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Digital Production
The Gnomon Workshop offers the most comprehensive set of Digital Production tutorials anywhere. The broad scope of the tutorials contained in this section range from foundational understanding of the software tools all the way to the professional application of these tools and concepts used by artists working in the film and game industries.
Entertainment Design
The Gnomon Workshop is widely regarded as the global leader in training tutorials for the designer working in the entertainment industry. With tutorials ranging from foundational drawing and design concepts to process tutorials from some of the top concept and character designers in the world, there is surely something here to inspire.
As the tattoo industry has seen an explosion in popularity over the last few years, the need training in this field has also grown. In these video tutorials, some of the top tattoo artists in the world share their techniques and their take on the art of tattoo. The tutorials range from absolute beginner level to advanced color and blending techniques used by some of the world's best.
The Gnomon Workshop offers professional training on most of the software applications used in today's digital pipelines. There are foundational titles to introduce users to the software and tools, as well as advanced production titles that discuss application tools and processes vital to the production of digital assets and media.
Professional Training for Artists
The Gnomon Workshop seeks out the most highly-regarded traditional and digital artists and technicians currently working in the entertainment and design industries. Our instructors have shared their practices working at such top studios as Pixar, ILM, Blizzard, and many more.Instructor GalleriesInstructor Interviews
Sang Jun Lee received his BFA in Illustration at the Academy of Art University in California. After graduating, he continued to explore his imagination by specializing in character, costume, and creature design for feature film, commercial and game studios. Such clients include Industrial Light & Magic, Lucasfilm, Blue Sky Studios, Sony Computer Entertainment, and Electronic Arts. His film credits include Pirates of the Caribbean, Star Wars: Episode III, Men in Black II, Hulk, War of the Worlds, Dr Seuss' Horton Hears a Who, and Blue Sky's 2011 release, Rio.
"The mark of a good character designer is the ability to infuse personality and then individuality to all the designs he or she makes. Sang Jun Lee possesses a great ability to do all that...and he draws really well. That recipe makes some tasty food for anyone wanting to study character design."
"In these days of digital shortcuts and lightspeed deadlines, good draughtsmanship—the apex skill of almost every art—has become a rebel force fighting the galactic empire in many schools and studios. Fortunately for us, Star Wars and Blue Sky concept artist Sang Jun Lee is a sketching master, and reveals not only his hard-won secrets for creating characters and ideas out of thin air, but how much more powerful they can be when you've really truly learned to draw."
Try a Class on Campus
Gnomon specializes in computer graphics education for careers in the entertainment industry.


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Ill. Climatologist Expects US Drought Through 2013
ST. LOUIS - Illinois' state climatologist says he believes the worst U.S. drought in decades likely will continue through next year.
The Belleville News-Democrat reports that Jim Angel of the Illinois State Water Survey says "it's going to be a long, slow recovery from this particular drought." Angel spoke Thursday during a conference in St. Louis about the Mississippi River's future.
More than 60 percent of the continental U.S. has been gripped by some form of drought since last summer. More than 90 percent of Nebraska and Oklahoma were hit by extreme or exceptional drought. Those are the two worst classifications.
The drought has withered crops and lowered the Mississippi River's levels to a point that could force slowdowns, if not shutdowns, of barge traffic between St. Louis and Cairo (KEHR'-oh).

subset: commoncrawl


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Friday, March 22, 2013
My Mom's Macaroni and Cheese
My mom is not much of a cook. This she will admit to any of you. But the woman can boil pasta an melt velveeta like nobody's business. Growing up, macaroni and cheese was make homemade only for special occasions. Any other time it came out of a box. Macaroni and cheese in general is something that one bite and I am transported into time. Funny that my son will not eat it this way. He finds it too cheesy. I do not know where this child came from.
My Mom's Macaroni and Cheese
2 TB butter
2 TB flour
1 cup whole milk warmed up (micro works perfect 1 minute)
2 cups elbow macaroni cooked but not all the way
1/2 box veleveeta cubed
1 tsp dry mustard
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Mustard- and Brown Sugar- Rubbed Salmon
This was a very easy recipe. I bought a huge bag of frozen salmon (think costco) and took out a couple pieces and tossed into the fridge in the morning.
I liked this recipe because the whole dinner was about 326 calories for us.
Mustard- and Brown Sugar- Rubbed Salmon
recipe adapted from Preventive Magazine
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
4 salmon fillets (6 ounces each), skin removed
1 teaspoon olive oil
Stir together the sugar, salt, pepper, cumin, and mustard in a small bowl. Press the sugar mixture evenly onto the top surface of the fish.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook the fish, rub side down, for 4 minutes or until the rub dissolves and darkens slightly (being careful not to burn). Flip the fish and cook for 3 minutes or until the fish is opaque
Do you ever play with a classic recipe? Dijon Chicken Fried Steak with Pan Gravy
Sometimes I feel like changing things up and boy did I this time! I took a family favorite and spun it! Some liked it and some not so much. My kids are not a fan of sweet potato mash. I am not sure if it is a texture thing or that they just love my mashed potatoes with all the heart stopping goodness and refuse to love anything else. Elverything else on this meal was a hit. The Dijon was a nice change for a dinner time meal.
Dijon Chicken Fried Steak with Pan Gravy
4 cube steaks
4 tb dijon approx
1 cup flour
salt and pepper
1/2 cup oil
I started with smearing Dijon Mustard on both sides of the cube steak
and heat on medium high. Fry the meat until golden brown on both sides
Monday, March 18, 2013
Do you have a favorite Meatloaf recipe? Mine happens to be Italian Meatloaf
I have a girlfriend that has meatloaf every Monday. Meatloaf Monday as she calls it. I love that! I always loved meatloaf as a kid. I would get excited for the leftovers, not caring for the dinner. I would beg my mother to just make me a sandwich for dinner. Please! She would never allow to. To this day when I make my family meatloaf I sneak a half sandwich before dinner. I cant help it. I don't care the calories it blows my diet. It is meatloaf and I am going for the glory! This recipe is not figure friendly, but it happens to be my family's favorite. It is the one that I go back to time and time again. This is a HUGE recipe. You can make either 2 logs of meatloaf or my favorite is to make one meatloaf and then make meatballs and freeze them for later in the month. Use a throw away pan and sseparate them on the pan. You will just need to bake them.
Italian Meatloaf
1/3 cup whole milk
2 slices good quality white bread with crust removed
1 pound italian sausage or ground pork
2 pounds ground beef (not too lean you can drain the fat later)
1 package prosciutto
1 egg
1/2 cup onion finely chopped (or you can grate it)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 TB low sodium Worcestershire sauce
1 cup parmesan grated (use the fresh)
1/3 cup Ketchup
salt and pepper (easy on the salt the pork is salty)
Preheat oven 325
remove the crust from the bread. You could make croutons out of it if you don't like wasting it!
put into the oven and bake 45 minutes. After 45 minutes pull out and glaze the meatloaf.
To glaze the meatloaf take
1/2 cup Ketchup
1/2 cup Chili sauce
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Marisa Peñaloza
Marisa Peñaloza is a Producer on the National Desk. From breaking news to documentary-style features, Peñaloza's productions are among the signature pieces heard on NPR's award-winning newsmagazines Morning Edition, All Things Considered and Weekend Edition. Her work has covered a wide array of topics, from hurricanes, education, immigration, politics and the economy to homeland security and litigation. She has also produced investigative reports and traveled across the U.S. and the world for NPR.
Although Peñaloza's permanent assignment is on the National Desk, she occasionally travels overseas on assignment. She was in Haiti soon after the heartquake hit near Port au Prince in early 2010. She's covered education in Peru and a dengue outbreak in El Salvador, the Madrid train bombings in Spain as well as the Tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia. Last year, she traveled to Honduras to cover the sock industry as part of a two-part series on globalization and to El Salvador to produce a series of stories on immigration. Her past productions include coverage of the Elian Gonzalez custody battle from Miami, protests outside the Navy site on the Island of Viequez, in Puerto Rico, the aftermath of the crash of the American Airlines flight 587 in New York. She contributed to NPR's 9/11 coverage. Peñaloza was one of the first NPR staff members to arrive on the Virginia Tech campus to cover the shootings in 2007. She was on assignment in Houston waiting for hurricane Ike to make landfall in September 2008, and she continues to produce coverage of New Orleans recovery after Katrina.
Peñaloza is an award-winning journalist. This year, Peñaloza and a NPR team were honored with several awards for "Dirty Money," an enterprising four-part series of stories that examined law enforcement's pursuit of suspected drug money, which they can confiscate without filing charges against the person carrying it. Local police and sheriffs get to keep a portion of the cash. The awards for "Dirty Money" include the Society of Professional Journalists' Sigma Delta Chi Award in the investigative reporting category; the Scripps Howard Foundation's National Journalism Foundation Award; and the RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award in the "best website" category.
In 2008, Peñaloza was honored by the Education Writers Association with its "National Award for Education Reporting" for a year-long NPR on-air and online series following a Baltimore-area high school's efforts to improve student achievement. She won the Nancy Dickerson Whitehead Award for Excellence in Reporting on Drug and Alcohol Problems in 2007, for a five-part series of stories that examined this country's gains and losses since the war on drugs was launched more than thirty years ago, "The Forgotten Drug Wars." She is the recipient of the 2005 unity award for producing Debbie Elliott's Brown vs Board of Education piece, "Before Desegregation: The Education Migration."
In 2003, Peñaloza produced a two-part story entitled "Corruption at the Gates." NPR correspondent John Burnett and Peñaloza discovered that some U.S. border officials are on the take, illegally passing drugs and immigrants into the country in return for bribes. The reports won them a National Headliner Award in the investigative reporting category.
In 2001, "Globalization and the Return of Dengue" won Peñaloza the Pan American Health Organization's Award for Excellence in International Health Reporting. The story was part of a series of stories for NPR and American Radio Works on globalization and disease.
Peñaloza made the leap from television to radio in 1997, when she joined NPR's National Desk. Before coming to NPR she was a staff at the local NBC station and a freelance writer for the Fox affiliate in Washington, DC.
Peñaloza graduated from the George Washington University in Washington, DC with bachelor's degrees in Broadcast Media and Political Science. She lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with her husband Eric Niiler, also a journalist, and son Diego.


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Dan Rather is slamming Donald Trump's comment Tuesday suggesting that "Second Amendment people" may be able to find a way to stop Democrat Hillary Clinton from rolling back gun rights if she's elected.
In a Tuesday Facebook post, the former CBS News anchor says the GOP presidential nominee "crossed a line with dangerous potential" by launching "a direct threat of violence against a political rival."
"By any objective analysis, this is a new low and unprecedented in the history of American presidential politics," Rather wrote. "This is no longer about policy, civility, decency or even temperament."
U.S. & World
Rather also says "history is watching" those who denounce Trump's comments, but continue to support the candidate.
"To anyone who still pretends this is a normal election of Republican against Democrat, history is watching," he wrote. "And I suspect its verdict will be harsh. Many have tried to do a side-shuffle and issue statements saying they strongly disagree with his rhetoric but still support the candidate. That is becoming woefully insufficient. The rhetoric is the candidate."
Trump told Fox News on Tuesday night that he was simply referring to the power that voters hold.
Rather left CBS News in 2006 on bitter terms following criticism over a report on former President George W. Bush's military service record that was based on questionable documents.


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Paul McCartney became the final Beatle to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Thursday, two days after the release of his latest album, "Kisses On The Bottom."
McCartney's star, the 2,460th, is alongside his fellow Beatles, Ringo Starr and the late George Harrison and John Lennon, in front of the Capital Records building on Vine Street.
During the ceremony McCartney thanked his former band mates, drawing cheers from the hundreds of fans gathered for the event.
Local news from across Southern California
"Way back in history, in Liverpool when we were kids and we were listening to Buddy Holly and all the rock 'n' roll greats, I would have never thought that the day would come when I'd be getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That was like an impossible thing to happen. But here we are today, and it's happening," McCartney said.
Rocker Neil Young helped introduce McCartney, saying the former Beatle was "at the top of his game."
"Not only was he playing differently because he played it left handed, he played notes that no one had put together before," says Young.
Some fans waited four hours for the big event.
"Missed him in concert," says fan Avery Meyers. "Glad I made it here."
The ceremony came one day before McCartney, 69, is honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year at a gala at the Los Angeles Convention Center and three days before he performs at the Grammy Awards at Staples Center.
"I couldn't have done it without, certainly, three boys -- so I want to say thanks to those guys, John, George and Ringo," says McCartney. "I couldn't have done it without them, so I want to thank those guys and bless them for being in my life."
Lennon was the first Beatle to receive a star. The ceremony was held Sept. 30, 1988, nearly eight years after his death.
Harrison also received his star posthumously. The ceremony was held on April 14, 2009, also nearly eight years after his death and coinciding with Capitol Records announcing plans for a new Harrison music release.
Starr received his star on Feb. 8, 2010, the 50th anniversary of groundbreaking on the Walk of Fame.
The Beatles as a group received a star on the Walk of Fame at 7080 Hollywood Blvd. on Dec. 25, 1998.
Follow NBCLA for the latest LA news, events and entertainment: Twitter: @NBCLA // Facebook: NBCLA


text: PreK - Grade 1. Learning the ABCs is a joy with this BIG, laminated flip chart featuring an easy-to-learn song for each letter of the alphabet! Turn to this sturdy, colorful resource every day to teach phonemic awareness, letter recognition, early reading skills, and more! Includes eye - catching illustrations, ready-to-go lesson plans, instant letter activities, PLUS all 26 songs on CD. Approximately 20"H x 15"W.


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State Rep. Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, just announced he will drop his efforts to get the House to vote to launch an impeachment investigation of Court of Criminal Appeals Presiding Judge Sharon Keller.
Burnam had said he wanted to impeach Keller because she cut off the appeals of condemned killer Michael Wayne Richard on Sept. 25, 2007, a day when he likely could have gotten a stay of execution based on a U.S. Supreme Court action earlier in the day.
Burnam said he will allow the State Commission on Judicial Conduct to complete its formal proceedings against Keller before asking the Legislature to act. Burnam said if the commission does not remove Keller from office, he will ask the next Legislature to impeach her.
Keller has denied any wrong-doing in the case and has tried to shift blame to Richard's lawyers.


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be (one's) (own) lookout(redirected from are your lookout)
be (one's) (own) lookout
To be a problem or difficulty that one has caused oneself. Primarily heard in UK. If you stay up till 3 AM, it's your own lookout if you sleep through your alarm.
See also: lookout
be ˈsb's (own) lookout(British English, informal) be somebody's problem because they are responsible for causing it: If he wants to invest all his money in one company, that's his lookout. ♢ It's my own lookout if I fail this exam.
See also: lookout


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2020 Ford F450 4X2 Chassis Cab With 169 Inch Wheelbase, Medium Earth Gray Vinyl, XL Trim, Medium Earth Gray Vinyl, 6.7L Power Stroke V8 Diesel, V8 Diesel, 10-Speed Automatic Transmission, 4.10 Ratio Limited Slip Axle, Power Heated Mirrors, Platform Running Boards, Engine Block Heater, Trailer Brake Controller, Jack, And Cruise Control. At Badger Truck & Auto Group, We Are A Truck Dealership With Sales Representatives Who Have Extensive Truck Knowledge And Can Help You Build And Price The Truck For Your Business Needs. Call Us To Get Started. Please Note That Pricing Does Not Include Eligible Incentives, Rebates, Or Bonus Cash.
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Coppell Classical Academy
Message from the Director
At Coppell Classical Academy, our educational vision recognizes the value of each child as a person and each parent as their primary educator. While teaching virtuous conduct and offering a generous curriculum, we prioritize the value of respecting and building the child's dignity as an individual while offering them an atmosphere which reflects truth, goodness, and beauty. Children have a natural appetite for knowledge, and we seek to offer sustenance for the child's mind by creating a rich intellectual environment for students to develop connections between all subjects.
Our priority is to cultivate a lifelong love of learning and virtuous character, within the nurturing context of a 21st Century classical education. As a charter school, our mission is to provide hope through a high quality and accessible educational option to parents and students. As you choose Coppell Classical Academy, we look forward to partnering with you in the education of your child.
With warmest regards,


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Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things on TV to watch while you stay at home and attempt to cap the BP oil leak by hiring a psychic. Why count on engineers to fail you, when hiring Madame Bubaretska is so much more fun? LET'S GO!
US OPEN FINAL ROUND – 4:00PM Sunday (NBC) Tiger Woods has remained remarkably low-key ever since returning at the Masters and then chickening out with a "neck injury" at the Players. BUCK BWACCCKK! Now, he returns for his second major of the year, at the course (Pebble Beach) where he had his most dominant major win. Also on hand is Phil Mickelson, hero to insufferable men over 40 everywhere. Mickelson can claim the number one ranking with a better showing than Woods this weekend. But I think we all know he's already number one IN YOUR HEART. Anyway, tune in for gorgeous scenery, along with Johnny Miller being generally unpleasant to everyone. ANTICIPATION: GOLF!
CMT CROSSROADS – 10:00PM Tonight (CMT) It's a country-rock combination tonight as Keith Urban rocks out on stage with John Mayer. Oh, that's right! John Mayer plays music! And here I remembered that he only spent his time tweeting and giving TMI interviews where he slags entire groups of people and embarrasses his ex-girlfriends. Fathers be good to your daughters, my foot! ANTICIPATION: YOUR TV SHOW IS A WONDERLAND!
THE REAL L WORD – 10:00PM Sunday (Showtime) Say, remember that show "The L Word" on Showtime? Where they featured attractive and self-centered lesbians bickering with one another? Well, guess what? The network has gone and found REAL lesbians who are attractive, self-centered, and like bickering with one another! All right! It's just like a decent "Red Shoes Diaries" episode, only it's real, and passes for legit drama, and David Duchovny isn't there to creep you out. Everyone wins! ANTICIPATION: LESBIANIC!
TIL DEATH – 7:00PM Sunday (FOX) It's the final episode of this Brad Garrett sitcom that hung around, oh, eighty years too long. Watch as it says goodbye and joins "Yes, Dear" in the pantheon of terrible sitcoms that hung around for an astonishingly long period of time. Know why this show failed? Because Garrett doesn't talk funny on it. Talk like Herman Munster again, tallboy! ANTICIPATION: BITTERSOUR!
SCOUNDRELS/THE GATES – 9:00PM & 10:00PM Sunday (ABC) It's the premiere of these two new ABC summer prime time sudsers. "Scoundrels" stars Virginia Madsen and that one dude from JAG, and it revolves around a family of criminals who have just seen their patriarch go to jail. It's just like "Arrested Development," which makes me wonder: Why is it NOT "Arrested Development"? I really liked that show.
Meanwhile, "The Gates" is about vampires. Yep. Vampires. So if you watch "True Blood" at 9PM Sunday and decide that's just not enough vampire for you, here you go. It's about people who move into a perfect little town where, as it turns out… say it with me… NOTHING IS WHAT IT SEEMS. Oh, Hollywood. You're such an easy mark. ANTICIPATION: BITEY!
Weekend Watch List: Tiger Versus Phil!
Welcome to Watch List, where we identify five things on TV to watch while you stay at home and attempt to cap the BP oil leak by hiring a psychic. Why count on engineers to fail you, when hiring Madame Bubaretska is so much more fun? LET'S GO!


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Caught On iPhone: Jim Jones Got Into A Brawl With Security At The Foxwoods Lobby After Diddy Hosted A Party! (2 Different Angles Of Jim Trying To Get Away)
" Jim Jones fight with security and police after the Diddy Platinum party at Foxwoods casino" - kevsalinas
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The 'Clean' War
Colonel Mauricio Ernesto Vargas is the commander of the Fourth Detachment of the Salvadoran army's Third Brigade in San Francisco Gotera, capital of the warravaged department of Morazán, about a hundred miles northeast of San Salvador. He is thirty-nine years old but looks about twenty-five. I met him early one morning in late March, just as he was leaving the cuartel, his headquarters next to the Franciscan church. Dressed in combat fatigues and a floppy hat, he was on his way to visit one of his units north of the Torola River in guerrilla-held territory. "Would you like to come with me?" the colonel asked.
Minutes later, in an American UH-1 helicopter equipped with huge machine guns, we were aloft over mountainous terrain and deep valleys smoking from intermittent fires or patched with ash where fires had raged. We flew over the Torola toward Joateca, only several miles from the Honduran border. Some of the burned-out patches were straining for rebirth—shoots of new green bush and trees struggled to grow. We landed at the foot of a hill, black with the skeletons of trees still smoldering from a fire, where Colonel Vargas and I were greeted by about forty of his soldiers.
We walked up and down the blackened hills, the colonel conferring with his junior officers, examining his field maps, talking with nearby units on an American PRC-77 radio, scanning the adjacent hills with his high-powered "mil-scale" binoculars and seeing no guerrillas. The day before, he explained, there had been a battle between his men and guerrillas of the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN). Nobody had been killed, but a guerrilla had been captured and was being questioned. I had heard accounts of what such "interrogation" meant, and was glad I was not the guerrilla, who might have been tortured. I borrowed the colonel's field glasses, and fell behind him as several of his peasant soldiers—boys no more than seventeen years old—asked me for cigarettes. They were armed with American M-16 automatic rifles. With the binoculars I scanned the hills, and for an instant glimpsed three or four young men in civilian clothes with rifles dashing through a patch of burned-out trees. I said, "Oh."
"Did you see somebody?" a sergeant asked.
They're guerrillas, I thought. They may die tomorrow. Why should they die today? I said, "No. Ninguno. Nobody." I held on to the binoculars, and to distract the soldiers handed out more cigarettes. Eventually I flew back to Gotera with Colonel Vargas.
The colonel is considered one of the most enlightened officers in El Salvador's army, and in fact if not in name he rules those parts of Morazán held by the government. No one has accused him of the massacres of helpless civilians that took place only a few years ago; he practices "psych-ops" to win the loyalty of his people. In his office at the cuartel he explained how. "Our mission as soldiers is not only to bring peace and security, but…
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A U.S.-Canadian pact to clean up the Great Lakes has run its course after more than three decades and should be scrapped in favor of a more effective, modern strategy, a binational panel said Tuesday.
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. -- A U.S.-Canadian pact to clean up the Great Lakes has run its course after more than three decades and should be scrapped in favor of a more effective, modern strategy, a binational panel said Tuesday.
The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1972 has inspired progress on some of the ecosystem's biggest threats, such as untreated sewage and industrial toxic discharges, said a report by the International Joint Commission, which advises both countries about the lakes.
Yet the agreement's success stories are offset by lingering problems such as unfinished cleanup of highly contaminated harbors and rivers, the report said.
The agreement, which hasn't been updated since 1987, is cumbersome and lacks tools for prodding government to take action, the report said. And it overlooks emerging issues such as invasive species, habitat loss, climate change and urban sprawl.
"Threats to water quality persist, new ones have emerged and scientific advances have yielded new understandings of problems that, in turn, point to different solutions," the report said. "What was once judged farsighted and robust enough to protect vulnerable populations of humans, fish and wildlife is no longer sufficient."
Instead of updating the agreement yet again, the commission called for a new plan. It should identify ambitious goals, set timelines and yardsticks for progress, hold governments accountable and adapt quickly to changing circumstances, the report said.
"If you look at the agreement now, there are lots of objectives and they're worthwhile, but they're not linked with deadlines," said Herb Gray, the Canadian co-chairman of the commission. "We're just saying there's more that has to be done, and it has to be done in an up-to-date manner."
The new agreement should take a more holistic approach to Great Lakes protection by focusing on the biological integrity of entire watersheds and ecosystems and making human health a top priority, the report said.
The original water quality agreement was signed by President Nixon and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. It established a framework for international cooperation on restoring the health of the Great Lakes, which make up about 20 percent of the world's surface fresh water.
At that time, large sections of the lakes _ especially Erie and Ontario _ were suffering from chemical pollution. The oil-caked surface of the Cuyahoga River, which flows into Lake Erie near Cleveland, had caught fire. Phosphorus buildup fueled runaway algae blooms that sucked oxygen from the water, causing massive fish kills.
The most recent version of the agreement identified another high-priority issue: cleaning up 43 toxic "hot spots" _ badly polluted harbors and rivers. Nearly 20 years later, the job hasn't been finished for most of them.
A committee with representatives of both countries began meeting in April to lay the groundwork for another update.
But the International Joint Commission, which produces biennial progress reports on the agreement, said simply fine-tuning the status quo was no longer enough. The commission reached its conclusion after holding a series of public meetings across the Great Lakes region over the past year.
Reg Gilbert, senior coordinator with the environmentalist group Great Lakes United, said the water quality agreement had lost steam over the past two decades.
"People started thinking the Great Lakes weren't in trouble any more," he said. "And the political climate has changed in the U.S., and even in Canada. There's less faith that government can make a difference."
EDITOR'S NOTE _ John Flesher is the AP correspondent in Traverse City and has covered environmental issues since 1992.
Source: Associated Press
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Study Bibles For SaleThe Bible, God's Holy word, and the number one best seller of all time. If you are looking for a study Bible in any translation and in any language the BiblePlanner is the place to start. We have located all the very best deals on study Bibles being auctioned on the internet.
Study Bibles make great gifts and can also be very collectible (I absolutely love my Bullinger Companion Bible). The links below feature new and used study Bibles for sale. Hopefully the links below will help you find the study Bible you are looking for.


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Nightly News
A Los Angeles police officer displays a rocket launcher turned in during a gun buyback effort on Thursday.
When Los Angeles police moved up their annual Citywide Gun Buyback program to this week, they collected an arsenal that included 75 assault weapons, 698 rifles, 363 shotguns, 901 handguns and — more surprisingly — two rocket launchers.
The weapons, essentially long metal tubes once capable of firing rockets, lacked the projectiles and parts needed to fire them, but even so had no place on the streets, police said.
"Those are weapons of war, weapons of death," said LAPD Chief Charlie Beck, according to the Los Angeles Times. "These are not hunting guns. These are not target guns. ... they have no place in our great city."
Police said the people who brought in the weapons told police that they came from family members who served in the military and no longer wanted rocket launchers in their homes, the Times reported.
LAPD was planning to check with the military to determine the origins of the launchers, police said.
As it turns out, these were not the first launchers to turn up at a gun buyback. Last May, when the event was timed for Mother's Day, one of these large firearms surfaced in Los Angeles.
This year, the total number of weapons turned in was 400 more than last year, despite the event being moved forward by several months in response to the recent mass shootings at Newtown, Conn., Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said, speaking on Thursday.
Declaring the annual buyback a success, and an important piece of the city's violence reduction efforts, Villaraigosa said:
Assault weapons and even two rocket launchers were included among the firearms handed over to Los Angeles police. NBC's Natalie Morales reports.
Perhaps the greatest testament to the success of the program was "the 166 weapons surrendered by residents in exchange for nothing. They just gave them back."
Watch the Top Videos on NBCNews.com
Most people received grocery store gift cards for turning in weapons — up to $200 per firearm, depending on the type.
Heading into the New Year celebration, Villaraigosa issued a warning to Angelenos who chose to keep their guns: "Firing a gun in the air is a felony."
"Don't fire your guns in celebration. But if you do in the city of Los Angeles, we will go after you. If you do it in the county, the sheriff will go after you."
- Woman charged in connection with fatal firefighter shootings
- New York City homicides, shootings at modern record lows
- Sheriff orders armed 'posse' to patrol schools
- Landslides take out Amtrak service in rainy Northwest
- The year in quotes quiz: Test your knowledge!
- Video: TODAY's most newsworthy stories of 2012
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook


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PES 2013 could release two weeks before FIFA 13, a retail source has suggested to VideoGamer.com.
Speaking to VideoGamer.com, our source - who has asked to remain anonymous - claimed that the October release window for PES 2013 hinted at by a recent advert was no longer relevant.
Instead, our source claims that the date carried by Blockbuster's website is "more accurate".
Blockbuster currently dates PES 2013 as being due for release on September 14, two weeks before FIFA 13 goes on sale on September 28.
If true, this would be the first time a PES title has gone on sale before FIFA since the launch of Pro Evolution Soccer 3 back in October 2003.
PES typically goes on sale in October following FIFA's late September slot.
Konami's CEO "is personally involved to ensure all licensing is resolved in time for this date," the source added.
VideoGamer.com has contacted Konami for comment.


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Carphone Warehouse has slashed the price of the mobile phone, in a bid to win customers in the festive period.
The mobile phone seller is stocking a recession-proof pay-as-you-go handset for the measly sum of five pounds. The phone, called the Samsung B130, will sell at this price all the way up to Christmas.
As you would expect from a phone of this price, the mobile is fairly features-free. You won't find anything like a camera built into the device, but if polyphonic ringtones are your thing, then you are in luck. The mobile will even connect to the web.
Credit crunch-busting mobile
Speaking about the price cut, Carphone Warehouse CEO Andrew Harrison said: "As bills are going up we're committed to bringing our customers products they can afford with a credit crunch-busting mobile."
There is a small catch. You have to buy £10 of credit to go with the phone. Still, £15 is still a decent price to pay.


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|Pin It
Part Number:NOTE-ASP-3032
Item Size:4.5" x 6.125"
Personalized Pixel Stripes Notepad with Acrylic Holder
Contemporary and classy, this personalized notepad features a modern geometric pattern on the bottom in warm hues along with your personalized text on the top left corner. Each notepad set includes 150 loose sheets of paper inside a durable clear acrylic holder.
Ideal For:Adult Notepads & Memo Sheets
Delivery Time
To determine your delivery time, add the ground shipping time to your location, as shown on the map below, to the listed processing time. To speed up your delivery, you can select rush processing(details below in the form) and/or upgrade shipping to next day or second day air during the checkout process. If you have requested a proof, the processing time listed begins after you have approved your proof.
Processing Time:Approximately 4-5 business days
Ships From:North Carolina
Font Shown:Helvetica Neue 45
Font Color:Black
Paper Thickness:70# Text
Printing Method:Digital Press
Min. Order Quantity:1


text: Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums :: View topic - Hi from Moscow Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!" FAQ Search Memberlist Usergroups Register Profile Log in to check your private messages Log in Hi from Moscow Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Making Friends View previous topic :: View next topic Author Message Ika-kJoined: 24 Jan 2011Posts: 1Location: Moscow/Russia Posted: Tue Jan 25, 2011 11:59 pm Post subject: Hi from Moscow I'm looking for pen pals - English native speakers. We can chat or send e-mails or real letters to each other. May be also you are interesting in Russian? I'm 34 y.o., handsome guy, PR&Adv manager. If you are going to visit Moscow I can be guide too. Good luck! Back to top Display posts from previous: All Posts1 Day7 Days2 Weeks1 Month3 Months6 Months1 Year Oldest FirstNewest First Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums Forum Index -> Making Friends All times are GMT - 8 Hours Page 1 of 1 Jump to: Select a forum Student Forums----------------ComputersCurrent NewsCultureEnglish SchoolsFamilyFilm and CinemaFoodHealth and FitnessHelp CenterHobbiesHolidaysLearning EnglishLiteratureMaking FriendsMusicOpinionsPetsScienceSportsThe Strange and MysteriousTOEFL and Other English ExamsTravel You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot vote in polls in this forum Dave's ESL Cafe is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling. Banner Advertising | Bookstore / Alta Books | FAQs | Articles | Interview with Dave Copyright © 2018 Dave's ESL Cafe | All Rights Reserved | Contact Dave's ESL Cafe | Site Map Teachers College, Columbia University: Train to Teach English Here or Abroad Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group


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Hand knitted christmas long cardigan decorated with lots of christmas trees. Very cozy, vivacious and funny.
Material: 100% merino wool.
Ready-to-ship in 3 weeks
Please note that the estimated delivery times are only estimates and cannot be guaranteed.
Delivery is worldwide and free for orders over 150 EUR for EU countries and free DHL Express shipping for overseas orders over 250 EUR. Some products are made-to-order which are shipped out in one week and most of all styles are ready-to-ship.
We work with DPD courier and postal service for delivering orders in Europe, we use DHL and postal service for delivering to other countries. Usually orders are delivered in 2-7 working days by DPD and postal service in Europe. Orders from North America, Japan and Australia - are delivered in 10-20 working days by postal service, and in 3-7 working days by DHL express.
Write Your Own Review
1. Wash garments at 15°C in water and neutral soap. E.G. 10 kg of knitwear requires gr. 40 of neutral soap. Wash garments for about 5/10 minutes, depending on the type of count used. For combed and csrded items contain 30-80% acrylic fibre,we strongly recommend washing at 45 and using slower machine cycles to achieve a softy hand. Subsequantly rinse garments in cold water.
2. Rewash items at 30/35c in water,adding 3-4 grams of softener ( silicon microemulsion) per kilo of material. E.G: 10kg of knitwear requires gr.40 of silicon microemulsion softener. Add 40 garms of acetic acid to the 40 grams of softener per 100 litres of water. Leave the knitwear to soak in the silicon softener and acetic for about 10/20 minutes, with the machine off.
3. Spin dry the garments at no more than 75c for about 15/25 minutes.
4. For strong and contrasting colours in striped knitwear, or Jaquard we recommend dry cleaning first and wash garments on a short cycle with plenty of water.


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AUSTIN - The Texas Rangers and the Maverick County Sheriffs Office are trying to identify two homicide victims found near Eagle Pass on May 22, and a $5,000 reward has been offered for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the deaths. Authorities are asking for the publics help on both sides of the border in identifying the two male victims, who may be from Mexico.
The victims were discovered in an irrigation canal at FM 1588, which is also known as Thompson Road, north of Eagle Pass. Both men were shot in the head.
A Texas Ranger forensic artist composed post-mortem renderings of the victims to assist in the case. The victim pictured to the left was a Hispanic male between 19 and 22 years of age, 5 feet 6 inches in height, approximately 130 pounds, with wavy black hair and brown eyes. He had a barbed wire tattoo on his upper right arm and the letter A tattooed on his upper left arm. He also had a rubber wrist band inscribed with the words Germany and Brazil.
The second victim (pictured above right) was a Hispanic male, between 17 and 19 years of age, about 6 feet tall, approximately 160 pounds, with short straight black hair, brown eyes and a mole on his left cheek near his ear. He was wearing a black string necklace with a small medal of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
View images of the personal effects described above.
Anyone with information regarding the murders or identity of the victims is urged to call the Maverick County Sheriffs Office (Armando Guzman) at 830-773-2321 or the Texas Rangers at 830-703-1202.


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Photos from the performance
An amputated soul
Look at rehearsal photos
Musical. An amputated soul
This musical theatre piece is a part of The Göteborg Opera Young for young project, where young people in different age groups get involved in a production for The Göteborg Opera's Small stage.
In fall 2010, a drama competition for high school students resulted in the musical Lova & Sam, and last season 900 ten year-olds wrote and drew to create the musical theater piece Love is ...
For the season 2012/2013, the theme for the writing competition - for all high-school students in grade one in the Västra Götaland region - was courage. Mia Ringblom Hjertner, head of the Young, says: "A lot in art as well as life is about courage. The courage to choose, to dare, to endure. What happens when you're not brave? How do you find the courage?"
The winning contribution, "An amputated soul" written by 16-year-old Sofia Ringhage at the Lerum highschool, will result in a production where 10-15 pupils from the region act along with staff from The Göteborg Opera. There will be both educational shows and public performances.


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Major Smith
|James Smith
ASE Major
Level 1 Maytricks User
|Assyrian Star Empire
Major James Smith is an officer in the Assyrian Space Force. He is a Level 1 Maytricks user and commonly wields a beam-sabre.
Major Smith was a Captain with the ASF in B.R. 2002 when the Czecho-Slovenian Republik fought its war for independence. Smith was the leader of a Harvester squad which was dispatched to Perseid IV to quell a strange redneck uprising. Although ultimately unsuccessful at stopping the rednecks, Smith and his squad helped save hundreds of lives, so he was promoted to Major for his actions. He then went on to serve in the Second Czecho-Assyrian Conflict in B.R. 2003. During this conflict he met his good friend Regulus and The Black Crotox as well as Major Natalya. The Black Crotox taught these three the ways of the Maytricks, but Major Smith had to quit his training before the other two to fulfill his duties with the ASF, so his skills with the Maytricks are rudimentary.
Since then, Major Smith has participated in a number of other conflicts involving the CSR, but he has also ended up fighting some of the galaxy's stronger factions such as the 45th Union, The VoL, Immortals, and the Akkadians.


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Mentoring Quickstart Guide
So, you desire to be involved in a Christ-centered mentoring relationship. What do you do? What steps can you take to begin? Here are some suggestions for both mentor and mentee.
For Mentors
Step 1: Pray
Ask God to use your strengths and life experience to encourage and grow others.
Step 2: Prepare
Make room in your schedule for mentoring relationships. Be attentive and open to those who come across your path. Take time to talk to potential mentees, show interest in their life situations, and let them know you are available.
Step 3: Let the Mentee Initiate
Mentoring usually works best when a mentee identifies the mentor from whom they want to learn and initiates the relationship. However, if you are drawn to a particular person or sense someone desires help but is too shy to initiate, you may take this step.
Step 4: Meet
Plan your time together based on the needs and availability of one another.
Step 5: Ask/Listen
Listen carefully and ask good questions to discover your mentee's situation, thinking, and needs. Sometimes the greatest gift you can give someone in a mentoring relationship is to simply listen, understand, and help him or her process life situations and make godly decisions.
For Mentees
Step 1: Pray
Ask God to alert you to those in your life who can help you learn and grow. There may be several who can mentor you in different areas. If you desire a mentor you should take the initiative.
Step 2: Prepare
Be clear about what you want from a mentor. What do you want to talk about? What questions do you have? What are you seeking to learn? When you have identified your mentoring need, look for a person who can help you grow in that area. It's unrealistic to expect one person to meet all your mentoring needs, but you can usually find a mentor who can meet one or more of your needs.
Step 3: Initiate
Ask the mentor of your choice to meet with you and discuss your question or situation. It is a good idea to tell a potential mentor what you want to talk about beforehand.
Step 4: Meet
If there seems to be interest on both sides, schedule meetings according to your learning goals and the availability of your mentor.
Step 5: Come With a Teachable Heart
Be open to helpful feedback, and another perspective on your situation. Mentoring is a learning relationship, so be ready to reflect and learn.


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Hawaii home market cools / Median price down as number of listings on Oahu surges
A cool front has wafted westward to Hawaii's housing market, where declining home sales and higher inventories are keeping a lid on prices in a rarefied part of the country where appreciation exceeded 30 percent last summer.
Although home values on the island state remain relatively high by historical standards -- comforting news for the many Californians who own property there -- the market appears to be swinging in buyers' favor after a half-decade run-up.
"Things are staying on the market a lot longer," said Gladys Lau. The San Francisco resident has been looking for a condo in Honolulu for a couple of years; she said she thinks prices will soften enough to allow her to buy a unit in the $500,000 to $600,000 range later this year.
MBA BY THE BAY: See how an MBA could change your life with SFGATE's interactive directory of Bay Area programs.
"It's not dirt cheap, but it's taking a pause," said Lau, 44, senior director of retail strategy at software giant Oracle Corp.
Hawaii is the latest locale to see a noteworthy deceleration.
After blistering price growth over the past several years, the housing markets in Denver, Las Vegas and San Diego have also ratcheted down. In the Bay Area, sales tallies declined in the last eight months of 2005, but values continued to grow in the high teens on a year-over-year basis.
Typically, Hawaii's real estate market lags the mainland's by six to 24 months and is often more difficult to read because of the relatively high number of homes owned by out-of-staters, experts say.
"It's part of a broader trend," said DataQuick researcher John Karevoll. "Nationwide there are markets that have a ways to go, especially in the Midwest. But we're much closer to the end of the cycle than the peak. Now we're watching how it plays out -- whether it's going to smash into a wall or just level off for a while."
In November, the median price for a home on Oahu was $418,000 -- well below a peak of $569,000 in August and 8 percent below the year-ago median -- according to DataQuick, a La Jolla (San Diego County) firm that tracks real estate markets throughout the country. Its surveys are based on filings with county recorders' offices and usually reflect sales initiated 30 to 60 days earlier.
Last month, the Honolulu Board of Realtors reported a nearly 25 percent drop in the number of single-family houses sold at the same time the supply of listings surged 47 percent.
"In the past year, sellers would put up the price, and there would be three people who wanted to buy at or above the asking price," said Harvey Shapiro, research economist at the Honolulu Board of Realtors. "That kind of demand has really shut down recently."
Michael Sklarz, a Honolulu resident and head of analytics for Fidelity National Financial, cautioned against reading too much into a couple of months of sales statistics and said a wintertime slowdown is the norm. In addition, a large number of new, lower-priced homes may be skewing the median price downward.
Given Hawaii's below 3 percent unemployment rate and strong economic growth, Bank of Hawaii chief economist Paul Brewbaker predicts the state's housing market will hold up well.
In fact, he said he expects the median home price on Oahu, home to roughly three-quarters of the state's 1.28 million people, this year to edge closer to $700,000, on par with current prices on neighboring Maui and Kauai. The Honolulu Board of Realtors says Oahu's current median price for a detached home is $610,000. That survey is based on homes sold through the Multiple Listing Service, which may not include new homes or homes for sale by owners.
A rise of that magnitude would please San Francisco resident Sylvia Lee, who in December plunked down $222,000 for a 14th-floor unit in a Waikiki "condotel," where buyers own a furnished hotel room that is put into a rental pool when not in use.
"It's relatively inexpensive to anything in the Bay Area, it's in a good location, and since we bought it with family, we've spread out the risk," said Lee, 44, a finance manager at Wells Fargo's Internet Services Group.
Nevertheless, there is some concern that a late surge in supply could dampen the market. In Honolulu's Kakaako district downtown, 14 new residential towers totaling about 4,000 units are expected to come on line by 2010. That's in a state that is currently building roughly 8,000 homes per year.
Further muddying the waters, estimates on the percentage of Honolulu's homes owned by investors run as high as 30 percent, according to Shapiro of the Board of Realtors.
To housing analysts, such a high concentration can leave a market vulnerable to rapid downturns if groups of investors dash for the exits.
"In these markets, I characterize them as flip-flopping between hysteria and depression," Sklarz said.
But there may be another, more benign scenario, according to Brewbaker.
In markets such as San Francisco and Honolulu, home price trend lines can follow a stair-step pattern, where values leap for a few years and then plateau.
"In some places, like Iowa or Texas, where there are no such things as building permits, the path is smoother, with a steady rate of return of 4 percent each year," Brewbaker said. "In other places, it comes in fits and starts, and the distinction between the smooth path and the stair step has to do with the extent of geographic and regulatory scarcity."


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a simple difference of opinion isn't going to bring the snark out of me. not right now, anyways. it's a pleasant change from the total abandonment of logic that i'm used to today.
but my honest question was if the peers alluded to were all players or all (for lack of better designation) "grinders"?


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In Praise of Teachers: A Letter for Teachers, Parents, Students, and the Community
Teachers Appreciation Week gives us all a chance to look back at the extraordinary teachers who have impacted us throughout our childhood and throughout both our lives and those of our children. For those of us in the field of education, we also have the chance to remember teachers with whom we have worked. I have been fortunate enough to have worked closely with over 400 teachers in 40 years of education as a Massachusetts teacher and principal. Through my work, I feel that I have learned a great deal about teachers and the incredible responsibilities that are part of the profession. Of course, to paraphrase Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's in The Little Prince,there are things we see and know with our eyes, and others–sometimes even more important–that we see and know with our hearts. I have observed and admired teachers all my life, and I write this letter to each and every one of you–to every teacher I have had the pleasure of knowing. I invite you all, and all your colleagues, your students far and wide, and the greater community of parents and townspeople to read along or listen in.
Dear Teachers,
I have seen you as each new year begins in late August, frantically running from WalMart to Kmart to Target to Staples to the Dollar Store—spending hundreds of dollars of your own money to purchase motivational posters, extra crayons and glue, marbled composition books, stickers that say "Awesome Work" or "I'm Proud of You." I have seen you spend the full week before school begins putting up backings for bulletin boards, re-stocking your classroom libraries, and putting together folders for Day One. I have watched you as you try to map out once more your whole year, and vowing that this year you will be the best teacher that your children have ever had—the best teacher that you can be. I was with you—in spirit—all those nights in August when you couldn't sleep because you were so excited—and more-than-a-bit nervous, as well—because of all those new kids that you were about to greet in just a couple of weeks. Even after you finished that Master's or CAGS degree—piling on still more college bills–even after spending 5 or 6 weeks in summer taking courses to continually learn new skills for teaching students—still you worried how you could be possibly be prepared for the multitude of students about to enter your classes—students with such a wide range of skills and talents and with an equally large range of backgrounds and personalities—as well as family, personal, and academic problems. Still you approached that first day with eyes filled with hope and hearts filled with compassion—with dreams of helping each and every student to learn, to achieve, to grow—to reach for the stars and to ultimately achieve his or her dream.
I have seen you work so very hard—day in and day out–as teachers. I watch you literally run around the room in pursuit of that ever-elusive goal—helping every single student to understand and master a skill on which you are focusing that day or that week. You kneel down beside little kindergarten desks to check the formation of their letters; you bend over middle school desks to check a student's map of the United States; you run back and forth to the whiteboard to demonstrate the correct way to calculate the volume of water in a container. You run from the SmartBoard to the children's workstations, from their computers to their reading circles. You are up and down and up and down and up and down, and you are constantly in a whirlwind of motion–and by the end of the day, you just KNOW that you have run a 10 kilometer/6.2 mile road race (if not a warrior run or a half-marathon) because your legs and your back and your shoulders are absolutely killing you.
And that doesn't even begin to touch on how emotionally drained you are. You have made about one thousand judgments and decisions every hour. "Does Linda or Jason really understand this concept?" "Should I give another example?" "Should I ignore that child who is whispering?" "Should I correct him or her?" "Should I try some proximity control?" "Should I praise that student for her answer?" "What should I say—'good job' or 'nice work' or 'great answer'?" "Should I explain WHY it's a great answer?" "Should I give the kids a break now—or wait 5 minutes?" "Should I make that little joke now to liven up the class a bit, or will that break everyone's train of thought?" "Should I call on Jennifer now—or Taylor—or Alex–or Javier—or Aliyah—or Noah—or Desiree—or Tyrone?" "Should I allow Susan to get a drink now—or Joshua to run to the bathroom now—or Mark to go to his locker to retrieve his homework—or Kadence to call her mom to bring in the money for the field trip?" "Should I correct Sophia's poor grammar in her excellent answer to my question about the story we just read, or should I just compliment her for thinking creatively and expressing herself so clearly?" You are constantly scanning the rows or the groups of tables for students who look confused or uncertain or excited or bored—and you are constantly reacting to each of those students.
I have been there with you and felt your heart skip a beat when that light comes on in a child's eyes and he says, "Mrs. Johnson, I get it! NOW I get it!" I have felt your heart swell to twice its size when you read a sophomore's essay in which he writes, "One day I will hold my Mom's hand and tell her that she has always been my hero because she has sacrificed so much to keep our family together." And I have been there, as well, when a child's suffering becomes your suffering. I have seen your pain as a child confides in you that he just doesn't have any friends—or that the kids on the bus call him names. I have seen the tears stain your cheeks when a child explains to you that her dad is not coming home anymore. I have felt your chest and throat tighten up when you see a child come in with bruises, both seen and unseen. I know how you grieve when a child loses a friend or family member to an accident or to drug or alcohol abuse. And all those times when a child struggles to understand but the understanding will not readily come, no matter how hard he or she tries—those times, too, cause your heart to ache, and make you even more determined to find a way to reach that child. And I know how many times those children and their problems keep you up late at night—wondering if and how you can help, and praying that you can find a way.
And I know about the long, long hours that you put in before and after school. I know how often you get up at 5:00 in the morning to put the finishing touches on your lesson plans for that day or that week. I know how regularly you spend 2 to 3 to 4 to 5 hours a night or sometimes even more on schoolwork. You get home from school, help the kids with their homework, prepare dinner, clean up, and then spend until 10 or 11 o'clock correcting papers and getting ready for the next day. Over the course of a week you correct hundreds of spelling, grammar, math, geography, history, science quizzes. In a year, those hundreds become 5 to 10 THOUSAND quizzes and tests. In a career, that amounts to maybe 250-500 THOUSAND quizzes and tests—that you painstakingly design, prepare, and correct. You collect the data gathered from those tests and analyze it, deciding what you need to re-teach, and to whom, and in what manner. And then there are the writing assignments—the paragraphs, the compositions, the journals, the lab reports, the essays, the book reports, the research papers. You know that teaching is a seven-day a week job because you spend so many hours on Saturday and Sunday reading and commenting on hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of papers. "Why does Gatsby confide in Nick?" — "Explain how an airplane flies" — "What can you do to help our environment?" — "Consider the legislative, executive and judicial branches of government in explaining the balance of powers" — "What character changes most in this book, and explain how he or she changes" — "Solve this algebra problem and explain each step as you do it" — "Explain impressionism and Monet's style" — "What is meant by good sportsmanship?" —"What is a Shakespearean Hero?" — "How is haiku formed?" — "What does Robert Frost mean in the last line of the poem?" — "How can you make good choices?" I have noticed that often the majority of your February or April vacation (sometimes both) is taken up with correction and grading of these kinds of papers. And then there are the seemingly never-ending progress reports and report cards—totaling and averaging hundreds (perhaps thousands) of grades, and writing or typing comments on report cards. How many late nights and occasional all-nighters you have had to endure in order to meet progress report or report card deadlines!
I know about the moments of self-doubt too—times when you wonder if you are really making a difference, times when you wonder if you can possibly correct one more spelling quiz, times when a student moves out of the district AGAIN—just as you were beginning to finally get through to her. There are the times you wonder if anyone notices how hard you are working, how much you care, how creative your lessons are, or how many extra things you are doing for kids. I am well aware of all those extra things you do as, well—the poetry club, math club, drama club, computer club, chorus, student council that you advise. You organize geography bees or spelling bees or math competitions. You coach students after school to prepare them for the MCAS testing. I have been there too as you coached football or wrestling or softball or cheerleading or basketball. Many of you reach into the community or beyond to bring science or art or music programs to our schools for enrichment. And those field trips to Davis Farm, the Red Apple Farm, the Science Museum, Theater at the Mount, the Museum of Fine Arts . . . I realize how hard it is to organize those trips for your classroom or for the entire school—and yet you do it—voluntarily—every year! I have stood in awe as I saw you organize and conduct and chaperone a school trip to Nature's Classroom or Canada or Washington, D.C. The fundraising activities, the meetings with administration, parents, and kids—unbelievable—but you did it all! And how about all those school activities that you helped out with? Those field days, school dances, talent shows, author teas, game nights, toy bingo events, school plays, lip-sync competitions, spirit days? And then there are those programs for peer mediation, training active bystanders, and organizing friendship groups.
But even with all the extra activities, you save your most incredible effort for the classroom: the classroom, where you try your very hardest every single day to reach every single student. You prepare lesson plans using backward design. You consistently use state frameworks and address learning standards. You remind yourself of what Rick Lavoie said—that "Fair does not mean treating every child the same; that fair means giving each and every child what he or she really needs to be successful." So you teach not just to the middle of the class, but to every child. You sometimes group students by interest or ability or randomly. You set up learning stations. You constantly monitor how students are doing—if they are understanding. You ask questions and try to make sure that you are asking students to use their higher order thinking skills. You use the District Curriculum Accommodation Plan (DCAP) and knowledge gleaned through scores of workshops to address differences in learning styles and abilities. You are familiar with and constantly review IEP's and 504 plans and DCAP's to ensure that you are meeting the many and varied needs of all students. You develop ISSP (Individual student success plans), as well, whenever needed. You put into practice differentiated instruction and gear your efforts to address multiple intelligences of students. You administer DIBELS and Fountas and Pinnell tests, MCAS tests or PARCC tests and use the results of testing to plan and modify your instruction. You request Child Study Team meetings when children have special problems, and you use the recommendations from those meetings to modify and improve your instruction and create successful outcomes. You try your hardest to motivate your students to learn—you challenge them, you reward them. You send home positive notes in agendas or on special cards or stationery. You call home whenever you can to help parents to become partners in their child's education. You discuss triumphs, and challenges, and problems—and you work cooperatively and helpfully and positively with parents.
And more than anything, you let children see how much you care—because you DO care about each one of them—more than you can ever say. You show it by how hard you work, by the words you use with children and parents. You show it by the thoroughness and creativity of your plans. You show it by how well you teach—how much attention you pay to each child and to the goal of having each child really master the material. You show it by all the extra things you do, the special things– the smiles, the warmth, dedication and commitment.
And I am there, with you, as well, when you receive those very personal special rewards at the end of the year—children who leave your class with strengthened skills in reading, math, science, social studies, art, music, phys. ed. and more—as well as higher levels of confidence. You have taught them to carefully consider their options before making choices. You have taught them to put themselves into the shoes of another before making judgments. You have taught them to treat others the way they would hope to be treated. You have taught them to care about others—their neighbors, their classmates, their peer in other states or countries.
And so, my fellow teachers–those who served long before, and those who serve still–I want to tell you all on this day and on every day–that you will always have my profound gratitude, my unending thanks for all of your extremely hard work, your caring, your dedication, and your commitment to your students and to your position. Yours is the job from which all others flow–the job from which dreams– and careers– and lives are made. As Astronaut Christa Mcauliffe observed, you do indeed "touch the future"—and we are all the better for your tremendous efforts in doing so.
Sincerely and warmly
Mitchell R. Grosky
Former Athol-Royalston (Massachusetts) Teacher and Principal
Current ARRSD School Committee Member


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The Summer 2017 WHTM pledge drive is on! Donate generously to enable our continuing coverage of whiny baby-men! Thanks!
By David Futrelle
A tragic day for whiny baby-men — the BBC just announced that the next Doctor Who will be a lady. Naturally, these sensitive souls took at once to Twitter to make their displeasure known. And to make jokes about Doctor Who turning into Nurse Who amirite fellas high five!
Here are some of the best of the worst Tweets I've seen so far. I can't decide which are my favorites — the ones lamenting the loss of a crucial male "role model" or those suggesting that a female Doctor Who makes as much sense as a male Mary Poppins (which would be perfectly fine to me, by the way).
Female Doctor Who?? More like Nurse Who. Birds aren't smart enough to be doctors
— Thomas Deacon (@thomasdeeacon) July 16, 2017
I'm actually quite shocked at the decision to cast a woman the should call it Nurse who now lol 😂😂
— Rhys Stewart (@rhysjordanstew1) July 16, 2017
Fuck you BBC. Fuck you lefties. You are in the minority. The BBC has been taken over by leftists. Can't wait for the show to fail. #doctor13
— Gape🇬🇧 #JRM4PM (@Gapehorner) July 16, 2017
Doctor Who is now a woman. Must have had genital reassignment surgery. BBC continuing it's cultural Marxism. #Doctor13
— Don Vibes 👑 (@DelDiablo007) July 16, 2017
Doctor Who in 2027 …. #doctor13 pic.twitter.com/mChwIA5Kvq
— Don Vibes 👑 (@DelDiablo007) July 16, 2017
"Doctor Who" what's the deal? Pushing the "gender fluidity" narrative now? Remember when entertainment wasn't social engineering propaganda
— Danny Covfefe🍦🍦🐸 (@Daniel_Ohana) July 16, 2017
Doctor Who Could've been far worse knowing the @BBC Be thankful it's not a wheel chair bound tranny
— TRUMP WON BITCHES🍷 (@Amen1924) July 16, 2017
This is why I gave up watching libtard movies and TV shows. A female Doctor? What a joke. You just killed a classic TV show. #DoctorWho
— Dee Stewart (@spcwriter) July 16, 2017
This woman Doctor Who thing feels like another loss for reason and another win for the regressive left tbh
— i am ian malcolm (@Erin_Danielle77) July 16, 2017
The BBC have literally just ruined all the heritage and history of Doctor Who making the new Doctor a woman
— Aydin Osman (@Aydin_Osman96) July 16, 2017
Doctor Who officially ruined. Time Lords being women not an issue, 50 years of tradition out the window is. What next 007 being Janette Bond pic.twitter.com/Hj3buVMx8s
— Ewan McColl (@TheMcColl) July 16, 2017
#DoctorWho died today. He didn't die nobly as you might expect. He was murdered by Political Correctness. #NotMyDoctor
— James Huckabee (@hucksworld) July 16, 2017
Well the 3rd wave feminists have won and they aren't even going to watch the show or buy the merch… #NotMyDoctor
— william parslow (@williamparslow) July 16, 2017
PC brigade and violent feminists will have a field day. But we'll get the last laugh when the show ends up cancelled 😀 well done
— Greavesy (@GreavesyX) July 16, 2017
#DoctorWho So patronising to women to be chosen due to political correctness. No room for merit and talent if PC comes first.
— Holomatrix (@Holomatrices) July 16, 2017
A female Doctor Who would be the same as making a male Mary Poppins.
Stop the madness.
— Kevin G. (@BasedKielbasa) July 16, 2017
It started with woman Ghostbusters, Star Wars now Dr Who, what's next 007 Jane Bond 😂, it's not women wanna be equal they wanna be superior
— MJDebio (@MJDebio93) July 16, 2017
changing "Dr Who" to a woman to be politically correct because it worked out sooo well for Ghostbusters. Next is Caitlyn Jenner as Dr. Spock
— Joe Cowin (@racerdog45) July 16, 2017
Women have their own heroes like RIpley, Buffy and Wonder Woman, there is no need to take away role models for men #notmydoctor
— P.J. Lowry (@PJ_Lowry) July 16, 2017
I don't have a dog in the Doctor Who discussion really, but I do think it's a shame that a role-model has been taken away from young boys
— Tom Oldham (@thomasoldham) July 16, 2017
@ChrisChibnall without broadcasting a single episode has destroyed Doctor Who. The most positive male role model on television and you go pc
— Keef (@Keef44002574) July 16, 2017
My childhood role model was just stolen from me. The one guy who actually is a good person on t.v. that all young men could look up to.
— Michael Penner (@Electromoth) July 16, 2017
I remember when Ripley, Leia, Buffy, Xena et al. trailblazed great women characters. But now, feminism seems pleased with mere pandering.
— Bradley Yellop (@bazz83) July 16, 2017
Doctor who is shit
Replacing a male character with a woman is shit#Ghostbusters
Let's replace Julia Roberts pretty woman for pretty bloke
— lee williams (@winklewilly89) July 16, 2017
I support classic Doctor Who, not the Cultural Marxist ripoff the BBC is vomiting at us now. Jodie Whittaker is #NotMyDoctor
— J. Davila-Ashcraft (@revjackashcraft) July 16, 2017
I am shocked the new doctor is a women why break tradition… I'm not backing down women empowerment, but in the fight place… #doctor13
— Alex N (@__AlexN_) July 16, 2017
I shall watch with continued interest but to me today another part of our heritage & culture died
Doctor Who#Doctor13#DrWho13 pic.twitter.com/Q1KPkcVJnj
— Phil (@Blackbirds1632) July 16, 2017
#doctorwho The regressive left are going crazy over the choice, next they will want a transgender to take the role as the Doctor.
— The Gurkha (@doctorjoker007) July 16, 2017
I point towards the current feminist libtard schadenfrued regarding Doctor Who as an example of the bullet dodged with Hillary Clinton. https://t.co/LNW3PCoIzZ
— Surely You're Joking (@amusedphysicist) July 16, 2017
No, I don't understand what that last one means either.


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DWTS Season 9 – Entertainment News for September 21st through the 24th, 2009
I went though my Tivo and pulled off that which was recorded, and then I surfed the net. 🙂 No surprise, I got lots of stuff. First up, Melissa Rycroft's story on GMA Monday morning.
The Local (LA) ABC Affiliate's George Patacki (sp?):
Paparazzi Henry is on the case once again. This time he gets Tom Bergeron, in addition to several dancers. LOVE Tom. We also get Lacey, Melissa Joan Hart, Corky and Mark Ballas, Louis V, Chelsie and Aaron, among others.
E! News from 9-22-09 – the feature lots of different people, but of course Donny is always prominent. Shawn Johnson is their correspondent – very cute. 🙂
Entertainment Tonight – warning, they are using Marie all season as their representative. And of course they relentlessly pimp Donny. That whole "donny ripped out Kim's extensions" thing – I wonder if that is where Derek got the hair? 🙂
All the celebs briefly, but a really cute bit with Debi Mazar and Maks (and Adrien Grenier from Entourage – hubba hubba).
There's tons more – I'll post it tomorrow. 🙂


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Still a lot of votes to be counted,but I don't see any Seats being won by you and your mob.
This is Queensland,your Home State.What happened?You may think you won a lot of votes,but Winning Seats is what it's all about in Elections.
You don't think having James Ashby in your Ranks is holding you back by any chance?If not,what's the problem?
Are Queenslanders catching on,you are not the One they are looking to for answers outside the Major Parties?!
Go Suck a Rotten Dgg or two Redhead!
Where to Now,Pauline?
Talk here about anything that isn't covered by the other boards....
Post Reply
1 post • Page 1 of 1
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iOS 7 Features
iOS 7 Unveiled: A Brighter, More Beautiful Mobile OS
iOS 7 Unveiled: A Brighter, More Beautiful Mobile OS
At today's Apple September spectacular event in Cupertino, the company announced that iOS 7, unveiled at WWDC 2013, will be out Sept. 18 for iPhone 4 and later, iPad 2 and later, iPad Mini, and iPod Touch (5th generation). The mobile OS is indeed "black, white, and flat all over" as suspected. But Apple's WWDC keynote revealed an even more dramatic overhaul to the mobile operating system, which was redesigned with new typography, colors, animations, a one-tap control panel, notifications, all over transparency, and distinct layers that give the UI a sense of "hierarchy and order."
New features like multitasking for all apps and battery-life saving upgrades are much needed additions to the mobile platform, but the most noticeable changes in iOS 7 are to the operating system's built-in apps. AirDrop, Camera, Safari, Siri, and, a completely new music player, iTunes Radio, are now packed with features seen in Android and popular apps. In the gallery, hover over the images to zoom in on iOS 7 from all angles.


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Skip to Main Content
Town Government
Doing Business
Things To Do
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Town Government
Departments & Services
Plans, Reports & Studies
West Davidson Stakeholder Committee
West Davidson Stakeholder Committee
Construction activity and overall community changes have affected quality of life in West Davidson in the following ways:
Property value and taxation increases in the area are making it more difficult to maintain affordable housing.
Job scarcity has forced many to commute to other towns.
Lack of road or pedestrian connectivity across the railroad tracks and between neighborhoods present barriers.
Communications between the town government and the African American community have been weakened by historic racial tensions.
To respond to these issues and research additional concerns, a series of public information sessions were organized in early 2006 where the Town of Davidson announced the formation of a West Davidson Stakeholder Committee.
Committee Goals
This committee was organized to work with planning staff to understand barriers in order to achieve:
Effective communications
Improved quality of life
Well-integrated development
Executive Summary
Local History
Stakeholder Committee
Potts Sloan Beauty Corridor Study
Quality of Life
Next Steps
Rural Area Plan
Alternative Housing Options
Beaty Street Neighborhood Plan
Bicycle Transportation Plan
Circles at 30 Small Area Plan
Comprehensive Parking Study
Connectivity & Traffic Calming Report
Cornelius East & Davidson Concord Road
Davidson Circulation Plan
Davidson Comprehensive Plan
Davidson Concord Road / NC-73 Area Plan
Davidson General Plan
Davidson Greenprint: Natural Assets Inventory
Davidson Land Plan
Davidson Mobility Plan
Davidson Town Center Plan
Davidson Town Center Development Plan
Davidson Transit Station Small Area Plan
Davidson Walks & Rolls Active Transportation
Downtown Davidson Action Plan
Downtown Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Plan
Griffith Street Corridor Plan
North-South Parkway Sub-Area Plan
NC 73 Land Use & Economic Development Plan
NC 73 Transportation Land Use Corridor Plan
Open Space Plan
Potts Sloan Beaty Street Corridor Land Use Plan
Station Area Plan
West Davidson Stakeholder Committee
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The search found 104 results in 0.01 seconds.
Children of undocumented Mexican immigrants have a significantly higher risk of behavior problems than their co-ethnic counterparts with documented or naturalized citizen mothers, according to a new study.
The difficulties come in two forms: sadness or social withdrawal — what the authors refer to as internalizing behavior problems — and issues such as aggressiveness towards others — which the authors call externalizing behavior problems.
Heavily marketed as a safer, healthful alternative to smoking, electronic cigarettes are under fire from California health officials who have declared "vaping" a public health threat, hoping to head off the type of deceptive manipulation that tobacco companies succeeded with for decades, according to researchers.
For years social scientists have grappled with the question of why men receive far more media coverage than women, and now a new study reveals the answer.
A new study reveals that while homicide victimization rates declined for whites, blacks, and Hispanics in the United States from 1990-2010, the drop was much more precipitous for the two minority groups.
Skin color is a significant factor in the probability of employment for male immigrants to the United States, according to a new study by two University of Kansas (KU) researchers.
Social scientists have long argued documentary films are powerful tools for social change.
But a University of Iowa (UI) sociologist and his co-researchers are the first to use the Internet and social media to systematically show how a documentary film reshaped public perception and ultimately led to municipal bans on hydraulic fracking.
In an era where popular culture is increasingly recognized for its impact on lay understanding of health and medicine, few scholars have looked at television's powerful role in the creation of patient expectations, especially regarding pregnancy and birth.
In recent years, several international-comparative studies have analyzed the relationship between migration and native populations' decreasing support for redistributive policies. However, these studies use cross-sectional designs and aggregate the number of foreign-born residents at the national level. Both aspects are theoretically and methodologically problematic. We address these shortcomings by investigating cross-sectional as well as longitudinal effects in the case of Germany, using a combination of individual- and regional-level data for several time points from 1994 to 2010.
Taking advantage of historical census records that include full first and last names, we apply a new approach to measuring the effect of cultural assimilation on economic success for the children of the last great wave of immigrants to the United States. We created a quantitative index of ethnic distinctiveness of first names and show the consequences of ethnic-sounding names for the occupational achievement of the adult children of European immigrants.
Do police treat religious-based protest events differently than secular ones? Drawing on data from more than 15,000 protest events in the United States (1960 to 1995) and using quantitative methods, we find that law enforcement agents were less likely to show up at protests when general religious actors, actions, or organizations were present. Rather than reflecting privileged legitimacy, we find that this protective effect is explained by religious protesters' use of less threatening tactics at events.


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Wedding DJ and Mobile Disco Hire Ettington Chase
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The Live Events Group are a reputable and reliable company with a proven track record providing mobile disco hire for discerning clients. As wedding DJs and corporate event hosts we provide the valuable expertise to meet your specific requirements whilst comfortably fitting within your budget preferences.
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Gday, Alex here from the Sydney sparky group (SSG)
At SSG we have over 20 years of experience providing expert electrical services for residential and commercial clients in the Sydney region. residential electricians
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Thanks for watching and hope you choose SSG for all of your electrical needs. Our customer service team is standing by to receive you call, so call us on 1300 668 315


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President Obama addressed the nation for the ninth time in his Presidency last night to try and convince the American people that military action is necessary in Syria. He urged Americans not to "turn a blind eye" to the chemical attack on innocent men, women and children.
Our political analysts, Ethan Strimling and Phil Harriman discuss the speech and what Maine's congressional delegation is up against.


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#3 St. Joseph's - 3, #4 Farmingdale State - 2 (25-18, 25-17, 24-26, 21-25, 15-10)
Patchogue, N.Y. - Third-seed St. Joseph's College (L.I.) defeated Farmingdale State, 3-2, tonight in Skyline First Round Volleyball action in Patchogue, N.Y. The Rams fell to 12-12 with the loss, while the Golden Eagles improved to 19-6 and advance to the Semifinal/Championship round on Sunday, November 4th at Mount Saint Mary College in Newburgh, N.Y.
St. Joe's held a 2-0 lead after the first two sets with 25-18 and 25-17 victories, before Farmingdale State rallied to force a fifth set with 26-24 and 25-21 wins. In the fifth and deciding set, the Rams took a quick 5-3 lead, but St. Joe's saw five straight points to make it 8-5 and never looked back as they took the final set 15-10.
Farmingdale was led by senior outside Holly Sahner (Dix Hills, N.Y.) with 18 kills and 11 digs, while sophomore outside Sarah Palladino (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) posted 15 kills and eight digs. Freshman setter Megan Pisciotta (Lindenhurst, N.Y.) finished with 34 assists and nine digs.
The Golden Eagles saw game-highs of 36 assists and 16 digs from sophomore setter Julianne Tierney (Bethpage, N.Y.). Freshman middle Heather Ferchland (Selden, N.Y.) had 13 kills.


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Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi recall in works
Buoyed by the outcome of two San Francisco supervisor races that defied conventional wisdom, a group of women with major financial backing said it is preparing the groundwork for a recall of Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi and plans to make it official next week.
"It's looking like yes," said political consultant Andrea Shorter, who is leading the effort. "The outcry is definitely loud and clear. We just cannot have a sheriff who was convicted of domestic violence."
Last month Shorter and political consultant Joyce Newstat formed an independent expenditure committee, San Francisco Women for Accountability, designed to defeat Supervisor Christina Olague in District Five for her controversial vote to reinstate Mirkarimi.
In a matter of days, the committee raised $100,000, including $49,000 apiece from Gayle Conway, wife of multimillionaire angel investor Ron Conway, and Linda Voight, wife of real estate investor Thomas Coates.
Mirkarimi pleaded guilty in March to a misdemeanor count of false imprisonment related to a New Year's Eve argument in which he grabbed and bruised his wife's arm. Mayor Ed Lee suspended him, but failed last month to get the nine of 11 votes he needed at the Board of Supervisors to make the removal permanent. In addition to Olague, Supervisors John Avalos, David Campos and Jane Kim voted to give Mirkarimi his job back.
Shorter said her group's work was instrumental in what appears to be Olague's resounding and somewhat surprising defeat by challenger London Breed. Nearly 90,000 votes still need to be counted citywide.
Decisive win
Supervisor Eric Mar won decisively over challenger David Lee in District One despite being outspent and the frequent target of independent expenditure committees working to get Lee elected. Mar voted to remove Mirkarimi permanently from office, which Shorter said likely contributed to his win and also helped convince her group to mount a recall.
"The results last night were definitely indicative of the people's will, and they were encouraging," she said of Olague's defeat and Mar's win.
Mirkarimi didn't respond to requests for comment, but David Waggoner, an attorney who represented the sheriff in his successful effort to get reinstated, condemned the idea of a recall.
"Sheriff Mirkarimi is focused on making the San Francisco Sheriff's Department the best in the nation," Waggoner said. "A divisive recall effort is the last thing San Francisco needs to heal and move forward."
Shorter's group knows it has a daunting challenge, one that is likely to cost at least $500,000 and take up to a year. A June 2013 special election would be the earliest date for a recall election. It also could be part of the regular ballot in November 2013.
In the interim, recall proponents would need to get their petition approved by the Department of Elections, elections chief John Arntz said. Once the petition is approved, recall proponents would have 160 days to gather more than 50,000 valid signatures - 10 percent of the city's 503,258 registered voters.
Under the City Charter, if Mirkarimi is recalled, the mayor would appoint his replacement. That person would serve until a successor is picked in the next election that is at least 120 days after the office was vacated.
Recalls hard to mount
Recall elections are rarely successful because they're expensive and take a lot of work to qualify for the ballot. But political analysts said recall organizers already have the big advantages of deep pockets, manpower and a lot of public awareness about the Mirkarimi saga.
"Clearly that's not a problem here," said Corey Cook, a political science professor at the University of San Francisco. "It wouldn't be a difficult case to make to the voters about why he should be recalled."
The women's group also has some prominent supporters. Kim has said she would support a recall effort despite voting to reinstate Mirkarimi. Supervisor Malia Cohen, who voted to remove him, also said she would support a recall.
"A convicted sheriff managing and overseeing not only the jails but domestic violence programs for offenders?" Cohen asked. "It doesn't seem right. It doesn't pass the smell test."
A voice in favor
Kathy Black is the director of La Casa de Las Madres, a domestic violence shelter, and has been an outspoken critic of Mirkarimi's throughout the past year. Black said she would not be officially involved in the campaign, but would speak out on its behalf.
"The city and county of San Francisco and its citizens deserve a sheriff who's not currently on probation for a domestic violence-related conviction and going to batterers intervention," she said.
However, Mayor Ed Lee kept his distance from a recall effort.
"I have always felt that the discussion about a recall was something I could not get involved in because it is distractive," he said.
It doesn't appear Mirkarimi would have much support from Campos or Avalos. They said they'd probably stay neutral.
"I've already spent months of my life anxiously awaiting a vote that I knew would upset everyone in San Francisco, and I'm not really looking forward to going through that again," Avalos said. "I would probably stay out of it."
Success predicted
Political consultant David Latterman said he thinks that if a Mirkarimi recall qualifies for the ballot and has a strong campaign behind it, it would be successful with voters - partly because progressives may not continue to back the sheriff after Olague's defeat.
"Is the left really going to go to bat for this guy?" Latterman asked. "They just did, and they got pounded. They got vilified."
Supervisor Sean Elsbernd, who is termed out in January, won't be around to weather more Mirkarimi drama. But he said Mirkarimi should be "very, very concerned."
"A recall is one hell of an uphill climb," he said. "But my gut tells me I wouldn't want to be Ross right now."
Heather Knight and John Coté are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. E-mail: email@example.com, email@example.com Twitter: @hknightsf, @johnwcote


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Here are the things we know for sure about Belgium, the United States men's national team's Round of 16 opponent and one of the most intriguing teams left in the World Cup:
- Belgium is perhaps the 10th-best team in the world. They're ranked 11th by FIFA, 9th by Nate Silver's SPI, and 14th by ELO.
- Belgium is talented. 15 of 23 players on the World Cup roster play for Champions League teams.
- Belgium was killing teams at this time last year. They went undefeated in their 10 UEFA World Cup qualifying games.
- Belgium was tipped as a World Cup "dark horse" so early and so unanimously that they ceased to meet the actual definition of a dark horse long before the tournament began. People think they're going to go far at this tournament.
The Belgian team has seen a sudden and difficult-to-explain influx of talent in the last three years.
They were a disappointment as a soccer nation in the early-2000s — failing to qualify for the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Euros, as well as the 2006 and 2010 World Cups. Then, all at once, top-tier players started coming out of the woodwork.
Manchester City's Vincent Kompany, who could miss the U.S. game with a groin injury, is one of the best defenders in the Premier League. Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois are two of the best players in the world at their positions. Romelu Lukaku is one of the most sought-after young strikers in Europe.
It's a roster full of players who play major roles at big clubs, and pretty much all of them emerged in the last three years.
But this doesn't really directly answer the question: How good is Belgium?
They dominated their World Cup qualifying group with eight wins and two draws. But five of those wins came against Scotland, Wales, and Macedonia. They've been shaky in friendlies since UEFA qualifying ended — losing to Colombia and Japan, drawing Ivory Coast, and beating Sweden and Tunisia — but you probably can't really take anything away from that.
In this World Cup they've been mildly disappointing, despite three wins in Group H. They needed an 80th-minute goal to come back and beat Algeria 2-1, an 88th-minute goal to beat Russia 1-0, and a 78th-minute goal to beat South Korea 1-0 with 10 men.
They're getting the results, but the attacking flair and creativity we saw in mid-2013 has been absent. Lukaku was subbed off in both games he started, Kompany has an injury and is questionable for the U.S. game, and Hazard has drifted in and out of games.
On the one hand, winning without playing your best is typically the mark of a good team.
On the other hand, where is the young, exciting, Belgium team that we were all promised? Where's the team that we saw eviscerate the U.S. with three goals in 15 minutes in the second half of a friendly last summer? Where's the Belgium that was expected to announce itself at this tournament?
Based on any metric, Belgium is not Brazil, Germany, Argentina, or France. And that's what makes this such an opportunity for the U.S. — there's a sense that this a winnable game for the Americans.
But there's also the sense that Belgium has another gear in them, that their collection of talented individuals will eventually cohere in such a way that the U.S. cannot win this game, no matter how well they play.