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Board/2013 Nominations
From Noisebridge
< Board(Difference between revisions)
(this 2013 board can be called "the M series")
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* Miloh
* Miloh
* Mischief
* Mischief
* Monad
* Monad
Revision as of 23:08, 27 January 2013
Nominate 2013 board members here.
Anyone may put forward a name for the Noisebridge Board of Directors for 2013. Please list whom you'd like to nominate, along with your name, pseudonym, or wiki signature. If you (the nominee) accept the nomination, please mark your assent next to your name. See Board/2012_Nominations for example.
We will agree on the final ballot at our regular Tuesday meeting on 2013-01-29, then vote during our 2013 annual general members meeting on 2013-02-19 (also a Tuesday).
- Merlin
- Miloh
- Mischief
- Monad


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I've always had a heart for dogs. Many people in this community do, too, which is why I'm dedicating much of this space to Patricia Maria Glockler Gilderbloom, a lifelong animal lover who passed away in September.
According to her obituary, which was shared by her husband, Dr. John Gilderbloom, Patricia was born 59 years ago in the Dutch Colony of Paramaribo, Suriname, South America. At the age of six, she migrated to Santa Barbara – unable to speak anything but only Dutch – and eventually graduated from Santa Barbara High School.
Patricia was always proud of her Dutch, Indonesian and Chinese roots. She was also incredibly beautiful her whole life. In her twenties, Patty was a model, worked in health foods and was part of the New York art scene. No matter what she did, she always had a twinkle in her eyes and an infectious smile. In her thirties, she went to the University of Wisconsin and University of St. Thomas, where she graduated with a degree in English at the top of her class. She later attended the University of Houston where she worked on an education certificate and later finished with a master's degree in education from the University of Louisville. There she was loved by peers, students and fellow teachers who marveled at her enthusiasm, intelligence, humor and passion.
Patricia began her teaching career as an elementary school teacher in Texas and later taught in Louisville at the Friends School, where she was soon promoted to principal. She later transferred to "where students needed the most help," electing to teach at the poorest performing schools in Portland and West Louisville. She was known as a gifted teacher, and her students regularly outperformed expectations. She was proud that many of her students – including her own son – ended up going to the top universities in the world.
Patty, as she was known to those who knew her, loved and cherished her "rescue dogs" Reece, Lucy Roscoe, Snoopy and Dexter.
She became a devoted student of Buddhism, practicing yoga and meditation. She was also proud and invigorated by her involvement in a Christian ministry program that visited and counseled prisoners on Friday nights. Toward the end of her life, she reached out to parents who lost their children to suicide and grieved with them.
Patty was also involved in gardening, social justice, care of the elderly, renovating historic homes and educational reform. She was an avid reader of books and generously donated them to anyone who wanted a good read. She was a life-long tennis player recruited by the University of Wisconsin tennis team. She was a big fan of baseball and basketball, but disliked football.
Patty Gilderbloom loved life and living to the fullest, yet tragedy struck on May 9, 2011, when her son, Max Gilderbloom, was found dead. In her own words: "That is when my life ended."
Patty never recovered from the loss of her son. Only a mother could truly grasp the unending grief, sorrow, and pain of losing a 21- year-old with such a bright future. She was beyond angry at the dark evil forces that took her son away from her.
In lieu of flowers, the family requested that donations of money and/or time be made to Patty's favorite causes: the Louisville Zoo, a place where she spent much time; planting trees in her son's honor; or, adopting a rescue dog.
Now, Dr. Gilderbloom is trying to fulfill one of his late wife's wishes by finding a home for Lucy and Reece, the Chinese crested dogs about which she cared so deeply.
They're a package deal and are very healthy, since Patty's last act was to take them to the veterinarian for a check-up. They are house trained, loving and sweet. The Gilderblooms also have an account set up for them at a local pet hospital to pay medical expenses.
Know anyone who would be willing to open his or her heart and home to Lucy and Reece and, thus, honor the life of Patricia Gilderbloom? If so, please contact me via one of the methods listed at the end of this column.
Top Notch
The Voice-Tribune's longtime social columnist Carla Sue and her husband Brad Broecker have a new addition to their family: a 20-foot tall giraffe named Heuser. The big fella was carved from a tree Brad dug up from his uncle's Shelby County farm 40 years ago. The pin oak was struck by lightning last year, which essentially killed it. So the ever-savvy Broeckers commissioned Tim Gill, a carver from Peoria, Illinois. Three days later, Heuser emerged.
Blush & Beecher Terrace
Blush Boutique is accepting new and gently used winter coats, which will be given to residents of Beecher Terrace. As an added bonus, the shop is offering 15 percent of your entire purchase if you participate in the coat drive between now and Oct. 15. Even if you're not in the mood to shop the affordable boutique, please consider dropping off your extra cold-weather outerwear. And if you're interested in helping with the delivery of the goods, please contact me. Your assistance is much appreciated.
Where: Blush Boutique at 3745 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY 40207. 502.897.7207
What: Donate a gently worn winter coat & receive 15% off your entire purchase!
When: October 1st-15th, 2012
Third Thursday
For the past two years, The Voice-Tribune has hosted a party at a local hotspot on the third Thursday of nearly every month. Next week we do it again at Sway inside the Hyatt. As always, the event is free and all are invited (so long as you're 21 and older). The Voice's official deejay, DJ Jaybird, and Leigh Ann Yost will provide the entertainment. Join us from 5:30 to 8 p.m.
Contact Managing Editor Angie Fenton at email@example.com, 502.551.2698, www.facebook.com/angiefenton2, @angiefenton on Twitter and @angieeff on Instagram.

subset: commoncrawl


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Leaf springs sagging or cracked? Does you truck need a new spring hanger? At truckspring.com. we offer OEM quality replacement leaf springs, spring hangers, shackles, u-bolts and more.
Leaf springs act as a cushion between the axle and chassis to protect your vehicle and cargo and support weight. Sagging, cracked or worn out leaf springs can cause numerous problems with the ride and handling of your vehicle.
It is recommended to always change your springs in pairs ad do not reuse U-bolts. Make sure that new U-bolts are installed and torqued to proper specifications. Recheck torque after a couple weeks of service.
Browse our complete selection of OEM quality replacement leaf springs and attaching hardware or contact us at 1-800-358-4751 or 989-755-0561 for assistance.


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When the Ionia High School Quiz Bowl team qualified for the national tournament, they were able to add another accomplishment to their season. The team qualified for nationals after placing fifth at the state tournament in Class B at Michigan State University earlier this year.
Before qualifying for the national tournament, the team placed fifth in their league and was also in the top 16 for the "QuizBusters" game show hosted by Michigan State University's extension of WKAR Public Broadcasting.
The national tournament was held June 8-10 in Chicago and this team is the first in Ionia's history to qualify for the competition. The members of the team who went to nationals included Austin Armentrout, Mario Barr, Michael Maiville and Team Captain Nick Stiles.
According to Steve Cairns, Quiz Bowl advisor, Ionia went 3-3 in the national tournament and played against teams from Texas, Illinois, New York, Nebraska, Iowa and even Guam. A record of 4-2 is needed to make it to the playoffs.
"The two losses were very close. To Saratoga Springs, NY, 215 -185 and we lost to Elkhorn, Nebraska on the final question, finishing at 265-245," said Cairns.
Barr cited that the trip allowed him to visit some of Chicago's tourist destinations, including the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum and the site of the Chicago fire.
"This was a really great start to the summer and hopefully we can do as well next year," said Barr.
Ionia High School covered the cost of the team's entry fee into the competition, but personal expenses and lodging were left to the team. According to Barr, many people donated to help with the expenses of the trip, including high school staff and local organizations.
"I am really grateful for everyone who helped out. My great grandpa, Vern Warnes, donated money to the team and also gave me some extra spending money for the trip," said Barr.
Although the team will be losing two members, seniors Stiles and Maiville, Barr hopes that the team will be able to qualify for nationals again next year.
"It was a really great experience and I look forward to being on the team again next year," said Barr.
Location, ST | website.com


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I need a good video converter software that can convert many video formats from one ot the other. On Windows I found Format Factory to be good. I would like its equivalent or something better on Ubuntu.
closed as too broad by Braiam, Seth♦ Apr 10 '14 at 22:51
There are either too many possible answers, or good answers would be too long for this format. Please add details to narrow the answer set or to isolate an issue that can be answered in a few paragraphs.If this question can be reworded to fit the rules in the help center, please edit the question.
There are at least four video converters you can try:
Arista is a basic converter which you can add new conversion types to through there web site which will give you a new script which you can install adding the new conversion type.
Transmageddon is the development version of arista which gives you the option to choose your specific encoding preferences in the program interface.
ConvertMe! is a very user friendly new frontend for FFmpeg. It comes with widly used presets and gives you a preview of the conversation progress. ConvertMe, intergrates with your Nautilus file manager allowing you to rightclick on an any video file and convert it instantly. View screenshot
Handbrake has a limited number of output formats including mp4 and mkv but there are many more options available and a good description of what these options will do however handbrake is not in the software centre and you will need to add it by adding a PPA* which can be found at launchpad.
The ppa can be added through the software sources dialogue described here
Transmageddon supports almost any format as its input and can generate a very large host of output files. The goal of the application was to help people to create the files they need to be able to play on their mobile devices and for people not hugely experienced with multimedia to generate a multimedia file without having to resort to command line tools with ungainly syntaxes.
The currently supported codecs are:
Audio encoders:
Video encoders:
It also provide the support for the GStreamer's plugins auto-search.
WinFF is a graphical user interface for FFmpeg. It will convert almost any video file that FFmpeg will convert. WinFF does multiple files in multiple formats at one time. You can, for example, convert mpeg's, flv's, and mov's into avi's (or DVD/VCD format or MPEG or 3gp etc.) all at once.
This package provides a variety of preset conversion settings for common formats and devices. These presets are intended to hit the "sweet spot" for each individual codec. They have been written with a tip of the balance to quality.
Arista is a simple multimedia transcoder, it focuses on being easy to use by making complex task of encoding for various devices simple.
Users should pick an input and a target device, choose a file to save to and go. Features:
I suggest you to give a try to both FFmpeg and/or Mencoder.
They are very powerful in the sense that you may be able to convert any format in any other format. You can also very extensively fine tune the settings for your codec.
They seem to be mostly suited to run through command-line, but :
1) Ready-to-use scripts can easily be found on the web
2) Some GUI exists to make their use easier. (I know WINFF for FFmpeg and Handbrake, as mentionned by Allan, is also a GUI for FFmpeg)
3) You may find interesting and funny to learn their specific languages and moreover, if you encounter troubles in adjusting some settings with the more user-friendly one, they might be the one which will work for you due the huge variety of their settings.
FF Multi Converter supports the following formats:
audio/video: aac, ac3, afc, aiff, amr, asf, au, avi, dvd, flac, flv, mka, mkv, mmf, mov, mp3, mp4, mpg, ogg, ogv, psp, rm, spx, vob, wav, webm, wma, wmv;
Proabably the easiest to use is avidemux. It has an intuitive graphical interface and can do lots of simple tasks, like convert, cut scenes etc.
I found Mobile Media Converter (mmc) a truly handy tool, both on Windows as well as Ubuntu. It supports many audio/video formats and supports many mobile or hand-held devices too. You can found the required version on http://www.miksoft.net/mobileMediaConverterDown.htm Hope this answered your requirement :)
Xilisoft Video Converter
There is no such Video conversion tool for Ubuntu except some but they didn't work for your iphone, blackberry, or Android devices. so what i did i install Wine from Ubuntu software center and then i download & install Xilisoft video converter its a window program but works Great with wine in Ubuntu and its Supports all the formats of video file. so until now this is the only way to convert the video into other formats i.e., Avi, Mp4 (h.264), 3gp, and all other popular video formats are supported by Xilisoft so used it and Enjoy. Thanks.
As much as I like using mencoder and ffmpeg, I'm finding VLC to be the Swiss army knife of video conversions.
I really like Vidrop, for me it's the best video converter, fast, with a simple or advance interface depending of your requirements.
protected by Community♦ Jul 27 '13 at 3:58
Thank you for your interest in this question.
Because it has attracted low-quality or spam answers that had to be removed, posting an answer now requires 10 reputation on this site (the association bonus does not count).
Would you like to answer one of these unanswered questions instead?


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The APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition attracts more than 13,000 national and international physicians, administrators, nurses, educators, researchers, epidemiologists, and related health specialists. APHA's meeting program addresses current and emerging health science, policy, and practice issues in an effort to prevent disease and promote health. APHA has a world of public health in store for you!Register for the 141st Annual Meeting early and save. Early-bird pricing is in effect until August 22.
© 2016 National Sexual Violence Resource Center – Founded by the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape
This site is supported by Grant/ Cooperative Agreement No. 1UF2CE002359-03 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


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I have become aware of BBC's Sherlock and it is the best thing ever. Discuss.
Not like it matters with how long it will take before the next season comes out.
It is pretty damn amazing with all that Cumberbatch and Freeman. They should be in everything.
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is fucking amazing. First season was hits and misses for me but second season up to 6 now has been so good.
Not too long ago there was talk somewhere of a Dtoidesque Robot head appearing in Portlandia, it's the first sketch of the second episode of series 3 as aired recently.
It's on youtube! It's supposed to be Shufflebot from LMFAO but totally looks more like Mr Dtoid. Toneman was in it too. Weird coincidence, but fun sketch.
Some stuff in that show is eh, but every now and again they have something that makes lose my shit and in the latest episode it was the Spoilers sketch bit. Especially the ending.
I watched Bag of Bones, because I really liked the book and decided to torment myself with the inevitable shitty adaptation of a Stephen King story (bar Stand By Me and Shawshank Redemption, obviously).
It wasn't too bad, but Melissa George will always be Angel from Home & Away or the naked dead chick from Dark City for me. Oh, and Pierce Brosnan is a terrible actor. I accept that now.
I was just a few hours ago thinking about what my favorite Pierce Brosnan movie is, incidentally.
Tossing between The Matador and Ghost Writer.
He's really handsome, at least. (And, I mean, I really like both those flicks, too)
It's weird because I was watching Guy Pearce in the Jack Irish adaptations over Christmas, and I missed his turn on Neighbours, so he sort of escapes the soap curse for me.
Also, the Jack Irish serials were really good. I think someone in the Metro newspaper summed them up best, "It's like if Daniel Craig turned up to solve a case in Midsomer Murders". They were nice bits of Aussie noir, and Guy went full "A'right, mate!" with his proper accent. Good stuff.
I wish more adaptations played around with formats rather than go for a film or series with short episodes. And yeah I picked up on their playing the antagonist(s) and protagonist in the Hobbit ages ago and thought it was cool. They're cool. THEY SHOULD BE IN ALL THINGS.
There's another modern Holmes show running at the moment called Elementary which I've heard is better than Sherlock.


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A white-rumped bumblebee that has been in steep decline across its native range in the western United States and Canada appears to be making a comeback on the Colorado Front Range.
A survey of bumblebee populations carried out largely by University of Colorado Boulder undergraduates in undisturbed patches of prairieland and in mountain meadows above campus has turned up more than 20 rare western bumblebees, known scientifically as Bombus occidentalis.
This is the fourth summer of a planned five-year survey in Boulder County, led by biologists Carol Kearns and Diana Oliveras, both of whom teach in CU-Boulder's Baker Residential Academic Program. The survey team, which this summer included five undergraduates along with Oliveras and Kearns, has been hunting bumblebees at nine different locations spanning low, middle and high elevations.
Learn more about the bumblebee survey.
Learn more about the return of the western bumblebee.
© Regents of the University of Colorado
Contact Us • Privacy • Legal & Trademarks • Accessibility • Student Consumer Information


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Build Day 1: The Hackathon has begun!
- Posted: Jun 27, 2013 at 1:47PM
- 76,601 views
- 3 comments
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Right click "Save as…"
The main event has started and tons of programmers, designers, coders and developers are busy at work trying to complete their app in the allotted 72 hours. I stopped by to pull them up for air and talk about their overall experience.
Oops, something didn't work.
Don't forget about marketing I'm trying to promote my decision making app and found that it is not so easy
The Decision Making Wheel is the best way to make decisions when you don't want to, or when it is hard to choose from similar options. Check it out at http://decisionmakingwheel.com
I had tons of fun at this BUILD hackathon.
I've never participated in a hackathon before, and didn't know what to expect.
I met three developers at the start, and within two hours we started to build Keepsake - an app that enables families to capture and share text, pictures and video. In 50 hours we built a Windows Phone App and Windows Store App tied together through Azure (Blob storage, Azure SQL, Web Roles, and Mobile Services). Clint's hackathon crew was top-notch, and I learned a ton from them.
The hackaton was one of the most challenging things I've thrown myself into in long time, and it's one of the most rewarding experiences I've had. Can't wait for next year!
Comments have been closed since this content was published more than 30 days ago, but if you'd like to continue the conversation, please create a new thread in our Forums, or Contact Us and let us know.


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Building A Big Arm Wedge-500 Inch Stroker - Long Arm WedgeWritten by on June 1, 2003 Building A 500-Inch Stroker With Ray Barton Racing Engines
If you've been driving, and quite possibly racing your Mopar, you'll eventually need to refresh your motor or even replace it with a more powerful propulsion device. Most Moparites tend to run their motors on the aggressive side. This adventurous behavior will, at some point, leave your motor tired with its tongue hanging out.
The faithful 440 in our '67 R/T has seen its share of beatings since a rebuild and balance job sometime in 1986. It has accumulated over 40,000 street miles and logged somewhere on the far side of 600 quarter-mile blasts. This well-abused wedge was competing back in the '80s at the Supercar Showdown and the Muscle Car Review Nationals. From 1996 to 2001, this same motor did some bracket racing and was strip-testing performance parts. Keep in mind this motor's longevity can be attributed to frequent servicing and the fact it never exceeded 6,400 rpm. Yes, this engine still performed well, but it had excessive blow-by and oil consumption. It was time to replace the old warrior-a time bomb that could explode at any given moment.
We wanted a dependable motor with more power and decided to give Ray Barton Racing Engines in Robesonia, Pennsylvania, a call. RBRE has been building record-setting Super Stock Hemi engines for years, giving the same attention to detail on their street engines.
Our original game plan was to order a new RBRE balanced and blueprinted 440 with Edelbrock heads. RBRE's 440 and 500-inch wedge street/strip motors come complete, from intake to oil pan. Ray suggested we step up to the big arm wedge-500 cubic inches-because of the R/T's portly 4,000 pounds. RBRE normally utilizes the Mopar Performance 4.15-inch crank with its own rods but gave us the nod to try an Eagle crank along with Eagle's H-beam steel rods. RBRE fully inspects all cranks and rods for straightness, cracks, hardness, stroke, and balance. Instead of using the R/T's engine block or one of Barton's cores, we happened to have a good standard bore '70 block-a 9-8-69 casting. Before the fun began, the block was brought to RBRE, stripped bare, and cleaned and Magnafluxed to ensure it was free of cracks and damage.
In our next installment, this long-armed, E-headed, wild street wedge will see test duty on Barton's new DTS engine dyno. Following dyno testing, we'll drop it in the R/T-can't wait to feel the power!
Check out next month, when we put the Long Arm Wedge on the Dyno. We don't want to let the cat out of the bag yet, but would you believe we got over . . . ouch, OK, Randy, I'll shut up.
Edelbrock Heads Flow Chart
|Intake Flow
|Ported w/28°
Note: When box-stock, the intake flow stalled at 0.600 inch lift. Ported, the intake flow increased at 0.700 inch lift. Back-cutting the intake valve improved the low lift flow. This modification promotes better throttle response and drivability.
|Exhaust Flow
More Photos From This Article View Slideshow
The deck heights and angles were corrected for precise block geometry before lifter-bore machining. Here, the lifter bores were indexed with the block on a special jig. Each lifter bore will be centered and the angle corrected for accurate lifter geometry. After the new lifter-bore bushings were installed, they were checked and honed for size.Stroker motors need clearance notches ground into the bottom end of the cylinder bores to be certain the connecting rods have ample clearance during their travel. Pro-Gram Billet steel main caps were installed with ARP studs, and then the block was align-honed to ensure a free-spinning crankshaft. Ray recommends Pro-Gram caps for motors making over 575 hp.Before balancing begins, the crankshaft must pass a series of inspections in these areas: Magnaflux, hardness, straightness, and stroke consistency. Our six-bolt Eagle crank passed all inspections. The crank was then balanced by drilling lightening holes at strategic locations in the counterweights. Fortunately, expensive Mallory metal was not needed to balance the Eagle crank.The JE pistons and pins are weight-matched to within 1/2 gram of each other box stock. The same can be said for the Eagle H-beam rods. The .030-over JE piston, pin, and Eagle rod combination was 446 grams lighter than the stock piston, pin, and rod. The balanced and lighter reciprocating assembly was stronger, would rev-up faster, and make more power than the stock parts.Here is the boring bar with its boring plate-jig setup. This is something you don't see at most engine shops. After the deck heights were corrected, the block was set up for boring with the deck plate. This indexed and centered all the bores exactly where they should be.The boring machine's fingers aligned themselves with the deck plate so the machine could cut the cylinder straight and centered. The first 0.025-inch cut was made in steps. Cylinder bore indexing is a proven horsepower helper and a standard feature on a Barton motor.The Sunnen CK-10 is one of the best honing machines in the business. Though we went .030 over in each hole, finish honing only removed the final 0.005 inch that was not removed on the boring machine. (A) Before honing the cylinders, a torque plate was installed on the block to simulate an installed cylinder head. The main caps were also installed and torqued to specification; this simulated the stress applied when the heads and crankshaft were installed. The cylinder bores were measured many times while honing to ensure each cylinder was the same size with no taper.The piston pins were measured for a precise fit with the piston and the small end of the connecting rod. All the pins fit the pistons with a 0.0007-inch clearance. A fit too tight or too loose can cause catastrophic engine problems.
To correct the overly-tight piston-to-rod side clearance, the inside of each piston was machined 0.025 inch to provide the necessary side clearance. It's a good thing your knuckleheaded author didn't try to build this shortblock himself.We began the final engine assembly by checking the ring endgaps. The special tool in Joe's left hand sets the rings dead square in the bore. In his right hand is a feeler gauge measuring the ring endgap. We used file-fit rings that were filed until the desired gap was obtained for each ring set (top, middle, and oil) per each cylinder.After the rings were filed, their edges were deburred. A fine sanding stone was used. This was a tedious job, but it must be done. A burr on the rings' edge might cause the rings to hang up and ruin the ring land on the piston.Crankshaft endplay measured 0.006 inch. It should not exceed 0.012 inch or measure under 0.002 inch, so we were in good shape. The Pro-Gram main caps were sequentially torqued, and the crank was spin-tested to be sure it would spin freely without any tight spots.Each ring was cleaned with lacquer thinner after file-fitting and deburring. Look at the dirt accumulation on the rag from only one swipe. You don't want dirt or metal filings to scratch your freshly-honed cylinder walls. On the sidelines were the pistons awaiting their rings.The piston, rings, and rod slid down the tapered ring compressor right into the appropriate cylinder. A thin coat of oil was applied to the piston, pin, rod, rings, and cylinder bore before installation.Assembly lube was used on the rod bearings and ARP rod fasteners because dry threads on the fasteners can create inaccurate torque readings. We continued to spin-test the rotating assembly after torquing each rod to assure there was no binding.Here's our balanced and blueprinted short-block. The piston-to-deck height measured 0.020 inch. A motor with proper clearances, geometry, and balance eliminates destructive vibration while producing more power.The Edelbrock heads feature larger-than-stock 2.14/1.81 stainless steel valves. The dirty 2.08/1.74 valves came out of an old 906 head. We opted to use closed-chamber 84cc Edelbrock heads. Also available are 88cc open-chamber heads that lower the compression nearly half a point. Aluminum heads allow for a compression-ratio increase of one point over iron heads due to aluminum's heat-dissipating abilities.
The E-Brock head (left) shows off its larger 210cc intake and better flowing ports compared to the old 906 head with a 200cc intake. Stock 906 heads only flow 210 to 220 cfm at 0.500 to 0.600 inches of cam lift. Edelbrock heads typically flow about 270 at 0.500 lift and 280 at 0.600 inches of lift. The 30-year-old 906 castings would take too many hours of porting and larger valves, and they still wouldn't flow as well as Edelbrock heads. Also, aluminum heads lighten your car's nose by nearly 50 pounds, which means quicker weight transfer and launches.Mike Barton flow-tested our heads before and after he did some mild porting work. We only blended the ports where the Edelbrock CNC bowl porting and gasket matching ended. The valveguide bosses were thinned, and the ports were cleaned with 100-grit sanding rolls to remove any casting flash. Mike back-cut the intake valves 28 degrees, which increased the low lift-flow numbers significantly.The Edelbrock valvesprings are rated for up to 0.600 inches of cam lift. With the 0.638-lift solid cam that Ray chose for our combo, we had to change them. Here, Joe switched to the Comp Cams 929 double springs, leaving out the inner spring (for cam break-in). Holding the springs in place were Comp's 10-degree titanium retainers and superlocks.After the installation of the cam and pushrods, the piston-to-valve clearance was checked (.095 int. and .145 exh.) and the cam was degreed to the cam card. Initial valve lash was set at .022. After the initial cam break-in, the inner valvesprings will be installed and the lash set to specs. With proper planning, this should easily be a pump-gas (94 octane), street-driven engine.Milodon's new windage tray for stroker big-blocks was used for our buildup. We had to trim it for pickup-tube clearance. Also from Milodon were their popular 7-quart low-profile oil pan, pickup, high-volume oil pump, and oil-pump shaft.Before we did any machining to the Mopar Performance M1 intake, we wanted to see how it would line up with the new Edelbrock heads. The black circle below the carb base is where a vacuum port will be drilled and tapped for power brakes. When building a big-block stroker motor, a single-plane intake has been proven the best choice.The Mopar M1 intake is 1/4 inch higher than the Edelbrock RPM intake we used on our old 440. Here, Rob was in the middle of milling 0.200 inch off the carb base. We wanted the M1 to fit under the R/T's low hood with the Wilson 1-inch spacer. The Barton 440- or 500-inch engines-usually 446 or 493-come standard with your choice of Edelbrock's dual-plane RPM or the single-plane Victor. RBRE can hook you up with your intake of choice.


text: Hi, it's me again. I'm animorpher, just in case if you didn't know. I think squirrels, and other small mammals like rabbits, mice, hamsters, rats, ferrets, all those kinds of animals are the cutest. I hope you do too. So I'm gonna teach you how to draw a squirrel. I took a picture of this squirrel in my neighborhood I feed, aspen, so I drew her. It took a short while, so I hope you enjoy drawing aspen, the squirrel in my backyard.


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EVENTS IN SEATTLE State: Washington County: King Population (2010): 608,660 Climate: Oceanic with rainy winters that average in the mid 30s (F) and summers that average in the mid 70s (F). Time Zone: Pacific / Pacific Daylight Seattles' Top Venues: Husky Stadium, Key Arena, CenturyLink Field, Safeco Field Teams in Seattle: Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, Washington Huskies Featured Events in Seattle:
Seattle is a unique city that is known for much more than just tons of coffee shops and grunge music. Serving as a major commercial center for the Northwest and a major seaport, Seattle is the pride of Washington State. Many might be surprised to discover that the city is actually ranked as the 15th largest metropolitan area in the United States. On the other hand, Seattle is surrounded by mountain ranges and thick evergreen forests, making it an extremely versatile place for those who prefer a little change in scenery every once and a while.
Kurt Kobain wasn't the only one to contribute to Seattle's modern culture - several artists, such as Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club) and the band Death Cab For Cutie hail from the city. Legends such as Jimi Hendrix and dozens of literary talents have all contributed to the city's reputation as a haven for artists and open-minded individuals.
Although the city has its fair share of intellectual prowess, sports are also extremely prevalent. Seattle hosts more professional teams than any other in the region, such as the Seattle Mariners for the MLB, Seahawks for the NFL, Sounders for the MLS, Storm for the WNBA, and the Totems for the NPHL. The presence of college sports is also rather large in Seattle, making it an ideal place for die-hard tailgaters. The two NCAA Division I schools are the University of Washington and Seattle University.
Outdoor sports are perhaps the most popular in this region, especially since there are so many nearby natural wonders. Aside from the lush pines of Mount Olympic to the southeast, there are also dozens of nearby parks and recreational areas like Green Lake, Discovery Park, Myrtle Edwards Park and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Nature enthusiasts can satisfy their craving for action with activities like kayaking, bicycling, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, sailing and swimming. In 2005, Men's Fitness magazine dubbed Seattle as the fittest city in the United States.
Although some might be convinced that Seattle is dreary and rainy most of the time, the scenic wonders and the richness in culture surely makes up for it. This is also one of the most eco-friendly and sustainable cities in the country, according to Smarter Cities NRDC 2010. TicketCity is not affiliated with events, teams or venues associated with the city of Seattle.


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Jupiter and Venus Meeting
August 15, 2014 - Monday morning, August 18th, about 45 minutes before sunrise, we will get to see the two brightest planets come very close to each other (in our sky that is). The two planets will be less than 1/2 degree apart. Should be a nice photo opportunity if you can get up early enough for it and you have a nice unobstructed view of the Eastern horizon.
The Camelopardalids
May 23, 2014 - Meteor showers are a common thing. Every year at the same time, we see these light shows that radiate from areas of the sky that give them their names, such as the Orionids and Perseids. Tonight, there will be a surprise meteor shower, one that isn't on the annual schedule.
Comet 209P/LINEAR is flying by earth, and with it, comes this surprise meteor shower. Discovered in 2009, this comet is making its closest approach to Earth on May 29th, coming 5 million miles from us, which is really close in astronomical terms.
Though the comet is very small, its tail debris it left behind some time ago is very dense and should produce a really good show in the early morning hours of Saturday, May 24th. The shower will radiate from the northern skies near constellation Camelopardalis.
According to Sky and Telescope, there are some predictions that it may be a meteor storm, with as much as 1000 visible per hour. Possibly even fireballs. Just like any meteor shower, when the experts say it will be a good one, sometimes it becomes a bust.


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6 People Who Defied Gravity (And Then Kicked It in the Nuts)
Gravity sucks. It's always keeping us down, preventing cars from hovering and cruelly denying people the God-given right to have Inception-like fights on the ceiling of hotel hallways. And yet, despite limitations, brave people throughout history have heroically told gravity to go straight to hell. And some of them even lived through it.
#6. The 40-Minute Free Fall
We're pretty sure that Colonel William Rankin experienced something that no other member of the human species has experienced. It kind of took a unique set of circumstances to pull it off.
Rankin was flying along in his fighter jet in 1959, zipping over some storm clouds at about 50,000 feet. He suddenly noticed a grinding noise coming from his engine, and quickly realized that the instruments in his cockpit were basically blinking "You're screwed" to him in Morse code. The plane only had the one engine -- Rankin was going down. So, he bailed out ... right into those storm clouds below.
"Clouds are nature's soggy pillows. They'll break my fall."
This being summer and North Carolina, Rankin wasn't exactly dressed for a blizzard. And when he first jumped out, it was still about 70 degrees, as far as he could tell. But when he got into that cloud, the temperature dropped to almost 70 below, causing insane decompression sickness (read: he turned into a tomato balloon), bleeding out of just about every orifice on his body (including his eyes) and major frostbite. But that wasn't going to stop Rankin. He stayed conscious enough to properly deploy his parachute. And here is where we find out what happens when you open a parachute into a vicious storm of winds swirling around at food processor speeds.
First, massive updrafts kept thrusting him back up into the storm, again and again. And again. A regular skydive from 50,000 feet would only take a couple minutes when it's all said and done. But Rankin was tossed around in this cloud for 40 fucking minutes, pelted by wind and hailstones the whole time, rain spraying in his face like a fire hose (he nearly drowned from it).
We repeat: This man almost drowned ... in the sky.
Finally, after what must have seemed like a solid year of free fall, Rankin was returned to Earth, where he promptly hit a tree with his face (he was wearing a helmet, but still). Battered and broken, he made his way to a road and unsuccessfully hitchhiked for a while before a brave soul took pity on him (he looked pretty rough) and drove him to a town where he could call an ambulance.
Unfortunately, Rankin did die after the incident. Fifty years later, at the age of 88.
#5. The Midair Engine Repair
As we have pointed out before, nobody in all of history was crazier than World War I fighter pilots. The entire concept of fighter planes was brand new, safety measures were nonexistent and the rules of dogfighting were being invented on the fly by the few whose brains were malfunctioning enough to take to the skies in rickety contraptions that were just as likely to crash on their own as they were to get shot down. We're talking about guys like Ormer Locklear.
Further proof that no sane man has that mustache.
While flying a mission in a plane called a Curtiss Jenny, Locklear experienced some engine trouble. He was left with one of two options:
A) Jump out of the plane, and hope like hell that the secondhand chute worked a whole lot better than that secondhand plane did.
B) Attempt to land a broken plane.
You could logically argue for either choice, despite neither being all that survivable in 1915. So, he went with option C, which was "Climb out of the plane and fix the engine yourself in midair."
"Good thing I brought my Philli- Fuck."
So, Locklear shrugged, got out of the cockpit, scurried up the body of the plane, looked the engine over and fixed a problem with a spark plug wire. Despite the fact that he was in the air. While clinging to an aircraft flying at high velocity, pelted by freezing winds. With no one piloting the craft he was clinging to.
He completed the repairs and successfully landed. When his superiors learned what he had done, they considered court martialing him, but decided against it when they realized that it was the most awesome thing they had ever heard. Thus, a career was born:
Yes, that's really him on the wing, and no, this isn't a special effect.
Feeling like that had gone pretty well, Locklear began to take up the "get out of the cockpit" thing more regularly. At the encouragement of his superiors, who felt that such death-defying antics were "good for morale," he would leave the cockpit for such to-do list items as repairing the radiator and getting a better look at some Morse code signals he'd had difficulty seeing from the cockpit.
Later on, the phenomenon of wing-walking became a Hollywood sensation, and Locklear left the Army in 1919 to repeat this stunt in several films before the law of averages decided that enough was enough and smote him once and for all: Locklear was killed while filming a stunt for a movie.
He died as he lived -- crazier than a sack full of shaved weasels.
#4. Two Balloonists Fail Their Way into the Inner Reaches of Space
While we at Cracked have touched on the inherent awesomeness that is hot-air ballooning here, and here, and here, can we all stop for a moment to appreciate the fact that hot-air ballooning can be just absurdly dangerous? You're going every bit as high as an airplane, but doing it in a freaking wicker basket.
"In the event of an emergency landing, this entire craft may be used as a coffin."
Yet, all the way back in 1804 -- a century before the Wright brothers -- the altitude record was set by a balloon at 23,000 feet. That's almost four and a half miles straight up, in a basket.
But that record would fall in 1862, when "ballooning partners" Henry Coxwell and James Glaisher set off from the awesomely named town of Wolverhampton to do some 19th century sciencey stuff. They pretty quickly cracked the barrier at 24,000 feet, and, feeling pretty good about themselves, started to get cocky.
Problems started at 26,000 feet, when Coxwell was forced to leave the basket and climb up some ropes to untangle the balloon's valve line.
Back then, everyone was just desperate to die.
Shortly thereafter, it became fairly difficult to breathe (since they were kind of approaching outer space, in a freaking basket), and Glaisher was struck blind and paralyzed in a matter of seconds. With no control of his faculties, he lost consciousness, leaving their fate to Coxwell, who around this time was noticing that his hands were starting to not work.
Even his wicked awesome mutton chop sideburns weren't enough to protect him from hypoxia and decompression sickness.
Coxwell, no doubt muttering "Nancy-boy" under his breath, attempted to regain control of the balloon as it sailed past the 30,000-foot mark (almost six miles up) into the upper atmosphere, only to find that his hands had turned black from frostbite and were officially no longer of any use to him. A dentist by trade, he was ironically forced to use his teeth to adjust the instruments and bring the two of them back to safety.
Glaisher began to come back around as the balloon made its decent and helped Coxwell regain the use of his hands, which no doubt spared him the indignity of having dicks drawn all over his face with a 19th century quill pen. All told, they had obliterated the world record by climbing to approximately 39,000 feet, more than seven miles up. How long until somebody in an airplane broke that record? Try 68 years.


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Shop that sold gun to Newtown mother loses federal license
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives revoked the license of Riverview Gun Sales in East Windsor in December. The agency, which confirmed the revocation to reporters Thursday, didn't say why.
Authorities raided the store for undisclosed reasons shortly after the December school shootings in which Adam Lanza killed 20 first-graders and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He also shot to death his mother, Nancy, at their home. Authorities say he fired 154 shots with a Bushmaster .223-caliber rifle inside the school, then killed himself with a Glock handgun.
Nancy Lanza purchased a Bushmaster from Riverview, according to a person close to the investigation into the school shooting who spoke on condition of anonymity because the probe is continuing. It could not be confirmed whether the Bushmaster was the one used in the shooting.
Shop owner David LaGuercia said in December that Nancy Lanza bought a gun from him years ago, but he couldn't remember what kind. LaGuercia said at the time he was cooperating with law enforcement.
"There is nothing more devastating than the loss of a child," LaGuercia said in a statement in December. "We are absolutely appalled that the product that we sold several years ago would be used in this type of horrendous crime. Our hearts go out to the victims and the families."
His wife, Shelley Clemens, said Friday that she and her husband still don't know why the ATF revoked his firearms license. She said the store remains open selling ammunition and other items that aren't firearms while LaGuercia appeals the revocation.
"They just came in the store after Sandy Hook, raided the store and took away the license," she said, referring further questions to her husband. LaGuercia, of Agawam, Mass., didn't return phone messages Friday.
ATF officials said federal firearms license holders receive a copy of the violations report before a revocation is initiated and are made aware of the violations again during the hearing process. They have 60 days to appeal and in this case they chose not to do so, officials said.
The weapons used in the shooting had all apparently been purchased by Nancy Lanza, prosecutor Stephen J. Sedensky III said last week when search warrants were unsealed showing the Lanzas' home was packed with weapons and ammunition. Clemens said in December that store records show one gun was sold to Lanza.
Riverview Gun Sales is about 15 miles north of Hartford and about 65 miles northeast of Newtown. In December, its website described it as a place that sold a variety of rifles and pistols, including Bushmaster and Glock, but on Friday, the website's links to specific guns indicated they were not available.
The shop also sold high-capacity ammunition magazines like the ones authorities say were used by Adam Lanza. In a law passed this week, Connecticut banned the sale or purchase of magazines holding more than 10 rounds.
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UConn, Buffalo teams looking to generate some offense
In one respect, UConn and Buffalo are complete dichotomies. Buffalo is thinking bowl eligibility for the first time in five years despite a 1-2 record. The Huskies are simply looking for a win after getting off to their first 0-3 start since 2001.


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Alpharetta Georgia Windows and Siding
Atlanta Windows
Atlanta Windows and Siding is celebrating our 10th Anniversary in April of this year. We too have had only one important objective on our mind for the last 10 years - And that's been becoming the absolute best window and siding contractor in Greater Atlanta. And here we are - 10 Years Later - NUMBER ONE in the business.
Exactly how does a company become the NUMBER ONE window and siding company in an area as big as Atlanta, and stay there for 10 years?
We can answer your question and our question - BOTH at the same time!
Atlanta area homeowners needing replacement windows fall into one of two general categories - "OPM" or "Only Price Matters" and "EME" or "Everything Matters Equally."
"OPM" homeowners are usually looking for the lowest possible price on replacement windows because they're trying to sell their house right away and they want to make the highest amount of profit on the sale. Atlanta Windows and Siding is very popular among the OPM'ers because we offer the industry's lowest priced windows and install them at the most competitive price available.
These windows do not carry the 50 year warranty that our other windows carry, nor do they last anywhere near that long - but at our low prices - homeowners can literally afford to replace them every five years.
"EME" homeowners are patient, thorough individuals that plan to stay in their home for years to come. They are in no rush, they thoroughly research both the windows that are available and the companies that are competing for their business.
While Atlanta Windows and Siding makes many more sales to "OPM" homeowners than any other company in Atlanta and "OPM" customers make up most of our sales - "EME" homeowners are our favorite customers. They've done their homework, they know exactly what they want - and that's when we shine over our competition.
Pricing is important to "EME" homeowners - but so are many other things. Our 50 year warranty on materials AND labor is very important to these folks because they don't want to go through this process all over again in five years because the windows began fogging after three. They know our windows will last 50 years and they know why - because they did their homework AND they contracted Atlanta's most reputable home improvement company - Atlanta Windows and Siding.
Call Atlanta Windows and Siding Today! And find out exactly why we've been Greater Atlanta's favorite home improvement company for the last 10 years!
Atlanta Windows (770) 831-6795
Atlanta Windows


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Dating back to 1852, this Dublin hotel has long had a special place in the hearts of Irish people - especially the clergy and the many who regarded it as a home from home when 'up from the country' for business or shopping in Dublin - largely because of its convenience to Heuston Station.
Since the early '90s, however, it has achieved cult status through its owners - Bono and The Edge of U2 - who have completely refurbished the hotel, sparing no expense. In general they have reflected the the hotel's original arts and crafts style whenever possible, although the recently re-launched restaurant (now Cleaver East) has taken a different direction.
Accommodation currently offers a combination of contemporary comfort and period style, with all the expected amenities including mini-bar, private safe, complimentary broadband and temperature control panels.
Public areas include the clublike, oak-panelled Octagon Bar, which is a popular Temple Bar meeting place, and The Study, a quieter room with an open fire.
Parking is available in several multi-storey car parks within walking distance; valet parking is available for guests.
Conference/banqueting (60/70); video conferencing on request; Secretarial service; Laptop-sized safe in rooms. Beauty treatments, massage, Therapy @ The Clarence (also available to non-residents). Children welcome (Under 12s free in parents' room, cots available without charge, baby sitting arranged). No pets.
Rooms 49 (5 suites, incl 1 penthouse; 21 executive, 4 family rooms, 6 no smoking, 1 for disabled). Lift. 24 hr room service, turndown service. Room rate about €340; SC discretionary.
Cleaver East:
Remember the elegant, spacious Art Deco dining room in The Clarence Hotel? Well, it's gone! And in its place is an edgy, almost grungy new restaurant that aims to be the heart and soul of good food in Temple Bar.
The classic, clean-lined decor has been switched for a three-tier room with attitude. Dominated by a central bar with tower-like shelf that stretches up to an exposed beam ceiling, the dark, moody room is arresting and cool. Alongside oversized leather stools, long banquettes, mosaic floor tiles and chicken wire details there are bare-topped tables that hold little buckets of cutlery. The impressive windows are lined with angled cleavers, all suggesting a meat-dominated menu, which isn't the case at all.
The project of two leading chefs, Oliver Dunne (of Bon Appetit) and Rory Carville (ex-Locks), the cooking brings together immense talent and creativity. The menu offers tasting plates, a concept that breaks with the traditional 3-course format. Portions are smaller than usual, and dishes arrive whenever they are ready. (Savoury plates cost between €7 and €14 apiece). This style of casual dining won't suit everyone (your choice of a 'starter' may arrive after your 'main', for example, or your companions' dishes may all arrive first) but it is a fun way to share some delicious dishes.
The menu is packed with helpful allergen information although, surprisingly, there's very little provenance given.
Seafood dishes are especially well executed and show off real skill and panache, while a simple dish like carpaccio of Irish Dexter beef with rocket pesto and 36-month Reggiano Parmesan showcases superb ingredients beautifully handled. More complex dishes, perhaps a piece of barbecued rare breed pork belly with tangy purée of apple and ginger, fresh apple and a pork scratching, deliver exciting flavours and textures.
Each dish is beautifully presented, on smart tableware, although some work better than others. The dessert menu, featuring just 4 deconstructed classics, is imaginative but won't please purists. Nevertheless the buzzy atmosphere is fun, making it a great spot to sip cocktails late at night. The house special, a blend of Bacardi, elderflower, citrus honey, chilli and lemonade is a treat.
The staff are well trained in this hip new spot that feels like a slice of New York in the heart of Temple Bar. They provide first-name service that's engaging and helpful, although busy periods can be a little hectic. Unusually, tables are allocated at 1 hour 45 minute slots, so a late booking means you can linger longer.
Noteworthy is the early bird menu, which offers the same dinner menu at a reduced price.


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During the week of February 8, 2014, through February 20, 2014, Motor Unit Deputy Sheriff Adrian Rogers, conducted an operation within the neighborhoods of Okeechobee. This operation was to increase the awareness of drivers of the speed limits and traffic laws in residential neighborhoods.
The weeklong operation yielded (40) warnings and (11) citations. This will be an ongoing operation throughout Okeechobee County.
Undersheriff Noel Stephen stated of the operation, "We will continue to work on improving the safety within our residential neighborhoods for our residents. These awareness campaigns are an attempt to educate residents of the posted speed limits that are one of the biggest complaints in almost every neighborhood. Our one man traffic unit is dedicated to that endeavor and does a wonderful job but is only one man. We hope that these types of campaigns will be productive and effective."


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Five-day Weather Forecast for Louisville, KY
Four people infected with Zika in South Florida likely contracted the virus from local mosquitoes. This marks the first time the disease has been transmitted by the insects in the continental U.S.
From an epic waterslide fail to severe weather in Chicago, here's a look at this week's trending videos.
Take a look at this scary footage from 2013 in Yan'an, China, of a mudslide coming down a mountain and hitting a car passing by. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Police were called to monitor this bear, that caused no trouble, while taking a dip in a pool in Arcadia, Nevada. Police say in most cases like this, the animals move on without incident.
Salt water cowboys wait for the signal of red smoke to begin the annual pony crossing of Assateague Bay in Chincoteague, Virginia. The horses are then paraded down main street to the carnival grounds.
A fireball streaked across the night sky on the evening of July 27, sparking a flurry of reaction on social media. This video shows footage from Utah and Nevada respectively.
Lava poured into the ocean on Hawaii's Big Island on July 26, for the first time since 2013.
Tropical Storm Darby brought so much rain you can see mud from the shore of Waimea Bay river moving across the bay. Darby brought nearly a foot of rain to O'ahu on July 24.
A famous flower primed to bloom is being watched by crowds in person and via webcam. Don't lean in to take a whiff, though. The corpse flower has a special power - it attracts pollinating insects with a terrible smell!
July 29, 2016; 1:53 AM ET An inquisitive hawk stares down a TV station's weather cam in Lincoln, Nebraska, and AccuWeather decided to have a little fun with the video. Turn up the audio and see if you recognize the voice!


text: NATION Photos Ted Rall cartoons Cartoonist Ted Rall on local and state politics. This photo gallery is featured in these articles: Opinion L.A. Cracked down upon by government? There's an app for that Opinion L.A. Is water on the way to becoming 'clear gold' in California? Opinion L.A. Donald Sterling circus leaves two unanswered questions


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As someone who is always looking to find their way out of or through a situation with the use of loopholes.
English Language & Usage Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for linguists, etymologists, and serious English language enthusiasts. Join them; it only takes a minute:
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It would depend on context, but I'd use the term "rules lawyer".
Yes, the word for "one who circumvents", one who evades or outwits by cunning methods or strategies, is a "circumventor" (source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 Edition).
I'm not sure if this word is obsolete today though.
If you're looking for a noun, I'd suggest 'sophist', meaning "one skilled in elaborate and devious argumentation." It can be turned into 'sophistry' if you're looking to describe the act of looking for the loophole.
If you're looking for an adjective to describe such an individual, 'guileful' or 'calculating' do the job nicely. (Meaning "deceitfully or treacherously cunning" and "coldly scheming or conniving" respectively.)


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I came across rel=me and rel=author from joost's blog. I don't know how much value they're going to be in future for SERPS as they look more of eye candy in search than anything beneficial to surfers.
It is difficult to use rel=me and rel=author on wordpress blog. Most of the plugins are working with all the themes. I'm using thesis and genesis frameworks and plugins seems to be not working for some of the themes on these frameworks.
My Question - Is there any theme-agnostic plugin that does the job for rel=me an rel=author ?
Another question- what are the benefits are there for webmasters ?


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Councillor Paulette Hamilton
How to contact me
I hold regular Advice Bureaux for constituents within the Handsworth Wood Ward.
You can visit me at one of my Advice Bureaux or contact me using the details below.
Victoria Square
West Midlands
0121 303 1077
All about me
I have the pleasure in serving you as your local councillor for the Handsworth Wood Ward. I have been your elected representative since June 2004. I was appointed to the role of Mental Health Champion for the City Council in October 2013 and appointed to Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care in May 2015.
I am very keen to work with all the local community including our local forums and neighbourhood watch groups and other statutory agencies.
Being the local residents advocate for anti social behaviour, environmental issues, women issues and community cohesion, I have worked hard to ensure as a Councillor of the Handsworth Wood Ward your concerns are addressed.
If you would like to take any issues up with me, please get in touch!
Council Service
Elected: Handsworth Wood Ward
Joined Council: 10 June 2004
Office Expires: 2018
Political Party: Labour
Council Service: June 2004 to date
Position Held: Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care
Committee Membership 2016-2017:
The Cabinet, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care.
As well as Regulatory Committees and Overview & Scrutiny Committees, Councillors also serve on their respective Ward Committee/Forum and District Committee.
My News
My Role as Mental Health Champion for Birmingham City Council
My News from Handsworth Wood Ward
My PoliticsFawcett Society
Statutory Register of Members Interests
For further guidance please see Introduction by the City Solicitor on this issue.
Statutory Register (Size: 1.13 Mb Type: PDF )
Copyright: None
Gift Register (Size: 63.2 Kb Type: PDF )
Copyright: None


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Call Me Irresistible (Mass Market Paperbound)
Lucy Jorik's the daughter of a former U.S. President . . . Meg Koranda's the offspring of legends . . . One of them is about to marry Mr. Irresistible--Ted Beaudine--the favorite son of Wynette, Texas . . . The other is determined to save her friend from a mess of heartache.
Meg knows breaking up her best friend's wedding is the right thing to do, but no one else agrees. Faster than Lucy can say "I don't," Meg's the most hated woman in town--and stuck there with a dead car, an empty wallet, and a very angry bridegroom. Broke, stranded, without her famous parents watching her back, Meg believes she can survive by her own wits. After all, what's the worst that can happen? She'll lose her heart to Mr. Irresistible? Not likely. Not likely at all.
About the Author
Susan Elizabeth Phillips soared onto the New York Times bestseller list with Dream a Little Dream. She s the only four-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America s prestigious Favorite Book of the Year Award. A resident of the Chicago suburbs, she is also a hiker, gardener, reader, wife, and mother of two grown sons.
Praise For…
Susan Elizabeth Phillips writes absolutely splendid women's fiction. Her books are infused with wit, heart, insight and intelligence. They delight and entertain on every level. A book by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is always a sparkling tonic for the senses.
-Jayne Ann Krentz
...Susan Elizabeth Phillips at her very best. Romantic, funny, sexy, and poignant.... If you're down or busy or distracted, I have the cure: Call Me Irresistible is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. I loved this book.
-Kristin Hannah


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Archive: News / Biz / Business & Finance (1 Stories)
Why rising housing prices are a good thing
02/19/2013 11:51amAs consumers, we are taught to seek out bargains, discounts and good deals. Paying less is better, right? So why are we celebrating rising housing prices and continuing to hear it is a good time to buy?


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Tracking down hard-to-find products for hard-working folks.
Over the years, GEMPLER'S has developed a skill for selecting the right products for outdoor workers, many of which you can't find locally, and organizing them in a way that makes it easy to shop. We offer more than 40,000 different items, and if we don't have it, we can special order what you need. Browse our category index below.


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So its official, I am a bag lady for sure (and a shoe and sunglasses one, but we won't go into that today) and although the Anya Hindmarch Gracie isn't normally the kind of bag I go for, much preferring a tote which can fit everything in bar the kitchen sink, this little beauty has its uses, first as either a shoulder or across body bag when you don't want to carry something heavy, but you can take the strap off or tuck it in and use the bag as a clutch, something I am in desperate need of as I always carry something way too big when I go out for the evening, plus you don't always want a sparkly evening bag.
The Gracie first took my eye over at WIT Blog some time ago and I have been smitten ever since. It sold out online but the lovely Harrods customer service people put me through to the concession and I managed to secure a black one, I am in desperate need of black handbags for sure and was shocked that it arrived on the 28th whilst I patiently await my other parcels, which I guess are coming from the warehouse rather than instore. I wanted to blog them all together but since I hastily took these pictures on the day the bag arrived I can wait no longer!
Mini Gracie in pink from Matches was £450 now £225.


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Top Definition
Opposite to someone who has a screw loose i.e a bit dopey.
You obviously had your head screwed on while you were tackling that piece of coursework.
Simon Battによって 2005年01月13日(木)
Trending Now
Someone who is "all there" in a mental sense but not necessarily in a physical one.
Steven Hawking is totally screwed on man.
Simon Battによって 2005年01月12日(水)


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| Thinnes, Billy, Hydrocarbon Processing Staff, Houston, TX
[chemical industry]
[new products]
Chemical industry executives plan to soon use the
significant cash on their balance sheets to pursue strategic
acquisitions and new product developments to spur company
growth, according to a survey released by US advisory firm
The growth comes despite escalating input costs, stiffer
competition, and a struggling global economy, KPMG said.
In the survey of 156 senior-level chemical executives in the
US, Europe and Asia-Pacific, 72% of industry executives
indicate that their companies have significant cash on the
balance sheetup from 70% in KPMGs 2011 survey.
More than half (51%) say their companies cash
positions have improved from last year.
Despite economic headwinds, the chemicals sector has
experienced some positive momentum in the past year, said
Mike Shannon, global leader of KPMGs chemicals and
performance technologies practice. The improved cash
positions at many of these companies will allow them to be more
aggressive to drive growth and innovation, both organically and
Among executives, 63% plan to increase capital spending over
the next year, including 81% of respondents in the Asia-Pacific
region. This compares with 48% in the US and 58% in Europe.
Most of the executives polled looked to 2013 or 2014 for a
peak in chemical sales volume (Fig. 1).
However, this subject indicated a developing and sustained
trend, which was that US executives were consistently more
pessimistic across the board than their counterparts in the
rest of the world. Many of the US executives expected it to
take at least three years before their companies could return
to previous sales volumes.
Fig. 1. Projections for
greatest sales volumes;
survey responses from 2011 to 2015 and
The highest-priority investment areas are new products or
services (35%) and the acquisition of a business (33%),
according to the survey.
US executives (42% products; 45% acquisitions) indicate that
they plan to be much more aggressive investing in these
respective areas than their Asia-Pacific (26% products; 23%
acquisitions) and European (36% products; 32% acquisitions)
peers, KPMG said.
Overall, chemical executives are telling us that they
intend to put their money to work and boost investment in key
areas, Mr. Shannon said. With the struggling global
economy, organic growth is a challenge, and input prices
continue to impact production costs. All of these factors set
the stage for aggressive merger and acquisition (M&A) and
product development strategies as companies look to gain an
Ninety percent of executives indicate that their companies
are likely to be involved in a merger or an acquisition in the
next two years, which is up from 83% in KPMGs 2011
Once again, respondents in the US were most bullish on being
buyers (48%), while European respondents were the most likely
sellers (52%).
Executives also identified technology (29%) and geographic expansion (27%) as significant areas
of investment for their companies, according to the survey.
Respondents in Asia-Pacific had the highest expectations for
investment in technology (42%), and European executives (36%) plan to
increase investment in geographic expansion the most.
As for where they intend to deploy that capital over the
next two years, global chemical executives cite China, the US
and Europe as the geographic regions that will be the focus of
However, when analyzing individual regional responses, US
and European executives showed a much stronger preference for
domestic investment. China remained a favored investment
location for executives in all three regions, according to the
Despite the strong focus on growth and expansion, the macroeconomic environment is more of a worry for
executives than at this time last year, KPMG reported.
Executives in Europe and the US are more concerned
about the state of the global economy (Fig. 2)
than their counterparts in Asia, said Paul Harnick,
KPMGs global chief operating officer for the chemicals
and performance technologies practice. Balancing
potential global economic risks with the need to expand into
new products and markets to capture growth will be key to
Overall, 45% of respondents worldwide stated that the global
economy would improve moderately in 2013. Surprisingly, the
greatest optimism was in Europe, with 54% of the respondents
looking forward to a moderate improvement.
Fig. 2. Chemical company
executives were
asked, A year from now, what are
expectations for the economy? Their
from 2011 and 2012 are presented in Fig. 1.
Among executives surveyed, 68% expect revenue to increase
next yeardown from 85% in the 2011 survey. Executives in
the US were the most bullish in their revenue projections, with 73% expecting
revenue to increase next year, down slightly from 77% in
Expectations for increased revenue among the Asian-Pacific
and European executives decreased substantially in the 2012
surveyAsia-Pacific (69% vs. 96% in 2011) and Europe (60%
vs. 82% in 2011).
Ongoing business challenges, such as the prolonged
economic crisis, volatile input prices and increased pricing
pressures are dampening executives expectations,
Mr. Harnick said.
Fig. 3. Expectations for
hiring: Results of how
the executives expected companies
headcounts to change in one year.
Executives also appear less optimistic on hiring, with 65%
saying headcount will increase next year (Fig.
3), down from 73% in 2011. Asia-Pacific was most
bullish, with 77% expecting to add headcount, followed by Europe at 58% and the US at 56%. In
the US, 21% of executives actually expect to decrease headcount
in the next year, up from 14% in
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A searchable database of project activity in the global hydrocarbon processing industry
Engineers and designers are highly skilled individuals. Forcing them to enter design changes using tables, forms and spreadsheets is unproductive and uneconomical, and it increases the likelihood of human error—this is the way that most instrumentation software systems currently work. For too long, software vendors have denied engineers and designers the simple practicality of a graphical visual engineering interface with "drag and drop" capability and inbuilt intelligence, ensuring changes are automatically replicated into all the associated data and databases.
Is 2016 the peak for US gasoline demand?
Too soon to tell
July 2016


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I'm trying to bind a key (now without function) to a bash script that I have made on Ubuntu. I'm using a clevo W150HNM/Sager NP5160
I want to use button 1 or 4 for this. (see photo) I don't get any output from
getscancodes or
cat /dev/input/eventX when pressing this key.
How can I use this key to run the script?


text:
The symbols for Trading Post show a one gold symbol above the symbols for the resources. Does this indicate that playing the card gives you a gold (in addition to getting a discount from it), or is it just supposed to remind you that you now only have to pay one gold for the resources shown? We've always played that you get a gold for playing it, but the rules don't seem conclusive either way.
Sign up
- Anybody can ask a question
- Anybody can answer
- The best answers are voted up and rise to the top
No, you do not receive any coins. It is indicating a discount. You only pay {1} Coin instead of the normal {2} from the neighbor in the direction to which the arrow points. You can contrast this with the Tavern card.
7-Wonder's rule book (page 12).
No, you don't receive any money for playing Trading Post. It's just a reminder that one gold is your new cost for resources purchased from your neighbors.


text:
July 3, 2012 -- Rates of drug-resistant staph infections seem to be on the decline in the community at large as well as in hospitals and nursing homes.
A new study of more than 9 million military personnel showed that rates of both community- and hospital-acquired MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) blood infections decreased from 2005 to 2010. The proportion of community-acquired MRSA-related skin and soft tissue infections peaked in 2006 at 62%, and then declined to 52% in 2010.
Rates of another "super bug," MSSA (methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus) infections, also declined during the five-year study.
The findings appear in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"This is a very good news story," says researcher Clinton K. Murray, MD. He is an infectious disease specialist with the San Antonio Military Medical Center in Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
Researchers don't know precisely why MRSA and MSSA infections are going down. "Some may be due to infection control measures in hospitals and better use of antibiotics," he says.
But outside experts caution that these infections remain a serious threat to our health, and we can't afford to let our guard down now.
What Is MRSA?
MRSA is spread through direct contact. This includes touching an infected person or objects that have the bacteria on them. MSSA is spread in a similar fashion.
MRSA is carried by about 1.5% of the U.S. population, although they aren't infected. People at risk for MRSA infections include people who have weakened immune systems and are in hospitals, nursing homes, and other heath care centers. These infections can appear around surgical wounds or implanted devices such as feeding tubes.
MRSA can also be found in healthy people in the community. Community-acquired MRSA infection often begins as a painful pimple or boil that resembles a bug bite.
"Hospitals' and nursing homes' increased focus on infection prevention may have helped decrease the burden of these infections," says Donna Armellino, a registered nurse and the vice president of infection prevention at North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System in Great Neck, N.Y.
These measures may have spilled over into the community, she says. "There is more awareness and a greater focus on hand hygiene and infection control."


text:
The services delivery arm for NSW Health, HealthShare NSW, has selected Oracle systems to deploy a new technology platform to assist with the organization's strategic growth program. Oracle Engineered Systems, including Oracle Exadata Database Machine and Oracle Exalogic Elastic Cloud, were chosen as the hardware infrastructure due to high performance and the ability to process payroll data in around a quarter of the time presently possible with legacy hardware. The decision to deploy Oracle Engineered Systems follows HealthShare NSW's rollout of Oracle E-Business Suite, running on Oracle Fusion Middleware and Oracle Database, to support the payroll and HR requirements of NSW Health's 140,000 staff.
Oracle engineers hardware and software to work together in the cloud and in your data center. For more information about Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), visit www.oracle.com.
Marcie Bradley
Jacki DeCoster


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Kentucky State Police say a 17-year-old juvenile from Radcliff was arrested on Wednesday, April 10 in a shooting that occurred on March 29.
KSP says he is charged with Assault 1st Degree and Wanton Endangerment 1st Degree.
He was taken to the Lincoln Village Juvenile Detention Center.
KSP says that due to his age, additional details cannot be released at this time.
On Friday, March 29 at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET, KSP says the Radcliff Police Department received a call of a shooting near the 1300 block of Blackjack Road in Hardin County.
KSP says a preliminary investigation revealed that someone fired several gunshots into a Ford passenger car in which five males were traveling.
KSP says a 19-year-old Radcliff man sitting in the front was struck in the face with one of the rounds.
No one else in the vehicle was injured.
The Radcliff teenager was flown to the University of Louisville Hospital.


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Barbarian Prince is a brutal paragraph based game. Your character must collect 500 gold and return to his homeland to win the game. Unfortunately, there are unfriendly guards, wolves, mobs of peasants, deadly ruins, and worse trying to end your life.
- What is the best strategy to use when attempting to survive?
- What are your approximate chances of staying alive for 70 days?


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I usually get random cookie and cake recipes from the internet and try them. They are good but all of them have floury taste to me. Possible culprits are the flour I use and how I mix and bake dough. I use Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour and my hands to mix ingredients, having no mixer. What can I get wrong? Is there an easy fix?
Assuming you aren't very unlucky and happen to download a series of bad recipes I think it's one of a few things.
It's possible you could be undercooking your goods. Fully cooked baked goods should not taste like flour.
It's also possible that you could be mixing insufficiently. If this were the case though you'd likely have some cookies that weren't floury.
The most likely culprit though is packed flour. If you are using volume measurements (most likely given the source) for flour, it's quite possible to use nearly twice as much flour as the recipe intends simply because your flour is packed down more than the author's was.
I recommend using either a food processor or a sifter to sift your flour adequately before measuring. Don't undo your sifting by rapping your measuring cup on the counter either! Simply scoop, scrape to level and dump it in the mixing bowl.
See Also:
I've only ever had this issue if I under cook the baked item. You get the same issue if you don't cook your roux long enough.


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WHEELING - North Dakota leaders told a West Virginia delegation Thursday that the Mountain State should establish a future fund from its oil and natural gas severance collections, even though they might be tempted to spend the extra dollars on today's needs.
West Virginia Senate President Jeff Kessler, D-Glen Dale, led the group of 18 state lawmakers to Bismarck, N.D., to discuss the success of the North Dakota Legacy Fund - an account filled with oil and natural gas severance taxes. Labor and business leaders also joined on the trip.
"They told us the demands on saving money are always a strain," Kessler said of the North Dakota leaders. "They said people are always going to ask you why you should put this money in a savings account when they want you to spend it now. But that doesn't get you ahead in long run.
"The message from them ... was to save money, and put it in the bank. We were able to see what they do, and that they have been successful doing it."
The North Dakota Legacy Fund was created in 2011 and already has generated $1.3 billion for that state's future.
North Dakoka voters in 2010 approved a constitutional amendment that established the Legacy Fund. A similar proposal was defeated by voters in 2008, and Kessler noted legislation creating the Legacy Fund idea also was rejected multiple times by the North Dakota Legislature before it ultimately was put on the ballot as a constitutional amendment.
Kessler's idea for the West Virginia Future Fund also has been rejected during recent legislative sessions. His proposal would set a threshold for severance tax collections, and once that threshold is reached, hold back 25 percent of the resulting funds. It would place the money in an interest-bearing, special revenue account. The principal and interest of the Future Fund then would be encumbered for 20 years to ensure its growth.
The North Dakota Legacy Fund receives 30 percent of that state's revenue resulting from oil and gas production.
Kessler said he asked the North Dakota officials to show by raising their hands how many of them were Democrats, and how many were Republicans.
There were an equal number in the room, he noted.
He asked them to raise their hands if they thought the Legacy Fund was a good idea, and all raised their hands, according to Kessler.
"They told us that to get our Future Fund approved, it will take bi-partisan support from the legislature, as well as a willingness from them to get buy-in from constituency groups," he commented.
Among the group were 14 Democratic and four Republican state lawmakers, including Sen. Robert "Rocky" Fitzsimmons, D-Wheeling, and Delegate Phil Diserio, D-Brooke.
The North Dakota officials told the West Virginians there will be people who will object to West Virginia's saving for the future because "people want to spend it now," Kessler said.
"They want pay raises this year, and they say, 'Fix my roads,'" he continued. "All that stuff is fine. But if you don't build a nest egg, you don't have the financial ability to get it done and get it done right."
Members of the West Virginia delegation arrived in Bismarck on three separate flights on Wednesday, and discussions with the North Dakota leaders went throughout the day Thursday, according to Kessler.
The Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce sponsored a dinner for the group Thursday evening. The delegation was expected to begin their flights back home late Thursday and early today.
Kessler estimated the trip cost the state $18,000 to $20,000 - or about $1,000 per legislator.


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Track Deaths Rare
It happens more than you might think: Once every three days, someone is struck by a subway train. But in a system as vast as New York City's, the chances of it happening still remain lower than the more improbable events of the imagination, even being hit by lightning.
One person was struck by a train for every 11.8 million riders who passed through turnstiles and into the subway system last year, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of records from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and state regulators. The chances of being hit by lightning? About 1 in 775,000.
The rate has remained relatively stable over the last decade, even as daily ridership has grown by 680,000—to 1.6 billion rides a year, the Journal analysis showed.
More From Metropolis
Even so, a recent pair of high-profile subway deaths have made commuters wary. The MTA said Monday it planned new safety measures after two men were apparently pushed to their deaths in separate incidents in December. Criminal cases are pending in both.
The agency already has enhanced station announcements to warn riders to stand away from the edge of the platform. New fliers—in English, Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Russian—will be rolled out across the city, as will an unusual paid-advertising campaign in local newspapers, MTA officials said.
The agency also is committing to investigate—though with no pledge to ultimately install—high-tech solutions to prevent people from falling or being pushed into the path of a train. Those include a pilot program to test the use of platform barrier doors on the L subway line, and a vow to explore the installation of an automated warning system that would alert train controllers when a person is on the tracks.
In the short term, the agency plans to try to convince customers to use caution on platforms, rather than speed the installation of platform barriers, said Thomas Prendergast, president of the MTA's transit division. Those barriers are expected to cost millions of dollars apiece, and they might not be easily adapted to use in the aging New York subway system.
"If you look at it in terms of order-of-magnitude costs and what it would compete against in terms of other safety improvements, it's a difficult argument," Mr. Prendergast said. "What we know we can do is we can focus efforts right now on trying to change customer behavior, and that's what we've been doing."
Last year, 141 people were hit by subway trains, 55 of them fatally. Of the total, 33 were believed to be suicides or attempted suicides, and another 54 were people struck on the tracks after being there for a variety of reasons, such as a deliberate leap off the platform to retrieve property or cross to the other side, or an accidental tumble in front of a train.
The fatal pushings prompted Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, City Councilmember James Vacca and some safety advocates to call on the MTA to do more on the issue.
Mr. Stringer, who is a candidate for city comptroller, issued an unusual news release about a failed suicide attempt after an individual leapt in front of an R train last weekend. He predicted that 100 people could die by being struck by subway trains in 2013 if the incidents continued to occur with January's frequency.
Still, the rate at which riders are hit by trains is only slightly above what it was in 2001, and well below its high from 2003, when 188 people were struck, 37 fatally. Last year, 85 people were struck by trains for every one billion passenger trips on the subway, slightly down from the previous year.
"Especially as ridership increases, we owe it to straphangers to ensure that the MTA is doing all that it can to responsibly maintain safety and reliability underground.""Six deaths and three serious injuries in any three-week period is cause for alarm," Mr. Stringer said.
—Tom McGinty contributed to this article.
Write to Ted Mann at email@example.com
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I always feel that I should buy a Canon lens for my Canon camera, and Sigma would just be a cheap knock-off. Is that the case?
My wife and I own three Sigma lenses: the "bigma" (50-500mm), my 17-70mm f/2.8-4, and her 30mm f/1.4 prime. We absolutely love them, for their respective strengths:
And, quite frankly, it's tough to touch Sigma on price. As with all things, they have their good lenses and their bad lenses (just like Canon); be sure to check sites like photozone.de for quality tests before plunking down your money.
Sigma makes some great lenses, and Sigma makes some lenses that are of pretty poor quality. Canon is the same way... it's hard to make a brand-wide generalization.
A much better option is to do research based on specific lenses. I've found the lens reviews at FredMiranda.com to be pretty helpful.
I've had a lot of Sigma lenses in recent years and all have been pretty damn good.
I'm sure none of sigma zooms match up to the 2.8 "pro" Nikon lenses, but then most are 1/3rd the size, weight and price, which is a Good Thing in my book.
Sigma lenses can offer excellent value, but it does depend which model you go for. I have a Canon 5D Mark II, which has a full-frame sensor, and I use two Sigma lenses with it: A 50mm EX-DG Macro and a 105mm EX-DG Macro; both of these produce excellent, sharp pictures. The only downside to these lenses is lack of USM focusing, but this isn't an issue in most cases, especially when doing macro work as I'd focus manually anyway.
Their 100-300mm f/4 is another lens I used which was also very good, though not quite so cheap.
On the other side, the 20-40mm zoom I bought from them was a dud, and didn't last long before being replaced with a Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L II. Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination.
Conclusion: it appears to be hit and miss with Sigma lenses; there are some great ones, and also some that don't deserve a second look. Check fredmiranda.com for comprehensive reviews by users.
One thing that is great with Sigma lenses is their after market service. You can get a free check up of your lens every year, as long as you keep the black card that was in the original package.
My experience is that some of the primes are on a par with their Canon equivalents - the 24mm f/1.8 and the 180mm macro are really good. The AF is always much slower. I find the colour cast different to the Canon L lenses - which are consistent with each other in my experience - but haven't found this to be a problem.
Sigma seems to be fairly competitive on both price and quality. My experience: I have the 10-20mm, for my Nikon D50, and it is just a great lens. I have had no issues with it.
I have a Sigma EX 30mm f/1.4 and it's fine - does what it should, no significant complaints.
I also have a Sigma 70-300mm Macro and it's slow, noisy, and not great quality. It was cheap, and better than not having a tele zoom, but I've been meaning to replace it for a while now.
I have the Sigma 180mm macro (sorry, I can't find it on the US site) and the Sigma 120-400mm OS telephoto. I am very happy with these lenses and they were much cheaper than the brand lenses for my Nikon D50 and D60. A friend uses the Sigma 18-200mm on this D40 and I can't tell the difference from it and my Nikon 18-200mm (and I love this lens.)
I purchased a Sigma lens for my Canon EOS 7D and I can honestly say it was extremely poor quality. I used it three times in less than a month only for the focus ring to break on it and spew parts onto the floor. So less than a month old I sent it back to Sigma under warranty only for them to tell me I broke it and I would have to pay £75 to repair it. I told them to stick it and put the poor quality lens into the bin. I have thirteen Canon made lenses and not one of them has broke on me, my oldest lens is six years old now. So, from my experience you buy Sigma you get cheap and nasty quality with a useless warranty. My recommendation is always by your camera manufacturers lenses only. Be warned, spend a bit more and get quality, don't cut corners as it will cost you in the long run.


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Every parent can use a break once in a while. Whether you need to run a few errands, want to take in the latest movie, or go out for the evening with your partner or friend, a babysitter can help. How do you find the person you are seeking?
Leaving your children in someone else's care requires careful consideration. Whether you choose to contact a student from the NYU Babysitting Registry or someone who was referred to you by a friend or coworker, it is important that you speak with and meet with each individual before deciding to hire them. A sample list of questions (PDF) is provided to help you find out more about your potential babysitter.
One way to make sure you hire the right person is to check each candidate's references. Speaking to former parents and employers will give you information about the candidate's experience and how he or she will fit in with your family. A sample Reference Check (PDF) is provided for your use.
An effective way to feel more secure about your choice in babysitter is to invite them to your home and observe how they interact with your children. The age(s) of your child(ren) will determine how best to do this.
Early in your relationship with the babysitter it is also a good idea to spend a minimum of 15 minutes together before you leave for your event. This will provide the time necessary to review your expectations for the day or evening. It will also help develop an open channel of communication between you and the babysitter and to help your children feel safe. As you and your children become more familiar with the babysitter you can reduce the time spent before your departure.
Once you've selected a babysitter for your family, the next step is to ensure that s/he has everything necessary to care for your children. In addition to information about your child's likes (and dislikes) and permitted activities, make sure the babysitter has basic health and safety information including emergency contact numbers and medical insurance information.
Babysitters.com offers a thoughtful list of what a babysitter needs to know. You can use this as a model to develop your own list or use our ready-to use Babysitter Information Sheet (PDF).
Please note, as of April 30th, 2014, the NYU Babysitting Registry was integrated into the NYU CareerNet system.
By integrating the Registry into NYU CareerNet, the process for both students seeking opportunities and families in need of child care services was more efficiently streamlined.
Please note the following:
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the Wasserman Center for Career Development at 212-998-4730 or at: email@example.com.
Post your babysitting position with the Wasserman Center for Career Development. Use the step-by-step instructions (PDF) or contact the Wasserman Center for assistance.
Explore the community options included in the Backup Care section
Consider joining one of the established coops in the area:


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20 Celeb Moms Reveal: The #1 Lesson I Want to Teach My KidsBabble
Kelly Ripa 1 of 20Treat your loved each day with respect and love, because you never know when you're going to see them again.
Read Full Kelly Ripa Interview »
Alex McCord, Real Housewives of New York 2 of 20Trust yourself. If you're not learning, you're not growing.
Read Full Alex McCord Interview »
Denise Richards 3 of 20A lesson that my mom taught me: You're stronger than you think.
Read full Denise Richards Interview »
Jacqueline Laurita, Real Housewives of New Jersey 4 of 20Never say anything behind somebody's back that you wouldn't or haven't already said to their face. If you're not prepared to own it, don't say it.
Read full Jacqueline Laurita Interview »
Jennie Garth 5 of 20Don't sweat the small stuff. None of it really matters.
Read full Jennie Garth interview »
Jennifer Weiner 6 of 20I'd teach them the lesson my mother gave me: that it's all material. There's very little in life, however tragic it seems at the time, that isn't going to be funny at some point. Above all, I'd want
them to be kind.
Read full Jennifer Weiner interview »
Jodi Picoult 7 of 20Tolerance.
Read full Jodi Picoult interview »
Kathy Ireland 8 of 20Treat others as you would have them treat you.
Read full Kathy Ireland interview »
Kerri Walsh 9 of 20Always give 100% to anything you commit yourself to. Dream big, stay close to your family, work hard for what you want, keep God present, don't be afraid to fail, be good to your mother!
Read full Kerri Walsh interview »
Kristi Yamaguchi 10 of 20It's such a fast world we live in now, and so much is expected of kids, and they expect so much that it's like, "You know, slow down. Listen to how you treat people and how they treat you."
Read full Kristi Yamaguchi interview »
Kristin Armstrong 11 of 20That God loves you and he'll never leave you.
Read full Kristin Armstrong interview »
LuAnn de Lesseps, Real Housewives of New York 12 of 20Respect other people, especially adults.
Read full LuAnn de Lesseps interview »
Melissa Rivers 13 of 20Never have a sense of entitlement.
Read full Melissa Rivers interview »
Monet Mazur 14 of 20Always be kind to other people.
Read full Monet Mazur interview »
Nicole Sullivan 15 of 20Not to leave your life or your happiness in other people's hands. It's up to you to make every day fun, good, and productive.
Read full Nicole Sullivan interview »
Taraji P. Henson 16 of 20Trust your own voice. When I leave him and can't always be with him to say, "Do this, do that," I hope he can hear my voice and God's voice. There are times when you don't listen to those voices, and then you find yourself in a world of trouble. But if you start training yourself to listen and obey that voice, you'll find yourself [avoiding] dumb choices.
Read full Taraji P. Henson interview »
Teresa Giudice, Real Housewives of New Jersey 17 of 20Morals. That's the number one thing. Respect yourself. Hopefully they'll grow up just like me. I don't have skeletons in my closet, thank you very much.
Read full Teresa Guidice interview »
Teri Hatcher 18 of 20Life's short. Don't waste time on things that are trivial. Get off your cell phone, travel, laugh.
Read full Teri Hatcher interview »
Trista Sutter 19 of 20The golden lesson — treat others as you'd like to be treated.
Read full Trista Sutter interview »
Candace Cameron Bure 20 of 20I would hope that they would put others' needs before their own. That's the heart of what I teach my children, because we're given — especially in the country we live in — so much. What I'm trying to teach my children is that it's so much more fulfilling to put others' needs before our own. The feeling of helping is so much more rewarding.
Read full Candace Cameron Bure interview »
Article Posted 6 years Ago