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CryptoLocker Virus
CryptoLocker is a file-encrypting ransomware, which will encrypt the personal documents found on victim's computer using RSA-2048 key (AES CBC 256-bit encryption algorithm). CryptoLocker then displays a message which offers to decrypt the data if a payment of 2.2330749 BTC (around 499 USD) is made within 96 hours, otherwise the data will be destroyed.
CryptoLocker will add the .7z.encrypted extension to all your images, videos and other personal documents.
The CryptoLocker virus is distributed through several means. Malicious websites, or legitimate websites that have been hacked, can infect your machine through exploit kits that use vulnerabilities on your computer to install this Trojan without your permission of knowledge.
Another method used to propagate this type of malware is spam email containing infected attachments or links to malicious websites. Cyber-criminals spam out an email, with forged header information, tricking you into believing that it is from a shipping company like DHL or FedEx. The email tells you that they tried to deliver a package to you, but failed for some reason. Sometimes the emails claim to be notifications of a shipment you have made. Either way, you can't resist being curious as to what the email is referring to – and open the attached file (or click on a link embedded inside the email). And with that, your computer is infected with the CryptoLocker virus.
The threat may also be downloaded manually by tricking the user into thinking they are installing a useful piece of software, for instance a bogus update for Adobe Flash Player or another piece of software.
If your computer is infected with the CryptoLocker ransomware will display a black
DECRYTP_INSTRUCTIONS.html wallpaper that covers the entire desktop. ADECRYTP_INSTRUCTIONS.txt text file will be placed on your desktop. Both files contain instruction on how or recover the encrypted files.
[source: https://malwaretips.com/blogs/remove-cryptolocker-virus]
Mom Translator for Movie, Actors, TV, and More!
This is the Mom translator from Saturday Night Live. It is a Fake SNL product that tells you names that your Mom says. It is hilarious, check it out. I need one for my family! Due to copywrite i couldnt find the video on YouTube, but here is a link from Hulu.
Portlandia: Around the World in 80 Plates
Fred and Carrie stop at a restaurant for a quick meal, from Portlandia season 2, episode 1
SEO Checklist for Web Design
SEO isn't just an additional step to perform when you are launching a website. It is a process that needs to be implemented throughout the entire website manufacturing process. Whether you are hiring a SEO professional or optimizing your website yourself, there are certain crucial steps that you cannot neglect in order to fully optimize your website.
SEO can be a very confusing concept to grasp; and while new websites must optimize their page rank, they may have no idea where to start optimizing. Luckily, Danny Dover over at SEOmoz created a checklist that clears the fog on what a thorough SEO process entails.
The Checklist:
1. Targeting– Is each page focusing on one optimal keyword? This will make it very easy to figure out what each page is relevant for. Choose a ranking keyword phrase to distinguish each page. Each following step will need to remain relevant to this keyword phrase.
2. Content- One of the biggest phrases in SEO is 'content is king.' We say this because your website's content is exactly how people will find you, and how Google will rank you. It needs to be unique and relevant to your target.
3. Title Tag- This is one of the most critical steps of the SEO process. This is a step where you need to be extremely precise in the words you choose. Title tags appear in the search engine results, tops of browsers, and external websites. They need to be under 70 characters, keyword intensive and begin with your targeted phrase.
4. URL- Long confusing URLs are as annoying to us as they are to you. The URL structure needs to be clear, short, easy to read and relevant to your target.
5. Meta Descriptions- These are the short paragraphs that appear under a title tag in the search engine results page. While meta descriptions in themselves are not as important for search engine rankings, they are crucial for attracting users to your site, which is very important. The meta descriptions need to coerce the user to visit your site while maintaining relevancy and an abundance of ranking keywords.
6. REL=Canonical- This tool is used to tell search engines what is the canonical version of a webpage. This means that when there are several urls to choose from, where you want to point the search engines to. Often there will be approved duplicate content around your site or the web. By using rel=canonical, this will point the search engines to the original page thus preserving 'link juice.'
7. Alt Text- This is very helpful for people who require alternative methods for viewing the internet (i.e. visually impaired readers). The descriptions you use for your images need to be keyword heavy as the alt text can boost your rankings in a search.
8. Internal linking- This is a very important task. Link building in SEO is crucial to increase your page rank, so why not optimize the ones that are the easiest to build? Once you figure out what your target phrases are, you need to figure out which pages will rank for them and then use appropriate anchor text to link to those pages. No need to try and link every single keyword on your site as you do not want to come off appearing spammy.
Not as Crucial, but Still Important
1. Meta Robots- Most cases your site will need to have Meta Robots. This is important to tell the search engine robots to not index certain pages or follow certain links. This is important for saving your link juice by placing proper page authority when there's duplicate content.
2. Robots.txt- This is mainly an exclusion program used to tell robots to not crawl a certain page. Note: Certain robots can ignore the file (i.e. malware), so do not try and use robots.txt to hide content.
3. Meta Keywords– Do not use these. Meta keywords are a very outdated SEO tag. These are potentially harmful for your business as you can be telling your competition what keywords you are trying to classify each page for. Search engines can also penalize your site because they may classify meta keywords as keyword spamming.
4. H1– This is using the HTML header or 'heading 1′ to explain to different search engines how information correlates with the information on the page. For SEO, this won't boost your rank too much, but the H1 tag is important for establishing relevancy and rank stability.
5. Cloaking- This is when you show your users and the search engine robots different content. This is a punishable offense and can negatively affect your page rank (i.e. BMW Germany and Google). Obviously logged in users and offline users for certain websites will see separate content. Ensure your offline users and the search engines see the same content to avoid penalties.
6. Capitalization- If you have capitals in your URL, your site may also load without the capitals. This means duplicate content with shared authority. Use a rel=canonical or a redirect to make sure you receive all due link juice.
7. Trailing Slash- Same concept as capitalization, your site may load with or without a trailing slash. Use a redirect or canonical.
8. Images- Ensure your images are in the optimal format and size (as small as possible). Also, all your links that have no value should have nofollow in their links to prevent cannibalization of link juice.
Read more: http://www.lakeshorebranding.com/company/blog/16-step-seo-checklist-before-launching-a-website/#ixzz2Idgk6PmP
January 4, 2011, Jimmy Rhim
After giving up football Phil Robertson found stardom
Former Louisiana Tech quarterback Phil Robertson gave up football to focus on his true passion: duck hunting. (Courtesy of Zach Dilgard)
In the late 1960s in Ruston, Louisiana, two Bulldog quarterbacks' life paths diverged sharply. You might have heard of Terry Bradshaw, who went on to attain the top pick in the 1970 NFL Draft, a lengthy career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, four Super Bowl victories, a spot in the Hall of Fame and a second career in front of the camera. You might not have heard of Phil Robertson, who was ahead of Bradshaw on Louisiana Tech's depth chart but gave up football with one year of eligibility remaining because the game and any future in it interfered with his heart's dearest passion: duck-hunting season.
"At the time, no one quite understood what exactly was my problem because I didn't put football as the ultimate goal, being this stud hoss football player, but what they didn't see then, they get it now," Robertson said. "Because as it turns out, what am I talking about now?"
Robertson was referring to the duck call business he started out of his home, which became the Duck Commander regime and led some 40 years later to the creation of Duck Dynasty, which premiered Wednesday on A&E. This is one of those times where a one-sentence pitch will tell you immediately whether a show is for you: "Duck Dynasty follows a backwoods millionaire family running a duck call empire on the Louisiana bayou." (Being inveterate hilljacks, we are immediately drawn to this premise, even though it's not a shot-by-shot remake of Dynasty cast with waterfowl. We checked.)
Coming out of Vivian, Louisiana's North Caddo High School, Robertson said he fielded offers to join the football programs at LSU, Ole Miss, Baylor and Rice, but chose Louisiana Tech to remain close to home. After redshirting his freshman year, he was joined by some soon-to-be famous company on the depth chart.
"The quarterback playing ahead of me, Phil Robertson, loved hunting more than he loved football," Bradshaw wrote in his autobiography, It's Only a Game. "He'd come to practice directly from the woods, squirrel tails hanging out of his pockets, duck feathers on his clothes. Clearly he was a fine shot, so no one complained too much."
Asked whether there was any truth to the squirrel tails anecdote, Robertson one-upped his own legend: "Squirrel guts! Squirrel guts hangin' out my pocket!" He spoke fondly of Bradshaw and of his time with the Bulldogs, though he's never been back since giving up football. "Bradshaw's a great guy," Robertson said. "I was the one that named him the Blond Bomber, and while he was at Tech, I said 'Son, you've got the want to and the drive to play in the NFL, you got a great arm,' and I said 'You got brains,' and when I got to brains, Bradshaw said, 'Are you serious about the brains?' I said, 'Well, you have enough sense to play in the NFL.' As it turned out, I put it this way, he must've been smart enough to win four Super Bowls."
Robertson spurned interest from the Washington Redskins after three letter-winning seasons at Tech. (Courtesy of Zach Dilgard)
After three letter-winning seasons and with one year of eligibility remaining, Robertson had had enough. He says he spurned interest from the Washington Redskins and went after the ducks full time in the fall while completing his undergraduate degree. "Bradshaw will tell the story better than I do," Robertson said. "To put it bluntly, he was very happy that I chose ducks because he moved up a slot. I was blessed with a good arm, or Bradshaw wouldn't have been playing second string to me.
"But you gotta remember, my heart was then and to this day — let me put it this way: Throwing a touchdown pass to a guy running down the sideline, and he runs down with the ball for six, it was fun. However, in my case, it was much more fun to be standing down in some flooded timber with about 35 or 40 mallard ducks comin' down on top of me in the woods. That did my heart more good than all the football in the world."
Robertson went to work as a schoolteacher for several years after graduating from Tech, obtaining his master's degree in education via night classes, with a concentration in English. "I kinda liked ol' Shakespeare and them guys, you know," Robertson said. "I went back and got my master's just in case. I thought, if I ever needed it, I'd have the sheepskin to show people no matter how dumb I looked, actually I was about half intelligent. I got the degree to let 'em know I wasn't as dumb as I acted."
And all the while, Robertson continued to hone his hunting craft. Dissatisfied with commercial duck calls, he began producing and selling his own about 40 years ago. These led to a series of duck-hunting videos that began 25 years ago, which led in turn to stints on the Outdoor Channel. Then came the call from A&E.
"Let's face it," said Robertson, "the bar has been set pret-ty low for you to get on American television these days. I think they said, 'Why don't we try a functional family,' and somebody said well, that's a novel idea. Round here, you know, there's no outbursts, belligerence, cursing, gettin' drunk, dope, no, we're all Godly people, so maybe it's a little switch for a change. We're not actually rednecks, but we probably could be called goodoleboys."
Indeed, we can think of a few college fans who'll be able to relate to the Duckmen's no-shave, no-laundry policies during the 10-week season. "We shower our bodies during the hunting season, but under no circumstances do we ever wash our clothes," Robertson said. "We hang 'em up and let 'em air dry. We begin to look like the landscape around us, you know what I'm sayin'? Oh, they'll get it. Hey, life is good, life is good."
Duck Dynasty airs Wednesdays at 10 on A&E.
Android: The Future Design of Smartphone OS
Android in 2013: What to expect
The Android ecosystem has become a dominant force in 2012. Here's how I see it growing in the coming year.
Brace yourselves: 2013 is upon us, and that means a whole new generation of Android devices, rumors, and expectations.
Android will have a strong showing at CES, and the next few months will be littered with new smartphones and tablets. Let's take a look at some of the trends we can expect in the Androidspace over the coming year.
This article will touch on many trends in the Android ecosystem, including hardware advancements, vendor decisions, and key events of the year. Given the sheer number of players in the space, there will be much to look forward to in the ever-evolving Android landscape. Indeed, much could be said about any one of these aspects of Android, but I'll address them here in broader terms.
Screen size will sharpen and grow
Not long ago, most smartphone screens didn't exceed 4 inches. Up until the HTC Evo 4G, most Android phones were had 3.2-inch and 3.5-inch displays. Now, thanks to popular handsets such as the Galaxy S3 (4.8 inches) and Galaxy Note 2 (5.5 inches), consumers are becoming used to much larger screens.
Motorola, for its part, has been able to squeeze a 4.3-inch display into the body of a phone that is roughly same as a 3.5-inch phone — the Droid Razr M. I suspect this will be something that Motorola and others look to replicate in the coming generation. Look for more press releases that tout features such as edge-to-edge screens or no bezel.
Related stories:
We'll continue to see all sorts of screen sizes in 2013, but the standard high-end experience will fall in the vicinity of 4.5 inches. Those of us who are moving into our second and third Android device will expect something at least as big as our current model.
Beyond size, resolution will sharpen. HTC had a leg up with the Droid DNA with a 1080p (versus 720p) resolution, but now nearly every handset maker you can think of is reportedly working on their own 5-inch 1080p HD display for their premium products. Whether you place a lot of importance on pixel density or not, expect screen resolution to be a big buzzword in 2013.
Quad-core will multiply
If you listen to companies such as Qualcomm and Nvidia, then you're well aware of the fact thatquad-core is the new spec hotness, and Android is the vanguard of competition among handset makers all vying for your little green Android dollars.
Gone are the days of big dual-core announcements. If you don't come to the table with at least four cores of mobile prowess, then you're not really expecting to compete on the high-end. We should anticipate that the big devices of the coming year will have quad-core 1.5GHz processors or higher, with some even hitting 2.0GHz by the year's end.
Of course, the fight for faster processors might only be relevant on paper; real world practicalityis a different animal. It's one thing to tout the impressive clock speeds or point to a benchmark, but showing the benefits to end users is the most important win.
Play a lot of 3D games? You definitely care about who makes your phone's CPU. Just want to see what this whole Android thing is all about? Jump in wherever you want, you'll be just fine.
One area where we may see more improvements is in the phone's memory and storage. If the previous year saw 2GB RAM emerge for the top-of-the-line memory experience, next year may see us inching toward 3GB RAM.
Storage capacities for Android phones (and all phones) will creep up in 2013 as well, yielding 32GB as the standard for mid-range and 64GB becoming common among high-end devices. This will be especially true for those manufacturers opting for internal batteries and removal of external storage, and I expect to see the first handset with 128GB internal storage appear before 2013 is out.
Entry-level phones will benefit
You have to appreciate the trickle-down effect of technology as today's top devices quickly become tomorrow's mid-range experience. With that in mind, the $50-$100 Android smartphone of 2013 will be quite an impressive piece of hardware.
Dual-core processors should become the norm for your "basic" Android phone as single-core stuff gets pushed aside. The same may be said of the no-contract handsets, as we'll continually get more for our money.
As every carrier scrambles to build out its next-gen data network, 4G LTE will be commonplace in Android smartphones. Sure, we'll get the occasional 3G product every once in a while, but that will diminish with time. This is not to say that 2013 will be the end of 3G Android, but the days of touting 4G LTE as a special feature will pass.
Popularized technologies
There is always a chance that we'll see a 3D experience in an Android phone or two, but I have the feeling this is one technology that won't take off. I've yet to run into someone who wants or needs 3D graphics in their mobile device. Sure, it's a cool feature to show off once in a while, but we're just not ready to adopt this baby.
NFC will continue to gain a foothold in Android products, maybe to the point of standardization. More companies will push it out in the mobile payment space and general consumers will become aware of its capabilities.
I get the feeling that we'll see a new surge in NFC-enabled accessories and technologies in the coming wave of tech conferences. The idea of tap-to-play speakers or media players doesn't seem like much of a stretch for this year's biggest mobile conferences, CES in January and Mobile World Congress in late February.
Perhaps the biggest issue facing smartphones with large displays and super-fast processors isbattery life. Nobody wants to put their phone away to preserve juice; we bought that big screen for a reason.
Looking ahead to the new year, I expect to see more handsets come with internal and/or higher capacity batteries. The Droid Razr Maxx HD is still the benchmark for long-lasting batteries, but we should see the gap narrow. To that end, we may see less emphasis on "world's thinnest" or "lightest" claims.
As many readers know, Android has given way to a number of unique (read: goofy) form factorsover time. One design that pops up every once in a while is the secondary screen. We may not be at the end of this occasional one-off, however we might see fewer announcements of far-out designs over time.
The main reason? Developers don't want to write their apps for yet another screen layout. It also doesn't help when you have two screens with bezels and a broken or split image. With that in mind, someone will find a way to make a compelling experience. Unfortunately, I do not see this happening in 2013.
One device around the world
I cannot tell you how pleased I was when I learned that Samsung was going to adopt one singular form factor for the Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Note 2 across countries and carriers. I'm sure that a number of accessory makers were quite happy with the decision as well. Samsung will employ the same strategy for the Galaxy S4 and will likely have records sales again in the new year.
Related stories:
As far as other companies going this route, HTC today seems to be the closest. I wouldn't be surprised if its next flagship model were to hit multiple carriers with a single design. As nice as it was to have fewer models to choose from in the One series, it was still confusing to keep up with the various suffixes — One X,One X+, Evo 4G LTE. "Does my carrier offer that one? What's the difference between this and that?" Along those lines, LG also seems to be slowly headed in this direction with theOptimus line.
Android comes to new territories
The Samsung Galaxy Camera wasn't the first digital camera to utilize Android, but the first to tie into carriers.
Nikon, Polaroid, and other camera-makers will dabble a bit with Android backbones and we'll see more smarter shooters in 2013. Pricing will need to come down for mass adoption; however, we will see carriers selling connected cameras in retail stores and online.
We will also see more kid-centric tablets and devices with Android under the hood in the next year. We might as well get used to the fact that Toys R Us and Walmart are going to offer $99 Android tablets.
Once the price point of a generic, knock-off tablet, the $100-$200 price range now offers a decent experience for most. Come this time next year, it will not be strange to see a house with even more Android tablets for a range of age groups. Expect more products like the Nabi Jr(toddlers) and Nabi XD (tweens.)
Shortly after Android became a recognized term in the mobile space, we saw the platform arriving in various electronic devices including microwaves and washing machines.
I don't think we'll find too much of that in 2013, but it would not surprise me to see a refrigerator or appliance with a custom touch interface that runs Android. Not a full-blown experience, mind you, but something that gives hardware-makers more flexibility.
Of all the places Android has been absent, I'm surprised we don't have a new generation ofChumby or Teddy Ruxpin toys. I might be reaching here, but I can imagine a scenario where your companion toy educates children or plays interactive games with them. A front-facing camera that recognizes the child, a belly with a touch screen, or a Pillow Pet with interactive stories seem more real than fantasy today.
There is a chance that we'll see more Android in the automobile in 2013, but it'll have competition from RIM's QNX OS. This won't be a replicated tablet-like experience with full-on Google Play support but something a little smarter than what we have today. It is easy to picture a 7-inch display that lets users hop from stereo to diagnostics to Google Maps.
Another area that would work well is embedding a tablet in the back of the driver and passenger seat. With more cars offering Wi-Fi connectivity over time, a connected device just makes sense. Don't be surprised if someone introduces a backseat experience that includes access to social networks as well as casual games such as checkers for road trips. For added fun, pair your Bluetooth game controller and dive into a 3D shooter.
The Nexus project will continue to evolve
The Nexus initiative will continue to change with the times and we'll see more hardware with Google's official stamp of approval. With three devices to choose from today (Nexus 4, Nexus 7,Nexus 10), it isn't much of a stretch to consider that Google will want to refresh the lineup at least once a year.
Considering that there are three different companies supplying the hardware for the Nexus line today, I would look for more of the same down the road. Google will likely share the love with new and returning companies in 2013 and consumers will come to know what Nexus means.
The coming year may finally bring us a Google and Motorola Nexus product. As something that the industry has expected over the last year, Google has not ruled out such an animal. In fact, all the conversations I've read these past months seem to dance around the topic. With no outright denial of a Motorola Nexus device, I'm reminded of the old adage "where there's smoke there's fire." With that in mind, a smartphone seems more plausible than a tablet at this stage.
Whether we see one-off products like the Nexus Q in 2013 remains to be seen. I get the sense that Google like to test the waters and introduce real, working proof-of-concept devices just to gauge developer and consumer reactions. I won't rule out anything like this for next year however I might expect Google to downplay its significance or potential. Perhaps a "hey check this out, we think you'll like it" introduction is in order.
Google I/O and major releases
If the last few years are any indicator, there will be at least five key moments for Android in 2013, starting with trade shows: CES in early January, the international Mobile World Congress in late February, and CTIA in late May. Samsung is also expected to launch its Galaxy S4 flagship phone at a standalone press event, if we follow 2012's model.
Yet we'll see the real ecosystem-changing stuff at Google's annual developer conference, Google I/O, in May.
So far, indicators point to an Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. It's tough to forecast what will be in this coming release, but I definitely see more polish and attention to detail on the horizon, plus more camera and mapping tricks.
Android's background OS will continue to gain speed, and the company will introduce new features that again pull away from iOS to set the industry pace. We don't know much about Android 5.0 quite yet, but we'll assuredly discover bits and pieces of upcoming features in the months just before Google I/O — especially if Google releases a new Nexus device or two to go along with the latest software build.
2013 will certainly be an exciting year for Android, with the mobile OS surely maintaining its mobile lead.


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Tepp, Indrek
Country Sales Manager
The High Coast Bridge is one of the biggest suspension bridges in the world. The geographical location places great demands on the structure's insulation and surfacing systems.Skaityti daugiau apie The high coast bridge in Ångermanland, Sweden
The newly constructed section of highway E4 trough Sundsvall is a major project with a price tag of roughly SEK 4.6 billion. The construction work began in spring 2011 and was completed in 2014.Skaityti daugiau apie The Sundsvall Bridge, Sweden
Avonmouth bridge on the M5 motorway near Bristol, UK, is heavily trafficked and the deck of its steel central and anchor spans – to quote the Highways Agency (HA) – 'displays significant movement'.Skaityti daugiau apie Avonmouth Bridge, Bristol, UK
Inchbonny bridge carries the former Edinburgh - Newcastle public road (now A68) over Jed Water. The existing single span reinforced concrete arch replaced the original hump-backed crossing in 1926 and has recently been showing its age.Skaityti daugiau apie Inchbonny Bridge, Scotland
Tepp, Indrek
Country Sales Manager
Tõugu, Heikki
Sales Manager
Solomatina, Maria
Sales Assistant

subset: commoncrawl


text:
If it floats and fits on crossbars, the Yakima Crossbar Pads will help protect it.
So sorry, but only 4 items are allowed for comparison, so we're comparing the first 4. I blame the gnomes and so should you.
Would you like to compare the products you have selected now?


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Click on https://mog.com/m#playlist/2224043 to go to list.
Then click on "Play all tracks" to play.
-WALLSTREET PART OF TOWN – Ry Cooder - Does Ry Cooder get revenge on Stones' theft of Honkytonk womae here? Who knows? He shows what he can do with a rock riff that will kill. It is a tribute to the Wall Street Occupiers (seems like ancient history, but was just a mere year ago). From a concept album. But this is beyond concept.
-NORTH SIDE GAL – J.D. McPhersen – He is a reformed punk I hear tell. I dig the sound cause, well it brings back Little Richard. I understand they did this all analog. There truly is something about the sound, it is of the studio era of 1948 – 1960 –when the art was high. By the way, I am from the North Side, myself.
- COME ON BACK JESUS – Willie Nelson. A take on the world gone mad. It's getting real hairy. Time to call the cavalry. "C'mon back Jesus and pick up John Wayne on the way. The world its gone crazy and seems to get worse every day. Time to take off the gloves - they just don't want peace anymore. C'mon back!" Also more than immortal on this lp: "Roll me up and smoke me when I die."
- MY LAST DAYS ON EARTH – David Grisman. His tribute record to Bill Monroe. I had this by Bill and lost it somehow along the way. Don't know if it is in release now. David Grisman's take is fine. Kind of heavy sonar. As with many remakes the effort was to focus a bit more on one aspect of the number. So it is over slow. Anyway it is faithful in a nice way.
- DUSQUESNE WHISTLE – Bob Dylan - gets Carbondale in there, that is interesting, that down needed a booster shot. Not a big step past his more recent CDs – except that there are two immensely great things on the lp this came from : Tempest (about Titanic) and Roll on John. The latter evokes John Lennon in every breath (and beat) , and could only have been done by a superior poet like Bob.
- WATCHING THE LATE LATE SHOW – The Fondas - Don Covay's Watching the Late Late Show was the B-side of Sookie Sookie. And it had always evoked Dr Cadavarino and Elvira and nugatory time. Couldn't find it by Don, but found the Fondas did it in 2012. These guys might be from Detroit. Hell if I know nuthin about the Fondas. But at least we got a girl singer in the list here, yknow!?
- THE HEROIC WEATHER-CONDITIONS OF THE UNIVERSE – Alexandre Desplat - This movie has to be seen in theatres: Moonlight Kingdome. Mostly Ben Brittain and Hank Williams. Got that/ This out-tro owest something to the Bonzo Dog Band and their riff on the key of A. Who had to be where? "Thank you very much for listening!"
- FARMER JOHN - Doug Sahm – Well Doug left us with a cold on the road…but.. here he is through the miracle of media from Stockholm one night out there on that cold road – calling the sound guy for the drummer's mike (x3) - when he was playing with Rocky Morales, Fran Cristina, his son Shawnie and others – but released in 2012 – so it fits our format - doing the Tex-Mex Tome Farmer John. "Farmer John, I'm in love with your daughter. The one with the champagne eyes." God bless-ee, Dougie, where eber thou art there is art!
- DIM LIGHTS, THICK SMOKE – Dwight Yokum – Try to ignore the crazy Yokum whooping hiccups. I like the screams. This is a great update on the song I know best by Lester and Earl (but Vern Gosdin and Joe Maphis and others would be prior). Member: Rock n roll will not necessarily save your soul. But it can shake your libido.
-THE WORLD IS UPSIDE DOWN – Jimmy Cliff - Another take on the world gone mad. But damn essential. Jimmy Cliff walked out of history to sing and create on the top notch in the year 2012 of our lord. Don't let people tell you he is retired. My friend saw him play at Oracle World. And check out the sound of this – my fave rave of the year past- which coulda-woulda hit pay dirt in any damn time ever. "They say the world is spinning around, I say the world is upside down!"
2009 list
2007 list
2009 list
2007 list


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Pen Topper
Blend homework time with playtime by introducing a cast of colorful characters to the top of your child's pens and pencils. Using simple craft supplies, he'll get to create goofy buddies to help him study and prepare for his next class.
Click to find similar content by grade or subject.
What You Need:
- Pencils
- Pipe cleaners
- Foam sheets
- Scissors
- Googly eyes
- Craft glue
What You Do:
- Have your child child drraw the outline of a creature on his foam sheet. It can be a real animal or a creation straight out of his own imagination!
- Help him use scissors to carefully cut the creature out of the foam.
- Let him attach googly eyes to the creature with craft glue.
- Set aside the foam creature to dry.
- Carefully help him use more craft glue to stick the creature onto his pen or pencil.
- Allow time for the glue to dry again.
- Have your child use pipe cleaners to wrap the pen. If he wants to get creative, he can add the pipe cleaners as his creature's tail or flowing mane.
- What other art supplies can he use to make his pen topper come to life? Encourage him to use his own creativity to add on more details.
- When he's done with one pencil, make sure he makes at least a couple of more pen creatures so his first topper will have a few friends!


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Matthias Bichsel, Former Member of the Executive Committee at…
VANCOUVER, BC Chrysalix EVC, one of the longest standing and most active clean energy venture capital firms, announced the addition of Matthias Bichsel to the firm's Advisory Board. Matthias will retire from Royal Dutch Shell at the end of December 2014, after a long and impressive 34 year career with the company, where he was most recently a Member of the Executive Committee and the Director of Projects & Technology (since 2009).
As a valued member of the Chrysalix Advisory Board, Matthias will provide counsel to Chrysalix and its portfolio companies on investment and business strategies as they commercialize sustainable innovations for industries in transition, particularly oil and gas, but also electric power and utilities, mining and metals, automation and manufacturing, and chemicals and materials. Matthias's remarkable and long-standing expertise, influence and network in the oil and gas sector will serve as a key addition to Chrysalix as the company grows its portfolio of breakthrough innovations and strategic involvement in the sector.
"Matthias Bichsel is a welcome and very exciting addition to the Chrysalix Advisory Board. His global perspective, connections and expertise will directly benefit our portfolio companies and fuel our continued involvement in driving sustainable innovation in the oil and gas industry," stated Wal van Lierop, President & CEO of Chrysalix EVC. "Access to relatively cheap and clean energy – including oil and gas – is one of the fundamental drivers of the globally rapidly evolving new energy economy. Having been on the front lines and in one of the most influential positions within this global industry, Matthias will offer incredible insight and guidance. We are honoured to have him as a part of the Chrysalix team."
Matthias holds a Doctorate in Earth Sciences from the University of Basel, Switzerland. Prior roles at Shell included Executive Vice President Technical of Shell Exploration and Production (2006 – 2009) and of Shell Global Exploration (2002 – 2006); Managing Director at Shell Deepwater Services, USA (1999 – 2002) and Exploration and Deep Oil Development Director of Petroleum Development Oman (1995 – 1999). He also held various positions with Shell Exploration and Production in Tanzania, Bangladesh, Oman, Canada and Indonesia (1980 – 1995). He currently serves as a Director of Canadian Utilities (Canada) and as a Director of Sulzer (Switzerland), and is an Honorary Professor of the China University of Petroleum. He also holds a position on the industry advisory board of the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
This announcement comes just months after Stanford University Professor and former McKinsey Director Stefan Heck was welcomed onto the Chrysalix Advisory Board, bolstering the company's strategic direction and influential network. Matthias also joins fellow Chrysalix Advisory Board members Paul de Martini, former Chief Technology Officer with Cisco Systems; Mark Dudzinski, former Chief Marketing Officer at GE Energy; and John Thompson, President of the Canada Mining Innovation Council and former Vice President of Technology and Development at Teck Resources.
About Chrysalix EVC
Chrysalix EVC is one of the longest serving cleantech venture capital firms investing in breakthrough sustainable innovations for energy intensive industries. The firm provides early-stage financing, hands-on assistance, and strategic connections to innovation companies confronting the world's most important energy and environmental issues. Chrysalix EVC is consistently ranked among the most active cleantech venture capital firms and is a member of the Chrysalix Global Network (CGN), a premier alliance of independent clean energy VC firms with offices in North America (Chrysalix EVC), Europe (Chrysalix SET), and Asia (GRC Chrysalix). Founded in Vancouver, Canada in 2001, Chrysalix EVC has one of the strongest investment teams in cleantech, and is backed by more than 20 international blue chip industrial and financial investors. For more information, please visit chrysalixevc.com.


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NEW ORLEANS — Perhaps Taj Gibson was tweaking the youngster. Or just stating a fact.
Asked Saturday morning whether he would like Pelicans' big man Anthony Davis to suit up later that night, Gibson replied: "He always seems to get hurt right before he plays his hometown team."
Last year Davis missed what would have been his third NBA game — a Nov. 3. trip to the United Center. As he recovered from a concussion, his team pulled out an 89-82 victory.


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Getting your store to appear in organic searches on search engines such as Google or Bing is not as complicated as it may seem. Essentially, your goal when optimizing your site for search engines is to make it easy to crawl, show authority (with backlinks and content) and show relevance to the keywords you want to rank for.
One thing to keep in mind is that getting your website to appear in search results for very competitive searches is very difficult and can take some time. SEO is a long-term play when it comes to building and growing your business. If you are looking for quick wins, consider paid advertising.
However, if you're prepared to put in a little time to build your site and be patient with the results, SEO can pay off tremendously. Organic traffic is free and MarketingCharts found that 39% of their merchants customers came from search.
This checklist is going to cover as much of the foundation as possible. If you go through each checklist and work to ensure you have each point covered, you'll be in a terrific position to have success in growing your search traffic.
Bonus: Click here to download this checklist as an easy-to-follow, printable PDF. Take this checklist with you and start improving your store's SEO immediately.
Setup Recommended Tools
▢ Install Google Analytics.
▢ Install Google Webmaster Tools.
▢ Install Bing Webmaster Tools.
Webmaster Tools
▢ Create an XML sitemap and submit it to Google and Bing through your Webmaster Tools accounts you just created. All Shopify stores automatically generate a sitemap. (www.yourstore.com/sitemap.xml)
▢ Use Google Webmaster Tools to check for 404/500 errors, duplicate content, or any crawling errors. If you get any errors, work to fix them immediately.
Keyword Research
▢ Use Google's Keyword Planner to determine the search volume of keywords and get keyword ideas to try and rank for. What would you search to find your products? What do you think your customers search? Use the Keyword Planner to determine the search volume for different keywords and phrases. From there, the keywords and phrases that have the highest searches should be the keywords and phrases you are focused on ranking for.
Page Optimizations
▢ Ensure you are using one, and only one, H1 tag on your pages. H1 (header 1) tags often used as the main headline for a page and they usually contain the page's main keywords.
▢ Ensure H1 tags are used before other header tags (H2, H3, H4). Your header tags should be used in a hierarchal order. For example, H1 tag text above H2 tag text and H2 tag text above H3 tag text, and so on.
▢ Keep your page titles under 70 characters so they aren't truncated in results.
▢ Write good page titles that are human-readable. Make sure they include the keywords you are trying to rank for but don't over-optimize or make it a string of keywords.
▢ Keep your meta description under 150 characters. This is the text under a page title in a search result. Ensure it clearly describes the page and also include keywords but again, don't over optimize. Each page's meta description should be unique.
▢ Ensure you include a keyword in your page URL. Again, don't over do it.
▢ Ensure your images have descriptive ALT tags and filenames.
▢ Try to avoid underscores ( _ ) in URLs and use dashes ( - ) sparingly.
▢ Create a link building strategy. Link building is the process of getting other websites to link back to you. Search engines such as Google see this as a factor in terms of your website's authority. The more websites that link back to your store or specific pages on your store, generally the higher Google will rank those pages for particular keywords. Read our guide on backlinks.
▢ View your competitors' backlinks and SEO. Use a tool such as Open Link Profiler to see who's linking to your competition and similar stores, and reach out to these websites and get them to link to you. Use a tool like Open Site Explorer or Ahrefs to see how well a competing or similar website is optimized, their domain authority and what they're doing right.
▢ Get links from press. Read our guide on hacking the press to land your store on other websites.
▢ Create a content strategy. What are keywords and phrases your customers might be searching for when doing research just before buying your product? Create high quality content on a regular basis around those topics so that potential customers discover you. For example, if you're selling guitars, you might want to write blog posts on topics such as "how to learn guitar for complete beginners", "the 5 best guitar chords to learn for beginners", or "how to change strings on your guitar in 5 minutes".
▢ Ensure every page on your website has at least 250 words of descriptive text. Search engines like Google crawl and index pages based on what those pages are telling them. If you aren't doing a good job of including enough words (and keywords you want to rank for) on each page, then you will have a more difficult time ranking for those keywords.
▢ Informational pages and blog posts should have at least 500 words. In general, if you can write more, you should. You also don't want to artificially increase the word count because that won't help. Quality is more important than quantity.
▢ Avoid duplicate content. For examples, if you have more than one page with the same product description, it's a good idea to use the canonical tag on those pages. Shopify allows you to easily do this through themes customization.
▢ Write unique product descriptions. Keeping with the last point, all content on your website should be unique and written by you. For example, don't use product descriptions from manufacturers.
▢ Consider adding product reviews to your product pages. This will add more content to your product pages and help them rank for long tail keywords.
▢ Setup redirects. Don't delete pages or content without first setting up a redirect. Even if you remove a product that no longer exists or that you no longer sell, setup a redirect so that any indexed page gets redirected. If you don't know where to redirect the page, simply redirect it to your homepage. To add a redirect in Shopify, read our documentation on how to easily set one up.
Reputation Building
▢ Setup your business on other platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Google+. Try to ensure you register the brand name so that the URL appears as Facebook.com/BusinessName. This helps customers find you when they search "Business Name" in their favorite search engine.
▢ Create business profiles on review sites and sites that will allow you to manage your reputation. For example, Amazon, Google Business, Yelp, FourSquare, TrustPilot, and Epinions. This helps by allowing a backlink to your website and ranking for searches such as "Business Name Review".
Other Ranking Factors
▢ Ensure your store is mobile friendly. Every Shopify theme is mobile responsive, but if you're not using Shopify, check to see how it looks on a mobile device.
▢ Ensure your store is fast. Speed is a ranking factor, use Google Page Speed Tools to see how your store's performance can be optimized.
▢ When in doubt, refer to Google's official accepted SEO practices. There are a lot of questionable practices out there that can get your site penalized if you're not careful. When you start to get more comfortable with SEO and you start to do more research, make sure you do your due diligence before applying any new "SEO techniques" to your website.
Final Thoughts
Once you've gone through this checklist, your website is set to start ranking. Remember to give it some time, especially if your store is brand new. Some things you should consider putting frequent time into are creating content and working on building relationships, and getting backlinks.
If you don't already, start blogging and creating content. According to Search Engine Journal, companies that blog have 434% more indexed pages. More indexed pages means more opportunities for searchers to find you, learn about your brand and purchase your products.If you have any questions or comments about this blog post, be sure to leave them below. I engage with and respond to everyone.
About The Author
Corey Ferreira is a passionate entrepreneur, coconut water lover and content creator at Shopify.
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Blue Reef Aquarium Hastings is uniquely placed in the heart of the largest beach launched fishing community in the UK providing a wealth of educational material for children of all key stages.
A school visit to Blue Reef Aquarium Hastings takes children on a journey, starting around the shores of the United Kingdom coming face to face with lobsters, seahorses, sharks and rays before continuing into tropical waters to explore bizarre pufferfish, giant octopus, deadly lionfish and of course "Nemo" the colourful clownfish! An extra surprise also awaits with our Remarkable Reptiles which allows children to get up close to snakes and lizards.
An educational trip to Blue Reef Aquarium Hastings has so much to offer:
For an extra £1.50 per pupil our aquarists can take you on a guided tour of the aquarium
The tour lasts approximately 45 minutes – the children will be led by one of our friendly aquarists on the ultimate undersea safari learning about the marine life in each of our exciting zones – from native fish found around the UK to colourful tropical species from around the world. They will explore our jungle discovery zone packed full of creepy crawlies and remarkable reptiles. The aquarists will ensure the children take a wealth of knowledge back to the classroom.
Risk assessment
Terms and Conditions


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The IRS issued a consumer alert warning taxpayers to beware of tax preparers who tell clients to give them their health insurance payments.
According to the IRS alert on Friday, reports are coming in from around the country describing unscrupulous preparers who instruct their clients to make individual shared responsibility payments directly to the preparer.
The IRS reminded individuals who owe the payment that it should be made only with their tax return or in response to a letter from the IRS.
The payment should never be made directly to an individual or return preparer, said the IRS. Most people dont owe the payment at all because they have health coverage or qualify for a coverage exemption.
The IRS said it has received several reports of this kind of unscrupulous activity. In some cases, return preparers have told taxpayers to make the payment directly to them, even though the taxpayer had Medicaid or other health coverage and doesnt need to make the shared responsibility payment at all, said the alert. In some parts of the country, unscrupulous return preparers are targeting taxpayers with limited English proficiency and, in particular, those who primarily speak Spanish.
Tax preparers are asking for direct payment to them for different reasons, including telling individuals that they must make an individual shared responsibility payment directly to the preparer because of their immigration status, promising to lower the payment amount if the client pays it directly to the preparer, or demanding money from individuals who are exempt from the individual shared responsibility payment.
The IRS told taxpayers that if they have been targeted by an unscrupulous preparer or have been financially affected by a tax return preparers misconduct or improper tax preparation practices, they can report it to the IRS on Form 14157, Complaint: Tax Return Preparer.
Taxpayers who are unsure if they must make a payment can use the IRSs Interactive Tax Assistant tool - Am I required to make an Individual Shared Responsibility Payment? to help determine if they qualify for an exemption or owe the payment.
The IRS acknowledged in the alert that the vast majority of tax professionals provide honest, high-quality service. However, the IRS is encouraging taxpayers to avoid dishonest and unscrupulous preparers by choosing their preparer wisely and using a new, online, searchable public directory of tax preparers who currently hold professional credentials recognized by the IRS or certain other qualifications. The IRS also offers advice on its Choosing a Tax Professional page on IRS.gov.
Michael Cohn is the editor-in-chief of AccountingToday.com.
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When a credit payment is severely past due, it's not only embarrassing but it may result in the debt being sent to a collection agency. Just the thought of a debt collection call can be scary, but the job of a collection agency isn't to threaten or frighten you into paying. Their goal is to help you work out repayment plan. Once you agree to begin paying, they collect their fee, which is typically a percentage of the collected debt. While most consumers wouldn't consider a debt collector a helpful resource, you may want to rethink their role, especially with the amount of damage a collection account can have on your credit.
Your credit score will drop like a rock and limit your ability to get approved for a new loan if your debt is sent to a collection agency. If you have multiple collection accounts it will make matters even worse. So it's easy to see why it's so important to get a handle on the situation and to work hard to eliminate or change the status of unpaid collection accounts from 'delinquent' — to 'current' or 'paid-in-full'.
Negotiate for a Clear Record
The most important step if you're trying to minimize the damages of a collection account is to negotiate with the debt collector to change the status on your credit report. Collection companies are interested in one thing – making the account current or getting it paid off. Almost every debt collector has the authority to settle your debt for less than you owe. To that end, many are willing to delete the account from your report, if you fulfill a specified payment obligation and agree to continue making payments.
But don't be confused. Collection companies are not obliged to expunge the record nor are they required to remove an accurate entry from your credit report. If they won't clear your record with a payment and a promise to keep paying, they may be willing to remove the account if you pay it in full. Some debt collectors may refuse to delete the entire credit report entry. In this case, request that the account be marked 'paid-in-full', as opposed to 'settled', which is a less favorable designation.
Ask for Help
Send your request to negotiate in writing – ask for a lower payoff rate and/or a settlement payment in exchange for the deletion of the collection account on your credit report. If you pay the collector in full, keep detailed proof of your payment. Request the agreed upon terms in writing. Review the terms to ensure their accuracy.
Be sure to review your credit report to make sure the collector updates the account appropriately. If, after agreeing the collector does not update the account, dispute the account with the credit bureau, providing proof of payment if necessary. Know your rights as a debtor under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA). And don't hesitate to ask for the help you need. A nonprofit debt counseling service like the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) is a resource you can trust. In addition to their website, you can call 800-388-2227 to get help in turning your financial troubles around.
* If you're having trouble settling your debt, consider our debt settlement plans.


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Two leaders of one of the most challenging rescue attempts Mount Rainier has ever seen will be honored Wednesday in Washington, D.C., by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Neither Charlie Borgh nor David Gottlieb will be there to receive their Valor Awards for risking their lives in the 2004 rescue attempt.
Borgh died in an avalanche in 2006 while climbing in British Columbia. His parents, John and Mary Borgh of Minnesota, will receive his award. Gottlieb is in southern Tibet, where his climbing partner and former Rainier climbing ranger Joe Puryear died Oct. 26 after a fall on Labuche Kang.
The Valor Award is presented to Interior employees who demonstrate "unusual courage involving a high degree of personal risk in the face of danger," according to the department's website.
In May 2004, two experienced climbers from Maine were ascending Mount Rainier's Liberty Ridge when Peter Cooley, a father of three with degrees from Stanford and Yale, tripped and fell.
His climbing partner, Scott Richards, could only watch as Cooley slid over a 12-foot cliff.
"I couldn't see him," Richards told The News Tribune last year. "I was screaming."
When Richards climbed down to Cooley, he realized his friend had hit his head on a rock. And just then, Richards said, it started to "spit this snowish rain."
Cooley needed immediate medical attention, but that was impossible on the 50-degree slope. Richards chipped a ledge into the ice below a rock outcropping he hoped would protect them from the Volkswagen-size chunks of ice that regularly tumble down the mountain.
He pitched his tent, lowered his friend inside and then climbed outside to call for help.
When lead climbing ranger Mike Gauthier received the call, he launched what he still describes as "perhaps the largest and most complicated rescue" in his 18 years at the park.
The clouds were too thick to reach Richards and Cooley by helicopter, so Borgh and Gottlieb were sent to the northwestern corner of the park to try to climb to 12,300 feet. With visibility near zero, Borgh and Gottlieb needed 40 hours to get close enough to hear Richards' distress whistle.
"Scott was excited to see us," Gottlieb told The News Tribune in 2004. "His situation was nothing less than desperate. His entire motivation was to get his friend out of there."
The weather remained uncooperative, so the rangers began devising an elaborate pulley system to lower Cooley off the mountain. If all had gone well, they might have had Cooley to Madigan Army Medical Center within three days.
But an unexpected parting of the clouds allowed a small window for a helicopter rescue. With television news helicopters recording every move, Borgh and Gottlieb rigged a litter to be hoisted into an Oregon National Guard Chinook helicopter.
"There was a sense that he was with the professionals now," Richards told The News Tribune last year. "I didn't think he was out of the woods, but I didn't think he was going to die."
Cooley died during the 15-minute helicopter ride, and Gottlieb had to break the news to Richards on the mountain. The next day, a helicopter flew Richards off the mountain.
Richards gave up climbing when Borgh died in 2006. He said it reinforced that walking away from the sport he loved was a smart move.
Since the accident, Gottlieb has continued to emerge as one of the most respected mountaineers in the United States.
"Mount Rainier is fortunate to have him," Gauthier said.
Craig Hill: 253-597-8497 firstname.lastname@example.com blog.thenewstribune.com/adventure


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Monday, December 17, 2007
What's in your box?
So what do you have in your MADE IN NEW ORLEANS:The Hurricane Sessions collection? Please feel free to ask questions or make comments about any of the collectibles in your set. You can do so by clicking 'COMMENTS' below this post. Or, email me personally at email@example.com. Periodically, we'll have a featured item along with bios & stories. Let's get the dialogue started!
Posted by Preservation Hall at 3:24 PM 1 comment:
Kid Thomas Band with Duke Ellington on YouTube!
Hello Friends,
Howard found this new video on YouTube featuring the Kid Thomas Band with Duke Ellington. Enjoy!
Howard found this new video on YouTube featuring the Kid Thomas Band with Duke Ellington. Enjoy!
Posted by Preservation Hall at 2:22 PM No comments:
Made In New Orleans contents question
M.B. asked:
"...have received the Made in New Orleans 504 limited edition box set which contains a photograph of a musician holding a clarinet and standing in a garden,he is wearing a spotted shirt, there is no identification as to who this musician is.Could this be a photograph of George Lewis? Would appreciate your advice on the correct identification of this musician."
The musician in your photograph is indeed George Lewis. Does your photo have a Preservation Hall embossed seal on it? If so, your photograph is a cutout from the album cover of "Jazz at Preservation Hall: The George Lewis Band of New Orleans".
Here's some links about George Lewis:
George Lewis on Wikipedia
George Lewis on redhotjazz.com
George Lewis on jazzbymail.com
Recommended reading:
Song for My Fathers: A New Orleans Story in Black and White by Tom Sancton
Posted by Preservation Hall at 12:48 PM No comments:
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Our state of the art outdoor facility opened, featuring a beautiful community of recreational cabins, is an absolute hit with Soldiers and their families looking to get away and live the great outdoors fantasy.
Our cabins are nestled in a quiet corner of American Lake on JBLM-Lewis North. American Lake is a recreational dream with fishing, boating and swimming as major draws.
All 10 recreational cabins feature unobstructed views of the waterfront.
Fishing is available only steps away from your front door. Ducks, geese and mating pairs of bald eagles can often be seen enjoying this oasis along the I-5 corridor.
We currently have two sizes of cabins available. Our larger one bedroom cabins, feature a sleeping area in a separate bedroom. These larger cabins also have a hide-a-bed sleeper couch for when your party grows bigger than one or two campers. Our smaller studio cabins, have nearly all the same amenities as the one-bedrooms.
The major difference being that the sleeping and living areas are combined. Instead of the sleeper couch, studios have two comfortable chairs for a cozier feel. These cabins are especially nice for couples looking to get away on a rustic, but still extremely romantic weekend. When the weather is right, it's easy to move that candlelight dinner out onto the front porch to take in the fabulous colors of a Western Washington sunset.
All cabins come with full kitchenettes. This includes stove, oven, microwave range, pots and pans and table service for four. All cabins have basic cable and telephones with local number access. All have showers and full bathrooms as well. For those times when you need to take care of laundry, a commons area is located directly behind the cabins with coin operated washers, dryers and soap dispensers and more showering facilities.
Cabins are available year-round including all major holidays. They may be reserved up to three months in advance. A first night's deposit is required at the time of reservation.
Reservation deposits can be made with either Visa or Mastercard. The cabins are especially popular during holidays, weekends and all summer long, so plan on making your reservations as early as possible.


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Managed IT Services Offer Less Downtime & Predictable Expenses
Stop worrying and keep working
Managed IT services from Enstep provide you with more reliable performance and predictable expenses. That means you get more value from the technology you've already invested in, while actually reducing the total costs of IT problems and the resulting downtime.
When something goes wrong with your IT, everything grinds to a halt. With a standard break/fix contract, you have to wait for something to break before you provider can fix it. That equation seems to make sense, but it leaves you to worry about when and where downtime will strike – and how much it's going to cost. What if you could minimize downtime and predict your IT expenses?
With managed services from Enstep, you can expect:
- Peace of mind – your systems are monitored 24/7
- Less downtime – we identify and fix issues before they cause problems
- Fewer disruptions – we provide most services remotely or overnight
- Predictable budgeting – a flat monthly fee covers everything
You and your team no longer have to worry about the unexpected or what it's going to cost. You can focus on your business and leave the IT to us.
Want to stop worrying about IT maintenance costs?


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Every table at P.F. Chang's in Destiny USA was full when we visited on a recent Friday night. On our way out at 7 p.m., we ran into friends who had just been told the wait was 40 minutes.
P.F. Chang's sure is popular, and that's a little puzzling.
Sure, the food is notch or two above your neighborhood Chinese joint. The chain's signature lettuce wraps will have you running to the Internet to find a copycat recipe. But the portions are small, the prices are high and the service was scattered during our visit.
P.F. Chang's opened amid much fanfare at Destiny in December of 2012, one of the upscale eateries in the mall's Canyon area. Billed as a "China bistro," it serves a lot of the food you'd find at a typical Chinese takeout place -- wonton soup, sweet and sour chicken and egg rolls -- as well as some original items. Chief among the unique offerings is the lettuce wraps, a mixture of chicken, mushrooms, green onions and water chestnuts served with lettuce leaves.
We immediately put in an order for the lettuce wraps ($8.95) while we looked over the menu, which was thick with both food and drink options. There are about 50 wine choices, broken into categories such as "floral," "fruity," "soft and tangy" and "powerful." Bottled beers include domestic, imported and craft selections, and P.F. Chang's serves a dozen specialty cocktails. At our waiter's recommendation, we ordered Chang's mai tai, a blend of Bacardi Light and Myers's Dark rum with orange Curacao and tropical juice that was mild, fruity and refreshing.
The tables at P.F. Chang's have big candles in the middle, which might have been a nice touch except that they put five of us at a table clearly meant for four, and space was at a premium. Our drinks, lettuce wraps and spicy tuna sushi quickly swallowed up the little room we had, and to make matters worse, servers didn't visit the table often, so used glasses and plates piled up.
Space crunch aside, we enjoyed the appetizers. The chicken mixture in the lettuce wraps is good enough to eat on its own, with the lettuce giving it a cool crunch. The sushi featured nice-sized chunks of fresh tuna that delivered a good amount of heat, offset by the rice and cucumber.
We had no fewer than four servers bring items to our table, including one who came over as we were finishing up the appetizers and set down an order of dumplings that we told him we didn't order. "It's on your ticket," he said as he started to put down something else we didn't order. We protested that he had the wrong table, and, seeming exasperated, he took the food back and said he would check to see if it was ours. He didn't return.
Another waiter eventually came by with our soups, one egg drop and one hot and sour. The egg drop reminded us of chicken soup, but more flavorful, perked up by eggs, carrots and green onion. If the egg drop soup is a 'relax-and-take-it-easy' soup, the hot and sour is 'get-up-and-go' soup. Strong and tangy, it has a very thick broth with bits of chicken, mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots and egg.
The first of our entrees to arrive was the kids' meal, an order of chicken lo mein ($3.95) that was a hit. Next was the pepper steak ($14.95), and we did a double take at the size of the plate, which was barely bigger than the kids' plate at about 6 inches by 4 inches. The spicy chicken and honey shrimp, which were part of a $39.95 "P.F. Chang's for Two" package that included an appetizer, soup and dessert, came on the same little plates, with rice served in a bowl on the side.
As it turned out, we didn't want even the small amount of pepper steak we got, because one bite revealed a severely undercooked interior. We flagged down one of our servers, who said, "Yeah, that's really raw, I'll get a manager." The manager arrived quickly and offered to replace the pepper steak with an entree of our choice, asking if we wanted spring rolls or anything else while we waited.
Even if the pepper steak hadn't been undercooked, we weren't big fans, with the black pepper in the sauce overwhelming the other flavors, so we opted for almond and cashew chicken, which was complimentary (the pepper steak was also taken off the bill). The chicken was mild but tasty, with plenty of crunch from the nuts and a nice garlic soy sauce tying it all together.
The spicy chicken was also mild despite its name, tasting like a tame version of General Tso's chicken. It was good, just mislabeled. We had no complaints about the honey shrimp, which featured substantial pieces of shrimp that didn't get lost in the batter, as too often happens.
For dessert, we had a "chocolate peanut butter crunch" from the sweet treat choices that came with the P.F. Chang's for Two deal and the Great Wall of Chocolate ($8.95) off the regular menu. We fought for the last bites of the peanut butter crunch, a dreamy take on peanut butter pie that was sprinkled with peanuts and managed to sidestep the richness and heaviness that is frequently a hallmark of peanut butter desserts. The Great Wall of Chocolate was an enormous slice of chocolate cake that featured six layers of cake and frosting, topped with chocolate chips. It made enough of an impression that we asked for a box for what we couldn't finish.
When we ran into our friends on the way out, they asked if the wait was worth it. We told them we didn't think so, and they set off in search of someplace else to eat.
The restaurant: P.F. Chang's, Destiny USA, Syracuse
Credit cards: Yes
Accessible to the disabled: Yes
Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to midnight
The cost: Dinner for three adults and two kids with drinks, appetizers, desserts, tax and a 20 percent tip was $95.60 after a $14.95 discount for an undercooked entree.


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Small differences but with big effects: no more hard climbs, no more problems riding into the wind, no more sweating during your commute. Several studies show that e-bike users ride more often and longer, and they usually choose their e-bike instead of other means of transportation.
Economical to use (about $5 for 1,000km), interactive, enjoyable and lightweight, e-bikes have a huge advantage compared to scooters and electric cars: even without a battery, you can still use them!
Electric bikes are a new and promising alternative form of urban transportation. They provide all the advantages of a regular bicycle: fun, exercise, free parking, zero emissions, and freedom from gridlock, while eliminating one of the bicycle's more serious drawbacks, lack of power. Imagine pedalling up a hill as comfortably as riding down, that's what the e-bike experience is all about. In most situations in the city, riding an electric bike will be faster and cheaper than either car or public transit.
Fundamentally, an e-bike is just a regular bicycle with an electric motor to provide additional assistance. You can pedal normally and just use the motor to help out on hills and headwinds, or use the motor all the time just to make riding easier. The experience is entirely different from riding say a scooter or motorbike. Here the electric assistance is perfectly smooth and silent, and it complements rather than supplements human power.


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TABLE OF CONTENTSPage Section
1 Title Page
2 Table of Contents
3 Introduction and Mission Statement
4 Admission criteria
4-5 Application Process
5-6 Costs
6-7 Provisional Summer
7 Advisement
7-8 Academic and Scheduling Information
8 EEP and university course requirements
9 Science Preparation
9-10 Year One curriculum sample
10 Honors and EEP Life
11 EEP Club, EEP Elders, Attendance, Code of Conduct and meetings
11-12 EEP Life and social and behavioral regulations
13 Extracurricular activities
13-14 Post EEP
The Early Entrance Program (EEP)
Introduction and Overview
Highly gifted students often require a more challenging and focused scholastic environment than is offered by secondary schools. These students often need a setting in which they can associate with their true intellectual peers, explore their intellectual curiosity and receive an appropriate and balanced education.
The Early Entrance Program provides the opportunity for these highly gifted students to begin their college studies early at CSULA, and offers them the support, guidance and counseling necessary to prepare them for success at the university level. Most of the EEP students bypass high school, and for some students part of junior high school as well.
EEP students are recruited through the biannual Search for Exceptional Academic Achievement (SEAA) talent search and through qualifying scores on college entrance exams such as the SAT and ACT. Top scoring students who are younger than 16 years old but who are at least 11 years old at the start of the summer quarter for which they would be provisionally admitted may be invited to apply for admission to the Early Entrance Program. The main criteria for EEP selection include need for academic acceleration, maturity, motivation and readiness for early college admission. Admission is based on a holistic assessment of the student's overall academic performance administered by the program director, personal interview of the applicants and their parents, and the completion of a provisional quarter of study. Those students whose academic and personal performances are judged adequate and appropriate during the provisional summer quarter and who receive final approval from the Admissions Committee and the Office of Undergraduate Studies are admitted as matriculated students for the fall quarter.
Upon admission, EEP students are assigned to a class cohort that is enrolled in special EEP classes for their first year and are required to attend regular meetings with EEP staff, participate in scheduled EEP activities, and maintain enrollment as full-time, degree-seeking undergraduates consistent with traditional secondary school attendance. EEP students are responsible for tuition identical to other CSU students and are eligible for financial aid and scholarship assistance. EEP students are eligible to apply for junior entry to the Honors College. For further information please contact the EEP Office at (323) 343-2287, Fax (323) 343-5575, or visit www.calstatela.edu/academic/eep.
Our mission statement:
The Early Entrance Program (EEP) provides gifted students an opportunity to begin college early. It's communally supportive and intellectually stimulating environment contributes to their academic, social and personal success. The talents, ideas, and perspectives of EEP students enrich and enlivens the campus community at CSULA.
Admissions Criteria
The Early Entrance Program may be appropriate for a student with some of the following qualifications:
- One who is not yet in the tenth grade unless accelerated by one or more grades, and is not yet over 16 years of age.
- One who consistently scores in the very top ranges on standardized ability and achievement tests.
- One who has a demonstrated ability to perform at an outstanding level in school.
- One whose educational needs will not be met in the school he/she is presently attending or would be attending.
The student likely to be admitted to the EEP is one who:
- Demonstrates a strong desire to attempt a challenging educational program.
- Possesses adequate maturity for self-motivation and appropriate behavior on a college campus.
- Has the support of the parents to undertake a program of radical educational acceleration.
- Has a history of advanced intellectual and academic achievement.
- Performs at a level indicating a readiness for college level work on University entrance exams.
- Satisfactorily meets or exceeds three important criteria:
- Need (does the student need EEP?)
- Motivation (is the student motivated to be in EEP?)
- Readiness (is the student ready for EEP?)
Early Entrance Program Application Process and Procedures
1. Take a qualifying exam (SAT or ACT) and submit qualifying scores to the EEP office by the first Friday in May. Qualifying scores are as follows:
2. Complete a preliminary interview with the EEP Director by the second Friday in May. This meeting will enable information to be shared, assessments to be completed and questions to be answered. Upon successful completion of the interview, the student may be invited to attend the Provisional Summer.
3. Attend the Orientation. This informational meeting is typically held in late May and is designed to allow all applicants to interact with regular EEP students, EEP staff, parents, and when available, EEP alumni.
4. Complete your application packet. Completed application packet must be submitted by the stated deadline (s), date(s) or before; the deadline dates for all applicant materials will be provided.
5. Enter Cal State L.A as a Provisional EEP student. Provisional EEP students take two approved courses during the summer quarter. Students will also be expected to earn qualifying scores on all placement exams, perform to a satisfactory level on all assignment(s) and assessment(s), attend all required assessment meetings and must receive an acceptable performance rating by Faculty Reviewers on all essay or writing assessments given by EEP staff during their Provisional Summer Quarter.
6. Applicants are reviewed by the Faculty Admission Committee (FAC) that will include selected faculty members from each University college, administrative representatives and the Honors College. The FAC may review all applicant application materials and may schedule meetings with EEP staff and/or any student applicant. The Committee convenes at least once in the fifth week of summer to make admission recommendations.
7. Applicants recommended for admission by the FAC will be advanced to candidacy by the sixth/seventh week of summer (early August). EEP staff will present a list of these students to university administrators for confirmation. Admission decisions notices are then mailed home to each applicant and these notices will include one of the following recommendations:
- To invite student to join the Early Entrance Program directly.
- To invite the student to re-apply
- To conclude that the early Entrance Program is not a good match for the student
8. Students advanced to candidacy will participate in a Life in EEP meeting with the program staff sometime during weeks seven (7) through ten ( 10) of the summer term (i.e. Late August/early September) in order to discuss life in the EEP.
9. The final decision on EEP admission. Final admission decisions cannot be made until after final summer grades are posted during the break period prior to the fall term (i.e. early September). Once grades are posted the EEP staff will complete a final review of applicants and will contact each advanced Provie to ask the student whether they accept or reject the offer of admission.
10. The Student's Decision. If the student is invited to join EEP, the decision to enter college early should be made by the student. Some qualified students may wish to have a traditional high school experience, and that decision should be respected.
EEP Costs
Students selected for admission are fully enrolled students in the University, so their tuition costs are set by the regular fees charged by the California State University (CSU) system. The approximate yearly cost will be between $6,500 and $7,500, depending upon their major requirements and the number of terms enrolled. New students (advanced Provies) are expected to pay CSU fees for the fall term sometime in late in the Provisional summer term. Below are cost estimates.
Estimated regular quarterly cost
Fees $1684.80
Lab & books (est.) $200.00
Club Dues (optional) $20.00
Total $1904.80
** All fees are subject to change without notice
Provisional Summer
The Provisional Summer is a mutual assessment period designed to measure fit between a student and the Program. It is important for applicants and families to gain a better of sense of life in the EEP in order to make an informed decision about whether the EEP is a good choice for them. The Program and the University also use the summer to ascertain fit through additional assessment of applicants using the criteria noted herein.
EEP applicants (Provisional EEP students) are admitted for their Provisional summer term through the University's Open University. The student is responsible for all fees and for purchasing their own books and supplies.
Provisional Summer Quarter Costs
Current Open University fees
Summer 2011 $271.00 per unit
8 units required coursework $2168.00
Total $2168.00+
For more details see: /extension/sub/openuniv/openuniv.htm
Expectations for Provisional Students
- Summer Reading: EEP applicants will be expected to complete a reading assignment or assessment during the Provisional summer quarter consisting of at least two (2) great novels or text (s) chosen by University Faculty and/or EEP staff and/or display completion of a history of readings. Students who have previously met the reading requirement will be asked to demonstrate knowledge/familiarity with the subject matter. Applicants may also be required to make detailed analysis of reading (s) in order to display proficiency in comprehension and critical thinking skills.
- Mentor Teams: EEP applicants will be assigned to EEP Student Mentor teams whose role will be to assist and assess the applicants throughout the Provisional Summer.
- EEP Orientations: EEP applicants will participate in several Student orientation meetings during the summer that include library and study skill development and additional interview sessions.
- Campus Life: EEP applicants will be expected to spend time during the summer on campus and in the Student Center with EEP Mentors to gain true approximation of an EEP student's academic life.
- Academic Performance: EEP applicants must maintain at least a 3.0 GPA through their Provisional Quarter with no grade(s) falling below "B-".
- Departure from EEP: Students who elect to depart from EEP should submit a notice in writing to the Director EEP. The Director of EEP may also recommend that students discontinue the program.
General Education Advisement: EEP students are advised by the Director of EEP and are required to receive EEP advisement and authorization for all proposed class schedules for their first 12 quarters in attendance (or three years) whichever comes first and, if needed, thereafter until graduation. The EEP Director serves as the General Education Advisor for all EEP students. After formally declaring a Degree Major EEP students are assigned to, or may choose a Faculty Advisor who will guide the EEP student through the major requirements.
During the freshman year, EEP students are given individualized schedules. Requests for modifications to the schedule or modification of requirements should be submitted to the Director of EEP. Before each quarterly registration period, EEP students should submit to the EEP staff an Advisement Slip with a list of the courses they would like to take. Their choices will be reviewed by the Director of EEP and approved before students register.
Advisement in the Major: Prior to the completion of 110 units in the program, students must declare a major and meet with an advisor in their major department to determine the requirements for that major. Because of their unique status, EEP students are provided an extended deadline to declare a major. For University major declaration policies see: /univ/advise/faq2.php#ten.
Academic and Scheduling Information
EEP students pursue their baccalaureate degrees as full-time students at CSULA and generally graduate in four or five years. EEP students typically take 12-16 units per quarter and are encouraged to enjoy the summer without classes. Students interested in enrolling in more than 16 units should request approval from the Director of EEP.
The EEP curriculum is designed to meet both the traditional requirements of a high school diploma (GED) and the specific requirements for a baccalaureate degree (B.A. or B.S.) from CSULA. Accordingly, students complete the enhanced General Education curriculum specified below. With approval of the Director of the EEP, the Honors College and the Dean of Undergraduate Studies, students may substitute equivalent courses for the courses listed below.
EEP GE and University Requirements (97-105 units)
Introduction to Higher Education and Life Long Learning and Self- Development (4 units)
UNIV 101 Introduction to Higher Education (4)
English Language Communication and Critical Thinking (16 units)
ENGL 101 Composition I (4)
ENGL 102 Composition II (4)
COMM 150 Oral Communication (4)
POLS 155 Critical Analysis of Political Communication
American Institutions (12 units)
HIST 202AB United States Civilization (4, 4)
POLS 150 Government and American Society (4)
Scientific Inquiry and Quantitative Reasoning (21 units)
CHEM 158 The Chemistry of Everyday Things (4)
CHEM 159 The Chemistry of Everyday Things Laboratory (1)
BIOL 155 Animal Biology (4)
PHYS 156 Physics for the Twenty-first Century (4)
ANTH 260 Physical Anthropology (4)
MATH 102 College Algebra (4)
Humanities (16 units)
PHIL 151 Philosophical Ideas: Knowledge and Reality (4)
ENGL 250 Understanding Literature (4)
With advisor approval, students select 8 additional units in humanities courses from Block C
Social Sciences (16 units)
PSY 150 Introductory Psychology (4)
With advisor approval, students select 8 additional units in social science courses from Block D
Upper Division Theme (12)
Students are required to complete a 12-unit upper division theme as part of the General Education Program. Students select one of the nine available themes and complete three courses, one in each of the natural sciences and mathematics, social sciences, and humanities areas. (See the description of the G.E. Upper Division Themes in the Undergraduate Studies section of the catalog.)
Diversity Requirement (0-8 units)
Students must complete two courses certified as diversity courses. These courses may be completed at either the lower division or upper division level from among the courses satisfying general education requirements in blocks C, D, or F. Diversity courses are designated with a (d) by each course.
Science Preparation for the Early Entrant
EEP students interested in science, technology and math-based Degree Majors (i.e. Engineering, pre-Med. or Health Science, Computer Science, Physics etc.) will take additional GE coursework designed to prepare them for the traditional introductory level University course requirements. For example, traditional University students are required to take a Biology sequence for their major (BIOL 101-103); but because EEP students rarely have the same High School preparation in Biology and other sciences, they will first complete an EEP Preliminary University science class (for example: BIOL 155 OR 156 etc.) in order to best educate and prepare them for the demanding normal University science sequences. See below
EEP Preliminary Science Courses:
CHEM 158+159, 151, 155 or 160 BEFORE CHEM 101-103
BIOL 155, 156, 165, 151 or 157 BEFORE BIOL 101-103
PHYS 150, 155, 156 or 157 BEFORE PHYS 101-103 OR 211-213
Completion of these EEP Preliminary University classes may also satisfy University and/or EEP GE requirements and should be taken as elective classes during the first year of study whenever possible. Faculty Advisors may choose different preliminary courses dependent on the individual student after assessment(s).
Exceptions to the EEP Pre-Science requirements for any discipline may be made based on one or more of the following four conditions:
- Completion of a year of high school science
- Completion of college science
- Completion of an AP exam with minimum score of 4
- Recommendation by a CSLA faculty member
The Freshman Curriculum
The common Freshman Schedule of Curriculum was developed in order to: a) ease the transition to university life; b) simulate a traditional secondary school curriculum and c) provide students with the opportunity to share common academic experiences with their first-year peers.
A Sample Early Entrance Program Freshman Schedule of Curriculum*
Fall Winter Spring
ENGL 101 Comp I (A1) ENGL 102 Comp. II (A1) ENGL 250 Lit
MATH 104A* Algebra (A4) Math 104B Trig. Pre-calc. Select 3 from
IHE 101 (A5) Select 1 from: BIOL 155
EEP Learning Enrichment ANTH 260 CHEM158/159
*This information changes yearly and will be provided to all EEP students formally accepted to the Program. You may check the Fall Schedule of Classes.
EEP Honors Classes and the Honors College
EEP students are enrolled in several EEP Honors general education (GE) classes during their first years in the EEP. These classes are generally smaller than other GE courses and emphasize participation, writing, and critical thinking. After their third year in the Program, EEP students may apply to the Honors College. In order to qualify for the Honors College, students must maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA. Honors College students who maintain the minimum GPA, and are in good standing will have the opportunity to graduate with Honors upon receiving their Baccalaureate degree from CSULA. For more details please see: /academic/honorscollege/
EEP Orientation and Learning Enhancement (OLE)
In their first fall term EEP Freshmen will participate in an EEP Orientation and Learning Enhancement session for new students. The OLE sessions are conducted by the Director of EEP and meet for twice weekly for approximately 90 minutes. These sessions are designed to orient students to the University and provide them with tools to succeed in college.
EEP Life
EEP students have access to the EEP center, located in Martin Luther King Hall D140 and 142. The Student Center includes staff offices, common rooms, a computer lab, a kitchen and a dining area. EEP students are encouraged to be on campus at least 4 days per week and to participate in EEP activities.
The University campus
Cal State Los Angeles is a public university and an open campus. EEP students are free to travel the campus and may be unsupervised at all times. EEP students are expected to exhibit mature, responsible and safe behaviors at all times while at school. Although located 5 miles from downtown Los Angeles, the CSULA campus is one of the safest Universities in Southern California. The campus crime report may be reviewed at: /univ/police/clery.htm
All EEP students attend twice-quarterly meetings for the first three (3) years in attendance. Group meetings are designed to share information on activities, policies and academic development. They also attend quarterly meetings with the Director of EEP, who will provide individualized advisement.
EEP Club
All EEP students are strongly encouraged to be members of the EEP Club (EEPC), which is a fully recognized and sanctioned university student organization administered through the University's Center for Student Development (CSI) and advised by the EEP staff and University faculty. The EEP Club is responsible for arranging social activities including field trips and other communal activities. Normal social activities include parties, dances and, of course, the Spring Formal. In addition to operating a free Tutoring Services Program for EEP student Club members, they also provide feedback on policy formation and governance.
EEP Elders
Upon completion of their third year of study and with the recommendation of the EEP Staff, students may elect to serve as EEP Elders. EEP Elders are involved in peer advisement and serve as role models for younger EEP students. They serve on the EEP Council and advise the EEP club.
EEP students are expected to be on campus no fewer than four (4) days per week, Monday through Thursday for approximately 4 hours per day during normal school hours (i.e. 8:00am-3:00pm). This policy provides opportunities for: a) appropriate social development; b) an increased probability of academic success through campus and EEP engagement involvement.
Residential Life
EEP students may request on-campus housing after their 17th birthday, with parent, Program and University permission.
Code of Conduct
(Created by EEP students)
An EEP student does not lie cheat or steal or tolerate those who do
In the interest of preserving both courtesy and equality among and between the students of EEP, the EEP staff and all members of the Cal State L.A campus community and to maintain the policies, procedures of the EEP the following conduct guidelines are established:
EEP students shall:
- Respect other individuals and treat them as they would like to be treated.
- Adhere to all University regulations and discipline codes as specified in the current California State University, Los Angeles, General Catalog and Student Handbook(s). Ensure that all persons (relatives, friends, etc.) associated with them on campus also follow all EEP and university rules, regulations, codes, procedures, and administrative policies including those rules outlined in this document.
- At all times demonstrate maturity by attending to proper discipline, safety, and behavior and to, at all times, maintain a level of decorum, both in and out of class, on and off university property, appropriate to university students. Not act in any way which is likely to disturb other students, faculty, staff, administration or other members of the university community.
- Accept full responsibility for their work and actions performed while not taking credit or fault for work or actions done by others. To the best of their ability ensure that the products of their work are used in a socially responsible manner. Not misuse or exploit any authority, power or responsibility entrusted to them. Cooperate with others in achieving understanding and in identifying and solving problems whenever possible.
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of at last 3.0 through the first three years of attendance. Follow all written or verbal instructions regarding Probationary Status in cases wherein cumulative or quarter GPA falls below 3.0. and/or when behavioral problems exist.
- Not use knowledge of a confidential or personal nature in any unauthorized or demeaning manner. Not use such information to achieve knowledge, personal gain or to benefit or amuse themselves or others.
- Attend and participate fully in all scheduled EEP meetings and make every effort to participate in EEP events and activities. Participate fully in all duties assigned to them with regard to maintaining an orderly, neat and clean environment. Maintain and keep cubbies lockers, all common rooms and other personal space provided to them in an orderly and clean manner while respecting the privacy, order and security of other individuals' cubbies or personal space.
- When using Student Center kitchen facilities clean/wash and return to the proper place any dish-ware/silverware/or any other item(s) used in preparing or eating meals. In a timely manner, dispose of any unwanted, spoiled or damaged items, including food. When using all other areas of the EEP Lounge return to their personal space all personal property and other items brought by to campus. At all times will be responsible for their belongings and will ensure all property is kept in a neat and orderly manner.
- Not store long-term any information, material, data etc. on any hard disk drive in any EEP or university computer without prior approval. Not erase, delete or copy any information, material or data belonging to another individual without their prior permission. Follow all rules established for the use of all computer labs or other technological or mechanical tools, instruments or appliances.
- Not reveal, inform or transmit any information regarding the combinations for any EEP door or lock to any student or individual outside the EEP while ensuring that EEP areas are secured and locked whenever they leave the EEP Student Center. Not use any equipment, including telephones and computers, located in any staff office(s) without the prior permission of an EEP staff member.
- To adhere to all future and reasonable rules, regulations and policies in concordance with existing EEP and University policies which may be established after my admission to the EEP
Extracurricular Activities
EEP students are very active in campus life including participation in events, organizations, clubs, governing bodies, social programs and, of course, university academic departments and research efforts. As of the 2010 -2011 academic year there are 127 (67 regular and 60 Elders) EEP students pursuing their baccalaureate degrees at the university earning an average GPA above 3.5 while simultaneously maintaining involvement in extracurricular activities.
EEP students may be involved in intramural sports, CSULA orchestra & jazz ensembles, University Times campus publication, the Creative Writing Club (CWC), the Model United Nations, the Asian-American Fellowship Project and many others. In addition, EEP students have created or otherwise revitalized the American Medical Student Association, the Music Appreciation Club, Amnesty International Club, the Cancer Awareness Club, and the Chemistry and Biochemistry Club. The University Learning Services, Head Start, the GEAR-UP tutoring and recruitment program, the CSU Federal Credit Union and many other part-time college employment opportunities are also available to EEP students. EEP students are often selected for research opportunities that abound at CSULA and have received numerous awards, scholarships and grants as well as being extremely active in campus and hometown community volunteer programs.
Post EEP
The future holds much promise for CSULA's Early Entrance students who are given the opportunity to explore their individual talents at a pace appropriate to their intelligence. It is in their accomplishments as contributing adults that the full value of the program is realized. EEP alumni can be found in a wide variety of careers including medicine, law, science and technology and education among many others. As the EEP continues its growth many more highly gifted young students will have the opportunity to develop as adolescents and scholars en route to successful and productive lives. Upon graduating, EEP students are a valuable link to some of our countries most prestigious universities and their involvement as alumni includes advice and counsel for current EEP participants.
EEP students have attended graduate programs at many top universities including but not limited to such Ivy League schools as Harvard, Yale, Dartmouth, Vanderbilt, Cornell and Columbia. In addition, since our inception, nearly every prestigious grad school in the world has accepted EEP graduates including Brown, Cal Tech, Cambridge, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, M.I.T., Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NYU, Oxford, Stanford, Thomas Jefferson Medical School, USC, university of Pennsylvania, university of Chicago, Washington St. Louis Medical College and all UC campuses including Los Angeles and Berkeley.
EEP alumni maintain a close relationship with the program and its current students, often providing guidance and advice. EEP graduates are making an impact as contributing adults in medicine, law, engineering, computer science, science, research and business.
We look forward to continuing to serve the special needs of highly gifted young scholars and hope that if the EEP were an opportunity you or your student would like to explore, that you would please contact us.
California State University, Los Angeles, Early Entrance Program (EEP)
5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, California, 90032
Telephone 323-343-2287 Facsimile 323-343-5575
King Hall D140/142