text:
I thought that it would be helpful if I sent
you a letter setting out some questions which arise from the HMCI
report for 2000-01. It is a detailed report and the questions
set out below are not inclusive. There are other equally pertinent,
questions that arise from the report.
1. In relation to the standards achieved
by pupils, the report states that "in some key areas there
has been little or no measurable progress" and that "the
greatest improvements in standards have been achieved, in the
main, in the schools with the lowest attainment". (Paragraph
2. The report notes a reduction of standards
of reading at the end of Key Stage 2 "reflecting the reduced
attention given to the teaching of reading comprehension".
(Paragraph 4)
3. The report states that the National Numeracy
Strategy (NNS) "has had only limited impact on standards
this year". (Paragraph 5)
4. The report comments that "achievement
in all the other foundation subjects and religious education is
good or better in fewer than four schools in 10". Geography
and design and technology are identified as giving particular
cause for concern. (Paragraphs 8-9) Later in the section, schools'
"drive to improve performance in the national tests"
is identified as a key factor in the finding that only one school
in five is able to provide a curriculum which is "broad,
exciting and challenges pupils". (Paragraphs 36-40)
5. The report identifies continuing weaknesses
in the monitoring and evaluation of teaching, in particular the
quality of feedback to teachers and the limited deployment of
leading or expert teachers. (Paragraphs 13-15)
6. The report notes that the quality of
teaching in both primary and secondary schools continues to improve
and that the amount that is good or better has never been higher.
(Paragraphs 21+, 98+)
7. The report comments that "teachers"
planning is effective in most schools" although "extensive
and over-elaborate planning still creates unnecessary pressure
on teachers' time". (Paragraph 29)
8. The report is critical of the standards
of achievement in ICT at both Key Stages 3 and 4 and finds that
"three in ten schools at Key Stage 3 and almost half at Key
Stage 4 do not meet statutory curriculum requirements" in
relation to ICT. (Paragraph 68, 112)
9. The report finds that pupil attendance
and behaviour continue to cause concern, with detrimental effects
upon both the effectiveness of schools and overall levels of attainment.
(Paragraphs 77-80)
10. The report considers the effect of various
funding streams on schools, including the Ethnic Minority Achievement
Grant, noting both positive and negative implications for schools.
(Paragraphs 93-94)
11. The report states that one in five specialist
schools does not achieve the aims of the Specialist Schools Programme
and comments that this "is a disappointing use of opportunities
and resources" (Paragraphs 147-153)
12. The report notes that "colleges
have generally made more progress in introducing the new key skills
qualifications than schools" and that assessment requirements
are problematic for many schools. In addition, students are found
to be "not enthusiastic" about the key skills qualification.
(Paragraphs 179, 185)
13. The report outlines the new post-16
inspection arrangements resulting from the Learning and Skills
Act 2000. (Paragraphs 188-189)
14. The preparation of Individual Education
Plans (IEPs) is found not to be done well in many schools and
in some cases "has developed into the production of lengthy
and over-detailed documents". (Paragraph 242)
15. The section relating to PRUs is critical
of the standards reached by most pupils and the breadth of the
curriculum offered. (Paragraphs 250-264)
16. The report highlights OFSTED's concerns
about the proportion of schools with serious weaknesses which
fail to make sufficient improvements and subsequently are found
to require special measures. By contrast, schools in special measures
and those which have been removed from special measures have generally
shown continued improvement. (Paragraph 289-291)
17. The section on Education Action Zones
(EAZs) identifies a number of successful aspects about the initiative,
including the development of teachers' and pupils' skills and
an Improvement in standards in zone primary schools. The report
comments that "the outstanding issue for zones is to ensure
that the useful work they have done is sustained when their funding
ends". (Paragraphs 306-313)
18. The findings relating to the Graduate
Teacher Programme (GTP), in particular, that trainees should have
made greater progress during their training, give cause for concern,
particularly as the programme is intended to recruit teachers
in shortage subjects and those from under-represented groups.
(Paragraphs 355-357)
19. The statement that "there are real
problems in recruiting teachers and retaining them, and these
have got worse over the past two years" is a cause for considerable
concern. In particular, the findings that "over one in five
NQTs leave the profession during their first three years in teaching"
and "the more disadvantaged the school, the higher the percentage
of teachers leaving the school" should be viewed with considerable
alarm. In his commentary, HMCI identifies four major reasons why
teachers leave the profession: pupil behaviour, workload, pay
and poor public perceptions of the profession. (Paragraphs 375-386)
20. The report outlines continuing concerns
about the quality of teaching by temporary (supply) teachers and
highlights several aspects of these teachers' professional knowledge
and skills which have contributed to unsatisfactory teaching.
(Paragraphs 387-390)
21. The report notes that all the LEAs which
have been reinspected after an initially unsatisfactory report
have improved. (Paragraph 398)
I hope these questions are useful to you.
In addition, I would like to comment on the
press release which accompanied the invitation to provide a written
submission to HMCI's Annual Report. The Select Committee's recommendations
in paragraph three, relating to the levels of stress created by
the current inspection regime, would be regarded as patronising
and offensive by many teachers and headteachers. It is not enough
to "urge headteachers and governing bodies to keep a sense
of proportion when preparing for inspection" whilst the high-stakes
nature of school inspections remains. Such a statement would seem
to imply that it is the fault of teachers and headteachers themselves,
rather than the inspection process, that inspection causes stress
for so many in the teaching profession.
The NUT has taken the position consistently
that the current inspection arrangements need reform. I would
like to remind the Select Committee of the NUT's own proposals
for school inspections, contained within a document entitled "Evaluation,
Inspection and Support-A System that Works" and which set
out a coherent, systematic and integrated approach to both internal
and external school evaluation. I enclose a copy of this report
for the further consideration of the Select Committee.
John Bangs
Assistant Secretary
Education and Equal Opportunities
February 2002


text:
Vans Europe
The stage has been set for another battle of epic proportions as the very best shop teams from the far reaches of Europe. The teams battle against each other to determine who has the rightful claim to the title of Europe's Best Shop Team. Now in its third year, the Vans Shop Riot added €5.000 in the prize pot to resurrect old rivalries and ensure that only the very best and most ruthless team will walk away with the crown.
However, not just any team can roll up to the Vans Shop Riot finals this fall. In order to earn the right to participate, teams will have to achieve domestic success in their own country during the local qualifications that are taking place in the lead up to the main event. Having established themselves on their own turf, the big test will be in Paris as the local winners are invited on an all expense paid trip to the finals.
The format for the Vans Shop Riot remains the same; an all-street contest with bonus points awarded for impromptu secret missions, which makes for a challenging day for athletes and an entertaining one for spectators.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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text:
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text:
UMTV: Surgeon On A Mission
Dr. Steve Herbst believes that God gives each of us unique gifts that we should share. Herbst's talent happens to be in highly specialized foot and ankle surgeries. The Indiana doctor has found a perfect way to combine his faith life and his life's work to serve those in need.
Read the Terms of Use
(Managua, Nicaragua)
(Herbst leads devotional) "That's how you find God. You've gotta seek him. He's there all the time waiting on you.
(Herbst in interview) My name is Steve Herbst. I'm from Selma, Indiana. I am in Managua, Nicaragua on a mission trip. I'm with a group called Operation Walk. We are here performing orthopedic procedures in Managua for one week's time.
The purpose of Operation Walk is to restore mobility to people who have lost their mobility. The types of surgeries that will be performed will be ranging from hip replacements to knee replacements to various foot and ankle reconstructions. I'm an orthopedic surgeon. And my specific role with the group is to perform foot and ankle reconstructions.
The people who need these procedures have been stricken with different types of problems of the foot and ankle. Some of those range from traumatic deformities to deformities that have come secondary to disease, and others from congenital deformity as well. So our goal is to try to restore a more normal walk for them.
I became a member of the United Methodist Church about 9 years ago. We moved to a new community, and that community had a child care program that was superior to all the other child care programs. And so to check out the child care we decided to attend the church. From that child care experience and attending the church just to check things out, we've been members and attending ever since.
I'm proud to be a United Methodist member. And one of the reasons I'm proud is because of the work that they do in the mission field. They have been on the forefront with disaster relief and in helping people in disadvantaged countries for many, many years. When it comes to helping the poor, the disadvantages and those in other countries, and even those in our own country who've been hit by hard times, I feel their hearts are open. And they're a caring, loving denomination which makes me proud to be a member.
This trip that I make to Central America yearly is a direct result of my faith and what I feel is my calling in my life. I have a particular skill that I have been gifted by God with, and that is to perform orthopedic surgeries. And I've also been called, I believe, to serve the poor here in this area. I feel that if I don't do that and use my gift in that way then I'm shorting what I could do for the kingdom. For that reason every year I pack my bags and come here and try to do what we can to help the people in Central America. My faith affects every decision that I make with respect to this trip, and hopefully it affects most decisions that I make in my life in every different way. So I feel my faith is integral in me being here and having the skills that I have and in being able to help the people that we help here.
(Dr. Herbst to patient) I pray for healing for you, brother.
The hardest part of the work that we do here for me is probably just being separated from my family for one week. But my family lets me go with a wonderful heart and a good attitude. And I know they're praying for me down here. And I know that they know that this work is important to do."
Dr. Steve Herbst attends Selma United Methodist Church in Selma, Indiana. To reach the church, call 765- 282-1648.
Learn more about Dr. Herbst's work with Operation Walk.
Posted: July 26, 2012


text:
Just like the Irish claim that Guinness doesn't taste the same anywhere outside Ireland (and I've been assured more than once, because, apparently it doesn't travel), Japanese get parcels with miso soup and noodles posted by their mothers (Yamamori or Wagamama do not serve Japanese food), there are a few Lithuanian specialties that I have a longing for. Although as time goes by, I discover that Polish, Belorussians or Latvians claim that those specialties are in fact theirs. After all, in the 14th century Lithuania ruled Belarus (the orange is Lithuania stretching from the Baltic to the Black sea!) and then Polish ruled us and what was ours became theirs and v.v. Eastern Europe became a concoction of local cultures. No wonder Irish or English can't tell the difference between Polish and Lithuanians. Neither can I sometimes - apart from the language.
The other day I was dashing to a local Polish shop called "Samo Dobro" (Only The Best) for some twaróg which in Lithuania we call VARŠKĖ [think varshkay]. It bears some resemblance to cottage cheese (although I haven't seen Irish ever buying it), but is less salty and usually comes in one lump rather than small bits similar to, excuse me, hamster feces. Back to food :)
I entered the shop.
Dzień Dobry, said quite a pleasant guy behind the counter and I stuttered Hello. I do understand some Polish, can utter a few words, but I don't speak Polish.
I headed for twaróg section, took one and went back to the counter.
Jeden pięćdziesiąt pięć or something along those lines came out of his mouth and I could figure out it is less than two Euro. I gave him the money. He gave me the change, said dziekuje. Thanks very much, I replied to that. Do widzenia he said. Good bye, I responded.
It was a all a bit like in Jim Jarmusch's movie Down by Law where Roberto Benigni's character, an Italian tourist with zero English, is is yelling I scream you scream we all scream for ice-cream to a bunch of Americans sharing a prison cell with him in Orleans Parish Prison.
It is possible the guy could have taken me for a Polish refusing to speak Polish. But I only came for some twaróg . A Lithuanian specialty in a Polish shop.
Shopping for twaróg
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Just like the Irish claim that Guinness doesn't taste the same anywhere outside Ireland (and I've been assured more than once, because, apparently it doesn't travel), Japanese get parcels with miso soup and noodles posted by their mothers (Yamamori or Wagamama do not serve Japanese food), there are a few Lithuanian specialties that I have a longing for. Although as time goes by, I discover that Polish, Belorussians or Latvians claim that those specialties are in fact theirs. After all, in the 14th century Lithuania ruled Belarus (the orange is Lithuania stretching from the Baltic to the Black sea!) and then Polish ruled us and what was ours became theirs and v.v. Eastern Europe became a concoction of local cultures. No wonder Irish or English can't tell the difference between Polish and Lithuanians. Neither can I sometimes - apart from the language.
Labels: Culture clashes, Eastern Europe, Food, Lithuanians, Polish, Shopping
D for Dirty
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As I was striding to my local shop to buy some beans, a lovely six-year-old girl was strolling towards me. Pressed uniform, shiny shoes, curly red hair. She had just bought a chocolate bar and was unwrapping it eagerly. After removing paper she dumped it without a blink on the ground and walked away. Teeny-weeny bitch!
On the other hand, behavior of such kind doesn't come as a surprise, since this week we all got a chance to discover (again) that Dublin had the most litter on its streets when compared with nine other major European cities: Riga, Vienna, Strasbourg, Cologne, Barcelona, Copenhagen, Zurich, Stockholm and Amsterdam.
The lack of litter-fine enforcement is blamed for the high level of litter in Dublin.
Lithuania's neighbor's Latvia's capital Riga was the cleanest city surveyed. In Vienna, which came second in the survey and was also declared "Clean", 30 new Litter Sheriffs have been appointed to enforce litter fines.
Although recently the on-the-spot litter fine in Ireland was increased from €125 to €150, figures indicate that less than half (12,521) of the litter fines issued in the latter half of 2006 were paid, which equates to only 1.5 litter fines issued per local authority per day.
Apparently, official explanation is that many of those caught discarding food wrappers and cigarette butts simply give false names and addresses to litter wardens.
Hire Lithuanians! You should see how our bus conductors bully students and unemployed likewise until they pay the fine.
On the other hand, Dublin desperately needs more bins: in the bus stops, in residential areas and, of course, in the city centre.
Fare play to Riga! I wonder what would have been the outcome if Lithuania's capital Vilnius had been surveyed.
Labels: Dublin, Ireland: in depth
The most terrifying threat the US faces
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George Bush says that the largest threat to the USA is the ghost of terrorism. But in fact it is water and fire that terrorize the USA. Hurricane Caterina and wildfires in California. A country with a military that has a budget of 532.8 billion US dollars is impotent in the face of the nature.
Labels: US and terrorism, Wrong Politics
As I was watching "Jasminum" in the IFI yesterday, millions of Poles in Poland and thousands here, in Ireland, were casting their votes in a life-and-death parliamentary election. A number of them were queuing besides the embassy of Poland in Ballsbridge for more than three hours. Rumor has it that some even borrowed children from the couples who had already cast their vote in order to avoid the queue. Some say the voting in the embassy didn't finish until after midnight.
Yet despite the fact that the voting procedure was not organized thoroughly and although only 21,000 Poles out of 63,000 living in Ireland (that is officially, although few doubt there are at least a couple of hundred thousand) registered to vote (14,000 in Dublin, with over 3,000 in Cork and Limerick each), Poland's liberal opposition defeated the Kaczynski twin tandem. WE WON!!!! :-D 44-31!!!! may go back to my country!!! - texted a Polish friend of mine yesterday, at around 11pm.
It looks like Poles had enough of former child film stars. During two years in power (Lech Kaczynski, the president, does not face an election until 2010), the conservative Kaczynskis have constantly tumbled into quarrels with the EU partners. Gay people started to flee Poland in fear of possible prosecution.
With 99% of votes counted, Donald Tusk's pro-EU party received more than 41% of the votes, while Mr Kaczynski's Law and Justice (PiS) got about 32%. Turnout was the highest recorded in Poland since communism fell in 1989 - 53,79%.
After the first results were announced, Mr Tusk expressed his gratitude to emigrants, because about 70 percent of them voted in favor of pro-western opposition. It looks like the campaigning before the election has paid off. More than 175,000 Poles registered to vote abroad in Sunday's election, well over three times as many as for the last ballot in 2005, official figures showed. In Britain and Ireland alone over 68,000 registered to vote. Some 31,000 registered in the United States.
Tusk's Civic Platform has promised lower taxes and a more business-friendly administration with closer ties to Europe. Poland certainly needs that.
Let's hope that this is the the end of Twin Peaks (as my Polish friend calls it) in Rzeczpospolita Polska. And hopefully Civil Platform will not take over the baton from other promising Eastern/Central European parties who after managing to come out on top in the elections failed to find dialogue within their team and with their political allies. Think Ukraine. Think Lithuania.
Labels: Eastern Europe, Ireland: in depth, Poland
Alright, I stop any pretenses in regards to Polish tonight. I've applauded them (the ones who came to Ireland) on many things: their movie festivals in the IFI (by the way, Seksmisja was absolutely hilarious and I'm expecting Jasminum to be good), their ability to fight for their rights, find niches in the job market, etc. But the news about a group of Polish campaigning for the recognition of Polish as a third official language of Ireland, alongside English and Gaelic, was too much for me. I have never heard about a Polish community magazine "Sowa" mentioned in the story before and I don't know how many supporters its publisher Marcin Wrona has.
Signs "Tutaj pracujemy po polsku" (Eng. "We work in Polish here") in the grocery shops, hairdressers, opticians and in many other places have become a common sight in Ireland over the past few years. In fact, perhaps these signs and attempts to make customer service for Polish residents of Ireland understandable are to blame for the fact that multitudes of them still don't speak any or can at most offer you poor English. If they had to make a leap of faith and started communicating in English in the banks, cafes, supermarkets and beauty salons, there probably wouldn't be much need for a third official language in Ireland (and even those signs).
Perhaps immigrants from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia should consider the idea in France, Mexicans - in the USA, Turks - in Germany and... Irish in the UK? Yet Ireland is quite smaller than any of these countries (by the way, Poland's population exceeds Ireland's by 10 times). And although Ireland was voted recently as the world's friendliest country in "Lonely Planet" Blue List I beg not to abuse this country's hospitality.
By the way, does anybody know if the magazine "Sowa" is of any significance? Somehow I have a feeling it's not even noteworthy and in that case I sincerely hope that the rant above is not necessary.
Labels: Culture clashes, Eastern Europeans, Ireland: in depth, Polish
Bonus points for Dublin
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What's the most annoying thing about immigrants coming to Dublin? Their unhappiness with the city. Especially Eastern Europeans. Would you agree? I catch myself doing that sometimes, or perhaps even often. But whenever I encounter such bellyachings I try to say (and to myself): come on, but you are not chained to the Spire and the flights are cheap!
On the other hand, I suppose the easiest way to stop complaining is to start looking for bonus points. Among other ones (Irish hospitality, sense of humor, ability to always have a story to tell, sublime nature (if it doesn't rain...), the sea, variety of wine and beer (that's in comparison to Lithuania), "Laser" DVD rental, etc.) I would like to add one more thing, which I discovered today. Dublin Docklands, in particular the right bank (if you stand facing the sea).
To be honest, I've never been on the right bank before, mostly I stayed on the left one. Of course, the area can't compare to Copenhagen yet, where modern architecture is flourishing, but since today the light was extraordinary, glass constructions looked so refreshingly different to traditional Dublin: pubs, shabby pubs and more pubs. In fact architecture is one of those things I miss most when in Ireland and although Docklands are still expanding, the area seems to be promising. Just more terraced cafes needed, some trees, a few exhibition centres, bookshops and ... Imagination has no limits. I just hope construction companies and local government will realize that it would be great not to get stuck with apartments and office buildings only.
There is another reason I am so hyper about Dublin today. A journalist writing for the website I was working for before came to Dublin recently and yesterday she posted some photos from Dublin and captions for them in the editorial blog. I feel an obligation to mention and translate a few, since they are unexpectedly positive! And truth be told, they reminded me some good things about the city I've been living in for the past two years and a half. Here is Dublin as seen by a Lithuanian journalist Egle Digryte:
* Some fountains remind artworks rather than just mere architectural solutions. (she mentioned this one in particular)
* Footprints or handprints on the pavement look very playful.
* Dublin is incredibly colorful. (Here I would like to comment that it is Georgian doors that make that impression, in my opinion Dublin is quite monotonous, just plenty of red brick)
* Houses with climbing ivies on them.
* There are more plants and flowers in Dublin than in any other major city she has been to.
Despite the fact that the journalist came to conclusion she wouldn't like to live in Dublin, these are definitely some of the facts I will try to remember next time before starting another rant about the Irish capitol Dublin.
Labels: Dublin, Eastern Europeans, Ireland: in depth, Media, Photo
Two good things you need in life
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Some of you might remember that I was bitching about my old bed. The good news is that the landlord managed to replace it! It's almost new, firm and really high. I call it sexodrome :-)
After replacing the bed my landlord told me there two good things you need in life.
"One is a good bed. What's the other?" he asked me.
"Somebody to sleep with in that bed?" was my pragmatic answer and he started laughing.
"Good shoes", he replied. "Because you if are not in one, you're in the other".
Irish wit, isn't it?
Labels: Ireland: in depth, Irish wit
Blog Action Day: Environment and Al Gore
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Nelson Mandela, Aung San Suu Kyi, Desmond Tutu, Andrei Sakharov, Martin Luther King, Albert Schweitzer, Mother Teresa, Al Gore.
It is hard not to start feeling god-like when you make it to the list above. Love him or hate him, as Times Online remarks, you have to give credit to Mr Al Gore, the man who introduces himself "I used to be the next president of the United States". Although, as "Guardian" notes, 2007 is his annus miraculous with Oscar for his film "An Inconvenient Truth", Emmy for his Current TV channel and now the most prestigious prize on Earth in his pocket, everybody remembers his over the top moments, as for instance, when he told to CNN that "during service in the United States Congress [he] took the initiative in creating the Internet."
As today is Blog Action Day with about 15 000 blogs pondering about the environment and over 12 mln readers consuming that information, Al Gore's subject seems to be rather relevant.
It takes a while of googling in order to find out speculations about how much he charges for giving a speech (with somebody in the Letters to the editor section in the "Toronto Star" mentioning 125,000) or the origin of his wealth. There isn't much about the latter in Wikipedia, is there?
Al Gore became a senior adviser to Google back in February 2001, and is a close friend of CEO Dr. Eric Schmidt. Google shares went public in 2004, and the stock has soared from $85 a share to more than $400. Co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page are worth an estimated $11 billion each.
Al Gore "owns a ton of Google and he's made enough money that he could wait until a month before and just drop $50 million in to launch a [2008 Presidential] race," a well-placed Democrat told Deborah Orin of the New York Post.
And then there are the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, who like a bunch of other famous artists and musicians during "Live Earth" kept mentioning Al Gore's name over and over again. In fact so often, that I had to fast forward the clips quite a few times.
Al Gore's supporters keep stressing that he started speaking about global warming and it's reasons long long before anybody else did. As if he wasn't doing this just in order to publicize himself.
In "Vanity Fair" green issue this May one of the most important voices among skeptics of global-warming Myron Ebell, the think tank the Competitive Enterprise Institute (C.E.I.), mentioned that amount of money floating in anti global-warming campaigns is enormous.
"The major environmental groups in [the USA] have budgets of collectively over $1 billion a year," he said. "[C.E.I.] budget is $3.7 million a year, of which only about a quarter goes to global warming. Add up the other [global-warming denier] groups and maybe you can get to $10 million."
Somehow, despite these monstrous figures, I tend to doubt that Al Gore is after money. When you own Google's shares you hardly need them. In that case he's either driven by share vanity (**** you Mr. George W. Bush, I'm not the president of the USA, but the whole world is listening to me, falling for my statements and drowning me in the sea of awards) or good will.
Of course, there are ongoing speculations of him running for the post of the President of the USA. In that case this whole apparatus - the movie, the TV channel (which I thing is groundbreaking), "Live Earth" and speeches could possibly be the best PR campaign ever. Yet even if it is, it's not that hard to listen to his words and start changing the world around yourself. By turning of your PC, the lights, recycling, ditching your car for a bike (at least once a week), buying organic produce, putting waste in the bins provided, etc. As one gargantuan supermarket chain claims, every little helps. It does. Indeed. Even if you dislike populists.
Labels: Al Gore, Blogs, Environment, Media, West
The praise of Dublin busses
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Everybody admits Irish weather is unpredictable. Number 2 on the list of unpredictable Irish issues would be Dublin busses. I haven't encountered another country yet where the timetable would state the time when the bus leaves the first stop rather than the estimated arrival to the bus stop where you are waiting. Even if you calculate the approximate time of the journey, your calculations will not necessarily take you home, to work or to your date. You could be stuck killing time on the pathway once again.
I've been always curious why can't Dublin Bus calculate those minutes for me. The heaviness of the traffic at certain times, the distances, the time spent collecting the passengers, etc. Obviously there are certain unpredictable situations. For instance, a year ago, while I was rushing to work (late as usual), the bus driver decided to pull into the garage in order to change ad posters on the bus. Perhaps next time he will decide to go for a cuppa or maybe even a pint. It's only a few minutes anyway, isn't it?
Most of the time Dublin busses s u c k. Yet somehow this week was different. As I was sprinting to the bus stop waving with one hand to the driver asking him to stop and clasping my bag with another the bus:
a. stopped (if you are not on the bus stop mostly they don't)
b. the driver was kind enough to let me know that behind him was the bus that takes me to work much quicker (apparently the driver had recognized me!)
And then in the evening as I was dashing to the bus stop trying to pull ahead of the bus, the driver stopped about 20 feet away before the stop and opened the door. Doesn't happen often...
For those who don't know - in Ireland, unless you stop the bus, it will carry on with the journey. My dad learned the lesson upon his arrival to Ireland a few years ago. He kept wondering why over the last hour, despite being quite empty, none of the busses stopped...
Labels: Ireland: in depth
This week I've met another Estonian. The third one I came across during my stay in Ireland (I guess this supports my idea that the scale of emigration does reflect the economical (and not just that) situation of a country). Impeccable English and flawless looks. No wonder she has a befitting boyfriend - tall, handsome, rich and sociable. Good choice, my friend. Although my boss has mentioned that the boyfriend works long hours. They never come in perfect packages, do they?..
The other night "Super Bock" guy entered the shop with a drop-dead gorgeous companion. Yet all of my colleagues are convinced that's his sister...
How many cans of "Red Bull" one can consume during an 8-hour shift? My boss usually has 3. And a few cans of "Coke" or "Irn Brew". He doesn't drink coffee or tea. No wonder! I used to know somebody who thought two joints a night and sometimes one in the morning before (or during) an AM shift is OK. I'm starting to suspect my boss of substance abuse. Shouldn't I?
Speaking of which, I asked a friend of mine who works in an advertising agency (in Lithuania), if she knows people around who do drugs. After double-checking if that includes wheat (yes, I said), she admitted that it is very common for somebody to have a joint during a morning get-together in the agency. A generation of freaking junkies! Or should I be classified as an endangered species homo non addictus?
As I was about to move a box of wine from the entrance in order to clear the path for an elderly man leaving the shop, he said "good man" to me.
After I gave him a LOOK, he blushed, apologized and muttered "you're a very nice lady"... What a twat! Short haircut does not indicate gender anymore! Although... my nan also remarked that I have a boyish haircut. What's wrong with old people?!..
Have you got presentation boxes?
Yes, but only cardboard ones.
Oh... I want the wooden one.
Sorry... don't have any left.
I'll look in another shop then.
She comes back in two minutes. Obviously, they don't have any decent wines in the "Spar" (the other shop she was talking about - ha!), so I gift warp the bottles in cellophane.
Why are people so mad about wine in a wooden box? It's what's in the box that matters after all... I'd rather get a good bottle wrapped in tissue paper than "Wolf Blass" in a wooden box. Attention before Christmas: BEWARE OF PREPACKED WOODEN BOXES WITH WINE IN THEM. That's how we've sold all past-it's-best wine last Xmas!.. If they want wood, they get wood. If they want wine, they get wine. All that glitters is not gold - remember that in December.
Labels: Ireland: in depth, Stereotypes, Wine
Possibly kick ass
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It looks like it could be kick ass.
Perhaps you have noticed already yet if not I will tell one thing, which in my opinion is one of the most quintessential features in a post Communist society. We think we are uber alles. Consequently you have over 220 shops that sell Lithuanian food in Ireland (although apart from bread, herring and a larger variety of cereal crop, i.e. buckwheat produce, which you can find in those shops, I think it is possible to live in Ireland quite happily). Consequently Eastern European women are getting their hair done while they are back home on holidays (they say Irish hairdressers are rubbish, although I think two main reasons would be either inability to communicate your expectations or higher costs in Eire). Consequently my Polish friend keeps complaining about Irish healthcare (and this might be one of those issues where I support her critique). Consequently Eastern European men, especially during the first days of arrival to Ireland, keep complaining how flabby and vain Irish girls are (I'd rather ask Polish and Lithuanian boyz to ponder about their ex-cons haircuts). With so much dissatisfaction one can only wonder how can they last in Ireland... And how can Irish put up with us.
I have a confession to make. Before applying for the Photography and Digital Imaging course at the NCAD I had my doubts. My main concern was that the course won't be good enough. I don't mean not as good as in Lithuania, because I have only been enrolled in one and that was more like having a cup of tea with good friends to be (yet it was freaking brilliant). I just thought that I'd seen so much crap in exhibitions, galleries and the media, it is hard to believe I might find something in depth in Ireland.
After tonight I have to say I might have hit the bull's eye. Susan Sontag's On Photography is on the must-read list and I am calm... One of the tutors assured me they won't be teaching us to make pretty pictures. And I am calm. The group is a fusion of graphic designers/architects/wedding photographers/media people. And I am calm. It feels f***ing great to be a student again.
Labels: Eastern Europeans, Emigration, Studies
One more
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Previously on various occasions I have mentioned a view quite a vast number of my fellow citizens have expressed in cyber-discussions. I am a Judas. And so are those who have left Lithuania. Although I have to admit that after my and a few other bloggers' outrage against such opinions those voices have hushed. A Polish friend of mine says similar judgments sometimes are manifested in her homeland.
However. I have converted my best friend to my religion of savor-the-world-and-live-life-before-settling-in-anywhere-especially-when-young-and-without-kids.
I know, living in Ireland is not a per se savoring of the world. Majority of young Lithuanians, Polish, Latvians, Italians and Portuguese flow here because of the wages. And the temptation is high to see nothing beyond a weekly pay cheque.
When I popped in to say hello to my previous boss in Lithuania a couple of weeks ago, she nailed me with a straightforward question What keeps you in Ireland? My sister, I answered hasty. Although I should have added AIB. Hopefully by the end of February I will pay off whatever I have to and then... I guess I'll start savoring more of the world. A very good friend of mine whom I've discovered in Ireland and who recently nearly climbed this (bad weather conditions to be blamed) has seduced me with an idea to go hiking to Himalaya next Autumn. I might as well shut myself in a tiny monastery somewhere on the roof of the world. I suppose it is easy to stay away from carnal pleasures with a view through your window like this.
Back to my friend. My emigration propaganda has finally shattered her shell of doubts and she's heading for Ireland in the end of October. This time it was easy - I didn't even have to persuade her to come along. Although I have done that previously, yet without much success. She is working in a sort of Lithuanian FAS as a graphic designer. Her salary is a joke and the women she works with are useless. She doesn't expect to get a graphic designer job here - her English is not good enough. In fact she says she would be perfectly happy making sandwiches. Although I'm sure she'll go further than that after a while. And then she'll come back. Like many other Judases (strange plural...). And we'll all live happily ever after.
Labels: Celtic Tiger, Eastern Europeans, Emigration, Immigrants, Ireland: in depth


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Boardroom meetings in the office look a lot different today than they used to. With new tech like video calling, iPhones, etc, it's easier now than ever to call into or broadcast a conference meeting. But the age old conference question still stands: can everybody be heard?
Now, tech company Pioneer wants to fix those dreaded conference call sound trouble with its new Lightning-powered conference speaker, called Rayz Rally.
The speaker is tiny — it fits in your pocket — and it can connect to your iPhone, Mac, PC, iPad or iPad touch to help amplify sound. And despite its small size, the itsy-bitsy speaker boasts enough noise to broadcast your conference meeting throughout the whole boardroom. The room-wide volume from such a tiny device comes from Averna Corporation's patent-pending analog and acoustic audio technology.
The little speaker is also pretty smart. Rally knows what you're using it for, differentiating between conference calling or listening to music, and it automatically optimizes performance for the the best listening experience.
In addition to its sound capabilities, the device features a sleek and intuitive design — Rally has just one button, meaning everyone in the office should be able to get a hang of it pretty quickly. That lone button mutes and unmutes your call or plays and pauses music based on what you're doing.
Rally also takes away some of the office charging stresses — the speaker itself doesn't require batteries. Instead, it just needs to be plugged into whatever device you're using for power. But that doesn't mean you can't still charge your main broadcasting device. The speaker also has a second Lightning port to connect a power cable, so you can continue to charge your other devices, even while using Rally.
Pioneer's new product even keeps you from falling being behind the tech times. Rally's iOS app will automatically update your speaker every time new software upgrade comes along, so you don't have to worry about checking in on the status.
Anyone looking for a sound upgrade can get their hands on the $99.95 speaker at Apple.com and Apple stores. You can choose from cool ice, onyx, or space gray colors. The sound capabilities are the same in all, so just pick which color fits your office style best and carry on with your business.


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Government Technology July/August 2018
Scan the day's headlines, as well as original and breaking technology news for state and local government readers.
Cloud-Powered Back Office Paves Way to Modernization


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Some of the finest places in Carbon County can be accessed by hiking one of our hundreds of miles of hiking trails. The Medicine Bow National Forest is a prime location for hiking. There are also 5 wilderness areas in the Carbon County region. Wild mountain flowers dot trails along the Great Continental Divide and the Snowy Range. Grab your gear and head out on one of our hiking trails for some exciting western adventure. Hiking is one of the best ways to spot wildlife. Visit mountain lakes, crystal clear streams and secret fishing holes. Wyoming's terrain can be rough and the weather can change fast so make sure that while you enjoy our sweeping natural landscape you come prepared with plenty of water, warm clothes, a compass and a topographic map.
For more information about hiking and trails in the Medicine Bow Forest click here. Visit Website
For more information on wilderness areas click here. Visit Website
Links to more trail information: Visit Website
Link to Seminoe State Park Hiking Information: Visit Website


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San Diego State athletic director Jim Sterk says the Aztecs are committed to a future in the Big East in 2013 despite Rutgers' jump to the Big Ten.
Sterk made his comments Tuesday during the school's weekly press conference.
He also essentially ruled out the possibility of staying in the Mountain West Conference, noting he hasn't talked to MWC Commissioner Craig Thompson since May.
Brigham Young is another school frequently mentioned in regards to Big East expansion because the Cougars are independent in football.
Sterk says he would be "in favor" of BYU joining the Aztecs in the Big East.
BYU officials have declined comment, saying they choose not to respond to conjecture.
Sterk acknowledged the Big East took a hit and may take others but he believes the league will remain strong.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press.


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Could it be true? It was the victorious, not the vanquished who were barbarians!
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Posts: 2,768
Re: Could it be true? It was the victorious, not the vanquished who were barbarians!
How long before the truth comes out?
You know...you can pick up tit bits along the way in mainstream books...for instance, Eisenhower copped it for the fact that the post war death rate in the Allied post war POW camps was nearly twice that of German POW camps at the height of the war! Now explain that one?
Does anyone find it strange that Himmler was negotiating with the Allies from late 1943 on through his Massues and his friendship with Count Bernadette of the Red Cross? Seeing as Himmler was the architect of the "death camps" and the most evil man alive, how is it he thought he would be acceptable as a post war administrator? Why is it Himmler made NO attempt to escape to safety even though he had the State at his disposal? Right up until the end of the war he thought he was acceptable to the Allies.
What of Goering? Rolling up to an American Air base where he was greeted as a CELEBRITY! Like Royalty. The commanding officer was reprimanded for being so overtly fond of his captive...but thats how it goes with chivalrous airmen...as Georing was thought to be.
The list of overtuers to England from Hitler is endless...even when he was on top and having NO need to make friends. Why was this?
The French were notorious for complaining about Allied behaviour during the Normandy landing in stark contrast to the German.
Look at the French Resistence...%99 Communist and RUTHLESS! They were condemned by the local populations.
Thanks for the post DRAK. Give me FASCISM over COMMUNISM/SOCIALISM any day! Order over mayhem thanx!
\"The Office\" is the greatest comedy...ever.
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Mi Casa Resource Center has been providing career coaching, business consulting, financial education services, and technology training through its Innovation Lab in the Northeast Park Hill community for 3 years; and, in 2016, we served 305 participants – our highest number yet!
As of Monday, February 6, 2017, Mi Casa Resource Center will provide 1-on-1 career coaching and business consulting services at the Hope Center (3475 Holly St) by appointment only. Call (303) 573-1302 to schedule your appointment today!
Visit our Program Calendar for information on upcoming workshops and classes.
Interesados en lo que ofrece Mi Casa? Por favor llene nuestro formulario de interés y un personal de Mi Casa se comunicará con usted mas rapido posible.
Interested in what Mi Casa offers? Please fill out our interest form and a Mi Casa staff will contact you as soon as possible.


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Claude Rains
The mysterious Claude has been living an invisible life for the past few years after quitting his job at "Pirotech," where he used to be Noah Bennet's partner. He is fired (i.e. shot) after a few years, though, because it's been discovered that Claude has been hiding another hero and has grown weary of Bennet's cause.When Peter Petrelli sees him stealing money, he chases him down and eventually forces Claude to help him learn to control his powers, lest he one day blow up New York City.Claude acts as a mentor to young Peter, but grows upset once he's actually brought back into the intricate fold that involves Mr. Bennet's shady organization.
Claude Rains Quotes
Claude: Charles Darwin bred pigeons while he was working out his theory of evolution. Married up various permutations to get maximum potential.
Peter: What'd he mean by that? Maximum potential.
Claude: I think he meant you, friend.
Claire: Please tell me there's another way.
Peter: There is no other way.
Nathan: Yes there is, Claire. The future's not written in stone.


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(+64) 04 803 3930
PO Box 6884
Marion Square
Wellington 6141
New Zealand
Tania Sawicki Mead - Director of JustSpeak
e: email@example.com
p: (04) 803 3930
Julia Spelman - Board Chairperson of JustSpeak
e: email@example.com
We are a nation-wide network of around 300 passionate young volunteers seeking change in the criminal justice system.
We have centres in Auckland, Christchurch, and Wellington where our National Office is based.
Some of us are trained or working in the area of criminal justice. Some of us have had direct personal experience with the criminal justice system. Some of us are educated in areas of policy and criminology. We are all committed to creating change in the criminal justice system.
We want a better future for New Zealand.
Check out our Facebook page for a sense of our current activities and concerns.
Read our recent media releases here.
JustSpeak has no political affiliation. We applaud good evidence-based justice policy from any party. Our funding comes from grants and public donations. Our amazing volunteers donate their time to get things done.\
JustSpeak is a registered charity (registered as Robson Hanan Trust t/a JustSpeak). Our Charity number is CC43460.


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A nonprofit organization started last year by two College of Charleston students is kicking off its second annual adopt-a-classroom Christmas outreach project.
Charleston Hope gives a wrapped Christmas gift, hot meal and volunteer time to 1,425 students at three high-poverty schools. The group will serve three schools this year: Charleston Progressive, Burns Elementary, and Sanders-Clyde.
Individuals who drop off unwrapped gifts at TCBY locations in Charleston will receive a coupon for buy one, get one free.
Anyone can opt to provide gifts for an entire classroom, or to donate $150 to cover the cost of a wrapped gift and hot meal for the class.
Financial donations can be mailed to: Emily Hoisington, 285 CofC Complex, Charleston, S.C. 29424.
For more information or to sign up to adopt a classroom, go to www.charlestonhope.com.


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The royals of Belgium and the Netherlands joined architect Santiago Calatrava in Liège, Belgium last week to celebrate the conclusion of a major phase of construction of the new Liège-Guillemins TGV station.
The new station was conceived as a link between two distinct areas of the city, which previously had been separated by the tracks. On the north side of the site is a rundown urban area, and. the south a, landscaped residential area. Calatrava's design bridges the sides with a 656 foot terminal, built symmetrically about a northwest-southeast axis. The arched roof of the building extends over the five platforms for another 476 feet.
The station will become one of the main nodes in Europe's high-speed rail network taking only 2 hours to get from Paris and Frankfurt, and 3 from London.
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Sisterhood a Sentimental Success
Jordan Gamble | Friday, September 12, 2008
Four friends, three years later, same pair of pants.Taking storylines from the final three books of the bestselling series by Ann Brashares, "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" follows much the same formula as the first movie. Four girls, friends from birth (literally: their moms took prenatal yoga together), spend their summer apart but keep up with each other by way of a pair of jeans they mail back and forth to each other. Why jeans? Because the pants magically fit every girl perfectly despite their different shapes and sizes.
For every girl who cried like a baby when watching the first Sisterhood film, fear not: the second installment in the movie series does not disappoint on the drama.
Lena (Alexis Bledel) is still in love with her Greek ex-boyfriend, Kostos, but he's already gotten married. Tibby (Amber Tamblyn) has a pregnancy scare. Bridget (Blake Lively) goes to an archaeology camp in Turkey but sneaks away to Alabama to meet her estranged grandmother. Carmen (America Ferrera), depressed because the other three girls are off at various summer schools, decides to follow a college friend to a summer theatre program and ends up landing the lead role in a production of The Winter's Tale.
Director Sanaa Hamri follows diligently in the stylistic footsteps of Ken Kwapis, the first film's director, competently juggling four storylines and generally making a very pretty movie, especially when the girls all go to Greece. The pacing is usually brisk and engaging, although there are parts that stumble. Lively's character is almost given too much to do, what with an international excursion and unearthing a family secret, which makes the film feel a little lopsided at times.
The Kleenex moments are often but never cheap, and it's really a testament to the actors that the drama rings true. Tamblyn as the "rebel" Tibby stands out in a performance that is both hilarious and heartbreaking.
Hamri gets the most out of a talented cast, with help from Oscar nominee Shohreh Aghdashloo as the head archaeologist at Bridget's camp and Blythe Danner as Bridget's grandmother Greta.
When the first film came out, Bledel and Tamblyn were the big television stars, on "Gilmore Girls" and "Joan of Arcadia", respectively. But both those shows got cancelled. Now Ferrera is the star of "Ugly Betty" and Lively has shot to fame with "Gossip Girl".
This change in fortune doesn't make any impact on "Sisterhood" – the actors still inhabit the same characters they did in the first film, albeit a little more grown up. "Sisterhood" is a well-crafted movie – maybe not for everyone (obstinate boyfriends in particular), but heartfelt and worth seeing.


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Mark worked in the Theatre as a lighting and visual designer, he also played in several bands in the 90s before moving into Youth Ministry and then into Pioneer ministry and mission helping form Safespace, a missional community in Telford Shropshire. Safespace has from the beginning sought to explore it's own creativity in liturgy, visual arts and music, making resources for their own spirituality which were authentic to the context and vision of the community. Much of their material is focused on mission and compassion for the place they find themselves and God's call on them to take risks for the Kingdom.
Mark Berry
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A contemporary reflection on the words of Isaiah 53 set in the town centre of Telford amidst the...
A visual meditation on the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost from Mark Berry and Safespace in...
Safespace is a new missional community in Telford that gathers around the meal table each Thursday...
This 6 track Ep from Mark Berry contains three spoken meditations inspired by the missional...


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Important change to Purdy award rules for 2014
The ACerS Board of Directors recently approved a change to the Purdy award rules to allow more time to identify the impact of candidate papers. Effective immediately, the award for the most valuable contribution to ceramic technical literature will be made for a paper published in the calendar year TWO years, rather than one year, prior to the selection. A new procedure was also designed to effectively search the expansive literature. This means that in 2014, the award committee will consider articles published in 2012 rather than 2013. Submit nominations by January 15th for the most valuable contribution published in 2012. This year's winning article "Two-Dimensional Transition Metal Carbides," is excluded from consideration.
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American Horror Story: Cult: Who Are the Clowns?
Sep 25, 2017 5:13 PM EDT
American Horror Story: Cult might be the first season without any supernatural elements, but that doesn't mean it isn't bananas. Because at the end of the day, what's scarier than ghosts, ghouls and Nazi doctors who are in love with nuns? The answer… Read more


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WinGate 7 has a built-in updating system.
During this private and likely the public beta phases, we will be releasing regular updates (every couple of days or even more frequently).
This is as we find and fix problems, and complete re-implementation of final features we need to migrate from WinGate 6.
This means, it's probably a good idea to keep an eye on WinGate Updates.
The default installation will check for updates each day, download them but not install. You can configure WinGate to also install, and reboot your server as required.
You can also configure WinGate to send you an email when there's a new update. It reports an incident to the notifications system when there's a new update, this can be used to send an email.


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Report: Heidi Montag, Spencer Pratt Photos, Engagement StagedMatt Richenthal at . Comments
We always suspected it was true, because it's kind of obvious, but now it looks as if the nauseating, fake-looking photos of Heidi Montag and her "fiance" Spencer Pratt - as well as their engagement - really are staged!
Video and audio footage has surfaced of some photographers talking about their paparazzi agency's "set up" that they did with the gross couple from The Hills.
Heidi and Spencer, as first reported by Celebrity Babylon, have reportedly racked up at least $30,000 for staging photos - as well as their engagement - for a spread in a certain tabloid magazine.
"It's an arrangement that suits both of them," says an MTV insider.
"They won't be walking down the aisle, but they will go through the motions of planning a wedding, and then have a big break-up that will get lots of press. All caught on camera by photographers, of course."
Wow. And we thought crashing scenes with Lauren Conrad during filming of Season 3 of The Hills was shameless.
Here's Celebrity Babylon's comment on the matter:
"It's a contract in hand... the dirtiest deal in Hollywood. The romance is a publicity stunt to make the two cover-worthy magazine stars and generate a significant side income!"
Click here for the video.
Anyway, here are more pictures of Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt together, taken two days after their "engagement" was announced. Hope you've got a trash can on hand to throw up into.
Matt Richenthal is the Editor in Chief of TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter and on Google+.


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OLIVE GARDEN Comes On Strong
Olive Garden has been the top Italian restaurant in Las Vegas for so long, I thought it was time I reviewed it.
My latest visit was during mid-afternoon, so I could be sure to get in. After a late breakfast (everyone knows how I like my late breakfasts!), I figured a late lunch would be fashionable.
This place is impressive. It is fashioned in a Tuscan farmhouse style with a big, welcoming entryway. It has big double doors for easy access and seating for those who are waiting, which I didn't have to do.
My table was near the back of the restaurant and I watched the waiters in white shirts, ties, black trousers and aprons adorned with gold-colored towels. Even at midday, they were busy punching in orders and carrying out bread and pasta. My waitress' name was Kathy and she couldn't have been any nicer.
It had been a few years since I ate at the Olive Garden on the Strip, so I studied the two, manageable menus offering appetizers, soups, salads, grilled sandwiches, pizza, classic dishes, chicken and seafood and filled pastas. Boy, was there a lot to look at! Thankfully, the printing was large, bright and easy to read, as was the lighting. It reminded me of the last hospital I stayed in.
As I sat in the broad, comfortable chair — on wheels and with nice, substantial arm rests — I asked Kathy what she would recommend. She suggested the Tour of Italy and I went with that. Instead of a glass of the pink wine (that she let me sample) I drank water. With ice cubes.
She first brought me the familiar Olive Garden salad bowl with crisp greens, onion rings and yes — several black olives. Along with it came a basket with three long, warm breadsticks. Butter came also. Like a freight train.
The Tour of Italy ($17.50) looked just like the picture on the menu. It had fettuccine Alfredo, lasagna and chicken Parmesan on the plate, all served piping hot. Kathy willingly shredded Parmesan cheese all over everything. Even as she tried to stop, I would insist upon more, and she would comply, resisting gently at first, and then submit, with a sly smile and without complaint. Kathy's a real pro that way.
As I ate, I noticed planters with permanent flower displays on the ledges, as well as bottles of wine that the restaurant proudly displays for you to choose from. There is also an attractive bar area right behind the entryway serving a full array of mixed cocktails and wines to complement Italian meals.
An olive branch on menu items signified low-fat entrees. There is a Garden Fare Nutrition Guide available for customers seeking gluten-free food. And for those with food allergies, Olive Garden has an Allergen Information Guide. If you are allergic to bad Italian food, there are many guideposts on the menu for you as well.
All in all, it is the largest and most beautiful restaurant now operating at 1361 S. Decatur Boulevard. It attracts visitors from out of town as well as people who live here.
On a hot summer's day, I will try the raspberry lemonade that was recommended…and to get Kathy's phone number.
1361 South Decatur Boulevard
Las Vegas, NV 89102
16 Responses to OLIVE GARDEN Comes On Strong
Nice April Fools Joke.
That is the best written article ever to appear on ELV!! ;)
This is so much bigger than the one on Manhattan. Las Vegas really gives it that extra WOW!
"The Tour of Italy looked just like the picture on the menu". Well played, sir.
No hot hostesses? :((
Grazie, amico mio.
the only thing you forgot to include in this ode to the best article ever written was the constant changing back and forth from present to past tense.
John: Thanks for posting your check with card number and sample of your signature. Every lowlife and hustler in town will be trying to hack into your account and run a tab at every fast food joint or diner from here to SoCAL!
By the ay, I use to work in financial service and yes they can work backward to figure your full number from the last four numbers shown…the good news it takes someone with the ability to do this…the bad news these yahoos are out there like vermin running around the dry goods room in resturants all over this valley!
"I drank water. With ice cubes."-quote from the 2012 James Beard Award-Winning Best Restaurant Review.
Well played, John Hagerty.
Like a freight train. I'm dying.
I can't wait for tomorrow's review of Claim Jumper, or will it be Macaroni Grill?
What? No tirimisu? Kathy should be reprimanded for not telling you about it.
I hear that the fireplace really adds warmth to the decor…..


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Sunday, 19 August, 2018
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Sugarplum: figurative illustrations, photography, digital experimentations--the Quebec-based artist's inner world. Category: Visual Arts\Personal
Portfolio of oil and watercolor still life and landscape painting. Category: Visual Arts\Painting
Portraits, figurative works, and freelance illustration -- in oil or ... Category: Visual Arts\Painting
Oil paintings, photography and other creative works of Minnesota artist. Category: Visual Arts\Multiple Media Artists
Featuring fantastic paintings, drawings, digital art, photography and music. [Flash] Category: Visual Arts\Multiple Media Artists


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Sony to launch low-priced OEL monitors: Report
Sony Corp plans to launch a range of organic electroluminescent monitors for commercial users this month, priced almost 70 per cent below existing models, the Nikkei business daily reported.
While Sony currently sells a 25-inch OEL monitor for about 2.3 million yen ($29,303), a monitor of the same dimension from the new range will cost only about 600,000 yen. This is close to the price of the LCD monitors used by television studios, the paper said.
The new line, which uses organic compounds that emit light, is superior to LCD monitors because they display sharper images. The picture quality, however, will be inferior to existing OEL monitors, the Nikkei said.


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A few years ago, former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon made a startling discovery: A college basketball video game included a player who very much appeared to be him. O'Bannon, who now works at a car dealership outside of Las Vegas, was not being paid for the use of his likeness. But he knew someone out there was.
"I felt betrayed," he says. "How would anyone feel if their likeness, at any level, is sold and they aren't compensated? They weren't even asked if their likeness could be sold?"
O'Bannon's anger led to an antitrust lawsuit that fundamentally threatens the business model of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the governing body that rules over college athletics. Lawyers are now gearing up for a crucial June hearing that will decide whether the case will go forward as a class action; if the plaintiffs are successful, it could mean thousands of previously-unpaid college athletes laying claim to billions of dollars in revenue. The case has the potential to transform the college sports landscape in a way that will leave some fans lamenting the dismantling of a system they don't believe needs to be fixed.
At the heart of the suit is this question: Does the NCAA, which runs the "March Madness" college basketball tournament that kicks off next week, work with colleges and universities to exploit the young athletes that it purports to celebrate?
"To not compensate the players is not the way our economic system is structured," says David Berri, a sports economist at Southern Utah University. "These players are clearly being exploited. At the end of the day, you're saying you should have people work for you and not pay them."
The NCAA - which declined to directly answer questions for this article - does not see it that way. In an interview with PBS' "Frontline," NCAA president Mark Emmert said that "student-athletes" are given "remarkable opportunities to get an education at the finest universities on Earth" while developing their athletic skills.
"There are many, many students around the world who would love nothing more than to be able to come to an American university and gain access to American intercollegiate athletics, because it's such a great place to develop skill and to have that great experience," he said.
Critics say that's not nearly enough. In 2010, the NCAA announced that it had reached a 14-year, $10.8 billion deal with CBS Sports and Turner Broadcasting to broadcast "March Madness," which works out to more than $770 million per year. (CBS Corporation is the parent company of both CBS Sports and CBSNews.com.) The conferences also have their own lucrative TV deals: The Atlantic Coast Conference, for example, has a 15-year deal with ESPN worth $3.6 billion - more than $17 million per school per year. Schools, conferences and the NCAA also profit from gate receipts, sponsorship deals, apparel sales, video game and rebroadcast rights and other income sources.
The resulting revenue has flowed to Emmert, who makes an estimated $1.6 million per year, and other executives at the NCAA. It has driven a massive inflation in the salary of collegiate coaches, including the University of Kentucky basketball's John Calipari ($5.2 million per year) and University of Alabama football's Nick Saban ($5.62 million per year). It has also meant the construction of state-of-the-art training facilities at universities around the nation, which are used to convince top recruits to join the program.
But it has not gone directly to any of the players who are ultimately responsible for generating all that revenue, the vast majority of whom will never make it to the NFL or NBA. Under NCAA rules, players cannot be paid for their efforts or given gifts of any kind. They also cannot cut individual sponsorship deals - despite the fact that many are required to wear uniforms that are affixed with corporate logos.
"Any other American can capitalize on their status, on their fame, on their value, and receive it fully," said Ramogi Huma, a former UCLA football player who is president of the National College Players Association. "But college athletes are being carved out."
Fair Market Value
As Sports Illustrated's Seth Davis has pointed out, the players are paid in one sense: Most are provided scholarships that cover the cost of their education and a significant portion of their living expenses. There are no guarantees, however, those scholarships will last.


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MIDDLESEX COUNTY – The Middlesex County Board of Elections is encouraging residents to update their information to ensure that they can vote in the upcoming Presidential Primary Election on June 5.
"To be able to vote in the upcoming Presidential Primary Election in Middlesex County, you must be a currently registered voter in Middlesex County and have a declared party of either a Democrat, Republican or an Unaffiliated voter," said James Vokral, administrator of the Middlesex County Board of Elections.
Vokral said residents can check their personal voter information by visiting the County Web site: http://co.middlesex.nj.us/elections/polling-new.asp. Go to the third bullet at the center of the page: "To find detailed personal information about your personal voting record." This will take you to State Division of Elections Web site, or you can call the Board of Elections for more information.
"It is important that everyone who wants to vote can vote with ease," said Middlesex County Freeholder Deputy Director Ronald G. Rios, chair of the county's Administration Committee. "By updating your information now, you can avoid the potential of having to vote by provisional ballot, and may avoid challenges to your vote."
"Maintaining accurate voting records helps the election process run smoothly," said Freeholder Director Christopher D. Rafano.
Voters who are currently declared either with the Democratic or Republican Party may vote for the candidates in that party. If you wish to change your party you must do so no later than the deadline of April 11.
Voters who are currently declared as "Unaffiliated" may go to the polls, declare with the Democratic or Republican Party, and vote for the candidates in that party.
Voters who are currently declared as any other party (Other than Democratic, Republican or Unaffiliated) may not vote in this primary unless you change your party to a Democrat, Republican or Unaffiliated no later than the deadline of April 11. After the election you may choose to change your party back by completing a Party Change form.
If you are registered but have moved, changed your name, etc., you should check your registration information as detailed above. If you need to update your record, submit a registration form with your updated information no later than May 15.
The deadline for submitting a Voter Registration Form in NJ for the June Primary election is May 15. Registrations may be obtained from your local municipality or the Board of Elections. Completed forms can be submitted to the Middlesex County Board of Elections from 8:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays; and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. on May 15. You may also submit it to your local Municipal Clerk. Check with them for their office hours.
Forms are also available online at the State Division of Elections Web site at http://www.njelections.org/voter-registration-application.html. Select the one for Middlesex County, complete the form online, then print, sign and mail it. The form must have an original signature and must be received or postmarked by May 15 to be eligible to vote in the Primary.
Remember, to register and vote in New Jersey you must be:
- A US citizen
- At least 18 years old on or before the next election
- Residing at your present address for at least 30 days
- Not be serving a sentence or on parole or probation, as a result of a conviction of an indictable offense under state or federal law
To find your polling place visit the following site http://co.middlesex.nj.us/elections/polling-new.asp and go to the first bullet "To find your individual polling place, Click Here"
For more information, contact the Board of Elections at 1-732-745-3471, e-mail them at email@example.com or go to their office at 777 Jersey Avenue, New Brunswick.
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Best Professional Print Campaign for Product Launches
Recognizes excellence in print ads for the launch of a new prescription drug, medical product or service appearing in any medical journal or periodical.
AbelsonTaylor and Takeda Canada
Tortoise and Hare
AbelsonTaylor created this compelling ad to announce the launch of Dexilant in Canada. Dexilant is a once-daily proton pump inhibitor (PPI) with a unique dual delayed-release formulation that's indicated for healing erosive esophagitis and treatment of heartburn associated with symptomatic non-erosive GERD.
At launch, it was the seventh PPI on the market. Research showed that the concept of a new medication providing a second release later in the day was compelling to physicians.
"With so many PPIs available, our challenge was to fulfill the unmet need in the class and build scientific rationale for yet another," the agency explained. "To do this we needed to focus on its novel dual-release formulation."
The ad shows an open pill capsule releasing Dexilant's two types of granules. White granules take the shape of a hare (the first release) and green granules take the shape of a tortoise (the delayed release)—a perfect metaphor for the dual delayed-release mechanism. A graphic depicting the two unique peaks in the drug's profile reinforces the concept.
"Often-used Aesop has found a good home," said one judge. "Quality execution of a common metaphor," noted a second judge.
A third judge liked the "refreshing use of a familiar cliché." A fourth called the ad "well-executed" overall.
The agency reported that research showed that the campaign was quickly understood and that physicians remembered "two releases of drug."
Flashpoint Medica and Angiotech
Transforming the Nature of Tissue Closure
Judges thought this campaign was fantastic, calling it "engaging" and "memorable." Images of two clouds and two icebergs being stitched together quickly communicates the ability of Quill SRS, a tissue-closure device with a unique barbed design, to enhance surgical procedures and give physicians the ability to perform procedures that were previously difficult or nearly impossible. "A clever metaphor that conveys the delicate nature," said one judge. "Nice visual metaphor that speaks to the brand's core benefit," said another.
• AbelsonTaylor and Takeda Canada—Tortoise and Hare
• Flashpoint Medica and Angiotech—Transforming the Nature of Tissue Closure
• Pacific Communications and Allergan—Botox Chronic Migraine: It's Here
• Reality Rx Communication and Cangene—WinRho Re-Launch
• Sudler & Hennessey and Alexion Pharmaceuticals—Disease Education Campaign: aHUS


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How Identity Theft Sticks You With Hospital Bills
Thieves use stolen personal data to get treatment, drugs, medical equipment
Kathleen Meiners was puzzled when a note arrived last year thanking her son Bill for visiting Centerpoint Medical Center in Independence, Mo. Soon, bills arrived from the hospital for a leg-injury treatment.
But her son had never been there.
Someone had stolen Bill Meiners's Social Security and medical-identification numbers, using them to...


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While the overall prevalence of Thoroughbred racing fatalities has remained relatively static, there continues to be a reduction in the risk of fatality on synthetic surfaces, according to updated statistics released by The Jockey Club on Friday.
Based on an analysis of 1,532,418 starts collected by the Equine Injury Database during the four-year period from January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2012, the prevalence of race-related fatal injury was 1.92 per 1,000 starts.
For individual years, the prevalence of fatal injury per 1,000 starts was 2.00 for 2009, 1.88 for 2010, 1.88 for 2011, and 1.92 for 2012.
Surface-to-surface comparisons continue to show a broader difference, however. In 2012, the fatality rate per 1,000 starts on synthetic surfaces was 1.03 compared to 2.10 on dirt and 1.74 on turf.
The instances of fatalities on synthetic tracks have regularly been found to be lower than those on dirt since data began being tracked in 2009, but the gap between the two has widened as more tracks have contributed data.
Only injuries that result in fatality within 72 hours or less from the date of the race are included in the national figures.
"While the fatality rate has remained fairly static over the course of the past four years, the real significance today is that, with 1.5 million starts in the database, we have now established a baseline and we can begin to analyze the relationships between each of the individual factors," said Dr. Tim Parkin, a veterinarian and epidemiologist from the University of Glasgow, who serves as a consultant on the Equine Injury Database and performed the analysis.
"In the future, we will be able to design interventions based on these data and recommend actions that will reduce injuries and fatalities."
It must be noted those stats were gleaned from 271,851 starts made on dirt in 2012 compared to 43,723 on synthetic surfaces and 53,991 on turf. There are eight tracks in North America that currently have a synthetic surface, including Keeneland and Turfway Park.
Keeneland has long been subject to rumors that it will be replacing the Polytrack surface it installed in 2006 and switching back to dirt, but track president Bill Thomason issued a statement refuting that last month.
The data also show that 2-year-olds were at significantly reduced risk of fatality compared to older horses. For 2012, the fatality rate for 2-year-olds was 1.39 per 1,000 starts from 27,316 total while 3-year-olds had a 1.85 rate from 108,545 starts and older horses had a 2.01 rate from 233,704 starts.
Parkin's analysis also found that female horses were at no greater risk of fatality when racing against males than they are when racing against other females and that moving a race off the turf onto dirt or synthetic surfaces does not increase the risk of fatality.
The data continued to show that races at 6 furlongs or shorter have a higher prevalence of fatal injury, with that number being 2.35 per 1,000 starts in 2012.
By comparison, races at 6-8 furlongs had a fatality rate of 1.78 per 1,000 starts in 2012 with races beyond 8 furlongs at 1.80 per 1,000 starts.
"The causes of racing injuries are often very complex and involve multiple factors interacting together over time," Parkin said.


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Serta Perfect Sleeper Down Illusion Pillow
This item is currently out of stock.
Get a great night's sleep with this Perfect Sleeper pillow, delivering the feeling of down with Down Illusion technology. For lofty comfort and ideal support, this cozy pillow is the perfect choice for the ultimate sleeping experience.
- 233 Thread count cover
- Revolutionary fiberfill to feel and sleep like down
- Re-fluffs like down feathers
- Perfect for all sleepers
- Machine washable for easy care
- 20"L x 28"W
- Material: Polyester
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Last time, I introduced you to Windows 2000's (Win2K's) Group Policy and described how it replaces the tools you used to control security in Windows NT. Although Group Policy is a powerful tool for handling the gargantuan task of configuring Win2K security, it can also cause problems. To avoid these pitfalls, you need to understand how Group Policy works internally, as well as how it works with various Win2K components. Let's look at several important, undocumented caveats that you need to be aware of when using Group Policy that can help you prevent some serious mistakes.
Group Policy Interworkings
Win2K includes shortcuts to two security policies, Domain Security Policy and Domain Controller Security Policy, under Administrative Tools, as Screen 1 shows. Domain Security Policy is a Group Policy Object (GPO) in Active Directory (AD) that links to the domain, and Domain Controller Security policy is a GPO that links to an organizational unit (OU) called Domain Controllers.
When you promote a member server to a domain controller using dcpromo.exe, Win2K moves that server's computer object in AD to the Domain Controllers OU. At first glance, you might think that Domain Security Policy specifies the default policy for general computers in the domain and that Domain Controller Security Policy specifies the policy for all domain controllers and domain accounts—that's almost true. The one exception has to do with Account Policies, which is the first folder under a GPO's Security settings, as Screen 2 shows.
Applying Account Policies
Account Policies defines user account password requirements and lockout thresholds. In NT 4.0, the OS stores domain user accounts in the domain controller's SAM, which is simply a Registry hive under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Any account policies that you define in the domain controller's SAM control domain user accounts. In Win2K, the OS doesn't store domain user accounts in the SAM. Instead, it stores these accounts in the AD replica on the domain controller. Although every Win2K domain controller has a SAM, its users and groups are dormant. As a result, the local password requirements and lockout policies on domain controllers don't apply to domain user accounts.
Any account policies that you define in GPOs that link to domain controllers also don't apply. To prove it, try this little experiment. Set the Minimum Password Length to 0 in Domain Security Policy, and set the Minimum Password Length to 7 in Domain Controller Security Policy. Force an immediate application of Group Policy by typing
secedit /refreshpolicy machine_policy /enforce
at command prompt, and give the system a few seconds to refresh. Next, try to create a user account with a password that has fewer than seven characters, such as "abc." Win2k will permit the operation. This caveat means you might have a false sense of security if you have specified stricter account and lockout policies at the domain controller level than at the domain level, thinking you are protecting domain accounts. GPOs linked at the domain level are the only ones that affect account policies for domain user accounts. Account Policy is the only setting under GPOs that is subject to this phenomenon. Win2K applies other policy settings, including rights, permissions, and services, according to the relevant GPOs for each computer, which leads to another caveat.
Hide the Domain Controller
Win2K initially places new domain controllers in the Domain Controllers OU, but they don't have to stay here—you can move them to any other OU in the domain, yet another difference between Win2K and NT domain controllers. In NT, the entire SAM and Security Registry hives replicate to each domain controller. These two Registry hives constitute all the options under User Manager, including accounts, groups, account policy, audit policy, and rights assignments. Thus, you can't specify different audit policies or user rights assignments for each domain controller in NT. In Win2K, AD—not the SAM and Security Registry hives—replicates to each domain controller. Therefore, if you scatter domain controllers into other OUs, they can easily end up with different policies. I don't recommend that you do this, but you need to be aware of the technical capability to protect yourself from seemingly unexplainable network changes that occur over time as administrators come and go. Make sure you include a check in your assessments to verify that all domain controllers are still in the same OU.
Security Without the Shortcuts
A final related caveat involves the Domain Security Policy and Domain Controller Security Policy shortcuts under Administrative Tools, which I mentioned earlier. Although these two shortcuts correspond to GPOs that typically link to their respective places in AD, don't count on it. I've already seen a situation where someone inadvertently deleted the link to the Domain Security Policy GPO in the Group Policy tab of the domain properties. The administrator was scrupulously maintaining policy using the appropriately labeled shortcut, but because the domain no longer linked to this GPO, his changes had no effect and the entire domain was using an outdated security policy. The same scenario can appear in several other ways. For instance, someone might accidentally disable the default GPO or link the domain to another GPO and give it a higher priority. If you are a paranoid control freak like me, you'll delete these shortcuts and maintain policy from AD Users and Computers where you can see which GPOs are actually linked at each domain and OU, their priority, and other options.
As you can see, Group Policy is a powerful tool, but many pieces are involved and the group policy inheritance algorithm is complex. Are the policies you define really making it down to the actual systems you must protect? To know for sure, you must look behind the illusory curtain of simplicity that Microsoft has drawn across the largest OS in the world because good intentions don't count for much in security. In a future article, I'll give you strategies for ensuring that your Group Policy settings are working as you intended.