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Registered Democrats will head to the polls on Tuesday to select their candidate to run against Republican incumbent Ed Mangano in November.
Visit liherald.com tonight for the results of today's primary.
There are two possible outcomes. If party-nominated candidate Tom Suozzi emerges victorious, it would set up a rematch of the 2009 election, in which Mangano ousted Suozzi. Or, the nod could go to political newcomer Adam Haber, who is running a campaign that is mostly self-financed.
Four years ago, Mangano, who then was a county legislator, defeated Suozzi by fewer than 400 votes. The election took weeks to decide as ballots were counted and recounted. Since then, Suozzi has mostly stayed out of the political arena, working for Cablevision, a financial company and most recently the Harris Beach law firm. The two-term county executive said he has re-entered the political scene this year after Democratic Party leaders convinced him to try to win back the seat.
Haber, a self-described outsider to Nassau County politics, is hoping a name other than Suozzi's will appear on the Democratic line of ballots for the first time since 1997. He has not held political office, but has been a member of the Roslyn School District Board of Education for the past four years. The father of two has worked in the financial sector in New York City and currently owns restaurants in Manhattan and Mineola.
Eyeing their opponents
Knowing that he is facing a candidate with name recognition, Haber has focused on his opponent in the primary election more so than the sitting county executive. Suozzi, on the other hand, has been in full attack mode against Mangano.
Haber has been critical of Suozzi's eight years as county executive, specifically his handling of Nassau's finances. Last month, standing on the steps of the Supreme Court building in Mineola, Haber announced his commitment to the job by signing a "Pledge to Nassau Residents." The pledge stated that he will serve a full four-year term as Nassau County executive if elected.


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ALBANY, N.Y. — A recent article in the Albany Government Law Review suggests that the emergence of charter schools — public schools not bound by the same operating procedures as conventional schools — has siphoned many students from Catholic schools, many of whom are minorities in poor, working-class neighborhoods.
This has added an additional dimension to the pressures that Catholic schools have faced in recent decades, as they have been forced to introduce sweeping changes in many U.S. dioceses to cope with the changed realities of sharply declining student populations, greatly reduced numbers of religious sisters and brothers willing and able to work in the schools, and severe financial constraints at the parish and diocese levels.
The Albany Government Law Review article, "The Collapse of Catholic School Enrollment: The Unintended Consequence of the Charter School Movement," says Catholic school enrollment declined by 34% after charter schools were instituted in New York state. That shifts the burden on educating those students to taxpayers, who are expected to have to pay $1.07 billion more per year in New York by 2025.
"When a school becomes under-enrolled, it just really becomes unsustainable," Timothy McNiff, superintendent of schools for the Archdiocese of New York, told the Register.
In the conclusion of his article about the effect of charter schools on Catholic enrollment, Abraham Lackman, a professor at Albany Law School's Government Law Center, noted that, over the past decade, approximately 200 charter schools have opened in New York, while the same number of Catholic schools in the state have been forced to close.
"The charter school movement promised increased school choice," Lackman stated. "In New York, however, the number of schools has not changed. One Catholic school has closed for every charter school that has opened. And there is a causal relationship at work."
Vicious Cycle
As enrollment shrinks, Catholic schools face growing deficits and are pressured to increase tuition to cover costs, which creates a vicious cycle of pricing out parents unable to afford to send their children to Catholic schools. Some dioceses have spread the costs of running a school to multiple parishes and have attempted to create economies of scale through regionalization and sharing operations, including accounting and purchasing.
"Certainly the greatest challenge we have is the economy. Because of the economy, our schools have to charge more for tuition," said Frederick Kalisz, the executive director at Parents Alliance for Catholic Education, a Massachusetts nonprofit that advocates for Catholic schools and parents on legislative affairs and grassroots lobbying.
"The second challenge is there are fewer people who attend church," Kalisz told the Register. "The educational component of parish schools as a ministry in itself is very important. It not only reinforces to young people the Catholic faith, but they also take that home, and it gets them to ask questions to their parents, such as: 'Why are we not attending Mass as a family?'"
"Catholic schools can be a very effective tool in evangelization," Kalisz said.
Christian Brother Robert Bimonte, president of the National Catholic Educational Association, agreed.
"Not only do we teach the faith, but, for six to eight hours a day, children are immersed in a Catholic culture," he said. "The Church really has no other vehicle like that."
"The schools are so much an extension of the family," McNiff added. "As custodians of the children, they are in a safe, nurturing, loving environment, where they come to learn to be productive adult citizens and come to encounter the love of Jesus Christ."
Range of Responses
Catholic school leaders across the country have addressed their systemic fiscal difficulties in a variety of ways. The Cristo Rey Network — a collection of 25 college-preparatory high schools that serve youths in 17 states and Washington, D.C. — largely depends on revenue from a work-study program that students are required to complete.
Perhaps the fastest-growing trend to help families pay for Catholic and private schools is the subject of scholarship tax credits, a voucher-type program where businesses receive tax credits for contributing to a scholarship fund used to assist the families. Several states have implemented scholarship tax credits, including Pennsylvania, Arizona and Florida.
The University of Notre Dame's ACE Academies program has assumed an oversight role for Catholic elementary schools in Tucson, Ariz., and in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, where scholarship tax credits are available.
"We've seen robust activity in private scholarship funds that are really leading the charge to make it possible for more families to send their kids to Catholic schools, but also to get more involved in ensuring the quality of their schools," said Christian Dallavis, the director of Notre Dame ACE Academies (NDAA).
The NDAA program partnered with St. John the Evangelist Catholic School and two other K-8 schools in Tucson to help implement research-proven methods of classroom instruction and resource management, as well as professional development for teachers, an overhauled curriculum and new instructional equipment.
At a NDAA school, one of the first things a visitor will notice is a near return to the days when a religious community's particular charism animated a school's operation. At St. Ambrose School in Tucson, the organizing principle is "God Comes First." The school's staff organizes everything in the building to reflect that principle, from having a prayer service and a procession on the first day of school to scheduling religion class as the first period of the day. The uniform is also dressier for days when students attend Mass.
"From the teacher who opens the door in the morning to the one who shuts off the lights at the end of the day, everything in the school enforces those values," Dallavis said.
'Catholic Schools Can Thrive'
At Tucson's St. John the Evangelist School, Keiran Roche, the principal, said the organizing principle is "God in All Things," a distinct hallmark of Ignatian spirituality. The school's teachers and staff also use common catch phrases — like "Every minute counts" and "Be doers of the word" — to reinforce the "God in All Things" ethos.
"Catholic schools, with the right government, can thrive," said Roche, who left a teaching job in Alabama three years ago to teach in the NDAA schools in Tucson.
"Knowing the community that the schools serve — it's a very under-served community — it was a huge factor in my decision-making to be a part of it," Roche said, adding that the NDAA program has been a huge help for him as a first-year principal.
"The program is doing amazing things in Catholic education," Roche said. "Research shows the Catholic school advantage for minority kids, especially with the great job of education we do in terms of our model."
Dallavis said NDAA leads the schools through a years-long process of examining their core beliefs, discerning their shared purposes and root values, and then focusing on implementing the concrete manifestations of the school culture through operating norms and the environment. The results, Dallavis said, have been increased academic achievement and student enrollment.
"We set college and heaven as the two goals for the kids," Dallavis said. "We really put that in front of kids, and we really see this mindset of aspiring towards great opportunities in a way that we hadn't seen at those schools before."
Mission Remains Vital
The mission of Catholic schools to educate the whole person remains as vital as ever, especially to the poor, urban youth who have long benefited from a Catholic education, officials said.
"From our perspective, Catholic education and identity is still paramount," said Christopher Mominey, the new chief operating officer and secretary for Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, which is collaborating with business leaders and the wider Catholic community to revitalize Catholic education there.
Mominey left his position as the superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Syracuse, N.Y., in May to take on the job in Philadelphia, where he told the Register the archdiocese is on the cutting edge of fundamental Catholic school reform.
"In Catholic schools, the students come to know the person of Jesus Christ in a very caring and loving community where Gospel values are paramount," Mominey said.
"And the second thing — and the record speaks for itself: It's an excellent education," Mominey added. "We look at our graduates, our SAT scores, our placement in colleges, and there is just no question that is the choice for parents who want to seek to have their children educated in an environment where Gospel values are at the top of the list and where academic rigor is right behind it."
Register correspondent Brian Fraga writes from Fall River, Massachusetts.

subset: commoncrawl


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Company Compounds Growth Trend With Increases in Net-New Customers and Sales Growth
RESTON, VA--(Marketwire - Nov 29, 2012) - IT management software provider ScienceLogic Inc. reported that its rapid growth trend continued during the third quarter of 2012, with a 53-percent year-over-year sales increase. This adds to the 20+ percent quarter-over-quarter sequential growth ScienceLogic has achieved so far this year.
The success is attributed to a record-breaking number of new enterprise, managed service provider and federal government customers added throughout 2012, but especially in Q3 where ScienceLogic shattered its record for the most new customers ever in a single quarter. Through the end of the 3rd quarter, ScienceLogic has closed more new customers than in any prior year in the history of the company. Also contributing to the third quarter sales volume are current customers who added onto their existing implementations due to the unique value ScienceLogic provides.
"It's clear the marketplace sees tremendous importance in ScienceLogic and our software offerings," said John Becker, CEO, ScienceLogic. "We take pride in providing the only truly pre-integrated IT management software available, and that pride shows through in the quality of our product which in turn is reflected in our bottom-line results. The IT field is growing more and more complex each day, and ScienceLogic's Smart IT solution enables IT professionals to work smarter despite increasing challenges. Our remarkable growth is a direct result of our award-winning product and dedicated employees who continue to make ScienceLogic better each day."
ScienceLogic has also received a number of prestigious awards highlighting its rapid growth rate. ScienceLogic is a Red Herring 2012 Top 100 Global award finalist, won the Red Herring 2012 Top 100 North America award, and was named to the 2012 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ list of fastest growing technology companies in the United States.
The ScienceLogic Smart IT management software simplifies the exponentially harder task of managing resources and data that are constantly shifting to meet the needs of virtualization, cloud computing, and bring your own device (BYOD). Using ScienceLogic for IT operations and cloud monitoring, organizations can manage any mix of physical, virtual, and cloud resources as one entity to improve business service delivery to end-users. Having a consistent, correlated set of metrics across both on-premise and cloud infrastructures speeds troubleshooting and simplifies management workflows to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
Engineered for the scale, security, automation and high availability needed to run today's complex IT environments, ScienceLogic Smart IT software provides a unified management platform that enables customers to deliver business-critical IT services using a modern management framework.
Supporting Resources:
About ScienceLogic
The standard for centralized, "Smart IT" operations and dynamic cloud management across any mix of data center and cloud environments, ScienceLogic enables service providers and enterprises to improve IT efficiency as well as deliver differentiated service offerings. The ScienceLogic platform unites and correlates critical IT functions and data to provide a constantly updated, actionable view of business service delivery. In contrast to legacy tools, ScienceLogic pre-integrates event, fault, availability, performance and asset management, as well as service desk and runbook automation, in a single product. The platform is easily extended to manage both existing and emerging technologies and applications, making it a solid foundation for the fluidity of modern IT environments.
ScienceLogic is a selected Network Management Module in the Cisco Smart Business Architecture; Registered Developer in the Cisco Developer Network Program; certified by VCE as Vblock Ready; certified as VMware Ready and a VMware Elite Technology Alliance Partner; Dell Independent Software Vendor partner; NetApp Platinum Elite Partner. For more information, visit www.sciencelogic.com.
ScienceLogic is a trademark of ScienceLogic Inc. in the United States and other countries. Other company, product and service marks may be trademarks or service marks of others.
Contact Information:
Media contact:
Lauren Grassetti / Amy Robinson


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Horn Shark
Heterodontus francisci
These small sharks have wide heads and blunt snouts, with ridges over their eyes like others in the bullhead shark family. They're usually a dark grey to light brown, with dark brown or black spots all over their bodies and lobed fins. Slow moving and nocturnal, they scavenge closer to the shore at night, and return to their familiar resting place during the day. They are considered little threat to humans because of their size and teeth structure, but both of their dorsal fins have sturdy spines, and should be handled with care.
Order – Heterodontiformes
Family – Heterodontidae
Genus – Heterodontus
Species – francisci
Common Names
Common names for Heterodontus francisci throughout English-speaking countries are the horn shark, bullhead shark, pig shark, and horned shark. Other names include Californische stierkophaai (Dutch), Californisk hornhaj (Danish), dormilón cornudo (Spanish), gata (Spanish), kalifornský žralok plochozubý (Czech), requin dormeur cornu (French), sarvihai (Finnish), stierkopfhai (German), tiburón cabeza de toro (Spanish), tiburón cornudo (Spanish), tiburón gato (Spanish), and tiburón puerco (Spanish).
Importance to Humans
The horn shark's significance is mostly with recreational fisheries. Heterodontids are not consumed by humans on a regular basis. Horn sharks are caught as bycatch in bottom trawls and usually discarded, but they may be occasionally consumed or used as fishmeal. Various species of Heterodontids are commonly kept in public and private aquaria, where they can be maintained successfully for more than a decade.
Danger to Humans
Horn sharks may bite when harassed. According to the International Shark Attack File, there is one recorded instance of a shark bite involving a horn shark.
The horn shark is listed as "Data Deficient", and as such has no special conservation status. This species is currently assessed as "Data Deficient" by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) because although horn sharks are taken as bycatch (primarily off Mexico), insufficient information exists to classify it differently.
> Check the status of the horn shark at the IUCN website.
The IUCN is a global union of states, governmental agencies, and non-governmental organizations in a partnership that assesses the conservation status of species. If the gillnet fishery in Mexico expands significantly in the future, the population could potentially face problems.
Geographical Distribution
The horn shark, Heterodontus francisci, occurs in warm-temperate and subtropical regions of the eastern Pacific Ocean from central California to the Gulf of California. The literature also suggests that this species may occur off the coasts of Ecuador and Peru (however these records are unconfirmed and may have been misidentifications of other species).
The horn shark is common in warm-temperate to subtropical waters. The horn shark is a benthic shark, and is found on the continental shelf at a depth of 25-40 ft (8-12 m) to the intertidal zone at a depth of 656 ft (200 m) or more. It is most common at a depth of 7-36 ft (2-11 m). Horn sharks have been found in caves as deep as 656 ft (200 m), but usually they remain at much shallower depths. During the winter, horn sharks migrate into deeper waters, usually below 98 ft (30 m). Horn sharks exhibit a high degree of segregation corresponding to their life history.
Adolescent horn sharks, between 1-1.6 ft (35-48 cm) total length (TL), tend to remain in deeper water, usually between 131-492 ft (40-150 m), and as they mature they migrate back into relatively shallow water. This segregation of habitat by size and stage of maturity reduces competition for food and habitat between younger and older sharks. Habitat choice also changes ontogenetically, with juveniles inhabiting sandy bottoms with little vertical relief and adults inhabiting rocky reefs with caves and crevices, or areas of thick algae cover. Juvenile horn sharks also use bat ray (Myliobatis californica) feeding pits in sandy areas as shelter and foraging areas. Horn sharks show a distinct diel pattern of activity, which is influenced by light intensity.
Adult horn sharks are relatively inactive during the day, but are very active nocturnally. Horn sharks are site specific, returning to the same resting place at dawn and remaining there until the evening. Horn sharks have a small home range, usually no larger than 3,300 ft² (1,000 m²), and they exhibit long-term site fidelity (horn sharks have been recovered in their tagging locations after as much as 11.25 years at liberty). The furthest distance a horn shark has been documented as traveling is 10 miles (16.3 km). Water temperature is an important factor controlling the relative abundance of the horn shark, as they prefer water over 70°F, or 20 °C.
Distinctive Features
The horn shark gets its name because it has a short, blunt head with high ridges above the eyes. This shark possesses spines on its 1st and 2nd dorsal fins and has an anal fin. The horn shark has broad muscular paired fins that are used as limbs for clambering on the bottom, and have a first dorsal-fin which originates over the pectoral-fin bases.
The supraorbital ridges on the horn shark are moderately low, and are abruptly truncated posteriorly. The interorbital space of the horn shark is deeply concave (the depth between ridges is less than one-fourth the eye length).
The pre first dorsal-fin length is 22 to 27% of TL, and the anal-caudal space is 4 to 8% of total length (TL). The first dorsal-fin spine in the horn shark is directed obliquely posterodorsally in juveniles and adults; the first dorsal-fin origin is anterior to pectoral-fin insertions, over or slightly behind midbases of pectoral-fins and well posterior to fifth gill openings; the first dorsal-fin insertion is well anterior to pelvic-fin origin and well behind pectoral-fin insertion.
The first dorsal-fin free rear tip of the horn shark is opposite or somewhat anterior to pelvic-fin origins, and the first dorsal-fin is moderately high and semifalcate in adults, with heights of 9 to 14% of TL, and are slightly larger than the pelvic-fins. The second dorsal-fin origin is over or slightly in front of the pelvic-fin rear tips, and the second dorsal-fin is somewhat falcate and nearly as large as the first dorsal-fin.
The anal-fin in horn sharks is subangular and weakly falcate, with the apex reaching the lower caudal-fin origin when laid back; the anal-caudal space is about equal to the anal-fin base. Total vertebral count in an adult H. francisci is from 103 to 123, the precaudal count is from 65 to 76. Egg cases of the horn shark have flat thin spiral flanges diagonal to the case axis and have no tendrils on case apices; the flanges have five turns.
The background color of the dorsal surface on the horn shark is dark to light grey or brown with dark brown or black spots, which are generally less than one-third eye diameter, on the body and fins. Small dark spots are also present below the eye on a dusky patch; and the fins are without abrupt dark tips and white dorsal-fin apices.
As the name of the genus implies, the dentition of the horn shark includes more than one type of tooth and serves a clutching-grinding function. The frontal holding teeth of this shark possess a cusp, and a pair of cusplets are present in adults. These teeth are small, the cusp is broad and deep, and lateral cusplets are usually present. The anterior-most teeth are symmetrical, becoming less symmetrical in more distal positions. The lateral teeth are molariform, are strongly carinate, and are not greatly expanded and rounded. The lateral teeth are significantly larger. These teeth have a low root, are laterally elongated, have a transverse depression on the basal lingual face, and may be weakly curved.
The horn sharks lateral trunk scales, or denticles, are small and smooth. The area behind the first dorsal fin of the horn shark has about 200 scales per cm² in adults.
Size, Age, and Growth
Maximum total length of the horn shark is 4 ft (122 cm), with most adults reaching lengths of 3.2 ft (97 cm). Male horn sharks are sexually mature at 2-2.3 ft (58-71 cm); females mature at lengths greater than 2 ft (58 cm). The size of the hatchlings is 6-6.3 in (15-16 cm).
Food Habits
The horn shark feeds primarily on benthic invertebrates, and small fishes. Adults prey upon gastropods, crabs, shrimp, squid, sea urchins, sea stars, and small fishes. Juvenile horn sharks feed on polychaetes, small clams, and sea anemones in addition to opportunistically feeding on squid and small fishes. Juveniles with their smaller, more pointed teeth seem to take more soft-bodied prey than adults. Food items in stomachs are usually broken into small pieces, indicating that the sharks actively grind their food with their powerful jaws and heavy molariform teeth. Olfactory cues are thought to be important in horn shark feeding, but electrosense and lateral line sense may also play a role.
Horn sharks are oviparous, and females lay eggs (usually two) every 11-14 days, usually between February and April, depositing up the 24 eggs in a single season. Egg cases are usually laid in shallow water between 7-43 ft (2-13 m) deep. Development of embryos lasts 6-10 months, depending on water temperature. At hatching, the young measure 5.9-6.3 inches (15-16 cm) total length. The young begin to feed about a month after hatching.
Horn sharks mate in the months of December and January. "The male horn shark chases the female until the latter is ready, then both drop to the (ocean) bottom. The male grabs the female's pectoral fin with his teeth and inserts a single clasper in her cloaca; copulation lasts 30 to 40 minutes" according to Compagno in a 1984 publication. A few weeks after copulation, the female will deposit the fertilized eggs.
The egg cases of horn sharks are auger-shaped: more-or-less conical and surrounded by two broad spiral flanges. This shape enables a mother horn shark to wedge her eggs (which are usually laid two at a time) into crevices. This helps to prevent removal by most would-be predators.
Other sharks and large fish are potential predators on horn sharks.
The horn shark belongs to the family Heterodontidae (bullhead sharks). The genus was described by Blainville in 1816. The species was described by Girard in 1855. The current valid scientific name for the horn shark is Heterondontus francisci. This comes from the Greek word "heteros", meaning different; and the Greek word "odont", meaning teeth. One synonym used in past scientific literature referring to this species is Gyropleurodus francisci (Girard, 1854). Heterodontus californicus (Herald 1961) was used in apparent error for H. francisci.
Prepared by: Robert Buch


text: Swedbank is the largest bank in Estonia as it has more than 900,000 private and 132,000 business customers We offer a wide selection of financial services, including accounts, mortgages, insurances, credit cards, loans, pensions and investments, both for private customers and companies. Our goal is to help people and companies keep their finances in order over the long term. We follow three guiding values in all our activities: we are simple, open and caring. We have the largest network of bank representations and ATM-s in Estonia (45 representations and nearly 400 ATM-s); our customers are also able to withdraw cash at 38 stores in rural areas. Our customers have round-the-clock access to their finances through our consultation centre, internet bank and mobile app. We support and participate in various initiatives that help Estonian society to grow. We aim to promote financial literacy and entrepreneurship and to contribute into social participation through the development of the entire society. Swedbank in Estonia - who we are?


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Chris Brown + Tyga Working on Collaborative Mixtape 'Fan of a Fan 2′
R&B crooner Chris Brown is set to reunite with rapper Tyga for the sequel to their 2010 mixtape 'Fan of a Fan.' The first tape spawned the Grammy-nominated song 'Deuces,' which bolstered Tyga's rap career. The collection also featured the ballad 'No B.S.,' another chart-topping single for Breezy.
Tyga went on his Twitter account Wednesday (April 18) and made a cryptic announcement about their upcoming collaboration. He tweeted:
Fan of Fan 2!!! @ChrisBrown @Tyga Coming Soon!!
— TYGA (@Tyga) April 18, 2012
No word on when the 'Fan of a Fan 2′ mixtape will be released, but it will mostly likely be available after Brown's drops his album 'Fortune' on May 8. The singer has already released three songs from the collection, 'Turn Up the Music,' 'Sweet Love' and 'Til I Die' (featuring Big Sean and Wiz Khalifa).
Meanwhile, Tyga is promoting his latest album 'Careless World: Rise of the Last King.' In addition, the YMCMB artist nabbed his first gold and platinum plaques for selling 1 million downloads of his ubiquitous get-money anthem 'Rack City.'
So expect more tracks and plaques from Breezy and Tyga on their collaborative mixtape 'Fan of a Fan 2.'


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Cloned humans would feel selves to be individuals
In what is clearly a bid to soften up the public for human cloning (currently "not allowed" in the UK, hint, hint), a BBC news story announces that, based on a study of identical twins, "A cloned human would probably consider themselves to be an individual."
Well, apart from the ambiguous wording - "a cloned human" is singular but "themselves" is plural - does anyone who gives the matter a moment's thought doubt that identical twins feel they are individuals? They have separate consciousnesses after all. For example, will most identical twins share spouses or children? Bank accounts?
However, if children are cloned for the purposes of being "just like" whoever has the power of life or death over them, they had better take care not to show much individuality.


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Teacher resources and professional development across the curriculum
Teacher professional development and classroom resources across the curriculum
Exploring Connections
|Introduction | Try It Yourself: Area and Perimeter | The Products Game | Problem Reflection | Your Journal
Use the following Interactive Activity to explore how the perimeter of rectangles with fixed area varies with the shape of the rectangle. Pay attention to the relationships and connections that you notice.
After you have explored the perimeter of several rectangles with areas of 16 square units, please answer the following questions:
|Teaching Math Home | Grades 3-5 | Connections | Site Map | © |
© Annenberg Foundation 2017. All rights reserved. Legal Policy


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Getting your company on the Internet couldn't be easier! UXB Internet is a website design and hosting company that specializes in developing easy to manage client maintained web sites for small to mid-sized businesses. Website Designs range from small marketing sites to custom ColdFusion powered SQL Database e-commerce applications and interactive database designs. UXB Internet is a boutique website design firm in that we typically host what we design so that we can offer technical solutions unavailable to "generic" web hosting companies.
Style and function are inextricably bound to the success of the site. A balance of both elements is what keeps people coming back for more. UXB Internet strives to bring your style to a friendly intuitive user interface. Utilizing the most robust HTML technologies such as ColdFusion, Jquery, Microsoft SQL server your website will be easily recognizable and easy to use.
Don't pay for Search Engine Optimization! There is no magic to it. The way to get ranked highest in search engines is to be the most relevant. You just need to understand your market and how people are looking for you. Is it by name, by service or product? We craft your website to reflect that message and relevance is built in not added on.
We have been developing websites and guiding business through the challenges of the Internet since 1998. UXB specializes in not only developing but also hosting your dynamic ColdFusion SQL powered database web site applications using latest HTML technologies. We manage all aspects of your Web site so there is one place to call: UXB Interent. Using Jquery /JavaScript and the ColdFusion server side scripting language, relational databases powered by Microsoft SQL server and our thirty plus years of business experience we are your one stop solution for you Internet needs.
UXB Internet exists to provide the power of the Internet to businesses of every size and to deliver it with a level of dedication and service uncommon within the industry. We are dedicated to see that you get the most from your Internet investment.
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ESEA Flexibility
Race to the Top
Labor-Management Collaboration
Commencement Addresses
Condition of Education 2012
Odds and Ends
Quote to Note
Upcoming Events
ESEA Flexibility
On May 29, at an event in Hartford, Connecticut, with Governor Dannel Malloy and local, state, and federal officials, Secretary Duncan announced that eight additional statesConnecticut, Delaware, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Rhode Islandwill receive flexibility from the burdensome mandates of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). In exchange for this new flexibility, the states have agreed to raise academic standards, improve accountability, and undertake essential reforms to boost teacher effectiveness. "These eight states are getting more flexibility with federal funds and relief from NCLB's one-size-fits-all federal mandates, in order to develop locally tailored solutions to meet their unique educational challenges," the Secretary stated. He also noted that many of the new, state-created accountability systems capture more students at risk. Connecticut's system, for example, raises the number of schools accountable for the performance of African-American students from 280 to 414; Hispanic students from 356 to 548; free and reduced-price lunch students from 757 to 928; English Learners from 97 to 209; and students with disabilities from 276 to 683.
The announcement brings the number of states with waivers to 19. Eighteen other applications are still under review. The Department expects additional states to request Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) flexibility by September 6. More information.
In the interest of transparency and to help inform other states, the Department has posted here both initial and approved flexibility requests, highlights of each state's plan, and peer review notes, as well as the agency's letter regarding peer review feedback and the Secretary's approval letter.
Race to the Top
Last week, the Department released proposed criteria for the 2012 Race to the Top program. This year's competition will build on the lessons learned from the previous state-level competitions and support bold, locally directed improvements in teaching and learning that will directly improve student achievement and teacher effectiveness. Specifically, the competition will reward school districts that have the vision and leadership to implement strategies, structures, and systems that move beyond one-size-fits-all models of schooling, which have struggled to produce excellence and equity for all children, to personalized, student-focused approaches that utilize collaborative, data-based strategies and 21st century tools to deliver instruction and supports tailored to the needs of each student, with the goal of enabling all students to graduate college- and career-ready. The criteria invites applications from districts or groups of districts serving at least 2,500 students with 40% or more qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch. Districts will choose to apply for funding to support strategies that personalize education in all or a set of schools, within specific grade levels or selected subjects. All districts are invited to apply. The criteria has been designed to ensure no district is at a disadvantage, including those already participating in a Race to the Top state grant, those not currently participating, and rural districts. There is nearly $400 million available for this competition. Awards will range from $15 to $25 million, depending on the population served through the plan. (Note: Secretary Duncan's remarks announcing the program are available online.)
In order to run a rigorous competition and obligate funds by the statutory deadline, the Department is waiving rulemaking for this new program, pursuant to its authority in the General Education Provisions Act. However, the agency is interested in input and has posted an executive summary of the draft requirements, priorities, selection criteria, and definitions here. All interested parties are encouraged to submit comments and suggestions through this site until June 8 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
This summer, the Department will publish a notice of final requirements, priorities, selection criteria, and definitions in the Federal Register, along with a notice inviting applications.
Labor-Management Collaboration
Also last week, state and district education leaders from across the country traveled to Cincinnati to share their strategies and best practices around a topic in education that seldom sees the spotlight: labor-management collaboration. For a second time, the Department partnered with national education organizations, including the American Association of School Administrators, American Federation of Teachers, Council of Chief State School Officers, Council of the Great City Schools, Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, National Education Association, and National School Boards Association, to host a convening centered on changing the way that administrators, board members, and union leaders work together. At the opening of the event, Secretary Duncan joined leaders of the other co-sponsoring organizations in signing a shared vision for the future of the teaching profession that sets three goals around increased student achievement, equity, and global competitiveness, and addresses seven elements of a transformed profession. Also, district plans were shared during a three-hour "Transformers' Dialogue," where teams showcased their work in an expo-like fashion. And, teams attended breakout sessions led by experts and practitioners and had an opportunity to "shop" for key tools in a resource marketplace.
Commencement Addresses
On May 21, President Obama returned to Joplin, Missouri, one year after a tornado leveled the town on graduation day, to celebrate its remarkable recovery and the first class of graduates since the storm. "As I look out at this class, and across this city, what's clear is that you're the source of inspiration todayto me, to this state, to this country, and to people all over the world," he said at Joplin High School's commencement ceremony. "By now, most of you have probably relived those 32 minutes again and again. Where you were. What you saw. When you knew for sure that it was over.... And yet, the story of Joplin isn't just the story of what happened that day. It's the story of what happened the next day, and the day after that, and all the days and weeks and months that followed." The President acknowledged the thousands who came to the aid of Joplin. "There are so many good people in the world. There is such a decency, a bigness of spirit, in this country of ours," he stated. "And so, Class of 2012, you've got to remember that. Remember what people did here. And like the man from Japan who came to Joplin [because he remembered that Americans were there for his country after last year's tsunami], make sure in your own life that you pay it forward." The President also asserted the Joplin story has a message about the "power of community" to bridge divisions and achieve common goals. "My deepest hope for all of you is, as you begin this new chapter in your life, you'll bring that spirit of Joplin to every place you travel, to everything you do," he said. "You can serve as a reminder that we're not meant to walk this road alone, that we're not expected to face down adversity by ourselves."
Soon thereafter, the Department awarded Joplin Schools an Extended Services Project School Emergency Response to Violence (SERV) grant totaling $818,185, to continue assistance for ongoing recovery efforts.
The preceding weekend, Secretary Duncan gave the commencement address at Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint, New Mexico.
Condition of Education 2012
On May 24, the Department's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), part of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES), released "The Condition of Education 2012," a Congressionally mandated report to the country on education in America today. The report presents 49 indicators grouped under three areas: participation in education, elementary and secondary education, and postsecondary education. The report also contains a closer look at high school students in the U.S. over the last 20 years. Among the findings: from 1999-2000 to 2009-10, the number of students enrolled in public charter schools quadrupled from 0.3 million to 1.6 million students; from 2000 to 2010, undergraduate enrollment in private, for-profit institutions quadrupled from 0.4 million to 1.7 million students; and, in 2010, roughly 82% of high school completers from high-income families (the top 20% of all incomes) enrolled in a two- or four-year college immediately after high school, compared to 67% of students from middle-income families and 52% of students from low-income families.
Odds and Ends
The State-Tribal Education Partnership (STEP) program will award $1.9 million in competitive grants to Tribal Education Agencies (TEAs) to increase their role in the education of American Indian and Alaska Native students.
On May 30, Assistant Secretary for Vocational and Adult Education Brenda Dann-Messier delivered opening remarks at a public discussion on a newly released report, "Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice and Research." The study, funded by the Department and conducted by the National Research Council, recommends a program of research and innovation to gain a better understanding of adult literacy learners, improve instruction, and create the supports adults need for learning and achievement.
Also on May 30, the Department announced an additional 92 school districts will have access to individualized data to help students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The selected districts, spanning 30 states, will be able to track whether their high school seniors have completed the FAFSA starting in the 2012-13 school year. These 92 new sites join 18 other districts that received data for the 2011-12 school year as part of the FAFSA Completion Project's initial pilot.
Teachers@ED profiles some of the hundreds of current and former teachers who work at the Department and how their experiences in schools inform their work for the agency. The latest entry profiles Tate Gould, Deputy Director for Technical Assistance in the Implementation and Support Unit (ISU).
A new IES report, "The Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in School Accountability Systems," provides descriptive information on school-level accountability for those schools accountable for the performance of students with disabilities subgroup under ESEA.
The latest practice guide from the Department's What Works Clearinghouse, "Improving Mathematical Problem Solving in Grades 4 Through 8," offers teachers five recommendations for regularly incorporating mathematical problem solving into their classroom instruction.
The Department recently hosted the finalists in Cooking Up Change, a national healthy lunch competition. Each team used ingredients commonly found in school food service in a recipe that was limited to six steps. Students from Santa Ana's (CA) Valley High School won the competition with a lemon and spinach chicken dish accompanied by a Tuscan bean salad and cinnamon poached pears.
In related letters, Secretary Duncan and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius encourage college and university presidents and student associations to remind graduating seniors about their new health insurance options under the Affordable Care Act.
Quote to Note
"Speaking personally and for so many parents, we all want a school that meets the unique needs of our children. All teachers want a way to inspire and challenge those students who are furthest ahead, provide targeted help and assistance to those furthest behind, and engage fully and effectively with the students in the middle. For a typical classroom teacher with 20-30 students, personalized education is a very ambitious goal, but it is possible. In fact, I have seen it in schools all across America, where great teachers are able to divide class time between lectures, small group work, and one-on-one support. For some teachers it involves technology. For others, it's about partnering with parents and folding non-school hours into a particular child's learning strategy. It might also involve teachers in training or other adults in the classroom. It might be all of the above or something altogether different. We are wide open to new strategies and approaches."
|Secretary of Education Arne Duncan (5/22/12), announcing a district-level Race to the Top program
Upcoming Events
Early next week, the Department will honor representatives of the 2012 U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools. The opening plenary session will air on June 4 at 8:30 a.m. EDT on the agency's USTREAM channel. To date, even before release of the 2013 nomination criteria, 16 states have indicated an intent to nominate schools for next year's competition.
Do you know someone who has been a role model and mentor to others within the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) disciplines? If so, please consider nominating them for the President's Award for Excellence in STEM Mentoring, which recognizes outstanding mentoring efforts that enhance the participation and retention of students and early career investigators, with a special emphasis on those who might not otherwise have considered or had access to opportunities in STEM fields. Nominations, including self-nominations, will be accepted until June 6.
The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge invites parents of children ages 8-12 to submit an original recipe for a lunch that is nutritious and delicious. Entrants have the chance to win a trip to Washington, D.C., as well as the opportunity to be invited to attend a Kids' "State Dinner" at the White House in August, where a selection of the winning healthy recipes will be served. Recipes may be submitted, online or via mail, through June 17.
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To be added or removed from distribution, or submit comments (we welcome your feedback!), please contact Adam Honeysett. Or, visit http://www2.ed.gov/news/newsletters/edreview/index.html.
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Eric H. Cline, author of 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed, is the first ever recipient of the American Schools of Oriental Research's (ASOR) new award, the Best Popular Book Award (which will be officially named next year). "This award is presented to the author/editor of a book published in the last two years that offers a new synthesis of archaeological data intended to reach an audience of scholars as well as students and the broader public."
Excerpts from the certificate presented to Cline at the annual ASOR meeting in San Diego praised his ability to inform and interest various types of readers:
"Eric Cline…masterfully brings together a wealth of information while maintaining a popular appeal throughout his study."
"Cline's extensive bibliography of source material makes this book extremely valuable for scholars, yet he explains the complexities of his subject in language easily understandable by the general public. This book possesses the rare quality of engaging both the academic and general readership.
Congratulations to Cline on winning the prestigious award and for setting the bar high for future nominations of the Best Popular Book. Below is a picture of Cline's award alongside copies of 1177 B.C.


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This question already has an answer here:
Since Oracle bought Sun and Apple have decided not to continue developing their JVM, is the "write once and run everywhere" model still relevant or has web services/SOA reduced it to an edge case?
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This question already has an answer here:
Since Oracle bought Sun and Apple have decided not to continue developing their JVM, is the "write once and run everywhere" model still relevant or has web services/SOA reduced it to an edge case?
This question has been asked before and already has an answer. If those answers do not fully address your question, please ask a new question.
Whatever the fate of the JVM, "write once, run anywhere" is still extraordinarily relevant. The WAY you achieve that goal -- using a VM or translating down to a machine-specific language -- is irrelevant. In 2010 the desktop is still a VERY hot topic and apps are very much alive. What's all the buzz about iPhone anyway? They're client-side apps, and if you can cover more platforms at once -- whether you do it with Java or something like Python in Titanium (sadly, no Python for iOS, if I understand correctly) -- you save money, development time, and ultimately have more left over to buy sushi.
That said, native apps have their place,
[[[even if] you write:them] likeThis];
Later: Since you did mention WS in this, you're probably talking about the server-side. It's still relevant: being able to change server platforms gives a technology company flexibility as prices and performance of server OSes vary through time. So many things are write-once run anywhere on the server-side now, though: Rails, PHP. But still, very relevant.
(even if you write: them) likeThis!
– Frank Shearar
Oct 26 '10 at 7:25
Write once, run anywhere always had a couple of problems:
On the server side these problems are less significant - the browser is the UI, and people tend to choose one of either Win or *nix and stay with it. In that instance, "write once, run anywhere" was what allowed numerous companies to ditch Solaris for Linux after the dot-com crash.
Yes, it's still relevant.
If you live in a part of the world that has highly available, ultra-fast Internet access, you're lucky.
Even if you're that lucky, and the webservice you wish to use is that lucky, you still have to suffer the issues of latency, and the fallacies of distributed computing.
Just imagine for a moment what it would be like to use something like Photoshop through a browser.
So desktop applications probably aren't going away anytime soon. Which means that if you want to target multiple platforms/architectures, you need to care about write once, run anywhere.
As Yar points out it doesn't terribly matter how you get WORA, whether you use a VM, or cross-translation. The important question is whether or not you wish to target multiple platforms in the first place.
(Historical note: everyone seems to think of Java when they hear "VM", but virtual machines were old news long before Java was on the scene.)
Yes, but in web-realm (give or take a few browser quirks). As for desktops, the "write once, run anywhere" is pretty much irrelevant given that something like 90% computer users in the world are MS Windows users.
On the server it's less of an issue anyway I think- often enough I've used windows to develop Perl, PHP or Rails applications to run on linux or bsd servers and by and large they have worked fine. If you're working to a scripting runtime then you get similar platform-agnostic benefits to working on the JVM ( which is quite similar in essence ) without the typing overhead of working in Java.
I've experimented a bit with game development in Java and that is somewhere that write-once, read anywhere would be really handy, but actually once you need access to hardware accelleration you are no longer genuinely platform agnostic anyway....
Its actually a pretty simple and straightforward case of a fundamental tension that's not going away anytime soon. While its the developers dream, "write once, run anywhere" commoditizes platforms. Platforms vendors' whole business depends on differentiation. For them , its "Write once, and write for me only". The two sides will continue to pull in opposite directions for some time to come.


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What a crazy two weeks. Here in the Northeast, many areas are still recovering from Hurricane Sandy. and now we've been hit with a Nor'easter. Right now it's snowing and raining at the same time, which makes me want to just stay inside and make something extra-comforting, like chicken noodle soup.
I first experimented with making Sichuan-style chicken noodle soup 3 years ago. And it's no less of a favorite comfort food dish now.
Rather than the American version flavored with bay leaf and thyme, I decided to make a Sichuan-style broth with star anise, cinnamon, tangerine peel, and Sichuan pepper. (There will be a mild tingle from the peppercorn, to jazz things up.) The best part: you can shred leftover roast chicken, itself a cost-saver, and add it to the soup at the last minute. The simmering anise and cinnamon will make your kitchen smell wondering. And slurping the steamy chicken noodle soup will get you through these chilly wintry days.
Sichuan-Style Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves 2
- 6 to 8 dried shiitake mushrooms
- 1/4 pound leftover roasted chicken
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
- 2 scallions, white and green parts separated, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 small dried tangerine peel
- 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces dried Chinese egg noodles
- Soak the shiitake mushrooms in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes, until softened. Drain the shiitakes and squeeze out the excess water. Remove and discard the stems, thinly slice the caps, and set aside.
- Shred the leftover roast chicken. Set it aside in a small bowl.
- In a medium-sized pot, add the vegetable oil and sauté the scallions whites and mushrooms over medium heat. Add the chicken stock, soy sauce, rice wine, cinnamon, star anise, optional tangerine peel, Sichuan pepper, and black pepper. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
- In a separate pot, bring the water for noodles to boil. Add the egg noodles and cook according to package instructions. Cook until almost al dente. Transfer to soup pot to cook for another minute. (At this point you can add the shredded chicken into the soup, or warm the chicken in oven or microwave and then pile chicken on top of noodles.) Divide into individual bowls, top with the scallion greens, and serve.
Recipe first published March 5, 2009. Updated November 7, 2012.
More chicken noodle soup recipes:
- Weekend Chicken and Mushroom Pho from Crepes of Wrath
- Cambodian Spicy Chicken Noodle Soup from Girl Cooks World
- Chicken Miso Soup with Ramen Noodles from The Cooking Bride
- Lemon-Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup from Ezra Pound Cake
- Burmese Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup from Global Table Adventure


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A young politician met the Speaker of the House of Commons when she was given a tour of Parliament.
Maya Caddle, from North London Collegiate School, in Edgware, got the tour with the help of MP Bob Blackman and met the Commons Speaker John Bercow.
The sixth form student was recently elected member of the UK Youth Parliament and during her visit attended Prime Minister's Questions.
She said: "It was an absolute honour to meet the Speaker. He was incredibly down to earth and I found it both fascinating and interesting to find out about his background.
"Watching PMQs from the Speaker's Gallery in the Commons was definitely an experience I won't forget. It was engaging, fast paced and incredibly loud."


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Name: Scott
Gender: Male
Age: 20
Location: Kansas
I am a 20-year-old virgin who has never even had phone or cybersex. The reason for this is that when I am complimented in a sexual or sensual manner, for example "your voice is sexy" or "your intelligence is a major turn on" or even something as simple as "you're cute or adorable or whatever" I get aroused but I also have a very negative reaction. I have a cold, sinking feeling in my stomach. I become slightly dizzy and even occasionally nauseous. I've been having these reactions since the 7th grade, which was the first time I was propositioned. When I find the woman of my dreams I want to be able to satisfy her every want and need, but I won't be able to if I continue to have these reactions. Can you help me get rid of this or at least give me an idea of where it comes from or what is causing it?
Sounds to me, pup, like you got yourself a bad case of sexphobia; an irrational fear of sex. This is classic: "I am aroused but I also have a very negative reaction. I have a cold, sinking feeling in my stomach. I become slightly dizzy and even occasionally nauseous." You should also know that phobias aren't particularly uncommon.
There's probably a good reason why you're experiencing this phobia. If you and I were working together I'd want to take a look at the incident you report happened to you in the 7th grade. You said you were propositioned. What does that mean exactly? You were 12 and someone came on to you? A peer? Someone older? Was it someone inappropriate; a family member, a clergy person, a teacher? Why did you have such a negative response?
That being said, getting over a phobia, of whatever kind — fear of flying, snakes, spiders, public speaking, or sex — can be accomplished without dredging up the past. Here's how you might begin:
- Identify the specifics of your fear as they play themselves out in your life now. What precisely frightens you about sex and/or intimacy?
- Create a plan to take the edge off your fear in small incremental steps. For example, start out with holding hands, move to embracing, then kissing. What behaviors push the panic button for you?
- Address each and every thing that hampers your progress. For example, why does kissing push your buttons while holding hands and/or cuddling don't?
- Be firm in your resolve to push past your discomfort and stretch your limits. Sinking to the lowest common denominator will not do.
- Address the emotional response you have to each aspect of your phobia before moving on to the next one. Build on your successes.
This is kinda hard to do on one's own, but it's not impossible. There are loads of books and programs on the market that can help an individual move through a phobia. You might want to do an online search, look for something like: overcoming a phobia.
Some people have success with visualization techniques, for others hypnotherapy works. Basically, it's simply a matter of desensitization — defusing the feared thing, and doing it incrementally.
Good luck
Name: Afeisha
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Location: Pennsylvania
I usually have orgasms when I masturbate, but when I'm having sex with my partner it's so hard to arrive at an orgasm, even when the sex is great?
Women suffer from performance anxiety too, ya know.
While performance anxiety is mostly talked about in terms of men and their erection problems, guys don't have a monopoly on this annoying issue.
I'd be willing to guess that you, my dear, have got some performance anxiety goin' on yourself, possibly even big time. Sad to say, this difficulty often plagues younger women the most. Young women tend to have less self-esteem. And if they are new to sex, they may feel like they don't know what they are doing, which can be both disturbing and distracting. On the other hand, if a young woman is not a sexual novice and she appears too knowledgeable about sex, she runs the risk of being labeled a slut. So basically, young women can't win for losing. It's friggin' regrettable, but there ya have it.
So let's see if we can get to the bottom of this, as it were. Let me ask you a few questions. First and foremost, where is your mind when you are having sex with a partner? Is it on the pleasure you are giving and receiving? Or is it, like so many people, on something other than the pleasurable sensations?
- If your mind is busy with how you look, or how you smell, or if you are wondering if that birthmark is too obvious. Or if you're worried about how accomplished you are at performing a particular sex act, or if you're concerned about your partner feelings for you. Then you may have performance anxiety.
- If you're anxious about what your partner is thinking of you; or if he/she is turned on by you; or loves you; or is just bangin' away at you like a slab of beef. Then you may have performance anxiety.
- If you're afraid to let go and have a screamin' meme of an orgasm, because it might not look lady-like; or you're not sure you can trust the person who's bumpin' you enough to just relax and enjoy the ride. Then you may have performance anxiety.
This being said, performance anxiety is only one explanation for the problem you experience in partnered sex. Many women report that their partnered sex is not as satisfying as their solo sex, because they're not able to stimulate themselves in the same fashion in partnered sex as you do when they're jillin' off on their own. If you are self-conscious about showing your partner the particulars of gettin yourself off, or too intimidated to incorporate a vibrator in your love making, you might not be getting the kind of stimulation you need when you need it. Thus you might be aroused, but not to the point of lettin' one loose…if ya catch my drift.
Finally, one of the easiest solutions to this problem is to simply have a frank discussion with your partner(s) about what gets you off before the fuck-fest begins. That will clear the air of unnecessary anticipation and you both will be able to relax more into the event itself, rather than being distracted by the externals.
Good luck


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I sold a nude one a month ago for $7.50 I don't know if that helps or not.
Helps. I paid $5 for this one. I just wasn't sure. I don't collect this size, so I will probably pass it on. Thanks.
Which toxic robot ? There is a Professor Gangrene that you could squeeze and his guts would pop out through what looks like a net\ shirt. There is also a Dr. X with exposed "toxic gut" with green goo that flows through it when you turn him upside down- but every one I've seen has the goo dried up - and mine was new in the box. I posted a pic of him in the weirdest toy thread under modern toys.
Sorry about the size it's not from my own flickr
>I really like toxic robot figure the the one with the squishy guts. dont think they were available here in canada.
this was supposed to say "and the". Toxic robot doesnt have squishy guts.
Those are VERY cool!!!
1995 Action Man Villian Dr.X Dr x Kenner New in Box | eBay
I like this guy too. The Mohawk & Mustache look is really under-rated IMHO.
BTW, since I'm in this thread, I was wonderin' if you guys could help me out identifying the last of my unknown accessories.
I've gotten this HUGE mixed lot of 80s toys.
I'm totally not lazy, I've done a heap of research so far & identified most of it, but these are the last mysteries to me.
The lot had He-Man, Other World, Starriors, Fantasy World, GI Joe, Robo Force, Blackstar, Sectaurs and heaven knows what else.
I have no idea what that orange bird legged gun & twirly thing & spears made of the same plastic are from.
I originally thought GI Joe, but the spears go with it so I guess not. That looks like a boars head on the end of the twirly.
That rubber bat wing has a peg to attach to a back. The weapons on the left seem to attach to vehicles.
The ones on the right have the same sized pegs for hands.
The spiked club in the middle is made of rubber.
Any help would be massively appreciated. !
Last edited by Splitty; Feb 11, '12 at 1:38 PM.


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A group calling itself the Alliance of Religious Groups for the Love of Families Taiwan held a press conference at the Legislative Yuan on Wednesday to denounce efforts to legalize same-sex marriage. However, what came across in statements was an appalling amount of claptrap and intolerance.
While everyone has the right to their own view on what does or should constitute a legal marriage, the pronouncements made by some of the religious representatives should not go unchallenged, especially because they fall into the same broad categories used by bigots of all stripes worldwide.
The first of these fallacies was "the end of civilization as we know it" warning. Unification Church Taiwan vice president Paul Chang (張全鋒) said legalizing same-sex marriage "is a downward step that will lead to the collapse of civilizations." This warning is almost as old as time itself and is used for every manner of dire predictions. Civilizations do collapse, but as a result of a combination of factors including environmental and climate changes, hostile neighbors and social or cultural problems.
Lutheran Bishop Chen Chih-hung (陳志宏) raised the issue of family lineage and Taiwan's declining birthrate, asking: "Would you like to see the birthrate continue to decline due to same-sex marriage?" and "If your child or grandchild told you that he or she is homosexual and your family lineage would end with them, could you accept it?"
Taiwan does have one of the lowest birthrates in the world and this has been the cause of much angst. The fertility rate fell to 0.9 births per woman in 2011, before rebounding to 1.265 at the beginning of this year, a bump that the Ministry of the Interior attributed to government policies such as subsidies and expanded preschool and daycare centers, and to the last lunar year being the Year of the Dragon, which is considered an auspicious time to give birth.
Women are choosing to have fewer children because of greater education and job opportunities for them, rising costs of education and living, lack of affordable childcare and other socio-economic factors. Same-sex unions are not a factor. Pressure from parents on their descendants can be intense, but that does not always lead to good marriages or children. Being gay also does not mean you cannot procreate or be a good parent.
Buddhist master Shih Ching-yao (釋淨耀) also focused on the need for families that produce children, which he termed both a duty and the basis of social stability. He probably did not intend to introduce a note of levity to proceedings by adding: "People should not sacrifice this important moral value just because they want to enjoy sex."
In case these warnings were not enough to cause panic, Chang came out with several non sequiturs, such as "legalizing same-sex marriage is legalizing adultery, incest and group sex," that the gay rights movement just wanted to create more homosexuals through group sex, and that children raised in same-sex families are more likely to become criminals or victims of sexual violence.
About the only positive thing to say about his fantasies is that at least he did not raise the possibility of same-sex marriages leading to human-animal marriages, as some politicians in the US have done.
Then Chen said: "Would you like to see more people being infected with AIDS due to same-sex marriage?" This was another non sequitur, as research reports have noted that while more than 90 percent of the people known to have HIV in Taiwan are male, since the mid-2000s, intravenous drug users have accounted for more than 50 percent of the new cases.


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Home › Scene › High Spirits ›
High Spirits
THE PARTY Designs for Dignity hosted its annual fundraiser, Spirit of Design Celebration, at Ignite Glass Studio in West Town. THE PLAYERS The event co-chairs, Wendy Cohen and John Michon, played hosts for the entire evening, which also featured VIP celebrities Mariel Hemingway, Chris Jacobs and Francine Turk. THE HIGHLIGHTS Guests enjoyed amazing glassblowing demonstrations, a French villa raffle, an awesome auction and endless food and cocktails. Best of all, the night was a tremendous success, raising more than $153,000 for the work of Designs for Dignity. Be sure to save the date for next year's event, May 8, 2014! Photography by Francis Son


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Deck Inspection in Fayetteville, GA
You will need a regular deck inspection to make sure that you new home addition in Fayetteville, GA is in good shape. The most common problem with home decks are problems with rot and insect damage. Our deck inspectors have been thoroughly evaluating decks in the Fayetteville area for many years now and we guarantee that we can help you make sure that your deck is safe and secure.
Deck Inspectors in Fayetteville, Georgia
During the check-up of your home, our deck inspectors will check the wood by probing it with special tools. If the tools are able to easily penetrate the wood, then it's very likely that you have a problem with rot or with bugs, such as termites. Wood rot and termite damage is common problem in Fayetteville, Georgia found beneath the deck and on railings, stairs, and floor joists. This wood rot is usually caused from the deck being in too close of contact with soil, or if there's an abundant amount of moisture found below the deck. To help prevent this wood/soil contact, it's recommended that you have the wooden posts secured with concrete blocks to prevent the soil contact altogether.
Here at Deck Builder America we provide thorough deck inspections for surface damage from the sun. The floor of your deck should be around 2 inches thick. If there are severe areas of wear and tear from the sun's rays, they may need to be fixed or replaced. Your deck floor should be durable and secure enough to not flex or bend when someone is walking on top of it or if something heavy, like deck furniture, is placed on it. We will also check the deck flooring boards to make sure they aren't butted too close to one another. There needs to be enough space to allow water to pass through. Trapped moisture could lead to wood rot.
Your guard railings will also be examined to make sure that they are secure and provide protection for your family and other guests. Any deck which is 30 inches above the ground will need to have a guard rail in place. They're also required on any open sides of stairs. We will check for areas of rot, missing pieces, or loose boards.
Deck Restoration in Georgia
If your deck's flooring, guard rails, support beams, floor joists, or stairs are in need of repair, Deck Builders USA can provide you with deck restoration work. Our deck builders and designers have helped fix and restore thousands of decks in the Fayetteville, Georgia area, and we are eager to help you next! We have a crew of professionals who know how to help damaged areas match the rest of your deck in style and color.


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Memorial Library | Campus Tour 2019
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Latest News
Miami man is fourth to accuse Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of sexual abuse
A Miami man has become the fourth to accuse Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash of sex abuse when he was a teenager.
The alleged victim, now 33 and identified in New York court as "S.R.," met Clash when the puppeteer vacationed in South Florida in 1995 or 1996, said his attorney, Jeff Herman of Aventura.
"He was on South Beach looking for a job when he met Kevin. He was going in and out of stores in South Beach. That's when Kevin saw him," Herman told The Miami Herald.
After Clash, now 52, returned home to New York, he stayed in touch with the teen by telephone. Soon, he invited the boy to visit him and bought him a plane ticket.
"He had previously been abused before," Herman said of the teen. "He was hesitant to go to New York, but Kevin convinced him he'd be a father figure to him. Kevin used the word 'dad.' Once there, it was a sexual thing."
Four days later, the "homesick" teen returned to South Florida, Herman said.
Clash — the original voice of TV puppet Elmo — resigned from Sesame Street after a second man alleged abuse.
His New York attorney, Michael Berger, has again denied the puppeteer did anything wrong.
"The lawsuit is without merit and we will vigorously defend the case and Mr. Clash's reputation," Berger said in a statement Monday.
Herman described the latest accuser, originally from the Caribbean, as "a compliant victim."
"A compliant victim participates in the sexual contact. They can't consent because they are too young," said Herman, who also represents three other alleged Clash victims.
Herman declined to identify the latest alleged victim, who still lives in Miami-Dade County and is seeking unspecified damages in his lawsuit.
Before he met Clash, the teen was sexually abused by a Miami-Dade County schoolteacher, said Herman, who is "evaluating" whether to sue in that case.
"Unfortunately, he's had a lot of problems I see in other victims," said Herman, who also represents alleged abuse victims who have sued the Catholic Church and the Boy Scouts. "He's had addictions, antisocial behavior including trouble with the law. He's been arrested for theft. His life was really a mess. Hopefully, this will be a stepping stone for him to take back the power to heal."
Herman explained why the accuser never before told his story:
"The reason that he's able to come forward now is that, I believe, there's this collective empowerment," Herman said. "They never feel anyone's going to believe them. When they see other victims coming forward, they think. 'Maybe they will believe me. Maybe it's safe to come forward.' "


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They said what? What you didn't see during the Grammys
Quotes and sightings from the red carpet and backstage at the Grammys.
A fun. night: Indie-pop winners fun. (song of the year, We Are Young; best new artist) poked fun at themselves backstage, pointing out that just because their hit single implied they were youthful, the lines on their face said otherwise.
"I think we look completely age appropriate," said Jack Antonoff. "Actually, here's our secret. The money that other bands spend on drugs, we spend on having a yoga professional backstage, going to the gym ...on a lot of superfoods."
Nate Reuss, the lead singer, said it's nice to win for working hard and staying the course.
Although they won best new artist, they've been working away at this for 12 years. "Our goal was never to figure out what to do to be a success, we just wanted to build a fan base that appreciated what we did."
"I don't want a Grammy Award for being something that I'm not," Reuss said.
Added Reuss, "There's also a lot of false advertising going on. When you write a song called We Are Young, people assume you must be young. 'Hey, but they've got bags under their eyes ...but they must be young, right?'"
The New York-based band said winning tonight's two Grammys was especially rewarding after a long, unrecognized slog in the music business. Reuss noted, "It means a lot to be recognized by our peers. We're musicians and songwriters first."
He added that the band strove to build a fan base more than chart a single. "We didn't think about what type of band we wanted to be (in order to succeed). We've always been lucky to have fans who came to see us for who we were. Over the years we learned that we just wanted to be ourselves. I don't want a Grammy Award for something we didn't put our heart into. We always thought we were just lucky to draw some people at a club. So to get this now based on being ourselves feels great."
Ending on a high note: Mumford & Sons, the British band that took best album honors for Babel, sat through a long pre-telecast and most of the 3 1/2-hour show before an envelope finally went their way.
"We were in the pre-tel stuff, and we had six nominations," Marcus Mumford said after the show. "We were like, cool, we got six nominations. Then one after the other, it was the Black Keys, the Black Keys. We resigned ourselves that it would be the Black Keys' year. We really didn't care about winning."
But now that they have?
"It's (expletive) awesome!" he said.
Zac Brown's emotional moment: Brown teared up a bit on stage when accepting the Grammy for best country album. He said he could have predicted as much. "Our whole band runs on love and it's hard not to be thankful to everyone. But I left out my four daughters at home ... I was literally in shock," he said. "It doesn't take much to get me in tears."
MORE: Grammy Awards winners' list
Brown and his band got to perform with Mavis Staples, Elton John and other greats during the show's tribute to Levon Helm, and with Bruce Springsteen at Friday's MusicCares show. The experience has left Brown shaken — in a good way.
"This whole weekend is like out of a dream, it's like hanging out with my entire CD collection. Then winning a Grammy.... I don't know what else is going to happen tonight but it will feel amazing no matter what," he said.
Brown attributed the current surge in the popularity of acoustic-based music to "everything running in cycles, and now it's back to the roots, people who play their own instruments, like Mumford & Sons winning (album of the year). It's great to see that real music is getting the spotlight."
Brown closed by saying his band is now out to prove that the curse of winning the best new artist Grammy (which they did in 2010) "is not true, we're just getting started."
A win fit for a Prince: After winning record of the year for Somebody That I Used to Know, Gotye and Kimbra seemed less thrilled by the award than by the presenter, Prince. "I couldn't have dreamed of that," Kimbra said.
"We're both pretty huge fans of his," Gotye said, "I think under his breath, he said, 'I love this song.' I didn't expect to win any of the categories we were nominated in. It's a little bit flabbergasting."
Even after the past year of worldwide exposure, Gotye (pronounced goat-yay) continues to confound many with his stage name, inspired by the French Gauthier. He recalls a memorable mangling by a tourist in Milwaukee, who hollered at him, "You, that guy from Guy-yo-tee!"
Gotye says he's relishing his Grammy high. "I'm supremely jet-lagged, (which is) also why I'm feeling supremely delirious," he said. "I don't mind if I don't have another moment like this with a song."
Carrie Underwood's secret: Speaking of the dress-as-prop she wore during her Grammy performance, which served as a small screen for a series of animated projections, Underwood said the seed of the idea was from an LED dress she wore on her tour.
"This is projection but ... well, I probably should tell my secrets," she said with a smile. "But there are so many big performances at the Grammys and sometimes I like to just stand still and perform. So (the dress) was the best way to do it, to create a cool environment."
Of the night's performances, she was particularly taken by The Weight, the ensemble tribute to the late The Band drummer Levon Helm. "I love seeing those collaborations that would never happen anywhere else, it's always cool to see," she said.
Underwood also was proud to see Nashville-based artists and country music in particular so well represented at the 55th Grammys.
"I won't say (country) has been overlooked but we have always done such great stuff, and people have supported us, and sometimes I feel like there should have been a couple more country people represented. This year they had more represented, and I feel proud to be a part of that."
Living the dream: The-Dream (stage name for Terius Youngdell Nash) won the Grammy for No Church In The Wild, best rap/sung collaboration with Kanye and Frank Ocean.
On Frank Ocean, he said, "We all knew how great he was, and he's here now, I really don't have to say anything else."
The-Dream has a new album coming out soon; he describes it as "pretty sexual."
"It's designed to make one good thing, to make a nice child that grows up to be good to the human race. It's an honest record."
He says he wasn't a fan of the CBS dress code that requested women not show skin. "From a male perspective? I mean, a guy who makes love-making CDs, I'd say it's not a good dress code," he said to laughs from the press corps. "Guys stop aging at fifth grade, we only want to see one thing, so that (rule) just shut some viewers out. But people make up rules so you can break them. I wore the hat," pointing to his cap that bore the logo of the 1991 movie Boyz In the Hood.
The Carters call it a night: Beyonce and Jay-Z head out...for good? Maybe they had to take the babysitter home.
Dress code violation!: Rihanna's third dress change for the evening, for the Bob Marley tribute, bared her midriff and barely covered her breasts. Every time she lifted her arms, peek-a-boo! A dress code violation?
Commercial break intel: Did you spot Girls creator and actress Lena Dunham in a yellow dress in the audience? She's dating fun. guitarist Jack Antonoff. And for the record, way more stars behave and stay seated at the Grammys than at any other awards show.
Galaxies collide: Adele and Beyoncé hug and chat during the commercial break.
Soul singers: Kelly Rowland, in a snug and revealing black gown by Georges Chakra, laughed when asked about the CBS memo warning Grammy artists to dress appropriately. "I almost broke the code," she said. "If I turn to the side, I might."
She dutifully read it. "I respect it," she said. "See? I wore clothes."
As excited as Rowland is about her own music, she's still bubbling about the Destiny's Child reunion at Beyoncé's Super Bowl performance last week in New Orleans. "I cannot begin to tell you how much fun that was," she said. "It was such a beautiful moment. I miss those moments with my sisters. It was hard to keep that secret!"
The show highlight for her so far? Justin Timberlake. "That boy's just got too much soul!" The entire arena stood for the duration of Timberlake's set.
Skrillex's electric win: Electronica sensation Skrillex won best dance/electronica album for Bangarang and dance recording for its title track, adding to the three Grammys he won last year. "I thought I would get used to it but I tripped over every word up there in my acceptance speech," he said. "I felt like I jumped in a pool of ice water."
His plans? To keep it real. "I don't really do much press and don't like to talk about my music too much before it's out. With Bangarang, I didn't do any marketing campaigns. I always kept it organic. I want to expand upon what organic really means. The electronic music scene came up from the underground."
He plans to maintain that mindset despite mainstream success. "I've kept my team very close and very tight," he says, noting that he and Bangarang vocalist Sirah "have made records in 150-square-foot lofts with cockroaches. The cool thing is, we've all kept our spirit. I'm going to make the music I love."
Unstoppable Adele: Adele, last year's Grammy magnet with a six-trophy sweep, won her ninth, in pop solo performance, for a live version of Set Fire to the Rain. Backstage, she talked about the challenge of balancing her demanding career with new motherhood.
"I've been up since 6 a.m.!" she said. "I haven't been as stressed out. You have to prioritize."
As for any progress on a follow-up to her blockbuster 21 album, "I'm not very far along at all," she said. "I'm having lots of meetings. I've been out of the loop. I've been singing lots of nursery rhymes."
Her next big gig is singing the nominated Skyfall theme at the Feb. 24 Oscars.
Zac Brown's zing: The leader of the Zac Brown Band talked about the return to Americana and acoustic music, saying in jokey sarcasm, "It's kind of amazing — people playing their own instruments, writing and singing their own songs. It's amazing!"
All the boldfaced girls: Rihanna, Beyoncé, Katy Perry all sneaked into the gated area behind the red carpet so they didn't have to get near reporters on the carpet. Instead, they went to Seacrest, who failed to ask them about the things people most wanted to know.
Bonnie Raitt on her Americana album win for Slipstream: "I'm so happy. That's where my heart is. Americana covers so much of what I love and crosses generations." She said, "Acoustic music hasn't gone away."
Asked why Americana music as a genre seems to be popular, the legendary blueswoman shrugged. "You know, great music just rises to the top, great melodies and people that mean it when they sing them," she said, then adding with a smile, "It's refreshing when it comes around again, but where I'm from it's always in."
This is Raitt's 10th Grammy; she won in 1996 and had a four-Grammy run in 1990, which was credited for sending her career back into the fast lane. Comparing that big win with this one is natural, she said.
"It felt the same, it was like hyperspace (then and now)," she said. "The fact that the public is buying these records is amazing. For me to eke through this year, it felt fantastic."
Raitt, 63, fell in love with folk and blues many decades ago, when as a 13-year-old she heard Bob Dylan's The Times They Are A-Changin' and had an epiphany.
"I was a Quaker, my family was political, and although I was already a folkie then, there was something about his records," she said. "It set me on a path of wanting to play folk music."
Kimbra is patriotic: She's wearing a dress by Australian designer Jaime Lee Major.
Rock on: The four members of Halestorm were stunned to win the hard rock/metal trophy over vets Anthrax, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Lamb of God and Marilyn Manson.
"Who screwed up and gave us a Grammy?" singer Lzzy Hale said.
First time: Cajun singer Wayne Toups, nominated for the first time, won the regional roots music Grammy with Steve Riley and Wilson Savoy for The Band Courtbouillon album.
"Next year, we shoot for another one," he said. "I accidentally stumbled on to this one."
Toups was on a cruise with his cellphone turned off when nominations were announced in December. Once on land, his phone "just blew up."
"I booked my flight and bought a suit," he says.
Miranda keeps to the code: Country singer Miranda Lambert was wearing a floor-length blue Roberto Cavalli dress with a long train."I know it's crazy to wear a dress with a train at the Grammys, people keep stepping on it," she says. Asked if she had gotten the memo about the Grammy dress code she raised an eyebrow and said, "I'm country, I wasn't going to exactly be having my cheeks hanging out."
Chick Corea dishes out jazz wisdom: Jazz can't be easily defined and shouldn't be, said Chick Corea, who won Grammys for instrumental composition and improvised jazz solo.
"You can't pin jazz down," he said. "Jazz musicians are always trying new forms. It's basically black music, African music mixed with Americana. I think jazz is what influences pop music to a large degree, the beats and the rhythms."
Quincy Jones and his ladies: The producer glides by with his girl group Blush. They are singing their way down the red carpet by request. "We discovered each other. They've got it!" He tapped the reporter's USA TODAY mic and said, "I do the puzzles on this (in the newspaper) every day, it's good for your mind, man."
Esperanza Spalding on two Grammy wins: She said she is wearing a "sustainable fashion"-style gown. "I just won! Tonight is especially exciting because my teacher won a Grammy, we co-won!" (They shared the award for best instrumental arrangement accompanying vocalists.) Her teacher, Thara Memory, in a wheelchair, was with her on the red carpet. "To be recognized on the world stage for this, it feels like something right was going on." She said she met her teacher when she was 8.
Jack White vs. The Beatles: He was asked about being honored for his recent album, Blunderbuss. "All things are political in life. You take it for how it goes" when it comes to being recognized. What does he think about vinyl now that his album has outsold The Beatles' Abbey Road in 2012? "I definitely think it's coming back, it's the only segment in music that's increasing in sales."
On the White Stripes getting back together: "No. No more. I wish, but no more."
Deadmau5 on his rising fame: "It's going into popularity, it's all mainstream now but I'm not a spokesperson for it. It just happens to be the stuff I like to do." He's with girlfriend Kat Von D, who said, "I'm pretty easygoing, I just take it in for what it is." Preparing for the show: "I was getting ready and he was working on a masterpiece of a song. I'm a pretty proud girlfriend."
Carly Rae Jepsen on being nervous: "I'm surprisingly relaxed, it's really surreal to me." She was wearing a fully beaded Roberto Cavalli gown. "I chose it because I felt like a mermaid, like Ariel when she stepped out of the water for the first time." Did the dress code influence her? "No, not really, I was always going to play it pretty safe."
Ziggy Marley on his father, who's being honored tonight: "It's not every day that reggae music is put in such a mainstream event, especially in America. After all these years he keeps helping us out." On Marley, the documentary on his father: "I was personally involved, I executive-produced it." He commented on its "true sincerity."
Janis Ian speaks up: Her work, Society's Child: My Autobiography, took the spoken word Grammy over entries by Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, Rachel Maddow and Ellen DeGeneres.
"I can't believe I won over them," said Ian, 61, who wrote her signature hit at 13. Music means more to her now because she's more aware of its power as a great leveler that cuts across class, gender, race, she said.
What did she learn over the years? "Once you look at money as the goal or fame as the goal, that's when it all goes south," she said.
Chris Brown is OK: Ryan Seacrest just interviewed the singer on the red carpet; he was wearing a white suit, no tie, white shoes. He showed no sign of his car crash Saturday, even though his Porsche was totaled, and he did NOT have Rihanna with him. Nor did Seacrest even ask about the girlfriend he's back with despite his assault on her in 2009. He also suggested the car crash might have had something to do with the paparazzi.
Sticking to dress code: "I heard about the (CBS) dress code but only at the last minute, so I decided to not wear my speedo," Redfoo, real name Stefan Kendal Gordy, of LMFAO says. The singer sports a black crushed velvet suit with a GoPro camera strapped to his chest. For him, being at the Grammys -- "It's a dream come true. You watch it growing up and you never think that's gonna be you up there."
Security: With nerves running high over fugitive ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner, security has been beefed up at the Staples Center, site of tonight's Grammy Awards. Additional barriers have been erected and a larger-than-usual contingent of police officers is in place.
Ashanti sweeps red carpet: The singer arrives wearing Tony Ward. "It's kind of vintage classy and sexy," she says. On the CBS memo about the Grammys dress code, she says, "I literally didn't get the memo, but I feel like I'm keeping it nice and classy." She was just cast in a role on Lifetime's Army Wives. "It's a great part, but I will definitely use it as a platform for my music."
An outfit from beyond: Al Walser, nominee for best dance dance recording, came to the red carpet dressed like an astronaut on the moon. "Well, for me, the first biracial nominee from Liechtenstein, it feels like a moon landing," he says. Is it comfortable? "No, there's a tremendous amount of weight on my shoulders. But that's OK."
Brian Wilson has a lot to 'Smile' about: The Beach Boys icon, recovering from back surgery, had difficulty negotiating the stairs to the backstage podium, but offered a grin when it came to talking about The Smile Sessions, which won the Grammy for historical album, a win he shares with three other producers.
"It's an honor," he says.
Next week, he heads into a studio to work on solo material. Will he resume working with the Beach Boys, who staged a big reunion tour in 2012?
"I doubt it, I don't think so," he said.
Billy Vera, better late than never: At 68, veteran singer/songwriter Billy Vera won his first Grammy, in album notes, for Ray Charles' Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles. How did he feel about finally getting a trophy for writing liner notes rather than writing songs?
"I'll take it any way I can get it," he said.
Ray Charles "has always been my hero," Vera said. "When we started The Beaters, I wanted the band to be similar in style to his '50s band when he was on Atlantic."
Joan Osbourne on being nominated in blues category: "When I first started singing these were the types of people I was emulating, people like Etta James, Otis Redding."
On blues trending today: "You look at bands like Alabama Shakes and The Black Keys, they're steeped in the blues."


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Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney could look to raise interest rates if excessive borrowing by Canadian consumers and companies risks hurting the economy.
In a speech in New York, Carney said Friday that low interest rates over a prolonged period can cloud financial judgments and prompt companies and people to borrow too much for too long.
But, he said the central bank's inflation-fighting policy framework allows flexibility to address such worries.
While the first line of defence against a buildup of consumer and corporate debt is regulation and supervision of the banking and credit industries, Carney said interest rate policy can also be used.
"Monetary policy has a broad influence on financial markets and on the leverage of financial institutions that cannot be avoided,'' Carney said in his speech.
"This bluntness makes monetary policy an inappropriate tool to deal with sector-specific imbalances but a valuable one to address imbalances that may have economy-wide implications.''
Carney noted that Canadian banks are reinforcing their balance sheets to meet new international rules ahead of schedule and the federal government has tightened home mortgage financing rules to help prevent consumers from borrowing more than they can handle.
However, the Bank of Canada warned earlier this week that Canadians -- with higher mortgage debt linked to rising house prices in many markets -- are becoming increasingly vulnerable to a housing slump.
The bank did not suggest a U.S.-style housing collapse for Canada, but noted that home prices have risen sharply in the past dozen or so years along with debt, as homebuyers have needed both bigger mortgages to buy homes and used equity from higher home values to finance other purchases.
The central bank has calculated that a 10 per cent drop in home prices could generate a one per cent decline in consumption, which would slow economic growth.
Carney's speech came ahead of a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors scheduled for the weekend where they are expected to focus on promoting global economic stability and growth.
The central bank recently completed a review of its monetary policy framework and reaffirmed its position on annual inflation targets of two per cent, within a broad range of one to three per cent.
Under its framework, the bank aims to return inflation to a medium-term target while limiting volatility in other areas in the economy.
However, Carney noted that flexibility in the time it takes to return inflation to the target rate cannot be arbitrary and needs a clear and transparent approach.
The U.S. Federal Reserve has said that its fed funds rate is expected to remain at exceptionally low levels at least through late 2014.
"Extraordinary forward policy guidance within a flexible IT framework helped the Bank of Canada provide additional stimulus when it was needed and should help the Fed do the same. The Fed's experience with a published interest rate path in conventional times, when they return, is something we will watch with interest,'' Carney said.
The Bank of Canada's key overnight rate has been set at one per cent for more than a year.
Inflation edged up in January to 2.5 per cent, boosted by an increase in gasoline prices. However, the underlying core inflation rate _ which excludes volatile items such as some fresh food and gas _ rose to 2.1 per cent, one tick higher than the Bank of Canada's target.
Also on HuffPost


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A new resident to Michigan, Lee Ann recently moved from Asheville, North Carolina where she read tarot professionally and taught various workshops regarding tarot, meditation, magick and psychic protection. Naturally intuitive, Lee Ann has been working with Tarot and its many facets for over twenty years. She combines her knowledge of tarot with the gift of intuition to give honest, clear, and insightful readings. She feels tarot is an amazing tool to be used for spiritual growth and self-empowerment; a map toward one's true goals and higher purpose. To make an appointment with Lee Ann at the Boston Tea Room call (734) 281-2244.
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