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Blue Ridge Community Health Services of Hendersonville will open a new health center in Rutherford County, after receiving more than $850,000 in grant funding made available by the Affordable Care Act.
SPINDALE — Blue Ridge Community Health Services of Hendersonville will open a new health center in Rutherford County, after receiving more than $850,000 in grant funding made available by the Affordable Care Act.
The plan includes assuming the operations of the Rutherford Community Health Center in Spindale. The grant will help increase access to affordable, comprehensive health services for the citizens of Rutherford County and the surrounding area.
RCHC has offered medical and behavioral health services to the community since 2004 after previously serving as a free clinic. The health center funding will allow for new and expanded services including dental and nutrition services.
The center will accept most insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare. However, its mission will continue to be improving access for low-income individuals and will accept patients without insurance on a sliding scale that is based on family size and household income.
BRCHS and the RCHC have been working together for the past year to bring the full spectrum of services BRCHS offers to Rutherford County.
"We've chosen to partner with Rutherford Community Health Center and will be assuming their operations. We're fortunate that they have a really qualified staff already and we're happy to welcome them to the team," said Jennifer Henderson, CEO of BRCHS. "We had previously applied for this expansion grant in early 2013, but the grant was unfunded in the first round."
The funding equates to 3,800 patients who will now have access to about 14,000 visits.
"There are 30,000 individuals in the Rutherford area who are low-income, and 28 percent of them are uninsured," Henderson said. "The community relies on us for affordable health care, and this will allow us to expand on that."
Henderson said Rutherford Community Health Center currently offers medical and behavioral services, and the grant funding will allow them to add dental and nutrition services, as well as access to pharmacy. Rutherford County recently experienced economic decline, and 45 percent of residents are considered low-income.
"The partnership of Blue Ridge Community Health Services and the Rutherford Community Health Center is a perfect fit," said Sandra McGriff, RCHC's executive director. "Blue Ridge brings 50 years of community health experience and a shared passion to serve the most vulnerable in our communities. This grant funding is truly going to make a difference in Rutherford County."


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Climate Change
*All summaries from Amazon.com unless otherwise stated.
Global Warming by Chris Spence
From killer heat waves and increasingly violent weather to the spread of pests and vector-borne diseases, global warming has many effects on our lives. While some are positive, most are negative. People fear potentially catastrophic consequences but there is a disturbing lack of understanding about global warming and what can be done about it. Global Warming breaks through the jargon, offering readers both a clear description of the problem and a practical guide to solutions, from decreasing reliance on automobiles to increased recycling to political activism. It offers hope that each of us can be doing something to solve the problem and encourages us to act--not only for ourselves, but for our children and grandchildren.
Hot by Mark Hertsgaard
For twenty years, Mark Hertsgaard has investigated global warming as a journalist, but the full truth did not hit home until he became a father and, soon thereafter, learned that climate change was bound to worsen for decades to come. Hertsgaard's daughter is part of what he has dubbed "Generation Hot" — the two billion young people worldwide who will spend the rest of their lives coping with climate disruption. Drawing on reporting from around the world, Hot is a call to action that injects hope and solutions into a debate characterized by doom and gloom and offers a blueprint for how all of us—parents, communities, countries—can navigate an unavoidable new era.
Merchants of Doubt by Naomi Oreskes and Erik M. Conway
Merchants of Doubt was one of the most talked-about climate change books of recent years, for reasons easy to understand: It tells the controversial story of how a loose-knit group of high-level scientists and scientific advisers, with deep connections in politics and industry, ran effective campaigns to mislead the public and deny well-established scientific knowledge over four decades. The same individuals who claim the science of global warming is "not settled" have also denied the truth about studies linking smoking to lung cancer, coal smoke to acid rain, and CFCs to the ozone hole. "Doubt is our product," wrote one tobacco executive. These "experts" supplied it.
Rising Above Global Warming by B.J. DeFrancesco
The air, the water, and the animals are all dying from the black heavy smoke that is covering the sky and killing everything. This is a wonderful book for children that explains what Global Warming is, and what it is going to do unless it is stopped, and is already doing to the earth. It explains how to stop the catastrophe that no one thought about until now that it is here. A must read for every child, as they are the adults of the future and must understand what is necessary to save the earth and everything on it.
Field Notes from a Catastrophe by Elizabeth Kolbert
Long known for her insightful and thought-provoking political journalism, author Elizabeth Kolbert now tackles the controversial and increasingly urgent subject of global warming. In what began as groundbreaking three-part series in the New Yorker, for which she won a National Magazine Award in 2006, Kolbert cuts through the competing rhetoric and political agendas to elucidate for Americans what is really going on with the global environment and asks what, if anything, can be done to save our planet. Now updated and with a new afterword, Field Notes from a Catastrophe is the book to read on the defining issue and greatest challenge of our times.
Global Warming by Fred Pearce
Climate change resulting from an increase in greenhouse gases is perhaps the greatest threat to our planet's future. Here, Fred Pearce examines the causes and dramatic effects, and what can be done to remedy the situation -- before it's too late. This stimulating new series uses an innovative mix of graphics, artwork, and photographs to explain and illuminate the most important scientific topics of the day. Unique in popular science guides, Essential Science uses bright, full-color images to make traditionally "difficult" subjects more accessible. Each title focuses on a scientific or technological topic that is currently provoking debate and is likely to have a widespread impact on our lives. Lively, readable text from top science writers ensures all readers -- from 14+ schoolchildren to academics -- gain a full understanding of the facts and related issues.
Kicking the Carbon Habit by William Sweet
With glaciers melting, oceans growing more acidic, species dying out, and catastrophic events like Hurricane Katrina ever more probable, strong steps must be taken now to slow global warming. Further warming threatens entire regional economies and the well being of whole populations, and in this century alone, it could create a global cataclysm. Synthesizing information from leading scientists and the most up-to-date research, science journalist William Sweet examines what the United States can do to help prevent climate devastation.
Our Simmering Planet by Joyeeta Gupta
Heat waves in Delhi and Athens; hurricane Mitch in Central America; floods and tornadoes in the USA; floods in Britain and China—all are unprecedented in severity and in frequency. What is happening to the world's weather? What are the world's governments doing about it? This book takes us through the science, and behind the politics, to explore climate instability, global warming, and the likely impact of increases in average temperatures, rising oceans, and shifts in rainfall patterns in all regions of the world.
Stormy Weather by Guy Dauncey
In a clear and understandable style, Stormy Weather explains why we and the planet have reached this over-heated situation and how scientists predict "runaway" climate change will affect the Earth and our lives. The solutions to global warming revolve around 12 core methods of reducing our use of fossil fuels and filling our energy needs with solar, wind, tidal, and bio fuels. Each user-friendly solution is organized on two facing pages with a description, illustrations, quotations, resources, and a detailed "how-to" section. Solutions are grouped by social sector-Individuals; Citizen Groups; Towns and Cities; State Government; Power Utilities; Businesses; Oil, Coal & Gas Corporations; Automobile Corporations; National Governments; and Developing Nations-breaking-up these vital planet-saving tasks into manageable activities for both individuals and larger organizations.
The Weather Makers by Tim Flannery
An international best seller embraced and endorsed by policy makers, scientists, writers and energy industry executives from around the world, Tim Flannery's The Weather Makers contributed in bringing the topic of global warming to national prominence. For the first time, a scientist provided an accessible and comprehensive account of the history, current status, and future impact of climate change, writing what has been acclaimed by reviewers everywhere as the definitive book on global warming. With one out of every five living things on this planet committed to extinction by the levels of greenhouse gases that will accumulate in the next few decades, we are reaching a global climatic tipping point. The Weather Makers is both an urgent warning and a call to arms, outlining the history of climate change, how it will unfold over the next century, and what we can do to prevent a cataclysmic future.
Bayou Farewell by Mike Tidwell
The Cajun coast of Louisiana is home to a way of life as unique, complex, and beautiful as the terrain itself. As award-winning travel writer Mike Tidwell journeys through the bayou, he introduces us to the food and the language, the shrimp fisherman, the Houma Indians, and the rich cultural history that makes it unlike any other place in the world. But seeing the skeletons of oak trees killed by the salinity of the groundwater, and whole cemeteries sinking into swampland and out of sight, Tidwell also explains why each introduction may be a farewell—as the storied Louisiana coast steadily erodes into the Gulf of Mexico.

subset: commoncrawl


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Best Kids Parties: Tractors
Name: Clark (2)
Location: Austin, TX
For months leading up to Clark's second birthday he told us he wanted a "tractor party". We are still unsure how he knew he could choose a theme! I was under the impression I had a few more years of deciding. I would have never in a million years chosen a tractor/road construction theme, but Clark was insistent!
We had his first birthday at our house, which was nice, but stressful. This year I scoured local parks for the perfect location. It just so happened one of our favorite nearby parks was undergoing massive road construction efforts to the entire perimeter. We decided that would be our location since there were dump trucks, excavators, pavers, etc. that were parked within mere feet of the park. We never imagined in our wildest dreams all of this machinery would actually be in action the day of the party!
Austin had large amounts of rain the week leading up to the party and forced the construction workers to work on this particularly Saturday. Clark and his friends were in complete awe! We also decided to incorporate a building theme as well. All of the guests received a Home Depot tool belt with their own set of tools and hard hat. My husband, an architect, decided to take on the task of assembling a small structure the kids could color, hammer and play in. It was also a huge hit!
The idea of a construction worker's picnic also came into play. We made sack lunches for all our guests using cardboard gable boxes that loosely resembled vintage metal dome lunch boxes. My husband also used Clark's initials to make a personalized CAT logo that we spray painted onto all the boxes. We purchased large orange tarps for guests to sit on and eat their lunch. For favors we found an etsy seller to make dump truck soaps with a tag that read, "Clean up Crew: Thanks for getting dirty with me today!".
Clark still talks about his tractor birthday on a daily basis. I honestly don't have a clue how I will be able to measure up next year.
What fun! Thanks Carrie! (And good luck next year!)
(Images: reader Carrie)


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My baby is 5 weeks old now. I was absolutely determined to breastfeed, and am a great advocate of attachment parenting so had intended to carry on as long as possible, maybe even up to 2 years. I did loads of prep when I was pregnant and have to say that I (perhaps rather arrogantly) thought it would be easy - though you are led to believe it will be by all the literature. Anyway, so far we've had nothing but a nightmare and now i'm not sure if I'm left with many options but to quit which has had me in flods of tears all morning. Ludo never nursed very well from the beginning. He would latch no problem (doesn't seem the little man is very fussy - he doesn't care where the milk comes from and will take bottle, breast or cup with no complaints) but he had me in agony. By day 2 I was bleeding, scabbed and swollen. So we saw everyone we could - two different IBCLC, various breastfeeding clinics at the hospital and locally, midwives, LLL groups, to try and work it out. He had a posterior tongue tie which was corrected but made only a little difference, even with very dedicated suck training afterwards. It has be diagnosed that his hard palate is very flat and wide, and he has a very small mouth. I have very large areola but not very protruding nipples, so the conclusion seems to be that he may never really feed all that well, or certainly not until his mouth grows bigger, because no matter what position we use, or which tricks we use to try and get more in his mouth, he never really opens wide enough to stuff enough nipple in. Anyway, things marginally improved, in that he was now sometimes feeding with less pain and I could bear it, occasionally feeding very well, but other times, still just as bad as before. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to why some feeds were better than others, and have had his latch checked endlessly only to be told it seems to be ok. He is a sleepy baby it seems, and has a strange suck pattern, which I've also had looked at by a chiro and a cranial osteopath, but they have both said his head is pretty well aligned now after some adjustments. He doesn't fall asleep, but only swallows about every 10 times he sucks, even with compressions and tickling his ear and feet. A feed can take anywhere from an hour to two hours, and then he's hungry again afterwards. If he exclusively breast feeds he gets green poos, which only leaves the option to pump first so he gets the hindmilk, but when you have a crying baby wanting to be fed, who has 10 minutes to pump? I dont have any problems with low supply as I have been pumping and first finger, now bottle feeding him since the beginning and I have plenty of milk. He it growing very well and thriving on my milk. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I got really bad mastitis. I did everything I could to fix it without drugs - garlic, echinacea, vitamin c, grapefruit seed extract, massage, hot compresses... (I'm quite militant and even had a vaginal breech birth drug free as I didn't want him drugged from the beginning) but it got worse and worse and I got really ill so had to take antibiotics. The antibiotics made the little man so unwell that he was in awful stomach pain and throwing up the whole of every feed and losing weight, so was left with no option but to either stop them or give him formula. Under doctors supervision, as the fever had broken, I stopped the antibiotics after 10 days, even though the lump was still there. Then I got thrush which is still something of a problem. Then I got mastitis again and several bouts of blocked ducts in my other breast even though I was being diligent with either feeding or pumping, but managed to control it with natural remedies. And now I've got mastitis AGAIN, and I'm really sick this time, so have had to have more antibiotics. I live 250 miles away from my parents, my husband is an orphan, all my friends work full time, and my husband has a demanding job, which he can't really afford to mess with in the current economy, so I'm completely alone in looking after the baby during the week. And I feel absolutely horrible. I can hardly touch the baby I hurt so much. My body aches, I can't get out of bed, and it looks like I might have an abscess in my breast this time. I don't want to give him breast milk with antibiotics after last time, so we are formula feeding most of the day, except first thing in the morning when based on the half life of the antibiotics, they should be reasonably clear from my milk.
I am starting to feel that no matter how good for him breast milk is, this is not in any way good for my relationship with my son. I have to pump so much I can't cuddle him for hours of the day, and I'm either sick or in pain the rest of the time. I'm getting scared of feeding because of this, and I can't afford to keep getting ill like this - when he is more mobile and less sleepy, its clearly bad for his development if I can't play with him. So I suppose I'm looking for some moral support, maybe for someone to notice something i'm doing wrong, or even to be told that its ok to give up now. I have got myself into a mind set where I feel like I'm giving him poison by giving him formula, but I can't see any other options (except maybe to continue to pump for a couple of feeds a day alongside formula so that he continues to get breast milk and my milk doesnt' completely dry up). What should I do?? I feel so sad today.


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Russia Plans Internet Censorship Bill (For The Children!); Russian Wikipedia Blacks Out In Protest
from the stop-censorship dept
And it's not just the human-reviewed blacklist that's at issue. The bill will also require "a special automatic system that will block websites containing 'prohibited' information.'" Because I'm sure that'll work even better...
We've noted other Russian legislation in the past, but this bill seems to go a hell of a lot further in creating a massive censorship tool for the Russian government.
The Russian Wikipedia is blacking out its site in protest, reminding many of the SOPA blackouts of Wikipedia in the US, though it's also worth noting that the Italian Wikipedia did a similar blackout even before the big SOPA blackout. It's good to see people speaking out and realizing that they don't have to just accept it when a government sweeps away their rights online. Who knows if this will have much of an impact, but getting more attention on the issue is a good start.


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Reach DirecTV Executive Customer Service
Here are some executive email addresses and phone numbers if you need to escalate an unresolved problem with DirecTV:
email@example.com, email@example.com: EVP
firstname.lastname@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com: SVP, Controller, CAO
email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com: SVP, CFO
email@example.com: Heywot Bitew, Business Operation Analyst – 310-964-6508
firstname.lastname@example.com: Ellen Filipiak, Senior Vice President of Customer Relations
To send a valentine to DirecTV's CEO, Chase Carey, email firstname.lastname@example.com.
The corporate switchboard is 310-964-5000. You might be able to get to his secretary by calling that number and saying, "Carey's office, please," in a professional and composed tone.
(Photo: (A3R) angelrravelor (A3R))
Want more consumer news? Visit our parent organization, Consumer Reports, for the latest on scams, recalls, and other consumer issues.


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Notify you that one or more of your jobs caused excessive load on one of the network file system directory servers.
Sample subject line
Your jobs on Oakley are causing excessive load on fs14
Apparent sender
OSC Help <email@example.com> or an individual staff member
Your jobs are causing problems with one of the network file servers. This is usually caused by submitting a large number of jobs that start at the same time and execute in lockstep.
Sent under these circumstances
These emails are sent by a staff member when the high load is traced to your jobs. Often the jobs have to be stopped or deleted.
To turn off the emails
You cannot turn off these emails. Please don't ignore them because they report a problem that you must correct.
To prevent these problems
See the Knowledge Base article (coming soon) for suggestions on dealing with file system load problems.
For information on the different file systems available at OSC, see Available File Systems.
If you continue to submit jobs that cause these problems, your HPC account may be blocked.
For assistance
We will work with you to get your jobs running within the constraints of the system. Contact OSC Help for assistance. See our Support Services page for more contact information.


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CHICAGO — Two men have been convicted for the death of a 9-year-old girl who was shot as she bathed her dogs outside her Chicago home.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports (http://bit.ly/1eSicUu) Chastity Turner was shot in the back in June 2009 as gunmen targeted her drug-dealing father and his cohorts.
Ronald Henderson and Kevin Stanley were convicted Wednesday on first-degree murder and attempted murder charges. A third man, 22-year-old Davionne Whitefield, is awaiting trial.
The girl's father and two others were wounded in the shooting.
In closing arguments, Assistant State's Attorney Joseph Lattanzio says 33-year-old Henderson and 31-year-old Stanley knew Chastity was near their targets but they "didn't care." He added the motive was the control of drug sales.
The jury's verdict came despite defense attorney efforts to discredit witnesses who testified.


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Living Large On A Small Houseboat
This month's issue of Sunset Magazine features a 1,000 square-foot houseboat in Sausalito, on California's Richardson Bay. The article describes a fabulously chic house that is much more than a home – it's a lifestyle.
Imagine enjoying the beauty of the bay while living with all the comforts you'd expect of a modern pre-fab home. Life is different out there on the water. Errands are run via kayak, early morning seal-watching is an everyday occurrence and time is measured with the tides. The homeowners (Matt and Jennifer Harvey) seem to enjoy a real community living on the water. And the relatively small space equates to less time spent dealing with the home and more time spent with friends.
Would you trade your small space for another if it meant such a change in lifestyle?
Be sure to check out the full image collection by Thomas J. Story and article by Abigail Peterson online at Sunset.
(Images: Thomas J. Story/Sunset


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Telefax: No fax number available
Website: No web address available
Biz owner? Moderate reviews or edit listing.
Search entire category for Trucking - Motor Freight
Trucking - Motor Freight, in Seymour, refers to paid services of motor truck companies that offer freight services where trucks transport cargo or goods from one place to another.


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Difference between revisions of "Auckland"
Revision as of 11:04, 13 September 2011
Auckland [33] is the largest metropolitan area in New Zealand, with a population of over one million. It is in the northern half of the North Island, on a narrow isthmus of land that joins the Northland peninsula to the rest of the North Island. In November 2010, four formerly separate cities were amalgamated. The four were Manukau City in the south, Waitakere City in the west, North Shore City in the north and Auckland City itself, on and around the isthmus. The four cities are now combined with the wider local government area, which includes rural areas, small towns and the islands of the Hauraki Gulf, of Auckland Region.
See the Auckland Region article for the greater Auckland area.
Auckland is often known as the "City of Sails" for the large number of yachts that grace the Waitemata Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf. It could also be known as the "City of Volcanoes". Much of its natural character comes from the fact that it is built on the Auckland Volcanic Field which consists of about 48 volcanoes. All of the volcanoes are individually extinct but the volcanic field as a whole is not.
Auckland is the largest city in Polynesia. For some Polynesian island nations there are more expatriates living in Auckland than in their homeland. Auckland's rich Pacific cultural mix is celebrated at festivals [34] and sporting matches.
Auckland often rates well in international quality-of-life polls; consistently rating in the top five. Culturally, the city is an interesting mix. As New Zealand itself is only 103 years old, an immigrant culture is prominent - many ex-pats from England and Ireland and their immediate children populate the city. The city has also attracted a sizable population of Asians and Pacific Islanders in recent years.
The indigenous peoples of New Zealand are the Māori, a large portion of whom have emigrated from their tribal villages in the last 60 years to cities such as Auckland. Representing about 11% of the city, most of these Māori are fully integrated into the urban culture and many are estranged from their tribal roots. Intermarriage rates have been substantial, so rather than appearing only as a prominently distinct ethnicity, an entire spectrum from European white to Māori has emerged. Like many indigenous peoples, the Māori suffered historical injustice at the hands of the colonizing British, though since the 1960s a revival of the Māori culture and language has emerged with New Zealand now celebrating the distinctness of its native inhabitants. Though most Māori speak far better English, New Zealand has added native Māori as an official language in 1987, which will most prominently manifest in the form of bilingual public signage.
Get in
By plane
Auckland International Airport (IATA: AKL) [35], New Zealand's largest airport, is in the southern suburb of Mangere on the shores of the Manukau Harbour. There are frequent services to Australia, and to other New Zealand destinations. There are also direct connections to many locations in the South Pacific, to the United States, Asia and to Buenos Aires and Santiago in South America.
Ground transportation to and from the airport
Transport from the airport to central Auckland and suburbs includes buses, shuttles and taxis.
The bus to central Auckland is called Airbus [36] and runs 24 h at 15 min intervals during the day and 30 min at night. The one way fare for adults is $16, backpackers with ID $14, children $6. When returning to the airport by Airbus, allow for the service to run late: often the '15 min' schedule is more like 30 min.
Use the $1 discount card available on the website and get a discount from the driver.
Other bus services run to the suburbs. For the city centre, a convenient option is bus 380 to Puhinui from where suburban trains connect to Britomart station in the city centre. This method will cost $3.40 + $5 = $8.40 to the city centre. Total time approx 12+33=45 min. Ask for the bus stop at the infocentre. It is very close to the exit from International, the same stop that the airbus uses.
Approximate prices for one person in a shuttle to various destinations:
Taxi fares may be $50-100 from the airport to a city location, about the same as it costs to hire a car per day.
Terminal transfer
There are separate domestic and international terminals. A free bus runs between the terminals every 20 min and takes a few minutes. The walk is around 800 m and takes about 10 min. It is indicated by signposts and a blue line to follow. The path is level, and you are permitted to take luggage trolleys between the terminals. The walk is uncovered and exposed to the weather.
Airport facilities
The international terminal has ATMs on both sides of security. There is a typical food court in the departures area before security, a McDonalds and a coffee shop in the arrivals area, and some more cafe-style food after security. There is the usual collection of expensive shops and souvenirs on both sides of immigration.
If you have time to kill, there is miniature golf about 1 km (15 min walk) from the terminal. It is complete with a hole on a pirate ship, which beats hanging around in the terminal for hours. [37]
Lockers are available in the terminal for $15 per day.
By bus
The InterCity Sky City Coach Terminal (located at 102 Hobson St, behind Sky City Plaza) is the main hub for national carriers InterCity Coachlines [38] and GreatSights New Zealand [39]. Regional Northland operator Northliner [40] also departs from this location. Facilities include an InterCity Coachlines ticketing office, free wifi, cafe and luggage lockers.
By train
The Overlander train runs from central Wellington to Britomart Transport Centre at the north end of Queen St in central Auckland. The 681 km (423 mi) journey takes about 12 h. The trip runs much of the length of the North Island with stopping-off opportunity at Tongariro National Park. In a single day you will pass every kind of scenery: coastline, volcanoes and mountains, green farm pastures and dense New Zealand bush from $119.
Get around
There are a variety of ways to get around including bus, train, ferry, taxi, shuttle and hiring your own car. You can use the MAXX website [41] to find ways to get round Auckland using public transport. MAXX also has a text messaging service which can be used to find out the time of the next bus, ferry or train or to find the quickest way to get to your destination using public transport.
Auckland is a very car-dependent city and for most tourists used to extensive public transport systems, frustrations can mount. It may be more prudent to hire a car if you wish to do a lot of cross city travel, particularly if you plan on leaving to see the nearby natural beauty, though roads frequently become heavily congested and driving standards can be poor. New Zealand law allows you to drive for up to a year if you have a licence in your home country or an International Driving Licence.[42] Beware that New Zealand drives on the left.
The Britomart Transport Centre on the corner of Queen Street and Customs Street is the main information centre for public transportation in Auckland. You will be able to find free bus, train or ferry schedules in this centre - something that is very handy since the frequency of some public transportation services is low and sometimes irregular. These timetables are also downloadable from the MAXX website.
The Auckland Discovery Pass can be purchased for $14, and provides travel on all forms of public transportation in Auckland, except the Fullers ferries and the Airbus that runs from the CBD to the airport.
By bus
Bus is the most-used method of public transport in Auckland, carrying over 40 million passenger trips a year. Buses to popular destinations usually run every 5-15mins. For example Kelly Tarltons and Mission Bay have buses (numbers 745-769) running at least every 15 mins Monday to Saturdays though much less frequently Sundays.
If you don't mind a 5 to 10 min walk to a bus stop you can get by without a car in Auckland. However buses are not always reliable, especially during peak hours. Delays of up to 15 min are common on certain routes. Buses are also a slow way to travel long distances, and travel is remarkably more difficult going across town than on a main north-south route. If possible consider taking a train or ferry instead. If you are travelling to less frequented areas or outer suburbs be prepared for long travel times and long wait periods (30+mins) between services.
Auckland's bus services are not integrated - there are different bus companies serving different parts of Auckland. The largest operator,NZ Bus, has relabelled their own brand with different names indicating parts of Auckland that it serves. The following are buses that run to different parts of Auckland:
There is a new integrated bus system in Auckland, the Hop card which allows transport on all NZbus services and will soon allow transport with train, ferry and other bus providers.
Bus passes in Auckland are troublesome since there is a lack of an integrated bus system - each bus service uses its own card system and they are mutually incompatible. All NZbus(i.e. Metrolink, North Star, Go West, Urban Express, Waka Pacific) buses use a snapper based contactless smart card system, Ritchies uses a touch sensor, and Howick and Eastern uses a wayfarer chip system.Buy bus cards (they can be bought from different locations in Auckland, Britomart being one of them) if, and only if you are certain about where you'd be travelling to - otherwise you'll find yourself paying cash.
One exception to this is bus travel on the North Shore. They have recently introduced a Northern Pass system whereby travellers (and commuters) can purchase a day- or week-long pass which covers inter-operator travel on the North Shore. You can buy day passes on the buses heading to and in the North Shore - just keep the ticket and show it to the next bus driver, and you will be let on the bus.
Most bus services run to and from the CBD, and so there are relatively few "cross-town" buses. It might sometimes be faster (and more convenient) to take buses into the city to take another bus out! If you want to get around the same area easily, it is also possible to take the bus to a "hub" where lots of buses run through, to connect to another bus. The bigger bus hubs are (but are not limited to):
Most bus stops that are frequently used have displays showing the times the next buses arrive. These are fairly reliable but do not place all your faith in them - sometimes the signs display that a bus has come and gone, and then several minutes later the bus arrives.
By train
Travel by train is a good option if you are near a train line, but there are only three lines so many suburbs are not served. While the train service has had a bad history due to under-investment, it has been improving in recent years due to increased investment in train carriages and the upgrading of many of the 36 train stations. An annual patronage increase of 30% was achieved in 2005, bringing total patronage to over 5 million passengers a year for the first time since the 1960s.
There are three lines: the Eastern, Southern and Western Lines. Services on the Southern line run from Britomart station in downtown Auckland south to Papakura, with a few services on to Pukekohe. The Southern Line runs roughly parallel to the Southern Motorway and indeed runs right beside the motorway through part of Auckland. The Eastern Line is a short line that runs from Britomart through four stations in the east of central Auckland before joining the Southern line just before Westfield station. Services on the Eastern line also continue to Papakura and Pukekohe. The Western line runs from Britomart west to Waitakere Station. There are no train services on the North Shore or in the eastern suburbs of Manukau City.
The Southern and Eastern Lines have the most frequent and reliable services. Trains on these lines combined run every 10 mins on-peak, 15 minutes off-peak and 30 minutes evenings and weekends. Approximately 80-90% of these services run on-time. The Western Line suffers from somewhat unreliable and less frequent services, and is currently undergoing development to improve frequencies and reliability. Trains on this line runs every 15-20 mins on-peak, every 37 mins off-peak and every 30 mins weekends. Approximately 60-70% of these trains run on-time.
By car
The road network experiences severe congestion at rush hour. The geography of Auckland constrains the network to a limited number of routes. Auckland has a comprehensive road networks for a city its size, but lack of investment in public transport means the city is largely dependent on the private automobile.
It is often easier and cheaper to hire a car instead of using taxis, simply because the city is so large and spread out.
Auckland city is well covered by the main global car rental companies, such as Avis, Budget, Hertz, Thrifty & Europcar. All car rental companies offer competitive pricing for economy class vehicles and unlimited mileage options. Local car rental companies like Apex & Jucy may also offer competitive pricing. New Zealand basedcar rental comparison websites are also a good way of saving time and money.
The three main motorway systems running through Auckland are the Northern Motorway (from Orewa to the Central Motorway Junction (CMJ) a.k.a. Spaghetti Junction), the Southern Motorway (from the CMJ past Bombay Hills, where it merges to the Waikato Expressway), and the Northwestern Motorway (from Auckland Port through CMJ to Westgate). These motorways clog up during the morning rush in the CBD-bound direction, and the same thing happens in the opposite direction during the evening rush. The Harbour Bridge has a method of mitigating this traffic load - it changes the lane system from 4-4 to 5-3 favouring the side which has the heavier traffic load, so be careful when crossing the bridge during different times, some lanes might not be there at some times!
Some motorway on-ramps have traffic lights operating in busy periods - they allow one car to proceed every three seconds to ease the merging onto the motorway. Cameras are operating to catch red-light runners.
The High Street/Vulcan Lane is the Fashion centre of Auckland Central and has local designer stores as well as international brands. Look out for womenswear in Kate Sylvester, Ruby, Moochi, Ricochet, World Luxury Store, Karen Walker and Agatha Paris French Fashion Jewelley as well as many other international brands. For menswear, visit Little Brother, Crane Brothers, and World Man. For New Zealand and international brands, see Workshop, Brave, Browns and Fabric, along with Ashley Ardrey for shoes.
Mala Brajkovic - rock and roll womenswear - is found on Vulcan Lane (off High St), along with the World Beauty Store.
Made on Customs St West (parallel to Quay St, near to the Britomart transport centre). Stocking international and New Zealand labels. The Aotea Square markets (Queen Street) are held on Fridays and Saturdays and often feature original designers in addition to the usual market fare.
On Ponsonby Rd, find womenswear in Sera Lily, Miss Crabb, Hepburn, Jaimie Stocking local and international brands (Vivienne Westwood), IsaKelle, and various other stores, including Sybella for shoes.
K' Rd (short for Karangahape Rd) has cultural stores such as Third Eye (Indian), Buana Satu (Polynesian), vintage stores like Fast and Loose and Vixen (St Kevin's Arcade), designer stores like Girl and Vicky Sudarath (both St Kevin's Arcade) and Adrian Hailwood. Across the road from St Kevin's, find Illicit and Miss Illicit. Tattoos from Dermographic, also in Ponsonby.
Newmarket has outposts of the many stores listed above, as well as a few others. Nuffield St is home to Lucy Boshier (a local designer), Trelise Cooper Kids (upscale kids clothing from the New Zealand designer), and Superette (predominantly Australian designers). Look to Teed St for Drop Dead Gorgeous - offering brands such as Stella McCartney, Chloe and 3.1 Phillip Lim and Muse offering international labels such as Diane von Furstenburg, James Perse, and Rebecca Taylor. stenbeck&morse stocks directional New Zealand & Australian labels such as Jimmy D, Cybele, Deborah Sweeney and Josh Goot.
For kosher food, the Auckland Jewish Community Centre, which includes the Auckland Hebrew Congregation, has a kosher shop located on Greys Avenue, Auckland CBD (right next door to the Duxton Hotel) and is open every day except Mondays, Saturdays and Jewish festivals. It includes a large range of kosher products.
There are some good cheap food courts (food halls) offering a variety of usually Asian foods. For downtown food halls, try next to the Queens' Arcade at the bottom of Queen St (slightly hidden entrance), or the Metro award winning one at the bottom of Albert St. The Ponsonby International food court [67] has the cheapest eats in this somewhat pricey neighbourhood with the Mexican stall a standout among the Asian stalls.
Bed & breakfast
Serviced apartments
Stay safe
Auckland is generally a fairly safe place to visit. Be vigilant as you would in any other cities in the world, and with a little bit of common sense you will be safe. Being part of a group is obviously safer than walking about alone, particularly for women. Try to stay in lit areas and avoid dark side streets. Consider carefully where you leave your car especially if you park it in daylight and will have to relocate it after nightfall. Theft from cars is a common problem in New Zealand, so don't leave valuables in your vehicle, or at least make sure that they are hidden from sight.
The local emergency contact number is 111 for police, fire and ambulances.
You will generally find police to be quite trustworthy and helpful, and never try to bribe them, unlike in many other cities around the world.
Friday and Saturday nights can be dangerous on the road due to the high rate of drunk driving and "boy racer" culture. Excessive speed, poor vehicle maintenance and bad driving attitudes can result in fatal crashes and care should be exercised.
Be careful in theese areas:
Karangahape Road (K Rd): A large number of pubs and clubs are located here, but care should be taken late at night as assaults and theft can occur.
Queen Street: During the day, this is a repectable shopping area, and after dark, there are usually still a large number of pedestrians and traffic until the early hours of the morning so the area it is relatively safe. On Friday and Saturday nights, there is typically a large number of heavily intoxicated people wandering up and down the street. Some may seem intimidating, but they are usually more interested in getting to their next drinking destination than anything else. An increasing number of homeless people sleep around this area, but they are unlikely to bother you except a plea for loose change.
Fort Street: Once the centre of Auckland's red light district. Fort St is now considered backpackers street with 3 major backpackers calling it home. During the day you can drink at one of Fort Streets many cafes and dance the night away in one of Fort Streets many bars.
High Street/Vulcan Lane: During the day, this is an elegant and upmarket shopping area. At night, it gets quieter, but on weekends, there will be a large young crowd at the various bars and clubs along the street, and is usually quite safe. Police regularly patrol this street on weekends for disorderly drunk youths.
Viaduct Harbour: Many bars are located here, and care should be taken late at night as intoxication levels rise.
There are many internet cafes around the CBD area with prices ranging from $1 per half an hour to $5 per hour, however free internet is available from the public library (limited 100MB per IP address per day).Furthermore there are also free wifi internet in the skycity foodcourts. There are 40 HotSpots that offer WiFi connectivity, most notably Esquires cafe (inside Skycity Queen Street, Middle Queen Street, Lower Queen Street, Nelson Street), Starbucks (Victoria Street, K' Road, Lower Queen Street) and various other cafes around Auckland.
See the New Zealand article for information about mobile phone and associated data networks.
Get out
Go wine tasting on Waiheke Island. Waiheke is home to some fantastic wines and has some of the best beaches in the area. Can get crowded during the weekends, but very quiet during the week. It seems a world away from Auckland, but is only 35 minutes by ferry.
On your way through the Waitakere Ranges, head to the little beachside village of Piha and be prepared for stunning natural beauty.
Rotorua, Hamilton, Waitomo Caves and Taupo are all within several hours drive and all have a lot to offer.


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Justin Bieber Freestyle On Tim Westwood! "Catchin Bieber Fever Forget The Swine Flu.. J Bieber. 1st Name. Last Name"
"Justin Bieber in the UK on the Westwood 1Xtra show spittin' a few bars" - Tim Westwood
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Historical Job Names in Newspapers: Old Careers & Occupations (Part II)
By Mary Harrell-Sesniak on April 15, 2013
Introduction: Mary Harrell-Sesniak is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background. In this guest blog post, Mary provides another fun quiz to test your knowledge of terms used in old newspapers to describe our ancestors' occupations—and then provides illustrated definitions of those terms. An earlier blog article of mine entitled "Job... (Read More)


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FRITZ!Box 7272 Serwis - Baza wiedzy
FRITZ!Box 7272 Serwis
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Making internet calls over FRITZ!Box's VPN connection
If the FRITZ!Box is connected to a remote network via VPN, then the SIP accounts (internet telephone numbers) entered in the FRITZ!Box can login to a SIP server in the remote network over the VPN connection. It is then possible to conduct internet calls over the VPN connection to the SIP server. However, we cannot guarantee that this function will work.
Important:Enter the IP address of the SIP registrar and not its host name when you enter the account information for the internet telephone number in the FRITZ!Box. The IP address must be from the VPN target network.


text: Join us as Penn Jillette, Michael Goudeau, Matt Donnelly, and YOU discuss the news of the week. We'll examine religious news, talk about monkeys, and anything else that seems funny or makes us mad. We'll also take your suggestions for things you feel like talking about. We will be running a live video feed from the Vintage Nudes Studio for people with the time and inclination to watch people sitting and talking. The live show starts Sundays at noon Vegas time, & is usually available for download from your favorite podcast aggregator Sunday evenings.


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We are delighted to announce an exciting opportunity for a qualified and experienced FEMALE English Language Lecturers in Riyadh, Jeddah & Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. This opportunity will offer successful candidates the chance to work in one of Saudi Arabia's top Medical Universities while experiencing all that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has to offer.
Benefits Include:
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• Furnished Accommodation (15% of salary deducted)
• Yearly round trip ticketing for up to three eligible dependents (one spouse and two children)
• 60 days of Paid Annual Leave
• Medical and Emergency dental coverage for you and eligible dependents
• Official Holiday leave (10 days)- Eid Al Fitr, Eid Al Adha, and National Day Holiday
• End of Service Award
• BA in English or Applied Linguistics
• MA Applied Linguistics, English Language or a related field (Preferable)
• Minimum of 5 years teaching EFL/ESL/ESP in a recognized academic institution
• Computer literacy
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• Preferably with a teaching certificate in CELTA/DELTA
If you meet the above requirements please submit your CV to firstname.lastname@example.com for review and include the following information to speed up the review of your process
1. Marital Status: (Single/Married)
2. Children: (number/ages)
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5. Current Salary:
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7. Have you applied through any other agency/organisation?
8. Have you ever been suspended or placed in a probational Status?
9. Kindly provide us with copies of the following documents to support your application:
a. Copies of all your qualifications as indicated in your CV
b. A copy of your passport
c. A recent ID photograph to be used for your application. (otherwise send a normal picture which we will format it accordingly)
d. 3 - References Letters (could be provided after you have been shortlisted) The Reference Letters must meet the following criteria and kindly confirm if you would be able to provide this once shortlisted after interview?
• Reference letters must come from a superior and not a colleague.
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• All reference letters must be on Company letter Head
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* Please also note that we are required to verify your references prior to an interview is conducted we therefore require the contact details of three referees we could contact as part of the application process once we have completed the review of your application. We will not contact your current reference until you have accepted the position.
*** Candidates who have worked (or are currently working) in Saudi Arabia are now required by the ministry of Education to provide the following:
• Performance Evaluation
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Our commitment to you is that of a truly Ethical partner, underlying our core business principles of Professionalism and Integrity.


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I have an irrational (or maybe not) hatred of Spotify. I find it useful for researching single tracks, but I don't ever use it for listening to music on. My heart sinks every time I click on a link to find it's a Spotify link (maybe people should flag them up, with "Spot" or something!).
These are the reasons I hate it:
- I can't use it at work, which is where I listen to music most.
- I mainly listen to new music that isn't on there yet.
- I'm not convinced of its usefulness to me enough to buy it yet, so I'm stuck with the ads. Some say they are not that intrusive, but I've never listened to music interrupted by ads in my life, I'm not going to start now.
- I don't like having to open yet another app, I'd rather be able to listen to stuff in my browser/iTunes.
- I like to "own" music, I don't trust my music library/playlists etc. in the hands of a third party. Also I don't trust myself to 'remember' all the music I like. At least I know that I like all the music I own (I'm not a completist: if I own it, I like it).
- The UI is fugly
In its defense, several friends have raved about its sharing capabilities, but I can't see me making use of this unless I used it a lot.
Convince me. If you want.
Update: this post was a result of a comment I made over here. For sharing purposes, what I need is some kind of browser-based thing that I can add my online streaming finds to (e.g. Soundcloud, Hype Machine), that could play the streaming audio through a common interface. Failing that, I could just use a tumblr to share stuff.
Update 2: After a lengthy Twitter convo with @craigfots, I want to add some more thoughts:
- I want to listen to brand new tracks as soon as they are available (if not sooner!). I don't want to have to wait for them to go through the aggregation procedure to get onto Spotify. And not all the tracks I'm interested in will appear on Spotify. That's because Spotify are in control, not me.
- Spotify feels too much like a walled garden. I want to be able to add any track I find online: one-off tracks/experiments/mashups/white labels/DIY cool stuff that finds its way onto YouTube or SoundCloud etc. Spotify kind of goes against one of the things I love most about the web, that anyone can create content. I basically want the same control as I have with my iTunes. It's just a player, I can put any track in it. Need that for streaming. Even better, I'm looking for a generic tool that can combine these (mp3 player + stream from anywhere + my control) and am happy to pay for that tool when I find it!
- I want one place/tool to go to for all my audio. I don't want to use Spotify for established artists and something else for an experimental DIY track I just found online. Want it all in the same place, see above.


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The top scoop this week was indubitably the Qantas rat pack story.
Ructions in Europe, dire economic data pointing to a slowing US economy, the wailing over carbon pricing at home, a sharp slump in GDP, and Australia's greatest entrepreneur Andrew Forrest standing aside as chief executive of Fortescue – fine yarns all.
But Rodentgate surely surpassed them.
Who were they, these whiskered interlopers found aboard the Qantas 767? Such was the crisis that the airline had to ground the plane for 20 hours. The air safety regulator CASA was alerted. Indeed, there was a risk that these chattering critters might have gnawed through wiring and sent the entire in-flight entertainment system crashing.
But where was the disclosure? Was this the furry-butted Rattus norwegicus, the chattering, spindly tailed swamp rat Rattus lutreolus, or the shaggy-haired Rattus villosissmus? Were they domestic stowaways, or foreign rat nationals?
And how did they get there? We are only told they were discovered in the medical equipment. Could they have been Rattus Sans Frontieres perhaps? How were they not spotted queuing for hours with other passengers at the check-in counter? Or baulking at the astronomical prices in the terminal lounges?
Alas, we may never know because Qantas, showing scant sensitivity to the animal rights lobby, panicked and murdered them. Yes, it may be true that those of the family Muridae are prone, from time to time, to display barbaric qualities. The dominant male adults often urinate in public, and even on each other, in order to exert their dominance.
But we must ask ourselves this: would the airline have exterminated a pack of rugby league players if they, too, snuck on board without paying? The double standard is unacceptable. If this were a pod of whales Peter Garrett would have hit the roof; there would have been international condemnation.
Might these creatures have been of the obscure Australian genus Rattus colletti? The dusky rat, protected by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List as an endangered species.
Such was the pathos, the profound drama of this story that, for the first time, this humble scribe was moved to sympathy for the Qantas PR department.
Amid the devastation of the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan no less than six of the eight undersea data cables connecting that country have had problems. Meanwhile, worldwide data traffic is booming.
And so it is that the New Zealand entrepreneur Sam Morgan has teamed up with the former Fairfax boss David Kirk and another Kiwi entrepreneur, Rod Drury, to lay a 13,000 kilometre submarine fibre-optic cable across the Tasman.
Until now, Australia and New Zealand have relied on one cable. If Morgan and co can raise their planned $US400 million the economics appear compelling, both for their Pacific Fibre venture and for broadband customers in New Zealand.
The existing cable is owned by Southern Cross, a consortium of Telecom New Zealand (50 per cent), Singtel (40 per cent) and Verizon.
It spent $1 billion building the cable and took a dividend of
$US110 million in the last four quarters and has been able to charge roughly six times more in its data pricing than equivalent operators between the US and Japan, an equivalent distance. A monopoly rent.
The volume of international data traffic between the US, New Zealand and Australia has been growing at a compound annual rate of 55 per cent over the last eight years.
If Morgan, who founded the online auction house Trade Me in 1999 and sold it to Fairfax for $NZ700 million in 2006, gets his cable up it won't have a big effect on Australia but is a game-changer for New Zealand.
The expense of carrying international data means ISPs limit their customers to much lower download caps than elsewhere.
The New Zealand government gave Pacific Fibre $15 million to get the ball rolling a couple of weeks ago, rattling Telecom NZ, and lending the lads a fair platform to raise another $300 million from the likes of infrastructure funds.
Credit Suisse is putting the hat around now. The way these things work, you sign up your customers and your finance at the same time. ANZ is considering tipping some debt in while the likes of Google, ISPs, mobile networks and data centre operators are being tapped as clients.
Revelations this week that OZ Minerals paid family members of a Cambodian venture partner to get a project up will hardly shock those in the mining world, who are used to "facilitation payments" to get things going in third world countries. Yet the extent of these murky deals seeps ever further into the public domain.
There was the BHP "tea money" scandal last year. BHP is yet to confirm or deny much but the Securities and Exchange Commission in the US is still investigating its $1 million payment to the Cambodian government to secure bauxite leases in 2006.
Then came news, again in these pages, that Rio Tinto had to fork out another $US700 million to the Guinean government to get its Simandou iron ore project going in Africa. That was on top of the existing equity deal with the local government. Rio is tipped to frame the transaction as a "settlement payment".
Putting aside the ethics, bribery is a fact of life in many countries.
When it becomes endemic though, as it has in Argentina – as counterpoint to neighbouring Chile – it can destroy an economy, deterring investors and project approvals alike.


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A Summer Birthday Cake Roundup
Summer brings lots of seasonal fruits and a desire for lighter fare. Because of this, a cake for a summer birthday may look nothing like the heavy icing-covered versions we're used to. Take a look at this roundup for some just-for-summer birthday cake ideas:
• 1 Delicious and Pretty Too: Rhubarb Upside Down Cake
• 2 How To Make Cake Pops
• 3 Recipe Review: Classic Poppy Seed Cake From Solo
• 4 Alternative to Carrot: Banana Nut Birthday Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• 5 Recipe: Hot Pink Raspberry Cake
• 6 Fourth of July Flag Cake: A Pretty, Round Alternative
• 7 Summer Recipe: No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
• 8 Surprisingly Quick Root Beer Chocolate Bundt Cake
• 9 Recipe: Blueberry Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
• 10 Look! Serve Ice Cream in Slices
Related: Born in the Fall? 8 Birthday Cakes Inspired by the Season
(Images: Sarah/Blue Ridge Baker, Faith Durand, Sarah Rae Trover, Elizabeth Passarella, KD Touch Photography, Holland Burns, Faith Durand, Laure Joliet, Faith Durand, Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams)


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Top Lake Jackson Community Colleges
- For the 2018-19 school year, there is 1 top community college in Lake Jackson, Texas, serving 4,155 students.
- The average community college acceptance rate in Texas is 74% (view national acceptance rates).
- Minority enrollment is 44% of the student body (majority Hispanic), and the student:teacher ratio is 29:1.
Top Lake Jackson, TX Community Colleges (2018-19)
- College Location Students
- 500 College Dr
Lake Jackson,  TX 77566
4,155 students
Recent Articles
The Online Education Initiative will greatly expand course offerings for community college students, while making the transfer process between institutions much more smooth. The Initiative has its critics, however, who decry the loss of local control over education.
A recent study reveals that job applicants with a credential or associate's degree from a community college have slightly better chances of getting a job interview than students who attend a for-profit college or university. Since community colleges are much more budget friendly than for-profit institutions and have much better job placement results, community colleges are a much better option for employment-minded students.
After City College of San Francisco loses its accreditation, other community colleges in the state are facing warnings, sanctions and possible loss of accreditation as well.


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|The authors own nothing. Joss, UPN, WB, etc. own Buffy, the show, the characters, the places, and the backstory. The authors own any original plots.


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The way we seem to operate in a dualistic world, whose principle feature is change and whose principle challenge is entropy (the gradual decline from order to disorder), appears to be to maximize pleasure and minimize pain.
If you watch advertisements, for instance, you see the advertiser identifying which products or services help arrest entropy, prevent change, maximize pleasure, and minimize pain. A housewife is tending her young child and running errands. But when she sits down on a park bench and takes a well-deserved rest, what does she do? She takes out a Nutrigrain bar and eats it, with that prized and contrived look of satisfaction on her face. We're left to associate a Nutrigrain bar with satisfaction, a pleasurable moment taken out from a hectic life.
Advertisements create a list of products and services which become associated in our mind with increasing pleasure, freeing us from pain, and preventing change and entropy.
Movies are a medium in which all action follows the director's intentions. In one movie, a show girl may be the center of attention, dancing or kicking up her heels in predictable ways expressing the director's intention to establish certain desirable things about her. In another movie, where she operates as essentially a prop, she walks across the stage and exhibits no characteristics that attract undue attention to herself. In each case she's behaving in a scripted way to achieve the director's purpose.
The director feeds us what are essentially stock situations (Irish gangster insults Italians, treats girlfriend roughly, and walks up and down with bravado, attractive woman (natch) doffs hard hat after instructing construction crew, then walks out to dinner with her husband dressed exquisitely, etc.). He or she establishes each type of character as good or bad. The good are then associated with desirable actions, the bad with undesirable actions, and we are left with a stock of people, places, experiences and things deemed to be good and bad, which are then later drawn upon to establish the director's overall (again contrived) message.
Grasping pleasure, avoiding pain, embracing the good, distancing ourselves from the bad – this is the way our lives are influenced and our minds conditioned at the hands of the mainstream entertainment media.
Psychologist John Enright subtitled his chief work (Enlightening Gestalt) Waking up from the Nightmare. Never mind waking up from the dream. And one aspect of the way in which life is a nightmare these days is that we are worked upon by the entertainment media to arrive at the estimations of good and bad that the owners and manipulators of the media wish us to have.
So Independence Day and V establish that extraterrestrials are heartless predators (much the same as we are towards animals). Many movies associate Muslims with terror, Jews with money-grubbing, Irish with brainlessness, Blacks with anger, and so on. At some unconscious or subconscious level we take on these attributions. And this is the nightmare we're waking up from.
Not like we knew it, but we've lived in a society for the last sixty years whose governing powers (the real ones, that is) set about to strip us of our wealth, power, and influence. You may disagree with me but I don't think we could have reversed things left to our own devices. We had help and I consider it indispensable.
We've been lulled to sleep, fed chemicals through our water supply, had nanotechnology rained down on us, been brainwashed by the media, and so on. We've been directed towards pleasurable activities and things like sex, vacations, and intoxicants. We've been pushed towards a range of activities, products and services which someone has determined we were to use and consume. An economic order has come more and more to determine what our lives will be about.
And now we're awakening.
The light levels on the planet are rising in such a way that they cause to bloom feelings that some of us may never have experienced before – real love rather than sexual or romantic attraction, real caring rather than tugs of guilt or sympathy, real happiness rather than simply pleasureable satisfaction.
And I think they're causing us to tire of the same repetitive ways of grasping a little pleasure in our lives – eating, drinking, making love, etc.
I'm finding that, a lot more these days, I feel a draw to just being quiet. It's almost as if I'm realizing that the great majority of actions I take in my life are geared towards this endless cycle of desire that the media launch us on. I'm awakening from the endless nightmare of walking round and round the circle of wanting and getting, wanting and getting, which the poet said lays waste our powers.
And just sitting here breathing in the new feelings is the only thing I know how to do right now in the face of the awakening energies.
And this runs counter to all that's expected of me. The Skype messages pile up, the emails increase, soon the phone will start ringing. And here I am sitting quietly, not following the day's usual schedule, the TV quiet, ignoring the To Do list.
In this moment, I feel the bliss arise. And I'm simply sitting here, against all my cultural conditioning, all the programed demands, all the force of habit and the push of conventionality – just blissfully waking up from the nightmare.


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Apple MB528LL/A 8 GB 2nd Generation iPod Touch - Wi-Fi - 3.5-inch LCD Display - Black
The iPod touch has always been an amazing iPod. And with its groundbreaking technologies including a Multi Touch screen, the accelerometer, and 3D graphics and access to hundreds of games, iPod touch puts an amazing gaming experience in the palm of your hand. It comes in 8 GB, 16 GB, and 32 GB models with new volume controls and a built in speaker. Play hours of music. Create a Genius Playlist of songs that go great together. Watch a movie. Surf the web. View rich HTML email. Find your location and get directions with Google Maps. Browse YouTube videos.
Tech For Less


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Crawf wrote:KonaCommuter wrote:Those E3 tail lights don't strike me as being visible from the side of the bike. Happy to be wrong
The LED's do protrude, so some side illumination would be visible - how bright is the big question?
Hmmm, mine don't protrude at all. I have the rack mount version. Interestingly, Supernova seem to have admitted there is a problem, and now offer a new model E3 taill light with better side-visibility. So that must be the one you have.
Does not help with my problem, which is that the light is not particularly bright when stopped at traffic lights, and could easily be lost in a background of car brake lights, which puts me at risk of being rear-ended. A bright flasher is essential as far as I'm concerned. This is the one I'm using.


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product description
Related Products:
Carbon Steel
Chef Knives & Santoku
Full Tang
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Maker: Sabatier (click to see more by this maker)
Price: $123.90
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Blade length: 10.00 in.Total length: 14.75 in.Blade height (at heel): 1.95 in.Blade thickness (near bolster): 0.13 in.Item weight: 9.76 oz.Shipment weight: 10.4 oz.Blade: Carbon steelHandle: Molded polymer
Description: The Chef's Knife is the classic all-purpose knife in the kitchen. A nice rocking blade makes for easy chopping, while a sharp tip allows for detailed work. The French pattern chef's knife is slimmer than its German cousin to reduce friction between blade and food.
Sabatier knives are designed for the professional chef. The carbon steel blades stay sharp longer than stainless steel blades and have the ability to take a keener edge. Though the blades require minimal additional care to prevent corrosion and staining, many professional chef's prefer a keen carbon steel edge over stainless steel. The blades are tempered to Rc 53-54, allowing for a razor sharp edge that is quickly and easily maintained. A one-piece, drop forge construction produces a stronger knife, and provides optimal balance and weight.
The Traditional French blade shape is combined with round bolsters, resulting in the ultimate classic Sabatier knife style. These fine blades and round bolsters are the preferred tools of the finest French chefs and culinary schools.


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All proceedings begin with a written application lodged with the Federal Constitutional Court. Which of the two Senates is competent to decide the case depends on the type of proceedings or – in the case of abstract and specific judicial review proceedings and constitutional complaints – it follows from the field of law that is relevant for the case and from the provisions of the Basic Law that have allegedly been violated.
Applications are either entered directly into the Register of Proceedings or into the General Register; the latter applies if, for instance, a constitutional complaint is clearly inadmissible or, with due regard to the Federal Constitutional Courts's case-law, will clearly be unsuccessful.
If their application is entered into the General Register, the complainants may be informed in writing for what reasons their application probably has no prospects of success. If they nevertheless insist on a judicial decision, their constitutional complaints are transferred to the Register of Proceedings; otherwise, the proceedings terminate.
In the Senate or in the Chamber, the case is assigned to a Justice as reporting Justice in accordance with the Court's internal allocation of jurisdiction. The reporting Justice drafts a written opinion – the "Votum" or "bench memorandum" – in which he or she sets out the case, analyses it from a legal point of view, and suggests a decision. Normally, the reporting Justice is assisted by his or her judicial clerks.
Most Court decisions by the Court are taken in the Chambers, which each consist of three Justices of one Senate. A Chamber may refuse to admit a constitutional complaint for decision without stating reasons. If, however, the constitutional complaint is manifestly well-founded, the Chamber itself may grant the relief sought if the decisive constitutional issues have already been decided in the case-law of one of the Senates.
The Chamber's decision is made in on written proceedings and must be unanimous. If the three members of the Chamber do not reach an agreement, the Senate decides the matter, sitting with all eight Justices. Only the Senate can declare a formally enacted statute void or incompatible with the Constitution.
The Federal Constitutional Court may give all parties to the proceedings and all parties entitled to make a statement, especially the federal and Land constitutional organs, the opportunity to make a statement, and it may obtain submissions from informed third parties. If Senate proceedings are dealt with in an oral hearing, the case is discussed in open court with the parties to the proceedings and informed third parties.
The Senate deliberates on every decision extensively and in camera. The reporting Justice's written memo and proposed decision prepare for the deliberation.
In the case of a constitutional complaint, a simple majority is necessary to find that the Constitution has been violated. Since each Senate is composed of eight Justices, a tied vote is possible. In this case, it is not the vote of the presiding Justice that is decisive; instead, there can be no finding of a violation of the Constitution.
The members of a Senate who do not agree with a majority decision may present theri views in a separate opinion, which is signed by its author or authors and attached to the decision.
If there has been an oral hearing, the Senate's judgment is publicly pronounced in the courtroom. Unlike the oral hearing itself, this may be broadcast on television and radio. All Senate decisions that are not preceded by an oral hearing as well as those of the Chambers are issued as "court orders" and sent to the parties to the case in writing.
All Senate decisions and important Chamber decisions are published on the Court's website. Many decisions are publicised by the Federal Constitutional Court's Press Office. Senate decisions are also published as books (Decisions of the Federal Constitutional Court – BVerfGE).


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Visit our force products section for more information on our range of force measurement products from simple, handheld force gauges, through to more sophisticated force testers and force software, providing a solution to all your tension and compression testing requirements.
Our torque products section has more detailed information on our range of torque measurement solutions. From simple-to-use handheld torque gauges, to computer-controlled torsion testers, we offer a variety of torque test options to suit your application, quality control needs and budget.
Mecmesin's automated testing systems are designed to relieve operators of tedious or difficult tasks and to provide greater consistency and speed during material handling and testing. They are particularly suited to production environments where the volume of throughput is high, where repetitive tasks can lead to operator error and inconsistent test results, and where consistency of sample mounting is important.
A diverse range of industries rely on Mecmesin test equipment for quality control applications including aerospace, automotive, beverage, construction, cosmetics, doors, gates and barriers, electrical and electronics, engineering, food, manual handling, medical devices, packaging, paper and board, pharmaceuticals, plastics and rubber, safety, sports and textiles. Find out more


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Seeing is believing! Sign up today for a live webinar demonstration with an Actsoft product expert. See for yourself how our products can help benefit your business.
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Eye Candy: Le Creuset, Staub & Matteo Thun Knives
Two weeks ago I flew out to Chicago to see the gargantuan Home & Housewares Show for the first time. I love Chicago and the show was really interesting in that it wasn't furniture or design centered, but service centered. Everything was closer to hardware store than to home furnishings shop, and everything was PRACTICAL. After two days of trolling (I barely cracked the show), here are my top finds.
>> Mr. Clean: This is a classic shot from the show: The Mr. Clean booth was front and center with people eating chunks of him on the last day!
>> Staub: These other famous cast iron cookware makers have a much more German approach to design and a really interesting under-cover design that allows condensation to fall evenly over your cooking. I loved the metallic coloring as well as the cast iron plates that were on display (and not on sale in the US yet).
>> Le Creuset: Coming on the heels of the tremendous popularity of Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia, Le Creuset reached back into their archives and have remade some of their older designs in their signature flame red (exactly the ones Julia used). In the pic you can see the original vintage versions side by side with the new ones.
>> Wilton: This famous cake mold maker was new to me, and I Ioved the crazy ingenuity that they put into making molds of all shapes and sizes. Here are some of their signature complex patterns as well as a skull mold for Halloween.
>> Demeyere: John Pawson is everywhere!!! While not my particular style in the kitchen, I thought these were daring and original. This is someone's cup of tea.
>> Zwilling J. A. Henckels: I LOVED these new knives, Limited-Edition 1731 Chef's Knives, designed by Matteo Thun. With German steel and a Japanese design influence, the things are beautifully formed and weighted. They are also very expensive. Definitely an aspirational purchase.
>> Miyabi: I got the full scoop on these firewood cutting blocks. While light to pick up, firewood carries oils that naturally protect against germs AND has a surface that will not dull your knife while chopping. Very cool.


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Bed Bugs FAQs
People often ask, "What do bed bugs look like?" Here's a quick description: Adults are approximately the size of an apple seed and mahogany brown in color. Babies can be quite small, about the size of a grain of sand and are tan in color until they feed for the first time. They are quite elusive, hiding very well inside cracks and crevices between feedings making them very difficult to locate. Often the only signs of infestations are small drops of blood on the sheets that are excreted as they feed. Shed skins, fecal stains (which look like pepper glued to a surface) and eggs may also be observed tucked away in hidden locations. Identifications should never be based solely on bites shown. It is extremely difficult to see any signs of bed bugs during early infestation, so many people use our Bed Bug Detection Dogs, Hagar & Helga to help determine if bed bugs are present. Learn more on K9 Bed Bug Detection Here.
What are bed bugs effects on me?
While bed bugs do not cause damage to your home they will bite as blood is their only source of food. Although no disease transmission has been attributed to bed bugs, their bites may cause swelling and intense itching in some people. Secondary infections due to scratching may occur in some persons. While over the counter medications may help, many persons bitten exhibit intense itching that can last for days.
Meet Our Bed Bug Dog Inspectors!
How did I get bed bugs?
This pest is a hitchhiker and may have been picked up virtually anywhere. Gym lockers, Public transportation, infested hotel rooms, movie theaters, schools and just about any other place where the potential for contact with items from other persons with infested homes may spread this pest. While one may have an idea where they were contracted from, there is no certain way of knowing for sure where they came from. Often this pest goes undetected for several months before being noticed by homeowners due to their secretive nature.
What can I do to help get rid of bed bugs?
Eliminating clutter helps to reduce potential pest harborages and aids greatly in the treatment process. Laundering potentially infested clothing and washable items in hot water and running them through the dryer on high heat will also help to kill this pest. Most over the counter products utilized in bed bug control are largely ineffective, especially if you lack experience in controlling this pest. Over the counter pesticide applications may actually make long term control of this pest more difficult as repellency may drive them even deeper into their hidden locations. Hiring an experienced professional is always the best when dealing with this pest.
How Viking protects you and your home from bed bugs!
Viking has developed a highly successful control program that relies on the latest integrated approaches to bed bug treatment. The products used for control are carefully selected with equal emphasis on both safety and effectiveness. The products are applied by trained and highly experienced staff who understands the intricacies of bed bug control. With two on staff entomologists training our pest management professional you can be assured that Viking staff will be knowledgeable and able to control your bed bug concerns. Please contact us for a free inspection and treatment options customized for your unique situation if these Bed Bug FAQs didn't cover it.
Has Viking Pest Control helped you with your Bed Bug issue? Write a customer review Here.


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Plans for a new opencast mine near South Africa's Hluhluwe-Imfolozi reserve may increase pollution and poaching in the area, which would lead to further reductions in the size of the local southern white rhinoceros population.
Among the most charismatic and recognisable of Africa's mega-fauna, the white rhinoceros is the largest of the five rhinoceros species and one of the world's biggest land animals, second only to the African and Asian elephant in size. A subspecies of white rhinoceros, the southern white rhinoceros, is currently the most numerous of all the world's rhinos, and 93 percent of the total population is thought to occur in South Africa. This subspecies was rescued from near extinction a century ago, and represents a real conservation success story. In 1895, only around 50 individuals remained but careful conservation has increased this number to the 20,000 individuals that exist today. However, threats to the southern white rhinoceros are on the increase, and news of a proposed mining operation in close proximity to one of the most important nature reserve for this, and many other, species may spell disaster for this iconic animal.
The Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park in KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa is the oldest nature reserve in Africa and was established in 1895, largely to protect the remaining population of the southern white rhinoceros. Situated at the confluence of the Black and White Umfolozi Rivers, this natural reserve is home to Africa's 'big five', as well as innumerable other iconic species and over 340 bird species. There are fears that opencast coal mining in close proximity to the park may pollute the air and rivers, displace local communities, and threaten the southern white rhinoceros. Local communities' fears are founded in experience, they say that drilling and blasting at the Somkhele coal mine, six miles away, already creates pollution and affects livestock. There are concerns that not only will the toxic dust from the new mine affect the local wildlife, but the influx of people is also likely to increase the accessibility of the park to poachers.
Poaching is an increasing threat to all rhinoceros species. Just 13 rhinoceros were killed in 2007, while recent figures show that over 500 have been killed so far in 2014, indicating the highest level of poaching since records began. The growing demand for rhinoceros horn is thought to be due to economic growth and increased disposable income in Southeast Asia and China, where the horn is used for traditional medicine and as a sign of prestige among the business elite. The price of rhinoceros horn is greater than that of gold, and poachers are becoming increasingly organised, and there have been many reports of helicopters and high-tech gadgetry being used in poaching attempts. It is thought that the mine could help to facilitate poaching, and increase the difficulty of policing the park. The response to the plans from local communities and conservationists worldwide has been one of concern and consternation.
Find out more about the white rhinoceros on Arkive.
Discover more South African species on Arkive.
Read more on this story at The Guardian – Mining poses new threat to world's greatest rhino sanctuary.
Ben Hogan, Wildscreen ARKive PIPS Intern


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Let's talk turkey about a seasonal gold trade that is on an 11-year win streak.
Before you overeat and start watching football this Thanksgiving, you may want to grab a gold chart and consider some seasonal stats. If you have been buying a February gold contract on or around November 19, and holding it until about December 4, you've made money every year since 2000.
Before you hop right into this trade, though, consider the bigger picture. It has a success rate of just 55.6 percent over the last 37 years, which is a little better than a coin toss.
So why has this trade worked 11 out of the last 11 years? Well, gold has been on a solid bull run, and it's easy to understand why. Growing inflation concerns, due to the global debt crisis and deficit spending, weaken the dollar and boost asset prices. And all of these conditions, I would add, are still in play.
I consider the seasonal trade to be another tool in the tool chest. As a trader I am trying to swing the odds of a successful trade in may favor. By using a combination of technical levels, seasonal trends, and fundamentals, I am able to make a more informed decision.
So what's the trade?
I'm buying gold at $1,721.5, with a sell stop at $1,709.1. This limits my risk to $1,240. My target is up at $1,743.6, for a potential profit of $2,480.
A final note: If my entry is not hit by today's close, all orders are canceled.
What Rich is Watching
Read on for 10 Things You Need to Know to Trade Futures
Watch "Futures Now" Tuesdays & Thursdays 1p ET exclusively on FuturesNow.CNBC.com!
Like us on Facebook! Facebook.com/CNBCFutures
Follow us on Twitter! @CNBCFutures
Questions? Comments? email@example.com


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Flare 1.5 is now available, featuring new presets, new borders, Facebook sharing, and more! This version brings some great new options and improvements to our popular photo processing app.
Check out all the changes in version 1.5 on Flare's version history page, and be sure to read Wolfgang's post about the new release on the Flare blog. Then head on over to the Mac App Store to purchase Flare at the discounted price of just $9.99. You can also try it for free from FlareApp.com. If you love to tinker with Flare, don't forget to post your creations to the 'Made with Flare' Flickr pool when you're done. It's your chance to show the world your images are only the beginning.


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Want to rub shoulders with authors from this weekend's Baltimore Book Festival?
Hotel Monaco Baltimore, 2 N. Charles St., is hosting a Mix and Mingle event, Friday from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the living room area of the boutique hotel.
Authors include: Jennifer Armentrout (Romance), Catherine Asaro (Science Fiction), Megan Hart (Erotic Fiction), Cheryl Klam (Young Adult Romance), Sophie Perinot (Historical Fiction), Jeri Smith (Romance) and Hope Tarr (Romance).


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After a dismal first half of 2010, the stock market surged in the second half. At June 30, 2010, all major indexes were in negative territory. The Dow was down over 6%, the S&P 500 had a 7% deficit, and the Russell 2000 was lower by 2.5%. Faced with economic and political uncertainty throughout the year, many investors sought safer havens in high-quality bonds and gold, as well as convertible bonds and preferred stock. The average convertible returned about 2% (including income) in this half-year stretch. After the August lull, the indexes moved into high gear. The second half was a reverse image of the first, as investors saw a different picture on the horizon, and stock indexes soared to their highest levels since 2008. Indeed, the Dow Jones Industrial Average ended the year with an 11.4% gain, the S&P 500 was up almost 13%; the NASDAQ Composite rose 16.9%; and the Russell 2000 increased by 25.3%. Many investors remained cautious, though, and stayed with bonds for more-assured income and safety.
Although convertibles tend to lag their underlying stocks in an upbeat market, that was not the case this time. In fact, convertibles in our universe outperformed all major indexes except one, the NASDAQ Composite. The average convertible rose over 17% in 2010, thanks to 7.9% and 6.6% gains in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. Our Especially Recommended convertibles, as a portfolio, gained 19.8%. If the performance of the single warrant that was recommended during the fourth quarter is included, that number jumps to 43.1%. Especially Recommended Rank 1 convertibles rose 7.5% in the fourth quarter, and finished the year up 19.1%. All Rank 1 convertibles, as a group, gained 5.3% in the final interim, and 21.3% for the full year.
Our Especially Recommended Rank 1 convertibles portfolio including the sole warrant gained 8.6% for the quarter, and ended the year up 23.1%. Meanwhile, all Rank 1 convertibles in our Survey returned 5.3% for the quarter, and 21.3% for the year.
By nature, convertibles are defensive instruments by virtue of their higher investment quality and income, among other variables. Still, a sustained upward trend in equities can transform these instruments into a class that is nearly as aggressive as their underlying common stocks, particularly if the common is trading above the conversion trigger price. The above performance results speak for themselves. Bear in mind, however, that these results serve only as an indication of how investors would fare following our recommendations at the quoted trading levels. As we depend on outside pricing sources for quotations on these convertibles, the prices may not be the same when investors act on our recommendations. Indeed, our pricing dates lag our publication dates. Moreover, commission costs and other expenses are not taken into consideration for our calculations.
While past results are no guarantee of future performance, Value Line's Convertible Ranking System has proven effective over the past 30-plus years. In fact, our recommendations have been monitored by Mark Hulbert of Hulbert Financial Digest, and in a commentary from September 2009, he highlighted our selections as one of the better performers. We remain confident that our proprietary model will continue to discriminate effectively among our universe of convertible securities, giving subscribers an edge in this market.


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Brighten up any mood with this positive and happy corporate motivational pack for your project needs. This bright pack features drums, acoustic guitars, pianos, and uplifting strings and pads.
This pack includes both Wav and Mp3 file formats: The tracks in this park are below:
1. My Morning Cup of Joe – 1:20
2. Happy Day – 0:41
3. A Breath of Fresh Air – 0:44
4. Sunny Days – 0:36


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Thanks to an upgraded, $12 million fingerprinting system, the state expects to make tens of thousands of hits on previously unmatchable fingerprints, and has already made more than 150 matches in Howard County alone.
The new Maryland Automated Fingerprint Identification System allows law enforcement officials to make quicker, more accurate fingerprint hits with a Web-based, digitized system by producing high-definition fingerprint images - a system that state and law enforcement officials say is helping them make hits at a pace they've never seen.
"The state hit the jackpot with this one," said Robert Bartley, director of forensic services for the Howard County Police Department. "It's a little time-consuming, but boy does it pay off. ... I've been doing fingerprint work for 41 years, and I never thought I'd see a system like this."


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Thai protesters block roads in bid to shut capital
BANGKOK (AP) — Anti-government protesters who blocked off intersections across Thailand's capital began marching toward several government ministries Tuesday on the second day of a renewed push to derail elections next month and unseat the prime minister.
The protesters had planned to "shut down" the city of 12 million people, but life continued normally in most places, with school classes restarting, commuters heading to work and most businesses remaining open.
Thousands of people — many of them southerners from out of town — slept in the streets in tents or on mats in the open air. Protests leaders pledged the demonstrators will stay camped out in the streets until an unelected "people's council" replaces Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's administration, which they accuse of corruption and misrule.
"Our goal is to get rid of this government," said Preecha Chamdee, a 46-year-old rubber tapper from eastern Rayong province.
Yingluck dissolved the lower house of Parliament last month and called elections Feb. 2 in a bid to ease tensions. But "an election is not an answer because they will win again," Preecha said. "We need reforms."
The intensified protests raise the stakes in a long-running crisis that has killed at least eight people in the last two months and fueled fears of more bloodshed to come and a possible army coup.
The real target of the protesters' wrath is Yingluck's brother, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was toppled by the army in 2006 and lives in self-imposed exile to avoid jail time for a corruption conviction. They accuse Yingluck of being Thaksin's puppet, but the rural poor like him for the populist policies he implemented, including virtually free health care.
Critics say the protesters are merely trying to grab power because their political allies are unable to win a general election. Candlelight vigils have been held to counter the shutdown and urge the vote be held.
Yingluck proposed to meet Wednesday with various groups — including her opponents — to discuss a proposal from the Election Commission to postpone the elections. But protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban ruled out negotiations on Monday.
"You cannot mediate with this undertaking, you cannot compromise with this undertaking," he said. "In this undertaking, there's only win or lose ... today, we must cleanse Thailand."
The International Crisis Group think tank said the "scope for peaceful resolution is narrowing."
"If the sides can agree on the need to avoid violence and for a national dialogue built on a shared agenda, a solution might just possibly be found," the group said. "It is a slim reed on which to float hopes, but in Bangkok there is little else available."
The United States said Monday its ambassador and officials are engaged with "the full range of interested parties to encourage dialogue and a peaceful, democratic, political resolution." State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said the U.S. is urging all sides to refrain from violence, and applauds the restraint shown so far by government authorities.
Associated Press writers Grant Peck and Jinda Wedel in Bangkok and Matthew Pennington in Washington contributed to this report.


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President Daniel Marks $162 Million Raised Toward Campaign Goal
Realize the Vision: The Campaign for Tier One & Beyond Aims to Raise $200 Million by the End of 2014
Jun. 6, 2013
About 200 supporters gathered at the W Dallas Residences to celebrate $162 million raised toward UT Dallas' first comprehensive campaign to benefit research, innovation, students and academics.
With 18 months remaining, the University has entered the most critical stage of the $200 million Realize the Vision campaign, which ends Dec. 31, 2014.
The event was hosted by Sejal Desai MBA'99 and Mahesh Shetty EMBA'99 of Encore Enterprises, a commercial real estate operation based in Dallas.
Since the campaign's quiet start in 2009 and the public announcement more than a year ago, supporters have broken many giving records. Alumni donors have more than doubled. A record number of corporations, foundations and individuals have created 150 endowed funds to advance academic programs, scientific breakthroughs and student achievement. And looking to the future, Legacy Society members have made 30 new planned gifts that total $12.5 million.
Media Contact: Sara Mancuso, UT Dallas, (972) 883-6507, [email protected],
or the Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, (972) 883-2155, [email protected]


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Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc. today unveiled new details and mini-game mechanics for Walk It Out! Coming to retail stores nationwide on Wii in January 2010, Walk It Out! is a unique game that marries a high-energy/low impact fitness game with rhythm-based gameplay to make for a fun and rewarding exer-gaming experience for the whole family.
Walk It Out! sets itself apart from other fitness games by offering one of the largest and most diverse on-disc music libraries of ANY game across all genres. Players can step to the beat to over 100 great songs, including licensed master tracks and re-records of some of yesterday and today's hottest artists (Demi Lovato, Jesse McCartney, Ne-Yo and more) to original songs from some of the same artists who created music for the legendary DanceDanceRevolution series.
In addition to the robust musical content, Walk It Out! core appeal is the unique gameplay elements. Part exploration and part fitness game, players step to the beat to unlock the secrets of an ever-growing and expansive in-game world. Stroll past oceanside harbors, gaze up at skyscrapers, amble through bustling city squares, parks and other vistas. The whole while, players are reinforced of their efforts as the game tracks progress with in-game charts, graphs and visuals to show calories burned, distance traveled, steps taken and more!
In addition to the main exploration game, which two players can play cooperatively, Walk It Out! also contains mini-games and puzzles to offer additional modes of gameplay that utilize the full library of music you've unlocked in the main game. Some of the fun and exciting games include:
Whack-a-Slack: Stomp on Slackies (negative energy creatures) as they emerge through circles corresponding to the directional arrows on your DanceDanceRevolution controller or your Wii Remote™ controller. Select your difficulty, and then play through a single song you've unlocked in the main game or endless to play as long as you want!
Psycolo: Solve a brainteaser while you step to the rhythm of one of your favorite songs to keep your health up!
Smash 'n' Run!: Put a good record on, chase down those Slackies and whack them with your hammer! Build up your hammer by moving to the beat so that you can smash even bigger and lazier Slackies!
Walk It Out! has a very easy-to-use control scheme and is compatible with a DanceDanceRevolution Controller or a Wii Balance Board. In addition, the game can be played with just the Wii Remote and Nunchuk as well.
Walk It Out! for Wii will be available in January 2010.