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The San Francisco Symphony has canceled four home concerts and an East Coast tour, which would have taken it to Carnegie Hall this week. Its musicians, who earn an average of $165,000, are on strike, seeking assurances that theirs will remain among the country's top-three orchestras in terms of pay — capable of recruiting top talent and putting on the best performances for years to come.
In third place behind the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the San Francisco musicians are ahead of such groups as the New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony Orchestra.
The orchestra's management says it shares the same quality concerns. "It's all about the music and the musicians. That's why we're here," said Brent Assink, the orchestra's executive director, who took part with musician union representatives in three 13-hour bargaining sessions last week to try to resolve the strike — the first at this orchestra since the 1996-97 season, when it canceled 43 concerts and was silent for nine weeks. The symphony has posted deficits in each of its last four seasons, including $844,000 in 2011-12.
The musicians' contract expired Nov. 24 and was extended through Feb. 15, while the orchestra kept performing and labor talks continued. The musicians walked out last Wednesday.
Afterward, principal timpanist David Herbert, who leaves next season to join the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, accused management of creating a "cultural disconnect" with its musicians. Violist David Gaudry, chair of the musicians' negotiating committee, called management's latest two-year proposal a "draconian" attack on wages, benefits and work rules.
It would have increased pay by one percent by the end of the first year, and by two percent in the second, bringing the minimum annual salary to $145,979 (from a current $141,700) and to a projected average of more than $165,000. Musicians would continue to receive ten weeks' vacation. Three of four family health plan options would have required no monthly payments by the musicians — though Gaudry said the most popular plan would have required a 400 percent increase in premiums.
"The primary concern of the musicians is to keep the artistic product competitive," Gaudry said. "We want to be the best symphony orchestra in the country. It's our fear that we're going to lose many of the gains that we've been making artistically over the last years."
Despite the recent deficits, the orchestra's "financial health is robust," Gaudry contended, citing several examples: Its endowment has grown significantly in recent years; the organization spent $11 million on celebrations during its centennial season in 2011; and Assink has received a "longevity" bonus of about $280,000.
Assink countered that his own regular wages have been frozen in two of the past four years, along with the rest of the staff's. What it comes down to, he said, is finding a balance that preserves "the long-term financial sustainability of the organization, and that includes having the best musicians."
For a lot of people, the deal offered by management would be a sweet one — including most of the country's classical musicians, who don't play in top-tier orchestras with 52-week seasons. In the South Bay, a top-paid member of Symphony Silicon Valley earns between $15,000 and $18,000 per season. At the California Symphony in Walnut Creek, a musician who participates in every rehearsal and performance over the course of a season earns less than $4,000.
"I'm sympathetic to both sides" in the San Francisco dispute, said Andrew Bales, president of Symphony Silicon Valley. Any organization, he said, commits suicide without a smartly balanced budget. On the other hand, the San Francisco Symphony's players "have achieved to the top tier of their profession and don't want to be put back." Still, he points out, "It's hard for the rank-and-file population to see musicians at that price-point on the picket line and to be sympathetic. It's very hard for a blue collar worker to look at that and not say, 'Oh, my God.' "
The San Francisco Symphony's labor problems are only one piece of a national landscape. Due to a crippling contract dispute, the Minnesota Orchestra hasn't performed since the fall. The Philadelphia Orchestra crawled out of bankruptcy proceedings last year. "The economy has taken its toll in terms of ticket sales and on the philanthropic side," said Judith Kurnick, a spokeswomanfor the League of American Orchestras. "The pie feels smaller."
The career path for classical musicians, however, is long and expensive, starting at an early age with private lessons and daily practicing, and continuing through years of conservatory training. String players at top-tier orchestras must buy or secure instruments typically valued at $200,000 to $1 million. "It's like carrying a second mortgage," Gaudry said.
Contact Richard Scheinin at 408-920-5069, read his stories and reviews at www.mercurynews.com/richard-scheinin and follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/richardscheinin.


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Grade 10 - Mean, Mode and Median
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You are here: Social Security Administration > Research, Statistics & Policy Analysis > Research and Analysis by Author > Arnold Steinbach
Research and Analysis by Arnold Steinbach
Cut-Backs and Unemployment Compensation, September 1943-April 1944
from Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 7, No. 7 (released July 1944)
A Survey of Claimants for Unemployment Compensation in February-March 1943
from Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 6, No. 12 (released December 1943)
Austrian Experience with Retraining to Meet Labor-Market Needs
from Social Security Bulletin, Vol. 3, No. 10 (released October 1940)


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Greener Options from West Elm
During a quick trip to Portland this weekend, I visited my first West Elm store. I've known about their selection of organic bedding, but I was surprised by how many eco-friendly options the store had to offer. Curious about the company's environmental priorities, I decided to do a bit more research. (Landis had the same thought as I did when considering West Elm's collaboration with Sesame Letterpress.)
1 Recycled Spanish-Glass Vases, $6.00-$12.00 each
2 Organic Seedling Duvet Cover + Shams, $14.99-$99.00 (on sale!)
3 Eco Rug Pad (made from 100% plant-based oils), $6.00-$59.00 depending on size
4 Lombok Pottery (handcrafted by Indonesian women artisans), $12.00-$24.00
5 Yard Dyed Organic Napkins, $16.00 for a set of 4
West Elm's environmental commitment is multi-faceted and includes taking steps to improve not just their products, but their retail stores and catalogs too. Within their product line, the company utilizes organic cotton, rapidly renewable resources (like jute or hemp) and recycled materials. West Elm also works with organizations like Aid to Artisans, Forest Stewardship Council and Global Forest and Trade Network to ensure more responsible material procurement and product manufacturing. While the company may not be classified as an eco-business just yet, I was impressed by the different sustainable strategies that are being implemented and that they are open about the progress they've made while accepting that there is still more to be done.
To read more about West Elm's environmental commitment or browse their green products, click here.
(Images: as linked)


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Silvio Balestra
"Joint Universes All Together Now"
photographic ink
Biography: Silvio Balestra was born on 3 December 1969 in Trieste ( Italy), where he currently lives and works.
He uses photography and computer graphics as means of expression.
In recent years he began researching abstract and conceptual photography, mythologizing the concept of light in a monochrome world wherein all �truly visible� forms disappear.
In graphics, he designs using Microsoft� Excel� drawing. His digital artwork is created not with the usual computer graphics software but with Microsoft� Excel�, a software intended for spreadsheet calculations.
He has taken part in many...
< back


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Imagine what it's like for the victim. Imagine a 28-year-old American-born man living in Yemen. It's early evening, and he's about to leave for a family outing. He ushers his wife and kids into the car and pulls onto the street. In an instant, a high-pitched whine shrieks down from the sky. He, his wife, his two sons and his daughter are blown up, wiped off the face of the earth by a U.S. drone remotely controlled from thousands of miles away.
Imagine that he was an Al Qaeda leader, but that he grew up in Boston and got swept up in a fundamentalist Islamist movement during university in London.
Suppose that CIA agents recently discovered that the subject was directing a group that planned to bomb New York City subways. His wife and children knew nothing about his work or his plans or his political affiliations. What was their crime?
By some estimates, 3,000 suspected terrorists have been killed by drone attacks in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen since 2008. Our imaginary American-Yemeni man was one of them.
Suddenly, in recent weeks, the ethical, legal and moral issues surrounding drone strikes have been making headlines. Only recently have we heard demands for some kind of oversight group to review the list of potential targets. Only now, after years of targeted killings sanctioned by the executive branch, are some people questioning the legality of such attacks.
We haven't talked about drones because we haven't had to think about them. President Obama started taking out people on our enemy hit list shortly after assuming office in 2008. Since then, thousands have been killed, many who were terrorists poised to strike and some who were collateral damage, people caught in the crossfire.
Drones haven't been featured in public discourse because they facilitate a kind of clean killing. No soldiers are on the ground, no Americans get hurt in the process, the victim can be hit from great distance, so the individual controlling the drone and the kill can be sitting in a situation room in the U.S.
It isn't my kid in the Army; it isn't yours. Why send soldiers on missions like the killing of Osama bin Laden when a drone can do the work with no risk to American fighting men and women?


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HARTSVILLE, S.C. – The Coker men's tennis team pulled out a narrow 5-4 win over the Newberry Wolves on Wednesday. The Cobras swept the doubles portion of the match and picked up a pair of wins in singles play to secure the win.
Leonardo Lima (Brazil) and Manel Estruga (Spain) won at No. 1 doubles with a score of 9-8 (7-2). James Corfield (New Zealand) and Guillermo Aylon (Spain) had a masterful come from behind win at No. 2 doubles. Trailing 5-2, the duo battled back to win 8-6. Finally, Billy Simpson (Hartsville, S.C.) and Ricardo Perez (Corpus Christi, Texas) earned an 8-3 victory at No. 3 doubles.
Leading 3-0 after the doubles portion of the match, the Cobras needed just two singles victories to secure the overall win and they got them from Estruga and Aylon. Estruga's win came at No. 3 singles where he defeated his opponent 6-1 in the first set, only to have his opponent retire in the second. Aylon got he win at No. 4 singles with a 7-5, 6-4 straight set victory.
The Cobras will hit the road for their next two matches this weekend. On Saturday they will travel to King College for a 1 p.m. match and then on Sunday they will face Lees-McRae College at 2 p.m.


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Concurrent and joint resolutions opposing adoption of the fifteenth U.S. constitutional amendment, pp. 184, 198-199. Introduced by John S. Hager and William M. Gwin. The days to specifically look at is Friday, January 13, 1870, pages 180-184, and January 18, 1870, pages 195-201.
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Lady Knights set to take on Owens CC at nationals
The CCRI women's basketball team will open play at the NJCAA Division II National Tournament at 9 a.m. Central Time, a change from the originally scheduled 1 p.m. tip. CCRI is the No. 10 seed and will face No. 1 Owens Community College of Toledo, Ohio in the first round.
Owens is ranked No. 9 by the NJCAA Division II poll as District I champion with a 25-7 record. The Express has four players averaging in double-figures led by Emma-Jean Ricketts with 16.8 points per game, followed by Karahn Scott at 11.9 points and 10.1 rebounds, Uniqua Mitchell with 11 points and Mackenzie Heacock with 10.7 points per game. In addition, the Express are riding a nine-game winning streak as they head to nationals.
The Lady Knights look to counter the Express with their all-time leading scorer, assists, and steals leader Jahira Smith (Brooklyn, N.Y.), who comes into nationals with 1,021 career points, 305 assists and 254 steals. She is averaging 18 points, 4.4 assists, and 4.5 steals per game this season. Smith will be helped by Nyjah Porcher (New Britain, Conn.) the single season rebound leader with 323 rebounds this year who averages 15.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per game. The two sophomores will be helped by the freshman guard tandem of Lexi Barros (New Bedford, Mass.), who is averaging 16 points per game with 3.6 assists and 3.7 steals and Ahnyyah Jackson (Hackensack, N.J.), who averages 12 points per game.
Should the Lady Knights win their first match-up they would face the winner of the 2 vs. 15 match-up of Louisburg College (NC) and Erie Community College (NY) Wednesday at 8 p.m. CST. Should CCRI lose they would play the loser of that game Thursday at 9 a.m. CST.
A live stream of tourney games is available online at www.cybersportsusa.com/tourney.asp?tc_id=2648.
Knights' baseball tops Mercyhurst 7-5
The CCRI baseball team continue play at Mercyhurst Northeast in Erie, Pa., on Sunday versus the Lakers of Mercyhurst and won 7-5 for its first victory of the season.
The Knights staged a dramatic comeback in the ninth inning after trailing 5-2 entering the frame. The Lincoln connection of Ryan O'Dell (Lincoln) and Tyler Santaniello (Lincoln) led the charge with lead-off walks to start the top of the ninth inning, followed by a two RBI double by freshman Zack Wood (Jewett City, Conn.). Freshman Jonathon Vasquez (Bridgeport, Conn.) followed with a walk and Captain Nick Coro (North Providence), pinch-hitting for Gian Abbruzzese (North Providence), hit a two-RBI double to the fence in right field to put the Knights in the lead at 6-5. Freshman Joe Yankee (Lincoln), pinch-hitting for Ryan Wordell (Little Compton), pulled a triple down the right field to drive in Coro to complete the scoring. Jay Ferri (North Kingstown), the Knights' closer finished the ninth inning by striking out the side.
Wood and Vasquez had two hits and two RBI each. On the mound, Max Perry (Pawtucket), CJ Angelo (Trumbull), Dan Dipippo (Scituate, Mass.), Sam Morgan (Cranston), and Kory Lawrence (Woonsocket) were all effective in their efforts out of the bullpen as they scattered eight hits and five runs over the nine innings.
"This team is going to be real strong once we combine the hitting with our solid pitching and defense" said coach Ken Hopkins.
The Knights will travel to Orlando, Fla on Wednesday for a series of six games on their annual Southern road trip.
Lady Knights fall to Muscatine and St. Clair
The CCRI Lady Knights' softball team continued play at the National Training Center in Clermont, Fla., on Monday with a split doubleheader versus Muscatine Community College from Muscatine, Iowa and St. Clair County CC from Port Huron, Mich. The Lady Knights lost 6-0 to Muscatine and 7-5 to St. Clair. With the losses the Lady Knights begin the season 0-4.
On the mound for the Lady Knights in game one was Katie Paddock (Providence), who allowed four runs – one earned – in four innings. Macayla Paiva (West Greenwich) game up two runs in three innings while striking out one.
At the plate for the Lady Knights, freshman Liz Coburn (Chepachet) had a great day, going 3-3, and Amber Boucher (Warwick) had two hits. Also getting hits for the Lady Knights were Mel Iadeluca (Warwick), Kate Fowler (Warwick), and Brittany Smith (North Providence). The Lady Knights managed nine hits but could not get a run on the board to help the strong pitching efforts.
In game two, Iadeluca started and got into early trouble, allowing six runs in two innings. Paddock allowed one hit in an inning of relief, while Dara Patton (Cranston) finished strong with four innings of one-run ball.
Offensively for the Lady Knights Alex Place (East Greenwich) had a two-run single, two runs scored and a stolen base and Coburn added two hits, a runs scored, and an RBI. Also helping the Lady Knights' offense was Izzy MarcAurele (Cranston,) with a hit, run scored, and an RBI. Kyrie Craig (Warwick) worked two walks, with two stolen bases, and a run scored, and Sara Deal (North Kingstown) added a hit and an RBI.


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The increases in today's technology demand a workforce with an evolving skill set equipped to handle the complexities of advanced manufacturing.
(PRWEB) May 15, 2014
American manufacturers are facing a serious problem: finding workers who have the skill sets required to perform necessary job functions.THE BIG M, produced by SME, is coming June 9-12 to Detroit's Cobo Center, and will discuss closing the skills gap in order for American manufacturers to stay competitive.
Thursday, June 12 at THE BIG M, several panels and breakout sessions will focus on obtaining and training a skilled and capable workforce, talent retention and coping with the skills gap.
"The increases in today's technology demand a workforce with an evolving skill set equipped to handle the complexities of advanced manufacturing," said Jeannine Kunz, managing director of workforce and education for SME. Kunz will be a panelist on the "Critical Talent Strategies for Shaping Our Future" session at THE BIG M.
"Training and development of the workforce is instrumental in addressing the needs of manufacturers and keeping the U.S. competitive," Kunz added.
In southeast Michigan, there is a significant gap between the jobs available and enough skilled workers to fill them.
"As Michigan's economy continues to improve, more companies are facing a shortage of skilled workers, especially in the areas of engineering, skilled trades and computer programmers," said Amy Cell, senior vice president of talent enhancement at the Michigan Economic Development Corp., and a panelist with Kunz. "Now, more than ever, our state's future depends on a workforce with the necessary talents and training for the jobs of today and tomorrow. THE BIG M Conference will provide an opportunity to look for innovative ways to meet these talent needs."
Demand is increasing, not only for front-end users, but also for the back-end staff, who are the people capable of maintaining the machinery essential to manufacturing; they are also in short supply.
One of THE BIG M's sponsors, Kelly Services Inc., recognizes that accessibility is essential in helping fill these skilled positions and that this Great Lakes region is well equipped to support the manufacturing industry's demand.
"More than 1.8 million engineers are currently employed in the U.S., with nearly four percent working in southeastern Michigan," said Tim McAward, vice president, Americas Engineering Product leader at Kelly Services Inc.
Research has also shown that manufacturers need a pool of highly qualified talent to complete on a global scale. The best way to ensure a steady supply of top-notch workers is through education.
One solution to preparing young people for careers in industry is creating youth programs that inspire them to pursue a future in technology. Promoting science, technology, engineering and math, also known as STEM education, is a statewide priority and a topic for discussion at THE BIG M.
The panel, "Critical Talent Strategies for Shaping Our Future," is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on June 12; breakout sessions on workforce development include:
- International Talent Retention in Michigan: A Pathway to National Competitiveness.
- GEN-NOW – How Organizations can Understand the Different Generations in the Workplace.
- Building a Performance-Based Workforce.
Other panelists discussing workforce and talent include:
- Athena Trentin, Director, Global Talent Retention Initiative.
- Greg Lelo, National Student Program Manager, U.S. Operations, The Dow Chemical Co.
- Matt Morse, Partner, Employment & Family Based Immigrant Attorney, Fakhoury Law Group.
- Jason S. Morga, VP, Americas Marketing Group, Kelly Services Inc.
- Lance Jensen, VP, Office of Innovation, Kelly Services Inc.
- John Hindman, Professional Services Manager, Tooling U-SME.
- Edward Morris, Director, America Makes (National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute).
- Dennis Kekas, Director, Next Generation Power Electronics Innovation Institute.
- William King, Director, Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute.
- Alan Taub, Director, American Lightweight Materials Manufacturing Innovation Institute.
- Elana Broitman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense, Manufacturing & Industrial Base Policy, Office of the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Department of Defense.
- Mark Johnson, Director, Advanced Manufacturing Office, U.S. Department of Energy.
- Michael Molnar, Director, Advanced Manufacturing Program Office, National Institute of Standards & Technology, U.S. Department of Commerce.
- LaNetra Tate, Advanced Manufacturing Strategic Principal Investigator, Space Technology Mission Directorate, NASA.
To learn more about THE BIG M, view full conference and exhibit details or register for any of the event's offerings, visit BigMEvent.com. Check out THE BIG M Webcast on "Solving the Skilled Workforce Challenges Manufacturers Face Today!" Click here to watch.
About THE BIG M
SME's THE BIG M initiative is years in the making ― designed to convene manufacturers around industry's most vital issues and leverage the power of industry leaders to collaborate and address them. This event demonstrates that manufacturing professionals and companies can shape the future by creating a strong path forward together, connecting people with technology and expertise, affirming the importance of manufacturing, speaking in a unified voice to policymakers and proving that manufacturing is a knowledge industry where creativity is sought and valued.
Highlights will include Innovation Factories featuring live presentations of the latest technologies; exhibit floor "tech talks" and Q&A sessions with industry experts who will provide the knowledge and insight manufacturers need most. Featured technologies include smart manufacturing, modeling and simulation, digital manufacturing, advanced materials and lightweighting, cybersecurity and more. THE BIG M is the umbrella pulling together several co-located events including: SME's RAPID Conference & Exposition, the North American Manufacturing Research Conference, the ISA Cybersecurity Conference, the MMTC Proud to Manufacture in Michigan Conference, the Great Lakes Manufacturing Council Manufacturing Forum and the Advanced Manufacturing Partnership 2.0 National Meeting.
About THE BIG M Sponsorships
THE BIG M Event sponsors have invested time and resources to the conference and the future of the manufacturingindustry. Among the organizations that have contributed to conference are the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Autodesk, The Dow Chemical Co., Kelly Services Inc., GE and Dell Inc.
About SME
SME connects all those who are passionate about making things that improve our world. As a nonprofit organization, SME has served practitioners, companies, educators, government and communities across the manufacturing spectrum for more than 80 years. Through its strategic areas of events, media, membership, training and development, and the SME Education Foundation, SME is uniquely dedicated to advancing manufacturing by addressing both knowledge and skill needs for industry. Follow @sme_mfg on Twitter or facebook.com/smemfg.


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Facebook Reaches One Billion Users
You know what's cool? One billion users.
OK, now that that's out of the way, lets discuss the big Facebook news, which is that the social network recently topped one billion users. This amounts to about 15% of the world's population.
Mark Zuckerberg announced the achievement as a status update on his Facebook page, and thanked users for "making Facebook a better place."
Facebook's stock has fallen 43% since its much ballyhooed IPO and advertisers have questioned whether Facebook is giving them enough bang for their buck. For these reasons, there have been rumblings that Zuckerberg, Facebook's 28-year-old CEO, is no longer the right person to be running the company he started in his college dorm room.
But now Zuckerberg at least has this big billion user milestone to hang on his critics.
That's just a huge number. When one thinks about how many baby photos and unsolicited political opinions a billion users can create it really boggles the mind.


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Memories Hi
Recently, John was cleaning out the design closet and found a keepsake from long ago - a single heel from seasons past memories. Finding this tall, slender heel brought back a flood of lovely memories from when John originally designed the heel. Feeling inspired, and realizing how far he has come since first designing The Memories, John decided to revisit his drawing, creating a taller 5" leather wrapped heel on a comfy 1" platform. Featuring an almond toe shape, soft veggie-tanned leathers in delicate pleating, and Attention rubber soles, The Keepsakes are both glamorous and understated. My memories of Love are all of you.


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Plane crashes in Guatemala, kills 6 men
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A small plane crashed in an isolated mountain area of western Guatemala on Friday, killing six men and causing scores of villagers to swarm the site and carry off bags of cash, according to a firefighters' spokesman.
The plane smashed into a hill in the town of Nuevo Porvenir about 90 miles (150 kilometers) from the Mexican border and was completely destroyed, said the spokesman, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons. Four of the victims, including the pilot, were identified as Mexicans and a fifth Venezuelan. The nationality of the sixth was not known.
The spokesman said he saw a pistol among the wreckage and that local villagers were looting, taking luggage and cash in U.S. dollars and Mexican pesos that the victims had been carrying.
Rescue crews and investigators abandoned the area for fear of the villagers, who blocked the road to the morgue as firefighters tried to transport the bodies, the spokesman said. He added that they demanded to be paid to pass.
The area near the border is known for many disputes among villages over land, water and drug trafficking territory.
The pilot's license said he is native of Tamaulipas state in northern Mexico. The identification of another passenger in the plane said he was from Sonora, a state that also borders the United States.


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Will 2nd Inaugural Speech Define Obama's Legacy?
What will President Obama's legacy be? Second Inaugurals are rare, and Obama -- with a great speech -- has a chance to begin defining his legacy as a "great" one. Photo: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... the ... on a it's Monday the twenty first of January Asia starry eyed welcome the new top of the beest live ... I'm tendency but hello today is the coolest ... inauguration day when looking at online shop that ... sticking out from the capital out of the National no less ... upwards of eight hundred thousand people are expected to gather Tuesday ... four days festivities the nation's capital seem to be checked out ... all the day ... at the inauguration said we'll be taking place on the West front of the U S capital just in front ... of that are not facts that we can probably see I mean that ... an adversary was traditionally held on the council's building in East what got into line snaking but what it meant that the website ... for Ronald Reagan's ... inauguration ... just a cough well ... like expected to be a very busy day Washington's asada president ... and Mrs Obama love with Vice President and Mrs Biden will be attending ... a chance that it's just moments from now ... than at ... eleven twenty the ceremonial swearing in takes place on the West and huge capital ... then a bottle can deliver his inaugural address about thirty minutes of the last time and ... falling in over a lunch in the parade of that fall from the U S capital through the streets of Washington ... found the White House and we should also mention that today ... is a month in the thinking day the Newark Stock Exchange and announced that the place ... was so nice goes and buying supplies and the night waking that U S mail delivery ... well ... the Westside appetite for what's coming out when President Obama gets his second in Texas the format that ... has to thicken quickly confirmed Highness inauguration speeches at the unit ... the inauguration ... the ... thing on my good and bad ... I am ... ET ... but all that ... Ed ... top ... what got caught drinking job for you ... that's what you can do your country ... here's ... how ... America will celebrate his two hundredth anniversary of May ... and within the lifetime of most people now living ... many time Apollo break that great new here which I'm ... only one can of Baume near ... the beginning of the third moment ... if we could be ... generations to come on the Mailbox now living ... we've mastered our homes ... that we hope to ... make the world they ramp up zz zz ... it is art from ... the brink ... so while the price ... a diaper ... the ... upgrade of ... the refs you when I ... as individuals can buy the borrowing ... it's beyond our means ... for only a limited period of time ... why then should we think that collectively as a nation ... we are not bound by that same limitation ... we must act today in order to preserve tomorrow ... our unity ... our union ... is the serious work of leaders and citizens in every generation ... and this is my solemn pledge ... I will work to build a single nation ... of justice ... and opportunity ... but it ... was the message ... the words of Scripture ... taught let's call to set aside childish but ... I met strong ... to rip her apart or a spirit ... that you lose our better history to carry forward ... that precious gift ... that noble idea passed on from generation to generation ... the God given promise that all are equal ... all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of a ... Wells and soaring prayer is an unforgettable rhetorical lunch isn't that but ... many of those who fast I know girls because not many presidents ... have the privilege of making a second presidential address to fix presidents ... before Obama since the dawn of the twentieth century ... I might get made redundant field of presidential leadership fifteen decisions that change the nation ... he joined the opinion that the nesting nice to get stuck ... in a speech can change a nation ... how can so will the second overall ... beat when it comes to defining a bomb of legacy ... going naked Marnie much for joining us ... some stunning indictment that watching this clip doesn't in southern brings the chaos of the items at ... the sink or in a recent speech well I think the couple things one is simplicity the ones that we remember of Lincoln's second which is a classic ... only seven hundred words not that long on Kennedy's is a chocolate from ... they're not they're not stated the unions that have a long list of policy prescriptions they have very simple core beliefs ... with Lincoln is healing nation with Kennedy was not service to the country one rated it was about ... what government can do for you when individuals to do so ... at its core it's about simplicity in and of course ... of a memorable rhetorical force or two helps now everyone says that of course the fast time is all about re election gets a second time as a means of about regulation how important is a speech ... in ... defining not like it's a great question typically speeches don't make the lead the legacy of the one speech that really is a chance to star Korean legacy is the second of which are the kicks off the second party missed ration ... the lays out a vision of what the present lot to do ... surely with weak in his his second inaugural created this right atmosphere for creating reconstruction I think FDR second on another great one ... aam prison Reagan had a very good second doubles up as a present Obama is known as a great speech maker has really given any memorable speeches as president ... so this was his chance the step of the ten K here's what my legacy to start losing his mind is is his moment wants a can of the what if the messy task to be millenia Vatican's about some very very simple one ... one big thing what you think might be I firstly think it'll be something about ... solving our long-term financial problems and I'm not with specific policies the particular unit is the union but rather setting the tone that one not out of the woodshed ... that everybody needs to sacrifice ... that we you know it took us awhile to get into this whole two tickets while to get out ... but as a nation were to go forward we need to figure out a long-term ... serving time in debt obligations or were to do it that wasn't the sickening slim as the King of is in the Lincoln Memorial there is an extraordinary speech and ... you really get the sense that we've suffered from huge poetry and that kind of soreness right that's the sort our tree ... from the topics Gladden ... Kabbalah the sense of seeking to garner I ... do think he has also the possibility of I think I'm in line with a concert I think so it sort of sad that language is gone away a little bit even if you look at the Kennedy clan and Ted Sorenson wrote most that speech ... the prose was storing that day weekend was I consider him the greatest American writer period is to be a great present I think present Obama has a faster cadence and rhythm he knows how to give a speech in a better idea speech ... and I think I ate I expected to deliver something big today that maybe other presidents we saw Jimmy Carter Richard Nixon not know his great orders not known for the rhetorical force is present Obama is um I think the kick off his legacy he needs to deliver a great speech tonight ...


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CHICAGO, IL (Dec. 7, 2011) – The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced today that the club has parted ways with forwards Cristian Nazarit and Gabriel Ferrari. The Colombian and American youth international spent the 2011 season with the Fire.
"We would like to thank Cristian and Gabriel for their contributions to the club," said Fire head coach Frank Klopas. "We have mutually agreed with both players that parting ways is in the best interest of both parties and wish them well in the future."
Nazarit tallied two goals and one assist over 15 MLS and Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup appearances with the Fire after being signed to an MLS contract on May 4.
Ferrari, who earned a spot with the club in preseason, appeared in four competitive matches after being signed on March 24.


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LAUDERHILL, Fla. – The Canadian-ness of the three MLS teams north of the 48th has been a near-constant source of discussion since Toronto FC came into the league in 2007. When the Reds were joined first by Vancouver in 2011, then by Montreal in 2012, the hope among die-hard Voyageurs was that the league would begin to take on more of a Canuck flavor.
It hasn't happened as quickly as some would like. But on Day 2 of the 2013 MLS Combine, a pair of Canadian talents provided some hope that there'll be a few more regulars in the lineups this coming season.
Central midfielder Kyle Bekker and forward Emery Welshman, who both hail from Toronto and both played club ball with Sigma FC Academy, were the two stars of the day. Each had a goal, each played hard on both sides of the ball, and each improved their stock.
"It was nice to get out there and play with one of my former teammates, Emery," Bekker said afterward. "I thought he was the best player on the field today."
Welshman might have been. On the day's first goal he peeled off the backline, then sent Bekker through for a nice, slotted finish. Seven minutes later he made it 2-0, finding space in the box to thump home a one-time finish with his right foot.
"It's a huge help," Welshman said of having a familiar face with him in the attack. "I've known Kyle for a while – I've played with him for the last, let's say eight years. Six [or] eight years. He's one of the most creative attacking players Canada has at the moment, and I'm so glad he's here with me. He has good things ahead of him."
Including, quite possibly, a spot in the top five of the draft. Bekker's been climbing mock draft boards, and he fits a need for Vancouver – a deep-lying playmaker who can sit next to Gershon Koffie in the 4-3-3. It's conceivable he could even go as high as Toronto at No. 3, while the Impact will be hard-pressed to go in any other direction if Bekker's still on the board at No. 8. He'd be a natural understudy for Patrice Bernier the Montreal midfield.
As for Welshman, the quality he showed on the day could see him move into the first round. He doesn't see himself as a top three pick – "I'm just fortunate just to have someone even ask me that question. It's never once crossed my mind, going No. 1" – but the three Canadian teams each have two first rounders.
So if the goal is to bring some Canadian talent home, Thursday's draft is a chance to do so in a big hurry. And to do it without sacrificing talent.
"Kyle's honestly one of the best attacking players I've ever played with," Welshman offered. "And I hope we get a chance to play together again someday."
For country, and for club.


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I can't begin to tell you how many times I've tied a bow and then had a friend retie it. Honestly (*nods head). I'm not even upset by it, just slightly befuddled. Until now (*valiantly thrusts arm into the air)!
Thank you Modcloth for showing me how to be a better woman (*hint of sarcasm there – did you catch the whiff?)! Favorite part of the video: the awkward shuffle-away at 0:45 sec. Second favorite part: learning to tie a bow.


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North American Porcupine
(Erethizon dorsatum)
Facts about this animal
The North American porcupine is the second largest rodent in North America, outsized only by beavers. Head-body length ranges from 60-90 cm, and body-weight from 5-14 kg with males being larger than females. The tail is 17-29 cm long. The North American porcupine has only 20 teeth: one incisor, one premolar and three molars in each jaw. The spaces between incisors and premolars (diastema) allows the animals to draw in the lips while gnawing. Long claws, four and a vestigial thumb on the fore paws, and five in back along with rather unique palms, allow for easy climbing on both large trunks and surprisingly minute branches. The palms and soles of porcupines are naked with a pebbly surface. This texture increases the surface area and thus the friction while in contact with a branch. The most obvious anatomic pattern of the species is its spiny coat. The overall colour of coat is dark brown to black, with dorsal guard hairs and spines that contain bands of yellow. Spines called quills extend from head to tail on the dorsal surface. The middle of the tail and lower back are marked by a black line. Quills on the black area are fringed with white. The about 30,000 quills have microscopic barbs on the tip. They are usually around 75 mm long and 2 mm wide.
The porcupines are nocturnal resting in trees during the day, and generally solitary, although groups may gather at feeding sites during summer and early autumn, and several may share a winter den at the same time. During autumn breeding season, a number of males are found around adult females in estrus. Females maintain a territory, and defend it against other females; however male territories typically overlap those of several females. The territories of dominant males rarely overlap. North American porcupines breed only once a year. Mating occurs in the months of October and November. After a gestation period of about 210 days, usually one rarely two young are born, which weigh about 400-500 g at birth, are weaned after 4-5 months, and become independent from their mother after 5-6 months.
North American porcupines are predominantly hervivores Year round diet are the bark and cambium layer of many different trees. Spring and summer diet consists of grasses, buds, twigs, roots, leaves, flowers, seeds and an assortment of other vegetation. Bones and antlers found on the ground are eagerly gnawed for their high mineral content. Winter diet consists primarily of conifer needles and the tree bark of conifers and hardwoods.
Did you know?
That people are the most important enemies of North American porcupines? The porcupines fall very often victim to road traffic, and they are targeted due to certain destructive behaviours. The timber industry targets them because of their taste for trees, agriculturists consider them a pest when they forages on crops such as corn. A desire for salt leads porcupines to gnaw on objects as varied as vehicle tires for road salt or axe handles for salty human perspiration. Until some time ago even bounties and poisoning have been used against porcupines to control their numbers.
|Name (Scientific)
|Erethizon dorsatum
|Name (English)
|North American Porcupine
|Name (French)
|Porc-épic d'Amérique, Ourson coquau
|Name (German)
|Urson, Nordamerikanischer Baumstachler
|Name (Spanish)
|Puercoespín norteamericano
|CITES Status
|Not listed
|CMS Status
|Not listed
Photo Copyright by
U.S. National Park Service
|Canada, Northern Mexico, USA (except Missouri, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, Florida and South Carolina)
|Wide range of habitats including tundra, coniferous and deciduous forests, and desert chaparral.
|Wild population
|Unknown, but stable, with densities of 1 / km2 - 9.5 / km2 (1973) (Red List IUCN 2011)
|Zoo population
|149 animals reported to ISIS (2008), most of the in North America.
In the Zoo
How this animal should be transported
For air transport, Container Note 80 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.
Find this animal on ZooLex
Photo Copyright by
NOrbert Potensky
Why do zoos keep this animal
The North American porcupine is not a threatened species, and it is not very frequently kept by zoos outside the species' range. Zoos keep it primarily for educational reasons.


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Money is defined as something which serves as a means of exchange, a store of value, and a unit of account and represents only an extremely small fraction of the real wealth of any given society or country where it is used. The currency which serves as money may be backed by some tangible commodity, such as the gold standard, or may be fiat money, such as Federal Reserve notes. Alternatively, trade may be carried on using commodity pay, wherein existing commodities are assigned exchange values but not explicitly designated as money.
The Development of Money
The earliest discovered forms of money were easily carried items with some inherent value, such as salt (used in ancient Rome) and fishhooks (used by American Indians). This replaced or supplemented pre-existing barter systems. Precious metals, such as copper, gold, and silver, have made good coins, being both easily transportable and having inherent value. In 1933, the United States abandoned the gold standard,[1] switching over to fiat currency, which has no inherent value beyond the government's assurance that it has value.
Money Neutrality and the Money Market
Money may be viewed as neutral or non-neutral regarding the real economy; it is disputed whether changes in the money market cause changes in real markets. The money market itself consists of a money supply (typically fixed for any given period) and a demand function for money. Because the quantity of money is typically exogenously given, the only variable determined in the money market is the price of money.
External links
- "Purchasing Power of Money in the United States from 1774 to 2008", translates the value of a dollar in one year to the value today or any year
See also
- Currency
- Fiat currency
- Precious metal
- Gold standard
- Gold and Silver
- Inflation hedge
- Science and money


text:
2013 has started great and the SQL community is already brimming with events. At some of these events you can come say hi. I'll be glad you do! These are the events with dates and locations that I know I'll be speaking at so far. February 16th: SQL Saturday #198 - Vancouver, Canada The session I'll present in Vancouver is SQL Impossible: Restoring/Undeleting a table Yes, you read the title right. No, it's not about the usual "one table per partition" and "restore full backup then copy...
posted @ Wednesday, February 13, 2013 1:34 AM | Feedback (0) |
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Copyright © Mladen Prajdić


text:
"When people see it when it's a mud puddle, they'll ask, 'How'd this happen?'" said Tom Campbell, an Amarillo businessman who owns a houseboat on the lake.
"It's a sad ending to a glorious run."
Meredith is not there yet, but it is at 0.48 percent of its capacity, according to the Texas Water Development Board.
The water level was 38.72 feet on Friday, and the Canadian River Municipal Water Authority estimates it can pump that down to 25 or 30 feet before water quality and logistics force it to stop.
A park official holds out hope it won't become a puddle.
"We saw the lake rise 8 feet in three months in 2008," said Cindy Ott-Jones, superintendent of the Lake Meredith National Recreation Area and Alibates National Monument.
CRMWA built Meredith in 1965 to supply member cities with water.
From the start, it was a source of recreation, eventually becoming a national recreation area. But it remains first a source of municipal water.
Campbell received a letter Thursday from Forever Resorts, the concessionaire that runs Marina at Lake Meredith, informing him the National Park Service is ending marina services and has set a Jan. 15 deadline to have his boats out.
Campbell and his wife, Kim, say they can't move their houseboat hundreds of miles away to Lake Texhoma until spring because the ship has been decommissioned for the winter.
They are concerned about other aspects of the closing as well.
"Moving it is an expense, but the people with Forever Resorts won't have jobs, and the wildlife people feed at the marina, who's going to take care of them?" Kim Campbell said.
"What happens to the habitat they created? Ducks, geese, carp, fox, beavers, cranes - they're not really wild anymore. Nobody told us we couldn't feed them for years."
Forever Resorts owns the marina that has been in place 17 years and will have to remove it from the lake.
Now the National Park Service is looking to future projects to add to the recreation area.
"Potentially, when we want to go back out with water-based services we'd do it on a smaller scale," said Ott-Jones.Read more at http://amarillo.com/news/local-news/2010-12-19/nps-sets-boat-removal-date
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Canada NewsWire
MONTREAL, April 10, 2014
DUODOPA improves quality of life for those with advanced stages of disease
MONTREAL, April 10, 2014 /CNW/ - AbbVie today announced that a new treatment called DUODOPA® (levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel) is now available to Canadians with advanced Parkinson's disease. Currently, more than 100,000 Canadians live with Parkinson's – a progressive, incurable neurological disorder that can significantly affect the quality of life of patients, their families and caregivers.
DUODOPA is approved in Canada for the management of advanced Parkinson's disease in adults with severe, disabling motor fluctuations and hyper-/dyskinesia (involuntary movements) not satisfactorily controlled by combinations of available oral medicinal products for Parkinson's disease.
"A major problem that emerges over time in people with Parkinson's disease is fluctuations in their ability to move due to unreliable absorption of oral medications. This leads to inconsistent delivery of the chemical dopamine which controls movement to the brain resulting in unpredictable motor function," said Dr. Anthony Lang of the Movement Disorder Centre at Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, which is one of four centers of excellence in Canada to treat advanced Parkinson's patients with this new treatment. "DUODOPA is a treatment option that enables patients to regain control over their movements and balance which in turn drastically improves their quality of life."
Parkinson's disease, which involves significant loss of limb and balance control, is most commonly diagnosed at 50-60 years of age – although diagnosis can occur at a much younger age. The standard treatment for Parkinson's disease begins with oral therapies, including levodopa, which usually work well during the first years. As the disease progresses, oral therapies no longer provide satisfactory control over severe motor fluctuations and dyskinesia. Now with DUODOPA there is a new option.
"I am a writer and I could not write. I would have very painful tremors in my right hand and rigidity on my entire left side," said Doug Curtis, a playwright who has been living with Parkinson's disease for 10 years. He is one of the first Parkinson's patients in North America to receive DUODOPA. "Parkinson's took away my ability to express myself. But now I can write again. The tempo of my life has returned. I now have the confidence to take on Parkinson's head on."
"My husband was progressively getting worse as he moved into the advanced stages of the disease. Simple daily tasks became a challenge and he became dependent on me," said Heather Moore, Doug's wife and caregiver. "Today, I see Doug's condition improving and because of this progress my family has regained a sense of normalcy in our lives."
About Parkinson's Disease (PD)PD is a progressive neurological disease that affects approximately 6.3 million people, making it the second most common degenerative neurological disorder worldwide1,2.
The severity of PD and how it impacts an individual varies from person to person. The symptoms are predominantly characterized by problems with body movements, called motor symptoms3. These symptoms include tremor, or shaking (often in the hand, arm or leg); rigidity, or stiffness in muscles; slowness of movement, and poor balance and instability3,4. As the disease progresses, these symptoms can worsen to the point where a person becomes dependent on others to perform even basic activities, such as help getting out of a chair and turning over in bed3,5.
Currently there is no cure for PD and symptoms may gradually continue to worsen in the years following diagnosis6. The goal of treatment for PD is to manage motor symptoms, which reduces tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement1.
About DUODOPA
About AbbVieAbbVie is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company formed in 2013 following separation from Abbott Laboratories. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to develop and market advanced therapies that address some of the world's most complex and serious diseases. AbbVie employs approximately 25,000 people worldwide and markets medicines in more than 170 countries. For further information on the company and its people, portfolio and commitments, please visit www.abbvie.com and www.abbvie.ca. Follow @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page.
________________________________________1 Mobin A. A comparative analysis of how Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali changed the world's views on Parkinson's disease. J Parkinsonism Restless Legs Syndrome 2011;1:1–4.2 de Lau LM, Breteler MM. Epidemiology of Parkinson's disease. Lancet Neurol 2006;5:525–35.3 Jankovic J. Parkinson's disease: clinical features and diagnosis. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2008;79:368–376.4 Clarke CE. Parkinson's disease. BMJ 2007;335:441–445.5 ICD9 Data.com. Parkinson's disease 332. Available at: http://www.icd9data.com/2013/Volume1/320-389/330-337/332/default.htm (Last accessed December 2013).6 Denyer R, Douglas MR. Gene therapy for Parkinson's disease. Parkinsons Dis 2012;2012:757305.7 AbbVie Limited. Summary of product characteristics: Duodopa intestinal gel, October 2013. Available at: http://www.medicines.org.uk/emc/medicine/20786/SPC/Duodopa+intestinal+gel/ (Last accessed December 2013).8 European Medicines Agency. Public summary of opinion on orphan designation: levodopa/carbidopa (gastroenteral use) for the treatment of advanced idiopathic Parkinson's disease with severe motor fluctuations and not responding to oral treatment. Available at: http://www.ema.europa.eu/docs/en_GB/document_library/Orphan_designation/2009/10/WC500006499.pdf (Last accessed December 2013).
SOURCE AbbVie


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Friday, October 25 Last night I played poker with friends, and didn't win a cent. Today: royal flush. I awoke to discover that Liza is pregnant. (She announced the news this morning over a bowl of cereal.) We've been trying for a month or two, carefully timing the act, raising Liza's legs into the air afterward to speed the sperm toward their elusive goal. It's stunning to see firsthand just how efficiently biology works. We're pregnant! Good God. What do we do now?
Friday, November 1 I can't believe it's only been a week since we got the news. It feels like we've been pregnant forever. It's all I think about: having a boy, having a girl, what kind of father I'll be. And how the hell we're going to afford it. Who cares? We're having a baby.
Thursday, November 7 The first trip to the obstetrician. The due date, according to the slide-rule-like gadget Dr. C. wielded, is July 2. We also got to see the first murky moon-landing shots of the embryo, which is exactly the size and shape of a single grain of rice.
Saturday, November 23 I dreamed our baby was a girl, and when I awoke, I remembered her name, one I've never even heard: Deanna Fabrice. So, inevitably, Deanna Fabrice has become the baby's latest nom de womb, as in "How's Deanna Fabrice feeling?" and other such insufferable stuff that would force any but the most tolerant of souls to leave the room.
Tuesday, February 11 The goop the technician squirts on Liza's belly is clear blue. The second the sonogram implement starts spreading the slime around, images appear on the screen, and to my surprise the pictures are vividly clear. The technician takes all sorts of measurements, and shows us such essential elements as the four chambers of our child's beating heart, and the spine, and the head, and the grasping fingers, of which there is a full complement. The legs, clearly crossed, are long and, one would presume, graceful, which the technician notes in her most practiced flatter-the-eager-parents manner: "It's an athlete -- or a dancer." Overwhelming as these squirming images are, this still seems a painfully poky prelude to the main matter of importance. I keep craning my neck, turning my head this way and that to try to make out a certain telltale lump. Finally, the tech points to an area on the screen and coyly asks, "And what's that?" I don't see a thing. But I timidly venture the obvious: "A penis?"
"Yep. It's a boy."
Deanna Fabrice is a boy!
I spend the rest of the day telling anyone who'll listen -- a co-worker, my Dad, Liza's grandparents -- that I got a damn good look at those pictures, and, by God, my boy is hung like a horse!
Saturday, February 15 Liza's sister and brother-in-law had us over for dinner tonight. I was sitting next to Liza on the couch when suddenly, without interrupting what she was saying, she reached over, grabbed my wrist, pulled it toward her belly, and held it there while I gawked in dawning comprehension. I felt a tiny, light pulse, and then another. Kicks!
Sunday, February 16
This evening, on the phone with my brother Chris's mother-in-law, I found myself turning my unborn boy into a racehorse. I bet her $5 that our kid would be born before Chris and his wife Michelle's (whose due date is a few days later than ours). I've found a way to make even childbirth competitive.
Wednesday, March 5 Liza just sashayed her nude baby factory past me. Her belly has gotten round and hard. I've mastered the phrasing of reassurances like, "It's the perfect size." And I mean it. Still, perfect size or not, it is big.
Saturday, March 8 Liza and her hormones are on the warpath. Being the husband of a pregnant woman is a great exercise in riding the estrogen bronco. But when we've both ridden the thing without having been bucked off, Liza slinks over and hugs me and apologizes for her mood, and I mouth vaguely sincere words of comfort.
Thursday, May 1 Mayday, Mayday. I'm a zombie, trudging soullessly through my duties at work, mind affixed to my failings as a prospective father. Last night Liza said, "Mark? I'm worried about finances." I made a mollifying sound and tried to shove the issue back into the dank room where it belonged. But later I was inspired -- in a misguided effort at reassurance -- to draw up a rough weekly budget. Average weekly earnings on one side, round numbers of prospective expenses, postbaby, on the other. The columns didn't add up. The columns didn't come close to adding up. And the larger number did not appear under "income."
Friday, May 2
Tonight, as we sat through the opening credits of a bad movie, I scrutinized each name for suitability. The director of photography is named Rex. I turned to Liza: "Rex." She laughed. "No, really: Rex." Suddenly she wasn't laughing; she was warming to the idea. It's unusual, and it's an R name; perfect as a nickname for Robert, which was her father's name and is our first choice.
Sunday, May 11 Mother's Day. Liza says we're not allowed to celebrate it this year. Something about jinxes.
Monday, May 12 Tonight was our first Lamaze "childbirth preparation" class. We learned about the baby "dropping" into the "pelvic station," about the three signs of labor, among them, the dislodging from the cervix of a "mucus plug."
Sunday, May 18 Liza had a baby shower at her mother's, complete with hor d'oeuvres and champagne. I didn't stay, of course; didn't want to invade the den of estrogen. My favorite of the new acquisitions are the little baby skull caps. The first one I laid eyes on was so tiny I had to fight back tears.
Thursday, May 22 Today, almost six weeks ahead of schedule, we thought we were about to have the baby. I met Liza at Dr. C.'s for a regular checkup. As we were setting up the next appointment, Liza began to feel some booming contractions. We were sent to the hospital, where they ran tests, prescribed some drugs to stave off labor, and sent Liza home for two weeks of strict bedrest. She's 34 weeks into the pregnancy. At 36 weeks, our doctors estimate the chances that the baby's lungs will be fully developed and that he'll be able to survive without mechanical help outside the womb are 95 percent. So it's pretty crucial to buy Rex those two weeks.
I'm not worried, exactly. But I feel like our storybook pregnancy has hit a serious glitch.
We were also told we can't have intercourse for two weeks. Given our frequent bouts of exhaustion, the logistics of coping with Liza's expanding girth, and our general lack of libido, we haven't been having much anyway. But now that we're told that we can't have sex, I'm dying for it.
Sunday, June 8 My birthday. But, more auspiciously, the day that Liza comes off bedrest. It's 11 PM, our mini-party for me has ended, our few guests have graciously gone home, the Bulls have lost game four of the finals, and it's been a solid nine hours since Liza took her last anti-contraction pill. We're both sort of stunned that Rex hasn't made a move.
Monday, June 9 Last week Dr. C. told us to hold off on vigorous sex until Sunday night. Well, last night was Sunday night. I cannot better remember such a moment of pure, distilled bliss.
Tuesday, June 10 The big delivery came today: changing table, car seat/carrier, crib mattress. We pulled out the car seat, which has a rounded bottom so that it can rock when being used as a carrier, and I rocked it gently, with a light push of my hand. My heart clutched.
Friday, June 13 Last night, Liza delivered what we think might have been the mucus plug (or "bloody show," as they call it in the baby biz). She's begun to feel contractions...not to mention gastrointestinal distress, queasiness, and general discomfort. Liza now thinks the delivery will be Sunday, Father's Day, which she feels would be a tribute to her father, the baby's namesake.
Monday, June 16 It wasn't Father's Day.
Friday, June 20 I've decided that, for all Liza is going through and (more to the point) is about to go through, I need to get her a gift, a token of my love and gratitude, to be presented in the recovery room as we sip champagne postbirth. So I cajoled my friend Valerie to accompany me to a jewelry store, where we were drawn to a bracelet that featured five miniature beans. "Ah, the seeds of life," the salesman said. Valerie and I gaped at each other, astounded. I reached for my wallet.
Sunday, June 22 No baby yet. I can't say the same for Chris and Michelle. Last night we returned home to a message from Chris: "Unless you're at the hospital right now, you're out five dollars."
Thursday, June 26 As we were getting ready for bed, Liza turned to me and said, "I'm not really pregnant. I just got really, really fat."
Friday, July 4
At about 2 A.M., Liza wakes me, feeling stronger contractions than she's ever felt before, though they're still 10 to 15 minutes apart. Somehow, I manage to drift back to fitful sleep, though Liza, who knows for certain now what's coming, doesn't. At just past 4, it's undeniable. The contractions have zipped to three minutes apart. Dr. C. told us not to worry as long as they were relatively light. Still, neither of us is getting any sleep anymore. We get up and, carefully, exhilarated, we do those things you do in this situation: We take showers. We get dressed. We check the hospital bags. Liza puts on makeup. We eat, or I do, anyway. We play cards, briefly, until about 6 A.M., when we call Dr. C. Having talked to her, we decide it's about time to head to the hospital. Before we leave home, I glance at the front page of the morning paper. The headline reads, "Spacecraft Lands Today on the Planet of Dreams."
At about 10:30, we're in the labor room, told that Liza's cervix might, at most, be three centimeters dilated. We're to walk the halls until the situation improves. As we shuffle down a corridor, Liza gripping my arm, another contraction comes on, and she slumps to the floor in pain. Two nurses take pity and spirit us into a birthing room, where we'll spend most of the day, and where Liza can lie on a bed and relax. She slips a relaxation tape into her Walkman, places the headphones on her ears, and drops into an awesome trance, breathing like a pro and no longer crying out in the middle of what are clearly stronger and stronger contractions. This goes on for hours, with me sitting by her side, watching her eyes flicker behind their lids, silently timing each contraction. At 3 P.M., still unadmitted, we get a call from Dr. C., who's heading into the city: She wants Liza to have an epidural when she gets here and to be put on a Pitocin drip, to speed the labor along.
Once the drugs take effect, and Liza is released from her pain, she actually smiles. She nods when Dr. C. suggests she take a nap. A nap! It's 6 P.M., and it could be hours before she's ready to push. As Liza drifts off, I head out for a quick dinner. Nothing is open in the hospital, so I venture into the changed and quiet world. When I get back to the maternity ward only 45 minutes later, a nurse stops me in the hall. "You the husband of this one in here?" "Yes." "Well, she's fully dilated and ready to push." Good God! I almost missed it!
The elation of being so close to delivery is quashed almost immediately by the reality of what comes next: Liza's agonizing attempts to push the baby out. I hold one leg back in a "squatting" position, a nurse holds the other, and, as each contraction rolls in, Liza bears down for a ten count -- once, twice, three times, even four times. Nothing happens.
Finally, at 10 P.M., Dr. C. says that, after two excruciating hours of pushing, the baby has not moved at all. She thinks we're going to have to have a cesarean. Liza seems amazingly accepting of this. To me, after 20 hours of labor, it seems a tragedy. I'm led to a hall outside the operating room. I put on paper booties and a hat and mask. I pace outside the door, the ridiculous booties shuffling along the floor, the flimsy mask sending my quick, hot breaths up to fog my glasses. Oh God oh God oh God oh God oh God. Finally I'm allowed into the operating room. I could watch the operation if I want, but I have no desire to risk fainting at the most important moment of my life. I stay at Liza's head, behind a scrub-green screen, holding my courageous wife's hand, which is strapped to the table, and stroking her face. It's going to be all right.
I don't pay much attention to the ER banter behind the screen. I focus on Liza's beautiful face. Soon, though -- incredibly soon -- we hear festive noises. "Oh! What a handsome guy! What a beautiful nose you've got!" Our son is crying. Our son is crying on the other side of the screen, and I'm crying, I'm sobbing, and Liza is sobbing, and we're hellishly hampered by this screen. He's real. He's alive. He's healthy. I'm dying to see him, but I almost don't want to see him, this moment between fantasy and reality is so excruciating. Finally, I get up to see my boy, my boy who is wailing in healthy anguish as they assess his Apgar rating.
He is beautiful, all squirmy and wrinkled, wearing a hospital-issue cap. "What's his name?" Dr. C. calls out to us. "Robert," we say, in unison.
Mark Jannot is executive editor of National Geographic Adventure.


text: I am still collecting six pack holders from American Micro brews. I have not been on this site in ages, but do still collect them. Collection well over 1000 now. Will gladly pay shipping and do what I can to make you happy if you send me some. contact me through this website..appreciate it..


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Hawks land second commit
Once wide receiver Derrick Willies picked up a scholarship offer from Iowa, it did not take him long to arrive at his decision. This morning, just four days later, the 6-foot-3, 190-pound Willies made the call to give his verbal commitment to the Hawkeyes.
"I just called Coach Ferentz and told him that I want to be a Hawkeye," said Willies. "That's the program that I want to be a part of."
Willies was born in California, but moved to Burlington, Iowa his freshman year of high school and quickly adopted the Hawkeyes as his favorite football team. At Burlington, the three-star prospect caught 57 passes for 934 yards and 7 touchdowns his junior year, earning second team all-state honors in 2011.
This past winter, Willies transferred across the border to Rock Island High School in Illinois where he will play for new head coach Bryan Stortz this year. Currently, he is competing in track for the Rocks and last year as a sophomore placed seventh for Burlington in the 400 meter hurdles at the Iowa State Track Meet, finishing with a time of 54.86 seconds.
In committing to Iowa, Willies chose the Hawkeyes over scholarship offers from Iowa State, Northern Illinois, Eastern Illinois, and Illinois State.
Willies is the second commitment for the Iowa coaching staff in the Class of 2013, joining four-star defensive end David Kenney from Indianapolis.


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Who are you becoming?
Bethel's liberal arts education isn't limited to specific skills in a specific field.
It incorporates general critical thinking and communication skills — exactly what employers and graduate schools want.
If you don't find your niche in one of our numerous areas of study, create your own Individualized Major. Are you unsure what to major in? Our Undecided Major program can help you make an informed decision.
An emphasis on experiential learning ensures you'll distinguish yourself from other job or graduate school candidates through real-world experience, at home or abroad. While your friends shiver in their classrooms during January, you could be studying in Costa Rica, Mexico or Haiti during Interterm. Or spend a semester in Ecuador, Ireland, New Zealand or one of a dozen other countries.
Don't just pose questions to your professors or classmates.
Join with the campus community for convocations and lectures, where you can ask those burning questions to local, regional, and national speakers discussing issues relevant to the Bethel campus or society at large.
You'll have access to the resources you need to succeed as a Thresher:
- Get personalized guidance from your adviser, who knows you and your goals and will help you find opportunities for success.
- Take advantage of the Center for Academic Development's tutoring and other services.
- The Registrar's Office will help you stay on track toward graduation.
- Our library provides convenient access and assistance as you seek out information during your studies.


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Justin Bieber has accused the paparazzi of tormenting him with cruel taunts about his mother and younger siblings just to get a photo of the pop star looking upset and angry.
The Baby singer has had several recent run-ins with snappers, and was investigated by Los Angeles police officers in May after he reportedly lashed out at one overly keen photographer who tried to take pictures of the singer and his girlfriend Selena Gomez as they left a cinema during a low-key, romantic date.
He was subsequently cleared, but two months later he was allegedly tailed by paparazzi as he drove along California's 101 Freeway, resulting in a dangerous high-speed car chase.
Bieber fears the run-ins have tainted his good reputation as a role model, and now he's hoping to address his constant issues with the paparazzi in his new memoir, insisting he is tired of photographers who go too far.
In Just Getting Started he writes, "When someone is stalking you without a camera it is illegal, but if they are doing it with a camera it is somehow perfectly fine.
"I don't get that difference and I suppose I never will. When the paparazzi are nice to me and respectful, I am never afraid to have a conversation with them. But it's not okay when they come at me aggressively and don't respect my space because they are looking at me as a product and not a person.
"There's a misconception that I hate the paparazzi – I don't, I simply don't like the aggressive paparazzi… Whenever you see me getting angry or upset in the media, what you don't get to see on camera is how those people came up to me and said things like, 'Hey Justin, why are you such a punk lately?', 'Your mom is ugly', and, 'Your little brother and sister are ugly babies'.
"They literally yell stuff like that to try and get a rise out of me. Famous or not, saying terrible things about my family is completely unacceptable. And if they aren't going after my family, they're coming after me, swearing, saying the most horrible things ever, even calling me white trash – which is kind, compared to the other things they've thrown at me."
Justin Bieber has accused the paparazzi of tormenting him with cruel taunts about his mother and younger siblings just to get a photo of the pop star looking upset and angry.


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Message Board
Ian Morson Message Board
Talk about the novels, new and used books that Morson has written!
Author Morson's Book Reviews
Falconer's Crusade
He's been called �the Inspector Morse of 13th century Oxford,� this William Falconer--and a good comparison, too. This is Morson's second book about Regent Mater Falconer, and a good one it is too! It is 1264 and sleepy and academic Oxford is shocked over the brutal murder of a young girl, and suspicions fly between the privileged students and the poor townspeople. Falconer takes an active interest when one of his students is almost lynched b...


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October 11, 2014
There was a sense of shock and disbelief when news was released about the death of Thomas Eric Duncan on Oct. 8 at the Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas. The Liberian-born 42-year-old was the first reported case of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) which emerged in the U.S. and resulted in death. Reports during the week of Oct. 6 mentioned that Duncan's medical condition was worsening and that he was "fighting for his life."


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Natural gas futures were little changed in New York after dropping to a five-week low following a government report that showed a larger-than-forecast increase in U.S. stockpiles.
Gas fell as much as 2.4% before turning higher after the Energy Information Administration said supplies rose 88 billion cubic feet to 1.865 trillion in the week ended May 3. Analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg showed an increase of 86 billion. The five-year average gain for the week is 69 billion.
"You got the initial reaction to it being larger than expected, so it sold off," said Kyle Cooper, director of research with IAF Advisors in Houston. "But we have a decent- size deficit, and these prices put us on a pace to fill storage to 3.8 trillion by November, which is a number the market is comfortable with."
Futures rose 0.5 cent to settle at $3.983 per million British thermal units on the New York Mercantile Exchange after dropping to $3.883 earlier, the lowest intraday price since April 4. Trading was 3.7% below the 100-day average at 2:49 p.m.
June $3.75 puts were the most-active options in electronic trading, falling 0.8 cent to 3 cents per million Btu on volume of 1,139 at 2:53 p.m. Puts accounted for 52% of trading volume.
Implied volatility for at-the-money options expiring in June was 31.16% at 2:45 p.m., down from 33.17% yesterday.
Supply Deficit
Futures have gained 19% this year after the coldest March in 11 years boosted heating demand and eliminated a supply surplus. A deficit to the five-year average narrowed to 5% in the week ended May 3 from 6.2% a week earlier, EIA report showed.
"The number was the largest injection of the season so far, and plus, it was over the historical averages," said Tom Saal, senior vice president of energy trading at FCStone Latin America LLC in Miami. "I think some of that speculative length is getting a little concerned."
Hedge funds and other large speculators increased bullish bets on four natural gas contracts to a record 456,475 futures equivalents in the week ended April 30, according to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission's weekly Commitments of Traders report on May 3. It was a record in data going back to January 2010.
Gas Bets
Growing supplies and mild weather may force money managers to unwind those bets, said Teri Viswanath, director of commodities strategy at BNP Paribas in New York.
"It's definitely going to be sell-it-in-May, buy-in-June with those investors," Viswanath said. "I think those investors will reload as we get into summer."
The measure includes an index of four contracts adjusted to futures equivalents: Nymex natural gas futures, Nymex Henry Hub Swap Futures, Nymex ClearPort Henry Hub Penultimate Swaps and the ICE Futures U.S. Henry Hub contract. Henry Hub, in Erath, Louisiana, is the delivery point for Nymex futures, a benchmark price for the fuel.
Futures fell to a decade low of $1.902 per million Btu in April 2012 amid record production and mild-than-normal winter weather that reduced fuel demand. Supplies grew to an all-time high of 3.929 trillion cubic feet in November, according to the EIA, the Energy Department's statistical arm.
Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, have boosted output from shale deposits such as the Marcellus in the Northeast and the Eagle Ford in Texas. Increased oil and gas drilling helped the U.S. meet 84% of its energy needs last year, the highest level since 1991, EIA data show.
Marketed gas production will rise to 69.9 billion cubic feet a day in 2013 from 69.18 billion last year, the EIA said May 7 in its Short-Term Energy Outlook. Consumption will increase to 70.17 billion cubic feet a day from 69.68 billion.
Copyright 2014 Bloomberg. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.


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10 Movies That Rappers Have Ruined
Rick Ross is apparently thinking about entering the movie business. He hasn't released any specific plans yet. But last Thursday, he tweeted a photo of himself and Steve Stoute at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, along with the caption: "@ Sundance discussing #maybachfilms 2014 film release w/ Steve Stoute."
So it sure sounds like Rozay is thinking about a career in film. And we're here to tell him: Please don't! Don't get us wrong. We'd love to see a guy like Ross expand his empire and produce quality films. But in the past, we've seen more than a few rappers try to get into the movie business and, well, it rarely goes as planned. In fact, most rapper-helmed movie projects—regardless of whether they feature rappers acting, directing, or paying others to do both—end up being complete disasters. Here, 10 bad movies that have been ruined by rappers. Why didn't anyone yell "CUT!" on these?
Photo Credit: Getty Images


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Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Love Birds
25 comments:
Hola, a el que le guste la F1 sepais que tengo un blog: www.polepositionforceindia.blogspot.comReplyDelete
Annechung, it's 3 years since I bought mine.ReplyDelete
They are evaluating overtime...
Just bring a bag of peanuts, Carol--the birds go mad for them. Stand very still for a long time (this would be extremely difficult for you, I know this) and hold them out in your hand. "If you hold them, they will come." Love your Piu Piu and friend. They're my favorites, you know! And your love bird is great!!ReplyDelete
- TiaMaria11:55 AM
I get your paris breakfasts blog each day and was wondering if you could sneak some shots of small pastry/coffee shops. I am opening a cafe in the next several months and am looking for good ideas. My place will be tiny, 720sf, but will have the kitchen and cafe in it. So if you come across any good shops that have great use of their space please snap some shots for me! Thank you, looking forward to the next blog!ReplyDelete
- judy1:37 PM
Hi, Carol,ReplyDelete
You asked where the real birds are in Paris? Surely you've been to the
Bird Market (Marche aux Oiseaux) on Ile de la Cite on Sundays? It
replaces the flower market, just on Sundays. All kinds of caged birds,
and Parisian children and their parents browsing. The sacks of all
different kinds of bird feeds are interesting, plus bird toys, etc. In
the spring, you'll see bunnies, too.
No wild birds, though....
Judy S. in CA
- emilie1:38 PM
Do not fail to give the pigeon man at Notre Dame a euro or two. HeReplyDelete
not only feeds the pigeons there, but if he discovers one has been
injured, he takes it home with him. I have a picture of the two of
us telling a lovely bird how magnificent her feathers are. She's
sitting on my hand (but only as long as he keeps his close)
Bring bread crumbs to the Sacre Coeur and you can literally have the
sparrows eating out of your hand.
My favorite picture is the last one: miam miam, la tarte aux fraises!ReplyDelete
Love your Bird paintings. I really love the photos of your neighbor feeding the baby birds. That is adorable.ReplyDelete
My 2.5-year-old daughter on her first trip to Paris this w/e was very taken with the fat ol' pigeons strutting the Parisian streets. We also saw a whole host of teeny tiny birds in the trees and bushes around the children's playground near Notre Dame, but I've no idea what they were.ReplyDelete
Would SO love to mooch around Paris with you ... Your blog is a joy.
Love this post. The birds are delightful!ReplyDelete
We have 2 big buzzards that fly over the field outside our cottage. Now they are big scary things not like love birds at all.ReplyDelete
I think most of the birds in Paris are served on plates. :-)ReplyDelete


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College of Arts & Sciences
"Teaching Students to Think Critically Across the Disciplines"
The mission of the College of Arts and Sciences is to provide students with a liberal arts education which will serve as a foundation for the pursuit of lifelong learning, ethical living, and a successful career. It hosts 37 full-time faculty, 10 departments, 10 baccalaureate degrees, 2 associate degrees, 10 minors, and the pre-medical program.
The liberal arts core curriculum of the College of Arts and Sciences is the foundation upon which all Nyack students build their academic experience. It is designed to develop higher order skills in the areas of critical thinking, technological competency, written and oral communication, scientific and quantitative reasoning and information literacy.
Our diverse and international faculty come with real-world experience and are committed to excellence in teaching and scholarship. More importantly, our small classes and 13-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio provide students with a nurturing environment and personalized attention in which the Instructors also serve as caring mentors and academic advisors.
The College of Arts and Sciences is divided into the following 10 departments:
- Communications
- Criminal Justice
- Humanities (Art History, Liberal Arts & Sciences)
- Honors Program
- Language, Literature, and Writing (ESL, Modern Languages, English, Linguistics)
- Mathematics
- Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
- Pre-Medical Program
- Psychology
Interdisciplinary Studies majors may combine certain liberal arts areas with selected disciplines (see table above). Furthermore, the Honors Program at Nyack provides undergraduate students of exceptional intellectual curiosity an accelerated and enhanced academic experience.
Driven by our core values and informed by our contextual location in the world's capital city - New York City - the commitment and vision of the College of Arts and Sciences is to prepare students to be critical thinkers who are ethically reflective and engaged citizens.
Arts & Sciences News
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Public Rooms
Winter Garden at the World Financial Center+ expand detail
New York, New York, USA
45,000 square feet / 4,000 square meters
As the largest public space at the World Financial Center, the Winter Garden was designed as a grand glass hall with a huge bay window facing the Hudson River. An integral element to the World Financial Center and Battery Park City, the Winter Garden was designed for the general public, as well as for those working in the financial district. It is a grand public hall unlike any other space in New York. The Winter Garden includes 16 native American palms in a rectangular grove. The floor around them is paved in diagonal patterns of marble. Skyscraper tops are visible through the roof, and a panoramic view of the Hudson River appears through the grove.
Collateral damage from the attacks of September 11, 2001 destroyed the pedestrian bridge that functioned as the main entrance to the Winter Garden. As a result, a new entrance had to be entirely reconceived. The design for the new east entrance created a wall-sized expanse of very clear glass panels supported by the most minimal structure. By stripping away the original granite façade and opening views of the interior structure, the building's luminous public space can be seen as a destination for all of downtown. This glassy screen has become the new front door into and through the World Financial Center, the Winter Garden and the riverfront.
In addition to the glass wall, several elements of the Winter Garden have been reconfigured. The original marble floor pattern extends into the new entry, and the original stone has new openings to allow for the easy movement of large numbers of people. Upon entering, visitors face a large semi-circular wall of backlit glass ribs that follow the curve of the grand stair and guide movement to either side. This new interior wall is set significantly back from the entry to expand the lobby area. The retail storefronts on the outer curved wall have also been redone as all-glass walls. Stairs and elevators flanking the entry allow visitors to bypass the main space and go directly to the second floor. Upstairs, a 110-foot long balcony faces out through the open façade, creating an indoor viewing area for the World Trade Center site and future memorials and buildings.
The renovation received the 2002 Lucy G. Moses Preservation Project Award from the New York Landmarks Conservancy.


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There are some apps that we consider core to the smartphone experience. Some that bring you a service, regardless of platform, that makes your life easier. Whether it be for work or play, Skype is one such app.
Skype for Windows Phone 7 was one of the first things we noted was missing when the new operating system launched. Windows Phone 7 has changed a fair amount in that time, as have the apps it offers. Now we have a beta app and while we wouldn't say it's been worth the wait (which has been debilitating), we like what we see. So, it's no surprise what today's App Of The Day is.
Skype for Windows Phone 7 beta
- Platform
- Windows Phone 7
- Price
- free
Skype for Windows Phone brings the OS into line with other smartphone platforms like Android and iOS in letting you indulge in some cross-platform video chat and messaging, without the worry of not being able to connect with friends and family on closed systems like Apple's FaceTime.
We use Skype a lot here at Pocket-lint, so it's a welcome sight to be able to bring those WP7 users into the mix. The app itself is nicely designed and we have to say that, set alongside iOS and Android, the design is cleaner and nicer to navigate.
It feels like a proper WP7 app, as you don't have to spend your time opening menus to navigate your way around as you do on the Android version. In most cases you just have to swipe across the page to get to your different areas - from contacts to conversations - for example.
In a call, you can swipe from the video call to access messaging, so you can send text through to the person you're talking to, or view their profile. We can't find an option to send files (as you get on Android), but as this is a beta, that's not to say it won't be added in the future.
We tested it on the Nokia Lumia 800, which was the only Windows Phone 7 handset we had in the office at the time (although we've also been hands-on using the Nokia Lumia 900). The downside of this particular model becomes instantly obvious and that's the lack of a front-facing camera.
If you want do conduct a video conversation with your friends you'll need that camera. We were perfectly able to make the call and see our man on the end of the line, but obviously there was no video feed coming through for him to look at.
It's also really easy to get back to your messages, as the persistent icon in the top right-hand corner shows you how many conversations have unread messages in them.
Our test calls proved to be good quality over Wi-Fi and the app works over 3G too. Even though it is a beta, we've found it to be stable as we've been using over the past few hours.
However, we've also found that the app doesn't run in the background, so once you exit you're out of the conversation and in line with that, there's no form of notifications or live tile support.
We've been told that Skype is destined to be a fully baked-in part of Windows Phone, but we're guessing that the actual app area will be the same as it is here. When it arrives at native level, we're sure you'll get the live tile support and other fun that Windows Phone 7 offers.
For now though, it's great to be able to fire up Skype for Windows Phone as and when you need it and an app that's instantly won us over.


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Dallas County Clerk
Death Certificates - 21st Floor
Renaissance Tower - 1201 Elm Street, 21st and 22nd Floor, Dallas, TX 75270
New laws effecting the purchase of Death Records
September 1, 2015
Effective June 1, 2015 the Dallas County Clerk's Offices will no longer
accept the Matricula Consular Card as verification of identity for purchase of death certificates or for obtaining confidential records.
Obtaining and completing an application for a certified copy of a death certificate:
For a list of acceptable forms of identification click here.
Para obtener una lista de formas aceptables de identificacion, haga clic aqui.
Individuals requesting or picking up a death certificate must be qualified applicants. Qualified applicants consist of immediate family member by blood or spouse, legal guardian (provide documentation), or legal representative of the family (provide documentation). See Section 181.1(13) of the Texas Administrative Code for what qualifies as an immediate family member.
Anyone other than the qualified applicants must have a signed (original) statement written by one of the above qualified applicants authorizing them (naming them) to pick up the death certificate. All third party statements of authorization must be notarized. The statement should be signed by an immediate family member. The statement must give permission to Dallas County Vital Division to release a certified copy of the certificate to the individual name in the notarized statement. The statement must also identify the individual by their full name. The notarized statement must also identify the type of certificate (ex. birth or death) that is to be released. Both parties must submit a valid form of identification. See Section 181.28 of the Texas Administrative Code for a list of acceptable forms of identification.
***If the Death occurred within the City Limits of Dallas you will need to contact the City of Dallas Vital Statistics Office at 214-670-3248***
Death Certificates are only available for the following Dallas County Cities:
Death Certificates are NOT available for the following hospitals:
The following information is required:
The cost is $21.00 for the first copy and an additional $4.00 for each copy of the same certificate order at the same time.
Please do not send cash through the mail.
Turnaround time is 2 to 4 weeks if the application is sent via mail. For more information, please call
Mailing address:
Dallas County Clerk's Office
1201 Elm St., Ste. 2100A
Dallas, TX 75270
Payment Options:
We do not accept personal checks.
For your convenience, we have provided the following payment options:
The above information is required by Texas Administrative Code. Death records are considered confidential information; therefore all requirements must be met. If you are unable to meet the requirements, please contact the State Bureau of Vital Statistics in Austin 1-888-963-7111.
For additional questions or concerns, you may email email@example.com.


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At the maritime injury law firm of Latti & Anderson LLP in Boston and New Bedford, our lawyers represent injured clients from New England, across the East Coast, West Coast and around the country. Through special motions (pro hac vice) and teaming up
Address: 30-31 Union Wharf, Boston, MA 02109
Phone: (617) 523-1000
We are maritime and Jones Act lawyers. We focus on helping maritime workers recover compensation for their offshore accidents. Their cases are dfficult and unique and deserve a firm that focuses entirely on these types of cases. We're proud to help.
Address: 400 Poydras Street,, Suite 2090, New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: (888) 928-5350
The insurance company is not your friend, call today to let us help you!
Address: 321 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77007
Phone: 281-857-6770
We are a full service Law Firm with compassionate, caring people. Our clients start off as clients, but they quickly become like family. If you are looking for quality representation from people that truly care, contact us today. Free Consultations!
Address: 2425 Fountain View #300, Houston, TX 77057
Phone: (713) 714-4000
Representing Maritime Workers
Address: 5821 Southwest Freeway,, Suite 422, Houston, TX 77057
Phone: (800)-773-6770


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COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Traffic citation statistics indicate there hasn't been a big upswing in tickets for Ohio motorists who text while driving.
The Columbus Dispatch reports (http://bit.ly/172EfoV ) that a check of 3 populous counties didn't find many citations under the Ohio ban that took effect a year ago. The Ohio State Highway Patrol issued warnings in the first six months the law was in effect. A spokeswoman says it doesn't have a tally of citations written since the grace period ended nearly six months ago because the data set would be so small.
The newspaper reports that 10 adults have been cited under the state ban in Franklin County, while Hamilton County has had 18. In Cleveland, two tickets for the statewide ban have been written, with more written under a local ordinance.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.