text:
5 U.S. Code § 7102 - Employees' rights
Each employee shall have the right to form, join, or assist any labor organization, or to refrain from any such activity, freely and without fear of penalty or reprisal, and each employee shall be protected in the exercise of such right. Except as otherwise provided under this chapter, such right includes the right—
(1) to act for a labor organization in the capacity of a representative and the right, in that capacity, to present the views of the labor organization to heads of agencies and other officials of the executive branch of the Government, the Congress, or other appropriate authorities, and
Source(Added Pub. L. 95–454, title VII, § 701,Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1192.)
Prior Provisions
A prior section 7102,Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 523, related to right of employees to petition Congress, prior to the general amendment of this chapter by Pub. L. 95–454. See section 7211 of this title.
Partial Suspension of Federal Service Labor-Management Relations
Par. (2) of this section suspended with respect to any matter proposed for bargaining which would substantially impair the implementation by the United States Forces of any treaty or agreement, including any minutes or understandings thereto, between the United States and the Government of the host nation, see section 1(b) of Ex. Ord. No. 12391, Nov. 4, 1982, 47 F.R. 50457, set out as a note under section 7103 of this title.
The table below lists the classification updates, since Jan. 3, 2012, for this section. Updates to a broader range of sections may be found at the update page for containing chapter, title, etc.
The most recent Classification Table update that we have noticed was Tuesday, August 13, 2013
An empty table indicates that we see no relevant changes listed in the classification tables. If you suspect that our system may be missing something, please double-check with the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.
|Description of Change
|Session Year
|Public Law
|Statutes at Large
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


text:
Latest Issue
Latest Issue
PharmTech Europe
|Email Newsletters from Pharmaceutical Technology and Pharmaceutical Technology Europe
News from Europe's pharmaceutical manufacturing industry coupled with upcoming events, and exclusive articles and interviews from industry experts.
Developing First Disposable Injector for a Biopharmaceutical
Bethesda, MD (Oct. 24)—Developing "mechanical components in a drug world" was a challenge, according to Robin Hwang, a senior principal scientist at Amgen (Thousand Oaks, CA, www.amgen.com). Hwang led the team that developed "the first commercial disposable auto-injector for a biopharmaceutical": a prefilled, three-step "SureClick" autoinjector for delivering "Enbrel" (etanercept), a treatment for autoimmune diseases. Etanercept is a recombinant fusion of the tumor necrosis factor receptor and the Fc region of human IgG1, introduced in 1998 by Immunex, which Amgen acquired in 2002.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Foreign Policy :: It has not been a banner week for media coverage of the Arab world. Blame it on journalists unfamiliar with their subject matter, the demands of an ever-quicker news cycle, or simply salacious stories that were "too good to check" -- a number of stories that have made it into major media outlets recently are simply not true, or omit essential details of the tale.
HT: Mark Little, Storyful here:
Middle East Coverage is Full of Lies - Foreign Policy blog.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2012/04/…— mark little (@marklittlenews) April 27, 2012
Continue to read DAvid Kenner, blog.foreignpolicy.com


text: The iPad Mini may not be the cheapest smaller tablet on the market, but it is the nicest to hold and it benefits from all the momentum that is still around the full size iPad and Apple's iPhone. Using a squarer shape than most on the market, it's ideal for people who are already Apple fans. £314.99Picture: REUTERS


text:
Her hair is brown and tied back into a professional looking ponytail. She wears a blue shirt, tan sweater and delicate gold chain. It's the first time she's met the man sitting across from her, and she looks out at him, her eyes curious.
"So how are you doing today?" she asks cautiously, trying to build rapport.
"I'm doing well," he answers. His eyes blink.
"That's good," she continues. "Where are you from originally?"
"I'm from L.A.," he tells her, and this makes her smile slightly.
"Oh!" she says with surprise in her voice. "I'm from L.A. myself!"
She is from L.A. She was created in Los Angeles and "lives out her life" there on a computer screen in a lab at the University of Southern California. She's not a real woman, but a virtual one, created to talk to people who are struggling emotionally, and to take their measure in a way no human can. Her makers believe that her ability to do this will ultimately revolutionize the way that mental healthcare is practiced in this country. Her name is Ellie.
There's Power In A Well Timed 'Uh-huh'
The project that resulted in Ellie began almost two years ago at USC's Institute for Creative Technologies. Two scientists in particular are responsible for her existence, a psychologist named Albert "Skip" Rizzo and a computer scientist named Louis-Philippe Morency.
Rizzo and Morency spent months laboring over every element of Ellie's presentation and interaction with patients, experimenting with a range of different personalities, outfits, and vocal mannerisms.
"Everything has been thought of," says Morency. For example when patients talk, Ellie encourages them to continue talking with a well timed, 'Uh-huh,' just as real people do.
"We have recorded more than 200 of these uh-huhs," Morency says. "And these are so powerful! Because a simple 'uh-huh' and a silence — if they are done the right way — can be extremely powerful. So we spent a lot of time on these little details."
But the most important thing about Ellie is not her skill at gently probing all the people her scientist brings into the lab to talk to her. Her real value, the reason she was built at all, is her skill at taking and analyzing thousands of measurements of those people.
Under the wide screen where Ellie's image sits there are three devices. A video camera tracks facial expressions of the person sitting opposite. A movement sensor — Microsoft Kinect — tracks the person's gestures, fidgeting and other movements. A microphone records every inflection and tone in his or her voice. The point, Rizzo explains, is to analyze in almost microscopic detail the way that people talk and move — to read their body language.
"We can look at the position of the head, the eye gaze," Rizzo says. Does the head tilt? Does it lean forward? Is it static and fixed?" In fact Ellie tracks and analyzes around 60 different features — various body and facial movements, and different aspects of the voice.
The theory of all this is that a detailed analysis of those movements and vocal features can give us new insights into people who are struggling with emotional issues. The body, face and voice express things that words sometimes obscure.
"You know, people are in a constant state of impression management," Rizzo says. "They've got their true self and the self that they want to project to the world. And we know that the body displays things that sometimes people try to keep contained."
So, as Ellie gets the person in front of her to ruminate about when they were happy, and when they were sad, the machines below her screen take measurements, cataloguing how much the person smiles and for how long, how often they touch their head.
Morency says the machines record 30 measurements per second, or "about 1,800 measurements per minute." Literally every wince, pause and verbal stumble is captured and later analyzed.
Ellie was originally commissioned by the U.S. Department of Defense. After all the deployment in Iraq and Afghanistan, the military was seeing a lot of suicides and wanted to find a way to help military therapists catch the suicides before they happen. Soldiers don't always like to confess they're having problems, but maybe their bodies would say what their words wouldn't.
This is why Ellie is being programmed to produce a report after each of her sessions — it's a kind of visual representation of the 60 different movements she tracks.
"For each indicator," Morency explains, "we will display three things." First, the report will show the physical behavior of the person Ellie just interviewed, tallying how many times he or she smiled, for instance, and for how long. Then the report will show how much depressed people typically smile, and finally how much healthy people typically smile. Essentially it's a visualization of the person's behavior compared to a population of depressed and non-depressed people.
If the person's physical behaviors are similar to someone who's depressed, then the person will be flagged.
The idea here is not for Ellie to actually diagnose people and replace trained therapists. She's just there to offer insight to therapists, Morency says, by providing some objective measurements.
"Think about it as a blood sample," he says. "You send a blood sample to the lab and you get the result. The [people] doing the diagnosis [are] still the clinicians, but they use these objective measures to make the diagnosis."
Real People Are Complicated
Now, obviously this work raises all kinds of issues, and even on a practical level, real obstacles remain. Jeff Cohen, a psychologist at the University of Pittsburgh, studies the relationship between physical movements and emotion and says signals from the face, voice and body are incredibly complicated to interpret.
"Individuals vary a lot in how expressive they are," Cohen explains. "You know, if I'm someone who is very expressive and I smile frequently, [even] when I'm depressed and smiling less, I may still smile more than you do if you're a tight lipped, not very emotive individual."
This means, Cohen says, that using Ellie in the way that blood tests are used — as proof positive of one diagnosis or another, will be really difficult.
"It strikes me as unlikely that face or voice will provide that information with such certainty," he says.
But Skip Rizzo, the psychologist working on Ellie, genuinely believes these technologies will eventually change the field of mental health. One of the central problems with humans, he says, is that they bring their own biases to whatever they encounter, and those biases often make it hard for them to see what's directly in front of them.
"You can get training to be a health care provider or psychologist," he says, "and try to put those things on hold and be very objective. But it's still a challenge. It's always going to be biased by experience. What computers [like Ellie] offer is the ability to look at massive amounts of data and begin to look at patterns and that, I think, far outstrips the mere mortal brain."
This summer Ellie is being tested. She's scheduled to sit down with dozens of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.
She'll ask them about their lives, encourage them to open up.
Then silently Ellie will measure their answers.


text:
Narrow your search
The 2014 Volkswagen Jetta TDI offers basic transportation at a bargain and an excellent engine, but techies will want to hold off for the improved 2015 model.
Building of a speaker design by Swedish audio engineer Stig Carlsson, Teenage Engineering's minimalist OD-11 aims to stream music directly from the cloud.
Amazon CEO's aerospace company enters into a partnership with the United Launch Alliance to develop BE-4, a rocket engine to replace Russian-made launch jets.
Get a head start on building your very own 1970s-style Mars orbiter by snapping up an engine built for NASA's Viking project.
For its newest generation, the Mini Cooper Hardtop grows in size all around, offering more cabin space, but its engine drops a cylinder.
The replacement for Mercedes' SLS AMG supercar arrives with a new turbocharged engine that is the first of its kind.
Pricing not available
Newly released documents leaked by Edward Snowden reveal that the NSA isn't just collecting data -- it's also got a custom search engine to carry out the task.
Leaked screenshots of OS 6.0 show that the updated firmware will come with several new features, including the ability to go fully keyless.
VW reduces the size of the engine in the Passat to achieve better fuel economy, and gives the car a Fender audio system, one of the best in the segment.
Brian Cooley runs down his top five powerful peg legs.


text:
Sean 'Diddy' Combs paid $850,000 of his own money to settle a legal battle with victims of a 1999 New York nightclub shooting, according to newly-released court documents.
The star and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez hit headlines when they were arrested following the incident at Club New York more than a decade ago, and his protege Jamal "Shyne" Barrow served nearly 10 years behind bars on charges relating to the shooting.
Combs was cleared of any wrongdoing in the criminal case, but he and the now-defunct club's owners were targeted in lawsuits by those who were hurt, and they resolved the dispute last year by agreeing a confidential settlement.
It has now been revealed Combs handed over $850,000 in a settlement worth more than $2 million, with the lion's share of the money going to bystander Natania Reuben, who suffered severe facial injuries. She received $1.8 million, according to the New York Daily News.
The details of the confidential settlement were revealed in court papers filed in New York City after an insurance company went bankrupt.


text:
|1 items
|Sort by: Brand/Name Discount Price
|1 items
|Sort by: Brand/Name Discount Price
Fjallraven (pronounced something along the lines of, "Fyahl-rahven"), began with an innovative framed backpack in Northern Sweden in the 1950s. The framed backpack was followed by a lightweight, waterproof tent in the 1960s, and sleeping bags in the 1970s that were designed based on studies of how people sleep. Throughout this time period, Fjallraven also began designing expedition jackets and outdoor clothing. In this way, Fjallraven, founded by Ake Nordin, slowly grew into a well-respected, renowned and well-rounded outdoor company.
Fjallraven focuses on functionality, durability and timelessness in its designs. Fjallraven jackets, equipment and clothing are made with thoughtful designs and top quality materials. In this way, your outdoor gear becomes a means to a successful adventure; it lasts, sometimes literally, a lifetime, and it's designed simply, so that it transcends fleeting trends. Valuing versatility, functionality and user-friendliness, Fjallraven continues to pave the way with innovative solutions to the challenges of adventuring in the great outdoors. Some of our favorite items from Fjallraven's current clothing line include:
As avid outdoor enthusiasts, Fjallraven designers seek to minimize the impact of their products on the environment that motivates and inspires them. Central to this effort is creating products that are well-made, durable, dependable and functional, with a style that goes beyond fleeting trends. In additional to these measures, Fjallraven does not sell real fur but instead uses a synthetic alternative, Arctic Fur. Fjallraven also uses only mulesing-free merino wool, and high-quality Fjallraven down comes from farms where the geese are slaughtered for food (as opposed to plucked while still alive). Fjallraven also supports the endangered arctic fox and donates money toward their protection and awareness.
We're Available:
Mon-Fri: 7:30am-4:00pm PST
Sat-Sun: CLOSED


text:
Use the form below to select organization criteria and click the Search button.
Please enter your search criteria below to find a healthcare provider.
Saint Francis Health System includes:
Now Open! Emergencies should the new entrance located on the south side of the hospital. ...
View recent media stories about Saint Francis Health System....
Summer IssueNow Available
What You Should Know About the Enterovirus
Pediatric After-Hours ServicesLearn More


text:
When "The Amazing Race" picks a cast each season, they look for different archetypes: goofy male best friends, bickering married couple, gutsy older couple, et. al. Another standard pairing is two hottie female friends who sometimes labeled cheerleaders or pageant queens.
Their usual commentary is: we're smarter than we look! Don't underestimate us!
In reality, only twice in 20 races has an all-female team won "The Amazing Race": two attractive doctors season 17 and sisters season 18.
Caitlin King and Brittany Fletcher, Auburn grads and best friends who both have strong Atlanta ties, are trying to defy "Amazing Race" history and those pesky stereotypes. During the debut episode of season 21 this past Sunday, they appeared to get along and made no blatant mistakes for the editors to luxuriate over. And they finished a solid third.
So far, so good.
I have a hard time differentiating the two so far because they look like sisters. Caitlin, a special ed teacher, is from St. Louis but now lives in Atlanta and Brittany grew up in Atlanta but now lives in Chicago as a pharmaceutical sales rep. (Her boyfriend still lives in Atlanta and so do her parents.)
I spoke to them before the show aired so they were limited in terms of what they could say about the show itself or the other contestants, which include two brothers who look like Chad Kroeger of Nickelback and a pair of goofy best friends who have tried out for the show at least seven times.
Brittany and Caitlin both espouse their competitiveness and athleticism. (Brittany's father is former major league ball player Scott Fletcher from 1981 to 1995. Caitlin is actually dating a Chicago White Sox player Gordon Beckham.)
"I've always wanted to do 'The Amazing Race,' " Brittany said. "Wanted to check it off my bucket list. Caitlin was the perfect person to pair with. I've been raised around competition and going after what I want. I knew she was someone I could count on."
"We're not just blonde girls from the South who want to be on a reality show," Caitlin said. "We want the million dollars. That's why we're on the show."
Caitlin, who moved to Buckhead because she has a lot of friends here from Auburn, said they expected to fight but actually got along well and balanced each other out. To prepare, they did team-building exercises like having one person instruct the other on building a Lego set.
On TV
"The Amazing Race"
8:30 p.m. Sundays, CBS.
Join my Facebook fan page and Twitter. Oh, and Google +, too!
October 5th, 2012
12:09 pm
I always hated that stereoype. Why on earth would it be a surprise that a good-looking person was also smart? I did laugh a bit when I read that one was a pharma rep. I was at an all-female dr's office, and 2 very attractive female pharma reps came into the office to market their company's products. It was funny because they were dressed really provocatively for a business meeting. I would imagine they thought the meeting would be with men.
October 5th, 2012
2:29 pm
Shouldn't you be in the kitchen?
October 6th, 2012
2:07 pm
Wish I had a television.


text:
You Are Not Logged In
Business Name
Zip Code
Tea & Sympathy
Tea & Sympathy In The West Village
Kari Dimmick
In a city that's just as well known for its indelicate disdain as it is for its incomparable allure, there lies a little morsel of sweet sympathy tucked between the bites of bangers and mash. NYC offers plenty of places for high tea paired with high toit, but here it's all about comfort.
From your first step into this delightful, little tea room to your initial taste of authentic, British fare, you'll swear you've walked straight into a delicious daydream with your best friend, Earl Grey, wh ...
Napping at Midtown's YeloSpa
Sarah Enelow
Only in a high-octane city like New York can you buy a luxury power nap, because you just can't HANDLE this 21st-century urban stress anymore! Scream at your assistant to get the f*** in here, book a nap at YeloSpa, summon your driver, and before you know it, relaxation is yours. But you don't even have to be a wealthy sociopath to enjoy a YeloNap, because it only costs $1 per minute with a 20-minute minimum. If you can wrap your brain around paying for something that's naturally free, you won't ...
Coney Island Museum
Coney Island's Mermaid Parade
Coney Island's Mermaid Parade (est. 1983) almost didn't happen this year due to increased costs and damage from Superstorm Sandy (the parade's home base on Surf Avenue was destroyed). However, a successful Kickstarter campaign saved the day with over $100,000 and brought us the glittered, topless sea creatures we needed! Along with an array of bearded Neptunes, crusty old pirates, flowing jellyfish, and talented marching bands. Among my favorite costumes was a duo: a father dressed as a sushi ch ...
On A Street Full Of Touts, A Milon Stands Out
Leigh Raynor
Hey New Yorker, feeling overlooked? Just another face in the crowd, cog in the wheel, body on the 6 train? If you are in need of some attention, head over to First Avenue between 5th and 6th Streets. Stacked one on top of the other and side-by-side, you'll find the most festive quartet of Indian restaurants in the city. Each is strung with an epilepsy-inducing amount of party lights, and each is super eager to win your service. At this spot you'll feel anything but overlooked; instead, you' ...
Tea Lounge
Park Slope's Tea Lounge
Miss that place in college where you went to eat pizza bagels that mysteriously took a half hour to make by some beanie-sporting co-ed behind a graffiti-ed counter? The milkshakes took twice as long, but your late-night hunger was usually induced by an extreme case of procrastination, so you didn't mind. At the Tea Lounge, this freshman-fifteen abetting fare has been replaced by grown-up goodies, including fantastic banana bread and delicious tea lattes made from a variety of loose-leaf. Desp ...
Diablo Royale
The Two-Hour Brunch Wait That Works
On a Saturday brunch excursion, I stumbled into Diablo Royale hoping to partake in their $25 all-you-can-drink until 4 PM brunch special. Upon entering, I was told my party and I would have to wait almost two hours for a table. There's not much I would wait two hours for...and Diablo Royale now fits into that category. However, at the time, the atmosphere, sun-drenched bar, and booze made the wait acceptable. Great tacos and the Rickys (3/4 beer, 1/4 margarita) are a must, but do yourself a ...
Blarney Cove
Blarney Cove in Manhattan's East Village
Kate McCormick
The first thing you should know is that Blarney Cove is not about options. Here are your draft beer choices: Yeungling, Budweiser, Rolling Rock. If you want anything else, it's possible -- but unlikely -- they have it in a bottle or a can. A friend tried to order a scotch and soda, but in the shuffle of the crowd the bartender heard "Stella." She politely disabused us of the notion that Blarney Cove would stock such a beer.
Nestled in a strip of 14th Street where retail gates all come down at ...
Sylvia's In Harlem
This family-run business welcomes you to their restaurant as if you were a long-lost relative; even the décor makes you feel like one of the family as pictures of the dynamo Sylvia, her husband, and family adorn the walls in gilded frames. Quite the inspiration, Sylvia, the "Queen of Soul Food," was a mainstay of the Harlem community and New York City at large (she even rang the opening bell at the Stock Exchange). As a friend who works in Harlem assures me, her influence was obvious after the ...
First NYC Trip
Kim L
Whirlwind NYC weekend!
Stephen Harlan
West Village
Alexandra Dirand
Larissa McCartney
More Mapguides
Dennis D
21 submissions. 0 maps.
Melissa Burgos
5 submissions. 0 maps.
Jan Schlesinger
4 submissions. 0 maps.
christian utzman
2 submissions. 0 maps.
Deborah Blumenthal
Andrea McLaughlin
Jim MacCloskey
1 submissions. 0 maps.
Boudicca Todi
Recession or no recession, life in the city can be stressful. But Sarah Enelow argues that while New York's size can make it infuriating, it also allows for many creative outlets for stress relief.
Sarah Enelow
Having four weeks to explore New York, Londoner Georgia Lawson dives in head first on a mission to live like a local. Can this Englishwoman master the city in such a short time? Read on to find out.
Georgia Lawson
What's underneath the BQE, besides an entire society of filthy pigeons? North Brooklyn's tastiest risotto balls, modern art, karate, and a lot more. Come with NFT Editor Sarah Enelow as she finds East Williamsburg's choice attractions along the expressway.
Archived Features
NFT Video
NFT makes a visit to New Beef King in Chinatown NYC to pick up the ultimate afternoon snack—beef and pork jerky.
NFT Co-Founder Jane Pirone On Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio
NFT co-founder Jane Pirone offered travel expert Peter Greenberg a few NYC secrets on a Peter Greenberg Worldwide Radio podcast.
Co-Owner of NFT Featured in The Grey Lady
Not only is NFT co-founder Rob Tallia one of the masterminds behind one of the best selling guidebooks in New York, he also likes to take photos late at night, write for a popular blog in Fort Greene,
Now Out on Amazon Kindle: NFT Collected Essays: 2005-2010
Follow NFT's intrepid editors as they poke, prod, and explore the cities they work, play, and (gasp) entertain their out-of-town friends in the brand new ebook Not For Tourists: Collected Essays 2005-
"This car service is by far the best in Brooklyn. The dispatchers are the niceset and most helpful people Ive ever spoken to."
Dyker Heights / Bensonhurst
Hundreds of cool New York Websites for you.. and well, for them too.
Here are a few samples.
NYC & Company
New York's OFFICIAL tourism we...
Madison Square Park
Center of the flatiron distric...
Tax Commission
NYC Department of Finance.
Brooklyn Cyclones
the official website.
NYC Parks Department
The answers to all of your que...
Central Park SummerS...
Free summer concerts in the pa...
The Full Index...
In your city
Missing something?
For you.Not Them.
Copyright 2014 Not For Tourists, Inc | Privacy | Terms of Use


text:
Next, you'll be asked to connect with Twitter. Rest assured, we will never send a tweet from your account
without your permission.
We will send you an email with an invite soon.
When HR Decisions Become Social Media Scandals [So true-Policy needs context.]
See what's Trending Now for @vargasl
Follow @vargasl on Twitter


text:
RALEIGH — Coming off a 7-0 blowout loss to the Boston Bruins Monday, the Carolina Hurricanes couldn't solve goaltender Tim Thomas (43 saves) Tuesday night at the RBC Center as the Bruins swept the home-and-home series, 3-2.
The Hurricanes have been playing their best hockey of the year as of late, but they were unable to gain any points in the standings in either game against the Northeast division leading Bruins.
Just 2:04 into the first period, Johnny Boychuk opened up the scoring with his first goal of the season. The goal was a result of a Jussi Jokinen tripping penalty that occurred only 17 seconds into the game.
Several minutes before and after Boychuk's goal, the Bruins controlled the puck well, dominated zone time, and dictated the overall pace of the game as the Bruins were 17-13 coming into Monday's contest when scoring first.
Instead of falling apart like they did on Monday, the 'Canes regrouped quickly and were able to shift the momentum midway through the first. Carolina registered 19 shots on goal in both of the first two periods. Despite 38 shots through 40 minutes, only one made it past Thomas.
The 'Canes hard work paid off when Jussi Jokinen scored a power play goal in front of the crease 18:39 into the first period. The goal came off rebound from a wide-angled shot by captain Eric Staal. Jokinen has been one of the hottest players in the league as of late, registering 10 points in his past seven games.
Much of Carolina's recent success has been due to Jokinen's offensive explosion, and it hasn't gone without notice. The 27 year-old Finnish winger was just named the first star of the week by the NHL.
"I feel like I'm playing my best hockey this season," said Jokinen. "I hope I can keep going the same way and help this team win and make the playoffs."
After Brad Marchand gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead early in the third, Chad LaRose tied the game at 2-2 at 9:19 sending the majority of the 17,419 fans in attendance into a frenzy. LaRose's tally was the first even-strength goal the Hurricanes have scored against the Bruins this season.
The electric crowd was soon quieted when Milan Lucic shot a one-timer past Ward, giving the Bruins a 3-2 lead. After the goal, a smattering of cheers were heard throughout the arena, as fans wearing black and gold celebrated the go-ahead goal.
The key matchup of the night was between the goaltenders. While Thomas saw a lot more shots than Cam Ward, the Hurricanes netminder made several crucial saves to keep his team in the game. Bruins only mustered 28 shots on goal, but they created a lot of quality chances, forcing Ward to come up big for his team.
Thomas, who is leading NHL goalies in every major category, showed why he is currently the top candidate for the Vezina Trophy as he improved his record to 22-4-6.
Thomas' save percentage currently stands at .945%. The single-season record is held by Dominik Hasek, who had a save percentage of .937% for the Sabres during the 1998-99 season. If he can continue at his current pace, Thomas' chase for history will become one of the biggest headlines of the 2010011 season.
Despite the outcome, the Hurricanes have a lot to be happy following tonight's performance. After losing to Boston the day before, it would have been easy to give up after falling behind early. Instead, Carolina fought back and controlled the pace of the game for the majority of the contest.
Unfortunately for Eric Staal's team, they ran into the best goaltender in the league.
"We didn't get the result we wanted, but our compete level was there," said Staal. "We created a ton of chances, a lot of offense, a lot of shots and didn't get the result we wanted. We can't get discouraged."
In addition to 45 shots on goal, the Hurricanes took 28 shots that were blocked. Given the offensive effort, Carolina should be proud of how they played tonight.
"I don't think there's anything left in that room," head coach Paul Maurice said. "I thought they played as hard as they possibly could."


text:
Lisa Sowle Cahill is past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America and the Society of Christian Ethics. In 2008, she received the John Courtney Murray Award from the CTSA for her "Outstanding and influential contribution in diverse areas of Christian ethics."
Event Info
- Sponsored By:
- William H. Shannon Chair in Catholic Studies at Nazareth College. For schedule of future Shannon Lectures click here.


text:
9NewsMichael Pinkus.Update: On October 15, Aurora Police investigating a home robbery tracked down a suspect at the Crestwood Suites on East Evans -- and subsequently discovered the body of Michael Pinkus, 51, who owned the home in question. Now, the APD has arrested three men -- Steven Bass ... More >>
Larger photo below.Update: The strange story of Robert L. Johnson keeps getting stranger. We knew that after showing up at the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office on a warrant, he prompted a bomb scare before ACSO representatives discovered a dead eighty-something man in the trunk of his Dodge s ... More >>
Not this mug's mug shotsThis just in from Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson: On December 27, 2009, at approximately 1:54 P.M., Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office Deputies responded to the Subway restaurant located at 18525 East Smoky Hill Road, Unit L, on the report of an armed robbery. ... More >>
Kotch Ouellette. In April, Aurora Police Department officers responded to a domestic-violence call involving Kotch Ouellette, 38. His girlfriend, 45-year-old Jennifer Sheppard, had been struck in the head during the altercation in question, but she refused medical treatment -- only to be found dead ... More >>


text:
previous post // next post
Jonathan's Card Viral Marketing Campaign
August 10, 2011 Posted by Chris Tingom Filed under Coffee
The other day, you may have spotted a clever little site called 'Jonathan's Card' at jonathanstark.com/card/.
It turns out, it's a marketing campaign from Starbucks (despite many claims to the contrary). Anyways, thought you all would want to know. Kudos to Brian Clemens for the tip.


text:
Scoutmaster Musings scouting
> > >
Triple Prizes
< < <
Scoutmaster Musings
2014 -
Legacy of Honor
I just finished reading
Legacy of Honor
by Alvin Townley. A parent in the troop let me read his copy.
It's a fun book to read with lots of short stories to ponder. Mr. Townley spent many months interviewing Eagle Scouts across the country and compiling their stories into his book. Throughout these personal accounts, what it means to be an Eagle Scout is presented in individual views and a consistent thread throughout all the stories.
I'd highly recommend every adult involved with Scouting take the time to read this book. As a Scoutmaster that did not participate in Boy Scouts as a youth, it gave me great insight into the lasting impact gained from the Eagle rank. The virtues of great men that have earned the rank and then gone on to participate in society are a great reminder of what our goals as Scouters needs to be.
One of the best things about the book for me was how it addressed the question about whether an Eagle Scout makes the man or the man was there all along. I gained in my conviction that participation in Scouting and attaining goals, such as Eagle, will not create a man but will influence, guide, and strengthen a youth's character through exercising and practicing important skills and values. The great men exposed in Legacy of Honor would probably have done great things even if Scouting was not offered to them, but their time spent in Scouting allowed them an opportunity to expand their abilitites and prepare for their life as adults.
In my view, there are a few parts where the stories get dry and somewhat monotonous but it was interesting to learn more about important men in all areas of society with a common background thread. This would be a great gift for an Eagle Scout, but don't be disappointed if he doesn't devour the whole book in a weekend. It is a good resource for reading later on - maybe give it to a Scout you know that just graduated from college and is in a position to get back involved with Scouts.
Scout On
Leave Comment
Posted: 21:36 08-28-2008 355
Scouting Contests
If you've got scouts or leaders looking for a few bucks to fund their scouting addiction, or just something cool to win, here's a bunch of items that might interest you.
Did you notice there's a
Monthly Contest
on Boy Scout Trail? Each month, you can win a $25 gift card for www.ScoutStuff.org, a fire piston kit, or a ClassB.com $50 coupon. Feeling lucky?
Scouting Magazine's
Camp Cooking Recipe Contest
has scouters come up with original recipes for BSA gift certificates up to $400. Enter before Oct. 1, 2008.
Boys' Life is running their
2008 Annual Reading Contest
where scouts write a report, send it in, and maybe win a $100 gift card.
Trails End (the Popcorn guys) are having a marketing contest called
Best Popcorn Pic
where scouts can win 1 of 100 Nintendo DS-Lite game systems. See
Contest Page
for details and enter before Dec. 1, 2008.
Trails End is also doing a
Best Unit Kickoff
video contest where your unit could win $2,500. See
Contest Page
for details and submit your video before Dec. 1, 2008.
Ongoing rewards in Boys' Life and Scouting Magazine include:
Scouts can enter ideas and tips to Boys' Life every month:
- 'Collecting' ideas. Recent collections submitted include apple seeds, Snapple caps, flashlights, and ticket stubs from movies. I'm pretty sure they'll accept anything.
$2, Scout handbook, or Fieldbook
- Jokes for the Think & Grin section.
Adult BSA members contribute to Scouting magazine:
Front Line
- submit a question to the Front Line Stuff column and get $50.
Worth Retelling
- submit a personal short story about scouting to the Worth Retelling column and get $25.
Check your Boys' Life and Scouting magazines for details or go to their boyslife.org and scoutingmagazine.org sites.
Good Luck and Scout On!
Leave Comment
Posted: 10:59 08-26-2008 354
Scout Shop Visit
I dropped by the scout shop after a talk with my District Executive, just to see what's new to throw my money at.
I was immediately drawn to the merit badge display looking more like a rainbow than the usual red/white/grey tower. All the merit badge pamphlets are now out in 4-color. The insides have colored photos and nice paper. The actual requirements and text has not changed in them, except for those being updated this year, but there has sure been a lot of effort put into making them more attractive. (And, hopefully, more interesting to read.)
I picked up an Aviation pamphlet to show off at the next troop meeting, let the scouts know they are out, and discuss with the Librarian what he wants to do about it. At least it will make it easy over the next couple years to weed out the old versions!
I actually didn't go straight to the merit badge display. I first had to fight my way past the Centennial uniform display which took up most of the front of the store. My first face-to-cloth look at the new product, and I'm sorry to say that I'm disappointed with a few things.
The breast pockets look really weird, more like something I'd expect to see on a girl's shirt. The US Flag and "Boy Scouts of America" are not sewn on patches, but more like ironed on decals. They look really cheap.
Finally, the sleeve pocket is just plain dumb. The new patch placement guide (due out in a month) will supposedly direct us to place Position patches centered on the pocket. So, now that I've sewn the pocket shut with a patch, it's worthless. I was told that you can unstitch the pocket, sew on the Position patch, and then resew the pocket onto the sleeve - yeah, right! Or, the other suggestion was to use Badge Magic.
So, what was I impressed with? Well, the cap is just green with a subdued Fleur-de-Lis and there are 3 different sizes so I got one that actually fits me! I do think the hat looks pretty cool. Also, the canvas belt looks tough and the dull metal buckle is hefty. The socks and pants seem just fine and I like the new colored Troop Numerals, Trained patch, and Position patches.
Actually, I think as BSA gets feedback over the next few months about the shirt and get it fixed, the uniform will be a good thing. They need to hear from their customers what's going to sell or not. I for one won't be buying a new shirt, but have the other bits on my birthday list. :-)
Scout On
Leave Comment
Posted: 17:48 08-22-2008 353
Did you see Usain Bolt set a World Record in the 200M yesterday? He was so far ahead of the field, it wasn't even funny. The race itself wasn't that exciting but what happened afterward was interesting.
The 3rd place finisher (Wallace Spearman for USA) stepped on the line on the turn and was disqualified after review of the race. After further review, the 2nd place finisher (Churandy Martina for AHO) was also disqualified, giving the Silver and Bronze medals to two other USA runners. Anything can happen.
Another example that anything can happen was the women's 100meter hurdles. Lolo Jones had the definite lead and apparent victory when she clipped her heel on the ninth hurdle. She stumbled across the finish line in 7th place even though she was obviously the fastest one on the track.
These, and a collection of other slight mistakes, show that:
Run your best race, all the way to the end, even if it looks hopeless
Rules are needed to ensure a fair race
Anything can happen
The underdog always has a chance
It might be fun for your troop or pack to have its own Olympics at a meeting. Here's some ideas:
Silly Olympics
Balloon Olympics
Scout On
Leave Comment
Posted: 16:08 08-21-2008 352
Scouting for Adventure
Today, we have two crews on their way to the Boundary Waters for 5 days of canoeing. I don't get to go since I'll be around here helping with a weekend campout for the younger scouts working on scout skills for advancement.
We've had a full summer with backpacking, kayaking, canoeing, summer camp, horseback riding, and visiting the new Grizzly Bear exhibit at the zoo.
I thought that was pretty adventurous, but I heard there is a new
Scouting for Adventure
television show on the Outdoor Channel. Being one of the seven people left in the world that don't have 194 cable channels to surf, I can't watch it. So, use the link above to find out times and give me a holler what you think about it. It looks like the first episode will be scouts doing a SCUBA adventure.
Maybe recording the episodes can give you a few snippets to help your troop come up with high adventure ideas for the years ahead.
Scout On
Leave Comment
Posted: 12:29 08-12-2008 351
American Legion Eagle Scout
Shakopee, MN can boast for a year. This small town has produced the American Legion Eagle Scout of the Year in Paul Banwart.
Paul has earned 102 merit badges, completed a plethora of service projects, and excelled in school.
read more
Other awards Banwart has received include:
Young American
, Presidential Volunteer Service Gold, Congressional Bronze, Silver, and Gold Medals.
It's amazing to me when I hear of a scout that accomplishes so much. The scout's family provides immeasurable support for him to have the opportunities to excel and his commitment to take advantage of those opportunities must be very strong.
We all have the same 24 hour days, but some of us squeeze more life out of each hour.
The American Legion has a great program that scoutmasters should mention to scouts entering high school. I spent a week at
Boys State
when I was a youth and it was a great experience. I'd recomend you find out more about the program and tell scouts to apply if they have any interest at all in government.
Scout On
Leave Comment
Posted: 8:34 08-09-2008 350
Cooking Lesson
This summer, E. Coli struck scouts and staff at a scout camp in Goshen, VA. The latest news is that beef at the camp has been found to be tainted. Whether it picked it up at camp or at the supplier is not known, and doesn't matter for my point.
This event is a very real example of how our scout cooking and food preparation has crucial impact. How we wash hands, handle food, and thoroughly cook food determines if we get sick or not.
If this meat had been thoroughly cooked, the bacteria would have been killed. But, the theory is that some of the meat used in tinfoil dinners may not have gone over the magic 165F internal temperature. So, make sure all meat is thoroughly cooked.
Even if the meat is cooked well, what about the hands that handled it? If someone formed patties or balls and then touched some cookies, fruit, salad, or any other food that was not cooked - bingo! As soon as someone is done handling the raw food to be cooked, they need to wash before touching anything else. The same is true for utensils used on the meat or by the compromised hands. This cross-contamination is a big potential problem in patrol cooking.
Another problem is food that won't be cooked. Packaged goods are pretty safe, but fresh fruit and vegetables should be washed very well, preferably at home before the campout.
A fun way to demonstrate how contamination can spread is to get a black light, a rubber chicken, and a yellow magic marker. Scribble all over the chicken with the magic marker so it is fairly covered with ink, but the color won't be visible. Play 'Toss the Chicken' by having everyone stand in a circle and throw the chicken around. After a bit, have them stop and announce that we just discovered the chicken had E. Coli bacteria on it. Turn off the lights and turn on the black light to see who has infected hands.
Scout On
Leave Comment
Posted: 13:19 08-05-2008 349
ArrowCorps5, the biggest national BSA service project since WWII, wrapped up yesterday with the last of the five locations closing in the Bridger-Teton forest.
About 5000 Order of the Arrow members participated in conservation projects across the country at five separate locations. Every participant receives a way cool Service Team Member Emblem which is a temporary patch to be displayed centered on the right uniform pocket. Participants that complete their service will also receive a Service Shield.
ArrowCorps5 News
page for articles about the projects.
There is a
Photo and Video contest
going on as an effort to create a digital archive of the projects. I'm looking forward to seeing what gets entered.
From all reports I've seen, ArrowCorp5 has been a great success with many miles of trail being created or improved and many other projects being completed. The only hiccup I've heard of involved the Dutch Joe area in the Bridger-Teton project. Another group moved into the area, causing the ArrowCorps5 planners to select a different location for that part of their project. From what I've read, the BSA folks handled the potential conflict very well, keeping the experience of the scouts and goals of service in the forefront.
Scout On
Leave Comment
Posted: 14:56 08-03-2008 348
Get Ready for Leave No Trace
In my little world, this is very exciting news!
Eric Hiser is the Chair of the BSA Leave No Trace Task Force and they've come up with a new council-level focus for Leave No Trace in the BSA. Here's Mr. Hiser's words:
I am pleased to report that the Boy Scouts of America National Council has officially authorized a new "council outdoor ethics advocate" position. This position will serve as the lead council representative for Leave No Trace training and advocacy. Responsibilities of the position include: recruiting master educator and trainer candidates; encouraging master educators to hold trainer courses; coordinating delivery of Trainer cards to master educators providing training; serving as a resource and advocate for the local council, districts and units; liaising with the Training, Program and Camping committees, and working with training staffs to ensure that they are familiar with Leave No Trace principles when providing outdoor and position specific training. We in the BSAs Leave No Trace Task Force are very excited about this commitment made by BSA to enhancing Leave No Trace training for all of its members.
As a Leave No Trace (LNT) Master Educator since 2006, I'm waaaaay looking forward to see how this pans out. Besides this new council position, I've heard that the next Scout Handbook coming out in 2010 will have specific LNT requirements for 2nd and 1st Class advancement. Those requirements should really help push the LNT knowledge out to troops, as long as scoutmasters take them seriously - I've heard some troops are being pretty lenient with the 'Tell a Friend' and 'Bullying' requirements.
As such a huge user of the outdoors, we certainly need to minimize the impacts we make as much as we can. For the past few years, LNT has been in the scout handbook and other BSA literature, but I've seen little actual implementation of the seven LNT principles. Those principles are:
Plan Ahead
Use Durable Surfaces
Dispose of Waste Properly
Leave What You Find
Minimize Campfire Impact
Respect Wildlife
Courtesy to Others
Summer camps, camporees, Philmont, Northern Tier, and pretty much any BSA camp are all
front country
camping where impact should be concentrated in existing impacted areas. The LNT principles apply there, but a troop that only uses these camps and then heads out backpacking in the real wilderness with no further LNT training will make a much bigger impact on the environment than necessary. Just having a troop go through a 60-90 minute LNT Workshop will make a huge difference. The principles aren't rocket science, but there are some things that
be done which aren't obvious to most folks. One good example is the correct way to cross a meadow - should we go single file to impact just one thin line or spread out and impact a separate path for each person?
With this newly defined BSA direction, the council LNT advocate will ensure that a couple people are trained as LNT Master Educators by attending a week-long intense outdoor program. Then, those LNTMEs will set up LNT Trainer courses which are usually a weekend. Every District will be expected to have a couple LNT Trainers who will then present LNT Workshops to units and leaders in their district. Being a Leave No Trace Trainer is a totally fun role!
Taking a step better would be to have a scout in every troop become a Trainer so he can put on workshops for his troop, local pack, and other interested groups. I think the perfect candidate for this role would be the Troop OA Rep since that leadership position tends to have little activity but the OA promotes camping and service. I can also see a troop that is looking for an identity to become a "LNT Troop" specializing in promoting the minimal impact message to other units in their council.
I've done LNT Workshops for my troop and my church that sends backpackers to Wyoming each year. An LNT Workshop is a lot of fun with very little "sit and listen" and almost completely "do and learn" activities. If you have an opportunity to attend one before next spring, I'd highly recommend it. If you are versed in the principles of LNT, then please consider how you can help promote the message in your unit, district, and council. I expect council Scout Executives will be scrambling looking for "advocates" soon - maybe you could drop a hint to your executive.
Scout On
PS: Check out
Leave No Trace Dude
for more LNT information.
Leave Comment
Posted: 19:37 08-02-2008 347
Advancement Isn't Everything
There's a scout in the troop that just finished eigth grade this spring. In the 3 years he's been involved in the troop, he has advanced only to Tenderfoot. On paper, some folks might say he's "failing", or at least not "getting" the scouting program. Far from it.
I just had a scoutmaster conference with him today to check in and see if I could help get him through some requirements. We chatted about our week we just completed at summer camp and I told him it was pretty cool that he earned the NRA Marksman First Class award. He also completed the Rifle and Shotgun merit badges. He had a great time at camp.
This scout actually has a great time at pretty much every scouting event he attends, and he attends a lot. So, you would think he'd be advancing more. When I asked him what his plans were for reaching the higher ranks, he told me he wasn't really interested in that - he just liked scouting. He wants to keep having fun with his patrol and doing the fun stuff that the troop plans.
And, I guess, that's hitting the nail on the head right there. A scout does what he enjoys doing and that's what keeps him involved. Some scouts thrive on badges, pins, and ribbons while others just like burning stuff and skipping rocks. As long as they are having a good time and getting what they need from their troop and patrol, it's all good. They will be learning good stuff without knowing it. Some enjoy being up front leading but there's room for those that mostly follow along too. Those followers may not demonstrate what's required to be an Eagle, but they can certainly contribute to their patrol.
We did discuss the fact that he will need to reach First Class to attend high adventure trips next year and he has created a plan to advance that far. He's actually done practically everything needed, but just doesn't ever get his book signed. He isn't lazy or forgetful, it just isn't a priority for him.
He told me directly that he is not interested in being an Eagle scout. All the work of a project and leadership roles and mandatory merit badges does not appeal to him. If he reaches Life, I'll be very surprised. But, I won't be surprised to show him out the door on his 18th birthday and right back in again as an Asst. Scoutmaster the next day.
I need to keep in mind that every boy that comes along to join Boy Scouts is unique but every one wants to have fun. Each one has potential to accomplish great things and I just need to follow him along his trail to see how it goes. There's nothing wrong with him stopping for a bit to rest or just to blow dandelion seeds for the heck of it, as long as we're enjoying the trail. As long as he and I understand where he wants the trail to take him, I can nudge him along if he wanders too far off. Not every scout's trail is headed towards Eagle.
Scout On
Leave Comment
Posted: 17:39 07-25-2008 346
All Things Emergency Response
Here is a news snippet about the
All Things Emergencry Response
that I helped with last week at Many Point. My role was to present the Wilderness First Aid Basics training so the 14 participating scouts could receive their certification.
The participants also earned their CPR certification and completed a few merit badges, but I didn't get to be part of that - I had our troop to enjoy for the week also.
This program was excellent. The scouts got to work through staged accidents for bicycles, automobiles, planes, burning buildings, water and ice, explosions, as well as general wilderness scenarios.
(Press PLAY button to start)
Leave Comment
Posted: 22:18 07-24-2008 345
Recovering from Philmont
There's nothing like a nice long bus or plane ride to start the recovery process after a Philmont Trek. I was expecting a lot of chatter and excitement, but as you can see it was a pretty quiet trip.
We had a 6 hour drive to Denver from Cimarron and then a 2 hour flight to Minnesota. For the most part, there was sleeping with some talk about where everyone would eat 'real food' as soon as they got to Denver airport or home to Minnesota.
One productive thing that did get taken care of on the way home was having each scout complete a
High Adventure Feedback
about their trek. This provided some great input for our future treks and areas for the crew leaders to consider working on their leadership skills. I'd highly recommend a similar review of any high adventure trip.
Now that the 17 scouts are rested up from Philmont, 15 of them are off to summer camp on Sunday. No rest for the weary. Hmmm, maybe we'll see another bear.
Scout On
Leave Comment
Posted: 16:43 07-11-2008 344
Previous Posts
Site Disclosure Statement
Other Scouting Blogs
Melrose Scoutmaster
Scoouting Magazine
Follow Me, Boys
Ask a Question
Add Content
scout software
This site is not officially associated with the Boy Scouts of America
listeria testing
scout software
Boy Scout Trail
Cub Scouts
Boy Scouts
My Blog
Group Games
Merit Badges
SM Minutes
Pen Pals
Online Tests
Our Schedule
Our Progress
Shop 4 Stuff
Privacy Policy
ICRA labeled
Find more Scouting Resources at www.BoyScoutTrail.com
This site is not officially associated with the Boy Scouts of America


text:
Pakistan to "greatly benefit" from increased cooperation with China
Sunday, Jul 17,2011, 3:33:12 PM
China has played a significant role in the economic progress of Pakistan ever since the establishment of diplomatic ties between them. The first major initiative in this regard was the setting up of Heavy Mechanical Complex at Taxila; a project of immense importance that nudged the process of industrial development in Pakistan and continues to contribute to the overall progress of the country in a big way. The construction of KKH Highway, termed as the eighth wonder of the world not only laid the foundation for an infallible and eternal friendship between the two neighbours but also generated tremendous economic activity in Gilgit-Baltistan besides boosting trade between the two countries.
Currently China is working on a plan for the up-gradation of KKH at an approximate cost of 500m dollars and in building 165 Km Jaglot-Skardu and 135 KM Thakot-Sazin roads in Gilgit-Baltistan at a cost of 45bn rupees. China would pay 85 per cent of the cost while Pakistan will contribute 15 per cent. A rail link between the two countries is also envisaged to be built. Besides these monumental projects, China is also helping Pakistan to tide over the energy crisis. Currently the Chinese are working on 15 mega projects in the energy sector in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir. A very significant project in hand is the upraising of the Mangla Dam reservoir by sixty feet. As part of resettlement of the dam affectees, the Chinese firm, International Water and Electric Corporation (CIWa nd EC) is also working on the construction of a bridge over Jhelum river in the same area. Another very vital project is Neelum-Jhelum Hydroelectric Power Project which aims at diversion of the water of Neelum river through a tunnel into Jhelum river, at a cost of 12.6bn dollars.
The Chinese are also entrusted with the responsibility to commission Kohala Power Project at a cost of 2.155bn dollars with a capacity to generate 1050 MW of electricity. China's Three Gorges Project Corporation is constructing Diamir-Bhasha Dam on the Indus river with a total investment of 12.6bn dollars. In addition to these undertakings the Chinese firms are also working on six other mega power projects in Gilgit-Baltistan that include : 7.8bn dollars Dasu Hydropower Project, 70m dollars Phandar Project, 40.01m dollars Bashu Hydropower Project, 44.608m dollars Harpo Hydropower Project and 6bn dollars Yulbo Hydropower Project. China is also investing an amount of 300m dollars in housing, communication sectors. The Indians are very wary of Chinese involvement in development projects in Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir [Pakistan-administered Kashmir] and view it as a calculated move to build Chinese influence in these areas, a charge vehemently dismissed by China. China is also helping Pakistan in the nuclear power sector. A nuclear power plant at Chashma with a power generating capacity of 330 MW of electricity has already been completed and integrated with the National Grid recently and two more similar plants are scheduled to be completed by 2016-17. The agreement for these projects was signed on 8 June, 2010 during President Zardari's visit to China, notwithstanding the fact that US raised objections on the nuclear cooperation between the two countries. The Chinese brushed aside the apprehensions on this account by informing the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) during its meeting at Christchurch, of its decision to build Chashma IV and V in Pakistan. In the backdrop of US-India agreement for cooperation in the field of civilian nuclear technology, which Pakistan views as a discriminatory act, the Chinese help assumes a great significance and reflects the strength of friendship between the two countries. These two plants are part of the PAEC programme to generate 8800 MW of nuclear power for the country to supplement other sources of power generation. An arrangement for soft Chinese loan to fund the construction has also been inked. The participation of China in exploiting copper reserves at Sandak and the development of Gawadar Port in Balochistan, though not liked by some regional an d international powers, are undertakings of immense economic benefit to the people of the province and the overall development of Pakistan.
The trade between the two countries has also been expanding. China is the fifth largest source for Pakistani imports. The bilateral trade between the two countries touched 7bn dollars mark in 2008.Under a five year programme lunched in 2006 this volume is proposed to be enhanced 15bn dollars by 2012. In the past few years, the Chinese have made an investment of 1.3bn dollars in Pakistan. A number of Chinese companies are working in the oil and gas, IT, Telecom, Engineering, and mining sectors.
As is evident, China has made an unfathomable contribution to the economic progress of Pakistan and with the completion of the new ventures, especially in the energy sector, Pakistan can rightly aspire for an era of sustainable economic growth in the country. It is an irrefutable reality that relations between Pakistan and China have been growing from strength to strength irrespective of who was in power in Pakistan. However the exponential expansion in these relations during the present regime reflects a marked departure from our perennial propensity to look up to the West, particularly US for our security and economic progress.
The enhanced economic, political and strategic cooperation between China and Pakistan will contribute immensely to warding off the lurking dangers and consolidating the gains of the efforts made for changing the economic situations of the people of both the countries. This renewed and vigorous engagement between the two countries is an encouraging development as it will greatly benefit Pakistan by re-invigorating commercial and industrial activities and creating new jobs. This might also restore the confidence of the international community in Pakistan as a safe place to invest.
Source: The Pakistan Observer, Islamabad, in English 16 Jul 11
You may also be interested in:
Discuss this ArticleClick Here to see all comments
Today's Picks
South Korean president, Saudi king pledge to expand
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz al
Pakistan to "greatly benefit" from increased
China has played a significant role in the economic progress of Pakistan ever
Kenyan paper urges China to exert "positive
The visit to China by Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir is a cementing of the
China president urges party to hold socialism banner
The Communist Party of China (CPC) must adhere to and improve the socialist
Afghan watchdog backs electoral tribunal's decision to
The chairman of the Independent Commission for Supervision of the
About This Article
- Most Read
- Most Discussed
- Most Emailed
- Afghan watchdog backs electoral tribunal's decision to disqualify some MPs
- China president urges party to hold socialism banner high
- Kenyan paper urges China to exert "positive influence" on Khartoum government
- Slovenia welcomes Croatia's completion of EU talks
- Zimbabwean ruling party keen to boost ties with Chinese leaders
- Former Russian intelligence officer's defence appeals against 25-year sentence
- Yemeni opposition coalition approves formation of "National Council"
- Pakistan to "greatly benefit" from increased cooperation with China
- Newspaper says West ignores problems with democracy in Albania
- Bahrain National Dialogue: Participants agree on political, economic issues


text:
Ako si irish. 22 / Leo / Filipina, Chinita, Food lover,
I love Game of Thrones and Hunger Games, BIGTIME!!
Happy ever after believer. Princes and Princesses do exist. Cause I am One! Yes!
Happy endings.New Beginnings.
I love to smile, laugh and be happy!
Life is Short. You only live once.
Do what you want.Do what you love.
No second thought. Give your best shot in everything you do, treat it like your last.
Make it WORTH IT. Happiness is a CHOICE!.. choose it. You deserve it. ❤❤


text:
The man shot by a north suburban cop early Wednesday after he allegedly pulled a replica gun at the police station appears to have been trying to force a police officer to kill him, police and prosecutors said.
Lake County State's Atty. Michael Nerheim said Howard R. Lazarus, 53, had a note in his pocket that said in part, "I apologize for placing your officers in this position. I am dying from cancer and couldn't do the deed myself."
Lazarus has been charged with aggravated assault, Nerheim said, after what officials said what Vernon Hills' first police-involved shooting.
Just after midnight, authorities said, Lazarus entered the Vernon Hills police station at 740 Lakeview Parkway and told police he wanted to report an auto accident.
An officer was called to the station, and it was determined the purported accident happened in Mundelein. The officer offered to give Lazarus a ride to the Mundelein Police Department, because Lazarus said his car had been damaged in the accident.
That's when authorities said the man pulled a 9mm semiautomatic replica handgun with a working slide out of his coat pocket and pointed it at the officer, according to police.
The officer drew his own gun and told Lazarus to drop his, Nerheim said, but Lazarus allegedly pulled back on the gun's slide and took several steps toward the officer.
In the exchange, Lazarus asked the officer to shoot him, but the officer refused and instead tried to talk to him while attempting to shield himself behind a wall, said Vernon Hills Officer Sharon Joseph.
Lazarus then made a couple of aggressive gestures, and the officer shot twice, striking Lazarus once in the abdomen, Joseph said. The two were about 8 to 10 feet apart at the time.
Lazarus, of North Bristol Court in Mundelein, was taken to an area hospital where he was in fair condition and being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, authorities said.
While Joseph said no one else was in the lobby when the shooting happened, dispatchers at the station are positioned behind bullet-resistant glass. She couldn't say whether any of them saw what happened.
"I'm sure some of them did," Joseph said, "but I don't know."
Lazarus has been charged with one count of aggravated assault, a Class 4 felony, police said.
As per department policy, the officer has been placed on administrative leave pending a full investigation of the incident. This incident is being investigated by the Lake County Major Crime Task Force.
Follow @fox32news
WHBQ-TV | Fox 13 485 S. Highland St.Memphis, TN 38111Main Station: (901) 320-1313Newsroom: (901) 320-1340


text:
Help! What's Wrong With My Coffee Brewing Method?
Good Questions
Q: I bought my coffee-loving mom the Krups Fast Touch Coffee Grinder, but she's had problems getting a good brew with fresh ground beans. She has had equally poor results with Metropolis, very old Kona beans from the freezer and store brand coffee, even with double the amount of coffee she uses with pre-ground. She also replaced her very old basic drip Mr. Coffee with a newer version to no avail.
Do you know why this might be happening? Should she be aiming for very coarse or very fine grounds? Or is the low-budget coffee maker the problem? Any suggestions would be much appreciated!
Sent by Debi
Editor: Debi, it's hard to say exactly what's wrong without knowing what qualifies a good brew to your mother. Does she think the coffee is too weak? Too bitter?
Overall, though, for a drip coffee maker the coffee should be ground quite fine. It shouldn't be powdered like instant coffee, but it should definitely be small and fine — enough so that it could easily pass through a mesh strainer. If she isn't grinding it fine enough it may not be passing on the flavor as the water brews through.
Readers, any suggestions for Debi and her mom?
Related: What Is the Best Way To: Make Coffee at Home?
(Image: Faith Durand)
12 Comments
It's no doubt the grind. I would go get some coffee from a good place and ask them to grind it for the machine your mom has. Then, once you see how that looks, she can grind her own to match that coarseness. Ask them what "number" grind it is too. If your grinder is programmable with grind numbers you could match that.
I don't know anything about drip coffee makers, but I have terrible results when I grind too fine for my French Press or too coarse for my Aeropress. When it's right though, they rock!
My guess might be water quality. I can tell the difference between the times I've used filtered water and water straight from the tap.
Maybe some or all of this will help?
I don't have a grinder but have been finding (fresh) decent and relatively inexpensive beans at my local gourmet grocery that I can grind in-store . I store coffee sealed in the black ziplock pouch it comes in, in a dark cupboard, and start using it right away-1# lasts me about 2-2.5 weeks. Don't store coffee in the freezer.
I use filtered water, a $2 melita cone that's about 10yrs old, w/ #2 melita paper cones.
As good a cup a joe as I could brew at home without a fancier setup.
Hi it's Debi here. To clarify, the coffee always seems to come out tasting very weak, even with multiple times the amount of coffee she used with preground coffee.
2 things:
ALWAYS start with cold, filtered water.
And make sure the grind is right for your brewing method. For a drip, you do NOT want to grind too fine.... A lot of people grind too fine for their drip machines, and it results in a bitter flavor, no matter the beans/roast you use. For a flat-bottomed drip machine, you should probably grind to about the size of coarse sand, and for a cone-shaped filter, slightly finer, say like granulated sugar.
And it's true... buying a pound of coffee at a local cafe and having them grind specifically for your machine is a GREAT suggestion. Who knows, they might even be knowledgeable about the specific or type of grinder and be able to offer pointers on getting a good grind.
I have that same grinder for spices, though we previously used it for grounds. When does she grind the bean? If she grinds it say the night before and leaves it in the grinder, that may be part of the problem.
If she wants to rule out one or the other (grinder or coffee maker), she should try buying good quality bean from a coffee shop and have them grind half of it. Then she can try the pre-ground stuff directly in the coffee maker, then grind the other half in the grinder and try it in the maker. That should pinpoint where the blandness is occurring.
If it's too weak as you said, the water needs to stay on the coffee longer. A finer grind will store water for longer than a coarse one.
Your coffee maker may also be to blame for this if it's pushing the water through the bean to quickly. A finer grind should correct the problem though.
On a side note, never keep coffee in the fridge or freezer. It condensates and makes it go stale. Always keep it in an air-tight container as well.
My museum just did an exhibit on coffee here: http://www.arabamericanmuseum.org/frommochatolatte
Your mum should adjust the grind and use her old brewer until it tastes right, and then switch to the new brewer.
The grind/grinder is far more important than the brewing method. In general, the longer the brewing time the larger the grind should be.
The Krupps is probably making inconsistent grain sizes - which are bitter. I threw my Krupps away after 3 months and bought a proper conical burr grinder - I couldn't be happier.
The brewing method is not really a matter of personal taste. Coffee gets the best balance of flavour (sweet rich, aromatic and not bitter) when it's brewed at 12 bar (ie 12x atmospheric pressure). Weather it's stove top or a proper machine doesn't matter, as long s you get the pressure right. Drippers are always bitter.
I have never gotten good results with the blade coffee grinders. they shatter beans, leaving very irregular grains.
Burr grinders give much better results.
I agree with the burr grinder recommendation; I bought one after the built-in blade grinder in my Cuisinart coffee maker died. I bought the Cuisinart burr grinder and love it. It precisely measures and grinds the coffee, so you can't go wrong. And yes, always use cold water.
As a barista, I can attest that many of the things that were said are true about brewing a good cup of coffee, but in the end, all of these elements must be consistent and correct in order for the brew to actually work:
1. the right grind. I agree with Lokio: you really need to play around with the grinder and see what grind best fits your coffee maker. Sometimes the quality of the grinder doesn't matter if it can get your grind right, so I'd first test this out before contemplating a new one.
2. The ratio. Coffee needs to be brewed at 10 grams of coffee per 6 ounces of water. This can be used with any brewing method, be it automatic drip, a french press, or a chemex.
3. Filtered water. Water from just the tap can carry a lot of impurities that would affect the brew's end result.
4. Brewing temperature. Ideal brewing temperature is 200 degrees F, not a degree higher or lower.
5. Freshness of the coffee grounds. Ideally, you'd want to grind your beans right before you brew. If you're in a situation where you can't grind your beans (and even if you have beans), it's best to keep them in an air-tight container inside a dark, dry space (like a cabinet). Never keep your beans or grounds in the fridge, the moisture will penetrate and weaken the flavor. If you MUST put it in the freezer, it should only be because you plan on using it much later and it's the only way to preserve.
aaand I think that's about it! All of these need to be working together for coffee to be brewing at its best. So check all of these conditions out, and if you feel like you're still brewing weak coffee after tweeking around, then maybe it's time to switch to a different grinder or coffee-maker. I prefer the french-press myself.
Check out my perfect cup of coffee method here
You need: fresh beans, a burr grinder (used to have the krups grinder you mentioned - it doesn't give you an even grind, and can burn the beans), good water (filter yours if it's not drinkable from the tap), and a french press.
Happy brewing!


text:
Well, this is a cute kit & I am going to try to make my 1st quickpage, so count me in. Thanks
Well, this is a cute kit & I am going to try to make my 1st quickpage, so count me in. Thanks
I have hit a bump in the road. I will put my picture in the gallery but....when I went to use the wand, it selected more than it needed to & I was only able to do half my frame. Do you have any suggestions to help me. Maybe if you see my layout, you will understand. Thanks
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.
Ok - the kit makes it so easy to play that I made another page. I just uploaded it to the 4shared site and to the gallery, but I messed up on the credits and am not sure how to edit them.
I am using PSE 7. I saved it in jpeg form & then tried to take out the hole. That did not work, so I went back to psd & selected the circle to cut...that is where my problem was. That did not work so then I used the eliptical marque tool and cut it out and then saved to png. I uploaded it to you (I hope)...so maybe you can tell me if it ended up alright. I think I saved it at the right size & pixels. I hope i did. this is my 1st time doing a quickpage. Thanks for you help.
OK, I have posted my second QP, and decided to link to my pictures from here, like others have done. I am still a rookie, but tryin' real hard! I also uploaded both QPs to 4shared yesterday, please let me know if there is a problem.
Thanks for the nice comments from everyone about my pages. Makes me feel confident to maybe do more challenges in the future. Thanks.
Last edited by HollyS; 01-10-2009 at 12:17 PM.
I try to take one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! That is WAY better than what I had. In fact, I was searching through my stuff to find something closer to "pixie dust" or something princessy and the gems were all I had come up with. This is just perfect! Thanks a million. Here is the updated page:
I finally got my quickpage posted but I had trouble cutting out the hole. I saved it as a jpeg & tried it...no cut available; I saved it as a png & no cut available. I finally gave up. Help....I have spent I know 8 hrs on this.


text:
Our award winning customer services team are always happy to help with your enquiries. Simply get in touch...
(excluding UK bank holidays)
Useful links:
Driving is a pleasurable experience; why not treat yourself or someone you know to an incredible thrill with one of our driving packages? We have many to choose from, including the Ferrari Driving Thrill and the Audi R8 Driving Experience to truly make you feel like someone on the A list! For those of you who like things rough, take a look at the Off Road Driving Experience, sure to bring a massive uncontrollable smile to your face. Whichever you choose, enjoy your experience with confidence and come out feeling utterly exhilarated!


text:
LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Every year thousands of people, of all ages, are diagnosed with blood cancers like leukemia, lymphoma, sickle cell or other life threatening diseases.
The good news is we all have the power to help and the power to give hope.
Seventy percent of patients facing these life threatening diagnoses do not have a matching marrow donor in their family. They depend on the millions in the world they don't yet know - people just like you and me, people just like Christian Rennertz.
Every four minutes, a person is diagnosed with a blood cancer. Sam Miller is one of those people.
Miller has been diagnosed with cancer twice, and the second time he had to wait two and a half years to meet the man with his lifesaving marrow.
"For the first two years we're not allowed to know anything about each other except age and gender," Miller explained.
Christian Rennertz was a match and without Christian's registration on the match registry Miller said he wouldn't be here.
"We share the same blood, same DNA, same chromosomes now, except for the hair," said Rennertz. "
"I donated in one day. It felt so good to know that there's somebody out there who needs your help. It felt so good that I knew he's still alive."
Alive, kicking and only about 5,000 miles away in Louisville, Kentucky while Rennertz was in Germany.
Rennertz explained, "My heart was beating all the time. I was so nervous. My hands are still shaking."
But what can't be shaken now is their life long bond.
"I have a great quality of life now and a new family," Miller said.
July is African-American Bone Marrow Donor awareness month. Only 7 percent of listed donors are African-American. It's the same in the Asian community and 10 percent in the Hispanic community.
It is important that people between the ages of 18 through 44 register because siblings have only a 30 percent chance of matching.
Copyright 2013 WAVE News. All rights reserved.
1115 Mt. Auburn Road
Public File Contact:
FCC Public File
Local News
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2014 WorldNow and WFIE. All Rights Reserved.
For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.


text:
Zynga's IPO slides toward year's end
Delays often affect valuation.
By Tom Taulli, InvestorPlace Writer
The scheduling of an IPO can be a moving target. For example, in the case of the Zynga's offering, it looked like the company would come public during Thanksgiving week. But if this were so, it would be on its "roadshow" now.
Well, it isn't. In fact, in its most recent IPO filing, the company didn't even provide a price range (which is a necessity for a roadshow).
According to a report from Bloomberg, the timing of the deal is now for December.
This means there will be little room for error. Keep in mind that by mid-December, Wall Street is a ghost town and IPOs don't generally resume again until late January.
Unlike Groupon (GRPN) -- which had to restate its revenue and earnings -- the Zynga filing has been fairly straightforward, as it was with other deals like Pandora (P) and LinkedIn (LNKD).
Unfortunately, delays can hurt the valuation of a deal -- especially in the volatile gaming world. Last week, Zynga reported its third-quarter results -- and they were problematic. Profit plunged 50% over the past year, revenue also continued to decelerate. The quarter-to-quarter growth rate fell to 9.9%, down from 14.9% in the second quarter and 24.1% in the first quarter.
As I pointed out in a recent post for the IPO Playbook, it looks like Zynga's requirement to use Facebook's credit system has been a drag. Plus, it takes a 30% cut from the gross revenue.
Besides, Zynga must deal with some tough competitors. One is Electronic Arts (ERTS), which has seen its "Social Sims" game turn into the No. 2 game on Facebook.
Zynga should be able to get its deal done, but to entice IPO investors, it may have to be generous on the valuation.
Related Articles
Copyright © 2014 Microsoft. All rights reserved.
Fundamental company data and historical chart data provided by Morningstar Inc. Real-time index quotes and delayed quotes supplied by Morningstar Inc. Quotes delayed by up to 15 minutes, except where indicated otherwise. Fund summary, fund performance and dividend data provided by Morningstar Inc. Analyst recommendations provided by Zacks Investment Research. StockScouter data provided by Verus Analytics. IPO data provided by Hoover's Inc. Index membership data provided by Morningstar Inc.
Traders might want to bite on BABA, but long-term investors have reasons to wait.
Top Stocks provides analysis about the most noteworthy stocks in the market each day, combining some of the best content from around the MSN Money site and the rest of the Web.
Contributors include professional investors and journalists affiliated with MSN Money.
Follow us on Twitter @topstocksmsn.


text:
TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - Toledo Public Schools held a job fair Wednesday to fill around 100 open positions.
This is the first time TPS has held this sort of job fair. The district has an unusually high number of openings due to retirements and so far, has not had as many applicants as it would like.
TPS is looking to fill about 100 positions, including substitute teachers, substitute bus drivers, food service workers, clerical staff members and substitute cleaners. Although many of these are part-time positions, some involve a lot of hours and can lead to full time positions in the future.
Organizers of the job fair say 824 people showed up looking for a job.
TPS officials said they plan on moving quickly with the applications to set up interviews. They hope to hire before the start of the upcoming school year.
Those who were unable to attend the job fair can fill out an application online.
View a list of available jobs.
Copyright 2012 Toledo News Now. All rights reserved.
730 North Summit Street
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2014 Worldnow and WTOL. All Rights Reserved.
For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.


text:
Electronic Control Security, Inc.
Security Systems Services NJ, United States
| OTC Markets: EKCS
Similar to: Securitas AB, Gunnebo AB
Electronic Control Security, Inc. designs, manufactures and supplies entry control, perimeter intrusion detection and interoperability technology solutions. Its technology and services include site survey and risk assessment, design and engineering, systems manufacturing and integration, factory acceptance testing, installation supervision, commissioning, and operations and maintenance training. The company serves the department of defense, department of energy and nuclear power stations. Electronic Control Security was founded in 1976 is headquartered in Clifton, NJ.


text:
Boston clawed their way back into the NHL Stanley Cup Finals by mauling the Vancouver Canucks 8-1 Monday after they were stung into action by a vicious hit on Nathan Horton.
The Canucks arrived in Boston holding a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series but watched the momentum take a dramatic swing after Aaron Rome's blindside hit left Horton unconscious on the ice in the first period.
Payback came in the second when the Bruins scored shorthanded, powerplay and two even strength goals to take a 4-0 lead.
Andrew Ference opened the scoring 11 seconds into the second period before 43-year-old Mark Recchi made it 2-0 with the man advantage.
Brad Marchand then dazzled the capacity crowd with a superb shorthanded effort, charging down the wing then slicing across the ice while fighting off a defender and flipping the puck over a sprawling Roberto Luongo to make it 3-0.
David Krejci capped off the second period burst, while Daniel Paille, Chris Kelly, Michael Ryder and Recchi, with his second of the game, connected in the third.
Tim Thomas turned in another spectacular performance in the Boston net with 40 saves though Jannik Hansen's third period goal ruined his shutout bid.


text:
A fire ripped through a home in Tuscola County near the village of Akron on Monday morning.
No one was home at the time of the blaze.
No injuries are reported and the extent of the damage to the home is unknown at this time.
The fire broke out at a home on Sheridan Road.
The home did not have power at the time the fire started.
WNEM will continue to follow this story and bring you updates as soon as they become available.
Copyright 2013 WNEM (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
12 East Delano Avenue
Montgomery, AL 36105
(334) 288-1212
FCC Public File
EEO Report
Closed Captioning


text:
Are We Raising a Nation of Wimps?
- Monday, April 11, 2005
To be honest, I look at the magazine Psychology Today as something of a trade journal for the therapeutic culture. The magazine spins out seemingly endless cover stories on how to be happy, self-actualized, and successful, but its worldview is light years from classical Bible-based Christianity. Nevertheless, this magazine is really on to something with its recent article, "A Nation of Wimps," written by Hara Estroff Marano. This article is must reading for every parent.
Marano begins her article with a portrait of cushioned childhood. "Maybe it's the cyclist in the park, trim under his sleek metallic blue helmet, cruising along the dirt path . . . at three miles an hour. On his tricycle." From there, Marano moves to cite the "all-rubber-cushioned surface where kids use to skin their knees," and the fact that the kids aren't even allowed to play alone. Their mommies and daddies are playing with them, making sure that the little darlings don't experience even the slightest scrape, scratch, or scare. "Few take it half-easy on the perimeter benches, as parents used to do," Marano explains, "letting the kids figure things out for themselves."
To the contrary, today's parents are now spending a great deal of their time doing little more than protecting their children from life. Marano describes this as "the wholly sanitized childhood, without skinned knees or the occasional C in history." The result of all this? Our kids are growing up to be pampered wimps who are incapable of assuming adult responsibility and have no idea how to handle the routine challenges of life.
David Elkind, a prominent child psychologist, counters, "Kids need to feel badly sometimes. We learn through experience and we learn through bad experiences. Through failure we learn how to cope."
That seems to be a foreign concept to many of today's parents. Coddled by a generation of Baby Boomers, today's parents have turned into hyper-protectors. Kids are not allowed to play, because they might get hurt. In today's highly competitive environment, kids have to excel at everything, even if parents have to actually do the work or negotiate an assisted success. The routine play of childhood--even the pointless chatter, nonsense, and aimless play of children--is now considered wasted time or worse. "Messing up" is simply out of style, Marano explains. "Although error and experimentation are the true mothers of success, parents are taking pains to remove failure from the equation."
"Whether we want to or not, we're on our way to creating a nation of wimps," Marano warns. She fast-forwards to college and university campuses, where "the fragility factor" is now most clearly evident. As she explains, "It's where intellectual and developmental tracks converge as the emotional training wheels come off. By all accounts, psychological distress is rampant on college campuses."
This statement is easily verified by observing the reports issued by academic institutions. Psychological distress--sometimes evident in the mild form of anxiety and, in other cases, in binge drinking, self-mutilation, and even suicide--are now major concerns of college administrators.
As Steven Hyman, Harvard University's provost and former director of the National Institute of Mental Health lamented, the problem "is interfering with the core mission of the university."
What is the source of this problem? Observers are zeroing in on parental pampering as the most critical factor behind this pattern of student "disconnect." Smothered by parental attention and decision-making during childhood and adolescence, these young people arrive on the college campus without the ability to make their own decisions, live with their choices, learn from their experiences, and grapple with the issues of adult life.
But the academic issues do not show up only on college campuses. Today's kids must be successful, at least in the view of their insistent parents. Even in pre-kindergarten programs, parents now show up with a list of special demands, insisting that their child must be treated with special care. Inevitably, these are often transformed into diagnoses of learning disabilities that will require special instructional accommodations. If this trend is not reversed, virtually all students will be diagnosed with some form of learning disability and the entire classroom experience will break down.
Recently on Parenting
Editors' Picks
Have something to say about this article? Leave your comment via Facebook below!
Listen to Your Favorite Pastors
Add Crosswalk.com content to your siteBrowse available content


text:
Adolescents and sexual health are words not often said together unless it's referring to negative news like teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease (STD) rates. And while some negative news may be true, it does not give us the full story of adolescent sexual health. There are many youth who lead sexually responsible lives. These youth have been empowered to be abstinent; practice safer sex; communicate with their parents and their partner; and/or get tested for STDs. How can we combine the negative and positive messages to encourage youth to take control of their sexual health? Here's one example: school-based STD screening.
My organization, the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), has partnered with American Social Health Association (ASHA) to promote and recognize World Sexual Health Month. World Sexual Health Month is recognized in September and is an opportunity to increase awareness of sexual health and its impact on individuals and society. Sexual health is much more than STDs, pregnancy, and puberty. It is multidimensional – physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, and social. It is a part of each one of us.
But we know teens are disproportionally impacted by sexually transmitted infections. Half of all new STD cases are in youth ages 15-24. One in four youth will contract an STD each year. Many STDs have no signs or symptoms. These statistics alone will not lead youth to get tested or use a condom every time they have sex. However, there are opportunities to provide youth with information and access to testing right at their fingertips and empower them to make healthy decisions.
One such way is through school-based STD screening programs. Schools, health departments, and community-based organizations are joining forces to provide youth with needed access to STD information, testing and treatment where youth spend a larger portion of their day – at school.
Youth face numerous barriers in accessing medical care, especially for sexual health. Partnerships between schools, public health departments and community based organizations can help knock down barriers youth often face. Barriers such as inconvenient hours/locations, no financial means, fear of test, lack of awareness about STDs, and stigma, can be mitigated by providing STD screening programs in school. In addition to eliminating barriers, schools provide an optimal location for STD testing because of the connection between academics and health. A student worried about whether or not they have an STD or a student in pain and discomfort all day, may be less motivated and engaged during the school day. This makes it harder to learn and may lead to absenteeism.
Conducting the school-based STD screening programs takes coordination and cooperation among all interested parties (i.e. schools, medical providers, and community based organizations). In general, a STD screening program targets high-school aged youth. Each student is provided with a short educational session and a testing kit comprised of paper work and a urine specimen cup. All youth are directed to a restroom and enter individual stalls. At this point, youth are able to decide to take the test or not. If they decide to get tested then they provide a urine specimen. If they decide not to, then the directions ask them to fill out the paperwork and wait in the stall for a certain amount of time (for example, come out of stall after singing a certain song in their head). After exiting the stall, students return the brown paper bag to dedicated staff. Because all students go through the same steps, students can choose to be tested without the concern of stigmatization by their peers or others. Following the screening event, the medical provider sends specimens to a lab for testing and results are confidentially shared with students. Often the medical provider returns to the school to provide students who tested positive, treatment.
Many states and cities are already doing school-based STD screening programs. NCSD, through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Adolescent and School Health (CDC DASH), is currently working with Michigan to develop an RFP to expand their school-based STD program throughout the state and to develop a memorandum of agreement to be used between the state health department, medical provider, and school. In addition, NCSD will be working with other DASH funded sites to increase awareness about school-based STD screening programs and move agencies toward action.
In previous years with the support of CDC DASH, NCSD produced a series of webinars on the replication of school-based STD screening programs. The webinars include programs in a variety of settings such as Louisiana, Michigan, District of Columbia, Miami-Dade County, and Durango, CO. The webinars offered participants strategies for successful implementation of a STD screening program and other comprehensive reproductive health services in a school setting.
In addition, NCSD will be highlighting the Philadelphia High School STD Screening Program in an upcoming publication focusing on how STD programs can bill for services. The Philadelphia program, through a partnership with the Family Planning Council, is able to bill Medicaid for the school-based STD test if students provide their consent. While they are not able to recoup all expenses, Philadelphia is able to off-set program costs.
So what's the positive side of this story? Youth are getting tested and treated when they may not have otherwise. Youth are connecting with sexual health resources and medical providers. Youth are getting up-to-date, medically accurate information to assist in decision making. NCSD and other non-governmental organizations are supporting and providing technical assistance to state health and education agencies to increase the number of localities conducting school-based STD screenings. National organizations are partnering to increase awareness of sexual health. With this combination of activities, we hope to see the number of sexually healthy adolescents grow. Only time will tell.
Becky Griesse, MPH, CHES
National Coalition of STD Directors
There are no comments on this article. Be the first to post a comment by using the form below ...


text:
A list of Benjamin Franklin's inventions reveals a man of many talents and interests. It was the scientist in Ben that brought out the inventor. His natural curiosity about things and the way they work made him try to find ways to ...Add to my favourites Get these quotes on a PDF
If you know how to spend less than you get, you have the philosopher's stone. -- Benjamin Franklin
If you would be loved, love and be lovable.
Dost thou love life? Then waste not time; for time is the stuff that life is made of.


text:
Replacement Guarantee available:
3 Year Protection £26.00
Sony DSCW830 20.1 Megapixel Digital Compact Camera
- Low stock, selling fast
5 reviews
- Delivery
The compact and stylish Sony DSCW830 20.1 Megapixel Digital Compact Camera makes taking great pictures and video a breeze.
Its 20.1 megapixel sensor, high-resolution Super HAD CCD sensor and 25mm Carl Zeiss lens let you capture every scene perfectly, from close up shots to wide landscape images, even in low light.
Auto Mode takes the guesswork out of photography by automatically choosing the right settings for the job, ensuring you capture great photos every time.
An 8x optical zoom lets you get close to the action, ideal for taking pictures at sporting events and capturing your holiday memories in all their glory.
Always look your best in your pictures thanks to the Beauty Effect feature which lets you edit on the go. Get rid of wrinkles and blemishes so your portraits always look fresh and clear.
Optical SteadyShot provides built-in image stabilisation to reduce the blur caused by shooting with hand movement. The Advanced Flash is also perfect for taking those after dark pictures.
This Sony camera lets you shoot HD movies too. Just hit the movie button to shoot crisp 720p HD movie clips, then play them back instantly to re-live the moment with friends.
It is available in a range of cool colours and is compact enough to slip easily into your pocket or bag, perfect for taking with you on your travels.
Useful info:
- Sony DSCW830 20.1 Megapixel Digital Compact Camera
- Compact and stylish
- 2.7 inch/6.7 cm LCD screen
- Auto Mode selects the best setting for the job
- 8x optical zoom
- SteadyShot for blur-free pictures
- Beauty-effect lets you get rid of blemishes
- H 52.5, W 93.1, D 22.5 mm
Replacement Guarantee available:
3 Year Protection £26.00
Nikon S3600 Coolpix 20 Megapixel Digital Camera
- Low stock, selling fast
6 reviews
- Delivery
Designed for people looking for a discreet camera to suit their lifestyle
The Coolpix S3600 is a stylish compact with 20-megapixels packed into a slim body full of features, making it the carry-anywhere camera that always gives you stunning shots.
H 57.9, W 97.1, 19.9 mm.Colours: Black, Blue, Pink, Silver. NIKON helpline: 0330 123 0928.


text:
Adams Papers Indexes | Adams Papers, Cumulative Index to volumes published through 2006 | P | Pitts, Elizabeth Bowdoin (wife of James)
Falmouth, Casco Bay. June 30th. 1772. Tuesday. [Diary and Autobiography of John Adams 2:62]+
Documents in this publication are viewable by registered users only. Log in
Guest users have access to all documents in the Founders
Early Access publication.