revenue estimate for Cargill excludes $6.8 billion in revenue for its publicly traded subsidiary
Our data sources include voluntary disclosures by companies, Securities and Exchange Commission filings, and estimates from Forbes researchers and outside sources.
You can browse through our America's Largest Privates Companies by ranks, name, state, industry, revenue and employees.
Our thanks to the following for help in compiling our 2010 list of America's Largest Private Companies.
Advertising Age, New York, N.Y.;
American Lawyer, New York, N.Y.;
Automotive News, Detroit, Mich.;
Beverage Industry, Deerfield, Ill.;
Beverage World, New York, N.Y.;
Black Enterprise, New York, N.Y.
Bloomberg Financial Markets, New York, N.Y.;
Boston Business Journal, Boston, Mass.;
Builder Online, Washington, D.C.;
Building Design and Construction, Oak Brook, Ill.;
Business First, Columbus, Ohio;
Chain Store Age, New York, N.Y.;
Crain's Publications, New York, N.Y.;
Dairy Foods, Deerfield, Ill.;
Datamonitor, Highlands Ranch, Colo.;
Dealerscope, Philadelphia, Pa.;
Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Mich.;
Dun & Bradstreet, New York, N.Y.;
Engineering News Record, New York, N.Y.;
Factiva, New York, N.Y.;
FactSet Research Systems, Norwalk, Conn.;
Florida Trend, St. Petersburg, Fla.;
Food and Beverage Packaging, Deerfield, Ill.;
Food Institute Report, Elmwood Park, N.J.;
Forbes library, New York, N.Y.;
Furniture Today, Greensboro, N.C.;
Georgia Trend, Norcross, Ga.;
Greater Baton Rouge Business Report, Baton Rouge, La.;
Healthcare Informatics, Skokie, IL;
Hispanic Business, Santa Barbara, Calif.;
Home Channel News, New York, N.Y.;
Home Furnishing Network, New York, N.Y.;
Hoover's Online, Austin, Texas;
HousingZone.com, Oakbrook, Ill.;
Houston Chronicle, Houston, Texas;
Impact, New York, N.Y.;
Indiana Business Magazine, Indianapolis, Ind.;
Indianapolis Business Journal, Indianapolis, Ind.;
Los Angeles Business Journal, Los Angeles, Calif.;
Memphis Business Journal, Memphis, Tenn.;
Mississippi Business Journal, Jackson, Miss.;
Modern Tire Dealer, Uniontown, Ohio;
Multichannel Merchant, Stamford, Conn.;
Nation's Restaurant News, New York, N.Y.;
National Provisioner, Deerfield, Ill.;
New York Construction, New York, NY;
New York Public Library, New York, N.Y.;
The New York Times, New York, N.Y.;
Newsday, Long Island, N.Y.;
Orange County Business Journal, Irvine, Calif.;
Oregon Business magazine, Portland, Ore.;
Pittsburgh Business Times, Pittsburgh, Pa.;
The Pittsburgh Gazette, Pittsburgh, Pa.;
Purchasing Magazine, Waltham, Mass.;
QSR Magazine.com, Durham, N.C.;
Retailing Today, New York, N.Y.;
St. Louis Business Journal, St. Louis, Mo.;
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, St. Louis, Mo.;
San Antonio Express-News, San Antonio, Texas;
San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco, Calif.;
Standard & Poor's Register, New York, N.Y.;
Stores, Washington, D.C.;
Supermarket News, New York, NY;
Texas Construction, Irving, Texas;
Thomson Reuters, New York, N.Y.;
TWICE: This Week in Consumer EleConn.onics, New York, N.Y.
U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, D.C.;
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.;
U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.;
Value Line, New York, N.Y.;
Virginia Business magazine, Richmond, Va.;
The Wall Street Journal, New York, N.Y.;
The Washington Post, Washington, D.C.;
Wilkes-Barre Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.