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Gov. Deval L. Patrick on Saturday declared a state of emergency for Massachusetts as Hurricane Sandy approached, threatening to combine with another storm from the west and cold air from Canada to bring heavy rains and damaging winds that could cause widespread power outages.
Patrick said 200 National Guard members were on standby and the number would rise to at least 1,000 by the time the storm hits the state, possibly tonight.
It is expected to peak Monday and Tuesday, and could cause moderate to major coastal flooding and severe beach erosion.


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Amour is a beautifully clean and elegant solution to your agency's image. Easy to customize, you could use it as your own personal portfolio. Pixel perfection is key, and you'll be happy to know Amour is Retina ready. Designed for every creative type, designers, photographers, producers and more. Amour is provided with two theme variations, Light and Dark. Amour smoothly adjusts itself to screen size, allowing your site to display on all devices.
Main Features
- Clean and Elegant
- Light and Dark theme styling
- Fully Responsive and Retina Ready
- 3 Intro Types; Parallax Background, Parallax Slider and CSS3 Animation
- 100+ Font Icon Set with 3 styling types; Normal, Circled and Diamond
- Parallax Images and Popup Portfolio
- 4 different Portfolio Effects; Fade In, Zoom In, Vertical Spin and Horizontal Spin
- Working Contact Form and Google Maps
- Validated HTML and CSS
- Compatible with Firefox, Chrome, Opera, Safari, IE8, IE9, IE10, IE11
- Favicon, iOS icons and Windows 8 tile icons included
- Template and Icon PSDs included
- Video Documentation
Theme Styling
Intro Styles
Icon Styling
Portfolio Effects
Responsive Design
Designed to be responsive, Amour will fit any size device from smartphones, tablets and desktops. Built on the Skeleton structure while also using media queries allows Amour to size itself intelligently to the screen. Amour smoothly transitions between various sized devices. Scan the code to quickly view Amour on your smartphone or tablet.
Photo Credits and Sources
Note – photographs are not included in templatePurchased:
- galdzer – [Coast of the Indian Ocean]
- createsima – [Eiffel Tower] and [Top of the rock, New York]
- ollyi – [Smiling Group]
- solarseven – [Evening Storm]
- daveallenphoto – [Blue Ridge Parkway]
Beautiful images by Kevin Roodhorst
Patterns (included in theme):
Patterns 1 to 4 – Downloaded from SubtlePatterns
Patterns 5 to 9 – Self created
Credits and Sources
- jQuery and jQuery Easing
- Google Maps API
- One Page Nav and ScrollTo
- jQuery Sticky/Waypoints
- jQuery Placeholder
- Magnific Popup
- StellarJS
- RetinaJS
- Modernizr and Selectivizr
- Skeleton v1.2
- Fontello
- v1.2 – August 27, 2013
- Added new intro; parallax slider - Added services icon styles; normal, circled and diamond - Added portfolio effects; fade, zoom, vertical spin and horizontal spin - Added scroll to effect for on page buttons/links - Added support for videos in portfolio - Added styling for all input fields - Added 3 more overlay patterns - Added IE8 Fallback - Added extras page to showcase typography and styling - Added retinajs back and added retina css queries - Updated Font Icon - Updated jQuery version and added local fallback - Updated PSD files - Intro section has been recoded to better suit different intros with one id - About section has been recoded - Contact Info sections has been updated and cleaned up - Stylesheets have been updated to accommodate additions and updates - *Removed unneeded 'first' and 'last' classes for columns in skeleton.css and in html - *Removed unneeded 'jquery.scrolling-parallax.js' - *Removed v1.1's fix for iOS orientation bug and added it to the responsive sizes only - *Removed jquery.nailthumb.js and added simple css replacement - *Fixed bug in 'amour.nav.js' that caused template to flicker when scrolling on iPad
- v1.1 – July 17, 2013
- Added Timezone function to contact form - Updated Windows8/IE10 tile icon - Added new tile icons to support Windows8.1/IE11 - Updated 'skeleton.min.css', 'style.css' and 'theme.animation.css' - Fixed orientation bug in iOS Safari - Added video to documentation for v1.1 - *Removed: RetinaJS from amour.plugins.js - Theme is still retina ready.
- v1 – July 13, 2013
- Released

subset: commoncrawl


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Relationships with
Photo Credit: James Woods' picture is courtesy of LaunchPoker. Photographic illustrations of James Woods are copyright © by their respective holders. The images are published with permission or as allowed by the copyright law's fair use or quotation provisions. If any copyright holder objects to an image being included, please notify us and it will be removed immediately.
Disclaimer: This information about James Woods is derived from astrological interpretation of James Woods' date, time, and place of birth.


text: 1. Project no. 3 -- Toxic gases in armored vehicles. Final report on sub-project no. 3-15 -- Determination of the characteristics and effects upon the crew of gun fumes from firing of the weapons in the M4A4E1 tank Author(s): Nelson, Norton A., author Publication: Fort Knox, Kentucky : Armored Medical Research Laboratory, April 29, 1943 Subject(s): Air Pollutants, OccupationalMotor VehiclesVehicle EmissionsWeaponsMilitary PersonnelWorld War IIUnited States


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October 2018
Recent Releases
Blind Kiss
Renée Carlino
What it's about:
Penny and Gavin met in college when they shared a life-changing kiss as part of a psychology experiment. Despite off-the-charts chemistry, they decided they were better off as friends. Now, 14 years later, both wonder (not for the first time) if they made a mistake.
Is it for you?
Bad timing and missed opportunities make for a long and winding road to romance for these unlucky soulmates. Fans of angst-y, high-drama reads will eat this novel up.
Try this next:
Jessica Park's
180 Seconds
Wind River Lawman
Lindsay McKenna
What it is:
the 6th installment of the steamy and suspenseful Wind River Valley series.
What happens:
Although she hired
Dawson Callahan to assist her grandmother, Sheriff Sarah Carter soon discovers that the cattle wrangler and former Navy medic is exactly the man she wants by her side as she battles a local drug kingpin.
Read it for:
a vividly rendered Wyoming setting, sympathetic characters, and an adrenaline-fueled plot.
Highland Betrayal
Alyson McLayne
What it's about:
A broken betrothal is just the beginning for Callum MacLean and Maggie MacDonnell, childhood sweethearts who rekindle their relationship on a perilous journey through the Scottish Highlands.
Series alert:
Set in 15th-century Scotland,
Highland Betrayal
is the 3rd installment of the Sons of Gregor MacLeod series, which follows the five foster sons of a laird.
For fans of:
Highland romances that pair brawny warriors and spirited lasses, such as Mary Wine's Highland Weddings series or Lily Blackwell's Clan Kincaid novels.
A Wolf Apart
Maria Vale
corporate lawyer Elijah Sorensson, a wolf trapped in human skin; Thea Villalobos, the human woman Elijah is forbidden to love.
For fans of:
the detailed world-building and intricate wolf-pack social dynamics found in Rhiannon Held's Silver novels or Patricia Briggs' Alpha and Omega series.
Should you start here?
Although this 2nd book in the Legend of All Wolves series stands on its own, a complex backstory means that newcomers will benefit from starting with
The Last Wolf.
Disguises and Surprises
No Place for a Dame
Connie Brockway
What it's about:
Astronomer Avery Quinn's plan to pose as a man and present her discovery of a new comet to the all-male British Astronomical Society has just one flaw: she doesn't know how to behave like one. Enter Giles Dalton, Marquis of Strand, her reluctant tutor and admirer.
You might also like:
Courtney Milan's
The Countess Conspiracy
or Elizabeth Essex's
A Scandal to Remember
, which feature women scientists who enlist men to help them sneak past the gatekeepers of the male-dominated scientific establishment.
All I Want for Halloween
Marie Harte
Who was that masked man?
That's what Sadie Liberato wants to know after making out with a sexy stranger at a Halloween party. Meanwhile, Harrison "Gear" Blackstone, former host of local TV show
Motorcycle Madnezz
isn't looking for a relationship, yet can't stop thinking about the mystery woman he kissed...
Why you might like it:
If you prefer tricks and treats to mistletoe in your holiday-themed romances, check out this sassy stand-alone by the author of the Body Shop Bad Boys series.
Duke of Pleasure
Elizabeth Hoyt
Who's that girl?
By day, errand "boy" Alf does odd jobs throughout Georgian London, but at night Alfreda McNally dons a harlequin costume to fight crime as the Ghost of St. Giles.
What happens:
When Alf saves the life of Hugh Fitzroy, the Duke of Kyle, he hires her to gather information on the Lords of Chaos, a dangerous secret society. Their investigation brings them too close for comfort.
Series alert:
This 12th installment of the Maiden Lane series gives two supporting characters their own story. Alf first appeared in
Lord of Darkness
, while Hugh made his debut in
Duke of Sin
Forever Your Earl
Eva Leigh
What happens:
A fixture of the scandal sheets, Daniel Balfour, the Earl of Ashford, offers newspaper editor Eleanor Hawke an exclusive opportunity to shadow him and report on how he actually spends his days -- and nights!
Series alert:
Forever Your Earl
kicks off the Wicked Quills of London series.
You might also like:
Maya Rodale's Writing Girls series, whose romances
unfold against the backdrop of Regency-era tabloid scandals
The Librarian and the Spy
Susan Mann
reference librarian Quinn Ellington, and
James Lockwood, the British insurance agent who's secretly an American spy.
What happens:
Following a meet-cute at the library, Quinn proves to James that her research skills are more than up to the task of helping him locate a hidden cache of weapons sought by nefarious arms dealers.
Why you might like it:
This fast-paced 1st book in the Librarian/Spy Escapades sends its likable leads on a romantic thrill-ride.
Going Dark
Monica McCarty
What it's about:
While protesting an offshore drilling project in the Outer Hebrides, marine ecologist Annie Henderson meets sexy boat captain "Dan Warren." While a bit of mystery can certainly add spice to a relationship, discovering Dan's true identity could get Annie killed.
Series alert:
Going Dark is the 1st book in the Lost Platoon series, about a
group of Navy SEALS who "vanish" after a covert op goes awry.
For fans of:
Julie Ann Walker's Deep Six novels, featuring a group of semi-retired Navy SEALS whose salvage operation provides convenient cover for their dangerous exploits.
Contact your librarian for more great books!
Hauppauge Public Library
1373 Veterans Memorial Highway
Hauppauge, New York 11788
(631) 979-1600


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- Business areas
- Application areas
- Work with us
- Cases
- Right now
- About us
- Dansk
Michael conducts security reviews for companies and organisations. A security review consists of a software architecture analysis, code reviews as well as penetration tests.
He also contributes to developing solutions based on secure multiparty computation (SMC). SMC is a technology that enables two or more parties to jointly compute on data while the data is encrypted.
Michael contributes to demonstrating how companies can use state-of-the-art cryptography to collaborate (securely) in new ways. This is useful in for example benchmarking and online auctions.
His research also includes the development of methods that enable companies to protect themselves against loss of business critical and sensitive data.
Michael has an MSc in computer science from Aarhus University where he specialised in cryptology. In addition, he is GIAC-certified, Web Application Penetration Tester (GWAPT) and GSEC-certified.


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Top flight deals to Denver (DEN)*
Fly to Denver with KLM
Together with our global network, we as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines offer flights to Denver, serving Denver International Airport (DEN). Along with Denver, we proudly serve over 150 destinations worldwide, and over 500 destinations with our partner network; so sit back and let us take you where you need to go!
Top Denver attractions
- Union Station: a stunning historic railway station and central transport hub in Denver, dating back to 1881.
- Molly Brown House Museum: a museum situated in the old house of American philanthropist, socialite, and activist Margaret Brown; a woman famous for being one of the few survivors of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912.
- Colorado State Capitol: an imposing architectural landmark, and the home of the Colorado General Assembly and the offices of the Governor of Colorado and Lieutenant Governor of Colorado.
- Denver Zoo: an 80-acre zoo popular amongst tourists and locals alike, famous for being one of the first zoos to utilise naturalistic zoo enclosures rather than cages with bars.
- Denver Mountain Parks: a network of 22 accessible parks and 24 conservation areas totalling 14.000 acres, and comprising one of the most expansive and unique park systems in the West United States.
What's the best way to get around Denver?
If you really want to explore Denver, you'll need a car. Apart from downtown you'll have to rely on taxis for transport throughout the suburban areas, which can be expensive. Hiring a car will be more cost-effective, and will allow you to see more of everything that Denver has to offer. If you are happy to just explore Denver's downtown, you can mostly walk the centre with ease or hop on one of the many bus and metro lines that circle downtown every few minutes day and night.
What's the weather in Denver?
Denver has mild but sunny conditions most of the time, and averages an impressive 300 days of sunshine a year. Rain is very infrequent and short-lived. You can expect temperatures ranging from -6°C (21°F) during December and January, to 30°C (86°F) during the hotter summer months.
Weather in Denver
Powered by: OpenWeatherMap.org
32 °CWednesday12/08/2020
33 °CThursday13/08/2020
33 °CFriday14/08/2020
32 °CSaturday15/08/2020
31 °CSunday16/08/2020
29 °CMonday17/08/2020
29 °CTuesday18/08/2020
*All amounts are in EUR. Taxes and surcharges are included. No booking fee is applicable, but a payment surcharge may apply. Prices shown may vary depending on fare availability. You will see the final amount when selecting your payment method.


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Sorry, there are no scheduled events
Open Play is perfect for individuals or small groups and is organized into separate games for beginners and experienced players. We host up to 100 players during Open Play sessions, with games like capture the flag, president, freeze tag, ambush, and medic — so there's never lack of competition.
Open Play is held every weekend and on select weekdays throughout the year.
Come alone or bring your friends for a day of fun!
*NOTE: All day air fills included with any purchase of paintballs.
*Must book online at least 18 hours in advance to reserve rental equipment.
First there was the Sniper Upgrade. Then there was the Rambo Upgrade. Now there there's the ULTIMATE in upgrades: THE "CHUCK NORRIS" PACKAGE!
The "Chuck Norris" Package includes:
It's like shooting a roundhouse at your opponent!
But don't wait, there are only three "Chuck Norris" Packages! Come get the ultimate advantage now!
Important Information:


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Mustad LiBero Pony
Versatile pony shoe for leisure and sport
LiBero® Pony is a shoe range especially designed for ponies. It is a part of the LiBero® family and consolidates our whole pony shoe offer. This range is based on the results of an in-depth study on pony hoof conformation focussing on hoof differences across various European pony breeds. The LiBero® Pony was developed with the support of an international team of experts and thorough extensive market testing.
Ask the expert
Questions about this product?Let us know
Where to buy
Find your nearest dealer
Product summary
- Model
- Front and hind, typical left and right
- Clips
- Front toe clip, quarter clips. Hind toe clip, side clips
- Sizes
- Front 7*0-2*0. Hind 7*0-2*0
- Weather
- All weather
- Terrain
- Turf/Grass
- Pavement
- Stoney ground
- Sand
- Activity
- Combined driving
- Icelandic equitation
- Leisure
- Show jumping
Find your nearest dealer
Good to know
- shape to size concept based on scientific research
- available in a wide variety of sizes
- durable shoe material but be aware that we have limited wearing material; light pony sport shoe!
- hind shoes 6x0 and 7x0 only with toe clips
Carl O'Dwyer, farrier in Australia
The shoe should always fit to the horse – and not the horse to fit to the shoe
Engineer, farrier, salesman, idealist
Christoph Müller, a German farrier and sales representativeRead story


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$53M in jewels stolen in Cannes, French police say
PARIS French police say an estimated 40 million euro ($53 million) worth of jewels has been stolen from the Carlton Intercontinental Hotel in Cannes.
The hotel was hosting a temporary jewelry exhibit.
A police spokesman says one or more thieves nabbed the jewels in broad daylight around noon Sunday in the French Riviera city.
The spokesman could not say how many thieves were involved in the heist, or confirm if it was an armed robbery.
Local media said the robber made off with the jewels in a briefcase, reports the BBC. It is not yet known who the owner was.
The spokesman requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the matter on the record.
Cannes -- the location of a high-profile movie award ceremony every year -- was hit by a series of expensive jewelry heists earlier this year.


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restructuring(redirected from restructurings)
Also found in: Dictionary, Medical, Encyclopedia.
The reorganization of a company in order to attain greater efficiency and to adapt to new markets. Major corporate restructuring transactions include mergers, acquisitions, tender offers, leveraged buyouts, divestitures, spin-offs, equity carve-outs, liquidations and reorganizations.
The act or process of changing the terms on the assets and/or liabilities of a company. That is, a company may consolidate its debts, significantly change the size and scope of its operations, and take other measures to reduce the strain of continuing operation. Most companies restructure either as part of a bankruptcy or as an effort to avoid it. If the company is restructuring as part of a corporate bankruptcy, it is said to be in receivership.
A significant rearrangement of a firm's assets and/or liabilities. A firm's restructuring may include discontinuing a line of business, closing several plants, and making extensive employee cutbacks. A restructuring generally entails a one-time charge against earnings. Compare debt restructuring.


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The Clone Wars: Crash Course is the second in a series of digest-sized Clone Wars graphic novellas.
Publisher's summaryEdit
In the latest galaxy-spanning Clone Wars adventure, Anakin Skywalker and his young Padawan Ahsoka Tano go undercover in the cutthroat world of Podracing in hopes of crushing a diabolical Separatist spy ring. Watch out, Jedi -- speed kills!
Plot summaryEdit
The search for Separatist spy leads Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, to the Mon Gazza system, where one of the biggest Podraces in the galaxy is about to begin. The Jedi must enter the races to uncover the secrets of a spy network that they believe is much larger than just single agent and his contract. With Ahsoka as the racer, and Anakin, Artoo-Detoo, and the Clone Captain Rex as her pit crew, things seem to be well in hand for a successful mission-but Ahsoka's never driven a Podracer before...
|Droid models
|Organizations and titles
|Sentient species
|Vehicles and vessels
|Weapons and technology
Behind the scenesEdit
Wan Sandage is sometimes misrepresented as appearing in Crash Course, though it was Raido who appeared, not Sandage.


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NABAIJI Women's Swimming One-Piece Swimsuit Riana - Gab NavyNABAIJI
From To
* From To
Product benefits
Technical Information
Beginners swim: beginner swimmers who are starting to swim and need ease and comfort. Above all, she is looking for a water-based physical activity for its well-being and health benefits. For her, Nabaiji offers a wide range of swimwear that allow her to swim with products suited to swimming, but that also meet anatomical requirements.
X-shaped back: a swimming swimsuit should focus above all on comfort, to allow you to perform your movements with ease, without discomfort or pain. That is why it is important to choose the shape of the back of your swimsuit carefully. In X-shaped back swimwear, cross straps allow good freedom of movement. As the straps are not fixed together, they adapt to all body types.
Material: 80% polyamide / 20% elastane. Chlorinated water can be harmful to swimsuits which are used repeatedly in the swimming pool. The elastane fibre that gives the material its stretch property and therefore makes it comfortable, is also very fragile when in contact with chlorine. If you swim occasionally this material will be fine for you. If you swim regularly or intensively, opt for a 100% polyester material.
Not recommended for use on slides.
The environmental impact of the product is calculated over its entire life cycle and with different indicators. An overall score (ABCDE) is attributed to help you easily identify the products with the best environmental performance by comparing products of the same type with one another (T-shirts, trousers, backpacks, etc.).
Decathlon chose to apply this voluntary environmental labelling scheme.
For more information, visit: http://sustainability.decathlon.com/


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The Hall/Museum officially opened its doors to the public in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, on the shores of Lake Erie on September 2, 1995. The day before, a parade and ribbon-cutting ceremony took place. Among the attendees were Ahmet Ertegun, Little Richard, Yoko Ono, the governor of Ohio, and the mayor of Cleveland.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation had established itself in New York City originally, but officials from Cleveland approached them in 1985 with a proposal for a major museum. Suzan Evans said, "Our eyebrows were raised, and somebody at the meeting actually passed me a note that said, 'Pack your bags.'" HO Cleveland also ranked first in a USA Today poll asking where the museum should be located. Cleveland was chosen as the home for the museum in May 1986.
In 1987, architect I.M. Pei was tapped to design the museum. HO Ground brok on June 7, 1993 with notables such as Chuck Berry, Sam Phillips, Pete Townshend, and Billy Joel on hand. Since opening its doors, the museum has had nearly eight million visitors. HO
The Rock Hall's first slate of inductees included Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley and Little Richard. Robert Johnson, Jimmie Rodgers and Jimmy Yancey were honored as early influences. The first non-performers honored were producer Sam Phillips and disc jockey Alan Freed. Talent scout/producer John Hammond was recognized with a Lifetime Achievement award." HO
Resources and Related Links:
- HO Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum History and Overview
- MS Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Learn About the Museum: Mission Statement


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All Spaces
Family Involvement
Even in elementary school, we're preparing students to succeed in high school, college and beyond. Research shows that involvement by parents and family members makes a big difference in a child's success at school. You Make the Difference!
Garden and Living Classroom
Located at the back of the campus, the garden provides students an opportunity to put their life science education into action. The garden was built by a partnership between Campbell Union School District and various community volunteer teams who believed in the importance of education outside the four classroom walls. Students and staff grow everything from tomatoes and zucchinis to basil and sunflowers, watching plants take root in the raised beds.
Gifted & Talented Education
Gifted and Talented Education refers to students who have been identified as being gifted, or having a high capacity for learning and abstract thinking and reasoning. All second graders in CUSD take a non-verbal test in order to be screened for GATE identification. Once children are identified as being gifted, our teachers meet their needs through differentiated classroom instruction.
Grade Levels
New ideas. New concepts. New skills.
Elementary school is where students begin to explore core subjects and discover new interests and skills that they may develop later in middle school. Our teachers provide strong core academic instruction through their broad knowledge of the subject matter, standards-based curriculum, and creative lesson design.
Homeschool is an educational alternative that is offered through the Campbell Union School District for students from all counties surrounding Santa Clara County. Our program allows families the flexibility to work with a credentialed teacher to build a rigorous and customized educational program for the student involved. The program provides flexibility with scheduling and meets the needs of students who have outside commitments or other issues that make traditional schooling difficult.
Kindergarten is for children who will be five years old on or before September 1. Instruction in kindergarten is focused on developing foundational skills that prepare students for success in all content areas and sets the foundation for building skills that lead to success throughout the child's school years. Students build skills in literacy and oral language comprehension, vocabulary, alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and print knowledge.
Capri students visit the library with their classes once a week and can also spend recess and lunchtime getting lost in a good book. The Capri library offers thousands of fiction and non-fiction books for students to check out. Students love spending time in this quiet, thoughtful, learning space.
Multi-Use Room
This room is a hub of activity for the school and the community. By day it is where students gather for lunch, activities, educational assemblies and more. After school hours, it is a-buzz with school and community activities such as recreational and team sports, community meetings and school drama productions.
An enjoyable subject like music can keep kids interested and engaged in school. Student musicians are likely to stay in school to achieve in other subjects. Students of music can be more emotionally developed, with empathy towards other cultures They also tend to have higher self esteem and are better at coping with anxiety.
Physical Education
Students spend a lot of time in classrooms at school but getting outside and being active is just as important. Physical Education is mandated by the State of California. Students in elementary school are required to have 200 minutes of Physical Education every 10 days. Physical education is a combination of structured activities and lessons on nutrition and healthy living. Depending on the teacher or the provider, students participate in a variety of sports, dancing, calisthenics, and other activities to get them up and moving.
Our high-quality preschools prepare students for successful educational journeys. We provide positive learning experiences that are engaging and enjoyable, allowing children to make choices and explore as they build confidence and competence that prepares them for Kindergarten and beyond. Both fee-based and subsidized programs are available, year round, with part-time or full-time options.
Enrichment opportunities at develop the whole student, providing knowledge and context for the world around them. Students will participate in various programs during their time. They're also encouraged to participate in a variety of after-school activities.


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Vancouver, WA — Nautilus, which has had disappointing financials for the past several years, wasn't helped last year by the economy.
Net sales in fourth quarter 2008 were $92.3 million compared to $146.7 million in 2007, a 37 percent decrease. For the year, net sales were $411 million, down 18 percent from $501 million in 2007.
"The decline is due to the overall consumer environment and credit market disruptions as well as an internal decision to reduce the level of discounting versus the prior year," Kenneth Fish, Nautilus CFO, said in a call with analysts last month.
The company's fourth quarter 2008 loss of $41.2 million is less than the $45.7 million loss it had in fourth quarter 2007. For the year, the company had a net loss of $90.6 million, which is more than the $55.6 million loss the company had in 2007.
Commercial business sales were down 37 percent to $26.4 million.
"This decline is primarily due to the late investment by health clubs to modernize existing equipment, reduced Treadclimber sales, tighter inventory controls by dealers that sell mainly into light commercial applications and delays in opening up new gyms," Fish said. "Excluding Treadclimber sales commercial business revenue was down 29 percent in fourth quarter of 2008 versus fourth quarter of 2007."
The company has been cutting its expenses by various means, including layoffs and closing a manufacturing facility in Tulsa, OK. In late February, Nautilus laid off 50 employees at its Vancouver, WA, headquarters, leaving head count there at 350 people. In October 2007, the company laid off 140 people, 80 of those at its headquarters.
"While we expect our revenue will continue to be impacted by the challenging economic environment throughout 2009, we believe these additional cost improvements in 2009 will enable us to be cash flow positive in 2009 as we continue to right size the company and lower our breakeven point," Fish said.
The company plans to reintroduce the Treadclimber this year, but Ed Bramson, CEO of Nautilus, declined to offer a release date. Nautilus has suspended the manufacturing of the Treadclimber twice, most recently in early 2008, due to durability issues.


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Three posts in one week! It's a miracle! After being away from this blog during our whirlwind spring of weddings and travel it is soooo good to be back. I hope I'm not boring you too much with the Whole 30 thing. I promise not to talk about it allllll the time. Really, I'm just making good, clean food here. You can label it whatever you want or don't label it at all. Just make it, enjoy it, and feel good. That's all anyone can ask for, right?
This week I had a mega hankering for my favorite slow cooker chicken tortilla soup. It was a little chillier here in Chicago (though still nice) so I knew it would be great for lunches. I'm happy to say it did not disappoint.
I updated my favorite slow cooker chicken tortilla soup recipe by ditching the beans and corn and packing in even more veggies than before. The result was stellar. It has all of the same kick and flavors as my beloved recipe with an even greater nutritional bonus. That's what I call a win-win.
Soup's on!
#Whole30 Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken Soup
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1-1.5 lbs)
- 15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 to 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, mined
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup salsa (read the label to make sure it doesn't contain any funky ingredients like sugar)
- 2 to 3 handfuls baby spinach
- Juice of 1 lime
Place the chicken breasts, tomatoes, and chicken broth in the slow cooker. In a microwave-safe glass bowl add the carrots, celery, red bell pepper, onion, jalapeño, garlic, olive oil, cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Mix to coat everything evenly in oil and spices. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir. Microwave for 2 more minutes. Stir. If veggies aren't softened, microwave 1-2 more minutes. Dump the veggies into the slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. When it's done cooking, remove chicken breasts to a cutting board and shred with two forks. Return chicken to slow cooker. Mix in salsa and spinach. Continue cooking on low for 15 to 30 minutes more. Right before serving, squeeze juice of one lime.


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Luck rallies Indianapolis past Green Bay 30-27
Colts trailed Packers 21-3 at halftime
INDIANAPOLIS — Andrew Luck capped a second-half comeback by throwing a 4-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne with 35 seconds to go that gave Indianapolis a stunning 30-27 victory over Green Bay on Sunday in the Colts' first game without coach Chuck Pagano.
Green Bay (2-3) had a chance to force overtime, but Mason Crosby missed a 51-yard field goal with 3 seconds to go.
Luck then took a knee and time ran out and the team celebrated. Missing was Pagano, who is in a hospital undergoing treatment for leukemia that was recently diagnosed.
Luck came through with just what Pagano wanted — getting the Colts (2-2) to .500. And they did it despite trailing 21-3 at halftime.
After Adam Vinatieri gave Indy its first lead at 22-21 with a 28-yard field goal, Aaron Rodgers threw an 8-yard TD pass to James Jones to make it 27-22 with 4:30 left before the Colts rallied.


text:
B.J. Hoeptner Evans
Manager, Media Relations and Publications
Phone: (719) 228-6800
E-Mail: email@example.com
To view the 2011 U.S. Men's National Volleyball Team Yearbook, click here.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (March 22, 2012) – Zenit Kazan, the Russian Super League team of U.S. outside hitter Reid Priddy (Richmond, Va.) won the 2012 CEV Champions League with a 25-15, 16-25, 22-25, 26-24, 17-15 victory over Poland's PGE Skra Belchatow on March 18.
Priddy started the fourth and fifth sets of the final and scored three points on three attacks.
Turkey's Arkas Izmir, which includes U.S. setter Kevin Hansen (Newport Beach, Calif.), finished fourth.
In the third-place match, Izmir fell to Italy's Trentino PlanetWin365, 25-20, 25-19, 25-19. Hansen started all three sets and scored two points on two kills while setting his team to a 45.0 kill percent and a .325 hitting efficiency.
In the March 17 semifinals, Kazan defeated Trentino, 31-33, 25-20, 25-23, 25-17. Priddy did not play in the match. Belchatow beat Izmir, 25-23, 25-21, 28-26. Hansen started all three sets, scoring four points on four blocks and setting the team to a 35.4 kill percent and a .268 hitting efficiency.
Champions League matches can be viewed after they are played at www.laola1.tv.
In the CEV Cup finals, U.S. middle blocker David Lee (Alpine, Calif.) and the Russian Super League team Dinamo Moscow will face Asseco Resovia Rzeszów, the Polish PlusLiga team of U.S. outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) in two matches, one home and one away.
In the semifinals, Lee and Moscow got past U.S. outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) and Acqua Paradis Monza Brianza thanks to a golden set. While Monza Brianza won its home match on March 14, it fell to Moscow on March 18 in Russia, 22-25, 25-19, 25-19, 25-22. Moscow won the golden set 15-13.
Lee scored six points on five kills and one block in the match. Rooney played as a substitute for Monza Brianza and three points on three attacks.
Lotman did not play in Resovia Rzeszów's second semifinal match, a 25-18, 25-19, 25-22 victory over host Slovenia's ACH Volley Ljubljana.
The finals will be played March 28 in Poland and April 1 in Russia.
To view photos from all CEV tournament matches, click here.
On May 7-12, USA Volleyball will host the NORCECA Men's Continental Olympic Qualification Tournament, which will be played at the Walter Pyramid in Long Beach, Calif. The winner of this tournament will qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
All tickets are now on sale. For more information, click here.
U.S. middle blocker David Smith (Saugus, Calif.) and his French league team Tours moved into first place in the French league with a 22-25, 26-24, 23-25, 26-24, 15-12 victory over Ajaccio on March 20.
Smith was Tours' second-leading scorer with 17 points on eight attacks, a match-high six blocks and three aces.
U.S. outside hitter Robert Tarr (Cape Canaveral, Fla.) and Cannes have moved into fourth place in the league thanks to a 25-21, 25-22, 25-20 victory over Paris on March 20. Tarr finished with 10 points on eight attacks and two blocks.
Tourcoing, the French league team that includes U.S. setter Jonathan Winder (Irvine, Calif.) and outside hitter Jayson Jablonsky (Yorba Linda, Calif.), has moved up into sixth place following a 25-23, 29-31, 29-27, 27-25 win over Beauvais.
Winder started all four sets and scored four points, including an ace. He set the team to a 46.0 kill percent. Jablonsky started the first two sets and finished with nine points on nine attacks.
The French league will play its final regular season matches on March 24.
With two weekends left in the Italian Serie A League, teams are fighting to be sure they are in the top 12, which will participate in the league playoffs, while the last two teams are sent to the A2 league.
U.S. setter Donald Suxho (Korce, Albania) and Sisley Belluno are in fourth place, but lost on March 22 to league-leading Itas Diatec Trentino, 25-20, 25-22, 25-22. Suxho scored two points on two kills and set the team to a 50.0 kill percent and a .419 hitting efficiency.
U.S. outside hitter Matt Anderson (West Seneca, N.Y.) and Casa Modena are in fifth place. On March 18, Modena defeated Marmi Lanza Verona, 25-22, 33-31, 22-25, 25-17. Anderson finished with 13 points on 12 kills (41.4 kill percent, .310 hitting efficiency) and one block. He was credited with 17 receptions, 65 percent positive.
U.S. middle blocker Max Holt (Cincinnati, Ohio) and Copra Elior Piacenza are in sixth place and took a 25-18, 25-19, 25-19 victory over M. Roma Volley on March 17. Holt scored eight points on two attacks, a match-high five blocks and one ace.
U.S. outside hitter Sean Rooney (Wheaton, Ill.) and Acqua Paradis Monza Brianza are in seventh place and are suffering a five-match losing streak. On March 21, they fell to Bre Banca Lannutti Cuneo, 25-22, 25-22, 25-21. Rooney started the first two sets and played as a substitute in the third. He scored five points on three attacks, one block and one ace.
U.S. opposite Murphy Troy (St. Louis, Mo.) and Andreoli Latina are in eighth place. U.S. middle blocker Andy Hein (Carol Stream, Ill.) has left Latina to join Fidia Padova, which defeated Latina on March 18, 20-25, 25-23, 25-19, 22-25, 15-7.
Hein substituted in the second set and started the third, fourth and fifth, finishing with five points on four kills and one block. Troy started the first three sets and substituted in the fourth, finishing with 13 points on 11 kills (44.0 kill percent, .320 hitting efficiency), one block and one ace. Padova sits in 13th place in the league.
U.S. opposite Evan Patak (Pleasanton, Calif.), U.S. setter Riley McKibbin (Honolulu, Hawaii) and Energy Resources San Giustino are on the bubble in 12th place. The team lost to second-place Lube Banca Marche Macerata on March 18, 25-23, 25-20, 24-26, 25-20.
Patak scored 12 points on 12 attacks. McKibbin started the first two sets and scored two points on two kills.
U.S. outside hitter Paul Lotman (Lakewood, Calif.) and Asseco Resovia Rzeszów have advanced to the semifinals of the Polish league playoffs after winning three straight matches over Tytan AZS Częstochowa.
U.S. middle blocker Russell Holmes (Fountain Valley, Calif.) and Jastrzębski Węgiel have also advanced to the semifinals, after winning the series against Delecta Bydgoszcz, 3-1.
After going 1-1 in Bydgoszcz, Węgiel came back to win two straight matches at home to advance. On March 21, Węgiel won 26-28, 22-25, 25-20, 26-24, 16-14. Holmes scored 16 points on 11 attacks (84.6 kill percent, .846 hitting efficiency), three blocks and two aces.
On March 22, Węgiel won 25-23, 21-25, 25-20, 25-18. Holmes had a standout performance with match-highs of five blocks and four aces to go with his four kills for 13 points.
The German league team Berlin Recycling Volleys, including U.S. outside hitter Scott Touzinsky (St. Louis, Mo.) and setter Kawika Shoji (Honolulu, Hawaii), are playing U.S. middle blocker Matt Denmark (Edmond, Okla.) and VfB Friedrichshafen in a best-of-five league semifinal series.
In the first match on March 21, Friedrichshafen came out on top, 25-20, 25-16, 23-25, 27-25. Denmark played as a substitute and scored one point on a block. Touzinsky started all four sets and scored 11 points on 11 attacks. Shoji started the first two sets and scored two points on two kills.
The next match will be played March 25.
U.S. opposite Brook Billings (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and Istanbul B.B. defeated Niksar Belediyespor, 25-13, 25-17, 25-14 on March 21.
Billings led his team with 10 points on nine attacks (69.2 kill percent, .615 hitting efficiency) and one block.
Loimu Raision, the Finnish league team that includes U.S. outside hitter Garret Muagututia (Oceanside, Calif.), libero Dustin Watten (Long Beach, Calif.) and outside hitter/opposite Duncan Budinger (Encinitas, Calif.), fell to Hurrikaani-Loimaa in the first round of the league playoffs and has finished its season.
In the final match on March 19, Hurrikaani-Loimaa won 25-22, 25-21, 12-25, 25-16. Budinger led his team with 19 points on 17 attacks (50.0 kill percent, .353 hitting efficiency), one block and one ace. Muagututia added 13 points on nine kills, three blocks and one ace. He was credited with 28 receptions, 71 percent positive.
Watten was credited with 15 receptions, 67 percent positive.
U.S. outside hitter Jeff Menzel (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and his Spanish league team Unicaja Almeria are 1-1 in the best-of-five league semifinals against Ciudad del Medio Ambiente Soria.
On March 17, visiting Almeria defeated Ciudad del Medio Ambiente Soria, 25-22, 16-25, 25-18, 29-27. Menzel scored 16 points on 13 attacks (44.8 kill percent, .379 hitting efficiency) and three aces.
On March 18, host Ciudad del Medio Ambiente Soria struck back with a 25-19, 25-22, 15-18 victory. Menzel led his team with 16 points on 15 attacks (55.5 kill percent, .481 hitting efficiency) and one block.
Almeria will host the next two matches on March 23 and 24.


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Collapsable and Hideable Viewports
- 1 Collapsing and Hiding Viewports
- 2 Under the Hood
- 3 The Commands
- 4 Tab Switching without Collapsing/Hiding
- 5 Icons
- 6 Demo Config
- 7 Bonus command: viewport.settings
Collapsing and Hiding Viewports
Starting in modo901, viewports can be hidden or collapsed programatically.
Collapsing Viewports
Most dividers will look like they always have. Some, however, will be wider, with a thick grip and an arrow pointing in one direction on one or both sides of the grip. These are the collapse widgets -- clicking one will collapse the viewports along that divider in that direction. Since we must collapse rectangular regions, this may collapse multiple viewports, possibly outside the bounds you might be expecting. Dragging anywhere in the divider (not just the grip) will resize the viewport as normal.
Collapsed viewports are replaced with a thin rectangular region with a triangle in it; to restore the original viewports, just click on the widget. This collection of viewports is referred to as a set.
Toggling Collapsing Support For A Divider
Any divider can be made wide to support collapsing by right clicking and choosing the collapse direction. Care should be taken with which dividers are made collapsible, as some don't make sense and could result in odd collapsing effects. The menu allows you to choose if a divider can collapsed in zero, one or both directions.
Hiding Viewports
Hiding is like collapsing, but it completely removes the viewport set from the dividers. Hiding and revealing viewports is commonly done through buttons in Form Views.
Under the Hood
Each layout maintains their own lists of collapsed and hidden sets, which are stored in the config between sessions. All sets keep track of where they are in the layout the same way that viewports do, by the dividers they share. This means that they can survive deleted viewports, re-arranged viewports, split viewports and so on, and it is still possible to restore the set's contents (although if you make enough changes they might not restore in quite where you might expect).
The sets are stored in the layout's config in a Collapsed list (both for collapsed and hidden sets) in a manner somewhat similar to how viewports are stored in Port entries. The set's contents (its dividers and viewports) stored in separate CollapsedSet hash entries in the Frame atom, like viewports presets, with the contents being a layout-like list of its dividers and viewport presets. (This all makes sense once you look at a config.)
A simple config hierarchy. The bold bits are the new elements added for collapsed sets:
Frame (atom) Layout (hash)
HDiv (list) VDiv (list) Port (list) Collapsed (list) Dividers (atom) Viewport (hash) CollapsedSet (hash) Position (atom) HDiv (list) VDiv (list) Port (list) Collapsed (list) Dividers (atom)
Like viewports, sets have their own hashes, and duplicating a layout generates a new hash for the set. To make sure a command in a form can find the set even if the hash changes, the sets have an expansionKey that does not change. This is detailed further below.
The Commands
Collapsing and hiding use very similar commands:
viewport.collapse show:? viewportFrom:tag viewport:MyTag dir:right expansionKey:MyExpansionKey viewport.hide show:? viewportFrom:tag viewport:MyTag dir:right expansionKey:MyExpansionKey
The arguments work the same way, so I'll just cover viewport.hide here.
When show is false, the viewports will be collapsed/hidden. There are two pieces of information required to find the divider to be collapsed: the viewport's hash or tag, and a direction to collapse in.
viewportFrom can be set to tag or hash to indicate what the viewport argument represents. Collapsing by clicking a widget in the collapse popover tends to use the viewport's preset hash, since that's all we really have to work with. Hiding, especially if a button in the UI, should always use a viewport tag. Using tags ensures that the viewport can always be found, even if its hash changes (which can happen when copying/duplicating a layout, for example).
Searching for a viewport with the hash/tag is done from the current frame (as derived from the currently selected viewport) and its children, then the parent frame hierarchy and its children, and finally all remaining frames. This ensures that if the tag/preset exists in multiple currently open layouts that we'll probably find the one that you wanted, although you may get incorrect behavior if the same tag/hash is used in multiple visible layouts. If this becomes an issue I can try to look into ways around it, either by allowing the search scope to be more limited or by doing more detailed searches within collapsed sets for the viewports, although I'm not sure what to do about the expansion key (since that only exists if the set is collapsed/hidden, we could find an existing set in the wrong frame unless we support limiting the scope of the search).
After finding the viewport, the dir argument is checked to decide which direction we're collapsing in. For example, if it is set to left, then the viewport collapses to the left (and thus you clicked on the left-pointing widget on the divider popover over the right edge of the viewport). For viewport.hide, this is opposite the divider that is removed after the viewports in that direction are hidden (ie: hiding to the left would remove the right edge). This makes sense when you see it in action. Just remember it's always the direction you're collapsing in, not the side of the viewport that you're removing.
The expansionKey argument is used to designate a (hopefully) uniquely identifier for this collapsed set so that we can restore it later. As such, it is stored as part of the set itself. This isn't a dynamic hash, so duplicating the layout will result in the same key existing in the duplicate, and thus your buttons in the forms will still work. This key is defined by the command call itself, and doesn't already exist in the layout separately.
Expanding or unhiding is done with the same command, but this time with show set to true. The viewportFrom/viewport arguments must be set but are ignored, since the viewport won't exist in the layout at this time. The expansionKey argument is now used to find the previously-collapsed/hidden set, at which point its dividers and viewports are restored into their frame.
Putting It Together
Here's a simple made-up example of how this might work as a button in a form:
viewport.hide show:? viewportFrom:tag viewport:MyTag dir:right expansionKey:MyExpansionKey
This creates a tool-style toggle button in the form. The state of the button is determined by if the set is in the visible (as indicated by the viewport indicated by viewportFrom/viewport existing) or hidden (via a set with the expansionKey existing). It contains all the information needed to hide or show the set when its button is clicked.
Clicking the button would make a layout where the viewport A has the tag MyTag go from this:
To this:
+------------------+ | | | | | | | | | | +------------------+
The hidden set is attached to the top, right and bottom edges, and will restore from the right edge. If you split the remaining viewport, the hidden set will still be attached to the right edge when it is restored.
Tabs in Tabbed Viewports
The tabTag argument provides an extra layer of functionality. Let's say you have a layout like this:
P is a panel that you want to hide, but the contents of P can be one of four possible sets of viewports. The buttons A, B, C and D determine which viewports are displayed in P, but you can also click the highlighted button to hide the entire panel. The question is, how do you do this?
The answer is that P is actually a tabbed viewport, but with the tabs hidden (this newly-added ability is supported through the MinHeader config parm on the tabbed viewport, which can be toggled form the UI via the Show Tabs option in its Viewport Controls). Each tab's viewport must be given a tag, which in turn is referenced by the viewport.hide/viewport.collapse commands in the form:
viewport.hide show:? viewportFrom:tag viewport:MyTag dir:left expansionKey:MyExpansionKey tabTag:MyTabA viewport.hide show:? viewportFrom:tag viewport:MyTag dir:left expansionKey:MyExpansionKey tabTag:MyTabB viewport.hide show:? viewportFrom:tag viewport:MyTag dir:left expansionKey:MyExpansionKey tabTag:MyTabC viewport.hide show:? viewportFrom:tag viewport:MyTag dir:left expansionKey:MyExpansionKey tabTag:MyTabD
When you click one of the buttons, the command first checks to see if the viewport is a tabbed viewport and that the tab with that tag is current. If it is, only then does it hide the set. If the tabbed viewport is visible but the tab with that tag is not the current one, it simply switches to that tab. If the set isn't visible, it both reveals the set and switching to the desired tab.
This lets you create buttons that you can click to open a panel, then click to switch between different kinds of panels, before finally hiding the panel again by clicking the highlighted button.
Tab Switching without Collapsing/Hiding
If you want to just have a tabbed viewport that is always visible but has no tab bar, and you simply want to switch tabs with buttons in a form, you can use the viewport.tabWithTag command. It supports querying and icons just like the collapse/hide commands.
viewport.tabWithTag tag:string <?isCurrent:boolean>
In a form, it would look like this. The isCurrent argument exist solely so that we have something to query from the form so that the button can be properly highlighted.
viewport.tabWithTag tag:MyTag isCurrent:?
This is a global search for that tag in all tabs in all tabbed viewports, so you should try to make sure it's unique.
Viewports now support icon resources through their tags. These are displayed on the buttons created by viewport.hide, viewport.collapse, and viewport.tabWithTag. For the hide/collapse commands, the viewportFrom argument must be tag, and viewport argument must be a tag, as the tag itself is used as the icon resource lookup.
These icons obey standard forms rules, meaning that you should define myTag_20 and myTag_32 in your image resources.
There is no fallback. We have no way to know what viewport this is, so we can't resort to the viewport type, and the viewport preset could change if the layout is cloned. So tags it is.
Demo Config
To demonstrate this there is simple |a simple test config, which you can unzip and put in user:configs to try it out -- just switch to the Tab Hide Test layout. You can use the buttons to switch to specific tabs, to hide the panel (by clicking the highlighted button), and to show it again (by clicking any button when none are highlighted). It demonstrates how to set up the commands, form and tabbed viewport.
Bonus command: viewport.settings
The viewport.settings command can be used to open the settings of the currently-selected viewport. You can also open a specific viewport via viewport tags:
viewport.settings tag:MyViewportTag
If you target a tabbed viewport, it will open the options of the current tab. This can be useful to provide a way for the user to open the viewport options when the tab bar is hidden.


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The DiningGuide database has 7 profiles for this restaurant chain in the Washington D.C. area. Readers have rated this chain, on average, 3.0 out of 5.0. The "smiley faces" below show how readers opinion of a given restaurant location.
Click on the address link from the following list to view a specific location's DiningGuide Profile PageSM.
|In The Crystal City Shops
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|7400 Wisconsin Ave.
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|11956 Market St.
|One Freedom Square
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|In The Shops at Fairfax Square
|1050 Connecticut Ave. N.W.
|(not rated)
|3251 Prospect St. N.W.
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text:
Servet ÇelikI; Hülya KasapoğluII
IDepartment of Foreign Language Education, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey email@example.com
IIDepartment of Educational Sciences, Karadeniz Technical University
Recent modifications to the Turkish educational system have mandated that instruction in English begin in the 2nd grade, rather than the 4th grade, as was previously required. Consequently, substantial modification of the elementary (2nd through 8th grade) English language teaching program has been carried out in order to accommodate this change. Successful implementation of the new program may be significantly affected by the efforts of elementary school administrators to incorporate the restructured curriculum at the institutional level. Therefore, the researchers believe that understanding the attitudes of school principals concerning these changes may play a significant role in learner outcomes. Accordingly, by means of personal interviews, this qualitative study explores the beliefs of nine elementary school administrators concerning the teaching of English to younger students, as well as their general opinions on English language education. The results indicate divided opinions toward the requirement for English instruction, although the administrators' attitudes toward facilitating English teaching in their schools were generally positive. However, they expressed concerns about the recently replaced teaching program and indicated general agreement that revision was needed. Based on the perceptions expressed by the participants, the researchers concluded that the administrators may be motivated to promote the modified teaching program among teachers, students and parents. However, the responses of the participants also raised significant questions about school principals' underlying beliefs concerning the importance of English language education, as well as institutional issues that may warrant intervention. As a result, suggestions for additional research are made.]]> Keywords: curricular reform; educational reform; English as a foreign language (EFL); school administrators; school principals
In Turkey, as well as in countries throughout the developing world, national governments have made it a priority to provide their citizens with the quality education needed to succeed in a dynamic and competitive global society (Cogo, 2012; Jenkins, 2009; Pakir, 2009, Rajagopalan, 2004; Seidlhofer, 2005; Senior, 2006; Sowden, 2012). In order to carry out this far-reaching goal in the Turkish context, the Ministry of National Education (MoNE) is in a continual process of evaluating its academic programs and enacting systemic reform in order to meet the country's evolving educational needs in the face of the technological, scientific, social and political changes taking place worldwide (Çelik, 2012).
However, Fullan (1992) has argued that while educational reform may be relatively simple to enact, putting new legislation into practice can be enormously challenging. Questions of resources and staffing, as well as social and political issues, may obstruct efforts to carry out curricular changes. For instance, in terms of staffing, a recent update to the national teaching curriculum in the Republic of South Africa known as Curriculum and Assessment and Policy Statements (CAPS), which was designed to resolve issues in an earlier reform program known as the National Curriculum Statement (Department of Basic Education, Republic of South Africa, 2013), has itself proven to be problematic. Educators have cited major difficulties in implementing the modified teaching program, as public school teachers have not generally been adequately trained to deal with these changes, and current teacher education programs do not sufficiently address the updated curriculum (UNISA College of Education, 2012).
In the Turkish context, as well, Acat, Anilan and Anagün (2010) point out that even when reform is seen in a generally positive light, teachers and students alike often tend to resist efforts to carry out any alteration in the accustomed way of doing things. Overall, as Avenstrup (2007) contends, the obstacles that may be encountered in bringing about educational reform are wide-ranging, pervasive, and complex, encompassing many cultural, political, administrative and practical issues. Therefore, when it comes to putting curricular modifications into effect, strong leadership and effective management of resources is required at the ground level.
Role of the school administrator in carrying out educational reform While countless individuals - from teachers, administrators and support staff to students and their parents - all play a role in adapting to curricular revisions. Fullan (2001:1) reasons that it is the school principal who is central in "promoting or inhibiting change" from a leadership perspective. In this regard, as noted by Grobler, Bisschoff and Bleeka (2012), the role of the school administrator is multifaceted. Trail (2000:2) highlights the importance of the principal in facilitating educational reform, noting that, as experienced teachers who have significant insight into the issues that teachers face in the classroom, principals "must position themselves as guides and as models, helping teachers who, in the face of significant change, must become learners themselves". In this respect, she asserts that principals have the responsibility to work with teachers in adapting to new materials and instructional practices, at the same time guiding their ongoing professional development. As resource managers, school administrators are also responsible for overseeing the hiring of staff, as well as designating the use of materials and classroom space in order to create a positive teaching and learning environment. Furthermore, Trail (2000:2) contends that principals must act as "liaison[s] with the various stakeholders throughout the implementation of a reform program", including teachers, support staff, parents and students, as they work to ensure that new policies are integrated into the internal school environment, as well as enforcing them when necessary.
Similarly, Töremen and Kolay (2003) argue that school principals must assume the role of communicators as they work to clarify the objectives and expectations of the new system and prepare teachers to cope with these issues at the classroom level. Bush, Kiggundu and Moorosi (2011) and Kapikiran (2004) reinforce the notion of principals as mediators; Kapikiran, in particular, notes that school principals bear the responsibility for motivating teachers, students and parents to view educational revisions in a positive light as they "try to balance the conflicting needs and expectations of each group" (Maforah & Schulze, 2012:236).
The effect of school administrators' attitudes on the implementation of reform]]> Given the significant role of the school principal in carrying out curricular reform at the institutional level, a number of researchers have noted that their attitudes toward a particular reform measure can have a significant impact on its success. Park and Jeong (2013), for instance, demonstrate that school administrators who have a positive attitude and enforce their leadership role in promoting reform can substantially reduce the resistance of teachers toward changes to the curriculum. Brown and Moffett (1999) share a similar view, pointing to the ability of school leaders to bring reduce tensions and promote cooperation in the implementation of curricular modifications. On the other hand, when principals themselves are opposed to change and hold an entrenched view of how things should be, bringing about the necessary change can be especially problematic (Moore, 2009).
Curricular reform and Turkey's English language teaching program
In recent decades, an increasing focus on the importance of developing proficiency in foreign languages has made language education a matter of great significance in the international community (Güler, 2005; Mirici, 2008). English, in particular, has received substantial attention due to its status as a universal contact language. As a result, English language instruction has been included as an important element of public schooling in countries such as Turkey for many decades (Büyükkantarcıoǧlu, 2004). While English was initially introduced by the MoNE as a required subject beginning in the 6th grade, the legislation adopted in 1997 to establish an eight-year compulsory education program included the mandate that English lessons be administered from the 4th grade onward (Demirel, 2005).
This practice of implementing language instruction among younger age groups has become widespread, with nations throughout the European Union introducing foreign language lessons as early as the first grade (Eurydice, 2008). Countries such as China and Japan, as well as many others worldwide, are also undergoing a push to reduce the age at which foreign language instruction is about to begin (Duff, 2008; McCurry, 2011). Moreover, the recent passage in Turkey of an education reform bill popularly known as the 4+4+4 program (Republic of Turkey, Ministry of National Education, Board of Education, 2013) has extended the compulsory term of education. Under the previous system, children received a minimum of eight years of education, comprising elementary school (grades 1-5) and middle school (grades 6-8). With the recent reform, compulsory schooling has been increased to 12 years, including four years of elementary school (grades 1-4), four years of middle school (grades 5-8), and four years of high school (grades 9-12), as well as encompassing a variety of other modifications to the official public school curriculum.
Concurrent with these changes, the English language teaching program has been completely revised, and English instruction is now compulsory from the 2nd grade onward, rather than the 4th grade; in addition, the required age for registering children in the 1st grade has been reduced by one year. These changes will result in children starting English lessons three years earlier than under the previous system (Republic of Turkey, Ministry of National Education, Board of Education, 2013).
Purpose of the Study
As the literature demonstrates, it is widely recognized that the success of curricular reform depends substantially on the positive efforts of public school administrators. On the other hand, when principals are opposed to a set of reforms, or they are unable or unwilling to carry them out in their schools and monitor their progress, it is unlikely that the mandated changes will be successfully applied within their individual institutions (Moore, 2009). This issue is particularly significant in the Turkish educational context, where the evolving culture of shared leadership (Brown & Moffett, 1999) does not yet play a major role and school principals maintain considerable authority and control at the institutional level (Gümüşeli, 2009). Therefore, the researchers believe that in implementing the recent modifications to the English language teaching curriculum in Turkey, it is essential to explore the attitudes of the school principals who will be responsible for carrying them out. Accordingly, this study was designed to answer the following research questions:
1. What are the beliefs of Turkish public school principals with regard to implementing mandatory English instruction at a younger age?
2. What are the opinions of school principals concerning the status of English language instruction in Turkish public schools?
3. How prepared are school administrators in Turkey to enforce the updated English language teaching curriculum, as evidenced by their attitudes?]]> By investigating these issues, it may be possible to identify any concerns or potential problem areas and develop guidelines for addressing them appropriately, both in the context of Turkish public education and in other developing countries that are experiencing similar periods of adjustment and reform.
The researchers adopted a qualitative approach to the investigation, as the attitudes and experiences of Turkish school principals were of primary concern. Accordingly, drawing on Gray's (2004) contention that personal interviews are a highly effective means to elicit the views of the participants, a series of open-ended interview questions was applied.
Setting and Participants
In order to reach those participants from whom the most pertinent information could be obtained, purposive sampling was employed (Patton, 1990, 2002). Accordingly, as the focus of the investigation was on English language instruction for younger learners, elementary school principals were targeted. A listing of all of the elementary schools (encompassing grades 1-4, in accordance with the recently implemented 4+4+4 system) in the central district of a mid-size city in northeastern city in Turkey was obtained. Because the total number of schools (n = 50) was judged to be too large for the purposes of the investigation, 14 principals who could be conveniently accessed by the researchers and who were believed to represent the overall population (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2008) were contacted and invited to participate in the study. Of those who were invited, nine agreed to be interviewed. One of the respondents was female, and the remaining eight were male, with ages ranging between thirty-three and fifty-six. In terms of their education, four of the principals held masters degrees, while five had earned Bachelor of Arts degrees. All of the respondents had worked as classroom teachers for at least 10 years; in addition, they had between three and 25 years of experience working as school administrators. Before application of the interviews, the respondents were informed of the purpose of the investigation; in addition, they were advised that their identities would not be revealed, and their written consent was obtained for use of the data.
Data Collection
The data were collected via a series of open-ended questions that were adapted from surveys developed by Kızıldaǧ (2009), Özsevik (2010), and Topkaya and Kücük (2010). The questions were designed to elicit the attitudes of the participants concerning the issues involved in implementing English language instruction for young learners. In order to obtain a rich account of their experiences and allow for follow-up questions, face-to-face interviews were administered in Turkish by one of the researchers (Fraenkel & Wallen, 2008). Each interview session lasted from 15-30 minutes. The interviews were recorded with the permission of the participants; furthermore, additional details were provided in writing at the request of the researchers in order to clarify some of the responses. A list of the interview questions has been translated into English and included in Appendix A.
Data analysis and credibility
Following the interviews, the responses were transcribed and translated into English, and the accuracy of the translations was confirmed by an outside expert. The researchers employed a process of iterative reading as a means to "group answers...to common questions [and] analyze different perspectives on central issues" (Patton, 1990:376). In doing so, they were able to develop an in-depth understanding of the participants' attitudes toward the ideas explored in the interviews. After preparing a research report, member checks were conducted in order to allow the participants the opportunity to confirm or redirect the researchers' interpretations of their responses (Merriam & Associates, 2002).]]>
In order to illustrate the participants' views in a cohesive and accessible format, their responses have been synthesized according to the attitudes evidenced in the data. The results are presented here in narrative form in terms of each of the aspects of English language education explored in the interviews.
Opinions concerning the teaching of English to young learners
Under the previous system, English language instruction began in the 4th grade; however, the newly enacted legislation stipulates that elementary school students start learning English in the 2nd grade, at about 6-6.5 years. When asked for their views on this issue, the majority of the school principals indicated support for beginning English instruction at an earlier age. Informant 5, for instance, expressed that:
The age for starting English instruction should be 6-7 years, at the most. Learning English, or any other language, should start in the first grade. Language education should not be like learning something foreign; it should be treated like learning how to read and write.
The other participants largely upheld this assertion that language instruction should take place alongside other critical areas of development, such as reading and writing; and some argued that language learning should commence at even earlier period, in kindergarten or preschool. Informant 9 explained that, from a pedagogical standpoint, "there is a critical period in language teaching, and it shouldn't be delayed. We cannot teach grammar [to young children], but speaking and practical language education might begin at the age of four." Thus, in his opinion, "it should start young; an early but gentle beginning increases its permanence. If we present English as a fun process, not as a lesson, they take it to be fun in the 2nd grade and beyond." These statements indicate an attitude that beginning English instruction at earlier grade levels might encourage learners to see the process as enjoyable, increasing their motivation as well as improving retention. However, not all of the respondents shared this perspective. Informant 6, for example, did not feel that English should be taught to elementary school children in any event:
English language instruction should start after high school or during the last year of high school. The failure of English language teaching in our country can be attributed to the fact that it starts at such an early age and continues [throughout the educational process]. This situation creates the understanding that a person who doesn't speak English cannot be successful; cannot conduct research or be a researcher or anything like that, and this causes children to feel that their mother tongue is inferior.
According to his understanding, early instruction in a foreign language could amount to setting learners up for failure. Informant 2 supported this viewpoint, adding that "I don't think a student who cannot read and write in his own language fully and doesn't know all of its features can learn another language well."
Perceptions concerning the requirement for English language education In terms of their attitudes toward mandatory English instruction, the participants generally agreed that it was an essential aspect of education. Several of the respondents considered its status as a global language as necessitating the requirement to learn English from the early stages of schooling. Informant 1, for instance, commented that:
]]> In order to compete in this globalizing world and to get what we deserve from the opportunities the world offers, we should take the necessary measures to ensure that our citizens are educated in speaking [English]. Speaking a foreign language should be seen as a requirement.
Informant 9 expanded on this assertion, pointing out that "our aim in learning English is not to be limited by our own world, but to exist in the global world." On the other hand, some of the participants were critical of the compulsory aspect of English instruction, believing that it should instead be offered as an elective subject. Informant 2, in particular, argued that "It is important to learn a foreign language, but if it is not going to be used in the future, it should not be a requirement." Similarly, Informant 6 expressed that:
I don't think that forcing everyone to learn English...is necessary. English language education shouldn't be required for all individuals; it should be voluntary. There should be options involving different languages, and it should be left to the willingness and interest of the parents and the students themselves.
Another issue cited as a shortcoming of the current system is the assumption that all learners should meet the same set of standards, with no provision for ability level or interest. Informant 4 considered this requirement to be especially problematic; in her opinion, it fails to make room for the needs of individual students and creates what for some amounts to an unnecessary burden. As she put it:
In the Turkish National Education System, a high level of mastery is targeted. Everyone who learns English is expected to speak at an advanced level, such as understanding, interpreting and working on a scientific product. This causes problems for learners.
To mitigate this issue, she suggests that a system of ability grouping might be more effective, as it would allow learners with advanced capabilities and a higher level of motivation to pursue a more rigorous program of training, while students with little interest in a career requiring English skills could receive more basic instruction.
Informant 1 offered a similar solution, pointing out that "the extent of the language taught to a kid who will communicate in English in his village with a tourist should not be the same as that taught to a kid who dreams of himself in a foreign country."
Attitudes toward the previous English Language Curriculum
Regardless of their perspectives concerning English as an academic requirement, the participants were generally critical of the recently-replaced teaching program, along with the available instructional resources and materials, and they felt that reform was necessary. As Informant 2 expressed:
]]> His perception that the previous curriculum was too crowded and that teaching materials were not adequate to support effective learning was echoed by several of the other respondents. According to Informant 3, for instance, "there are unnecessary repetitions in the [recently-replaced] curriculum, and the difficulty level is not appropriately balanced. I also believe there are too many things to do in a short time." Furthermore, he compared the Turkish system unfavorably with that of other countries, especially those in the European Union:
The [prior] curriculum is adequate in terms of the syllabus, but I believe it is insufficient. Learners' being unprepared, the fact that there was not enough practice, that the subjects are not supported with visuals, and that the syllabus is too dense had a negative effect on English language teaching . the English language cannot be learned successfully simply by reading from a textbook and listening to teachers lecturing. Using the language for communication is really important in English language teaching. Formal instruction should be integrated with practice.Moreover, visuals are important; subjects can be exemplified by animations.
When we look at Europe today, we see that people can speak a couple of languages, because they have the opportunity to visit other countries and use the languages they learn. The real problem in Turkey is that we don't have the correct environment to use the language. Even though the materials are prepared according to Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) standards, neither the hours available for lessons nor the evaluation techniques, nor the requirements [of the prior curriculum] serve the aim of learning to speak the language.
In order to address this situation, he suggested that "the curriculum should.provide more opportunities for interaction. I think there should be some adjustments so that the curriculum is more flexible." The lack of a communicative environment for practising English language skills was also highlighted by Informant 9, who went on to criticize the system as a whole:
I am not pleased, but the group [to whom] I give the least blame is the learners. We are all guilty. The system, the parents, the teachers, and most importantly, we administrators are guilty. We need to motivate teachers, but we generally can't afford it. Our teachers are not qualified enough. It is not enough to have graduated from a good university. Children cannot learn anything in a system based on memorizing; consequently, they do not like English. Parents think that their children can learn English after university, so they delay it, and then it is too late. I am not pleased with their success rate in English, but actually, I am not pleased with a lot of things.
The results of the surveys demonstrate that the school administrators were unanimous in their recognition of the need for Turkish learners to develop adequate English language skills, as stressed by Güler (2005) and Mirici (200 8). On the other hand, they were somewhat divided in their opinions on the age at which instruction should begin; and they did not always agree on whether mandating foreign language instruction is appropriate in the Turkish context. Furthermore, some of the comments expressed by the participants highlight the fact that, although English language instruction has been an integral feature of public schooling for many years, there is an ongoing apprehension among certain educators that emphasizing a foreign language over one's mother tongue may be damaging in certain respects (König, 1990). On the surface, such beliefs may be interpreted as concern for the students, but König's (1990) assertion that fears about cultural corruption and linguistic imperialism often affect attitudes toward English language learning may also offer a partial explanation for this point of view. Kapikiran (2004) cautions that such attitudes on the part of school principals may potentially undermine attempts to expand the scope of English language instruction.
On the other hand, although the respondents in this study differed in their perception of the age at which English instruction should be initiated and the manner in which it should be introduced, there were in general agreement that revision of the English teaching program had been necessary. As Töremen and Kolay (2003) point out, this acceptance of the need for reform may be seen as an important step in obtaining their cooperation; therefore, in this respect, it may be concluded that their attitudes convey a predisposition to enforce the reorganized language teaching program in their schools.
Furthermore, bearing in mind Trail's (2000) description of the school principal as a mediator who bears responsibility for negotiating the obstacles inherent in any systemic change, it can be argued that their belief in the appropriateness of the curricular modifications may affect the manner in which these individuals convey the current reform to teaching staff, parents and students (Moore, 2009; Park & Jeong, 2013). Therefore, addressing concerns such as those raised by the participants in this study may be critical in gaining the willing cooperation of administrators as they "get on board" (UNISA College of Education, 2012: para. 1) in terms of easing teaching staff and students through the transition to the updated teaching program.
]]> Conclusion
The present study was limited by the small sample size; furthermore, the investigation was carried out within the confines of a single city, where it is likely that the principals faced similar issues with respect to the students, parents and teachers they serve. However, the concerns they brought to light relating to the curriculum, teaching materials and language requirements affect public education throughout Turkey, and therefore, it stands to reason that many of the elementary school principals in other parts of the country may share similar attitudes.
In terms of the attitudes expressed by the participants in the present, two issues stand out as especially significant. The first of these involves the principals' negative perceptions about the existing circumstances - including the inadequacies of the curriculum in use at the time of the study, the deficiencies in materials and classroom conditions, and questions respecting teachers' competence in English language instruction. These concerns suggest that the favourable attitude expressed toward the new teaching program might lie in the principals' dissatisfaction with the overall instructional environment, and that additional factors beyond curricular reform may need to be addressed through in terms of improving the conditions for learner success.
The second question raised by the participants' responses involves the concern that English language instruction in general may not be appropriate for Turkish learners, or that not all Turkish learners have the same need for developing proficiency in the English language. This view may point to a need for raising principals' awareness of the role of English and its importance to learners' success in their personal, academic and professional lives.
Broadening the current understanding of school principals' perspectives through further research may help to further illuminate areas in which principals may require additional support, such as developing their awareness of global issues related to English language instruction. Additional study may also help to pinpoint ways in which principals, as well as language teachers, can be supported in implementing the new curriculum and improving learner outcomes in English despite deficiencies such as insufficient teacher training and crowded classrooms.
As educational systems worldwide continue to re-calibrate their approach to teaching and learning, school principals in diverse situations face similar challenges in assisting teachers, students and parents through the inevitable period of adjustment. Thus, further research and cooperation on an international level may also help to ease these adjustments for the mutual benefit of all concerned.
1 An earlier version of this paper was presented by the authors (Çelik & Kasapoðlu, 2013), in February 2013, at the International Conference on Interdisciplinary Research in Education, Kyrenia, Cyprus.
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Appendix A
Teaching English to Young Learners - Questions for School Administrators
Opinions concerning age at onset of English language instruction:
1. Based on your experience, what do you think is the ideal age range for beginning English language instruction? Please explain your answer.
2. How do you think the age at which English language instruction is begun affects learner outcomes?
3. Do you think it is easier or more difficult to teach English to younger students? Please elaborate.]]> 4. Do you think there is a need to begin English language instruction before the 4th grade? Why or why not?
Opinions concerning English Language Teaching (ELT) in Turkey
1. Do you think learning English is important for Turkish students? Why or why not?
2. What do you think are the main reasons for teaching English in Turkey?
3. What are your views on the current* English language teaching system in Turkey? Is it adequate, or do you think reform is needed? Please elaborate.
English Language Teaching Curriculum/Materials
1. Do you think the current standardized ELT curriculum is adequate? Please elaborate.
2. Do you think the current ELT curriculum is in need of revision? Why or why not?
3. Please elaborate your opinion concerning the English language teaching materials (e.g., course books and other teaching resources) currently available.
4. In your opinion, what (if anything) could be done to improve the standardized English language teaching materials?]]> * The current English language teaching program at the time of data collection; this has since been replaced by the updated curriculum.
Adapted from:
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Özsevik Z 2010. The use of communicative language teaching (CLT): Turkish EFL teachers'perceived difficulties in implementing CLT in Turkey. MA thesis. Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois. Available at https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/bitstream/handle/2142/16211/Ozsevik_Zekariya.pdf7seq uence=2. Accessed 13 March 2014. [ Links ]
Topkaya EZ & Kücük Ö 2010. An evaluation of 4th and 5th grade language teaching program.[Elementary Education Online], 9(1): 52-65. Available at http://ilkogretim-online.org.tr/vol9say1/v9s1m6.pdf. Accessed 17 March 2014. [ Links ]]]>