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It may be a tough economy, but dads won't be suffering in the gift department come Sunday.
Father's Day will bring dad lots of clothing, barbecue grills or tickets to the ballpark -- at least that's what consumers told the folks at the National Retail Foundation during their annual Father's Day Consumer Intentions and Actions Survey.
Spending is certainly expected to be slightly down compared to last year, say NRF president and CEO Tracy Mullin.
"Retailers will offer specials on new grill sets, sporting and gardening equipment and even electronics as this holiday rolls around," Mullin said.
And that's exactly where local retailers appear to have focused their energy when it comes to gift ideas for dad.
Casual clothing, small electronics and cooking accessories are grouped together and featured on displays that greet consumers when they enter the doors of large department stores.
The goal is to offer quick solutions and one-stop shopping options, said Danny Rejino, store manager at Dillard's in Bel Air Mall.
At quick look in the store found folks gathering around a large display offering not only a bevy of grilling accessories for dad, but a mannequin dressed in stylish clothing options for him to wear to the barbecue. Popular cookbooks and outdoor gadgets complete the kiosk.
"Our grilling accessories have done great this year. We have to restock this display daily," Rejino said.
Rejino says pre-wrapped fragrance baskets and small electronics like iPod docks and skincare gadgets are also selling well.
From discount retailers like Wal-Mart and Target, to larger department stores like Belk and Stein Mart, smaller electronics are featured with clothing options for dad this year.
The NRF says discount stores and department stores will be going head-to-head this Father's Day as approximately the same percentage of Americans (33.9) plan on shopping at both price points.
While clothing is always at the top of the Father's Day gift list, the focus is not so much on the necktie as it is on casual sportswear.
Golf shirts and shorts top the must-have list this year. Retailers across the city are featuring fabulous sells on summer wardrobe options, too. And that's just fine with Joe Little of Saraland, who says he loves getting clothing for Father's Day.
"I have no problem getting clothes as gifts," Little said, as he browsed through the latest collection of Polo shirts at Dillard's.
"I love these. The more I get, the better."
It is specials like these Polo shirts by Ralph Lauren that are a big hit with shoppers this year, Rejino said. "These shirts are regularly priced at $75, but they're reduced to $49.99 for Father's Day. They've been selling extremely well."
While the NRF's survey says consumers will spend about 1.3 billion dollars on clothing, socks and ties for dad this year, gift cards, electronics, dinner and sporting events still ranked high among gift givers. And thanks to the economy, most folks say they are going to have to focus on dad only, leaving just well wishes for other male family members.
Just remember, whether the gift is big or small, the gesture will still show dad he's the greatest.
(Write to Debra Braggs about your fashion dilemmas at Press-Register, P.O. Box 2488, Mobile, AL 36652-2488 or e-mail her at firstname.lastname@example.com)


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With the launch of our latest style lookbook, Equestrian Love we featured a ton of great homespun inspiration for your perfect rustic wedding. And, nothing says charming or country better than pie! Keep your own rustic wedding in theme by giving guests a wedding favor they'll love (and devour!) by making miniature pies. Heck, we even have an adorable Miniature Pie Packaging Kit that will give you everything you need to package your pastries so they're pretty as a picture! You just need to whip up a few batches of mini pies and today we are showing you how – our designer Tara has even included her secret recipes for you to print!
Tag Archives: Outdoor
Heather + Devin: Promises in Paradise
Paradise is the only way to describe this lush outdoor Florida wedding. It takes advantage of all the stunning details that nature has provided for them to create a beautiful example of a relaxed summer wedding.
The yellow and green accents blend beautifully with their surroundings, meshing perfectly with their chosen venue.
Black and White and Cowboy Boots
The story here is a classic one, city girl, country boy and inevitable true love. This wedding really shows off their two backgrounds while maintaining elegance and beauty.
The unifying theme of this wedding is the use of the couple's monogram. It is a great example of how one personalization can pull the whole thing together to create a look that is distinctly their own.

subset: commoncrawl


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By Liz Dudley/Staff Writer
Diane Mordecai's got a good eye. Whether decorating or selling a piece of furniture, making a product or pitching a concept, she embraces what she's doing.
This time, her eye's on a pillow. As pillows go, it's a blink of a thing. It's an eye pillow and Mordecai built a business with it, pillow by pillow.
Measuring about eight and a half by four and a half inches, an eye pillow covers the eyes and molds to their contours to relieve tension headaches, ease eye strain and aid sleep and relaxation. Heated in the microwave, they provide soothing warmth. Chilled in the freezer, they can be used as a cold pack.
Mordecai began her Lavender House Eye Pillow business in Loysville. She lives in Mechanicsburg now, closer to her day job as a saleswoman and interior decorator at Value City, but she spends many of her off hours in Perry County. It's here that she got the support she needed to grow her business.
Mary Sherman, owner of Hearts Design at Needful Things, does the embroidery on the custom orders. Mordecai said Sherman is an artist. "Mary has that special touch that helps set my eye pillows apart from the competition," she said. "Clients from across the nation, including Puerto Rico, rave about her work."
Cathy Queitzsch at Smile Spinners, a fabric/sewing shop in Marysville, taught Mordecai to sew. "The compliments I get repeatedly on the workmanship of the Lavender House eye pillows I attribute to learning from a true expert," she said. Both businesses carry the product.
The idea grew from a need. Five years ago Mordecai bought an eye pillow for a friend who complained of eye strain and headaches. When she wanted one for herself, she couldn't find one. "It felt as though I bought him the last one on the planet," she said. "He suggested starting my own eye pillow company."
But she wanted to do it right — produce a product with class and utility. "I wanted to create an eye pillow that was not just functional but alluringly fragrant, luxurious to the touch and beautiful and fitting for any decor."
So she did her homework, researched options and tried them out on her friends and family. "The response was amazing," she said.
Lavender House has created custom eye pillows for Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Spa, Vincent Longo Cosmetics, More Magazine and the Renaissance Hotel. Their uses are limited only by your creativity.
The interior designer in her loves the fabric patterns and colors. She suggests that they make nice air fresheners and welcome additions to any decor. The scents range from lavender, of course, rose and cucumber to chocolate and more.
Mordecai also markets the product on the Web site www.eyepillows.com.


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Latest News
April 14th, 2015
CCTS is pleased to announce that Galaxy Broadband, which provides service under the brand name Skydata, is now participating service provider. Skydata customers who have not been able to resolve a dispute directly with their service provider can now escalate unresolved complaints to CCTS for resolution.
CCTS welcomes Galaxy Broadband!
Key Resources
Participating Providers
To view the complete list of our participating telecommunications service providers (TSPs), please click below. You can choose to visit the websites of our participating TSPs, or you may select one from the list to make a complaint about a particular provider.
Contact Us
To make a complaint, use our Online Complaint Form!
It's fast, easy and helps to ensure that we have all of the information we need to help you resolve your complaint.
You can also contact us to discuss your complaint or to ask us a question. Our offices are open from Monday to Friday, 9-8pm Eastern Time.
Email: email@example.com
Fax: 1-877-782-2924
P.O. Box 56067 - Minto Place RO
Ottawa, ON


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If you're looking for somewhere truly unique to spend your special day, look no further.
Located in the heart of the beautiful Torbay area of South Devon, Paignton Zoo will provide the perfect venue for your wedding, civil partnership ceremony or reception.
Set in 80 acres of stunning botanical gardens, with thousands of animals, this is the perfect venue for an unforgettable day.
With a variety of rooms and areas, we can cater for parties small and large, creating the perfect occasion just for you.
Flexible rooms for your ceremony and reception
The Island Restaurant is perfect venue for receptions, with the ability to cater for larger numbers and offering stunning views of our Gibbon Island, you and your guests will remember this distinctive location forever.
Our Whitley Room, adjoining the restaurant, is an ideal venue for wedding breakfasts or smaller receptions and you can even make use of our outdoor terrace to appreciate the natural beauty of the lakeside area.
If you're passionate about animals and want a really special day for an exclusive group, you could get married at our Tiger or Lion Viewing areas.
Please contact the Functions Manager on 01803 697520 or email us for more information about available rooms.
Experienced event team
Our dedicated Functions Manager will take all of the stress out of planning your day, helping you to organise everything you need from start to finish.
Whether you want a cold buffet or sit down meal, our talented team of chefs will create a delicious menu, typically using fresh, locally sourced produce. As a dedicated environmental park, we endeavour to use palm oil free foods and fair-trade products where possible.
Unique setting
We can offer something really special for your big day. For an extra charge, your guests can enjoy a walk and talk with one of our keepers, hire out the Jungle Express train or watch our fascinating bird show (seasonal).
Plenty of parking
We have extensive on-site parking, easy access for coaches and good availability of public transport. Directions and further transport details can be found on our how to find us page.
A day to remember
We understand that this is your special day, and you can rest assured that with our dedicated Functions Team and attention to detail, coupled with one of the most unusual locations in Torbay, a wedding or civil partnership ceremony at Paignton Zoo is guaranteed to be a success.
For more details and to make a booking, please telephone the Functions Manager on 01803 697520 or email us.
If you'd like to stay informed of new products, events and special offers then please join our mailing lists.


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The final episode of the show House, MD airs on FOX tonite. I wrote the following op-ed piece for USA Today; it'll appear there tomorrow morning and is reproduced here with permission. Dr. Gregory House hung up his stethoscope and cane for the last time last night and shuffled off into eternal life in the […]
Archive | May, 2012
Gregory House, MD, RIP
by Bob Wachter on May 21, 2012 in Diagnosis/Clinical Reasoning, Hospitalists/Hospital Medicine, Media/Press Coverage, Medical Ethics, Patient Safety/Medical Errors, Uncategorized
Read full story • Comments { 17 } 2,620 views
Bedside Ultrasound for Hospitalists: Our Time Has Come
by Bob Wachter on May 16, 2012 in Diagnosis/Clinical Reasoning, Health Policy, Hospital Care, Hospitalists/Hospital Medicine
In 1949, the English-born physician John Wild, working at the University of Minnesota, discovered that he could determine the thickness of bowels injured in the war by bouncing sound waves though the abdominal wall. Over the next 30 years, medical ultrasound technology improved markedly, ultimately leading to the many uses we're all familiar with. Once […]
Read full story • Comments { 5 } 4,484 views
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- My Op-Ed in Today's New York Times… and My New Book March 23, 2015
- My Interview With Capt. Sully Sullenberger: On Aviation, Medicine, and Technology February 23, 2015
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Northwest NEWS
ay 7, 2001
Reject Prop I ‹ the money will be needed
Recently four signs about 2x3 ft. were set up in the Carnation-Duvall area. The signs said, "Got truth? Reject Proposition #1 - www.riverviewschools.org." Everyone in this area is aware of the mega push by bond supporters ranging from hundreds of staked signs to billboard-size displays to entire play field mock-ups, not to mention flier upon flier upon flier.
So, when in less than 12 hours the four "Got truth?" signs had been pulled from the ground and stolen, I had to wonder why. What on those signs was so scary, so threatening, that someone felt such an urgency to see them removed?
I logged onto www.riverviewschools.org., and now I know what they were so afraid of - the truth. Take, for example, all those fliers. All totaled their figures are off by over $126,000. Several of the proponents' fact sheets refer to the roof repair figures as $810,000 minus $550,000 and equaling $310,000. That one figure is off by $50,000. And there are lots more.
I urge community members to read the fliers and do the math or log on to the Web site. See for yourself.We are a financially-strapped district with a weak tax base that has struggled to balance its past three budgets. The uncertainty surrounding I-728 and I-732 has left our district, along with others, trying to craft next year's budget without knowing exactly what the effects of either initiative will be.
It would be ludicrous for this small district to strap itself into a 20-year tax commitment on a bond that even its supporters can't get the right figures for.Reject Proposition I. We are going to need the money.
Karen Hill, Carnation


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The president's plan for reforming the nation's complex immigration system includes a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Read a full story in today's New York Times.
Obama hopes to propose a legislation by fall after hosting a series of discussions with lawmakers from both parties and a range of immigration groups, according to news reports.
President George Bush tried to push the initiative in 2007, but it failed primarily because opponents viewed it as granting amnesty to illegal immigrants.
In the absence of federal legislation, some states adopted 206 laws related to immigration.
Some of the laws designed to curb illegal immigration include restricting access of illegal immigrants to driver's licenses and public benefits and cracking down on human smuggling. Some states are helping immigrants with programs to help them learn English. Read an analysis on this issue in the New York Times.
While the economy and health care remain high the domestic agenda, we can't ignore immigration.
When most people think about immigration, they think border control. Yes, we should control the borders, but we have 12 million people in this country that we need to do something about.
There are also tens of thousands of people who have overstayed their visas or have some sort of temporary immigration status such as people from El Salvador, Liberia, Burundi Honduras, Nicaragua, Somalia and Sudan. Read my blog item on the issue of Liberians. The United States grants Temporary Protective Status to because of war and natural disaster in their homeland.
Some people have family members who have filed for green cards for them, but they have to wait for eight years or more before a decision is made.
So many immigrants work hard, pay taxes and are contributing to American society. They have children who were born in this country. What are they supposed to do? Return to countries where they haven't lived for more than 20 years and start over? What will happen to their American-born children?
Some analysts say taking on immigration in the president's first year could weigh down his domestic agenda. But immigration is a domestic problem.
Obama addressed immigration last month when he met with some Hispanic leaders and addressed a town hall meeting in California.
The president acknowledged that immigration is a thorny issue, but he recognizes that immigrants have put down roots here and are contributing members of American society.
The humanitarian thing to do, the president said, is to find a mechanism for granting them legal status.
The path the legal status would require them to learn English, pay a significant fine and "go back in line'' of those applying for legal entry, he said.
"If they stay in the shadows,'' he said, some employers will exploit them, hurting wages and work conditions for all Americans.
What do you think? Share your thoughts here or email me.


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Event Details
- Title
- Young Women Moving Beyond Trauma
- Description
- This group is for girls ages 13-19 who have experienced sexual assault. You will learn about common reactions to trauma while practicing skills for coping with upsetting thoughts and feelings. These skills have been shown to reduce symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, nightmares, psychological distress, and high levels of tension.
- Time
- Date
- Monday, November 25th 2013
- Category
- General
- Venue
- The Laurel Center
- Is this a free event?
- Yes
- Is this event family friendly?
- No
- Contact Information
Name: Connie Parmar
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 540-667-6466
- Website
- http://www.thelaurelcenter.org


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Family Activities
Every age and stage of a child's growth has its own innate urge for discovery. If you have children of any age, our books will serve as guides in providing creative outlets for their growing curiosity about the world, so that you can confidently lead them through outdoor adventures, experiments with language and art, the joy of handmade crafts, and so much more.
The Want Monsters
And How They Stopped Ruling My WorldRead More
Hardcover$16.95+ Add to Bag
A Family Guide to Making Soil from ScrapsWhat happens to the food we don't eat—all those discarded apple cores and rejected Brussels sprouts? Did you know that there are as many living organisms in a teaspoon of soil as there are people in the whole world? And that wriggly worms are our cool, earthy friends? In Compost, Ben Raskin shares his expert knowledge, answering these questions and many more, through a whole heap of engaging activities… Read More
Hardcover$16.95+ Add to Bag
Buddhist Animal Wisdom StoriesAround the beginning of the common era, Indian Buddhists began to collect fables, or jataka tales, illuminating various human virtues and foibles—from kindness, cooperation, loyalty and self-discipline on the one hand to greed, pride, foolishness, and treachery on the other. Instead of populating these stories with people, they cast the animals of their immediate environment in the leading roles—which may have given the tales a universal appeal that helped them… Read More
Hardcover$19.95+ Add to Bag


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Selections from the Agni Yoga Series
Presented before the Agni Yoga Society, December 5, 2006
Prayer on the way to the Sacred and Hallowed Dwelling: O Lord of my spirit, forsake not the pilgrim! The Guru hastens not to shelter me from the storm that threatens. The pain will pierce the depths of my heart. And the veil of the whirlwind will hide the light of Thy Face. Yet with Thee I fear not my ignorance. The phantoms reveal not their faces. Lead me upon the path, O Thou Blessed One. Touch my eyes that I may see Thy Gates!
The Call,
A pure prayer ever ascends.
The Call,
Pure music helps the transmission of the current. We pray by sounds and by symbols of Beauty.
The Call,
It is difficult to pray when the mind is filled with worldly thoughts. Your will must guard the place of prayer.
The Call,
Be grateful to the Giver of all Treasures. He will hearken to your prayer even amidst the great clamor of the street. Fall not into despair. Knock upon the door. It is always unlocked. And the Master awaits you within His House. Do not eat from the table of the Lord, But hearken to His Words.
The Call,
Search not for evening at noon. When behind the plow, husbandman, utter not a prayer for repose.
The Call,
Father, henceforth I will shorten my psalms, And I will limit the length of my hymns. And podvig will be my prayer, And I will start it with silence. Brothers, in all thy beginnings, remember the time of silence. It is then that you are approached by the Messenger of the Teaching.
The Call,
(Book Of Prayer) 360.
On Our scales the striving of the spirit is weightier than aught else. The success in life is strengthened only by the electricity of the prayer of achievement.
You will ask how you should gather. I will tell you to gather in prayer. Better be silent, without the clatter of objects, without the raising of voices, because the wings of spirit grow in quiet.
It is good to be able to pray. Prayer, or spiritual communion, is the highest manifestation; but for this, mental refinement and spiritual strength are indispensable.
My Spirit knows how the power is being forged. I advise not to pray to Me but to invoke Me. And My Hand will not delay in manifesting Itself in the battle.
Prayer is the realization of eternity. In prayer there is beauty, love, daring, courage, self-sacrifice, steadfastness, aspiration. But if in the prayer are included superstition, fear and doubt, then such an invocation is related to the times of fetishism. How then should one pray? One can spend hours in aspiration, but there may be a prayer of lightning speed. Then instantaneously, without words, man places himself in continuity with the whole chain into the Infinite. Resolving to unite with the Infinite, man inhales emanations of the ether, as it were, and without mechanical repetitions establishes the best circuit for the current. Thus, in silence, without wasting time, one can receive a stream of refreshment. Only developed spirituality can uplift the human consciousness in a single sigh. But We must repeat about prayer, because people will inquire about it. Needless are conjurations, needless are entreaties, needless is the dust of humbleness, needless are threats, for we alone transport ourselves into the far-off worlds, into the treasuries of possibilities and knowledge. We feel that they are predestined for us, and we approach them daringly. Thus understand the Covenant: Pray in no wise but in spirit.
Our Ray dispatches myriads of purified atoms, which enwrap the man if there is no astral whirlwind around him. This is the reason for the calmness of the spirit, as otherwise the remnants of Karma will obscure the object of the sending. The lower spirits rend the Ray like monkeys, tearing the precious fabric without any benefit to themselves, because the atoms of matter are useless for restless shells. This must be remembered while uniting the spirit in prayer with the Infinite.
They are wrong who consider the Community a house of prayer.
New Era Community,
It is not prayer but stern labor that is needed. This must be repeated, again and again. The dates have brought imminent possibilities.
Agni Yoga,
When we will train ourselves to sense the current of Infinity, then people, instead of praying, will command the elements. Instead of God working for us, we, through our own labor and psychic energy, will help ourselves. I advise that the Name of the Mother of the World be pronounced not as a symbol but as a power-giver.
Infinity I,
When your consciousness prompts you to the necessity of possessing the constant Image of the Lord, retire to a quiet place and direct your sight upon the chosen Image. But remember, one must decide irrevocably, because in case of treason the constant Image will be a constant reproach. After gazing intensely upon the Image, close your eyes and transmit it to the third eye. Exercising thus you will attain a vivid Image, and you will feel a special intensified tremor of the heart. Soon the Image of the Lord will remain inseparably with you. You can test yourself before the sun, and you will still see the Lord before you, sometimes without color, but afterward vividly and even in action. Your prayer will lose the need of words and only the tremor of the heart will suffuse your understanding.
I call attention to the saturation of the heart and the prayer of the heart for two reasons. Firstly, it leads to a blending with the Higher World; secondly, it does not require a special time and can be performed during any labor. One may easily become used to a special sensation within the heart without fearing any ill effect. The heart will not be overtired by the Lord, on the contrary, only surrounding thoughts can ill-affect the heart.
The heart filled to the brim with love will be active, valiant, and will expand to its capacity. Such a heart can pray without words and can bathe in bliss. A purple star of the highest tension will correspond to this fire.
Let us see how people understand Service to the Lord and Hierarchy. He who thinks of ascending only by prayer is far from Service ... Thus, We deplore it when We see reverence in words but not in action.
Not without reason do all Teachings prescribe prayers before sleep, in order to strengthen the beneficent link.
A mantram and all prayers can sustain the outer rhythm and also serve as union with the Highest World. Many people fail to perceive either the outer or inner meaning of prayer.
The savage in his prayers pleads primarily for mercy for himself, whereas the wise anchorites pray for beneficence for the world.
A hermit who understood the language of animals noticed that a small green snake began to coil about him during his prayers. This continued for many days. Finally he asked the snake, What is the meaning of your strange behavior? The snake answered, Rishi, your concentration is strange if during your prayer you were aware of all my motions! The hermit thereupon replied, Cunning worm, do not judge by yourself. First occurs the earthly concentration, then the subtle and then the fiery when the heart contains the heavenly and earthly.
One must not approach Fire with covetous aims. A simple prayer about perfectment opens the best Gates.
Fiery World I,
The lama says, One should pray each day, otherwise it is better not to pray at all. ... You know the value of constant rhythmic work. You know to what an extent such great exertion opens the Gates.
Fiery World I,
One could write a book about the sigh, and it would be shown to be very close to prayer. All the benevolent reflexes can be singled out in the same way. There is no reason to regard them as moral abstractions; it is better to accept them as foundations of health.
Fiery World I,
No one should scoff at prayer ... Man has no right to sneer at an offering to the Highest.


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This deal has ended.
Through 3/23, this Cole Haan Kaylie Duffle has been marked down an extra 20% (calculated at checkout), now $199.99 at SmartBargains. Plus, new customers can use this 12% off coupon, cutting the price to $179.99 ($20 max discount). Returnees can use this coupon for free shipping with $75 (both coupons expire 3/31). The designer bag is available in either camel or black. Shipping adds $9.95 and there is no sales tax (except MA, KY, NC).No longer available


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Concerned that the gap between low- and high-achieving students remains sizable, state education officials are releasing a five-part proposal that calls for a variety of reforms to help struggling students in lower-income cities.
Test data shows Massachusetts continues to be the academic leader nationwide, but the 24 so-called Gateway cities, which include Springfield, Holyoke, Chicopee and Westfield in Western Massachusetts, are still having difficulty ensuring that all children achieve.
The poor, those with learning disabilities, racial minorities and poor English speakers continue to score lower, says state education secretary S. Paul Reville.
"We still have gaps that correlate with socioeconomic status," Reville said during a recent visit with the editorial board of The Republican. "What we have done is too weak."
After a visit to Springfield's Gerena School, Reville discussed the five-part plan aimed at closing the gap by offering more and improved programs for poor children, those who do not speak English and others who are at risk of struggling in school.
Some of the ideas, such as offering additional family services through the schools, have been tried, but schools in Springfield and Holyoke often end up struggling to fund the programs or face cutting them due to a lack of funding.
Reville could not say how the new ideas will be funded, especially with the federal budget being cut. But, he said, "As a matter of state policy, we need to support it."
The initial part of the plan will be to create an intensive summer program to emphasize early literacy development to help prepare at-risk children in the months before they enter kindergarten, he said.
"Children come to kindergarten with one-third to one-quarter of the vocabulary some of their peers have," he said.
He praised efforts by the Irene & George Davis Foundation, Springfield businesses and the Springfield Public Schools, which have worked together on the Reading Success by Fourth Grade and the Read/Talk/Success! programs.
The programs work with families and the community to promote early literacy skills. Reville called those efforts "laudable work" and said he would like to see similar programs established in other cities.
The state plan also calls for student support councils at schools in Gateway cities. The councils would help needy families find resources for housing, health care and other problems which can impede to their children's learning, Reville said.
For children learning English, the plan is to offer pilot summer learning camps in some communities. The camps would give students intensive instruction and extra time to acquire language skills while they do not have to focus on other academic subjects, Reville said.
The secretary said it is time to re-think expectations that children can keep pace in all their academic subjects while they are still learning English.
The plan also calls for more work to align the elementary and secondary educational system so students will be better prepared for college and the work force. It also pushes for schools to continue focusing on creating innovative ideas that can be shared with other districts if they prove successful.


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Land trust garners grants for work at Shinglemill preserve
The Vashon Maury Island Land trust recently received grants from REI and the Vashon Rotary to continue improvements and restoration work at the Shinglemill Creek Preserve.
Beth Bordner, operations manager at the land trust, said the organization will use a $5,000 REI grant it received last month to purchase about 2,000 cedar and fir seedlings to be planted at the preserve.
"We were thrilled," Bordner said. "This is a project we want to do and need to do."
Bordner said that in order to qualify for the REI grant, the land trust had to show that the preserve provides recreational opportunities and that the project funded would involve community effort.
Shinglemill was a perfect fit, she said. Two years ago, the land trust opened a two-mile trail at the topographically diverse preserve, providing what Bordner called the closest thing Vashon can offer to a back-country hiking experience.
In addition, the organization relies on volunteers, including community groups such as the Boy Scouts, to help with restoration projects at the site. Planting along the creek and in the surrounding forest has been ongoing at the preserve, which was once heavily logged.
"It adds to the health of the forest, impacts the health of the stream and provides conditions salmon need to return and spawn along the creek," she said.
The seedlings will likely be purchased in January 2012 and planted in the winter and early spring.
"It's sort of next on the list for this watershed," Bordner said. "For REI to do that was great."
In July the land trust opened what Bordner called a much-needed parking lot at the trailhead of the Shinglemill Creek trail off of S.W. 156th Street. A $7,000 grant from Rotary last year funded the new parking lot, as well as about 200 native trees and bushes planted around the lot and a new metal sign that will soon be installed at the trailhead.
Bordner said the trail at Shinglemill has become increasingly popular and until the parking lot was built, many were forced to park their cars along 156th, a narrow, one-lane road.
"It was causing all sorts of difficulty for the neighbors," she said. "It has become a very popular Island walk."
Rotary president Bart Queary said the Rotary gives large grants to Vashon organizations yearly and chose to fund the Shinglemill project last year because members thought it was a valuable project and want to support the land trust's conservation efforts.
"We like the land trust because they do good things and they spend money carefully," he said.
Though both the land trust and Rotary are pleased with the parking lot, some who live near the trailhead are concerned that the large, gravel lot will become a gathering place for youth to drink at night.
Ron Irvine, who owns Vashon Winery and has apple trees at a one-acre plot on 156th, said some who live on the street have met to discuss the issue and have made their worries known to the land trust.
Bordner said she understands the concern, but so far there has been no evidence that the lot has been used for drinking
"There have been no issues, no trash, no reports of anything," she said. "Up until this point it has been a concern, but not a realized one."
If the parking lot does be-come a gathering place, she added, the gate installed at the entry to the lot can be closed at night.
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I'm a fan of IPOs, as long as companies are heading to Wall Street for the right reasons. If you're going public as an exit strategy or in a selfish move to cash out on top, I won't touch you -- even if I was holding play money. However, if you're a young company at the cusp of greatness, that's when I start drooling.
The valuations have to be realistic, of course. If an IPO is a ground-floor opportunity, you want to be able to arch your neck far back enough to visualize the penthouse above.
Since there are a lot of compelling companies jockeying for a possible IPO in the year ahead, I figured I'd be fashionably early by singing their praises before they start interviewing underwriters.
No, Facebook isn't really worth $15 billion. When Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT ) purchased a 1.6% stake for $240 million, it may have implied a value of $15 billion, but there's a reason why Mr. Softy was content to grab only a sliver of the fast-growing social networking site.
More than the investment, Microsoft was acquiring broader, global ad-serving rights throughout Facebook as part of the deal.
By the same token, Facebook is also worth more than the $1 billion that Yahoo! (Nasdaq: YHOO ) was apparently offering last year. Unless things change materially, Facebook's true value is somewhere in the middle. Appealing to a more mature crowd than the larger yet often juvenile MySpace, Facebook's audience is a marketer's dream.
Much smaller than Facebook, but perhaps even more attractive from the target audience's perspective, LinkedIn is a hub of networking adults that helps friends get connected professionally.
If Facebook goes public soon and takes off, there's no stopping LinkedIn cashing in on the opportunity. However, if greed and pride keep Facebook reaching so high that it prices itself out of an IPO, don't be surprised to see LinkedIn leapfrog Facebook and pull off a smaller market debut.
Digital Domain
MarketWatch's Russ Britt recently wrote about Digital Domain's IPO desires. The company that creates special effects for Hollywood blockbusters like Titanic and Transformers is looking to go public in a few months.
Some feel that Digital Domain's market debut would be better left on the cutting room floor. The movie industry has struggled in recent years. DVD sales are stagnating after the initial run of celluloid buffs updated their libraries.
They're missing the bigger picture here, though; and I mean that literally and figuratively. This month's deal for IMAX (Nasdaq: IMAX ) to retrofit 100 different multiplex screens with the company's digital projectors that create larger-than-life cinematic experiences changes the rules. IMAX gravitates toward action blockbusters like this weekend's I Am Legend. You also have patrons upgrading to Blu-ray and HD-DVD players to make their flashy Hollywood epics more lifelike. No one cares about getting a romantic comedy on Blu-ray. No one is going to watch an artsy foreign flick on IMAX.
IMAX and the high-def disc players at home are built for eye candy -- and Digital Domain is in the sweet spot to provide it.
I've been enamored with Zillow since its launch nearly two years ago. At the time, it was an edgy though admittedly imperfect Web-based application for finding what your home was worth. It didn't seem like much, but it was a model so refreshing in the real estate industry that it dealt uppercuts to stodgy models like HouseValues (Nasdaq: SOLD ) .
Zillow was the brainchild of Expedia's (Nasdaq: EXPE ) founder, so it's really just a matter of time before the company follows suit and goes public. Even with dot-com realty plays like HouseValues and Realtor.com parent Move (Nadsaq: MOVE) trading in the mid-single digits, Zillow has enough Teflon to make it as an IPO. Its ad-supported model is appealing to customers, advertisers, and even a growing fleet of partners that now includes a consortium of local newspapers.
New and improved
Naturally, I don't expect all four companies to complete successful IPOs in 2008. Dynamic companies that redefine industries -- what David Gardner calls Rule Breakers, and seeks out in the newsletter service that bears the same name -- also become attractive buyout candidates on the way to an IPO.
Over the past two years, that has been the fate of speedsters on my potential IPO watch list, like video-sharing site YouTube, voice chat specialist Skype, Chinese online advertising star Allyes, and in-game advertising enable Massive. They decided to forgo the IPO lottery, opting for the sure thing under the wing of behemoths.
We'll lose some that way, but that won't make me any less excited about the prospects of digging into meaty financial filings from companies I've admired in the dark for too long.
IPO safely, my friends.
As Foolanthropy enters its second decade, join us in working to bring financial education to the world's young people. Learn more about Foolanthropy's new direction.


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Mansfield, Texas signal caller John Chiles is one of the most coveted dual-threat quarterbacks in the country.
Chiles adds a pair of offers
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AL Supreme Court Justice Tom Parker: DADT's Judge Phillips Is As Bad As Al-Qaeda
Tom Parker, the Alabama Supreme Court justice spending $1.5 million on his re-appointment campaign (but not any from gambling lobbyists!), is using the recent Don't Ask Don't tell ruling by Judge Virginia A. Phillips to drum up support in a new radio ad that compares the judge to Al-Qaeda.
[flv:http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/public/sites/574/assets/2BPZ_audio_stream_Tom_Parker_2010.mp3 http://queerty-prodweb.s3.amazonaws.com/wp/docs/2010/10/tomparkeralabama.jpg 650 400]
Phillips is "attacking our very national security" by ruling DADT unconstitutional, says Parker. "Most people believe al-Qaida is one of America's biggest security threats. I think it's time to add liberal activist judges like Judge Phillips to that list." (You'll note all the ways he accuses Phillips of being an activist leftist as well, something for which he's railed against sitting Supreme Court justices as well.) Though not terribly surprising from a guy who, as Think Progress points out, has ties to hate groups.
Suddenly the idea of being able to vote out State Supreme Court justices doesn't sound so bad, eh?
Other things this guy thinks are as bad as Al Queda
10. When his high fiber cereal is only medium fiber
9. Women wearing shoes and voting ruined everything
8. When the cleaners can't get his klan hood whiter than white
7. Finding out his Moustache Wax was made in Mexico
6. California
5. People forgetting about all the GOOD things Hitler did
4. When his urine sack spills during court cases
3. The Jews
2. The Catholics
1. Uppity "Colored" people who run for president
More of the reason to not open the door for lower court judges to set comprehensive federal policy. Imagine this guy on the bench with Demint in the white house.
A probably-racist, definitely-homophobic official in Alabama? I'm so shocked!
(Any sane people living in Alabama have my empathy. F-ing Tom Tancredo is the runner-up for governor in my state…)
good thing blacks didnt depend on this asshole for thier rights.
the next time Alabama tries to secede from the US, please let them.
This is a uniquely American phenomenon. No other country allows the people to select their own judges based on political considerations (and for good reason). The Alabama Supreme Court is exhibit one in any case against partisan judicial elections. Having moronic political hacks sit in judgment over others is always a bad idea.
Remember Republican Chief Justice Roy Moore's campaign to put a 5,000 pound granite monument to the ten commandments in front of the courthouse?
Or his 2002 ruling that homosexuality is "an inherent evil, and an act so heinous that it defies one's ability to describe it?"
Judges who speak their ignorant personal opinions under the cloak of their professions should be removed or at least censured. This Alabama judge is a disgrace to american jurispudence to say such a wretched irresponsible hateful statement off the tip of his tongue and facing no consequences just makes him even more vile to those that respect law and some sense of equality and order.
I bet he has an opinion on black people he isn't too quick to spout on and on about. Disgraceful.
WOW this guy is crazy. Let over spend money just to say something. Whatever. If all he can do is bash talk someone else he is not really doing his job anyways get him out of there then.


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Harrisburg Board of School Directors candidates will debate Monday night in what is their first and only scheduled public forum for that race before the primary May 21.
Run by nonprofit Harrisburg Hope, the event starts at 6 p.m. at the Midtown Scholar Bookstore, 1302 N. 3rd St.
Anyone who can't make it can follow PennLive's real-time coverage in the comments below.
Four of six candidates running for contested seats have confirmed: incumbents James R. Thompson, Kenneth L. Mickens II and Danielle Robinson, plus challenger Lionel Gonzalez.
Lola Lawson and Patricia Whitehead-Myers, who said previously she'd likely be out of town Monday, had not confirmed as of 1 p.m. Monday, Harrisburg Hope President Alan Kennedy-Shafer said.
Adara Jackson, LaTasha Frye and Monica Blackson-Bailey are on the ballot for three, two-year seats. Blackston-Bailey has not confirmed, Kennedy-Shaffer said.
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Skip to comments.LEAKED STRATFOR EMAILS: Democrats Manipulated The 2008 Election results
Posted on 04/20/2012 8:53:30 AM PDT by GlockThe Vote
LEAKED STRATFOR EMAILS: Democrats Manipulated The 2008 Flickr/jamesomalley
A successful challenge of Obama's wins in Pennsylvania and Ohio would not have overturned his victory but would have tarnished the subsequent celebratory atmosphere.
John McCain's 2008 campaign staff allegedly had evidence that Democrats stuffed ballot boxes in Pennsylvania and Ohio on election night, but McCain chose not to pursue voter fraud, according to internal Stratfor emails published by WikiLeaks.
In an email sent on November 7, 2008, and titled " Insight - The Dems & Dirty Tricks ** Internal Use Only - Pls Do Not Forward **," Stratfor vice president of intelligence Fred Burton wrote:
(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...
but McCain chose not to pursue voter fraud
Well there's a shock, since he was in the tank the whole time.
Quelle surprise.
Well, heck, if voter ID laws weren't so tough, dems wouldn't have to stuff boxes. More dead people could be allowed to vote./s
There is nothing honest about thse communists - nothing!
No surprise there... It is the only way they get elected.
If true, McCain and his staff WILLFULLY disenfranchised voters in OH and PA.
IMO, there is absolutely no integrity in the American electorial system.
McCain was always the wrong candidate. He knew it, the party knew it, and everyone else knew it. He ran for the senate not president.
Dems vote the dead - but they also vote the people who don't show up to vote. That's where the real numbers advantage lies...
Why are we only learning about this now?
He lost by over a quarter million votes in Ohio and over 600,000 in Pennsylvania. They would have never been able to prove that many fraudulent votes, but even a single case of vote fraud dilutes the votes of every legitimate voter and should be prosecuted vigorously.
Burton, who appears to be friendly with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wrote:
2) It appears the Dems "made a donation" to Rev. Jesse (no, they would never do that!) to keep his yap shut after his diatribe about the Jews and Israel. A little bird told me it was a "nice six-figure donation". This also becomes a matter of how and when to out.
The email also refers to an accusation that Obama's campaign took money from Russia, recalling memories of Bill Clinton's 1996 presidential campaign when the Justice Department uncovered evidence that China sought to make direct contributions to the Democratic National Committee.
Anybody wanna bet it doesn't happen again this election?
This election is going to be all out warfare. The communists will not give up their thirst and grip on power easily.
Why do Democrats HAVE to win these political offices? Because that's where the money is.
Democrats - Thieves, Thugs, Thralls and Thickheads
McCain voted for obama
OK, McCain and others. Tell us HOW they stuffed the ballot boxes, HOW they registered people to do so in order to stop this shiite. I know of some of the ways, but I don't know all of them. REPEAL MOTOR VOTER LAW. After all, poor people can't afford ID, so they can't afford cars or a license.
[ but McCain chose not to pursue voter fraud ]
And Sarah Palin is still having a hard time getting McLaims stink off her..
If McCain is this much of a coward it's disgusting..
Another example of McCain's treasonous lying and cowardliness, he is one of the most corrupted fools ever elected by the Reptile Party!
Could be Romney like McLaim is gonna take a "DIVE"..
You know "hit the canvass", ... cheat, chisel, con, crib, defraud, diddle, do in, finagle, flam, fleece, flimflam, fudge, gouge, gull, gyp, ramp, rook, scam, screw, shave, shortchange, stack the cards, stick, sting, swindle, thimblerig, victimize... like that...
Do you really expect a politician....ANY politician to tell you how elections are rigged?
I dont think so - Myth is an ego maniac and narcissist himself , so he may be the perfect guy to attack obama - just out of his own selfisf self.
I am ABO all the way - but McCain deserves public humiliation for this.
"Obama is a good man, my friends..."
> Dems vote the dead - but they also vote the people who dont show up to vote. Thats where the real numbers advantage lies...
True beyond belief.
My oldest daughter has lived and voted in another since 1992; and yet every time I go to vote, I see her name above mine on the election rolls and it's always marked as having already voted.
I have challenged this several times, but since I live in New York State and ALL of the election officials are democRATs, nothing ever comes of my challenges.
Our voting system is corrupt beyond belief and remains that way.
His reasoning for it was actually understandable.
Not that I excuse that rat bastuhd for any number things he has pulled.
I keep hearing how Wikileaks is bad,,,, but they keep leaking things like this. This is utterly criminal, stealing votes is nothing sort of a coup.And our government knew it happened,, and conspired to keep it secret from us. Thanks, Wikileaks,,,
Our government is in bad need of some sunshine disinfectant.
[ so he may be the perfect guy to attack obama ]
I see.. the inventor of Romneycare running against the inventor of Obamacare..
Talk about a set-up... America is getting played the shell game..
1) Obama..
2) Romney..
3) Ron Paul..
** the pea will NEVER be under Ron Paul.. even IF you win, you loose..
McCain didn't serve all those years in captivity by the NVA and not learn something eh!
McCain didn't serve all those years in captivity by the NVA and not learn something eh!
I hope the Josh Mandel campaign studies this very closely.
McCain is guilty of a lot of pain and suffering done to Americans. He needs to sling from the public eye in disgrace.
Vote fraud machines: Pick address that can be easily monitored, Mailboxes etc for example, apartment complexes for another, fill out voter registration cards using names from a cemetery or simply make them up, make a copy so you know what the signature looks like.
Now for either primary or general elections you request an absentee ballot for every one of those fake voters, vote the ballot, make sure the signature looks right, mail it back. No need for an ID with picture, no chance of being caught by a poll worker who knows you are not who you say you are. The end result, a stolen election.
Where there are heavy Democrat precincts with out Republican poll watchers when the polls close every voter who did not show up gets voted. That's why some polling places take so long to turn in results. That's also the reason behind some Republican poll watchers being accused of misconduct and arrested or run of leaving only Democrats to keep things "honest". /s
The Liberal/progressive world is a world where to lie, cheat, steal even murder to advance their agenda, is laudable behavior.
I heard they wait until the polls close and then mark ballots for people who didn't show.
They probably have a bunch ready beforehand.
I figure they somehow use early voting and then vote again election day.
They know all the tricks.
We have had reports from the local Indian reservation that every single person who has ever lived on the reservation, whether they are now dead or alive, still votes in every election. There is no oversight.
On top of that, the Democrats tried to pass a law this year, which would allow any minority to challenge an election on the basis of the fact that open district voting disenfranchised the minority by diluting their vote. Of course, the Democrats passed the open district voting in an effort to dilute the vote of Republican districts. I call it the, heads Democrats win, tails, Republicans lose proposal.
Kennedy would not have been elected in 1960 without the massive voter fraud from Chicago. Nixon would have been president. No assassination, no Vietnam, LBJ would have stayed in the senate, no "Great Society", no Nixon win in 1968, no Watergate.
Correct. You described voting in Chicago....
If you go after them and contest the election when the vote fraud occurs you draw attention to it and are more likely to get the people involved in making corrections to and change election law. If it's ignored the cheaters are incouraged and the fraud continues and expands. Thanks John.
It's not supposed to happen but illegal immigrants get registered under motor voter (it's doing what it was set up to do) look at when California really collapsed. More illegal voters voted in the 2010 Colorado election than the margin of victory in the US Senate race, how did they get registered?
Pennsylvania has a new voter ID law in effect now. For the primary, voters will be asked for ID but permitted to vote without it. In November, picture ID will be required. There are provisions for people to get picture ID for free, but they'll need to plan ahead.
I'm very glad to see this happening. It won't eliminate fraud, but it's a big step in the right direction. The squawking by the left is a good indicator that we're on the right track.
yes, and yes....
I hate that man...
call into the election office and state that you are you're dtr...use another phone if you have too...state that you are moving or have moved......get her name off the list of voters...
If you lived in a state with a real newspaper - one with integrity - not some dem shill rag like the New York Times, you could go to your newspaper with this information. Maybe James O'Keefe would be interested...
Anyhow, had a friend explain it to me many years ago. I asked why some precincts were slow in getting their ballot boxes in to be counted - and couldn't that be speeded up. She laughed - then explained that the votes in other areas had to be counted first so they would know how many votes needed to be 'added'. If they added too many it would call attention to the situation. They wanted the vote to look close. Cheating in my area was done in black precincts.
The person who shared this information with me was a member of the local Democratic Executive Committee. I was also a democrat at the time...
Dems don't just vote the dead - they vote the living who don't show up to vote. If James O'Keefe wants to catch them, he needs to set up remote cameras in black swing districts in swing states. If he can show 83 people going into vote (over the course of the day) and 6,000 vote totals coming out that night - he'll have his story... See my reply #46
Are you by any chance a former democrat?
> call into the election office and state that you are youre dtr...use another phone if you have too...state that you are moving or have moved......get her name off the list of voters...
I did that already. Twelve years in a row. I even filed the proper forms. Nothing happens. Nothing ever will. It's Tammany Hall politics from border to border.
No, but I pay attention to voter fraud. Actually, this came from Breitbart a few years ago.
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MORRIS COUNTY — The Morris County freeholders on Wednesday formally dropped a plan to move the county's park police into a new county police department with additional duties, a proposal that had generated outspoken opposition.
The board agreed unanimously to "retract" the proposal and not pursue it any more.
But the freeholders, looking to improve efficiency and save money, are still trying to find additional work for the park police.
The freeholders' subcommittee which proposed the idea of a county police department is suggesting five additional duties the park police might take on.
Those include traffic enforcement on county roads; enforcement of weight limits for trucks; a Lake Hopatcong patrol; a county-wide search and rescue team, and a canine patrol.
A plan to have the proposed county police supplement local police departments, which had drawn opposition from police, was not included on the list for the park police.
Freeholder David Scapicchio said that while the park police get "hundreds of thousands of visitors" in the summer, they are available for additional duties during "lower-service call times."
The latest proposal for additional duties was sent this week to park commission officials for their review. But based on a meeting April 28, subcommittee members Douglas Cabana and Scapicchio were optimistic about their likely reactions.
"They understand the need for more efficiencies, but they want to do it within the present structure," Cabana said.
The park commission was "absolutely receptive" to the idea of the police taking on more work, although the group unanimously opposed disbanding the park police and forming the new department, said Scapicchio.
Cabana and Freeholder Director Thomas Mastrangelo said that while the county police idea is being postponed for now, it may be "revisited" in the future in an effort to reduce costs.
That statement caused consternation among both board members and members of the public opposed to the plan, who warned the board will face the same opposition if it ever revives the idea.
Freeholder Hank Lyon, an opponent, said he was also worried that giving the park police additional duties might be "a back door" to a county police department.
• Morris freeholders want to move park police into a new county police department


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President Burton reflects on his call to 'Engage Rotary, Change Lives'
Ron Burton has made the world his office.
Over the past year, the Rotary International president has traveled more than half-a-million miles across 50 countries, to inspire and motivate Rotary's 1.2 million members. Although many encouraged him to use cheaper, virtual alternatives, he believes it takes face-to-face engagement.
"I was the first president to have a Google Hangout and have done Facebook chats," Burton says, reflecting on his term, which ends at midnight 30 June. "But I asked Rotarians this year to Engage Rotary, Change Lives, so I needed to live that as well, by sitting at kitchen tables talking to families, visiting community projects, speaking to clubs, and [meeting] with other leaders around the world to promote Rotary's good work."
Burton, Rotary's 105th president, calls the job one of "awesome and great responsibility."
"It's a great honor to follow in the footsteps of [Rotary's founder] Paul Harris," says Burton, a member of the Rotary Club of Norman, Oklahoma, in the U.S. "When I travel around the world, I'm able to meet Rotarians from every walk of life and every culture. And all of them have such a deep respect for the office." He adds that it's been important to remember that "this position isn't about me. It's about the job."
The job of Rotary president essentially begins election to the position a year before taking office. Presidents-elect set an agenda for the coming year, pick committee chairs, and work on the convention program. All of that, Burton says, is to set the stage for a successful term. And looking back on the past two years, he's reminded of an adage from back home.
"There's a saying in Oklahoma that where you go in life, whatever job you set out to do, you should always leave the woodpile a little higher than it was when you found it," he says. "With the tremendous support of Rotarians worldwide, I believe we accomplished that this year."
A big contribution to that woodpile is one of the things Burton is most proud. He asked each one of his 537 district governors to make a gift to The Rotary Foundation. No matter the size of the contribution or the fund, he wanted all of them to show support for the Foundation. And they did, becoming the first district governor class to make that commitment, raising more than $700,000.
"What we're talking about here is a change of thinking, a change in culture," says Burton. "There needs to be the thought that this is our Foundation and the more we support it, the more lives we can change."
President-elect Gary Huang followed Burton's lead and has asked his own class of governors to do the same. The group has already contributed $1 million for the Foundation.
"I hope what we started becomes a tradition with all Rotary presidents," says Burton.
Another highlight of the year was during the Victory Over Polio celebration in February at Talkatora Stadium in New Delhi. The nationally televised event hailed India's third consecutive year of being polio-free.
Burton was among several speakers that included Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, and World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan.
What made the event memorable for Burton was a small gesture that had a big impact. Before leaving the stage President Mukherjee walked over to Burton, shook his hand, and thanked him and Rotary for their incredible contribution to India's accomplishments.
Burton says the gesture "shows the respect Rotary has in India and the tremendous appreciation for what we've done. It was a proud moment for me and Rotary."
Sydney convention caps off "unforgettable" year
For Rotary presidents, the convention is the pinnacle of their terms.
"I couldn't have asked for a better convention. What I was most proud of [was] our speakers," he says of the convention in Sydney. "Every one of them spoke with such enthusiasm and brought a unique and powerful message that relates to what we do at Rotary. I heard from so many Rotarians afterward how great they were."
Burton was especially impressed with the speakers on the last day who focused on new generations and the future of Rotary, calling it the most important message of the event.
"Our youth program participants and alumni can be one of our strongest assets moving forward," he says. "And the speakers who represented this movement knocked the message out of the park. If that doesn't wake up this organization, I don't know what will."
During his final speech of the convention, Burton became emotional as he thanked Rotarians for their support during his year. "It was a bittersweet moment. It hit me during the end of my speech how great our organization is and why. It's because of the people in the audience," he says.
Burton is looking forward to returning to Oklahoma after two years of being away. "I can't wait to spend time with my family and hanging out at my pool all day," he says.
Burton, who has held almost every senior-level position at Rotary, says there's one thing important to remember when he leaves office.
"On July first, I'm going to hold only one title and it's the most important: Rotarian."
Rotary News


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Horticulture & Home Pest News is filled with articles on current horticulture, plant care, pest management, and common household pests written by Iowa State University Extension specialists in the Departments of Entomology, Horticulture and Plant Pathology.
Search articles from 1992 to the present.
EPA Responding to Problems with Pesticide Internet Sales
This article was published originally on 6/8/2001
Want to buy some DDT? How about a World War II-era pesticide container? These are some of the things state and federal pesticide regulators have been spotting for sale over the Internet.
Acknowledging that the issue is becoming much more pressing, EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs has launched a work-group effort to address the issues raised by the sale of pesticides over the Internet.
The 15-member panel is comprised of staff from OPP, the Office of General Counsel (OGC) and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. It is intended first to gauge the magnitude of problematic offers-for sale on Web sites. The panel will then formulate potential responses.
Many of the sellers offering pesticides either illegally or improperly on the Internet do not know that they are violating Federal insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act rules, the agency believes. As a result, the mitigation efforts of the work group will target outreach ideas much more than enforcement options.
"We"ve seen DDT offered for sale on eBay," OPP's Karen Angulo, who is chairing the work group, said. "Just recently, we saw a World War II-era pesticide on eBay. We've learned that vintage pesticide containers are a collectable item, and although they're mostly empty containers, the empty ones still have pesticide residues in them."
Angula, a team leader in the Biological and Economic Analysis Division of OPP, hastened to point out that:"we called eBay about the World War II-era pesticide and they pulled it off the auction block within 30 minutes." Acknowledging that a number of state lead agencies first alerted EPA to the auction issues, she said, "we've been working with eBay over the course of a year, and now the work group is working on developing exclusionary criteria for the auction sites.
"They already ban offers to sell firearms and alcohol," Angula said, "and we're trying to develop helpful guidance for them." The work group also is trying to "figure out how we should tract down the people or companies offering pesticides on other ISP's (Internet Service Providers) and shopping portals. Eventually, we'll need to talk to the Federal Trade Commission and the FBI." Alluding to the difficult problem of unregistered, offshore sources of pesticide sales, she said that "we'll need to talk to Customs, too," (From: P TCN, Vol. 29, No.23, via Kansas Pesticide Newsletter )
Year of Publication:
IC-485(13) -- June 8, 2001


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By Dan Miller
The plan presented by receiver William Lynch is hope for the bright future of our city. It was crafted by teams of highly skilled lawyers and financial advisors, but the final product requires careful consideration before being adopted.
I am sure most of those now applauding the plan have not actually read it. While the plan may give the city an opportunity to address a myriad of long neglected responsibilities it will also require residents to surrender significant self-governance authority.
That's only one of the reasons why I support an independent professional review of the pluses and minuses of the Lynch plan.
The plan's supporters are billing it as the city's best option, and also claimed it is based on the principle of shared sacrifice.
But the truth of the matter is that the plan envisions full repayment to the city's major creditors without regard to their responsibility for creating a mountain of unsustainable public debt. And of course city residents will bear the brunt of the cost through higher taxes, higher parking fees and a declining quality of municipal life.
Indeed, I fear that much of the Lynch plan is based on the kind of phantom financing involving questionable assumptions amounting to wishful thinking) that got Harrisburg into the fiscal crisis in which it currently finds itself.
Much of my concern is based on the burden the plan puts on city residents. If the plan's revenue and savings don't materialize, will the Harrisburg income tax rate continue to spike to 3.4 percent and 3.6 percent as in Scranton and Reading? The 100 percent increase in the city's earned income tax, which was originally sold as temporary, has now been extended for several more years and has all the earmarks of the Johnstown Flood Tax.
As a result of the damage from the 1936 Johnstown flood, the Pennsylvania General Assembly imposed an emergency tax on all alcohol sold in the Commonwealth. The "temporary" tax, originally set at 10 percent, was initially intended to help pay for clean up, recovery, and assistance to flood victims.
Though the recovery was assisted by the federal government and completed within six years of the disaster, the tax was never repealed. The tax was raised to 15 percent in 1963 and to 18 percent in 1968, where it stands today.
While doubling the parking rates may be good for the city's budget it can't be good for the few remaining merchants and small businesses. It will certainly add another layer of expense and inconvenience for residents who are already paying the highest taxes in the area. It will drive more shoppers to suburban malls and deter people from coming into the city to enjoy its many offerings. There should be a careful cost-benefit analysis of this proposal before any action is taken.
I am also deeply suspicious of the uncertain availability of state aid on which the plan is so dependent. The offer to provide free parking for thousands of state workers at a cost of $5 million of state money was necessary to make the numbers for the lease of the assets work. In an era of increasing strain on already tight state budgets it certainly would be low hanging fruit for future legislators who need to balance the state budget.
The same is true for the $5 million in state aid secured by the hard work of state Sen. Rob Teplitz and Rep. Patty Kim, both Democrats of Dauphin County, for the benefit of the city in the current state budget.
The city must play the hand it has been dealt by the receiver's team. The plan is the mandatory starting point. But keep in mind that the receiver has always admitted that he is not an advocate for the city. His plan makes that abundantly clear. As someone who is and always has been an advocate for Harrisburg citizens, this makes the plan difficult to applaud.
Part of my mission as city Controller, and a central goal of my mayoral campaign, is to assure the fiscal health of the city of Harrisburg by working with city council and informing the general public about the city's financial condition and the options available.
But most of all, I understand that it's not all about the city's finances. It's about the struggling citizens of Harrisburg who are already paying the highest taxes and utilities in the area. It is my responsibility to be their advocate.
Dan Miller is the Republican write-in candidate for mayor of Harrisburg.


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Policy & Enforcement Briefing: Mandatory CSR, Oil Spill Fines, Flood Report
India is mandating that companies with an annual turnover of INR 10 billion ($164 million) or more, or a net worth of INR 5 billion and more, or a net profit of INR 0.05 billion or more during any financial year, set aside two percent of their net profits for socially beneficial activities in the country, under the CSR Rules, which come into effect April 1, Rahul Rishi, Ankita Srivastava and Milind Antani of Nishith Desai Associates write for Lexology. The law applies to foreign companies doing business in India. Companies choose their social cause from a list of specified activities, according to Ramesh K. Vaidyanathan and Pooja Thacker at Advaya Legal Mumbai, writing for Business Today.
Leaders have proposed an October deadline for agreeing on the EU's 2030 climate and energy goals, Reuters reports.
The Interior Department is delaying a rule that would raise oil spill fines for offshore facilities, after the Independent Petroleum Association of America and National Ocean Industries Association requested an extension of the comment period, the Hill reports.
Projects that store carbon in grazing land soil will be eligible for funding from Australia's Emissions Reduction Fund, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The initial methodology is expected to be ready in mid-2014, environment minister Greg Hunt said.
A report by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission recommends that the industry move operations as far from waterways as possible, and better flood-proof wells and tanks, the Denver Post reported. The "lessons learned" report addresses the September floods that, at their peak, forced the closure of 2,658 wells, broke pipes and swept away tanks. The commission will take up the report at its April meeting.
The EPA ordered the US Army to address 15 million pounds of abandoned explosives and propellant stored on the grounds of Camp Minden in Minden, La. A private company under contract with the army had been using the site to improperly store unused explosives and propellant, the EPA said. It ordered the army to submit a disposal plan, including safety measures for disposal workers and the surrounding community.
Myanmar will ban the export of raw timber logs from April 1. The country's forest cover shrank by almost a fifth from 1990 to 2010, Reuters reports.
All Chinese companies emitting more than 13,000 metric tons of CO2e in 2010 will be required to report their greenhouse gas emissions, under regulations expected to kick in next year, Reuters says. The reporting rule is designed to set the stage for a nationwide carbon market.
Chinese environmental authorities have approved in principle a plan to tackle soil pollution, by prioritizing certain pollution sources and creating a process to clean damage soil. About 8 million acres of Chinese farmland – about the size of Belgium – is too polluted for crops, Reuters reports.
The Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin are helping consumers pay for pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars from Chinese makers, including Warren Buffett-backed BYD, SAIC Motor Corp and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile Group Co (JAC Motors). The government has a target of half a million new energy vehicles by 2015 and 5 million by 2020.
Today at 4pm PST, the California Air Resources Board will post the formal 15-day "Notice of Public Availability of Modified Text and Availability of Additional Documents and Information" including 15-day changes to the proposed amendments to the California Cap On Greenhouse Gas Emissions And Market-Based Compliance Mechanisms (Regulation). This formal 15-day package is the version that will be considered for adoption at the April board hearing. A public comment period runs until April 5.
The California Air Resources Board has posted the 2012 Annual Crude Average carbon intensity calculation for public comment.
California's Water Resources Control Board will ease some protection for fish in the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta, citing recent rains. The shift is expected to make more water available for farming, Reuters reported.
EPA is making available an electronic reporting option for those who file substantial risk notifications and voluntary "For Your Information" submissions with EPA pursuant to section 8(e) of the Toxic Substances Control Act. These submissions may now be filed using EPA's electronic document submission system, the Central Data Exchange. Use of this electronic reporting option will streamline and reduce the administrative costs and burden of submitting paper-based notifications, the EPA says.
The DOE Building Technologies Office announced that its Peer Review will now be ending on April 24. A programmatic peer review meeting, April 22-24 in Arlington, Va., will be open to the public. At the event, independent experts will assess the contributions of each project's progress toward BTO's mission and goals. These assessments will be used to enhance the management of existing efforts, gauge the effectiveness of projects, and design future programs, the DOE says. The meeting will also provide an opportunity to promote collaborations and partnerships.
Five companies in New England that store or use extremely hazardous chemicals will pay penalties ranging from $5,600 to over $85,000 for violating the Clean Air Act, Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, and/or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, the EPA announced. Under settlements with the agency, the companies are also taking action to reduce the likelihood of chemical accidents. The companies are Metal Finishing Technologies, JCI Jones Chemicals, Holland Company, PCA Systems and Northeastern Shaped Wire.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved further revisions to the definition of the bulk electric system, to provide greater clarity, consistency and improved reliability by focusing on core facilities that are necessary for operating the interconnected transmission network. FERC approved a proposal by the North American Electric Reliability Corp to refine exclusions for radial facilities and local networks, and it clarified that all forms of generation, including variable generation resources, are included in the bulk electric system.
FERC initiated further steps to improve the coordination and scheduling of natural gas pipeline capacity with electricity markets, in light of increased reliance on natural gas by electric generators. The Commission issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to gather public comments on its proposals to revise the natural gas operating day and scheduling practices used by interstate pipelines to schedule natural gas transportation service. The proposed revisions include starting the natural gas operating day earlier, moving the Timely Nomination Cycle later, and increasing the number of intra-day nomination opportunities to help shippers adjust their scheduling to reflect changes in demand.
FERC issued a 10-year pilot license to Public Utility District No. 1 of Snohomish County for the proposed 600 kW Admiralty Inlet Pilot Tidal Project to be located in Puget Sound, Wash. The experimental project is designed to determine whether commercial tidal power development in the sound is commercially viable. The action authorizes Public Utility District No. 1 of Snohomish County to study, monitor, and evaluate the environmental, economic, and cultural effects of hydrokinetic energy.
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winShadow 3.0
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7 Grilling Tools You Don't Need (But Probably Have In Your Garage Anyway)
(Credit: Home Decorators Collection)
The market is over-saturated with jams, syrups, time-saving gadgets, and other Things To Buy. How are you to know what's worth the money? We'll tell you, that's how. And we'll start with grilling tools. Here are some accessories you definitely don't need next time you fire up the Weber. Let's get to it, shall we?
"Instant Light" Charcoal: It tastes like chemicals. Use regular Kingsford or, better yet, hardwood charcoal. Basically, learn how to light a good fire without accelerant (we use a chimney starter) and your food will thank you.
Cheap Grill Brushes: They'll melt the first time you use them. We like this Brinkmann wire brush with a built-in edge for scraping the grate–it's got heft, like any good grilling tool should.
Meat Forks: "I've never met a meat fork that I liked," says BA food editor Hunter Lewis. To transfer your meat from grill to plate, use tongs with the help of a spatula, if needed. Why chance losing any of the meaty juices by over-piercing your protein?
An Old Thermometer: An instant-read thermometer is not a buy-once-have-forever kitchen tool. Test yours by submerging it in ice water and verifying that it reads 32 degrees F. If it fails, replace it. You're spending money on a great cut of meat; you don't want to overcook it because your thermometer didn't do its job.
Multi-Use Tools: That go-go gadget fork with the thermometer attached? It's got too many bells and whistles to be reliable, trust us. Keep it simple. Grilling is about understanding heat, knowing when to turn things, when to take them off the grill, how long to rest them–"everything else is just noise," says Lewis. We may love a good tchotchke but not when it comes to grilling.
BBQ Holsters: Nerd alert! Okay, there is a real reason why we don't like these: Once you whip out that brush, use it, and return it to its leathery place, either that holster or your jeans become full of grease. Also, there's danger of burning yourself. Just use a sheet pan or tray to hold your tools, instead.
Monogrammed (Or Any Other) Meat Branders: Just don't.
Need more grilling tips? Here are the 10 Commandments of Grilling from Elizabeth Karmel, executive chef at New York City's Hill Country Barbecue.
–Julia Bainbridge


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Saginaw County Jail visitors will remain at the mercy of Mother Nature.
Sheriff Charles L. Brown said building and fire code issues, cost, liability and safety concerns prevent his department from constructing a temporary visitation area for people waiting to visit jail inmates.
"We're throwing good money after bad," he said. "This county cannot afford it."
For now, the Sheriff's Department will add three concession machines, he said.
The present conditions, while "deplorable," don't violate state Department of Corrections regulations, Brown said.
The solution, he said, is to build a permanent addition rather than sink money into something that won't fix the problem in the long term.
Today, many visitors wait outside in a "cubby hole" area surrounded by three walls and an overhang that's open to the weather. Fifty to 60 "or more" people visit daily at the 513-bed jail at Harrison and Cass, he said, adding up to thousands every year.
While they wait, they are exposed to the cold of winter and the heat of summer.


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Owie....that hurt my ears!
I can hear all of it, up to the 12k.
i'm 16.
I can hear all of it, up to the 12k.
i'm 16.
This test is better
Hearing Test Products
For that test I fairly easily heard 22 kHz. I also tried the aliasing test, and my system passed. Testing myself with tones I generated with Audacity, I was able to hear up to 23 kHz, but nothing past that. At that point, I'm not sure if it's my ears or my equipment that's causing the roll-off. I'll just assume it's my ears.
Any sine wave above 15 kHz is brutal. Those are some really painful tones to listen to!!
BTW, aliasing works like this:
Let's say you have two sine waves: one at 2 kHz and the other at 4 kHz. The one at 4 kHz can sound exactly the same as the 2 kHz tone if aliasing is present. It's a bit hard to describe, but maybe this image will help.
Notice that there are two sine waves present, the red one and the blue one. Each have the exact same values where the dots are located. When you sample an analog signal to turn it into a digital signal, all you really are doing is taking several of these "dots" and using them to represent your original signal. Unfortunately, in doing this, two different signals can look identical. This is known as aliasing; one frequency appears exactly the same as another one. In this case, the blue sine wave is sampled correctly while the red one is sampled incorrectly. The red one will sound like the blue one.
The sampling rate for a CD is 44.1 kHz, which basically means that anything under 22.05 kHz will be sampled correctly, and anything above that will be aliased to another frequency below 22.05 kHz. This won't be a problem in audio recordings because anti-aliasing filters are used in order to basically attenuate anything above 22.05 kHz from the original signal.
If you heard a rising tone instead of a falling tone during the aliasing test, it means that your system is experiencing aliasing. For this test, a system that experiences aliasing will be representing higher frequencies as lower ones, and vice-versa.
This test is better
Hearing Test Products
I get no aliasing at 44.1 kHz, but I've got some at 48 kHz. This does not come from my soundcard, that doesn't alias, but from my Internet browser and the plugin used to play the sound.
There was no audible aliasing for me in the test. I could hear from 15 kHz and below (age 33, male).
Originally Posted by immtbiker
I wish the "Sweep left, 20 - 20.000 Hz -10 dB (677 KB)" ran with a visual graph so I can gauge at which tone I lose my ability to hear higher frequencies.
Anyone know of such a test from the internet?


text:
MEDINA, Ohio — Mowgli, a 14-year-old dachshund-chihuahua weighing less than six pounds, needs a home.
UPDATE: Mowgli has been adopted by someone who saw this story.
"Mowgli is a little love bug and is happy to just sit in your lap all day long," Save Ohio Strays volunteer Sandy Barnosky said.
"He does great with both cats and dogs. But as an older gentleman, he does have his aches and pains so he is on two affordable medications."
Details: saveohiostrays.com, or call 440-567-3585.


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A West Chester University freshman was given just 25 seconds during a basketball game to earn himself $10,000 by making a layup, a free throw, a three-pointer and a half-court shot.
He did it all. And he might not claim the prize. Find out more about this story by watching the video below.


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"Oregon's Silicon Forest has experienced astoundingly high levels of trade-related job loss," said Elizabeth Swager, assistant director of the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign, which issued a report this afternoon on tech job loss during the past decade.
It's an oft-told tale: The state's tech work force is 26 percent smaller today than it was at the peak of the dot-com bubble, according to figures from the Oregon Employment Department.
Most of those lost jobs were in manufacturing, which Oregon once hoped would be a durable new, leading-edge industry in the state.
When the Internet bubble burst and hardware demand plummeted, many employers went away and never came back. It wasn't all because of trade, though.
One of the problems with a bubble is that there are more jobs, and more investment, than the underlying economics can support.
Some work simply evaporated after the Internet bust, victim of a global economic crash concentrated in the tech sector. Meanwhile, automation across all manner of production made industry less job-intensive.
And unlike some tech hubs, such as Seattle and the Silicon Valley, Oregon had few survivors from the tech bust to create new jobs in the state.
The offshoring of jobs reflects the complexities of international trade, which provides Americans with cheaper products -- sometimes at the expense of jobs.
That's what happened at InFocus Corp., which lost its market lead in digital projectors to better-known Japanese brands, such as Sony, Epson and NEC.
But global commerce also provides substantial benefits, and Oregon remains one of the most trade-dependent states in the nation.
Intel makes most of its microprocessors in the U.S., for example, and has 17,000 employees in Oregon -- more than anywhere else the company operates. But most of the computers using those American-made chips are in other countries.
Many other Silicon Forest manufacturers -- TriQuint Semiconductor, WaferTech (owned by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.) and ON Semiconductor, among others, make products that are sold around the globe.
It's very difficult to tell how many jobs are lost to international trade, and how many are simply lost as individual businesses stumble.
Oregon Fair Trade makes an effort to provide a figure, citing layoffs attributed to trade by the U.S. Department of Labor. But the numbers are problematic.
The list includes 1,000 Tektronix layoffs in Beaverton in 2008. The company has definitely cut jobs since its 2007 purchase by Danaher Corp., and did outsource some jobs to Shanghai in 2009.
But 1,000 jobs would have represented more than half of Tek's Oregon work force. Current and former employees have given no indication the cuts were near that scale.
(Tektronix didn't return a call and e-mail seeking comment today, and it has refused to discuss its Oregon operations since 2008.)
There are other problems with Oregon Fair Trade's report.
It says, for example, that only one large-scale semiconductor factory was being built in the U.S. last year.
In fact, there were at least four -- Intel has been building two (one in Oregon and one in Arizona), GlobalFoundries has a new factory, Fab 8 in New York, and another New York fab is being built by an industry consortium to speed the production of computer chips on larger silicon wafers.
Still, while Oregon Fair Trade's report appears to overstate the impact of international trade, there's no doubt that it has an effect. Those impacts include the hiring of skilled foreign workers by American companies.
Intel received more than 1,000 H-1B visas to hire skilled foreigners in 2010, according to federal data for that year.
On a conference call this afternoon, Oregon Fair Trade featured Liz Trojan, who blamed her 1999 layoff by Tektronix on international trade.
"It's obvious that more and more foreign workers are being brought in through the H-1B visa program, or the jobs are being offshored," Trojan said. "We're in a race to the bottom."